Portable Magic

This episode, Emily and Kyle catch up on what they've been reading so far in 2016 – including a long-overdue discussion of Scott Hawkins' The Library of Mt Char. They also discuss several new fantasy novels, Kyle's cookbook addiction, Helen Ellis' hilarious new book of short stories, and the inspiration behind the Pringles potato chip guy. Episode Breakdown: 0:00 – 08:00: Smoke by Dan Vyleta 08:00 – 15:00: Shadow and Claw by Gene Wolfe 15:00 – 23:00: American Housewife by Helen Ellis 23:00 – 36:00: The Library at Mt. Char by Scott Hawkins 36:00 – 40:00: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab 40:00 – 47:00: Simple French Food by Richard Olney 47:00 – 55:00: Sunny's Nights: Lost and Found at a Bar on the Edge of the World by Tim Sultan What have you been reading so far in 2016? Email the show at portablemagicpodcast@gmail.com or tweet us @PortableMagicPC!

This episode, Emily and Kyle discuss how they find the time and motivation to read, even amongst all the other distractions of modern life. Plus, for the second year in a row, they provide a comprehensive gift list for all the last-second holiday shoppers out there. Episode Breakdown: 0:00 – 10:00: What We're Reading 10:00 – 40:00: Finding the Motivation to Read 40:00 – 1:00:00: Gift Recommendations! What Emily's Reading: The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson What Kyle's Reading: Slade House by David Mitchell 2666 by Roberto Bolaño The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski How do you find the time to read? Did you Email the show at portablemagicpodcast@gmail.com or tweet us @PortableMagicPC!

This episode, Emily and Kyle discuss which contemporary books will become classics. Along the way, they touch on Infinite Jest, Harry Potter, and many, many more. Plus, Kyle's been spending some time with Welcome to Night Vale and the newest encyclical from the Pope, while Emily's been immersed in Peter Clines' The Fold. Episode Breakdown: 0:00 – 16:00: What We're Reading 16:00 – 1:00:00: Contemporary books that will become classics What Emily's Reading: Twelve Kings in Sharakhai by Bradley Beaulieu Binti by Nnedi Okorafor The Fold by Peter Clines What Kyle's Reading: Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor Which books do you think will stand the test of time? Email the show at portablemagicpodcast@gmail.com or tweet us @PortableMagicPC!

This episode, we take a trip back to our awkward high-school years to discuss what we read, what we didn't, and what stuck with us. Plus, quick thoughts on Kim Stanley Robinson's Aurora and Nicole Kornher-Stace's Archivist Wasp. Episode Breakdown: 0:00 – 16:00: What We're Reading 16:00 – 1:20:00: Books We Read in High School What Emily's Reading: Archivist Wasp by Nicole Kornher-Stace Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire Faiths and Furies by Lauren Groff What Kyle's Reading: Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson Out on the Wire by Jessica Abel We also discussed classic books that were probably on your high-school reading list. What did you read in high school? What books or teachers did you love or loathe? Email the show at portablemagicpodcast@gmail.com or tweet us @PortableMagicPC. 

This episode, we take a closer look at the bibliography of the amiable travel, science, and memoir writer Bill Bryson.  Plus, our quick thoughts on China Mieville, The Devil in the White City, and pop history vs. scholarly history. Episode Breakdown: 0:00 – 10:00: What We're Reading 10:00 – 53:00: Bill Bryson What Emily's Reading: Three Moments of an Explosion by China Mieville The Devil and the White City by Eric Larsen What Kyle's Reading: Cuba in Revolution: A History Since the 50s by Antonin Kapscia Bill Bryson Books We Discuss: The Lost Continent Notes from a Small Island In a Sunburned Country A Walk in the Woods I'm A Stranger Here Myself A Short History of Nearly Everything At Home: A Short History of Private Life One Summer: America 1927 Other Works Mentioned: The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell Gulp by Mary Roach The Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams We love hearing from readers! Email the show at portablemagicpodcast@gmail.com or tweet us @PortableMagicPC. 

This episode, we take a hopefully-not-too-grim look at the genre of post-apocalyptic fiction. Emily wonders why the genre attracts so many hyper-masculine writers and Kyle talks about one of his favorite and one of his least favorite novels. No spoilers to speak of in this episode. Episode Breakdown: 0:00 – 9:00: What We're Reading 9:00 – 1:00:00: Post-Apocalyptic Fiction What Emily's Reading: The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison The Incorruptables by John Horner Jacobs What Kyle's Reading: Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates Other Works Mentioned: "Sleep Donation" by Karen Russell "Black Moon" by Kenneth Calhoun The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins The Road by Cormac McCarthy Farnham's Freehold by Robert Heinlein A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter Miller, Jr. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel California by Edan Lepucky The Stand by Stephen King "There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury Buying books at Powell's by using these affiliate links helps support the show! Do you love or hate to read about the end of the world? Email the show at portablemagicpodcast@gmail.com or tweet us @PortableMagicPC! 

