Spine Crackers

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dudes rockin dudes readin follow our google doc to keep up with what we're reading! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oGGAEns7KsSGh3zGOa0NFAdHZxLCErdhpfsDrmCnZQM/edit?usp=sharing

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    • Apr 6, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 1h 48m AVG DURATION
    • 97 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Spine Crackers

    Lauren Groff - Matrix

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2025 81:27


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers read American author Lauren Groff's 2021 historical novel of belief, sex, class, gender, mysticism and more, Matrix. Full episode available on Patreon as always!https://www.patreon.com/c/spinecrackers

    Percival Everett - Telephone

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2025 86:39


    In this episode the Spine Crackers discuss Percival Everett's 2020 novel of grief, loss, human connection, and agency in the face of a seemingly random and uncaring universe, Telephone. Full episode on Patreon as always!https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers

    The (Belated) Spine Crackers 2024 Year-In-Review Awards Spectacular

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2025 187:20


    The Spine Crackers review our 2024 in books, take questions from our Patrons, and reflect on what was and what is to come. Full episode for everyone this time, but check out our Patreon. See you guys again soon!patreon.com/spinecrackers

    Robert M. Coates - The Eater of Darkness

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 31, 2024 68:51


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss American author and critic Robert M. Coates' 1926 experimental, pseudo-Dada, proto-sci-fi, heist(?) novel The Eater of Darkness! Full episode on Patreon as always! https://www.patreon.com/c/spinecrackers

    Susan Choi - Trust Exercise

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 12, 2024 76:30


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss Susan Choi's 2019 National Book Award winning novel of trauma, memory, and the nature of storytelling, Trust Exercise! Full episode available on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/spinecrackers

    Italo Calvino - The Baron in the Trees

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2024 81:24


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss postmodern master Italo Calvino's 1957 historical-fantasy-bildungsroman-fable-novel The Baron in the Trees. Full episode available at https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers

    William Golding - The Paper Men

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2024 70:54


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss English author William Golding's (of Lord of the Flies high school fame) first post-Nobel Prize novel of art, fame, and obsession The Paper Men (1984). Full episode on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers

    Gerald Murnane - The Plains

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2024 74:12


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss Australian master Gerald Murnane's 1982 breakout novel of place, country, and the nature of representation The Plains! Full episode on the Spine Crackers Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers

    australian plains gerald murnane
    Djuna Barnes - Nightwood

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2024 77:22


    In this episode the Spine Crackers discuss Djuna Barnes' pioneering 1936 novel of queer modernism, identity, and history, Nightwood. Full episode available at https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers

    djuna barnes nightwood
    Bernard Malamud - The Natural (feat. Nate of Books You Haven't Read)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2024 93:53


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers are joined by friend of the show Nate, who is the proprietor of the excellent Books You Haven't Read Youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@BooksYouHaventRead) to discuss American author Bernard Malamud's 1952 debut novel The Natural.

    Nicholson Baker - Vox

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2024 73:36


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss American author and literary one-of-a-kind Nicholson Baker's Vox (1992), an erotic study of character, technology, human connection, and fantasy. Full episode on Patreon below: https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers

    The Third Annual Spine Crackers Year-in-Review Awards Spectacular (2023 Edition)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 9, 2024 210:27


    In this year-end episode, the Spine Crackers rank every book we read this year from worst to best, hand out various other awards such as best cover, best quote/passage, best character, answer listener questions, and more!

    Cormac McCarthy - The Passenger

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 30, 2023 77:44


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss American author Cormac McCarthy's penultimate novel of family, loss, madness, and genius, The Passenger. Full episode on our patreon as always! https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers

    Malcolm Lowry - Under the Volcano

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 29, 2023 98:30


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss British author Malcolm Lowry's harrowing 1947 masterpiece of love, war, disease, culture, and meaning, Under the Volcano! Full episode available to patrons as always! https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers

    Kenzaburō Ōe - The Silent Cry

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2023 82:58


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss Japanese Nobel Prize winner Kenzaburō Ōe's 1967 novel of family, death, war, and history, The Silent Cry! Full episode available on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers

    David Duchovny - Truly Like Lightning (feat. Patrick Willems)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2023 110:23


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers are joined by friend of the show, real life friend, film critic, filmmaker, youtube legend, and all around renaissance man Patrick Willems to discuss David Duchovny's novel of faith, family, and life in modern-day America Truly Like Lightning. Full episode on Patreon as always! Pat - https://www.youtube.com/@patrickhwillems https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers

    Stefan Zweig - Chess Story

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2023 75:34


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss Austrian writer Stefan Zweig's final novella of war, class, and genius, Chess Story! Full episode on the Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers

    William Gaddis - Agapē Agape (feat. Book Shore)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2023 89:53


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers are joined by friend of the show and booktube stalwart Ben from Book Shore to discuss iconic postwar American author William Gaddis' posthumously published final work of culture, history, technology, and art, 2002's Agapē Agape! Full episode on the Patreon! (SORRY FOR SLIGHTLY SCUFFED/CHOPPED AUDIO GABE FROZE AND HAD TO REJOIN THE ZOOM A COUPLE TIMES!) https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers

    Tarjei Vesaas - The Birds

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2023 81:50


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss Norwegian author Tarjei Vesaas' 1957 novel of mental illness, family, nature, and perception The Birds. Full episode on Patreon as always. https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers

    Emil Ferris - My Favorite Thing is Monsters

    Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2023 96:24


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss the first ever graphic novel read for the show, Emil Ferris' 2017 pulp noir horror tale of trauma, history, and childhood My Favorite Thing is Monsters! Full episode available on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers

    William Faulkner - Big Woods: The Hunting Stories

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2023 84:47


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss William Faulkner's 1955 collection of stories of humanity's relationship with nature, history, and race Big Woods. Full discussion on Patreon as always! https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers

    Don DeLillo - Libra

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2023 81:29


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss Don DeLillo's 1988 pseudo-historical novel of the Kennedy assassination, postmodernism, conspiracy, and the nature of America, Libra. https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers

    George Sand - Indiana

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 9, 2023 82:50


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss French romantic (?) author George Sand's (aka Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil) 1832 novel of loveless marriage, colonialism, and social mores, Indiana. Enjoy. https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers

    William T. Vollmann - The Atlas

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2023 86:28


    In the first episode of 2023, the Spine Crackers read William T. Vollmann's semi-autobiographical 1996 novel of sex, violence, regret, and loneliness The Atlas!

    william t vollmann
    The Second Annual Spine Crackers End of Year Roundup Spectacular (2022)!

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 27, 2022 150:48


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers go over their 2022 year in reading, including awards for our top 5 books of the year, best cover, worst book, and many more! We hope you're having a fantastic holiday season and we'll be back to our normal schedule in the new year!

    Nicholas Mosley - Impossible Object

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2022 86:00


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss British author and 3rd Baron Ravensdale Nicholas Mosley's 1968 novel of war, love, power, and violence, Impossible Object.

    James Baldwin - Giovanni's Room FEAT @Juliemichellereads

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2022 85:32


    This week, the Spine Crackers were lucky enough to be joined by Julie, who runs the fantastic bookstagram account @Juliemichellereads, to discuss James Baldwin's 1956 novel of sexual and national identity, desire, morality, and death Giovanni's Room! Enjoy and make sure to follow Julie!

    Ivan Turgenev - Fathers and Sons

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2022 80:52


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss Ivan Turgenev's legendary 1862 novel of family, friendship, generational difference, philosophy, and love Fathers and Sons. Enjoy!

    Interview with the new owners of Owl Pen Books

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2022 43:59


    Matt sits down for a conversation with Sydney and Eric, L.A. transplants and newly minted bookstore owners of the legendary "bibliophile Mecca of Washington County": Owl Pen Books! Please enjoy this casual discussion about the rationale behind assuming ownership of a bookstore in 2022, the history of the store, literary loves, leaps of faith, and hopes for the future running a business out of a converted chicken coop. https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers https://www.buymeacoffee.com/spinecrackers

    Percival Everett - The Trees

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2022 82:44


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers read prolific American author Percival Everett's most recent (and recently longlisted for the Booker prize) novel of race, memory, genre, and violence, The Trees, which tells the story of a series of mysterious and gruesome murders in a small, but historically significant, Mississippi town and winds up in places you will never expect. https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers https://www.buymeacoffee.com/spinecrackers

    Roberto Bolano - The Third Reich feat. Ben of Book Shore

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 27, 2022 92:03


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers are joined by friend of the show Ben, who runs the fantastic booktube channel Book Shore, to discuss legendary Chilean author Roberto Bolano's first novel, published after his untimely death but written in 1989, The Third Reich! https://www.youtube.com/c/BookShore https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers https://www.buymeacoffee.com/spinecrackers

    Maxine Hong Kingston - Tripmaster Monkey: His Fake Book

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2022 73:48


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss Maxine Hong Kingston's 1987 novel of race, American and Chinese history, love, and the legacy of the 60s, Tripmaster Monkey: His Fake Book!

    Colin O'Sullivan - The Dark Manual

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2022 70:54


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss Colin O'Sullivan's sci-fi novel of family, loss, AI, and getting drunk, The Dark Manual! https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers https://www.buymeacoffee.com/spinecrackers

    Yu Miri - Tokyo Ueno Station

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2022 81:38


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss Japanese author Yu Miri's 2014 novel of national identity, trauma, family, regret, and class, Tokyo Ueno Station!

    Toni Morrison - Beloved

    Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2022 75:22


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss Toni Morrison's seminal 1987 novel of race, trauma, memory, family, community, and so much more Beloved.

    Gerald Murnane - Barley Patch (feat. Sean of Travel Through Stories)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2022 79:56


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers are lucky enough to be joined by Sean, who is the creator of the fantastic YouTube channel Travel Through Stories, to discuss Australian author Gerald Murnane's reflective novel of the life of the writer, memory, and subjective experience "Barley Patch."

    Ted Chiang - Exhalation

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2022 90:03


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss Ted Chiang's much-lauded sci-fi short story collection Exhalation, which touches on issues as wide ranging as tech startup culture, free will, and time travel!

    John Wyndham - The Day of the Triffids (feat. W.A.S.T.E. Mailing List)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2022 83:09


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers are joined by Seth, proprietor of the excellent Instagram and Youtube accounts under the W.A.S.T.E. Mailing List moniker, to discuss John Wyndham's 1951 catastrophe novel of war, science, and human society The Day of the Triffids. https://www.instagram.com/wastemailinglist/?hl=en https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6TqI_9Rj0jWXsAGTnNmodw https://mobile.twitter.com/wastemailing https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers https://www.buymeacoffee.com/spinecrackers

    Olga Tokarczuk - Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2022 69:30


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss Nobel Prize winning Polish author Olga Tokarczuk's 2009 existential pseudo-murder-mystery Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers https://www.buymeacoffee.com/spinecrackers

    Katharina Volckmer - The Appointment

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2022 72:35


    This week, the Spine Crackers discuss Katharina Volckmer's transgressive 2020 novel of sex, identity, and trauma, (still unpublished in her native country of Germany) The Appointment. https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers https://www.buymeacoffee.com/spinecrackers

    Paul Auster - Leviathan

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2022 72:22


    This week, the Spine Crackers read American author Paul Auster's 1992 novel of friendship, writing, and finding one's place in political history, Leviathan. https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers https://www.buymeacoffee.com/spinecrackers

    John Bunyan - The Pilgrim's Progress

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2022 81:23


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss their first devotional text, John Bunyan's 1678 allegorical adventure and proto-novel The Pilgrim's Progress. See y'all down the road! https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers https://www.buymeacoffee.com/spinecrackers

    Lorrie Moore - Like Life

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2022 68:17


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers read American author Lorrie Moore's elegiac collection of short stories on isolation, rootlessness, art, and, well...you get the idea, Like Life. https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers https://www.buymeacoffee.com/spinecrackers

    Anna Kavan - Ice

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2022 67:34


    This week, the Spine Crackers read English author Anna Kavan's final novel, 1967's schizological sci-fi blizzard-dream, Ice. https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers https://www.buymeacoffee.com/spinecrackers

    english ice anna kavan
    Ersnt Junger - The Glass Bees

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2022 68:45


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers read controversial German author Ernst Junger's 1957 science fiction novel of technology, war, celebrity, and fascism (?) The Glass Bees. https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers https://www.buymeacoffee.com/spinecrackers

    Italo Calvino - If on a winter's night a traveler (Featuring Nate Rankin of Books You Haven't Read)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2022 70:17


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers are joined by Nate Rankin, proprietor of the YouTube channel Books You Haven't Read, to discuss Italo Calvino's 1979 metatextual novel (within novel within novel) If on a winter's night a traveler! https://www.youtube.com/user/IamSeamus1 https://www.naterankin.com/ https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers https://www.buymeacoffee.com/spinecrackers

    Christopher Isherwood - A Single Man

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2022 61:19


    In this episode (the first in our new condensed format) the Spine Crackers read Christopher Isherwood's 1964 novel of grief, aging, and the American psyche, A Single Man! Full two-and-a-half hour discussion available to patrons! https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers

    ANNOUNCING: Spine Crackers 2.0!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2022 15:52


    The Spine Crackers share a very important announcement regarding plans for 2022 and beyond! We will be taking a brief break to get ourselves mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally ready for the coming changes and are so excited to get back to the show in a couple weeks!

    Charles Simic - The Lunatic & The World Doesn't End

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 4, 2022 101:21


    In the first episode of 2022, the Spine Crackers welcome the bleak midwinter months with their first ever episode on poetry. Specifically, they discuss the bleak, philosophical, surreal, and deeply human poetry of Yugoslav-American poet Charles Simic.

    The First Annual Spine Crackers End-of-Year Awards Spectacular

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 26, 2021 193:54


    In this very special episode, the Spine Crackers present their first annual end-of-year awards. They each count down their personal top 5 books of the year, give out awards for categories such as Best Character, Best Cover, Most Disappointing Book, and many more! Have a fantastic New Year!

    Herman Melville - The Confidence-Man

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2021 134:57


    In this episode, the Spine Crackers read Herman Melville's final novel, the 1857 satirical masterpiece of identity, religion, irony, and the American psyche, The Confidence-Man.

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