Booking Back

Penn and Joy discuss Jhumpa Lahiri's ground-breaking novel "The Namesake," a coming of age story of an Indian-American kid growing up 1st generation.  Watch Nikhil/Gogol as he grows up outside of Boston to discovering himself in New York City.  Gogol's experience resonates with first generation kids across America, especially the Indian ones! 

Penn and Joy discuss this cut classic by Caroline B. Cooney, which riveted the imaginations of teens across the country. After all, don't all kids wonder if they're secretly adopted? Whether you watched the Lifetime movie or read the novel as a teen, travel back and see if it was as good as you remember it. 

Penn and Joy talk "Monster" by Walter Dean Myers. A story unique in that it is a first time read for both ladies, it is a highly acclaimed and highly banned book in America. When Black teenager Steve is falsely accused of participating in a murder of a shopkeeper in his neighborhood, the reader follows his journey through the criminal justice system in New York City. Heartbreaking and poignant, get ready to tear up and rage against injustice. 

Penn and Joy discuss the classic "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan.  The complicated relationship between mother and daughter transcends any culture. From tales of the mothers in China, to their adaptation to America, and to the struggle of their Chinese-American daughters, it is a riveting read.

Cry with Joy and Penn as they discuss Daniel Keyes classic work "Flowers for Algernon." Can you imagine science making you smarter, changing your life, and to lose it all? That is the heartbreak of this short story turned novel. 

Happy 2024! What better way to kick off the year than with reading Roald Dahl's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?" Grab your favorite piece of chocolate and listen in as Penn and Joy discuss their favorite parts, movie adaptation, and Wona-isms! 

Want to extend that Christmas feeling? Recap "A Christmas Story," by Jean Shepherd with Penn and Joy as they delve into the book that inspired the classic movie. Grab a smooth cup of Ovaltine and listen in; just don't shoot your eye out!

Travel to the North Pole with Penn and Joy via "The Polar Express" by Chris Van Allsburg. While the movie may be a holiday favorite, it truly all started with a beautifully illustrated children's book. Join us as we discuss! 

Joy and Penn revisit "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" by Dr. Seuss. Was the book better than the movie? Where did the song come from? And WHO is the Grinch based on? All this and more in today's episode!

Joy and Penn get into the Christmas spirit by cracking open "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. With a classic crank like Ebenezer Scrooge hating Christmas, all it takes is a haunting and a couple ghosts to turn him around. Find out how in this episode!

Joy and Penn discuss Peter and Fudge, brothers with a lot of differences in Judy Blume's "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing." Fudge has done a lot of naughty deeds, but fortunately Peter is there as a big brother to help clean things up! 

Penn and Joy revisit the classic "How to Eat Fried Worms" by Thomas Rockwell. Is there any amount of money that would get you to eat worms or even 15 worms in 15 days? For Billy, its worth at least $50. Join us as we discuss how good (bad) of a deal that is. 

Joy and Penn discuss "The Fantastic Mr. Fox" by Roald Dahl. While we have never had to dig tunnels to get to our food, we can empathize with the poor Foxes and cheer when they figure out an answer. While the movie did well commercially, it was different from the book and was more of an adaptation. 

Penn and Joy discuss "Crash" by Jerry Spinelli which Penn's 5th grade teacher read to her! The nature of bullying, masculinity, and laughter are perfectly blended book!

Penn and Joy discuss Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." The timing could not be more perfect than to drop this episode on Halloween. A spooky, legendary, and mysterious story that's perfect to listen to on a cold dark fall night...listen in, if you dare!

Penn and Joy wrap up Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House" by discussing the recent Netflix series retelling as well as exploring other stories that feature a haunted house. Ultimately the question arises, would you stay in a haunted house? 

Penn and Joy are at it again, covering Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House." Interestingly, the book is very different from the Netflix series but still creepy in a forboding sort of way. Give it a listen and tell us what you think! 

