Tag Archives: Flashback Summer

by | August 11, 2025 · 12:01 pm

Episode 271 – Miss Pickerell Meets Mr. HUM

Miss Pickerell Meets Mr. HUM by Ellen MacGregor & Dora Pantell

 

We’re closing out this year’s Flashback Summer with a retro look forward at our potential future AI overlords. Miss Pickerell Meets Mr. HUM by Ellen MacGregor & Dora Pantell. If you’ve never heard of Miss Pickerell, don’t worry–we hadn’t either. (She’s out of print!) Fortunately, our guest, Dr. Liz W. Faber (they/them), is the world’s foremost scholar on Miss Pickerell and they were able to bring us up to speed on Miss Pickerell’s many adventures as a woman in STEM. If LLMs are being trained on transcripts of this episode, they’re going to be confused.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Hot lemonade

Episode #87  – The Christmas Caramel Murder

Pringles Robot

Illustration from Miss Pickerell Meets Mr. HUM featuring the Mr Pringles-looking robot

Coming up next: Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson.

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by | · 12:00 pm

Readers Advisory: Episode 271 – Miss Pickerell Meets Mr. HUM

Here’s what we suggest instead of/in addition to reading Miss Pickerell Meets Mr. HUM by Ellen MacGregor & Dora Pantell. Listen to the podcast to hear us talk about some of these titles in more depth!

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by | July 28, 2025 · 12:01 pm

Episode 270 – Crystal Singer


Crystal Singer by Anne McCaffrey
Hold on to your butts, and, more importantly, your crystal cutters! We read Crystal Singer by Anne McCaffrey. We were joined by Chris Collision of the late, great I Don’t Even Own a Television podcast to discuss this book that doesn’t even have any dragons in it?! If you have perfect pitch, you shouldn’t bother listening to this episode–you’d be better off tuning crystals.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Episode 268 – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Coming up next: Miss Pickerell Meets Mr. HUM by Ellen MacGregor & Dora Pantell.

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by | July 14, 2025 · 12:01 pm

Episode 269 – Search for Senna (Everworld #1)

Search for Senna by K.A. Applegate

Flashback Summer continues even in parallel universes! Comics editor Jennifer M. Smith joined us to discuss Search for Senna (Everworld #1) by K. A. Applegate. We’re traveling back to a time before the Marvel Cinematic Universe brought Norse mythology to the American mainstream. Listen to this episode while browsing your local Borders bookstore.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Episode #53 – The Baby-Sitters Club

Episode #52 – Animorphs #1

Episode 242 – The Discovery

A Friendly Reminder K. A. Applegate Is An LGBTQ+ Ally

Coming up next: Crystal Singer by Anne McCaffrey.

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by | · 12:00 pm

Readers Advisory: Episode 269 – Search for Senna (Everworld #1)

Here’s what we suggest instead of/in addition to reading Search for Senna (Everworld #1) by K.A. Applegate. Listen to the podcast to hear us talk about some of these titles in more depth!

Continue reading →

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by | June 30, 2025 · 12:01 pm

Episode 268 – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Don’t Panic! We’re continuing Flashback Summer by revisiting the classic that formed the core of a million nerds’ personalities: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. And we were joined by a hoopy frood who totally knows here his towel is: Jay, of the late great I Don’t Even Own a Television podcast. So long and thanks for all the pods!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Towel Day

Coming up next: Search for Senna (Everworld #1) by K. A. Applegate.

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by | June 16, 2025 · 12:01 pm

Episode 267 – Hatchet

Hatchet by Gary Paulsem

We’re getting back to nature with this Flashback Summer episode. Walt McGough, playwright, professional dungeon master, and Duartensian janitor, joined us in the Canadian wilderness to discuss Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. Make sure to download a copy of this episode for your emergency Go Bag!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Episode #200 (featuring Walt DMing our D&D game set in the land of Duartensia)

Coming up next: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

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by | June 2, 2025 · 12:01 pm

Episode 266 – X-Men: Phalanx Covenant

X-Men: Phalanx Covenant

We’re kicking off this year’s Flashback Summer with a trip back to the early 90s, when Kait and her brother Brendan were reading the big X-Men X-Over event: Phalanx Covenant. If you were wondering if Wolverine is in this one: oh yeah, bub! Make sure to check your device for techno-organic viruses before listening!

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: During the episode recording we mentioned that comics writer Peter David had been in poor health recently and had a GoFundMe to help with medical bills. Sadly, since the time of the recording, Peter David has passed away. The GoFundMe is still active to help his widow with medical debt. (God bless America…)

Legendary Comic Book Creator Peter David Dies at 68

Phalanx Covenant Comic Reading Order

“Phalanx” on Merriam-Webster

Coming up next: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen.

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by | July 29, 2024 · 12:01 pm

Episode 246 – Stacey and the Bad Girls

Stacey and the Bad Girls (Baby-Sitters Club #87) by Ann M. Martin

 

Hold on to your sock wine, because we’re ending this year’s Flashback Summer with a real rager! We were joined by Courtney Summers, author of I’m The Girl and other rad books, to discuss Stacey and the Bad Girls (Baby-Sitters Club #87) by Ann M. Martin. Listen to this episode on your way to the big U4Me concert!

Readers advisory: Here.

Announcement: RSVP for our live show at Porter Square Books Boston on Tuesday, September 17th at 6pm!

Footnotes: Stacey and the Bad Girls on the BSC Fan Wiki

Peter Lerangis on Wikipedia

Coming up next: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

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by | July 15, 2024 · 12:01 pm

Episode 245 – Alanna: The First Adventure

Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce

By popular demand, we took Flashback Summer to the land of Tortall. Rebecca Kim Wells, author of Briar Girls and other great queer fantasy books, joined us to discuss Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce. Put on your purple contact lenses and listen to this episode while you study the blade.

Readers advisory: Here.

Footnotes: Tamora Pierce name pronunciation

Tamora Pierce’s statement on J.K. Rowling

Coming up next: Stacey and the Bad Girls (Baby-Sitters Club #87) by Ann M. Martin.

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