This episode, we take a close look at Andy Weir's hard sci-fi novel The Martian and discuss its unusual publication history, its narrative structure, and how effective we thought the book turned out to be.  Plus, Emily's been on a horror kick and Kyle's been hate-watching True Detective, so he decided to pick up Nic Pizzolatto's debut novel. Warning: This episode contains some coarse language. Maybe don't listen with the kids around. Episode Breakdown: 0:00 – 15:00: What We're Reading 13:00 – 45:00: The Martian by Andy Weir What Emily's Reading: The Blumhouse Book of Nightmares, edited by Jason Blum Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror by Steve Alten The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter What Kyle's Reading: Galveston by Nic Pizzolatto Buying books at Powell's by using these affiliate links helps support the show! Are you an avid eBook or audiobook fanatic? Email the show at portablemagicpodcast@gmail.com or tweet us @PortableMagicPC! 

This episode, we're talking about the alternative book formats: eBooks and audiobooks. We talk about our habits with each, our favorite examples of each medium, and what might be stopping these alternative formats from reaching their full potential. Episode Breakdown: 0:00 – 5:00: What We're Reading 5:00 – 55:00: eBooks & Audiobooks What Emily's Reading: The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan What Kyle's Reading: The Tusk That Did the Damage by Tania James Buying books at Powell's by using these affiliate links helps support the show! Are you an avid eBook or audiobook fanatic? Email the show at portablemagicpodcast@gmail.com or tweet us @PortableMagicPC! 

Welcome back to Portable Magic! In this episode, we're talking about adaptations – good and bad. In the mix are The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Princess Bride, The Great Gatsby, Game of Thrones, and many more. Episode Breakdown: 0:00 – 10:00: What We're Reading 10:00 – 1:00:00: Adaptations What Emily's Reading: The Deadlands by Benjamin Percy What Kyle's Reading: Bird Box by Josh Malerman American Elsewhere by Robert Jackson Bennett Buying books at Powell's by using these affiliate links helps support the show! Which adaptations have burned you in the past? Email the show at portablemagicpodcast@gmail.com or tweet us @PortableMagicPC! 

We forgot to introduce ourselves this week! If you're new to the show, Portable Magic is hosted by Emily Hughes and Kyle Deas.  This episode, we take a look at short stories – our favorites, the classics, and the magic and the art behind them. Emily makes the argument that we're living in the golden age of the short story collection and Kyle wonders what happened to all the magazines that used to publish short fiction. Plus, we talk about Jon Krakauer's Missoula and a new, extended interview with Calvin & Hobbes creator Bill Watterson. Episode Breakdown: 0:00 – 13:00: What We're Reading 13:00 – 1:05:00: Short Stories What Emily's Reading: Missoula by Jon Krakauer Voices in the Night by Steven Millhauser What Kyle's Reading: Exploring Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson Short Stories / Collections We Discuss: Stories: "The Bad Graft" by Karen Russell "Tenth of December" by George Saunders "They're Made of Meat" by Terry Bisson "The Last Question" by Isaac Asimov "John, For Christmas" by Ethan Rutherford "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula Le Guin "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson "The Enormous Radio" by John Cheever Collections: Tenth of December by George Saunders Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz The Peripatetic Coffin by Ethan Rutherford Jaganath by Karin Tidbeck Buying books at Powell's by using these affiliate links helps support the show! What's your favorite short story collection? Email the show at portablemagicpodcast@gmail.com or tweet us @PortableMagicPC! 