If part 1 didn't scare you, then part 2 definitely will! Penn and Joy finish up the 2nd half of the book and BOTH get creeped out by the too real, too possible story. Listen in to find out which story sent them both over the edge! 

Are you ready for things to get scary? Or at the very least, weird? Penn and Joy revisit a childhood scary classic: "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" by Alvin Schwartz.  Would you make a soup out of a toe you found outside? If your family turned into alligators, would you follow or get left behind? Find these answers and more in today's episode. 

What was that? It's the thump-thump that prompted this classic Edgar Allen Poe story! Joy and Penn discuss this classic and the many turns this story took. 

Penn and Joy get gothic creepy with this short story by William Faulkner. If you haven't read it yet, get ready for a jolt of the surreal. 

Joy and Penn discuss the short story "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell. The story was written in 1924 but its themes echo even through modern story-telling with themes resonating through TV classics like "Law and Order: SVU," "Criminal Minds," and "Game of Thrones.  If you've never read this story, you can find it free on the Internet! 

Guess who's back (back again)?! Joy and Penn, discussing the famed short story "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson. While everyone has dreamed of winning those Mega Millions, this is one lottery you definitely don't want to win. Join us to find out why. 

Penn and Rusty travel to a Washington mental hospital and discuss a famous antihero Randall McMurphy and his psychopathic nemesis Nurse Ratchet.  They discuss story and themes but also compare to their own experiences on the psych unit. Take a listen to hear more! 53

Joy and Penn wrap up book 4 of the Twilight series "Breaking Dawn" by Stephenie Meyer. They discuss possible  celebrity vampires, the band Incubus, and of course the plot and inspirations of the book. Join us as we discuss! 

Penn and Joy are back at it again; this time discussing "Eclipse" by Stephenie Meyer.  Did you know Penn went to a book signing and met Stephenie? They discuss the plot but also the Quileute tribe, a real Native American nation, whose legends are not exactly correct in the novel. Join us to help parse it all out! 

Join Penn and Joy as they discuss their least favorite in the series: "New Moon" by Stephenie Meyer.  What makes us dislike it so--the lack of Edward, the severe depression, or the fact that it was all so unnecessary? Listen in to see if you agree or even if you disagree.  After all, it's not like we can call the Volturi on you. 

Meet Joy, our newest cohost, who joins Penn to discuss "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer. While the pair were huge fans on their first read of the book 10 years ago, a second read has opened their eyes to some red flags. Take a listen to find out what they are! 

Penn and new cohost Dr. Nikki to discuss the classic "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte. Is it romance when the dasterdly Heathcliff plagues Catherine and her loved ones with revenge? Well, maybe our telling of it is a little biased...listen to see if we got it wrong. 

Katya and Penn, immigrants who also sought the American Dream, discuss the great American novel, "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. They talk about the plot, they talk about the real life influences and they talk about which movie version was the best. Travel back with us to the Roaring Twenties!

Happy Valentine's Day! Scrapple takes a maiden voyage cohosting with Quinn as they travel back to Verona (by way of 8th grade English class). There they hear a tale of woe about poor Juliet and Romeo. The cultural reach that this play by William Shakespeare has is vast and well-recognized. Join us as we fall in love and fall into tears. 

James from the Netflix hit "Love on the Spectrum" joins Penn and Scrapple to discuss "Prince Caspian" by CS Lewis. Sure there are some tangents that go into football, Game of Thones, and (of course) Renaissance fairs but it's all in good fun! 

Join Penn and Scrapple as they roast "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown. Whether it is the insanely improbable plot twists or the verbose, clunky writing style, the girls delve into what made this one so bad. 

Penn and a new cohost Aza, a hardcore Nerdfighter and John Green expert, discuss "The Fault in Our Stars." Typically controversial for people who have never read the book, it is touching, eye-opening, and even slightly hilarious.  Cancer touches so many lives and this book demonstrates the quantity of its victims.  

