Unfortunately Required Reading

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Review and relive the books that made you cringe in school, but now with cocktails and sass. Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

Unfortunately Required Reading


    • Mar 22, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 1h 16m AVG DURATION
    • 129 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Unfortunately Required Reading

    Episode 123: Not a Single Woman of Color Was Involved or Asked (The Second Sex)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2025 126:44


    This week Amanda and Victoria explore Simone de Beauvoir's exploration of women, The Second Sex, and discuss intersectionality and a whole blend of modern-day f**kery.

    Isn't this An Episode of Family Guy (Uncle Tom's Cabin)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2025 114:38


    This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Uncle Tom's Cabin and its enduring (and destructive) legacy.

    Tocqueville's American Travel Vlog (Democracy in America)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2025 119:00


    This week Amanda and Victoria discuss the possible series finale of the US by talking about Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America and his accurate, and not so accurate, talking points.

    That's Showbiz Kid (A Confederacy of Dunces)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2024 128:09


    This week Amanda and Victoria celebrate Victoria's birthday month with A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, and the legacy of New Orleans. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

    Inconceivable! Anybody want a Peanut? (The Princess Bride)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2024 145:18


    Somehow in this economy we get Baron Von Cheeseplate back on the show to discuss William Goldman's The Princess Bride, as well as how much we all hate that weird Evangelical puppet, Douglas. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

    The Haunted Audio (Turn of the Screw)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2024 97:00


    This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Henry James' novella, The Turn of the Screw. After Daddy's Little Harbinger shows up (Mothman) our audio started to have some problems, the episode crashing twice. The rest of his death story is posted on UnfortunatelyRequiredReading.com for the curious. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

    Diet Malthus (Ishmael)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 28, 2024 89:36


    This week Amanda and Victoria discuss the Daniel Quinn book of Socratic dialogue with a gorilla, Ishmael. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

    This is My Roman Empire (I, Claudius)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2024 78:20


    This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Robert Graves' epic I, Claudius, and immediately questioning Graves' concepts of history. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

    Episode 115: Word by Word (Bird by Bird)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2024 65:26


    Happy Birthday Month to Amanda! This month, we discuss Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird (and Victoria actually does the shortest short story long.) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

    City of Naw (City of Night)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 29, 2024 87:12


    This month Amanda and Victoria discuss City of Night by John Rechy for Pride Month and discuss the old ways and the new of Queer community and acceptance. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

    Following the White Rabbit (Alice in Wonderland)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2024 133:13


    Baron Von Cheeseplate joins Amanda and Victoria to discuss Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll, and the impact of this work on pop culture. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

    Little Scam on the Prairie (Little House on the Prairie)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 13, 2024 87:16


    This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie, Manifest Destiny, the Minnesota Massacre, the lie of Westward expansion and why neither host can spell prairie. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

    Basically, Just Real Life in Late Stage Capitalism (Fahrenheit 451)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2024 95:08


    This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

    Episode 110: I Bet on Losing Dogs (Lady Chatterley's Lover)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2024 76:08


    This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Lady Chatterley's Lover, sex politics, and what DH Lawrence means by a "crisis." --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

    Strong Independent Pilgrim (Little Women)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2024 91:26


    This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Little Women, Louisa May Alcott, and the myth of typical femininity. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

    A Bug's Life (Metamorphosis)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2023 79:57


    This month Amanda and Victoria discuss Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis, traumatic childhood abuse, and the utterly depressing life of Franz Kafka. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

    This Time, We Want to Join a Cult (or Build a Submarine)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 12, 2023 142:44


    Baron Von Cheeseplate returns to discuss 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne with Amanda and Victoria. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

    Do You Want to Get Sued? (The Shining)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2023 144:36


    For Spooky Month Amanda and Victoria discuss Stephen King's infamous work The Shining, alcoholism, hotels, and Stanley Kubrick. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

    A Whole New World (Brave New World)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2023 126:55


    This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, ethnobotany, drugs, and enough weird stuff to fill a 2-hour podcast. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

    Episode 104: Paper Folding Peace Signs (Sadako and the 1000 Paper Cranes)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2023 85:12


    This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Sadako and the 1000 Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr, as well as the atomic bomb and the lasting effects on America and how it is viewed internationally. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

    Look Down (Les Miserables)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2023 82:59


    This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Victor Hugo's massive fan fiction, Les Misérables. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

    Is the Movie Better? (Breakfast at Tiffany's)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2023 66:56


    This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's. Happy Pride! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

    Animal Harm (Animal Farm)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2023 97:02


    This month Amanda and Victoria discuss George Orwell's Animal Farm, and the historical events that inspired it. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

    F*** You, Mark Twain

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2023 91:46


    By some miracle, we made it to 100 episodes. This week we discuss Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and wonder why we give this book to children. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

