Happy To Be Here

We are reflecting on a year of reading by tallying up the books that we just can’t stop thinking about. Two professional readers – Miwa Messer, host of Barnes & Noble’s book podcast Poured Over, and Andrew Limbong, host of NPR’s Book of the Day podcast – join us to share their best of the year lists. Here are the books mentioned in the episode. For pictures, links and more details, head to our website! Andrew’s picks:‘Landscapes’ by Christine Lai‘Poverty by America’ by Matthew Desmond‘Roaming’ by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki‘Ringmaster’ by Abraham Josephine RiesmanMiwa’s picks:‘Loot’ by Tania James‘Ordinary Notes’ by Christina Sharpe‘Open Throat’ by Henry Hoke‘Chain Gang All-Stars’ by Nana Kwame Adjei-BrenyahGreta’s picks:‘The Vaster Wilds’ by Lauren Groff‘The Country of the Blind’ by Andrew Leland‘The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi’ by Shannon Chakraborty‘Same Bed Different Dreams’ by Ed ParkListener picks: ‘The Fragile Threads of Power’ by V.E. Schwab‘Shrines of Gaiety’ by Kate Atkinson‘Land of Milk and Honey’ by C Pam Zhang ‘In the Lives of Puppets’ by TJ Klune‘Monsters’ by Claire Dederer‘Black River Orchard’ by Chuck Wendig See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s that time of year where we sit back, relax and reflect on some of the best stuff that came out this year! First up, we asked Alex Beggs — freelance food writer, former staffer at ‘Bon Appetit’ and all-around friend of the show — to tell us about her favorite cookbooks of 2023. Here’s Alex’s list. You can find pictures, links and more details at our website! - ‘More is More’ by Molly Baz - ‘Make It Japanese’ by Rie McClenny- ‘More Than Cake’ by Natasha Picowicz- ‘Sweet enough’ by Alison Roman- ‘Snacking Bakes’ by Yossy Arefi - ‘Pulp’ by Abra Berens - ‘Tenderheart’ by Hetty Lui McKinnon See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we're sharing a podcast from our public radio friends KUOW in Seattle. It's called "Text Me Back" and it's all about friendship and making your favorite people laugh, even when this dumpster fire of a world gets you down.Bestselling writer Lindy West and democracy policy expert Meagan Hatcher-Mays are two award-winning best friends from high school. Each week, Lindy and Meagan will hilariously digest what’s going on in the news, their lives and their text threads with their singular combination of political smarts, embarrassing sincerity, and a truly concerning level of investment in pop culture.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we are asking the important questions about 2024. Like, what plant will we fall in love with? And what body part will be in style? Those are some of the ponderings included in a recent story on next year’s trends in T: The New York Times Style Magazine. We put the co-hosts of ‘Fanti,’ Tre’vell Anderson and Jarrett Hill, to the test. They are also the co-authors of ‘Historically Black Phrases.’ Tre’vell’s recent book is titled ‘We See Each Other.’ Then, Omkari Williams tells us about her new book ‘Micro Activism: How You Can Make a Difference in the World Without a Bullhorn.’ In it, she argues that everyone can be an activist and that working on a small scale can create lasting change. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nerdette Book Club is back to discuss our November selection, ‘Land of Milk and Honey’ by C Pam Zhang! It’s a novel about survival, privilege, and seeking pleasure at the end of the world. Our readers this month are Aliza Abarbanel, co-founder and co-editor of ‘Cake Zine,’ an independent print publication exploring society through sweets, and co-host of the podcast ‘This is TASTE,’ and Miriam Kramer, news editor at WPLN in Nashville. We do get into spoilers in the conversation! If you’re not ready to find out what happens yet, listen to our spoiler-free conversation with author C Pam Zhang in the feed first. P.S. We have an exciting announcement in the credits! Listen if you want to get started on your 2024 reading list!***Recommendations: ‘The Menu’‘Triangle of Sadness’‘The World Without Us’ by Alan Weisman‘How Much of These Hills Is Gold’ by C Pam Zhang‘Gold Fame Citrus’ by Claire Vaye Watkins‘Breasts and Eggs’ by Mieko KawakamiSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Academy Award winning writer, actor, and director Emerald Fennell tells us about her intoxicating new movie ‘Saltburn,’ which is out this week. It’s a British country house thriller about obsession, excess, and desire.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Thanksgiving is almost upon us, so it’s time to get cooking! First, we ask chef Tanya Holland to share some fun, fresh ideas for the big meal. Tanya is the author of three cookbooks, including most recently the gorgeous ‘California Soul.’ You can find the recipes for her stuffed sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts salad at our website! Since one of the best parts of Thanksgiving is the leftovers, we also talk to Tamar Adler about her cookbook ‘The Everlasting Meal Cookbook: Leftovers A to Z.’ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Vocalo host Nudia Hernandez and host of WBEZ’s ‘The Rundown’ Erin Allen join us to unwind from the week that was. We chat about Barbra Streisand’s extremely long memoir, The Simpsons’ attempts to keep up with the times, and how to cope with shorter days. Then, we talk to two of the showrunners on the Apple TV+ show ‘For All Mankind,’ Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi. The series supposes what might have happened if the Soviet Union had won the race to the moon. As a result, we end up making scientific advancements way faster than we did in our timeline — like going to Mars by the 90s. We talk to the two creators about the season 4 premier. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It is the month of November and our Book Club selection is C Pam Zhang’s Land of Milk and Honey. It takes place in an alarmingly conceivable future where the world is on the brink of ecological collapse. A smog is enveloping the earth, making it difficult for crops to grow. Our narrator is a chef who is straddled with inherited debt and locked out of the United States. She takes a mysterious job cooking for an elite research community in the Italian Alps that is able to grow the food she loves in labs. In this spoiler-free conversation with C Pam Zhang, we get into the influence of the pandemic on her writing, her loss of religion, and strawberries. Grab a copy and read along with us! We’ll be back with an in-depth, spoilery conversation on the last Tuesday of the month. You can join the conversation by recording a voice memo on your phone and sending it to nerdettepodcast@gmail.com. Happy reading! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we chat about long movie intermissions, the business of Taylor Swift, and the delight of keeping oddball rituals. Our panelists are Lauren Chooljian, senior reporter, producer and host of the NHPR podcast The 13th Step, and Anisa Khalifa, producer and host of the WUNC podcast The Broadside and the indie podcasts Dramas Over Flowers and Muslim in Plain Sight.Then, we talk to one of our favorite chefs, Sohla El-Waylly, about her debut cookbook Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook. It’s what she calls, “culinary school–without the student loans.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.