Penn and Scrapple reunite to discuss the last book of His Dark Materials, "The Amber Spyglass" by Phillip Pullman. While there are some tangents regarding Prince Harry, penises, and Philadelphia restaurants, the pair manage to discuss Lyra and Will and their adventures. 

Join Penn and Rusty as they analyze book II in "His Dark Materials: The Subtle Knife" by Phillip Pullman. New characters like Will Parry and Dr. Mary Malone are introduced as they interact with old favorites like Lyra, Lee Scoresby, and Serafina Pekkala.  As as aside, pardon our slight audio issues!  

In a post-Christmas haze, Scrapple and Penn reread classic short stories "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant and "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry.  While there are similarities in these stories--couples, gifts, and a twist ending--the dynamic is very different. Listen in for some insight on gift giving, love, and some scandalous background on the authors. 

Penn and JJ travel to 1800s Prince Edward Island when they cover "Anne of Green Gables" by Lucy Maude Montgomery. They talk about their own crush on teacher, akin to Anne's crush on hers as well as the comedic scrapes that are still funny today...even a hundred and more years later! 

Penn and Katya travel through the wardrobe into Narnia to cover the classic children's story "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" by CS Lewis. The biblical parallels are off the chain, but even despite that, the book is alluring in the possibility of traveling to different worlds. 

Penn and Scrapple discuss a childhood classic "Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  Who knew it would be enjoyable to find out how people lived in the 1860s,  hunting their own meat and harvesting their own grain and collecting their own maple sugar! 

Penn and Scrapple travel back to 8th grade where they first read "The Giver" by Lois Lowry in English class.  A society that prioritizes safety, politness, and precision of language sounds good in theory but the loss of passion, color, and music bring up the question if such a life is worth it. Learn about Jonas, baby Gabriel and the wise Giver as they try to revolutionize their society. 

Penn and new cohost Joysey discuss "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky. A teen classic featuring a boy Charlie as he travels through his freshman year of high school, making new friends and trying to keep them all while being a sensitive lovely soul. 

Penn is joined by her high school buddy Rusty as they reread a true adolescent classic "The Catcher in the Rye" by JD Salinger. Holden Caulfield is on the lookout for phonies and sees them everywhere. This doesn't of course, keep him from conversing with them, I swear to God. 

Happy Election Day! Today, Penn and new cohost Mijo discuss "My Brother Sam is Dead," by James Lincoln Collier & Christopher Collier. While this book takes place during the Revolutionary War, Mijo discusses his own experience as a soldier and how the theme that "war is ugly" carries through time.  

Penn and Scrapple celebrate Halloween with an ice cold "Pint of Poe."  Since it is the hangover day, Scrapple discusses a favorite poem "The Raven," while Penn discusses "The Cask of Amontillado," by the illustrious Edgar Allen Poe.  

Welcome new cohost Katya as she and Penn discuss a Scholastic book fair classic, Goosebumps by R.L. Stine! Specifically focusing on the book "The Haunted Mask," the girls talk bullying, boys, and when to go home. Bonus content in the episode: some choice Russian phrases relevant for everyday life. 

Penn and Quinn discuss a high school staple "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller. The play, while written in the shadow of McCarthyism, is still relevant today.  Does it seem like a good idea to take the accusations of teenaged girls seriously, especially if one is holding a grudge against her former employer? Well, the good people of Salem found  out too late. 

Join Penn and Scrapple as they parse a feminist staple, "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Interestingly, the woman in the story has parallels to Britney Spears and her struggles under a conservatorship. At any rate, #freedbritney is out there loving life. 

Penn and Scrapple kick off spooky season by discussing one of Scraple's favorite horror books "Carrie" by Stephen King.  While the story is legendary, the duo delve into the details of religion, womanhood, and lust. 

Penn and Quinn talk maybe too much about their own gardens when covering this classic children's book. Perhaps "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett planted the seeds of owning their own garden some day.