One of the more rewarding books Kimberly has read, Milkman is dark, dense and AMAZING. Join Kimberly for a more profound understanding of the novel’s political importance, its incredibly effective humor and other elements that make this book feel so IMPORTANT.

Kimberly will share whether you should—or should not—dig into Foster. She’ll treat you to a snippet of the prose to give you a sense, but for a deeper analysis, check out the lecture.

This very brief novella is a masterclass of the form. You will be so moved by this amazing, slight masterpiece. In part one, Kimberly will argue why you should read it, take a quick dip into Keegan’s bio., and discuss the title and opening pages.

Kimberly had never read Besson--and didn't know Ringwald was translating!--but she loved this brief, beautiful novel. Listen in as she touches on the very un-american phenomenon of autofiction, before diving into the fascinating structural choices, the beauty of the spare prose and why Besson is SO GOOD AT SEX WRITING. She'll even offer up interesting translation differences and the novel's details that Ringwald (mostly judiciously) chose to leave out.

Often considered Baldwin's masterpiece, this slim, somewhat autobiographical novel is SO GOOD. Listen in now to hear how the structure, the narrative voice and the final chapter make this an incredible, important read.

Garcia Marquez changed literature with the 1967 publication of this surreal, ultra-popular, deeply engaging novel. Kimberly LOVED diving in to the context in which it was written, the way it fits into literary movements and why it's so groundbreaking. And if you're one of the people who couldn't keep all the generations of José Arcadios and Aurelianos straight, Kimberly will reveal a grad-school level secret that will help with this novel--and every challenging book you read.

NO PRE-READING REQUIRED! Kimberly had no idea that the Nancy Drew we all read as kids was seriously different from the 1930 original. This kind of re-writing is always a fascinating window into American culture--but the real fun here is how GOOD these books are. Whether you're a fan or not, listen in to hear what most of us missed about these iconic bestsellers!

At the end of TOM LAKE, Ann Patchett exhorts readers to return to the work of Thornton Wilder--so Kimberly did! She LOVED her deep dive into the hugely influential 1938 classic, OUR TOWN. You'll hear analysis of the novel, with a whole section devoted to how the incredibly affecting OUR TOWN inflects Patchett's novel. Lastly? You'll then be treated to some seriously inspiring quotations by Wilder himself.

Kimberly dips into the Regency Era--don't remember why it's called that? tune in!--then digs into Jane's use of irony and satire to appreciate why the work is so revolutionary, so deft and SO FUNNY.

Cusk's radical approach to the novel makes OUTLINE the perfect text for serious exploration. Its innovative approach to narrative, structure and even basic description meant plenty of grist for Kimberly's mill. Whether you loved OUTLINE or were left wondering what the hell just happened--prepare for some serious edification.