This episode, Kyle and Emily take a close look at horror fiction – why we read it, how it scares us, and what our favorite horror novels are. Kyle tells us what his pick is for the scariest Stephen King book and Emily talks about the books that got her into horror in the first place. Plus, Emily follows up on her impressions of Beautiful Darkness, Kyle's pick for A Gift For A Child You Hate from Episode 2! Episode Breakdown: 0:00 – 7:00: What We're Reading 7:00 – 1:05:00: Horror Fiction What Emily's Reading: After Birth by Elisa Albert What Kyle's Reading: Wodehouse on Crime by P.G. Wodehouse Horror Fiction that We Discuss: Short Stories / Essays: "Skeleton" by Ray Bradbury, from October Country (Click on "Readable PDF") "Supernatural Horror in Literature" by H.P. Lovecraft "I Have No Mouth But I Must Scream" by Harlan Ellison Novels: Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann Zone 1 by Coulson Whitehead The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson Hell House by Richard Matheson The Troop by Nick Cutter The Shining by Stephen King Pet Sematary by Stephen King Bag of Bones by Stephen King The Stand by Stephen King NOS4A2 by Joe Hill Birdbox by Josh Malerman Buying books at Powell's by using these affiliate links helps support the show! What's your favorite horror novel? Email the show at portablemagicpodcast@gmail.com or tweet us @PortableMagicPC! 

This episode, Kyle and Emily talk about "literary fanfiction": the sub-genre of books by established authors that inhabit the world of older works of literature. We couldn't find a good term to refer to these sorts of books, but think of works like Ahab's Wife or Rosencrantz and Guilderstern are Dead. Plus, they talk about the Suvudu cage match and the challenges of writing fanfiction. Episode Breakdown: 0:00 – 14:00: What We're Reading 14:00 – 35:00: Suvudu Cage Match 35:00 - 1:00:00: "Literary Fanfiction" What Emily's Reading: The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins What Kyle's Reading: Stories of Your Life And Others by Ted Chiang The Bullseye Interview with Nick Hornby Other Works that We Discuss: For all the cage-match books and characters we discussed, please refer to Suvudu's web site. And here's a link to the cage match post that Kyle wrote.  Ahab's Wife by Sena Naslud The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood Q-Squared by Peter David The Final Solution by Michael Chabon Wicked by Gregory Maguire Buying books at Powell's by using these affiliate links helps support the show! What's your favorite example of "literary fanfiction"? Email the show at portablemagicpodcast@gmail.com or tweet us @PortableMagicPC! 

This episode, Kyle and Emily devote the whole show to discussing Tana French's debut novel In the Woods.  The discussion prior to 26 minutes or so is spoiler-free, so if you're interested in the book but haven't read it, feel free to listen that far. After that point, though, spoilers abound! Episode Breakdown: 0:00 – 4:30: What We're Reading 4:30 – 26:00: In the Woods (spoiler-free) 26:00 - 1:05:00: In The Woods (spoilers!) What Emily's Reading: Mystery book!  What Kyle's Reading: Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in Modern China by Evan Osnos  Other Works that We Discuss: In the Woods by Tana French The Likeness by Tana French Secret History by Donna Tartt Buying books at Powell's by using these affiliate links helps support the show! Are you a huge Tana French fan? Email the show at portablemagicpodcast@gmail.com or tweet us @PortableMagicPC! 

Last year, Ruth Graham published an article in Slate arguing that adults should feel embarrassed to read young-adult fiction. This episode, Emily and Kyle weigh in on the debate and talk about how to balance reading what you like with finding material that challenges you. Plus, they talk about what books they've been reading and Kyle gets much too excited about Robert Jackson Bennett's fantasy novel City of Stairs.  Episode Breakdown: 0:00 – 8:00: What We're Reading 8:00 – 45:00: The Adults-Reading-YA Debate What Emily's Reading: Geek Love by Katherine Dunn What Kyle's Reading: City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett "Pocosin" by Ursula Vernon. Click here to read the short story. Other Works that We Discuss: Zone One by Coulson Whitehead The Fault In Our Stars by John Green Submergence by J.M. Ledgard Instructions by Neil Gaiman His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones Buying books at Powell's by using these affiliate links helps support the show! Do you have thoughts on the adults-reading-YA debate? Email the show at portablemagicpodcast@gmail.com or tweet us @PortableMagicPC! 

This episode, Emily and Kyle dive deep into the bibliography of Neil Gaiman, including his novels (especially American Gods, Neverwhere, and Anansi Boys), his children's books, and his two episodes of Doctor Who. Plus, they talk about what books they've been reading, including a quick follow-up from their discussion Episode Three about Jeff Vandermeer's Southern Reach trilogy. Episode Breakdown: 0:00 – 15:00: What We're Reading 15:00 – 1:00:00: Neil Gaiman What Emily's Reading: Wild by Cheryl Strayed What Kyle's Reading: Authority / Acceptance by Jeff Vandermeer The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert Wild Ones: A Sometimes Dismaying, Weirdly Reassuring Story About Looking at People Looking at Animals in America by Jon Mooallem Neil Gaiman Works that We Discuss: American Gods Anansi Boys Neverwhere Stardust Odd and the Frost Giants Coraline The Graveyard Book The Ocean At The End of the Lane Instructions Gaiman has a new short story collection, Trigger Warning, coming out soon. Plus, click here to check out "How to Talk To Girls About Parties", a short story of Gaiman's that Emily loves.  Buying books at Powell's by using these affiliate links helps support the show! Are you a huge Neil Gaiman fan? Did we say anything that totally made your blood boil? Email the show at portablemagicpodcast@gmail.com or tweet us @PortableMagicPC! 

