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Overdue

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Overdue is a podcast about the books you've been meaning to read. Join Andrew and Craig each week as they tackle a new title from their backlog. Classic literature, obscure plays, goofy childen’s books: they'll read it all, one overdue book at a time.


Episodes

Ep 516 - Maus, by Art Spiegelman

In response to the McMinn County, TN's unanimous decision to ban Art Spiegelman's Maus from its 8th-grade curriculum last month, we've both re-read the book to encourage a conversation about its continued importance and (sadly) relevance. Also, did you know that Art Spiegelman helped make Garbage Pail Kids? We've made donations to HIAS Pennsylvania and The Fund for the School District of Philadelphia this week. Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis . Advertise on Overdue See omnystudio.c...

Feb 07, 20221 hr 17 min

Feed Drop: Well-Read Black Girl - Min Jin Lee on Becoming a Writer

We're sharing a special preview of the new podcast, Well-Read Black Girl from Pushkin Industries. Well-Read Black Girl is the literary kickback you never knew you needed. Glory Edim, author and founder of the Well-Read Black Girl community, sits in deep, honest and close conversation with authors like Tarana Burke, Anita Hill, Gabrielle Union, Elizabeth Acevedo and more. You’ll also meet book club members, literacy advocates, and Black booksellers to hear what they’re reading and what it means t...

Feb 03, 20227 min

Ep 515 - Ratha's Creature (The Named #1), by Clare Bell

Clare Bell's novel about prehistoric big cats with language, culture, and fire is also a pretty engrossing adventure about being cast out from your home and discovering the world around you. Time to join the clan of the Red Tongue! Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis . Advertise on Overdue See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....

Jan 31, 202253 min

Jagged Little Mill, a Don Quixote miniseries - Episodes 11 & 12

Enjoy another episode of our latest show-within-a-show! We're reading Edith Grossman's translation of Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes a few chapters at a time. Some Patreon supporters get these episodes monthly, but every two months we'll combine them for general consumption. These episodes cover Chapters 27-47 of Part Two. In Episode 11, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza meet a Duke and Duchess familiar with Quixote's adventures. LARPing and pranks ensue. In Episode 12, the Duke and Duchess conti...

Jan 29, 20221 hr 15 min

Ep 514 - The Lost Symbol, by Dan Brown (w/ Appointment Television)

The former hosts of Appointment Television join us this week to talk about Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol, the book version of the TV show Peacock's Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol. This book makes that show and all other Dan Brown books seem actually kinda better by comparison? Follow Kathryn VanArendonk on Twitter. Follow Margaret H. Willison on Twitter . Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis . Advertise on Overdue See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at htt...

Jan 24, 20221 hr 25 min

Ep 513 - Homegoing, by Yaa Gyasi

Yaa Gyasi's debut novel tracks the lasting impacts of the slave trade across multiple generations and continents, through the eyes of two half-sisters and their descendants. Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis . Advertise on Overdue See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....

Jan 17, 202259 min

Ep 512 - The Story of Doctor Dolittle, by Hugh Lofting (w/ Alli from SSR)

Where did his animal-talking abilities come from? Why is he worshipped by animals all over the world? Why does this book talk about money so much? And why did so few of us read Dr. Dolittle in grade school? This week, we tried to answer these questions (and more) with Alli from the SSR Podcast , a great show you should check out! You can also listen to our previous SSR Podcast collab: Vampires Don't Wear Polka Dots with the Bailey School Kids. Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis . Adve...

Jan 10, 20221 hr 5 min

Ep 511 - Coming for Christmas, by Krystyna Allyn (Bonus Episode)

Two horrible dudes double team one sexy lady in this horny, Christmas-adjacent story. This episode is EXTREMELY explicit, so buckle up!! For more on our bonus episodes, head to patreon.com/overduepod. Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis . Advertise on Overdue See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....

Jan 08, 20221 hr 14 min

Ep 510 - The Girl Who Played With Fire (Millennium #2), by Stieg Larsson

We return to the Dragon Tattoo-niverse this week to discuss the second book of the Millennium trilogy, and to talk about each of the three dozen-or-so named characters tucked inside this book. Need a refresher on Lisbeth and Mikke? Listen to our 500th episode on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo . Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis . Advertise on Overdue See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at ...