    I Dreamed I Went to Mandalay Bay Last Night (Rebecca)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2023 70:01


    This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

    Death From Above (The War of the Worlds)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2023 116:00


    This week Amanda and Victoria discuss HG Wells as The War of the Worlds. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/support

    The Ultimate KGB C*ck Block (Doctor Zhivago)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2023 79:29


    This is the reuploaded version of our episode on Doctor Zhivago. Some listeners advised the end had been cut off by our editing software. Thank you! This week Amanda and Victoria discuss the drag that is Doctor Zhivago and why it was so scary to the USSR. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

    A Guide to Why Your Black Friends Are Exhausted (A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2023 91:38


    This week Amanda and Victoria discuss A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

    The Return of Two Host One Mic (The Secret Garden)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2023 50:58


    Amanda and Victoria FINALLY get to record together in person for the first time in....almost three years? Welcome back with The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. We discuss ableism, rest cures, and the garden metaphor. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

    A Thinly Veiled Cult Metaphor? (Jonathan Livingston Seagull)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 7, 2023 53:49


    This week Amanda and Victoria read a book that managed to break Victoria, Richard Bach's Jonathan Livingston Seagull. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

    Cottage Core White Girl Fantasies (The Witch of Blackbird Pond)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2022 58:20


    Amanda and Victoria discuss The Witch of Blackbird Pond and why Kit definitely would have been found guilty of witchcraft in Connecticut. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

    Being a Mermaid is Just One Giant Metaphor, Isn't It? (Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2022 79:43


    This week Amanda and Victoria discuss the uncomfortable dating history of Hans Christan Andersen...wait, we mean The Little Mermaid. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

    Do Androids Dream of Dick? (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2022 71:43


    This week Amanda and Victoria read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K. Dick, the book that was adapted loosely into Blade Runner. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

    So You're Saying I Can Dodge? (Neuromancer)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2022 94:02


    Amanda, Victoria, and special guest Baron Von Cheeseplate discuss William Gibson's Neuromancer. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

    Trauma All the Way Down (The Haunting of Hill House)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2022 70:09


    This week Amanda and Victoria cover spooky season with Shirley Jackson's novel The Haunting of Hill House. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

    Episode 88: It Was a Monkey? (Murders in the Rue Morgue)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2022 56:08


    This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe for Spooky Season. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

    These are the MF Jokes (Oedipus Rex)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2022 77:35


    This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Sophocles' work Oedipus Rex (aka Oedipus the King) and make surprisingly few jokes about incest. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

    Sexting in the Time of Cholera (Love in the Time of Cholera)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2022 68:44


    This week Amanda and Victoria read Love in the Time of Cholera. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

    Encanto with Incest (One Hundred Years of Solitude)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2022 79:01


    This week Amanda and Victoria discuss the most beloved Latin American novel of all time, Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

    Sartre Diem (No Exit)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2022 76:02


    This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Sartre's one-act play No Exit. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

    A Night with Uncle Tennessee (The Lady of Larkspur Lotion)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2022 66:14


    This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Tennesse Williams' one act play, The Lady of Larkspur Lotion. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

    Mimosas are Not the Only Brunch Beverage (Oranges are Not the Only Fruit)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2022 69:58


    This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Jeanette Winterson's Oranges are Not the Only Fruit. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

    Getting Dragged by Gods (the Iliad)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 18, 2022 89:53


    This week we discuss the Iliad for Pride month. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

    nolite te bastardes carborundorum (The Handmaid's Tale)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2022 76:07


    This week Amanda and Victoria discuss The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and despair. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

    Another Robbie Burns Inspired Book (Of Mice and Men)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2022 66:32


    This week Amanda and Victoria unpack Of Mice and Men, the exploitation of the American worker, and the utter exhaustion of existence. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

    Like Ducks on a Frozen Pond (Catcher in the Rye)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2022 67:25


    This week Amanda is drug kicking and screaming into a book they didn't have to read in school and Victoria has flashbacks to dating people who need therapy. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

    Being an Adult at 13 Sucks (Dicey's Song)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2022 42:23


    This week Amanda and Victoria discuss the heartbreaking book Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voight. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

    Irish Catholic Childhoods are Hard (Angela's Ashes)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2022 71:19


    his week, Amanda and Victoria discuss the memoir Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

    Unfortunately Apt War Allegory is a War Allegory

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2022 69:59


    This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Art Spiegelman's Maus and the Holocaust. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

    And Nothing Has Changed Since 1974

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2022 72:09


    This week Amanda and Victoria are exhausted and discuss James Baldwin's If Beale Street Could Talk. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

    A thinly veiled excuse to talk about Cruel Intentions (Dangerous Liaisons)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2022 79:35


    This week Amanda and Victoria decide to discuss Cruel Intentions instead of Dangerous Liaisons. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/support

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