This week, Emily and Kyle talk about forgotten novels – books they've stumbled across, picked up at the used bookstore, or been recommended that it seems like nobody's ever heard of.  Plus, they follow up on the books they gave as gifts this year and talk about what they're reading.  Episode Breakdown: 0:00 – 16:00: What We're Reading 16:00 – 23:00: Follow-Up: Gifts We Gave 23:00 – 1:00:00: Forgotten Novels What Emily's Reading: Kindred by Octavia Butler The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson The Troop by Nick Cutter What Kyle's Reading: Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer Our Forgotten Novels: City of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers The Switch by Elmore Leonard Swallows and the Amazons by Arthur Ransome The Brothers Lionheart by Astrid Lindgren The Daughter of Time by Jaqueline Tay A Kiss Before Dying by Ira Levin Buying books at Powell's by using these affiliate links helps support the show! Do you have any favorite forgotten novels? Got a literature topic you want Emily and Kyle to explore? Email the show at portablemagicpodcast@gmail.com or tweet us @PortableMagicPC!  

It’s the Holiday Season, and Portable Magic has you covered! Listen to Emily and Kyle talk about the tricky act of giving books as gifts, what makes a book a great gift, and give some book recommendations for the people in your life. Episode Breakdown: 0:00 – 10:00: What We're Reading 10:00 – 35:00: Discussion: Books as Gifts 35:00 – 50:00: Specific recommendations for the people in your life What Emily's Reading:   Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link and The World Before Us by Aislinn Hunter. What Kyle's Reading: The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss. Other books mentioned: The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbauch Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter In the Woods by Tana French The Great Night by Chris Adrian Kraken by China Mieville A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan Cloud Atlas, Ghostwritten, and The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell American Gods by Neil Gaiman McTeague by Frank Norris Broken Monsters by Lauren Beaukes The Shining Girls by Lauren Beaukes Macanudo by Liniers This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz The Ascent of Rum Doodle by W.E. Bowman The Magicians by Lev Grossman The Creative Habit: Learn it and Use it for Life by Twyla Tharp City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann and Kerascoët Buying books at Powell's by using these affiliate links helps support the show! Want to share the best books you've ever been given as gifts? Got a literature topic you want Emily and Kyle to explore? Email the show at portablemagicpodcast@gmail.com or tweet us @PortableMagicPC! We're now on iTunes! You can find us by searching in iTunes, the Podcasts app, or by clicking here.  Or, just enter this URL in your favorite podcast player: http://portablemagic.libsyn.com/rss

In this inaugural episode of Portable Magic, Emily and Kyle talk about reading on the road, their best and worst travel reading experiences, and ponder the mystery of the airport bookstore. They also discuss their vision for the Portable Magic podcast and talk about what they're currently reading. Episode Breakdown: 0:00 – 10:00: What We're Reading 10:00 – 17:00: Our Vision for the Podcast 17:00 – 50:00: Reading while traveling Books Mentioned What Emily's Reading: The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell What Kyle's Reading: Kalpa Imperial by Angelica Gorodischer, Translated by Ursula LeGuin. Click here to check out one of my favorite stories from the collection, "The End of a Dynasty or The Natural History of Ferrets". Other books: Istanbul: Memories and the City by Orhan Pamuk City of Thieves by David Benioff The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway The Terror by Dan Simmons Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom: China, the West, and the Epic Story of the Taiping Civil War by Stephen Platt The Martian by Andy Weir People Who Eat Darkness by Richard Lloyd Parry Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters In The End by Atul Gawande Want to share your strategy for packing books for a long trip? Got a literature topic you want Emily and Kyle to explore? Email the show at portablemagicpodcast@gmail.com or tweet us @PortableMagicPC! We will be in the iTunes Podcast directory soon! In the meantime, if you want to subscribe to our podcast, please enter this URL in your favorite podcast player: http://portablemagic.libsyn.com/rss