Jan 03, 20221 hr 9 min

Ep 509 - The Art of War, by Sun Tzu

We learn the art of military strategy, deception, and fire from Michael Nylan's 2020 translation of this classic text. We start by going in-depth on the contemporary political references in Nylan's Introduction to this edition, and then we go blow-by-blow and nugget-by-inspirational-nugget through Master Sun's timeless wisdom. Here's translator Michael Nylan writing about the book for LitHub: " The Art of War is Actually a Manual on How to Avoid It. " Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangi...

Dec 27, 20211 hr 8 min

Ep 508 - Jennifer Government, by Max Barry

Jennifer Government is one of those near-future satirical works that probably felt a lot farther from reality back when it was originally written. Barry's predictions feel distressingly spot on here in 2021, and his prescience isn't exactly comforting. Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis . Advertise on Overdue See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-inf...

Dec 20, 20211 hr

Ep 507 - If on a winter's night a traveler, by Italo Calvino

Sometimes a book is so meta it sort of breaks your brain! How to talk about a book that is all beginnings and no ends? How to discuss a book that enlists You, the Reader, in its chicanery? We try to get on the wavelength with Calvino's text. You be the judge of if we get there. Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis . Advertise on Overdue See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/...

Dec 13, 20211 hr 6 min

Ep 506 - The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros

Sandra Cisneros' first novel is a collection of rapid-fire vignettes about childhood and friendship and race and America. We also check in with the darker side of our recurring guest host, the Iowa Writers Workshop. Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis . Advertise on Overdue See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....

Dec 06, 20211 hr 1 min

Ep 505 - Fingersmith, by Sarah Waters

This contemporary Victorian story is chockablock with twists and turns, backstabs and broadsides, as well as Dickensian pornfiends. It also features a steamy lesbian romance between two women desperate to escape their own circumstances. We dive into what makes Fingersmith memorable, as well as where its structure overstays its welcome. Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis . Advertise on Overdue See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/...

Nov 29, 20211 hr 4 min

Jagged Little Mill, a Don Quixote miniseries - Episodes 9 & 10

Enjoy another episode of our latest show-within-a-show! We're reading Edith Grossman's translation of Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes a few chapters at a time. Some Patreon supporters get these episodes monthly, but every two months we'll combine them for general consumption. These episodes cover Chapters 10-26 of Part Two. In Episode 9, someone enchants "Dulcinea" and Don Quixote fights a mysterious new foe. In Episode 10, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza attend a wedding and do battle with a pu...

Nov 26, 20211 hr 34 min

Ep 504 - The First Fifteen Lives of Henry August, by Claire North

Groundhog Day meets the apocalypse in this week's book, in which the end of the world is approaching at an ever-faster pace through each of Harry August's successive lifetimes spent on earth. Hope you like paradoxes! Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis . Advertise on Overdue See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....

Nov 22, 20211 hr 1 min

Ep 503 - White Noise, by Don DeLillo

DeLillo's award-winning breakthrough novel is a satirical rumination on the fear of death while living in a hyper-consumerist America inundated with information delivered by modern technology. Did we mention it was written in the 80s? Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis . Advertise on Overdue See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....

Nov 15, 20211 hr 10 min

Ep 502 - Convenience Store Woman, by Sayaka Murata

This week's book observes society from the outside, asking occasionally uncomfortable questions about what it means to "progress" and to "fit in" and who gets to decide whether a person is doing those things. Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis . Advertise on Overdue See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....

Nov 08, 202158 min

Ep 501 - Haunted Ohio: Ghostly Tales from the Buckeye State, by Chris Woodyard (Bonus Episode)

We close out Spooktober with a cornucopia of spooky stories from a state we both have a relationship to. Join us for a conversation about ghostly grandpas, paranormal presidents, and spectral students. For more on our bonus episodes, head to patreon.com/overduepod. Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis . Advertise on Overdue See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-no...

