Podcasts about guncle

Welcome to the Spring 2025 Book Preview with Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books!   Today, Catherine and Sarah share 12 of their most anticipated books releasing in April and May.   This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog. Announcement Sarah's Bookshelves has joined Substack! Please note, we're not MOVING to Substack, we're simply adding Substack to the places we already put out content. On our FREE Substack feed, Sarah's Bookshelves is offering all the content you already find on the blog, my Instagram account, public podcast, On our PAID feed, we're offering all the content we also offer on Patreon. If you're interested in becoming a paying subscriber on Substack, visit sarahsbookshelveslive.substack.com for all the details and a full list of benefits. If you're already on Substack, please consider following the FREE feed and sharing with your reader friends to help support the show. One of the many benefits to joining as a paying member of either our Patreon or Substack Communities is gaining access to several bonus podcast episode series, including Book Preview Extras! In these episodes, Catherine and Sarah share at least 4 bonus books we are excited about that were not shared in the big show preview episode. Get more details about all the goodies available to all Superstar patrons here and all Substack paid subscribers here! Highlights Catherine and Sarah share some big releases coming this spring (lightning round style). With a theme this season of “change,” Catherine focuses on lighter fiction and thrillers. Sarah's choices are evenly split between debut authors, new to her authors, and repeat authors. Food novels, rom-coms, thrillers (two with a mistaken identity element), and lighter reading are the picks for spring! Sarah has already read one of her picks — and one of Catherine's! And, Catherine has already started reading one of hers. Plus, their #1 picks for the spring. Big Spring Releases [5:15]  The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong (May 13) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [5:43] The Dark Maestro by Brendan Slocumb (May 13) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [5:47] Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez (Apr 1) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [5:56] Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson (May 13) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [6:03] Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto (Apr 1) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [6:18] The Maid's Secret by Nita Prose (Apr 8) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [6:26] Audition by Katy Kitamura (Apr 8) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [6:29] My Documents by Kevin Ngyuen (Apr 8) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [6:44] Backlist Titles Mentioned The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb (2022) [5:51] Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb (2023) [5:53] Spring 2025 Book Preview [6:51] April Sarah's Picks The Family Recipe by Carolyn Huynh (Apr 1) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [9:40] I See You've Called in Dead by John Kenney (Apr 1) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[14:49] The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff (Apr 22) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [23:15] Gold Coast Dilemma by Nana Malone (Apr 29) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[29:28] The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett (Apr 29) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:42] Catherine's Picks Cat's People by Tanya Guerrero (Apr 1) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [12:46] Heartwood by Amity Gaige (Apr 1) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [18:23] Other Books Mentioned The Fortunes of Jaded Women by Carolyn Huynh (2022) [9:44]  Talk to Me by John Kenney (2019) [14:53]   About a Boy by Nick Hornby (1998) [16:48] The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (2024) [18:30] The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean (2024) [18:32] Sea Wife by Amity Gaige (2020) [22:47]  The Shred Sisters by Betsy Lerner (2024) [24:45]  The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall (2019) [26:18]  Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane (2019) [26:20]  We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange (2021) [26:22]  The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo (2019) [26:25]  Yours, Eventually by Nura Maznavi  (2025) [30:58]  Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett (2022) [33:47]  The Guncle by Steven Rowley (2021) [38:04]  May Sarah's Picks Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle (May 20) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [42:16] Catherine's Pick Home of the American Circus by Allison Larkin (May 6) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [26:48] The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North (May 13) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [31:29]  Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding by Lian Dolan (May 20) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [39:56] Storybook Ending by Moira Macdonald (May 27) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[45:36] Other Books Mentioned The People We Keep by Allison Larkin (2021) [28:23]  The Angel Maker by Alex North (2023) [31:39] Lost and Found in Paris by Lian Dolan (2022) [41:25]   Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain (2000) [43:42]   The Husbands by Holly Gramazio (2024) [43:54]  Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler (2016) [44:36]  Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (2022) [44:40]  Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (2020) [44:42]  Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune (2021) [44:45]  The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (2020) [44:53]   Storybook Ending by Poppy Alexander (2024) [47:32] 

The boys are hanging (once again) with Keanu Reeves, finally taking a look at what is truly his magnum opus, Sonic 3. Yes, that's right: the fellas are spending two hours with the fastest hedgehog / alien / furry icon known to man. Jokes and japes take a serious turn this week with topics including: Tide Talk, bears that can't get it together, return of the Guncle, Sonic's equipment, soy banter and a whole lot of executive bashing.

I interview Elly Griffiths about her new book “The Frozen People” and I give my top 12 books of 2024.ALSO:Elly recommends 3 books for us:Beautiful People by Amanda JenningsNotes on a Drowning by Anna Sharpe.Stone Blind by Natalie HaynesPHILIPPA's TOP READS OF 2024The Betrayal of Thomas True by A. J. WestWitchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady HendrixRubbernecker by Belinda Bauer. Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness.The Home Child by Liz Berry.The Mercy Chair by M. W. Craven.The Spell Shop by Sarah Beth Durst. Brotherless Night by V. V. GaneshananthanNightbloom by Peace Adzo Medie 10. A Bookshop of one's own by Jane Cholmeley,11.After the Storm by G. D Wright12.The Instrumentalist by Harriet Constable.Honourable mention: The Guncle by Steven Rowley. Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/533022350711635/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/quickbookreviews.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/quick_book_reviewsThreads: @quick_book_reviewsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@quickbookreviewsTwitter: https://x.com/quickbookrevie3 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Text us your questions!Jonathan Merritt joins us to discuss his children's book My Guncle and Me. We also discuss what it was like to grow up with a dad who was the president of the SBC, his experience being involuntarily outed, and how to maintain relationships across serious ideological and personal divides.=====Want to support us?The best way is to subscribe to our Patreon. Annual memberships are available for a 10% discount.If you'd rather make a one-time donation, you can contribute through our PayPal. Other important info: Rate & review us on Apple & Spotify Follow us on social media at @PPWBPodcast Watch & comment on YouTube Email us at pastorandphilosopher@gmail.com Cheers!

Your Enneagram Godmother and an Enneagram Guncle got together for this INCREDIBLE conversation! If you don't know Jonathan yet, Enneagram 3, this is a wonderful introduction.   "...othering the other that othered them." It'll make more sense after you hear him talk about it!   Jonathan is a writer on faith and culture, the author of Learning To Speak God From Scratch, Jesus is Better Than You Imagined, My Guncle and Me and a few other great reads. You can find him on Instagram @jonathan_merritt and online at jonathanmerritt.com   PLUG TIME! OOOOOHHHHHH, don't let this event sell out without you being a part of it: A Contemplative, Healing, Enneagram with Rev. Joseph and Suzanne Stabile, and Hunter Mobley. February 28 - March 1, 2025 in Nashville, TN CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS or visit lifeinthetrinityministry.com/nashville   Today's INTRO The Office (S3, E1) Modern Family (S4, E21) The Other Guys (Columbia Pictures 2010)  

In this episode, Maya is back with everyone's favorite Gay Uncle Patrick as she breaks down The Guncle Abroad. Sierra Madre Golf https://sierramadregolf.com/?ref=mayag or use Code MAYAG Subscribe to the My Take newsletter that comes out every other friday: https://mytake.aweb.page/p/5c793f97-1177-42ff-a0a9-5c9f3b7313b1  My Take also has a Patreon, where every month there will be fun bonus content, including a book club, so it would mean the world if you could support us there!  Connect with Maya: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_mytake/?hl=en Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mytakepod Website: https://mytakepodcast.weebly.com/  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/my-take/support

Speak now, or forever hold your peace. Damn. Patrick is one cold ass motherfucker. It was all still rumbling around in my head somewhere… How could i forget something like that. Why even come to the ceremony if you were going to make a big scene like that I didn't. Why even show up? Appearances. Are you serious? –it would look bad if I didn't. It looked bad that you did and then exited during the ceremony. –the end of the ceremony. Specifically at the objections. –I wasn't paying attention. You stood up! I had to use the restroom. As an objection? Merely a coincidence. You don't believe in coincidences. I don't believe in marriages, either. Oh, please. I begged you. That's your excuse. It's not an excuse. Is it an objection? And if it was? I got married anyway. –So it wouldn't matter. Thanks for the toaster oven. –I didn't get you a toaster oven. Yes you did. Uh–no, I didn't. Then what did you get us? Nothing, I forgot. Well, the card was from you. Hm Maybe you forgot to forget. Maybe. Thank you, anyway. –Congratulations. There's leftover cake. Where? Everywhere. __ LATER. Hazel is practicing her guitar; her glasses rest at the edge of her nose, as she focuses on the instrument, almost as if her father in the doorway is a shadow, or an afterthought. She carefully tunes the strings as he leans into her bedroom. Hazel. Hm. Did you buy Esha and Mark a toaster oven with my credit card? She stops for a moment and peers over the brim of her glasses briefly addressing her father. –I knew you'd forget. Oh. I–I did. I know. Thank you. You're welcome. He pauses for a moment before making his departure, turning into the hallway. There's leftover cake. She seems genuinely excited. There is? Where? [beat] …everywhere. Ugh. This show blows my mind. Yeah. Sometimes almost literally. Happiness is a warm gun. You're the Hatter, and the rabbit, Alice and The Cheshire! You're The Rabbit, The Hatter, The Cheshire, and Alice! Did I ever write that scene about the liquor store? Maybe, probably. I don't know. Now every time i go to the store where I saw that scene, I see it again–although not quite as clearly, and I can't help but wonder if I ever wrote it down, or, like so much of whatever and somesuch–it was all just in my head. No, Patrick exists. Clearly. I had been fasting for an extraneous amount of time, though for how long i couldn't say. And the words repeated over and over in my head for me to fetch a book from the cabinet I had been interested in by its cover alone, but had put away weeks ago. I had stopped reading, and had become more focused on creating something that could generate revenue. I needed money, almost desperately enough to sell my already outdated DJ equipment and some of my studio gear, and yet–there was still work to be done. There wasn't much that I could do with my aged equipment, but there wasn't much I could do without it, either. Luckily, winter was coming forward faster, with heavy enough rain throughout the week that it kept some of the cyclists at bay, however, the same evil energy seems to have moved inward; now the doors just outside of my own slammed continuously throughout the day, without any logical explanation as to why; there were only six apartments on the floor, and most of the other people on the floor used the elevator to go about their tasks, so I couldn't much understand the constant door slamming–and though I had put in a maintenance request, being well aware that the doors could be fixed not to slam, my request had been ignored. It seemed as though the property manager had grown tired of my requests, but I had grown tired of having to make them. THe neighbors were inconsiderate, and I desperately wanted to move to a cleaner and quieter neighborhood–and though I knew by New York city standards what I had was a blessing–the noise had become depressing, and so had being followed by the same group of people during my gym regimen–enough so that I avoided nearly all human contact. People seemed to be increasingly toxic, in such a way that I intended to find a suitable enough position that I could save money and be able to one day escape. New York was not a clean, quiet, and friendly place. I disliked my newfound bitterness, hostility, and anger which the city had characteristically put into its place. My creativity meant nothing–I would need to earn money to be respected, or even well liked– Not that I cared much for being accepted or admired, however, in the way Californians upheld high standards of vanity, New York never overlooked the value of a dollar; it was a money game, and so far, I was losing. ‘Guncle. Guncle.' A faraway voice seemed to say. ‘Uh, okay.' I continued about my ritualistic deep cleaning, which always seemed to automatically take place towards the end of a fast. ‘GUNCLE!' The voice was loud this time, almost as if it was being yelled. “Jesus Christ, alright.” I reached up onto the high shelf where the book was stored and retrieved the book; I had almost forgotten the pink and blue letters which had drawn me to it in the first place. I had figured the colors to be some sort of code, as they were often used in media–but I wasn't sure besides what meaning I had assigned to it all my own what it was supposed to mean, besides being somewhere along the right path– ‘G U N C L E' I had no idea what the book was about, but flipped to the middle as I often did to get a glimpse at what the book might fortell. Low and behold, there it was– Not a massive sign, but a sign at least. I myself no longer believed in coincidences, especially while fasting, and all incidences of a certain nature lately seemed in fact to be somewhat Divine; I opened up to find that the main character of the book was named Patrick– And of course, He was some kind of actor– A television personality. I had nearly abandoned The Television people with Fallon and his–whatever-he-was– and being entirely honest with myself, I wasn't sure. What I was certain was, though, was that he was whatever I was, and whatever I was, was dangerous, volatile, prone to both implotsions and explosions and a little bit whimsical–I'd have liked to think, some sort of artist, or creative, however, Obviously not vibrating at the speed of celebrity status, at least not consistently– And, of course, remarkably tamed, for the kind of creature in my nature to have stumbled upon quite a discovery so ‘casually.' But there was really nothing so casual about it– it was formally divination, this specific puzzle piece, in that I had been fasting for no reason or purpose at all with no end in sight until being directed with such pertinence to pick up this book, only to find that the first word my eyes would see, was not at all just a word, but a name. I couldn't remember why he was Pat Kirkpartrick, at first, at all; then I remembered that for some reason–there was some kind of teaching i was supposed to have remembered about these people–the television people–and the Irish, especially; but then, there were also, strangely with some of the same ties, the Greeks, the…. Suddenly the back of my neck cause a warm wind, which I always thought to be strange sitting in the middle of my apartment with no air conditioning on at all. I had been fasting on this day as well and had gotten a second wind after eating, completing as many instrumentals as i could before continuing to look for a normal ‘slave job' so that I could earn money to travel and visit my loved ones. I didn't want for much else, not that I wanted to be normal, because I knew already at this point that I couldn't–but I needed to be paid in money I could choose what and where to spend on things I needed without relying on anything or anyone else. I couldn't keep taking my chances in entertainment; I was aging, and growing tired, and wary of the whitewashed and over-politically correct world that was sure to be pursuing entertainment anymore, especially television–I thought that perhaps I was best suited for desk work at a gym which would motivate me to show up every day; otherwise, I would probably quit or be fired almost immediately. It was time to retire to bed, with protective stones strapped to my chest to protect myself against whatever that awful, evil thing was–now that it was rainy for motorcycles, the doors slammed all day long and ached in my bones as if someone were hitting me; I knew that this thing only wanted to hurt me–it could be no other force but the force of evil that continued to lurk around me whatever way that it could–whether I meditated or prayed, fasted or exercise, ate or didn't–there was always someone or something unpeaceful happening; something which allowed me to understand that perhaps I was in a world that I could leave sooner than later. Often my wrists ached with the throbbing sensation of a dreary and thoughful wish for freedom; a suicide which would end all things once and for all–but–I also knew there was more art to leave behind than I had made, and so for that, I continued to be; I let the motorcycles and slamming doors stand as a reminder that all things that would seek to harm me would also be harmed in doing so–not in the least a calming sense of knowing, but a sense of something known nonetheless. Damn I keep forgetting Trevor Noah. How do you do? How do I do what? Fuck man, America is so fucking racist. It's like, We'll kind of almost fuck with South Africa– But only cause it's dominated by white culture; And the prominent blacks that come from south Africa are light skinned And have accents, so they're not as scary. “Oh, South Africa” “Right. How's the water? That ought to tip your elections in the right direction. “I'll say!” (Ours too.) The only time racists accept anything colored is if its beautiful, (read:flawless) Or overly accomplished. I've realized that if you're either one or the other, You can eventually be both. Anything else with color is basically just for entertainment purposes. Or general warfare. “Multi-use niggas” White people are like: “Entertain me; Or else you're a threat.” “Yessir” Yo. The late night guys are mad weird. Somehow, the hosts of late night television have all mysteriously been locked into an unfamiliar mansion, without their suits—and pants—unable to find an exit. All of the doorways are blocked—and all of the windows have been altered—they do not open, nor can anyone see out of them; in fact, they are doctored with the same illusionary backdrops that can be seen on the sets of their own shows—the televisions, which, have seemingly been programmed to only play reruns of their own shows. Why— why aren't you wearing pants!? I don't know. Where's your suit? You should be wearing a suit! I know, right?! Who the fuck even are you?! Depends whose asking. YO, CONAN. WOAH. You're not a late night host! Thank God! That seems like an awful job—your demographic fucking sucks. My demographic does suck. But to counter that— I'm a Republican. Who knew?! Not my demographic. Okay, everybody calm down. (Everybody was already calm, but for the most part just confused, and pant less; most of them wear the same classic boxers, though in different patterns/ slightly varying colors—but of course, nothing too crazy, while only one host sports boxer briefs, and one (I'll let you guess who) ladies panties.) At least we all have our own rooms. I don't! I'm stuck in a twin bed and Leno has the other. Before: JAY LENO Good Morning, bright eyes. CUT BACK TO: Aren't you retired? I do moonlighting. LENO and FALLON seem somewhat comfortable and non-biased (read: unbothered entirely) over the morning paper and coffee at opposite ends of the large breakfast table, a continental style breakfast of croissants, seasonal fruit, with an assortment of cereals arranged in the kitchen. FALLON occasionally looks up from his paper to laugh at himself on the television, playing in the kitchen. The other hosts squint with allied disgruntlement of FALLON'S nonchalance and slightly narcissistic egotism. FALLON (reading paper, watching self; eating croissant, sipping coffee) Haha. Nobody has pants, and as the hosts will soon discover—this is with purpose. They have been trapped here as part of an experimental game show, in which the unrecognized and uninformed guest will host, as part of a test shoot aimed at the demographic of the late night hosts combined audience, to test whether or not this demographic will be positively receptive to a late night host who is also a woman of color (read: black) —without a white male counterpart co-host to soften the blow. Really? This is why they're doing this? Who is “they?!” The network. We all work for different networks! I'm pretty sure the only reason I have a demographic is because of my accent. It's true. They accept you. Right. Where are the women. An overhead voice: (They are coming) Oh, so I will have co-hosts. Guest co-hosts; they will vary and change from episode to episode. Oh. Thank Goodness. Don't thank me yet. Uh, okay—overhead voice… Let's just say I'm the narrorator.. Narrorator for what [this is also a movie] Uh. In what genre? [a host opens the cabinet to a bloody chuckie- like doll, which pops out from a mechanical arm with a high pitched scream; the host lets out a squeal, abandoning his coffee— we see a hidden camera pov from the camera's perspective, and then slow-motion replay footage of the host's reaction— he runs frantically pantless into a corner and then up the stairs. —Depends on the host. FALLON, who has been sitting at the table behind him, is still unaffected/unmoved. Himself makes a joke on the TV screen above— he giggles at himself, sipping coffee and looking back to his newspaper the other hosts groan; LENO shrugs and continues, delightfully finishing smearing a bagel and biting into it— he trades FALLON the comics he's been reading for the RELIGION section he's been scoping under the magified lenses of his readers, quietly and sweetly, like an old married couple, without even exchanging a glance or speaking to one another. Ugh. Suddenly, from the floor above. OH DEAR GOD. CRAIG FURGUSEN has just realized his worse nightmare. The hosts still standing at the bottom floor in the kitchen all look up, wide eyed. [Cursing in unintelligible Scottish] ———- They said that you were one of us, but you're not one of us. But you're not one of us. Of course not, I'm not a comic— I studied philosophy in college. That should be funny, but it's not. I would repeat what I just said, but I don't want to. Still not funny. What if I farted? Bubbles—water—maybe— some potential. But probably not. Shame. What are you reading? I'm not, I'm having banter with a crazy-eyed late night host in a bathrobe. Well how's this for a book mark? He opens his robe. (Unimpressed) Aren't you married? Arent we all? I digress. Embarrassed and nervous, he quickly closes his robe. Yes. To a blonde. Congratulations. Where should I send the card. I'm not giving you my address! Creepy fan—stand up, wanna be… He frustratedly begins to exit You're the one standing, technically —And I'll be the last one standing. At the end of the week, it's gonna be me in those pants! Me! Clearly, this show of affection has all been an attempt to bribe “CC”, into being persuaded into awarding this particular host “The Pants”. The hosts will compete for “The Pants” at the end of the first week of challenges I want them gone. But sir. Out. starting Monday; and I want you out of my office, starting now. Now, get Troublemaker on the line so I can finish my breakfast in agony, like the red blooded American I'm supposed to be. Sir. Troublemaker is the top secret code name assigned to the President of the United States; the true President of the United States, the only surviving member of the cabinet after a series of successful infiltrations and assassinations by the enemy, after a covert mission revealed that the succession of the US presidents had been predetermined; not chosen by “The People”, but descendants of a Royal bloodline. Pinocchio the code name for the senator chosen as the stand in— the face to America's eyes and ears, listens intently to the President's every move, daily happenings, and assertions, as to best convey the ideas as his own; meanwhile, the Secret President is heavily guarded, controlled, and is acclimated using a series of secret codes and messages and decoded, including several secret languages and symbology hidden within her daily routines, which become more challenging and versatile, adapting her to her role as Commander In Chief of the United States armed forces, and consequently, the world around her, as the US forces seek to broaden their horizon as the a world superpower, to a Global entity, which powers and controls the heavily overpopulated planet which lies in imminent demise by like likes of war, plague, and diminishing resources. The actual President of the United States must remain hidden as so, as to remain safe until the intercontinental breech has been sealed, and national security has been restored. Viewer indescretion is advised It's not ME. Okay, okay: I'm not the president! I'm not running for president I don't even know who the president is. The president is dead. GOOD . Madame… I mean—not good. You— No. So like—- It's automatically racist to just outright say that the migrants are for the most part not well behaved or orderly—- They leave trash everywhere and don't even watch their kids! Some of them. I think they're just assuming this is okay?! IS THIS OKAY?! No! What the fuck! That is racist. Have you seen it from where I stand? The strength is in numbers! Look, I don't hate human beings. Are they— Yes they're humans. They're just. Our imminent demise is in allowing this to continue to happen. I hope you realize that from how high up you are. I know you can't see it from up in your shiny townhouses or from the blacked out windows of your town cars, but... They're good people. SOME of them I mean a lot of these 3rd world people are very primitive thinkers. Don't count on them being brought up to speed in consciousness and morality when they're basically brought here as luxury slaves. That's putting it nicely. Well, if you're not going to pay Americans living wages, you're going to have to counter it somehow. I can't have three jobs. Oh, that's nice. The terrorists are attacking their own people. For what purpose is any of this, actually? Check it out. I found the leak. Alert the mayor. He's on the Mayor's books. What in the actual fuck. Gross. Is there not a screening process for this? Too late: anchor babies. “The Secret President” So you just dropped like 2 million pregnant 3rd world— You realize that. There must be some kind of compromise. Yeah. Send them back. Ew, fucking gross. I don't understand— What you don't understand! [A SAGA] What don't you understand? My land is your land!? Yeah, and now the economy's in the trashcan. I figure that's an upgrade from a black hole! You don't understand that we're like leaking— —like bleeding—- Money! Half of this money's not even being recirculated into the United States! Send for uncle Juan, Camilla, and all of my pregnant nieces. Dalè. ARRIVA STORM THE GATES. Yo, lady. What the fuckz At least put shoes on the baby. PUT THE DIAPER IN THE TRASHCAN. Where's your mother? I am my mother. Goddamn! What is the United States?! Racists! Trust me I'd rather die than not Either way, I'll love you all the same It's unfortunate The wicked ones Atop us, with the fortunes With no one to love But piles of bodies, Power plays and flaccid phalic Valid fantasies and tragic Dissatisfaction All those bottles And all those bodies And all those models You still can't mount a horse. All that power And all that money And you don't want me But she doesn't do much But want to love Pity no one up there seems to know what is does Love, is for us The ugly under you Trust me, I'd rather die tonight Than wake up alone Foaming in the mouth With no one there to froth with Trust me I'd rather die than not Either way, I'll love you all the same I guess I'm slag bro Another attack It's fine; I'm just not attractive Not even fit for his Side piece of ass How's that go? What's that life Just take a knife to my back Cause I can't go back bro I went black bro Flatline He caught my eye, Then I went flat broke If I could draw a line up my spine And unwind the entire world I would, though If I could tie a knot to the knot in my back And then just jump rope Off a long rope From a strong pole Here's hoping {Enter The Multiverse} [The Festival Project.™] COPYRIGHT © THE FESTIVAL PROJECT 2019-2024 | THE COMPLEX COLLECTIVE. © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. © -Ū.

Speak now, or forever hold your peace. Damn. Patrick is one cold ass motherfucker. It was all still rumbling around in my head somewhere… How could i forget something like that. Why even come to the ceremony if you were going to make a big scene like that I didn't. Why even show up? Appearances. Are you serious? –it would look bad if I didn't. It looked bad that you did and then exited during the ceremony. –the end of the ceremony. Specifically at the objections. –I wasn't paying attention. You stood up! I had to use the restroom. As an objection? Merely a coincidence. You don't believe in coincidences. I don't believe in marriages, either. Oh, please. I begged you. That's your excuse. It's not an excuse. Is it an objection? And if it was? I got married anyway. –So it wouldn't matter. Thanks for the toaster oven. –I didn't get you a toaster oven. Yes you did. Uh–no, I didn't. Then what did you get us? Nothing, I forgot. Well, the card was from you. Hm Maybe you forgot to forget. Maybe. Thank you, anyway. –Congratulations. There's leftover cake. Where? Everywhere. __ LATER. Hazel is practicing her guitar; her glasses rest at the edge of her nose, as she focuses on the instrument, almost as if her father in the doorway is a shadow, or an afterthought. She carefully tunes the strings as he leans into her bedroom. Hazel. Hm. Did you buy Esha and Mark a toaster oven with my credit card? She stops for a moment and peers over the brim of her glasses briefly addressing her father. –I knew you'd forget. Oh. I–I did. I know. Thank you. You're welcome. He pauses for a moment before making his departure, turning into the hallway. There's leftover cake. She seems genuinely excited. There is? Where? [beat] …everywhere. Ugh. This show blows my mind. Yeah. Sometimes almost literally. Happiness is a warm gun. You're the Hatter, and the rabbit, Alice and The Cheshire! You're The Rabbit, The Hatter, The Cheshire, and Alice! Did I ever write that scene about the liquor store? Maybe, probably. I don't know. Now every time i go to the store where I saw that scene, I see it again–although not quite as clearly, and I can't help but wonder if I ever wrote it down, or, like so much of whatever and somesuch–it was all just in my head. No, Patrick exists. Clearly. I had been fasting for an extraneous amount of time, though for how long i couldn't say. And the words repeated over and over in my head for me to fetch a book from the cabinet I had been interested in by its cover alone, but had put away weeks ago. I had stopped reading, and had become more focused on creating something that could generate revenue. I needed money, almost desperately enough to sell my already outdated DJ equipment and some of my studio gear, and yet–there was still work to be done. There wasn't much that I could do with my aged equipment, but there wasn't much I could do without it, either. Luckily, winter was coming forward faster, with heavy enough rain throughout the week that it kept some of the cyclists at bay, however, the same evil energy seems to have moved inward; now the doors just outside of my own slammed continuously throughout the day, without any logical explanation as to why; there were only six apartments on the floor, and most of the other people on the floor used the elevator to go about their tasks, so I couldn't much understand the constant door slamming–and though I had put in a maintenance request, being well aware that the doors could be fixed not to slam, my request had been ignored. It seemed as though the property manager had grown tired of my requests, but I had grown tired of having to make them. THe neighbors were inconsiderate, and I desperately wanted to move to a cleaner and quieter neighborhood–and though I knew by New York city standards what I had was a blessing–the noise had become depressing, and so had being followed by the same group of people during my gym regimen–enough so that I avoided nearly all human contact. People seemed to be increasingly toxic, in such a way that I intended to find a suitable enough position that I could save money and be able to one day escape. New York was not a clean, quiet, and friendly place. I disliked my newfound bitterness, hostility, and anger which the city had characteristically put into its place. My creativity meant nothing–I would need to earn money to be respected, or even well liked– Not that I cared much for being accepted or admired, however, in the way Californians upheld high standards of vanity, New York never overlooked the value of a dollar; it was a money game, and so far, I was losing. ‘Guncle. Guncle.' A faraway voice seemed to say. ‘Uh, okay.' I continued about my ritualistic deep cleaning, which always seemed to automatically take place towards the end of a fast. ‘GUNCLE!' The voice was loud this time, almost as if it was being yelled. “Jesus Christ, alright.” I reached up onto the high shelf where the book was stored and retrieved the book; I had almost forgotten the pink and blue letters which had drawn me to it in the first place. I had figured the colors to be some sort of code, as they were often used in media–but I wasn't sure besides what meaning I had assigned to it all my own what it was supposed to mean, besides being somewhere along the right path– ‘G U N C L E' I had no idea what the book was about, but flipped to the middle as I often did to get a glimpse at what the book might fortell. Low and behold, there it was– Not a massive sign, but a sign at least. I myself no longer believed in coincidences, especially while fasting, and all incidences of a certain nature lately seemed in fact to be somewhat Divine; I opened up to find that the main character of the book was named Patrick– And of course, He was some kind of actor– A television personality. I had nearly abandoned The Television people with Fallon and his–whatever-he-was– and being entirely honest with myself, I wasn't sure. What I was certain was, though, was that he was whatever I was, and whatever I was, was dangerous, volatile, prone to both implotsions and explosions and a little bit whimsical–I'd have liked to think, some sort of artist, or creative, however, Obviously not vibrating at the speed of celebrity status, at least not consistently– And, of course, remarkably tamed, for the kind of creature in my nature to have stumbled upon quite a discovery so ‘casually.' But there was really nothing so casual about it– it was formally divination, this specific puzzle piece, in that I had been fasting for no reason or purpose at all with no end in sight until being directed with such pertinence to pick up this book, only to find that the first word my eyes would see, was not at all just a word, but a name. I couldn't remember why he was Pat Kirkpartrick, at first, at all; then I remembered that for some reason–there was some kind of teaching i was supposed to have remembered about these people–the television people–and the Irish, especially; but then, there were also, strangely with some of the same ties, the Greeks, the…. Suddenly the back of my neck cause a warm wind, which I always thought to be strange sitting in the middle of my apartment with no air conditioning on at all. I had been fasting on this day as well and had gotten a second wind after eating, completing as many instrumentals as i could before continuing to look for a normal ‘slave job' so that I could earn money to travel and visit my loved ones. I didn't want for much else, not that I wanted to be normal, because I knew already at this point that I couldn't–but I needed to be paid in money I could choose what and where to spend on things I needed without relying on anything or anyone else. I couldn't keep taking my chances in entertainment; I was aging, and growing tired, and wary of the whitewashed and over-politically correct world that was sure to be pursuing entertainment anymore, especially television–I thought that perhaps I was best suited for desk work at a gym which would motivate me to show up every day; otherwise, I would probably quit or be fired almost immediately. It was time to retire to bed, with protective stones strapped to my chest to protect myself against whatever that awful, evil thing was–now that it was rainy for motorcycles, the doors slammed all day long and ached in my bones as if someone were hitting me; I knew that this thing only wanted to hurt me–it could be no other force but the force of evil that continued to lurk around me whatever way that it could–whether I meditated or prayed, fasted or exercise, ate or didn't–there was always someone or something unpeaceful happening; something which allowed me to understand that perhaps I was in a world that I could leave sooner than later. Often my wrists ached with the throbbing sensation of a dreary and thoughful wish for freedom; a suicide which would end all things once and for all–but–I also knew there was more art to leave behind than I had made, and so for that, I continued to be; I let the motorcycles and slamming doors stand as a reminder that all things that would seek to harm me would also be harmed in doing so–not in the least a calming sense of knowing, but a sense of something known nonetheless. Damn I keep forgetting Trevor Noah. How do you do? How do I do what? Fuck man, America is so fucking racist. It's like, We'll kind of almost fuck with South Africa– But only cause it's dominated by white culture; And the prominent blacks that come from south Africa are light skinned And have accents, so they're not as scary. “Oh, South Africa” “Right. How's the water? That ought to tip your elections in the right direction. “I'll say!” (Ours too.) The only time racists accept anything colored is if its beautiful, (read:flawless) Or overly accomplished. I've realized that if you're either one or the other, You can eventually be both. Anything else with color is basically just for entertainment purposes. Or general warfare. “Multi-use niggas” White people are like: “Entertain me; Or else you're a threat.” “Yessir” Yo. The late night guys are mad weird. Somehow, the hosts of late night television have all mysteriously been locked into an unfamiliar mansion, without their suits—and pants—unable to find an exit. All of the doorways are blocked—and all of the windows have been altered—they do not open, nor can anyone see out of them; in fact, they are doctored with the same illusionary backdrops that can be seen on the sets of their own shows—the televisions, which, have seemingly been programmed to only play reruns of their own shows. Why— why aren't you wearing pants!? I don't know. Where's your suit? You should be wearing a suit! I know, right?! Who the fuck even are you?! Depends whose asking. YO, CONAN. WOAH. You're not a late night host! Thank God! That seems like an awful job—your demographic fucking sucks. My demographic does suck. But to counter that— I'm a Republican. Who knew?! Not my demographic. Okay, everybody calm down. (Everybody was already calm, but for the most part just confused, and pant less; most of them wear the same classic boxers, though in different patterns/ slightly varying colors—but of course, nothing too crazy, while only one host sports boxer briefs, and one (I'll let you guess who) ladies panties.) At least we all have our own rooms. I don't! I'm stuck in a twin bed and Leno has the other. Before: JAY LENO Good Morning, bright eyes. CUT BACK TO: Aren't you retired? I do moonlighting. LENO and FALLON seem somewhat comfortable and non-biased (read: unbothered entirely) over the morning paper and coffee at opposite ends of the large breakfast table, a continental style breakfast of croissants, seasonal fruit, with an assortment of cereals arranged in the kitchen. FALLON occasionally looks up from his paper to laugh at himself on the television, playing in the kitchen. The other hosts squint with allied disgruntlement of FALLON'S nonchalance and slightly narcissistic egotism. FALLON (reading paper, watching self; eating croissant, sipping coffee) Haha. Nobody has pants, and as the hosts will soon discover—this is with purpose. They have been trapped here as part of an experimental game show, in which the unrecognized and uninformed guest will host, as part of a test shoot aimed at the demographic of the late night hosts combined audience, to test whether or not this demographic will be positively receptive to a late night host who is also a woman of color (read: black) —without a white male counterpart co-host to soften the blow. Really? This is why they're doing this? Who is “they?!” The network. We all work for different networks! I'm pretty sure the only reason I have a demographic is because of my accent. It's true. They accept you. Right. Where are the women. An overhead voice: (They are coming) Oh, so I will have co-hosts. Guest co-hosts; they will vary and change from episode to episode. Oh. Thank Goodness. Don't thank me yet. Uh, okay—overhead voice… Let's just say I'm the narrorator.. Narrorator for what [this is also a movie] Uh. In what genre? [a host opens the cabinet to a bloody chuckie- like doll, which pops out from a mechanical arm with a high pitched scream; the host lets out a squeal, abandoning his coffee— we see a hidden camera pov from the camera's perspective, and then slow-motion replay footage of the host's reaction— he runs frantically pantless into a corner and then up the stairs. —Depends on the host. FALLON, who has been sitting at the table behind him, is still unaffected/unmoved. Himself makes a joke on the TV screen above— he giggles at himself, sipping coffee and looking back to his newspaper the other hosts groan; LENO shrugs and continues, delightfully finishing smearing a bagel and biting into it— he trades FALLON the comics he's been reading for the RELIGION section he's been scoping under the magified lenses of his readers, quietly and sweetly, like an old married couple, without even exchanging a glance or speaking to one another. Ugh. Suddenly, from the floor above. OH DEAR GOD. CRAIG FURGUSEN has just realized his worse nightmare. The hosts still standing at the bottom floor in the kitchen all look up, wide eyed. [Cursing in unintelligible Scottish] ———- They said that you were one of us, but you're not one of us. But you're not one of us. Of course not, I'm not a comic— I studied philosophy in college. That should be funny, but it's not. I would repeat what I just said, but I don't want to. Still not funny. What if I farted? Bubbles—water—maybe— some potential. But probably not. Shame. What are you reading? I'm not, I'm having banter with a crazy-eyed late night host in a bathrobe. Well how's this for a book mark? He opens his robe. (Unimpressed) Aren't you married? Arent we all? I digress. Embarrassed and nervous, he quickly closes his robe. Yes. To a blonde. Congratulations. Where should I send the card. I'm not giving you my address! Creepy fan—stand up, wanna be… He frustratedly begins to exit You're the one standing, technically —And I'll be the last one standing. At the end of the week, it's gonna be me in those pants! Me! Clearly, this show of affection has all been an attempt to bribe “CC”, into being persuaded into awarding this particular host “The Pants”. The hosts will compete for “The Pants” at the end of the first week of challenges I want them gone. But sir. Out. starting Monday; and I want you out of my office, starting now. Now, get Troublemaker on the line so I can finish my breakfast in agony, like the red blooded American I'm supposed to be. Sir. Troublemaker is the top secret code name assigned to the President of the United States; the true President of the United States, the only surviving member of the cabinet after a series of successful infiltrations and assassinations by the enemy, after a covert mission revealed that the succession of the US presidents had been predetermined; not chosen by “The People”, but descendants of a Royal bloodline. Pinocchio the code name for the senator chosen as the stand in— the face to America's eyes and ears, listens intently to the President's every move, daily happenings, and assertions, as to best convey the ideas as his own; meanwhile, the Secret President is heavily guarded, controlled, and is acclimated using a series of secret codes and messages and decoded, including several secret languages and symbology hidden within her daily routines, which become more challenging and versatile, adapting her to her role as Commander In Chief of the United States armed forces, and consequently, the world around her, as the US forces seek to broaden their horizon as the a world superpower, to a Global entity, which powers and controls the heavily overpopulated planet which lies in imminent demise by like likes of war, plague, and diminishing resources. The actual President of the United States must remain hidden as so, as to remain safe until the intercontinental breech has been sealed, and national security has been restored. Viewer indescretion is advised It's not ME. Okay, okay: I'm not the president! I'm not running for president I don't even know who the president is. The president is dead. GOOD . Madame… I mean—not good. You— No. So like—- It's automatically racist to just outright say that the migrants are for the most part not well behaved or orderly—- They leave trash everywhere and don't even watch their kids! Some of them. I think they're just assuming this is okay?! IS THIS OKAY?! No! What the fuck! That is racist. Have you seen it from where I stand? The strength is in numbers! Look, I don't hate human beings. Are they— Yes they're humans. They're just. Our imminent demise is in allowing this to continue to happen. I hope you realize that from how high up you are. I know you can't see it from up in your shiny townhouses or from the blacked out windows of your town cars, but... They're good people. SOME of them I mean a lot of these 3rd world people are very primitive thinkers. Don't count on them being brought up to speed in consciousness and morality when they're basically brought here as luxury slaves. That's putting it nicely. Well, if you're not going to pay Americans living wages, you're going to have to counter it somehow. I can't have three jobs. Oh, that's nice. The terrorists are attacking their own people. For what purpose is any of this, actually? Check it out. I found the leak. Alert the mayor. He's on the Mayor's books. What in the actual fuck. Gross. Is there not a screening process for this? Too late: anchor babies. “The Secret President” So you just dropped like 2 million pregnant 3rd world— You realize that. There must be some kind of compromise. Yeah. Send them back. Ew, fucking gross. I don't understand— What you don't understand! [A SAGA] What don't you understand? My land is your land!? Yeah, and now the economy's in the trashcan. I figure that's an upgrade from a black hole! You don't understand that we're like leaking— —like bleeding—- Money! Half of this money's not even being recirculated into the United States! Send for uncle Juan, Camilla, and all of my pregnant nieces. Dalè. ARRIVA STORM THE GATES. Yo, lady. What the fuckz At least put shoes on the baby. PUT THE DIAPER IN THE TRASHCAN. Where's your mother? I am my mother. Goddamn! What is the United States?! Racists! Trust me I'd rather die than not Either way, I'll love you all the same It's unfortunate The wicked ones Atop us, with the fortunes With no one to love But piles of bodies, Power plays and flaccid phalic Valid fantasies and tragic Dissatisfaction All those bottles And all those bodies And all those models You still can't mount a horse. All that power And all that money And you don't want me But she doesn't do much But want to love Pity no one up there seems to know what is does Love, is for us The ugly under you Trust me, I'd rather die tonight Than wake up alone Foaming in the mouth With no one there to froth with Trust me I'd rather die than not Either way, I'll love you all the same I guess I'm slag bro Another attack It's fine; I'm just not attractive Not even fit for his Side piece of ass How's that go? What's that life Just take a knife to my back Cause I can't go back bro I went black bro Flatline He caught my eye, Then I went flat broke If I could draw a line up my spine And unwind the entire world I would, though If I could tie a knot to the knot in my back And then just jump rope Off a long rope From a strong pole Here's hoping {Enter The Multiverse} [The Festival Project.™] COPYRIGHT © THE FESTIVAL PROJECT 2019-2024 | THE COMPLEX COLLECTIVE. © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. © -Ū.

Speak now, or forever hold your peace. Damn. Patrick is one cold ass motherfucker. It was all still rumbling around in my head somewhere… How could i forget something like that. Why even come to the ceremony if you were going to make a big scene like that I didn't. Why even show up? Appearances. Are you serious? –it would look bad if I didn't. It looked bad that you did and then exited during the ceremony. –the end of the ceremony. Specifically at the objections. –I wasn't paying attention. You stood up! I had to use the restroom. As an objection? Merely a coincidence. You don't believe in coincidences. I don't believe in marriages, either. Oh, please. I begged you. That's your excuse. It's not an excuse. Is it an objection? And if it was? I got married anyway. –So it wouldn't matter. Thanks for the toaster oven. –I didn't get you a toaster oven. Yes you did. Uh–no, I didn't. Then what did you get us? Nothing, I forgot. Well, the card was from you. Hm Maybe you forgot to forget. Maybe. Thank you, anyway. –Congratulations. There's leftover cake. Where? Everywhere. __ LATER. Hazel is practicing her guitar; her glasses rest at the edge of her nose, as she focuses on the instrument, almost as if her father in the doorway is a shadow, or an afterthought. She carefully tunes the strings as he leans into her bedroom. Hazel. Hm. Did you buy Esha and Mark a toaster oven with my credit card? She stops for a moment and peers over the brim of her glasses briefly addressing her father. –I knew you'd forget. Oh. I–I did. I know. Thank you. You're welcome. He pauses for a moment before making his departure, turning into the hallway. There's leftover cake. She seems genuinely excited. There is? Where? [beat] …everywhere. Ugh. This show blows my mind. Yeah. Sometimes almost literally. Happiness is a warm gun. You're the Hatter, and the rabbit, Alice and The Cheshire! You're The Rabbit, The Hatter, The Cheshire, and Alice! Did I ever write that scene about the liquor store? Maybe, probably. I don't know. Now every time i go to the store where I saw that scene, I see it again–although not quite as clearly, and I can't help but wonder if I ever wrote it down, or, like so much of whatever and somesuch–it was all just in my head. No, Patrick exists. Clearly. I had been fasting for an extraneous amount of time, though for how long i couldn't say. And the words repeated over and over in my head for me to fetch a book from the cabinet I had been interested in by its cover alone, but had put away weeks ago. I had stopped reading, and had become more focused on creating something that could generate revenue. I needed money, almost desperately enough to sell my already outdated DJ equipment and some of my studio gear, and yet–there was still work to be done. There wasn't much that I could do with my aged equipment, but there wasn't much I could do without it, either. Luckily, winter was coming forward faster, with heavy enough rain throughout the week that it kept some of the cyclists at bay, however, the same evil energy seems to have moved inward; now the doors just outside of my own slammed continuously throughout the day, without any logical explanation as to why; there were only six apartments on the floor, and most of the other people on the floor used the elevator to go about their tasks, so I couldn't much understand the constant door slamming–and though I had put in a maintenance request, being well aware that the doors could be fixed not to slam, my request had been ignored. It seemed as though the property manager had grown tired of my requests, but I had grown tired of having to make them. THe neighbors were inconsiderate, and I desperately wanted to move to a cleaner and quieter neighborhood–and though I knew by New York city standards what I had was a blessing–the noise had become depressing, and so had being followed by the same group of people during my gym regimen–enough so that I avoided nearly all human contact. People seemed to be increasingly toxic, in such a way that I intended to find a suitable enough position that I could save money and be able to one day escape. New York was not a clean, quiet, and friendly place. I disliked my newfound bitterness, hostility, and anger which the city had characteristically put into its place. My creativity meant nothing–I would need to earn money to be respected, or even well liked– Not that I cared much for being accepted or admired, however, in the way Californians upheld high standards of vanity, New York never overlooked the value of a dollar; it was a money game, and so far, I was losing. ‘Guncle. Guncle.' A faraway voice seemed to say. ‘Uh, okay.' I continued about my ritualistic deep cleaning, which always seemed to automatically take place towards the end of a fast. ‘GUNCLE!' The voice was loud this time, almost as if it was being yelled. “Jesus Christ, alright.” I reached up onto the high shelf where the book was stored and retrieved the book; I had almost forgotten the pink and blue letters which had drawn me to it in the first place. I had figured the colors to be some sort of code, as they were often used in media–but I wasn't sure besides what meaning I had assigned to it all my own what it was supposed to mean, besides being somewhere along the right path– ‘G U N C L E' I had no idea what the book was about, but flipped to the middle as I often did to get a glimpse at what the book might fortell. Low and behold, there it was– Not a massive sign, but a sign at least. I myself no longer believed in coincidences, especially while fasting, and all incidences of a certain nature lately seemed in fact to be somewhat Divine; I opened up to find that the main character of the book was named Patrick– And of course, He was some kind of actor– A television personality. I had nearly abandoned The Television people with Fallon and his–whatever-he-was– and being entirely honest with myself, I wasn't sure. What I was certain was, though, was that he was whatever I was, and whatever I was, was dangerous, volatile, prone to both implotsions and explosions and a little bit whimsical–I'd have liked to think, some sort of artist, or creative, however, Obviously not vibrating at the speed of celebrity status, at least not consistently– And, of course, remarkably tamed, for the kind of creature in my nature to have stumbled upon quite a discovery so ‘casually.' But there was really nothing so casual about it– it was formally divination, this specific puzzle piece, in that I had been fasting for no reason or purpose at all with no end in sight until being directed with such pertinence to pick up this book, only to find that the first word my eyes would see, was not at all just a word, but a name. I couldn't remember why he was Pat Kirkpartrick, at first, at all; then I remembered that for some reason–there was some kind of teaching i was supposed to have remembered about these people–the television people–and the Irish, especially; but then, there were also, strangely with some of the same ties, the Greeks, the…. Suddenly the back of my neck cause a warm wind, which I always thought to be strange sitting in the middle of my apartment with no air conditioning on at all. I had been fasting on this day as well and had gotten a second wind after eating, completing as many instrumentals as i could before continuing to look for a normal ‘slave job' so that I could earn money to travel and visit my loved ones. I didn't want for much else, not that I wanted to be normal, because I knew already at this point that I couldn't–but I needed to be paid in money I could choose what and where to spend on things I needed without relying on anything or anyone else. I couldn't keep taking my chances in entertainment; I was aging, and growing tired, and wary of the whitewashed and over-politically correct world that was sure to be pursuing entertainment anymore, especially television–I thought that perhaps I was best suited for desk work at a gym which would motivate me to show up every day; otherwise, I would probably quit or be fired almost immediately. It was time to retire to bed, with protective stones strapped to my chest to protect myself against whatever that awful, evil thing was–now that it was rainy for motorcycles, the doors slammed all day long and ached in my bones as if someone were hitting me; I knew that this thing only wanted to hurt me–it could be no other force but the force of evil that continued to lurk around me whatever way that it could–whether I meditated or prayed, fasted or exercise, ate or didn't–there was always someone or something unpeaceful happening; something which allowed me to understand that perhaps I was in a world that I could leave sooner than later. Often my wrists ached with the throbbing sensation of a dreary and thoughful wish for freedom; a suicide which would end all things once and for all–but–I also knew there was more art to leave behind than I had made, and so for that, I continued to be; I let the motorcycles and slamming doors stand as a reminder that all things that would seek to harm me would also be harmed in doing so–not in the least a calming sense of knowing, but a sense of something known nonetheless. Damn I keep forgetting Trevor Noah. How do you do? How do I do what? Fuck man, America is so fucking racist. It's like, We'll kind of almost fuck with South Africa– But only cause it's dominated by white culture; And the prominent blacks that come from south Africa are light skinned And have accents, so they're not as scary. “Oh, South Africa” “Right. How's the water? That ought to tip your elections in the right direction. “I'll say!” (Ours too.) The only time racists accept anything colored is if its beautiful, (read:flawless) Or overly accomplished. I've realized that if you're either one or the other, You can eventually be both. Anything else with color is basically just for entertainment purposes. Or general warfare. “Multi-use niggas” White people are like: “Entertain me; Or else you're a threat.” “Yessir” Yo. The late night guys are mad weird. Somehow, the hosts of late night television have all mysteriously been locked into an unfamiliar mansion, without their suits—and pants—unable to find an exit. All of the doorways are blocked—and all of the windows have been altered—they do not open, nor can anyone see out of them; in fact, they are doctored with the same illusionary backdrops that can be seen on the sets of their own shows—the televisions, which, have seemingly been programmed to only play reruns of their own shows. Why— why aren't you wearing pants!? I don't know. Where's your suit? You should be wearing a suit! I know, right?! Who the fuck even are you?! Depends whose asking. YO, CONAN. WOAH. You're not a late night host! Thank God! That seems like an awful job—your demographic fucking sucks. My demographic does suck. But to counter that— I'm a Republican. Who knew?! Not my demographic. Okay, everybody calm down. (Everybody was already calm, but for the most part just confused, and pant less; most of them wear the same classic boxers, though in different patterns/ slightly varying colors—but of course, nothing too crazy, while only one host sports boxer briefs, and one (I'll let you guess who) ladies panties.) At least we all have our own rooms. I don't! I'm stuck in a twin bed and Leno has the other. Before: JAY LENO Good Morning, bright eyes. CUT BACK TO: Aren't you retired? I do moonlighting. LENO and FALLON seem somewhat comfortable and non-biased (read: unbothered entirely) over the morning paper and coffee at opposite ends of the large breakfast table, a continental style breakfast of croissants, seasonal fruit, with an assortment of cereals arranged in the kitchen. FALLON occasionally looks up from his paper to laugh at himself on the television, playing in the kitchen. The other hosts squint with allied disgruntlement of FALLON'S nonchalance and slightly narcissistic egotism. FALLON (reading paper, watching self; eating croissant, sipping coffee) Haha. Nobody has pants, and as the hosts will soon discover—this is with purpose. They have been trapped here as part of an experimental game show, in which the unrecognized and uninformed guest will host, as part of a test shoot aimed at the demographic of the late night hosts combined audience, to test whether or not this demographic will be positively receptive to a late night host who is also a woman of color (read: black) —without a white male counterpart co-host to soften the blow. Really? This is why they're doing this? Who is “they?!” The network. We all work for different networks! I'm pretty sure the only reason I have a demographic is because of my accent. It's true. They accept you. Right. Where are the women. An overhead voice: (They are coming) Oh, so I will have co-hosts. Guest co-hosts; they will vary and change from episode to episode. Oh. Thank Goodness. Don't thank me yet. Uh, okay—overhead voice… Let's just say I'm the narrorator.. Narrorator for what [this is also a movie] Uh. In what genre? [a host opens the cabinet to a bloody chuckie- like doll, which pops out from a mechanical arm with a high pitched scream; the host lets out a squeal, abandoning his coffee— we see a hidden camera pov from the camera's perspective, and then slow-motion replay footage of the host's reaction— he runs frantically pantless into a corner and then up the stairs. —Depends on the host. FALLON, who has been sitting at the table behind him, is still unaffected/unmoved. Himself makes a joke on the TV screen above— he giggles at himself, sipping coffee and looking back to his newspaper the other hosts groan; LENO shrugs and continues, delightfully finishing smearing a bagel and biting into it— he trades FALLON the comics he's been reading for the RELIGION section he's been scoping under the magified lenses of his readers, quietly and sweetly, like an old married couple, without even exchanging a glance or speaking to one another. Ugh. Suddenly, from the floor above. OH DEAR GOD. CRAIG FURGUSEN has just realized his worse nightmare. The hosts still standing at the bottom floor in the kitchen all look up, wide eyed. [Cursing in unintelligible Scottish] ———- They said that you were one of us, but you're not one of us. But you're not one of us. Of course not, I'm not a comic— I studied philosophy in college. That should be funny, but it's not. I would repeat what I just said, but I don't want to. Still not funny. What if I farted? Bubbles—water—maybe— some potential. But probably not. Shame. What are you reading? I'm not, I'm having banter with a crazy-eyed late night host in a bathrobe. Well how's this for a book mark? He opens his robe. (Unimpressed) Aren't you married? Arent we all? I digress. Embarrassed and nervous, he quickly closes his robe. Yes. To a blonde. Congratulations. Where should I send the card. I'm not giving you my address! Creepy fan—stand up, wanna be… He frustratedly begins to exit You're the one standing, technically —And I'll be the last one standing. At the end of the week, it's gonna be me in those pants! Me! Clearly, this show of affection has all been an attempt to bribe “CC”, into being persuaded into awarding this particular host “The Pants”. The hosts will compete for “The Pants” at the end of the first week of challenges I want them gone. But sir. Out. starting Monday; and I want you out of my office, starting now. Now, get Troublemaker on the line so I can finish my breakfast in agony, like the red blooded American I'm supposed to be. Sir. Troublemaker is the top secret code name assigned to the President of the United States; the true President of the United States, the only surviving member of the cabinet after a series of successful infiltrations and assassinations by the enemy, after a covert mission revealed that the succession of the US presidents had been predetermined; not chosen by “The People”, but descendants of a Royal bloodline. Pinocchio the code name for the senator chosen as the stand in— the face to America's eyes and ears, listens intently to the President's every move, daily happenings, and assertions, as to best convey the ideas as his own; meanwhile, the Secret President is heavily guarded, controlled, and is acclimated using a series of secret codes and messages and decoded, including several secret languages and symbology hidden within her daily routines, which become more challenging and versatile, adapting her to her role as Commander In Chief of the United States armed forces, and consequently, the world around her, as the US forces seek to broaden their horizon as the a world superpower, to a Global entity, which powers and controls the heavily overpopulated planet which lies in imminent demise by like likes of war, plague, and diminishing resources. The actual President of the United States must remain hidden as so, as to remain safe until the intercontinental breech has been sealed, and national security has been restored. Viewer indescretion is advised It's not ME. Okay, okay: I'm not the president! I'm not running for president I don't even know who the president is. The president is dead. GOOD . Madame… I mean—not good. You— No. So like—- It's automatically racist to just outright say that the migrants are for the most part not well behaved or orderly—- They leave trash everywhere and don't even watch their kids! Some of them. I think they're just assuming this is okay?! IS THIS OKAY?! No! What the fuck! That is racist. Have you seen it from where I stand? The strength is in numbers! Look, I don't hate human beings. Are they— Yes they're humans. They're just. Our imminent demise is in allowing this to continue to happen. I hope you realize that from how high up you are. I know you can't see it from up in your shiny townhouses or from the blacked out windows of your town cars, but... They're good people. SOME of them I mean a lot of these 3rd world people are very primitive thinkers. Don't count on them being brought up to speed in consciousness and morality when they're basically brought here as luxury slaves. That's putting it nicely. Well, if you're not going to pay Americans living wages, you're going to have to counter it somehow. I can't have three jobs. Oh, that's nice. The terrorists are attacking their own people. For what purpose is any of this, actually? Check it out. I found the leak. Alert the mayor. He's on the Mayor's books. What in the actual fuck. Gross. Is there not a screening process for this? Too late: anchor babies. “The Secret President” So you just dropped like 2 million pregnant 3rd world— You realize that. There must be some kind of compromise. Yeah. Send them back. Ew, fucking gross. I don't understand— What you don't understand! [A SAGA] What don't you understand? My land is your land!? Yeah, and now the economy's in the trashcan. I figure that's an upgrade from a black hole! You don't understand that we're like leaking— —like bleeding—- Money! Half of this money's not even being recirculated into the United States! Send for uncle Juan, Camilla, and all of my pregnant nieces. Dalè. ARRIVA STORM THE GATES. Yo, lady. What the fuckz At least put shoes on the baby. PUT THE DIAPER IN THE TRASHCAN. Where's your mother? I am my mother. Goddamn! What is the United States?! Racists! Trust me I'd rather die than not Either way, I'll love you all the same It's unfortunate The wicked ones Atop us, with the fortunes With no one to love But piles of bodies, Power plays and flaccid phalic Valid fantasies and tragic Dissatisfaction All those bottles And all those bodies And all those models You still can't mount a horse. All that power And all that money And you don't want me But she doesn't do much But want to love Pity no one up there seems to know what is does Love, is for us The ugly under you Trust me, I'd rather die tonight Than wake up alone Foaming in the mouth With no one there to froth with Trust me I'd rather die than not Either way, I'll love you all the same I guess I'm slag bro Another attack It's fine; I'm just not attractive Not even fit for his Side piece of ass How's that go? What's that life Just take a knife to my back Cause I can't go back bro I went black bro Flatline He caught my eye, Then I went flat broke If I could draw a line up my spine And unwind the entire world I would, though If I could tie a knot to the knot in my back And then just jump rope Off a long rope From a strong pole Here's hoping {Enter The Multiverse} [The Festival Project.™] COPYRIGHT © THE FESTIVAL PROJECT 2019-2024 | THE COMPLEX COLLECTIVE. © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. © -Ū.

On the first half of today's show the boys catch up as per usual. Jay talked about his vacation and broken hip. Nick shares his excitement about being a Guncle…

This Quoircast podcast episode is brought to you by Fire And Silk by Meghan Irene Turner. It is published by Quoir and is available now.In this episode we chat with Jonathan MerrittJonathan Merritt is one of America's most prolific and trusted writers on faith, culture and politics whose articles have appeared regularly in outlets such as The Atlantic, The New York Times, USA Today, Christianity Today, and The Washington Post. He is the author of numerous critically-acclaimed books including "Learning to Speak God from Scratch: Why Sacred Words are Vanishing and How We Can Revive Them," which was named "Book of the Year" by Englewood Review of Books.  Jonathan has become a popular speaker at conferences, colleges, and churches and has provided commentary on CNN, Fox News, CNN, NPR, PBS and ABC World News. He holds graduate degrees from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Emory University's Candler School of Theology.You can follow Jonathan on:Facebook     Instagram     TwitterYou can find all things Jonathan Merritt related on his websiteYou can purchase Jonathan Merritt's books on Amazon.comYou can connect with This Is Not Church on:Facebook     Instagram      Twitter     TikTok     YouTubeAlso check out our Biolink for all things This Is Not Church relatedPlease like and follow our Quoircast Partners:Heretic Happy Hour     Messy Spirituality     Apostates Anonymous    Second Cup with Keith     The Church Needs TherapyIdeas Digest      Snarky Faith Podcast     Wild Olive     Deadly Faith     Spirituality Brew Pub     Faith For The Rest Of UsJonathan_Foster     Sacred Thoughts     Holy Heretics     Reframing Our Stories     Bros Bibles & Beer      Liminal LivingLove Covered Life     The Social Jesus Project     I Was A Teenage FundamentalistEach episode of This Is Not Church Podcast is expertly engineered by our producer The Podcast Doctor Eric Howell. If you're thinking of starting a podcast you need to connect with Eric!

I interview LAURA KAY about her latest book called MAKING ITLaura RECOMMENDS 3 books: Experienced by Kate YoungUnsuitable - A history of lesbian fiction by Eleanor MedhurstThe Secret to Superhuman Strength by Alison BechdelAnd I review some of the HIGHS and LOWS of my holiday reading:The Guncle by Steven RowleyThe Home Child Liz BerryRubber Necker by Belinda BauerThe Family Experiment by John MarrsMurder in Menorca by Cat PrestonEruption by Michael Crichton & James Patterson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4cB7brEShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens! Now there's more! Subscribe to Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books on Acast+ and get ad-free episodes. https://plus.acast.com/s/moms-dont-have-time-to-read-books. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thank God It's Tuesday! This week, it is time to celebrate and embrace being tan, tasty and ready to YAP! Aaron expresses his feelings after finding about the pregnancy and choosing to embrace his new role this fall as a 'guncle.' We also discuss Paris Hilton's (alleged) voice change,  some mental health tips for Aaron to test out this summer, which may or may not include learning about who Dave Matthews Band is and playing some DMB in his car with the windows down while soaking up summer.EPISODE NOTES:Nobody Asked Me, But... (0:52)Give back at the Saratoga Hospital Gala on July 31 with Bonacio  (3:15)Aaron's thoughts on becoming a guncle (6:25)Should Baby Button be on Instagram? (18:30)Paris Hiltons's voice change (21:20)No more tiny plastic shampoo bottles at NYS hotels (37:45)PSA: Aaron's birthday is July 11 (40:30)Roast or Toast presented by Tierra Farm (48:55)Support the Saratoga Hospital Foundation at the Summer Soiree on July 31, and visit tierrafarm.com to get some ROASTED NUTS and get your snack situation situated for the summer season.

*Please note that Kaytee was out of her regular recording space this week and it affected her audio. It's not you, it's us. Back to normal next week!* On this episode of Currently Reading, Kaytee and Meredith are discussing: Bookish Moments: binging a great series and re-introducing morning reading Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: you get to boss our summer TBRs! The Fountain: we visit our perfect fountain to make wishes about our reading lives Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site) .  .  .  .  .  1:29 - Ad for Ourselves 3:42 - Join us for $5 a month! patreon.com/currentlyreadingpodcast 3:59 - Our Bookish Moments of the Week 4:37 - Ember in the Ashes series by Sabaa Tahir 5:20 - Morning Reads 6:55 - Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan 7:50 - Our Current Reads 7:59 - The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley (Kaytee) 9:32 - Outlander by Diana Gabaldon 12:18 - The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (Meredith) 13:30 - Long Bright River by Liz Moore 16:19 - Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anapara (Kaytee) 20:01 - The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry (Meredith) 21:00 - Beacon Hill Books, Boston 25:31 - The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley (Kaytee) 26:02 - The Guncle by Steven Rowley 29:12 - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell 29:23 - The Stand by Stephen King (Meredith) 32:56 - 11/22/63 by Stephen King 39:01 - Boss Our Summer TBRs! Vote on Meredith and Kaytee's Boss My TBR! 42:45 - Faebound by Saara El-Arifi (Kaytee Option #1) 43:50 - Wild Rain by Beverly Jenkins (Kaytee Option #2) 44:45 - The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillippa Gregory (Kaytee Option #3) 44:51 - Season 1 Listener Press Episode 46:18 - Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Meredith Option #1) 46:21 - Circe by Madeline Miller 46:37 - Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (Meredith Option #2) 46:51 - The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Meredith Option #3) 49:44 - Meet Us At The Fountain 49:47 - I Wish You the Best Summer Reading Available to You (Kaytee) 49:49 - Pantsuit Politics Podcast 50:56 - I wish that People Would Stop Being Afraid of Reading Big Books (Meredith)   Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. July's IPL comes to us from Booktenders in West Virginia! All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the special insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!

Thomas is back, and we're recommending our favorite books to celebrate Pride Month with!The Guncle by Stephen RowleyThe Boyfriend Subscription by Steven SalvatoreThe Pairing by Casey McquistonA Lesson in Thorns by Sierra SimoneBoyfriend Material by Alexis HallHow to Become the Dark Lord or Die Trying by Django WexlerBonus mentionsRed White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuistonWaiting for the Flood by Alexis Hall

Book Besties Season 6, Episode 19: The CelebrantsWelcome to the final episode of season six, Besties! This week the books revisit a pod favorite author Steven Rowley with the Celebrants. Join us as we get a punchy, talk about the happy-sad, and end the season on a happy note. Things talked about in this episode:The Guncle episode: https://bit.ly/4bboXzXThe Big Chill: https://imdb.to/3zcwdhICourtney Thorne-Smith was in Melrose Place: https://bit.ly/3VHOFI4 Meet Molly and April, they bonded over books and became Book Besties. So, what do you do when you find your book bestie? Start a podcast of course. Hang out with April and Molly as they talk about everything they love and hate about books.

On this episode of Currently Reading, Kaytee and Mary are discussing: Bookish Moments: book recs that land with non readers and Kaytee meeting an octopus! Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: how we recommend books to readers outside our own wheelhouses The Fountain: we visit our perfect fountain to make wishes about our reading lives Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site) .  .  .  .  .  Season 6, Episode 45 1:27 - Our Bookish Moments of the Week 1:50 - Happy Place by Emily Henry 6:52 - Our Current Reads 6:59 -  Ready or Not by Cara Bastone (Mary) 10:41 - Secrets of the Octopus by Sy Montgomery (Kaytee) 10:50 - The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of the Whole Stupid World by Matt Kracht (Fabled link, not available on Bookshop) 11:14 - Secrets of the Whales by Brian Skerry 11:16 - Secrets of the Elephants by Paula Kahumbu and Claudia Geib 11:33 - The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery 13:45 - Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh (Mary) 15:51 - Boswell Books 16:55 - Coyote Lost and Found by Dan Gemeinhart (Kaytee) 17:01 - The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart 17:13 - Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being In Love by isthisselfcare 22:25 - The Wedding People by Alison Espach (Mary) 25:51 - Drowning by T.J. Newman (Kaytee) 25:57 - Falling by T.J. Newman 26:02 - CR Season 5: Episode 41 30:12 - Deep Dive: How To Recommend Books Outside Your Wheelhouse 32:21 - A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman 32:23 - Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gayle Honeycutt 36:24 - This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel 36:30 - The Guncle by Steven Rowley 36:44 - Starter Villain by John Scalzi 36:46 - Dark Matter by Blake Crouch 36:52 - Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree 39:31 - What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty 39:55 - All The Lonely People by Mike Gayle 41:19 - Breathless by Amy McCulloch 41:43 - The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer 44:29 - Drowning by T.J. Newman 48:55 - Meet Us At The Fountain 48:59 - I wish people would give slow and steady reading a try. (Mary) 49:35 - Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon 51:30 - I wish everyone would keep a readerly profile. (Kaytee) Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. June's IPL comes to us from our anchor store Schuler Books in West Bloomfield, Michigan. All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the special insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!

The award-winning novel "The Guncle" has returned, reuniting us with our favorite characters five years after they spent the summer together. This time, however, they're going abroad.

This week on the podcast we have bestselling author Steven Rowley.  He has a new book out, title The Guncle Abroad and its the sequel to The Guncle.  Patrick is back to impart more of life wisdom to his niece and nephew as they grapple with their father's upcoming marriage. Author RecommendationsHello Beautiful by Ann NapolitanoCome and Get It by Kiley Reid

In Episode 169, Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books and I catch up on the 12 new releases from the Spring 2024 Book Preview. We share our reading stats, chat about what we liked, and what didn't quite hit the mark. Tune in to hear our thoughts on these books and get some recommendations for your next read!  This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog. Access the 2024 Summer Reading Guide Cheatsheet and Free Trial on Patreon here. Highlights Catherine describes spring as “disappointing and confusing” — Is 2024 a slow year for standout reads? Catherine's spring reading trend dips over the past three years. On the flip side, spring seems to be Sarah's reading season! This spring brought Sarah two 4.5-star books. One of Catherine's auto-buy authors no longer makes the cut. Sarah's wildcard selection missed the mark this season as well. Both Catherine and Sarah's top picks from the Preview didn't quite deliver. They name the best and worst books from their spring picks.⁠ Books We Read Before the Preview [6:20] Sarah's Picks The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza (April 2) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [6:27] Colton Gentry's Third Act by Jeff Zenter (April 30) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[9:19] Spring 2024 Book Preview [10:22] April Sarah's Pick The Wives by Simone Gorrindo (April 9) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [15:09] Catherine's Picks Christa Comes Out of Her Shell by Abbi Waxman (April 16) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:22] Honey by Victor Lodato (April 16) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [19:56] Real Americans by Rachel Khong (April 30) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [22:23] Other Books Mentioned Other People's Houses by Abbi Waxman [13:51] The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman [14:32] You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith [19:17] Maid by Stephanie Land [19:19] Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad [19:21] Know My Name by Chanel Miller [19:23] Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance [19:25] Educated by Tara Westover [19:26] Greenwood by Michael Christie [26:02] May Sarah's Picks The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley  (May 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[27:36]  The Wealth of Shadows by Graham Moore (May 21) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [34:49] Allow Me to Introduce Myself by Onyi Nwabineli  (May 28) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [42:11] Catherine's Picks The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean (May 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[30:58]  The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley (May 21) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[39:28] Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan (May 21) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [45:00]  Other Books Mentioned The Hunter's Daughter by Nicola Solvinic [33:17] The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore [39:26] The Guncle by Steven Rowley [39:37] Someday, Maybe by Onyi Nwabineli [42:25] Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan [47:05]

Jason and Brett talk to Steven Rowley (The Guncle Abroad) about sea cave adventures in Capri, Varla Jean Merman's rendition of "Ring Them Bells,"  the best Wang Chung song, and obviously: Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again and Grease 2.Steven Rowley is the bestselling author of five novels including, Lily and the Octopus, a Washington Post Notable Book; The Editor, an NPR Best Book of the Year; The Guncle, winner of the 22nd Thurber Prize for American Humor and Goodreads Choice Awards finalist for Novel of the Year; and The Celebrants. His fiction has been translated in twenty languages. He resides in Palm Springs, California.Truffle hunt in Rome: https://matteo-truffles.com/**BOOKS!** Check out the list of books discussed on each episode on our Bookshop page:https://bookshop.org/shop/gaysreading | By purchasing books through this Bookshop link, you can support both Gays Reading and an independent bookstore of your choice!Join our Patreon for exclusive bonus content! Purchase your Gays Reading podcast Merch! Follow us on Instagram @gaysreading | @bretts.book.stack | @jasonblitmanWhat are you reading? Send us an email or a voice memo at gaysreading@gmail.com

In a bonus episode of “Beyond the Next Chapter,” our host Whitney Clark talks to author Steven Rowley about his newest book “The Guncle Abroad.” It's the sequel to his hit novel “The Guncle” which was released in 2021. The sequel follows Patrick and his niece and nephew as their father gets married in Italy. Whitney talks to Stephen about how he mixes humor and heart, his own love story and what it's like to be an uncle in his real-life! 

The writer Steven Rowley is known for numerous novels: Lily and the Octopus; The Celebrants; The Editor; and The Guncle, which is about a gay man who finds his hands full when he takes in a niece and nephew he never expected to raise. Not only did that novel win the Thurber Prize — it's now the first installment in a series, with his latest novel, A Guncle Abroad, coming out on May 21, 2024. For this week's episode, I'm diving into the Sewers archives to revisit my 2016 interview with Steven. At that point, his debut novel Lily and the Octopus had just hit shelves. We spoke about how he'd spent a large chunk of his career disguising himself, writing rom-com scripts about heterosexual relationships. But there came a point when he decided to stop de-gaying his stories — and little did he know then just how much success that choice would bring him.We'll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that if you like The Sewers of Paris, you'll probably also enjoy my other projects. For example, my weekly livestreams on Twitch. This weekend we'll be continuing our watch-along for the musical episode of The Love Boat.Or you might want to check out my new podcast where we dive into the 90s TV series My So-Called Life, one episode at a time — it's available now wherever you listen to podcasts, just search for Matt's So-Cast Pod. And check out my videos, my book, my newsletter, and more at MattBaume.com.

You wouldn't think it a "defiant act" but in today's environment, it almost is. In a world where LGBTQ supportive material in schools is under attack comes a new book My Guncle and Me by author Jonathan Merritt. The book celebrates individuality and inclusivity, reminding young readers that they are unique, seen, and celebrated for who they are. The main character, Henry Higgleston struggles with being deemed an oddball by other kids at school. When his fabulous gay uncle arrives for a weekend with his French bulldog, Jimmy Chew, in tow, Guncle is on a mission to teach Henry that it's what makes us different that actually makes us special. Illustrated by Joanna Carillo and endorsed by New York Times bestselling authors Kate Bowler, Shauna Niequist, and Marianne Williamson, MY GUNCLE AND ME is a joyful story of self-acceptance and self-love that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt different. We have Jonathan with us today! He is an award-winning columnist and commentator on politics, spirituality, and culture. He is a contributing editor for The Week and has been featured on prominent national outlets including The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and CNN. Jonathan has authored four critically acclaimed books and was a ghostwriter on dozens of others, many of which became New York Times bestsellers. Jonathan is a proud biological Guncle to five little ones in Georgia and a proud adoptive Guncle to ten nephews and nieces in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, where he resides. With co-host Brody Levesque.

You wouldn't think it a "defiant act" but in today's environment, it almost is. In a world where LGBTQ supportive material in schools is under attack comes a new book My Guncle and Me by author Jonathan Merritt. The book celebrates individuality and inclusivity, reminding young readers that they are unique, seen, and celebrated for who they are. The main character, Henry Higgleston struggles with being deemed an oddball by other kids at school. When his fabulous gay uncle arrives for a weekend with his French bulldog, Jimmy Chew, in tow, Guncle is on a mission to teach Henry that it's what makes us different that actually makes us special. Illustrated by Joanna Carillo and endorsed by New York Times bestselling authors Kate Bowler, Shauna Niequist, and Marianne Williamson, MY GUNCLE AND ME is a joyful story of self-acceptance and self-love that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt different. We have Jonathan with us today! He is an award-winning columnist and commentator on politics, spirituality, and culture. He is a contributing editor for The Week and has been featured on prominent national outlets including The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and CNN. Jonathan has authored four critically acclaimed books and was a ghostwriter on dozens of others, many of which became New York Times bestsellers. Jonathan is a proud biological Guncle to five little ones in Georgia and a proud adoptive Guncle to ten nephews and nieces in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, where he resides. With co-host Brody Levesque.

Today's episode is the story of a guncle finding family and finding himself through the imagination-expanding power of relationships. Jonathan Merritt (he/him) is an award-winning columnist and commentator on politics, spirituality, and culture. He is a contributing editor for The Week and has been featured on prominent national outlets including The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and CNN. Jonathan has authored four critically-acclaimed books and has also served as a ghostwriter on dozens of others, many of which became New York Times bestsellers. Jonathan is a proud biological Guncle to five little ones in Georgia and a proud adoptive Guncle to ten nephews and nieces in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, where he resides.In today's episode, you'll hear Jonathan and I discuss: What a children's book about a Guncle can teach us about celebrating ourselves. Learning who we are in the midst of found familyEmbracing our differences not as liabilities but gifts Accepting limitations in relationships And the messy reality of loving across differences. You can get your copy of My Guncle and Me TODAY wherever books are sold. Follow Jonathan on the 'gram and Threads @jonathan_merritt. Read more of Jonathan's work on his website www.jonathanmerritt.comSupport the Show.

Queer Haven Books is a new shop whose mission is to provide a place of safety and refuge for the queer community in the South. Owner Baker Rogers joins me to discuss what inspired the shop and what's ahead for its future.Books We Talk About: The Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar, Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg, Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake, Less by Andrew Sean Greer, The Guncle by Steven Rowley, Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown, Polysecure and Polywise by Jessica FernCoaching Conversations in 2024In 2024 we're going to be going to monthly themes and I would also encourage you to...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

For Mother's Day 2024, we have two favorite interviews about mothers and mothering. The first is Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The new season of JLD's podcast Wiser Than Me is out now and includes interviews with Ina Garten, Billie Jean King and Patti Smith. The second interview is writer Connie Wang. Connie's new memoir about her life with her mother is Oh My Mother! A Memoir in Nine Adventures. Connie's interview was originally part of our 2023 Best Beach Bag Books episode. That show and other Best Beach Bag Books episode are available below, on all podcast apps and on our website. Listen to Best Beach Bag Books 2023 with interview with crime writer Dervla McTiernan: Listen to Best Beach Bag Books 2023 featuring Connie Wang Listen to Best Beach Bag Books 2021 featuring Christina Baker Kline, author of The Exiles and The Orphan Train  Listen to Best Beach Bag Books 2020 featuring Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks Listen to Best Beach Bag Books 2019 featuring Jennifer Weiner Listen to Best Beach Bag Books 2018 featuring Jenna Blum Listen to Steven Rowley, author of the heartfelt and hilarious The Guncle, soon to be major motion picture! Thank you to our sponsors and to you for supporting them by using these special urls and codes: Prose https://prose.com/sisters Framebridge https://framebridge.com Butcher Box https://butcherbox.com/sisters Use code sisters at checkout Osea https://oseamalibu.com Use code satsisters at checkout  New 2024 Satellite Sisters episodes to download: Fitness and Aging with guest Liz Neporent. 3/12/24 Colon Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment and Lessons Learned. 3/19/24 Women's Wellness Through Transitions like Menopause with MEA 3/26/24 Information about MEA Workshop Lian is attending in June: A Lifetime of Women's Wellness: Thriving Through Transitions with Dr. Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz The Marriage Sabbatical Pub Day Book Talk by Lian Dolan. No spoilers! 4/2/24 Lian Dolan's books: For information on Lian's novels, including The Marriage Sabbatical, her latest book out now, please visit liandolan.com Join our community: Facebook Page, Facebook Group and on Instagram and Twitter @satsisters. Visit the Satellite Sisters website here: https://satellitesisters.com Visit + subscribe to the Satellite Sisters YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@satellitesisters7265 Shop the Satellite Sisters store here: https://satellite-sisters-shop-5893.myshopify.com/collections/all Email Satellite Sisters at hello@satellitesisters.com. Follow Lian Dolan on @instagram @liandolan Follow Liz Dolan on @instagram @satellitesisterliz Follow Julie Dolan on @instagram @julieoldestsister Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Currently Reading, Meredith and Kaytee are discussing: Bookish Moments: our children reading to the elderly and finally talking to authors Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: Boss My TBR for two bookish friends The Fountain: we visit our perfect fountain to make wishes about our reading lives Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site) .  .  .  .  .  1:42 - Our Bookish Moments of the Week 4:47 - All The Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby 5:30 - What the Dead Know by Barbara Butcher 6:09 - An Unlikely Story 8:34 - Currently Reading Patreon 9:01 - Our Current Reads 9:06 - Right at Home by Bobby Berk (Kaytee) 12:10 - Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz (Meredith) 16:54 - That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming (Kaytee) 20:13 - That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf by Kimberly Lemming  21:03 - The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo (Meredith) 26:01 - Game Changer by Neal Shusterman (Kaytee) 26:05 - Scythe by Neal Shusterman 28:45 - 11/22/63 by Stephen King 28:49 - A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'engle 32:12 - Reef Road by Deborah Goodrich Royce (Meredith) 34:15 - 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard 37:12 - Deep Dive: Boss My TBR From Becca K. 39:18 - Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman (Arc of a Scythe #2) 39:24 - Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros (The Empyrean #2) 39:30 - Us Against You by Fredrik Backman (Beartown #2) 39:36 - Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi (Legacy of Orisha #2) 39:43 - The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan (The Royal We #2) 39:57 - Scythe by Neal Shusterman 39:58 - Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros 39:59 - Beartown by Fredrik Backman 40:00 - The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan 40:37 - The Winners by Fredrick Backman From Rachel M. 43:45 - Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher 43:49 - Look Closer by David Ellis 43:52 - The7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton 43:57 - The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez 44:01 - The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James 48:23 - Meet Us At The Fountain 48:30 - I wish to press The Guncle into your hands. (Kaytee) 48:45 - The Guncle by Steven Rowley 48:50 - The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley 51:12 - I wish when I am reading a book with a good “house” sense of place, I could go to that place and see, smell, touch, and hear all about it. (Meredith) Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. April's IPL comes to us from A Room Of One's Own in Madison Wisconsin! Trope Thursday with Kaytee and Bunmi - a behind the scenes peek into the publishing industry All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the special insights of an independent bookseller The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!

This week, Kat is joined by the amazing Jonathan Merritt, who is about to release his first children's book, My Guncle And Me. Jonathan is an award-winning columnist and commentator on politics, spirituality, and culture. He is a contributing editor for The Week and has been featured on prominent national outlets including The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and CNN. He is also a profoundly kind, caring, and inspiring soul who helped create a space for a conversation about safety, love, & inclusivity. Listen to this episode to hear about what Jonathan calls the difference between "A Thing" and "A Version of a Thing" and learn how he went from experiencing a malicious public outing to feeling more loved & celebrated for who he is than ever before.  Click HERE to see the new merch! Follow Kat on Instagram: @Kat.Defatta Follow the podcast Instagram: @YouNeedTherapyPodcast Have a question, concern, guest idea, something else? Reach Kat at: Kathryn@youneedtherapyodcast.com Heard about Three Cords Therapy but don't know what it is? Click here!   Produced by: @HoustonTilleySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the final episode of our first-ever Libro.fm Podcast Extravaganza, we interview author Steven Rowley. We discuss "The Guncle" and its sequel, themes of grief and humor in his books, his experience narrating his own audiobooks, and more. The episode concludes with the hosts discussing plans for Independent Bookstore Day. Photo credit: Afonso Salcedo READ TRANSCRIPT Use promo code: SWITCH when signing up for a new Libro.fm membership to get 2 extra free credits to use on any audiobooks. About Steven Rowley: Steven Rowley is the New York Times bestselling author of Lily and the Octopus, a Washington Post Notable Book of 2016, The Editor, named by NPR as one of the Best Books of 2019, The Guncle, a Goodreads Choice Awards finalist for 2021 Novel of the Year and winner of the 22nd Thurber Prize for American Humor, and The Celebrants, a TODAY Show Read With Jenna Book Club pick. His fiction has been published in twenty languages. All of his books are in development for feature film or television adaptation. Read Steven's books: The Guncle The Guncle Abroad The Celebrants Lily and the Octopus The Editor Books discussed on today's episode: Weetzie Bat by Francesca Block

Author and award-winning columnist Jonathan Merritt joins Paul and April to discuss his journey from being publicly outed to being proudly out and his new children's book My Guncle and Me. He also talks about his own faith, his relationship with his pastor parents and his inspiration to write My Guncle and Me. Buy the book: www.myguncleandme.com Connect with Jonathan's work. www.jonathanmerritt.com Follow Jonathan: @JonathanMerritt Stay connected or support us by visiting our website: evangelicalish.com Follow the Evangelicalish team on Tiktok, IG, FB & X: @evangelicalish, @aprilajoy @unconventionalpastorpaul,

Welcome to the Spring 2024 Book Preview with Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books!   In this episode, Catherine and I share 12 of our most anticipated books releasing in April and May.   This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). Announcement One of the many benefits to joining our Patreon Community is that you get access to several bonus podcast episode series, including Book Preview Extras! In these episodes, Catherine and I share at least 4 bonus books we are excited about that we did not share in the big show preview episode. Get more details about all the goodies available to all patrons (Stars and Superstars) and sign up here! Highlights Catherine is fully embracing spring with some lighter, fun reading. Sarah is joining the fun with lighter reads as she preps for the Summer Reading Guide. Among weddings, homecomings, and books set in Washington State, Catherine is bringing 5 out of 6 familiar authors. With some atypical stories, Sarah has some with historical fiction elements and a nonfiction book. Sarah's choices feature 2 debuts and 3 returning authors. Hopefully going for a tamer wildcard pick will work out for Sarah this season. Sarah has read and liked 2 of her chosen books, and has also started one of Catherine's picks! And don't forget to catch their top #1 picks for the spring season! Spring 2024 Book Preview [3:52] April Sarah's Picks The Wives by Simone Gorrindo (April 9) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [4:54] The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza (April 2) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [11:10] Colton Gentry's Third Act by Jeff Zenter (April 30) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[19:51] Catherine's Picks Christa Comes Out of Her Shell by Abbi Waxman (April 16) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [8:54] Honey by Victor Lodato (April 16) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [17:08] Real Americans by Rachel Khong (April 30) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [24:45] Other Books Mentioned The Wanderers by Meg Howrey [7:16] You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith [8:10] Maid by Stephanie Land [8:13] Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad [8:17] Know My Name by Chanel Miller [8:20] Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance [8:22] Educated by Tara Westover [8:24] Other People's Houses by Abbi Waxman [10:37] We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza [13:53] Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win by Jo Piazza [14:01] Edgar and Lucy by Victor Lodato [17:17] All This Could Be Yours by Jami Attenberg [19:14] The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner [20:16] Normal People by Sally Rooney [22:36] Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong [24:55] May Sarah's Picks The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley  (May 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[29:20]  The Wealth of Shadows by Graham Moore (May 21) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [36:13] Allow Me to Introduce Myself by Onyi Nwabineli  (May 28) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [42:05] Catherine's Picks The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean (May 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[33:00]  The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley (May 21) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[39:12] Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan (May 21) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [45:31]  Other Books Mentioned Outlander by Diana Gabaldon [32:03] The Holdout by Graham Moore [36:22] The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin [36:59] The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore [37:39] The Guncle by Steven Rowley [39:36] The Editor by Steven Rowley [41:45] Someday, Maybe by Onyi Nwabineli [42:12] The Buccaneers by Edith Wharton [46:28] Other Books Mentioned Say Hello to My Little Friend by Jennine Capó Crucet [3:39] About Catherine Gilmore Blog | Facebook | Instagram | X  (formerly Twitter) Catherine started The Gilmore Guide to Booksover 10 years ago after wrapping up a career as a corporate librarian. She loves books and reading (surprise!) and currently lives in Seattle, WA.

LGBTQ-affirming therapist Chris Tompkins clearly remembers knowing by the age of six that he was gay. So when he was told that his six-year-old nephew was "not old enough" to understand that he had a gay uncle, it started Chris down a path that ultimately led to him a writing a book titled "Raising LGBTQ Allies: A Parent's Guide to Changing the Messages from the Playground." Chris describes how his religious upbringing made him genuinely believe that if he put all his energy into becoming "the best Christian," he could eventually make himself straight (spoiler alert: he couldn't). A natural storyteller, Chris details several close calls he had during his study abroad in Italy ("I feel like I was trying to come out"), and shares the beautiful story of how he eventually met his first boyfriend through a series of random-but-fateful events. Plus, Chris's record-breaking tour where he came out to a whopping seven family members during a single visit home!Follow Chris on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook at @aroadtriptolove, and check out his website, aroadtriptolove.com, for info on his book, his work, and much more!

Chicago artists Ryan Hake and Lizzy Mosher join Jagbags for an outstanding discussion of the best books we all read in 2023. They are not necessarily books published in 2023, but rather books we discovered and books we loved. We also discuss other book-related topics (such as the authors we would most like to have dinner with) in a stimulating 90 minute podcast. JOIN US for ultimate literature back and forth! Put some Jagbags in your ear!

This week we dive into some more gay news, David texts the real Paw Patrol for his son, we rate the top 3 things we're doing to make our kids cool, and this week we are honored to be joined by author Steven Rowley where we talk all things Palm Springs, all things (g)uncling, and why the most interesting thing at the Zoo isn't the meatball launcher.Questions? Comments? Rants? Raves? Send them to GaytriarchsPodcast@gmail.com, or you can DM us anywhere @GaytriarchsPodcast

While New York Times bestselling author Steven Rowley writes about life and love with heart and humor in his novels, his own real life romance is one for the books. Rowley joins Jenna Bush Hager to talk about his novel “The Celebrants,” a recent Read with Jenna pick, and why he believes all parts of life — the happy, the sad, the messy and the beautiful — are worth celebrating. The two are joined by Rowley's husband and author of “Big Gay Wedding”,  Byron Lane. They discuss the couple's beautiful love story, one as romantic and inspiring as the stories you'll find in the pages of their books, and navigating life's highs and lows together, including Lane's cancer battle and the recent release of their latest novels. Follow the ‘Read with Jenna' podcast now to hear new episodes every week. And the fun doesn't stop here! Want to join our Read with Jenna community of book lovers? You can find our monthly book list and sign up for our newsletter here: TODAY.com/ReadwithJenna You can also find us on Instagram on @ReadwithJenna

The Guncle took me by surprise and I profess my love for Jermaine Dupri's Life In 1472.

This summer, viewers tuned into The Today Show to find NY Times Best Selling author Steven Rowley enjoying his chat about his latest novel, The Celebrants, as an official Today Show Read with Jenna Book Club pick. As part of his mega book tour that took over a month, he was in the spotlight as never before, having earned his way with his previous novels, Lily and the Octopus, The Editor, and The Guncle, each earning a number of accolades from critics and readers alike. Not a bad start for having published his first book at the age of 45. Each novel is masterfully crafted, with the inclusion of queer characters so perfectly woven into the story, the books are not limited to the LGBTQ community but rather appeal to all audiences while telling our stories.In this episode, we chat about his early writing as a kid, the critic and audience appeal of his work, healing through grief, aging in the gay community, life after death, his creative process in developing his characters, his marriage with fellow writer Byron Lane, the power of friendship, touring the nation, the future of The Guncle, his message to the LGBTQ community, and so much more. Girl, we get deep! Hosted by Alexander Rodriguez. You can follow Steven on Instagram at @MrStevenRowley and check out our in-depth chat with him in the current issue of Metrosource on newsstands or at Metrosource.com

This week, we're speaking with Steven Rowley, bestselling author of four novels including THE GUNCLE, finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor, & THE CELEBRANTS.  The Celebrants is a moving tale about the false invincibility of youth, and all the beautiful ways in which friendship helps us celebrate our lives, even amid the deepest challenges of living. https://www.stevenrowley.com/the-celebrants 

Anytime I host Steven Rowley there's plenty to celebrate and this episode is no different! We celebrate Steven's magical year: winning the 2022 Thurber Prize for American Humor for The Guncle, being a Read With Jenna Pick, once again making it onto the NYT bestseller list (this time for The Celebrants), and sharing a publication … Continue reading E126: Interview with Steven Rowley author of The Celebrants →

On this week's episode of Currently Reading, Meredith and Kaytee are joined by special guest Jaysen Headley, and are discussing: Bookish Moments: sick reading, a surprise book from an author, and breaking other people's reading Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: we talk all things Ezeekat and get to know the man behind the accounts The Fountain: we visit our perfect fountain to make wishes about our reading lives As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down!  We are now including transcripts of the episode (this link only works on the main site). The goal here is to increase accessibility for our fans! *Please note that all book titles linked below are Bookshop affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. If you'd prefer to shop on Amazon, you can still do so here through our main storefront. Anything you buy there (even your laundry detergent, if you recently got obsessed with switching up your laundry game) kicks a small amount back to us. Thanks for your support!*   . . . . It's time to send in your listener presses!  Make a voice memo on your phone. Tell us your name, where you're from and the title and author of the book you'd like to press. Use the phrase “Here's the setup” and tell us why you love it! Please keep it under 3 minutes. Email us your voice memo at currentlyreadingpodcast@gmail.com with “Listener Press” as the subject. DEADLINE JUNE 22 1:48 - Jaysen Headley (Ezeekat) on Instagram, TikTok, Youtube, Twitter and Twitch 3:24 - Bookish Moment of the Week 6:08 - The Spells We Cast by Jason June (Pre-order amazon link) 7:43 - Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros 8:44  - Current Reads 9:04 - Garlic and the Vampire by Bree Paulson (Kaytee) 11:05 - Garlic and the Witch by Bree Paulson 12:00 - Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (Jaysen) 15:56 - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 18:14 - Happy Place by Emily Henry 19:57 - The Whispers by Ashley Audrain (Meredith) 20:04 - The Push by Ashley Audrain 22:03 - Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty 23:58 - The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty 24:57 - The Celebrants by Steven Rowley (Kaytee) 28:26 - The Guncle by Steven Rowley  28:55 - Ander & Santi Were Here by Johnny Garza Villa (Jaysen) 29:16 - Babel by R.F. Kuang 32:52 - The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab 33:28 - Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree 35:14 - Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati (Meredith) 35:36 - Fabled Bookshop 35:42 - Sarah's Bookshelves 38:49 - Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes 39:56 - Deep Dive: All Things Jason Headly AKA Ezeekat 43:02 - Jaysen on BookTok 43:03 - Jaysen on Instagram 43:35 - Jaysen on Twitch 46:15 - Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief 46:16 - Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters 46:20 - Ander & Santi Were Here by Johnny Garza Villa  46:46 - Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin 47:34 - Legendborn by Tracy Deonn 47:35 - Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn 49:41 - Still Life (Three Pines #1) by Louise Penny 55:33 - Jaysen on Patreon 56:57 - My Shelfie game 57:11 - Ex Libris game 57:23 - Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective 58:06 - Artisans of Splendent Vale game 58:55 - Meet Us At The Fountain 59:12 - I wish everyone would read A Psalm for the Wild Built (Kaytee) 59:12 - A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers 59:23 - Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros 1:00:24 - A Prayer for the Crown Shy by Becky Chambers 1:00:51 - I wish Booknet Fest is successful and all goes well! (Jaysen) 1:02:14 - Scythe by Neal Shusterman 102:38 - Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman 1:02:40 - The Toll by Neal Shusterman 1:02:46 - Gleaning by Neal Shusterman 1:03:57 - Fairyloot 1:04:25 - My wish is that you follow Jaysen everywhere! (Meredith) Jaysen Headley (Ezeekat) on Instagram, TikTok, Youtube, Twitter and Twitch 1:04:52 - CR Season 5: Episode 39 Connect With Us: Meredith is @meredith.reads on Instagram Kaytee is @notesonbookmarks on Instagram Mary is @maryreadsandsips on Instagram Roxanna is @roxannathereader on Instagram currentlyreadingpodcast.com @currentlyreadingpodcast on Instagram currentlyreadingpodcast@gmail.com Support us at patreon.com/currentlyreadingpodcast and www.zazzle.com/store/currentlyreading

