Close Reads Podcast

Goldberry Studios
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Oct 7, 2025 • 1h 6min

A Farewell to Arms: Book One (Chapters 1-12)

Welcome to our new series on Ernest Hemingway’s modern classic. For this first episode we chatted about Heidi’s deep love of the book, the subtly of Hemingway’s prose, the role of faith and confession in the story. whether it’s melodramatic, and much, much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
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Oct 1, 2025 • 1h 7min

Q&A: The Princess and the Goblin + Ask-Us-Anything

This week is one part Q&A about The Princess and the Goblin, one part ask-us-anything. That means we’re discussing George McDonald’s plot devices, Irene’s grandmother, and goblins but also cooking, Shakespeare, new book releases, and the Muppets. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
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Sep 22, 2025 • 50min

The Princess and the Goblin: To the End

This week we discuss the delightful conclusion to George McDonald’s classic children’s novel, how it compares to classic fairy tales, why books like this matter more than ever, and much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
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Sep 15, 2025 • 57min

The Princess and the Goblin: Chapters 1-14

Over the next few weeks we’ll be discussing George Macdonald’s delightful nineteenth century children’s story, The Princess and the Goblin. In this episode we discuss its similarities to (and influence on) Lewis and Tolkien, why books like this matter more than ever, and where it’s most delightful. As always, thanks for tuning in and happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
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Sep 9, 2025 • 1h 11min

The Great Winnowing of 2025 (for 2026)

It’s that time of year! You’ve probably seen the posts revealing the books we’ll be discussing on the show in 2026 , but now you can tune into the process of making those determinations. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
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Sep 3, 2025 • 1h

Wuthering Heights: Q&A

You had plenty of great questions; we did our best to answer them. So join in as we conclude our series on Emily Bronte’s classic novel. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
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Aug 25, 2025 • 50min

Wuthering Heights: Final Chapters

We’ve come to the end of Emily Bronte’s novel and so we’re here to discuss, well, how it ends. Up first: Sean’s opinion. Then we discuss the impact of the late-stage POV-shift, whether this is a ghost story, the fun-to-discuss questions at the core of the book, and much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
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Aug 18, 2025 • 1h 9min

Wuthering Heights: Chapters 22-28

Welcome back to our ongoing conversation about Emily Bronte’s novel! This week we discuss whether it’s too melodramatic, Heathcliff’s malevolence, Cathy’s kindness to pathetic Linton, and much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
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Aug 11, 2025 • 60min

Wuthering Heights: Chapters 15-21

Welcome back to our ongoing series on Emily Bronte’s novel! This week we’re discussing the degree to which the book is a love story, the strange circumstances of a particular character’s death and another character’s birth, the inevitability of the narrative (and it’s structure), and much more! Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe
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Aug 5, 2025 • 1h 2min

Close Reads Live: A Special Tenth Anniversary Discussion of "A Good Man Is Hard to Find"

Ten years ago, on the first ever episode of Close Reads, we discussed “A Good Man Is Hard To Find,” the famous story by Flannery O’Connor. Last weekend, at our tenth anniversary party, we revisited it and we’re excited to share that discussion with you now. So whether you’ve been listening all along or whether it’s first time, thanks for tuning in and happy listening! Thanks so much to everyone who has helped shape the show for so long, from co-hosts and guest hosts to listeners from all over the world—and, of course, Logan! We couldn’t do it without you. Cheers! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

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