Nov 05, 20211 hr 14 min

Ep 500 - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium #1), by Stieg Larsson

For the Big 500, we go to Sweden to solve a murder and also some financial crimes. And much like The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, we also go on at some length about the specs of classic Macintosh computers. Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis . Advertise on Overdue See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....

Nov 01, 20211 hr 36 min

Ep 499 - Her Body and Other Parties, by Carmen Maria Machado

Eight stories. Eight women (and plenty more). Eight experiments in genre and form that each explore modern horrors. Carmen Maria Machado's debut short story collection is filled with weird fiction and intimate nightmares, making it a fitting entry for Spooktober 2021. Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis . Advertise on Overdue See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do...

Oct 25, 20211 hr 4 min

Ep 498 - Mexican Gothic, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

A run-down mansion decades past its former glory, a headstrong heroine, a creepy family, and mushrooms all come together to form a perfect, spooky storm in this week's episode. Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis . Advertise on Overdue See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....

Oct 18, 20211 hr 9 min

Ep 497 - Peace, by Gene Wolfe

Spooktober continues! A narrator wanders rooms in his old house, telling the reader stories about his life. Is he an old man responding to a psychological evaluation? Is he a ghost recounting (and selectively editing) his best and worst memories? Will we ever know peace from the miasma of possibilities? Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis . Advertise on Overdue See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy No...

Oct 11, 202159 min

Ep 496 - The Invisible Man, by H.G. Wells

Spooktober 2021 kicks off with a book about a jerk who turned himself invisible and then was still a jerk! The titular invisible man is a forerunner to a hundred comic book villains, who all suffered some kind of scientific mishap at their own hands and then took it as an excuse to become Evil. Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis . Advertise on Overdue See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at h...

Oct 04, 202151 min

Jagged Little Mill, a Don Quixote miniseries - Episodes 7 & 8

Enjoy another episode of our newest show-within-a-show! We're reading Edith Grossman's translation of Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes a few chapters at a time. Some Patreon supporters get these episodes monthly, but every two months we'll combine them for general consumption. These episodes cover Chapters 43-52 of Part One, and the Prologue and Chapters 1-9 of Part Two. In Episode 7, a few more ancillary characters get their moment in the sun before Don Quixote's companions "enchant" him and ...

Oct 01, 20211 hr 35 min

Ep 495 - Eragon, by Christopher Paolini (w/ Natasha from Unspoiled!)

Natasha from the Unspoiled podcast joins us this week to hatch a podcast about Eragon, a book that borrows freely from every other fantasy/sci-fi story that existed as of its creation in the early 2000s. Find more from Unspoiled here ! Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis . Advertise on Overdue See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....

Sep 27, 20211 hr 38 min

Ep 494 - The Boxcar Children, by Gertrude Chandler Warner

It's time to solve the mystery of the Boxcar Children! (Or is it The Box-Car Children?) Warner's novel about a quartet of self-sufficient kiddos underwent a major revision 20 years after its debut AND it spawned dozens of mystery-focused sequels despite there not really being a mystery in the original. Tune in to hear about our own secret hideouts and to learn about Andrew's favorite new website for author research. Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis . Advertise on Overdue See omnystu...

Sep 20, 20211 hr 7 min

Ep 493 - Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Woolf

Craig and Andrew said they would record the podcast themselves. This very modern episode about a very modern novel discusses Woolf's signature writing style, the regrets of a postwar British people, and when (or where) you might find yourself Thinking Big. Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis . Advertise on Overdue See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my...

Sep 13, 202155 min

Ep 492 - Too Like the Lightning, by Ada Palmer

Ada Palmer's Too Like the Lightning is mostly concerned with big historical questions like "what if nationality had nothing to do with geography" and "what if a boy could make toys come to life," but it also deals with things like "what if noticing gender were a fetish" and "what if all the world's leaders were secretly slamming each other." Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis . Advertise on Overdue See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art1...

Sep 06, 20211 hr 8 min

Ep 491 - Space Jam, by Nancy E. Krulik (Bonus Episode)

Everybody get up it's time to read now. We got a podcast goin' now. Welcome to the Space Jam! Join us as we talk about a storybook edition of the 1996 cartoon basketball commercial Space Jam, starring Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny. Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....

Sep 03, 20211 hr 12 min
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