

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

Jul 11, 2024 • 52min
Tiya Miles on NIGHT FLYER
In Night Flyer, Tiya Miles uncovers the humanity behind the legend with this brilliant account of Harriet Tubman’s life. Miles joins us to talk about reconstructing history with limited sources, shaping historical narratives, cultural heritage through storytelling 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): Night Flyer by Tiya Miles Wild Girls by Tiya Miles All That She Carried by Tiya Miles The Rediscovery of America by Ned Blackhawk

Jul 9, 2024 • 51min
Taffy Brodesser-Akner on LONG ISLAND COMPROMISE
Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner is a story about the benefits and consequences of wealth and the lengths we'll go to run from our real stories. Brodesser-Akner joins us to talk about family dynamics and trauma, privilege, the American dream 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): Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty American Pastoral by Philip Roth

Jul 6, 2024 • 48min
Riley Sager on MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
When the past comes back to haunt a small town, it's up to one boy to contend with what happened while discovering just what safety really means in Riley Sager’s Middle of the Night. Sager joins us to talk about his inspirations for the novel, 90s nostalgia, the spookiness of the suburbs and more with guest host, Chris Gillespie. We end this episode with TBR Top Off book recommendations from Donald and Jamie. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Chris Gillespie and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): Middle of the Night by Riley Sager The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager The Only One Left by Riley Sager Finals Girls by Riley Sager The Nineties by Chuck Klosterman Featured Books (TBR Top Off): Disappearance at Devil’s Rock by Paul Tremblay The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

Jul 4, 2024 • 50min
Timothy Egan on A FEVER IN THE HEARTLAND
In A Fever in the Heartland, Timothy Egan takes us back to Jazz Age America to deliver a true story of an American woman shutting down a con man's plans. Egan joins us to talk about his past in storytelling, some of America’s lesser-known history, his approaches to writing narrative nonfiction 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): A Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan The Big Burn by Timothy Egan Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher by Timothy Egan The Wager by David Grann Grant by Ron Chernow The Rediscovery of America by Ned Blackhawk

Jul 2, 2024 • 55min
Claire Messud on THIS STRANGE EVENTFUL HISTORY
Claire Messud’s This Strange Eventful History is a sweeping, multigenerational family saga told over the course of 70 years. Messud joins us to talk about her family connection to the novel, identity and colonialism, the concept of home 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): This Strange Eventful History by Claire Messud We Don’t Know Ourselves by Fintan O’Toole Featured Books (TBR Top Off): The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor The Guest Book by Sarah Blake

Jun 29, 2024 • 43min
Yume Kitasei on THE STARDUST GRAIL
The Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei brings readers from the libraries of Princeton to alien planets for a heist story like no other and is a great read for lovers of alien tech, found family and saving the world. Kitasei joins us to talk about her inspirations for her novels, themes of identity and memory, why we should all read more sci-fi and more with co-host, Jenna Seery. We end this episode with TBR Top Off book recommendations from Mary and Jamie. 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 Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell The Last Animal by Ramona Ausubel Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord Escape Velocity by Victor Manibo Featured Books (TBR Top Off): Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Jun 27, 2024 • 42min
Claire Lombardo on SAME AS IT EVER WAS
Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo is a novel about friendship, family and the struggles that can come along with both. Lombardo joins us live at BN Upper West Side to talk about creating her characters, her writing process, her recent book recommendations 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): Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo The Bee Sting by Paul Murray The Unsettled by Ayana Mathis Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark The Sentence by Louise Erdrich

Jun 25, 2024 • 48min
Julia Phillips on BEAR
Bear by Julia Phillips is a wild story about the collision between people's dreams and animals' realities. Phillips joins us to talk about writing with themes of isolation and survival, the emotional intensity of relationships between sisters, her reading habits 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): Bear by Julia Phillips Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond Maid by Stephanie Land The Stories of John Cheever by John Cheever

Jun 22, 2024 • 47min
Edmund White and Garth Greenwell on NOCTURNES FOR THE KING OF NAPLES
Nocturnes for the King of Naples by Edmund White with a foreword by Garth Greenwell reflects on love, life and time in this stunning epistolary novel. Both authors joined us to talk to us about bringing back this novel from 1978, the evolution of style and themes, musicality in creative writing 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): Nocturnes for the King of Naples by Edmund White with Garth Greenwell A Boy’s Own Story by Edmund White Dancer From the Dance by Andrew Halloran Faggots by Larry Kramer Cleanness by Garth Greenwell The Lost Language of Cranes by David Leavitt Small Rain by Garth Greenwell The Loves of My Life by Edmund White

Jun 20, 2024 • 59min
Robin Sloan on MOONBOUND
Moonbound by Robin Sloan is a novel featuring charm, wit and time-bending set in the world of Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. Sloan joins us to talk about imaging the future in his writing, creating unique and engaging stories, literature as nourishment 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): Moonbound by Robin Sloan Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan Sourdough by Robin Sloan Imagination: A Manifesto by Ruha Benjamin The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien The History of Middle-earth by J.R.R. Tolkien with Christopher Tolkien Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin Featured Books (TBR Top Off): This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis