Category Archives: Podcasts

Podcast audio files

by renata | June 22, 2020 · 12:01 pm

Episode 151 – The Black Stallion Revolts

Flashback Summer is off to the races! Well, kind of. We eventually got to the races after a long slog through the wilderness. We read The Black Stallion Revolts by Walter Farley with returning guest Carrie. It’s the classic story of a horse and a horse boy. And a crime boy. Well, we’re still waiting for the fingerprint analysis to exonerate the crime boy. Listening to this episode might just cure your amnesia!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Episode #75 – The Saddle Club

I Don’t Even Own a Television #156 – The Danger (Dick Francis series)

Blank Check: War Horse

“When Aliens Join Your Horse Fantasy: Walter Farley’s The Island Stallion Races” by Judith Tarr

Animal House horse scene

Cat trots like a horse

Candy Pairing: Carrie says spice drops, Kait says oats, Renata says GORP.

Coming up next: Mallory and the Trouble With Twins by Ann M. Martin.

* Worst Bestsellers is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

(But no pressure, we’re also happy if you get these items from your local library or independent bookstore.)

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Tagged as Flashback Summer, The Black Stallion, The Black Stallion Revolts, Walter Farley

by renata | June 8, 2020 · 12:00 pm

Episode 150 – Flashback Summer Super-Special

It’s our 150th episode, and to kick off our 4th Flashback Summer, we asked to hear from you, our listeners. We loved hearing about everyone’s childhood favorite books and sharing a little bit about ours.

Thanks: to Andrew and Craig of Overdue, Alan, Red, JJ (aka S. Jae-Jones, author of Wintersong and other books), Ashley R., Liz J., Genevieve, Devin, Kathryn and Melissa of Truer Words, Madelyn, Lucy, Nora, Imogen, Joyce, Hallie, Sarah Mirk (author of Guantanamo Voices and other books), April, Megan, Ashley K., Meredith Goldstein (Love Letters columnist and author of Chemistry Lessons and other books), Danielle, Meagan, Liz H., Courtney Summers (author of Sadie and other books), Celia, Emma, Rebecca Mahoney (author of The Valley and the Flood), Jess, Josie, Payge, Laura, Ben, Kellie, and Collision & J.W. of I Don’t Even Own a Television for their contributions, and extra thanks to our editor Becca for putting all of these clips together! And thanks to all of you for listening!

Congratulations: to our Flashback Summer raffle winners: Emma, Josie, Joyce, and Madelynn!

Notes: This episode was recorded and assembled weeks ago and contains no references to current events. But we would like to take a moment here to affirm that Black Lives Matter.

Full list of titles referenced in this episode below this cut:

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Tagged as Amy Hest, ann m. martin, Barbara Sleigh, Betty Ren Wright, Brian Jacques, Candice Ransom, Douglas Adams, Ellen Raskin, Eloise McGraw, Flashback Summer, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Gail Carson Levine, Helen Lester, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jean Webster, Jeanne Birdsall, K. A. Applegate, Katherine Paterson, Kevin J. Anderson, L. Frank Baum, Lemony Snicket, Lloyd Alexander, Madeline L'Engle, Marissa Moss, Nancy Garden, Rebecca Moesta, Richard Adams, Robert Lynn Asprin, Ron Roy, Russell Hoban, Ruth Stiles Gannett, S. E. Hinton, Saki, Scott Westerfeld, Sonja Lamut, Tor Seidler, Willow Davis Roberts, Wilson Rawls

by renata | May 25, 2020 · 12:01 pm

Episode 149 – A Werewolf in Riverdale

Bad news: A Werewolf in Riverdale by Caleb Roehrig is not a tie-in to the CW show Riverdale, but rather to the town of Riverdale from the Archie comics. Well–from the Archie Horror comics. Good news: we once again teamed up with J. and Collision from I Don’t Even Own a Television to tackle the big questions raised by this novel, most importantly: did you know that Jughead’s little hat is called a “whoopee cap,” and when Jughead transforms into a werewolf, does he still wear his whoopee cap?

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: “The Weird History of Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa” by Avery Kaplan

“A Feud in Wolf-Kink Erotica Raises a Deep Legal Question” by Alexandra Alter

I Don’t Even Own a Television #146 – The Day Before (Riverdale prequel novel)

I Don’t Even Own a Television #157 – Resident Evil II: Caliban Cove (featuring Kait & Renata)

Candy Pairing: Collision says a Hershey bar when he expected a Mr. Goodbar, Jay says Laffy Taffy, Kait says cold French fries, Renata says a hamburger when she ordered a milkshake.

Coming up next: Flashback Summer Super-Special Edition!

(But no pressure, we’re also happy if you get these items from your local library or independent bookstore.)

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Tagged as A Werewolf in Riverdale, Archie Horror, Caleb Roehrig, podcast

by renata | May 11, 2020 · 12:01 pm

Episode 148 – Planet X

We like X-Men. Our guest Anna (@lcarslibrarian) likes Star Trek. So we thought it would be fun to read the Star Trek: The Next Generation/X-Men crossover novel Planet X by Michael Jan Friedman. But it turns out that this exhausting crossover novel spends most of its time focused on a new character who isn’t particularly connected to either franchise. Set your phasers for “none” and don’t read this book!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Episode 49 – X-Men: X-Cutioner’s Song

Episode 50 – X-Men 3: The Last Stand

Tsunkatse (Star Trek Voyager episode feat Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson)

Candy Pairing: Anna says earl grey macarons, Kait says X-Men ice cream, Renata says mixed Jelly Bellies.

Coming up next: A Werewolf in Riverdale by Caleb Roehrig.

(But no pressure, we’re also happy if you get these items from your local library or independent bookstore.)

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Tagged as Michael Jan Friedman, Planet X, podcast, Star Trek: The Next Generation, X-Men

by renata | April 27, 2020 · 12:01 pm

Episode 147 – The Fast and the Furriest

When the going gets tough, the tough get to reading cozy cat mysteries. We read The Fast and the Furriest by Sofie Ryan, the story of a small coastal town plagued with murder and antiquers. Our opinions were split–Renata liked the cat but not the murder, Kait liked the murder but not the cat, and Duarte just hopes that feline detectives are paid a fair wage. Listen to this episode at a safe social distance from any murderers and/or antiquers!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Flashback Summer Featuring…You?

“Crime-Solving Cats And Cozy Mysteries Are A Publishing Juggernaut” by Hillary Kelly

Candy Pairing: Kait says a cup of tea, Renata says Annie’s fruit snacks.

Coming up next: Planet X by Michael Jan Friedman.

(But no pressure, we’re also happy if you get these items from your local library or independent bookstore.)

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Tagged as podcast, Second Chance Cat Mysteries, Sofie Ryan, The Fast and the Furriest

by renata | April 13, 2020 · 12:01 pm

Episode 146 – American Royals

Katharine McGee’s novel American Royals dares to ask: what if the United States had a royal family? And what if the modern-day American royal children were a little bit horny? The Bellwether Friends, Anna and Alene, joined us to discuss this book’s baffling structure, insufficient world-building, and potential Wawa sponsorship.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Bellwether Friends #113 – ABBAsode

Royal Romance: 13 Stories Of Everyday People Who Fall In Love With Royalty by Ann Foster

Red Fox James on Wikipedia

Candy Pairing: Alene says Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (from Wawa), Anna says a Disney Princess Candy Fan, Kait says old timey penny candy, Renata says a caramel apple.

Coming up next: The Fast and the Furriest by Sofie Ryan.

(But no pressure, we’re also happy if you get these items from your local library or independent bookstore.)

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Tagged as American Royals, Katharine McGee, podcast

by renata | March 30, 2020 · 12:01 pm

Episode 145 – Machines Like Me

We’ve been reading too much frivolous lady fiction around here, so we had to make time to read a Serious Book by an Important White Man. Our guest Amy used her human skills of persuasion to get us to read Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan, Finally, someone has dared to ask the questions: what if robots could have emotions and also working penises and also what if the UK had lost the Falklands War?

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: “Archana and Chandni” by Iona Datt Sharma

“Ian McEwan: ‘Who’s Going to Write the Algorithm for the Little White Lie?'” by Tim Adams

“In McEwan’s Latest, The ‘Machine’ Is Too Much Like You” by Heller McCalpin

Candy Pairing: Amy says Fry’s Turkish Delight, Kait says a potato battery, Renata says Mystery Airheads.

Coming up next: American Royals by Katharine McGee.

(But no pressure, we’re also happy if you get these items from your local library or independent bookstore.)

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by renata | March 16, 2020 · 12:01 pm

Episode 144 – Girl, Wash Your Face

Hey girl, guess what? Your life could be way better than it is right now if you just believed in yourself and also married a high-up Disney executive! Definitely mostly the first thing though. We were joined by Margaret H. Willison (1/2 of Two Bossy Dames, 1/3 of Appointment Television, and one of Pop Culture Happy Hour‘s 4th chairs) to discuss Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis, a Christian self-help book that misleadingly contained no skin care advice whatsoever.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Rachel Hollis on Jen Hatmaker

Rosie Perez on Bullseye

Girl, Wash Your Face on By the Book

Candy Pairing: Kait says an Oreo while crying, Margaret says leftover Christmas candy, Renata says a cheese plate.

Coming up next: Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan.

(But no pressure, we’re also happy if you get these items from your local library or independent bookstore.)

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Tagged as Girl Wash Your Face, podcast, Rachel Hollis

by renata | March 2, 2020 · 12:01 pm

Episode 143 – Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper

We invited Rebecca Mahoney, co-writer of The Bridge podcast and author of the upcoming YA novel The Valley and the Flood, to be a guest on our new podcast, My Least Favorite Murder. We read novelist Patricia Cornwell’s ambitiously-titled true crime book Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper–Case Closed. Listen now to hear more than you ever wanted to know about a famous painter’s penis!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: A new Ripper mystery: Why Patricia Cornwell won’t stop hunting him by Mary Wakefield

“Whitechapel mural will celebrate the lives of Jack the Ripper’s victims” by Alison Flood

“Historian speaks of ‘constant trolling’ over Jack the Ripper book” by Mark Brown

Sawbones #151 – The Royal Fistula Fad

Sawbones #245 – Medical Illustration

Bear Brook podcast

The Fall Line podcast

In the Dark podcast

Candy Pairing: Kait says gruel, Rebecca says bachelorette party penis pops, Renata says ginger chews.

Coming up next: Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis.

(But no pressure, we’re also happy if you get these items from your local library or independent bookstore.)

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Tagged as Jack the Ripper, Patricia Cornwell, podcast, Portrait of A Killer Jack the Ripper Case Closed

by renata | February 17, 2020 · 12:01 pm

Episode 142 – Scythe

As a belated Valentine to ourselves, we invited our friend Angie Manfredi (@MissKubelik), editor of The Other F-Word, back on the show to read a Best Bestseller. We read Scythe by Neal Shusterman, a twisty YA utopia-ish where death is optional and the cloud is your friend. This episode does contain full spoilers for a book that we sincerely recommend reading, so maybe hold off on listening if you’ve been meaning to read Scythe? Or listen to the episode now–in the age of mortality, life is short.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes:

Angie sent me this clip from an interview with Neal Shusterman before we recorded but the actual article seems to have disappeared from the internet???

Four Questions for Neal Shusterman

Candy Pairing: Angie says whatever candy you like best, Kait says a box of chocolates with one poisoned one, Renata says Dippin Dots.

Coming up next: Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper–Case Closed by Patricia Cornwell.

(But no pressure, we’re also happy if you get these items from your local library or independent bookstore.)