REPLAY FROM JUNE 2021: The Satellite Sisters interview Steven Rowley, author of the heartfelt and hilarious The Guncle . May 30 is publication day for Steven's latest The Celebrants, described at "Big Chill for our times." Previously bestsellers were Lily and the Octopus and The Editor. We recommend them all. Lian Dolan announced a new Sweeney Sisters contest this episode originally. That contest has expired but feel free to check out Lian's newest book in paperback: Lost and Found In Paris. Best Beach Bag Book List 2023: You can see and buy all the 2023 books here. https://bookshop.org/lists/satellite-sisters-best-beach-bag-books-2023 Click on links below to find our book lists at bookshop.org:  Best Beach Bag Books 2023  Best Beach Bag Books 2022 Best Beach Bag Books 2021 Best Beach Bag Books 20 Satellite Sisters Big Fun Weekend Info and Ticket Sales here: https://satellitesisters.com/big-fun-weekend/ Register for the special Big Fun Weekend Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/3047128742249872 Sign up for our weekly newsletter PEP TALK here: https://conta.cc/2OxTnog Go to the Satellite Sisters website here: https://satellitesisters.com SHOP the Satellite Sisters Shop here: https://www.cafepress.com/satellitesi... Subscribe to the Satellite Sisters YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVkl... JOIN OUR COMMUNITY: -  Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/SatelliteSis... Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/satel... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/satsisters/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/SatSisters -  Email: hello@satellitesisters.com Lian Dolan on Instagram @liandolan: https://www.instagram.com/liandolan/ Liz Dolan on Instagram @satellitesisterliz: https://www.instagram.com/satellitesi... Julie Dolan on @Instagram @julieoldesister https://www.instagram.com/julieoldestsister/ Freak Accident Watch: Did that guy off Cape Cod REALLY get swallowed by a whale and spit back out? Liz checks it out. Want to get ready for the Olympics?? Start by watching the Track & Field Olympic Trials on NBC. June 18 - 27. Making Team USA can be harder than actually winning a medal in Tokyo, and here are some athletes to watch. Liz's favorites (and their instagrams) among the women are Allison Felix , Sha'Carri Richardson, Dalilah Muhammed, Sydney McLaughlin and Vashti Cunningham. Did you enjoy Escape to the Chateau on TV? Then you might love yourcheapdreammansion on @Instagram. Visit the website Satellite Sisters: A Pep Talk For Modern Women Subscribe to our newsletter Pep Talk here. For more info on Lian Dolan's novels,  visit her website here. For all of our booklists at Bookshop.org, go to www.bookshop.org/shop/liandolan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Catherine (Gilmore Guide to Books) and I revisit the 12 books released in April and May featured in the Spring 2023 Book Preview.  We give updates on our reading stats, share our thoughts on the books we've read or attempted, and offer recommendations on which ones deserve a spot on your reading list and which ones you might want to skip. This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). Announcement In addition to my annual 2023 Summer Reading Guide, I'm once again offering Superstars Patrons ($7/mo) exclusive access to Summer Shelves, featuring even more recommendations for the season. Summer Shelves features BACKLIST summer reading recommendations from 17 former podcast guests, our team members, and — for the first time — 20+ Superstars patrons! The Summer Shelves design is clean, crisp, and unique and you'll receive it in a PDF file format via Patreon. If you'd like to get the Summer Shelves companion guide, you can sign up to be a Superstars patron here. You'll also get access to a monthly bonus podcast series called Double Booked (where Catherine or Susie and I share our own book recommendations in the same format as the big show) and my Rock Your Reading Tracker. Highlights Catherine and Sarah share their Spring 2023 reading stats and success rates. How these stats compare to springs of previous years. Even more book talk, since Catherine has read several of Sarah's picks, too! Sarah shares something that's never happened before on the podcast! Plus, they name their best and worst books from the Spring 2023 Book Preview. Books Read Before the Preview [6:03] Sarah's Picks: Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb (April 18) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [6:31] Late Bloomers by Deepa Varadarajan (May 2) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[10:16]  Other Books Mentioned: The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb [7:37] Spring 2023 Circle Back [13:27] April Sarah's Picks: The One by Julia Argy (April 18) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [17:03] The Fitful Sleep of Immigrants by Orlando Ortega-Medina (April 18) | Amazon| Bookshop.org [25:43] If We're Being Honest by Cat Shook (April 18) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[32:55] Catherine's Picks: Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal (April 18) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [13:31] The Skin and Its Girl by Sarah Cypher (April 25) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[22:57]  Searching for Savanna by Mona Gable (April 25) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[28:14]  Other Books Mentioned: Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal [16:22] The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal [16:28] May Sarah's Picks: The Marriage Act by John Marrs (May 2) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [44:16] Catherine's Picks: The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese (May 2) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [37:39] Dances by Nicole Cuffy (May 16) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [41:03] The Celebrants by Steven Rowley (May 30) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [51:14]  Other Books Mentioned: The One by John Marrs [44:35]  The Passengers by John Marrs [46:32] The Guncle by Steven Rowley [53:21] The Editor by Steven Rowley [53:42]

Does Jason like to be called "guncle"? Andrew Rannells says no. More "Spidey and his Amazing Friends" is on the way; Alexis (and other parents) rejoice! The new season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 8 premiered; we shared our thoughts. And a fun game of Would You Rather with our friend Liz who we met through Friends & Co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of Currently Reading, Meredith and Kaytee are discussing: Bookish Moments: a mom win via a bookish fail, and fielding reader retreat questions Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: we both got a bit of education this week learning about publishers versus imprints and discussing our favorites The Fountain: we visit our perfect fountain to make wishes about our reading lives As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down!  We are now including transcripts of the episode (this link only works on the main site). The goal here is to increase accessibility for our fans! *Please note that all book titles linked below are Bookshop affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. If you'd prefer to shop on Amazon, you can still do so here through our main storefront. Anything you buy there (even your laundry detergent, if you recently got obsessed with switching up your laundry game) kicks a small amount back to us. Thanks for your support!*   . . . . 1:36 - Bookish Moment of the Week 6:16 - Current Reads 6:20 -  The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas (Kaytee) 6:25 - The Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas 8:28 - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 8:55 - Jaysen Headley aka EzeeKat on Instagram 10:12 - The Senator's Wife by Liv Constantine (Meredith) 12:00 - The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine 14:13 - Dele Weds Destiny by Tomi Obaro (Kaytee) 17:27 - The Twist of A Knife by Anthony Horowitz (Meredith) 18:33 - The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz 19:24 - Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz 21:38 - The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka (Kaytee) 22:55 - Garcia Street Books 23:15 - The Booker Prize 23:32 - Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders 24:51 - The Original by Branden Sanderson and Mary Robinette Kowal (Meredith, audible link) 25:32 - Scribd 29:22 - Publishing Houses and Imprints 30:17 - Flatiron Books 30:18 - Riverhead Books 30:19 - Tor Books 30:20 - Atria Books 30:22 - Balzer + Bray on Instagram  30:44 - Penguin Random House 30:45 - MacMillan 30:46 - Hachette Book Group 32:29 - Sarah's Bookshelves Live 32:25 - Minotaur Books 35:03 - Blackstone Publishing 35:36 - The Guncle by Steven Rowley  36:16 - Simon & Schuster 36:19 - HarperCollins 37:21 - St. Martin's Press 37:22 - Berkley Books  37:24 - Harlequin Books 39:18 - Legend and Lattes by Travis Baldree 40:16 - Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers 42:27 - Meet Us At The Fountain 42:35 - I wish for everyone to follow Jaysen Headley @ezeekat on socials and reach out to him about coming on the podcast! (Kaytee) 42:37 - Jaysen Headley aka EzeeKat on Instagram 44:10 - I wish everyone would read Bird Box, a great summer read by Josh Malerman (Meredith) 44:10 - Bird Box by Josh Malerman 45:23 - Daphne by Josh Malerman Connect With Us: Meredith is @meredith.reads on Instagram Kaytee is @notesonbookmarks on Instagram Mary is @maryreadsandsips on Instagram Roxanna is @roxannatheplanner on Instagram currentlyreadingpodcast.com @currentlyreadingpodcast on Instagram currentlyreadingpodcast@gmail.com Support us at patreon.com/currentlyreadingpodcast and www.zazzle.com/store/currentlyreading

Welcome to the Spring 2023 Book Preview with Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books!   In this episode, Catherine and I share 12 of our most anticipated books releasing in April and May.   This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). Announcement I've got BIG NEWS!  If you've been interested in joining our Patreon Community, but have yet to sign up — a 30-day free trial starts today!  This is for new patrons only and sign-up continues for the next 7 days.  Hurry and check out my Patreon page for more information! One of the many benefits to joining our Patreon Community is that you get access to several bonus podcast episode series, including Book Preview Extras! In these episodes, Catherine and I share at least 4 bonus books we are excited about that we did not share in the big show preview episode. Get more details about all the goodies available to all patrons (Stars and Superstars) and sign up here! Highlights We have some debut authors and a few sophomore novels — one 14 years in the making! Catherine's picks are still leaning more literary, including getting herself into a 700+ page book! Sarah's spring has a variety of genres and micro genres. Two books Sarah has already read and loved from spring selections. Plus, their #1 picks for spring. Spring 2023 Book Preview [5:19] April Sarah's Picks: The One by Julia Argy (April 18) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [8:01] Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb (April 18) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [14:00] The Fitful Sleep of Immigrants by Orlando Ortega-Medina (April 18) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [22:08] If We're Being Honest by Cat Shook (April 18) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [26:00] Catherine's Picks: Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal (April 18) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:43] The Skin and Its Girl by Sarah Cypher (April 25) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [18:48]  Searching for Savanna by Mona Gable (April 25) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [24:08]  May Sarah's Picks: Late Bloomers by Deepa Varadarajan (May 2) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [32:35]  The Marriage Act by John Marrs (May 2) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [39:22] Catherine's Picks: The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese (May 2) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [28:52] Dances by Nicole Cuffy (May 16) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [36:56] The Celebrants by Steven Rowley (May 30) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [44:16]  Other Books Mentioned The One by John Marrs [8:32]  One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London [10:17] The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun [10:27] Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal [10:59] The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal [12:52] The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb [14:32] The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris [21:46] All That Is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay [22:17] Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann [25:25] Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid [27:14] This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper [28:14] Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese [30:59] A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara [31:48] Watergate by Garrett M. Graff [31:58] Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner [34:23] The Passengers by John Marrs [41:19] Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell [43:17] The Guncle by Steven Rowley [46:18] The Editor by Steven Rowley [46:32]

Steven Rowley, bestselling author of The Guncle, joins Liz and Lisa so they can freak out together about their upcoming publication dates! He shares his story (every author has one!) about the highs and lows of his own experiences as well as his best advice for how to handle the stress and lack of control around having a book come out. And Liz and Lisa reveal that even though they know better, their inner control freaks are beginning to rear their ugly heads as July 11th, the publication date of their eighth novel, Forever Hold Your Peace, nears. You won't want to miss this one. Have a comment? A question? Something you'd like to know about the publishing industry? Email Liz & Lisa at Liz@lizandlisa.com and put PODCAST in the subject line.

On this week's episode of Currently Reading, Kaytee and Meredith are discussing: Bookish Moments: a new reading habit and protecting a reading life Current Reads: books that are joyful (one of us really needed it) and a strange twin theme! Deep Dive: seasoned protagonists, who are they are which are our favorites The Fountain: we visit our perfect fountain to make wishes about our reading lives As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down!  We are now including transcripts of the episode (this link only works on the main site). The goal here is to increase accessibility for our fans! *Please note that all book titles linked below are Bookshop affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. If you'd prefer to shop on Amazon, you can still do so here through our main storefront. Anything you buy there (even your laundry detergent, if you recently got obsessed with switching up your laundry game) kicks a small amount back to us. Thanks for your support!*   . . . . 1:46 - Currently Reading Patreon 4:37 - Bookish Moment of the Week 5:54 - Pangobooks 13:28 - Current Reads 13:50 - The Twin Paradox by Charles Wachter (Meredith) 18:13 - Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi  18:15 - Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton 19:11 - Honey and Spice by Bolu Babalola (Kaytee) 19:21 - Love in Color by Bolu Babalola 10:36 - The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon 21:35 - Libro.fm 22:34 - Little Darlings by Melanie Golding (Meredith) 22:40 - The Hidden by Melanie Golding 28:57 - Hoopla 29:28 - In Her Boots by KJ Dell'antoia (Kaytee) 32:48 - Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (Meredith) 33:27 - Piranesi by Susanna Clarke 36:59 - Great Expectations by Charles Dickens 41:04 - The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain (Kaytee) 42:19 - A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman 42:21 - All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle 42:23 - The Guncle by Steven Rowley  42:43 - One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston 43:58 - Deep Dive: Seasoned Protagonists in our Reading 48:27 - The Old Woman with the Knife by Gu Byeong-Mo 49:10 - Cafe Con Libros 49:28 - An Elderly Lady Is Up To No Good by Helene Tursten 50:18 - Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn 50:39 - The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman 50:49 - The Bullet that Missed by Richard Osman 53:39 - Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death (#1 in the series) by M.C. Beaton 54:00 - The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax (#1 in the series) by Dorothy Gilman 54:48 - A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman 54:49 - All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle 54:50 - The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain 55:08 - The Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory 55:21 - The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg 55:26 - Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson 55:43 - The Confession Club by Elizabeth Berg 56:42 - Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf 57:35 - The Son by Philipp Meyer 57:51 - The Shell Seekers by Rosamund Pilcher 58:53 - Meet Us At The Fountain I wish that everyone would read Rewind by Catherine Ryan Howard. (Meredith) 59:23 - Rewind by Catherine Ryan Howard 59:33 - The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard 59:42 - Fabled Bookshop 1:00:54 - Run Time by Catherine Ryan Howard I wish that if a book is part of a series, the number is always on the spine or cover. (Kaytee) 1:01:29 - Spirit Hunters: The Island of Monsters by Ellen Oh 1:02:04 - Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh Connect With Us: Meredith is @meredith.reads on Instagram Kaytee is @notesonbookmarks on Instagram Mindy is @gratefulforgrace on Instagram Mary is @maryreadsandsips on Instagram Roxanna is @roxannatheplanner on Instagram currentlyreadingpodcast.com @currentlyreadingpodcast on Instagram currentlyreadingpodcast@gmail.com Support us at patreon.com/currentlyreadingpodcast and www.zazzle.com/store/currentlyreading