

Poured Over
Barnes & Noble
Poured Over is a show for readers who pore over details, obsess over sentences and ideas and stories and characters; readers who ask a lot of questions, just like Poured Over’s host, Miwa Messer, a career bookseller who’s always reading. Follow us here for surprising riffs, candid conversations, a few laughs, and lots of great book recommendations from big name authors and authors on their way to being big names. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional bonus episodes on Saturdays).
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 31, 2024 • 43min
Susanna Clarke on THE WOOD AT MIDWINTER
The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke returns to the world of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell with an atmospheric fairytale about a young woman and her connection to nature. Clarke joins us to talk about why she chose to write this story now, creating her memorable characters, incorporating magic into the world we know and more with cohost Jenna Seery. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Jenna Seery and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke Piranesi by Susanna Clarke The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff

Oct 29, 2024 • 41min
Nikole Hannah-Jones and Xaviera Simmons on THE 1619 PROJECT: A VISUAL EXPERIENCE
The 1619 Project: A Visual Experience is a new illustrated edition of the bestselling, conversation-driving anthology featuring some of our top journalists, historians, poets, essayists, and photographers examining the lasting impacts of slavery in America. Author Nikole Hannah-Jones and artist Xaviera Simmons join us live to talk about the continuation of the project, the responses from readers, the power of who gets to tell stories and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app Featured Books (Episode): The 1619 Project: A Visual Experience by Nikole Hannah-Jones The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah Jones

Oct 26, 2024 • 58min
Nick Harkaway on KARLA'S CHOICE
Nick Harkaway takes on his father’s iconic George Smiley series with Karla’s Choice — another thrilling journey into the world of espionage. Harkaway joins us to talk about how he came to this challenge, his time working in entertainment, how he generates ideas and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over. We end this episode with TBR Top Off book recommendations from Donald and Jamie. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app Featured Books (Episode): Karla’s Choice by Nick Harkaway The Spy Who Came in from the Cold John le Carré Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy by John le Carré The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen Featured Books (TBR Top Off): American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson A Spy Among Friends by Ben Macintyre

Oct 24, 2024 • 45min
Sabaa Tahir on HEIR
Sabaa Tahir’s Heir returns to the fractured and fraught world of her Ember in the Ashes series as 3 young people’s lives come together in surprising and heartbreaking ways. Tahir joins us to talk about revisiting familiar worlds and characters, dropping readers right in the action, writing complex heroes and villains and more with cohost Jenna Seery. We end this episode with TBR Top Off book recommendations from Marc and Donald. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Jenna Seery and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app Featured Books (Episode): Heir by Sabaa Tahir An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy Featured Books (Episode): The City in Glass by Nghi Vo The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks

Oct 22, 2024 • 38min
Dava Sobel on THE ELEMENTS OF MARIE CURIE
The Elements of Marie Curie by Dava Sobel takes a new look at the life and impacts of Marie Curie, focusing on the ways she fostered growth for other women in science. Sobel joins us to talk about why she wanted to tell Curie’s story, her research process, the importance of continuing to analyze our history and more with cohost, Jenna Seery. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Jenna Seery and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app Featured Books (Episode): The Elements of Marie Curie by Dava Sobel Longitude by Dava Sobel Galileo’s Daughter by Dava Sobel

Oct 19, 2024 • 41min
Mark Haddon on DOGS AND MONSTERS
Mark Haddon’s Dogs and Monsters is a collection of stories that span a wide range of topics and themes based on Greek myth and other literary influences. Haddon joins us to talk about the way he compiles his stories, their connections to other works of literature, writing in different genres and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app Featured Books (Episode): Dogs and Monsters by Mark Haddon The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon The Porpoise by Mark Haddon To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon

Oct 17, 2024 • 56min
Susan Minot on DON'T BE A STRANGER
Don’t Be a Stranger by Susan Minot is a story of obsession, lust and life populated by intriguing characters and full of simmering tension. Minot joins us to talk about the start of the novel, the many ways she creates art, the fluidity of time and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over. We end this episode with TBR Top Off book recommendations from Marc and Donald. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app Featured Books (Episode): Don’t Be a Stranger by Susan Minot Monkeys by Susan Minot All Fours by Miranda July Sandwich by Catherine Newman Why I Don’t Write: And Other Stories by Susan Minot Nocturnes for the King of Naples by Edmund White Rememberings by Sinead O’Connor The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner East of Eden by John Steinbeck Featured Books (TBR Top Off): Vladimir by Julia May Jonas All Fours by Miranda July

Oct 15, 2024 • 44min
Ta-Nehisi Coates on THE MESSAGE
In The Message, Ta-Nehisi Coates delivers a gripping account of some of our world's hardest truths all within a book that's ultimately about the craft of writing. Coates joins us to talk about the inspiration for telling these stories, the role of memory, his influences and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over. We end this episode with TBR Top Off book recommendations from Marc and Donald. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates The Beautiful Struggle by Ta-Nehisi Coates The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates The Rediscovery of America by Ned Blackhawk Featured Books (TBR Top Off): The Source of Self-Regard by Toni Morrison Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde Avengers of the New World by Laurent DuBois

Oct 12, 2024 • 47min
Dan Jones on HENRY V
Henry V by Dan Jones takes us back in time to an age of grandeur, guts and glory with an astonishing account of a complicated king. Jones joins us live to talk about the way he crafted the book, the importance of analyzing our past, the roles of the historian and more with cohost, Jenna Seery. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Jenna Seery and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app Featured Books (Episode): Henry V by Dan Jones The Plantagenets by Dan Jones The Wars of the Roses by Dan Jones The Templars by Dan Jones The Spy Who Loved Me by Ian Fleming American Tabloid by James Ellroy

Oct 9, 2024 • 47min
Abraham Chang on 888 LOVE AND THE DIVINE BURDEN OF NUMBERS
888 Love and the Divine Burden of Numbers by Abraham Chang is a debut about the coming-of-age search for love and meaning via family, friendships, education, and (especially) pop culture. Chang joins us to talk about his career in publishing, the Easter eggs he hides in his work, his ensemble of characters and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app Featured Books (Episode): 888 Love and the Divine Burden of Numbers by Abraham Chang High Fidelity by Nick Hornby