ORDER OUR DECEMBER BOOK: ⁠⁠The White Hot, by Quiara-Alegra Hudes⁠⁠

To help unravel the secrets of The Big Apple, Tava, Brett, and Alex flew in someone who knows a thing or two about art, culture, the gay scene, and sweat. In this episode, Sam Whitney regretfully informs the gang that Brandon Taylor was pretty accurate in his depiction of NYC in November's book, Minor Black Figures. He patiently explains what it is like to live in America's biggest and most important city, compares it to his time in San Francisco, and doesn't get upset when Alex says she hates his adopted home.

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To Cook: Celery, cream cheese, and olives

To Read: Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett

To Do: Go to the movies!

To Cook: Jalapeño, cream cheese, and cranberry dip

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ORDER OUR DECEMBER BOOK: The White Hot, by Quiara-Alegra Hudes

As the weather gets colder, Tava, Brett, and Alex look to a sweaty New York City summer romance to keep warm. Minor Black Figures, a tale that focuses on art and artists, isn't always what the crew wants it to be, but as usual they have plenty to talk about and some strong opinions about the characters, the writer's choices, and the ending.

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To Use: Beef Tallow

To Visit: The Montague Bookmill

To Read: Sarah Jessica Parker's Year of Judging the Booker Prize (New York Times)

To Watch: Frankenstein

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Finish reading Minor Black Figures for our Book Club Episode next week!

This week, the claws come out as Tava, Brett, and Alex try to one-up each other during book trivia (supplied by Kat Zahariadis). To up the ante, they even bring in a guest host, Brett's sister-in-law Nina! Before failing to answer thirteen different questions about Charlotte's Web, the gang also discusses honeymoons, New York City, Mamma Mia, Alex's propensity for collecting her friend's locations, Brett's road trip, and The German Game.

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To Watch: Setting Sunset/Selling the OC

To Listen: West End Girl, by Lily Allen

To Visit: St. Lucia!

To Listen: Scott Galloway on On with Kara Swisher

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Tava, Brett, and Alex bid adieu to Halloween by revisiting some of their favorite spooky works of literature, including The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, The Man in the Black Coat by Stephen King, and In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. The group also discusses their October 31 traditions old and new, their go-to candy selections, and the best scary movies of all time.

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To Read: We Need to Talk About Kevin, by Lionel Shriver

To Read: Run for the Hills, by Kevin Wilson

To Do: Get a Library Card!

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ORDER OUR NOVEMBER BOOK: MINOR BLACK FIGURES, BY BRANDON TAYLOR

This week, Tava, Brett, and Alex welcome their next illustrious guest to the podcast, Tony Gannon (Brett's dad, Tava's father-in-law, Alex's mortal enemy). Together, they discuss coming of age in a small town, having kids, and maintaining relationships with one's own parents.

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To Watch: Stephen Colbert interviews Lady Gaga

To Listen: Jennifer Aniston on Armchair Expert

To Listen: My Favorite Murder, Ep. 497

To Do: Get Involved in Your Community!!

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ANNOUNCING OUR NOVEMBER BOOK: Minor Black Figures, by Brandon Taylor

After illness kept them cruelly apart for almost a week,Tava, Brett, and Alex reconvene for a Sunday morning episode. As they prepare to discuss one of the saddest books of all time, When the Cranes Fly South, they use a few AI videos to harden their resolve. After turning to the book in earnest, there is quick consensus - it is the best TNBC book of all time, and a beautiful meditation on love, loss, and family. If you enjoy how personal this episode is, be sure to turn into the guest episode next week!

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To Read: The Number, by David Kirkpatrick (The New Yorker)

To Watch: We Live in Time

To Eat: Margeaux Supper Parlor, Cambridge MA

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Tava and Brett returned from Scotland, Taylor Swift put out an album, and Alex navigated a comedown from her birthday weekend. In this episode, the group catches up, discusses their book buying habits, commiserates about running out of shelf space, and celebrates a belated Banned Book Week.

It isn't too late to read our next book club selection, When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzen.

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To Listen: Nobody's Girl, by Amanda Shires

To Read: Katherine Martinko, The Analog Family

To Listen: So Pretty It's Perfect, by Low Phase

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We knew we couldn't escape it, so we didn't bother to try. In this episode, Tava, Brett, and Alex board the T-Swift train and dive deep into song lyrics, with a focus on Taylor Swift in honor of her new album. But don't fret, there is plenty for the anti-Swiftie as well, including a conversation about concerts, other artists, and a recurring gag where Tava and Alex won't stop clearing their throats.

Songs Mentioned:

My Tears Ricochet, by Taylor Swift

Champagne Problems, by Taylor Swift

New Years Day, by Taylor Swift

Breathe (2 AM), by Anna Nalick

Cactus Tree, by Joni Mitchell

Elephant, by Jason Isbell

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To Listen: Back on Top, by the Front Bottoms (Album)

To Watch/Listen: Jason Isbell and George Saunders Have an Epic Conversation

To Watch: Patti Smith performs Bob Dylan's "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" - Nobel Prize Award Ceremony 2016]

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Intro Music: evandean.wav by madmerv -- https://freesound.org/s/690635/ -- License: Attribution 4.0