About the show
Starting in 2020, we're now releasing two episodes a month! The first episode releases on the 15th and is a chat of what we're currently reading and a general bookish discussion topic. The 2nd episode releases on the 30th and is our monthly book club discussion. We announce the following month's book pick at the end of the episode so you can read along with us. (Our older episodes follow this same format, but were combined into one longer episode a month.)
We also have special author interview episodes sprinkled throughout the year, so make sure to subscribe in your favorite podcast app so you never miss out!
If you'd like join in on the bookish discussion through social media, our hashtag is #EclecticReaders and you can find us at:
Twitter: @EclecticReadPod
Litsy: @EclecticReaders
Instagram: @EclecticReaders
Goodreads: Eclectic Readers
The History of Eclectic Readers
The Eclectic Readers started in 2009 as an IRL book club. In 2015, four of us in the book club thought we'd give podcasting a try and have been going strong ever since! In each monthly book club episode, we base our book choice on that month's IRL book club pick.
Eclectic Readers on social media
Episodes
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Episode 58: Good Omens: I Will Do A Seance For That
February 15th, 2019 | 1 hr 10 mins
Susan, Tara, and Meredith talk about the ineffable. But before that they discuss books that have been co-authored. Have they really not read that many? And the most important question: Who would they love to see team up on a book. Then, they go into the ineffable event of the apocalypse.
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Episode 57: Educated: Let Me Get My Serious Face On
January 15th, 2019 | 1 hr 14 mins
All four ladies are here to set their 2019 reading resolutions and to look back on how they did with their 2018 ones. Then they discuss the life of Tara Westover as told in her memoir “Educated.”
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Episode 56: The Drunken Botanist: Fantastic Booze and Where to Find Them
December 15th, 2018 | 1 hr 13 mins
amy stewart, drunken botanist, nonfiction, reference
ALL FOUR OF US are here to review the year and pick our favorite books and episode discussions! We talk The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart - the facts we found intoxicating and the drinks we found tempting. Meredith also has gift discounts, Jeannette goes sleuthing, Tara shares her travels, and Susan sneaks new books between rereads! Last but not least, we’ve got a new Readathon coming at you (with a prize!)!
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Episode 55: The Fifth Season: Are They Robots?
November 15th, 2018 | 1 hr 14 mins
fantasy, female protagonist, fifth season, nk jemisen, poc
Jeannette and Meredith are taking a stab at National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and talk about their experiences so far while Susan cheers them on, and then they discuss the earth-shattering Fantasy The Fifth Season in which the world is ending...again.
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Episode 54: Special interview: V. E. Schwab
October 31st, 2018 | 32 mins 49 secs
author interview, v.e. schwab, vengeful, vicious
Jeannette and Meredith sat down with Victoria Schwab to discuss everything from her writing process, to morally gray characters, monsters, comics, and... The Princess Bride! Whether you’re already a fan of her books or new to her work, you’ll get something out of this interview. (Plus, it’s spoiler-free, so listen away!)
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Episode 53: The Round House: All the Silver Badges
October 15th, 2018 | 1 hr 19 mins
fiction, louise erdrich, national book award winner, native american, round house, trigger warning
TRIGGER WARNING: Rape, Violence Against Women. Tara, Meredith, and Susan meet to talk about award-winning books. Does it matter? Do they care? Are award winning books reflective of the current culture? Then they discuss The Round House; not just about the terrible event, but how the government had affected their society and their sense of justice.
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Episode 52: The Bear and the Nightingale: Two Rants for the Price of One
September 15th, 2018 | 1 hr 14 mins
book to movie, fantasy, female protagonist, katherine arden, russian folklore, the bear and the nightingale
Susan loves Crazy Rich Asians, so we had to discuss film adaptations! Are they ever better than the book? Jeannette and Meredith may have Feelings about this. Then we talk The Bear and the Nightingale, Vasya’s house elves, and country bumpkins who end up in cities.
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Episode 51: America's First Daughter: Foiled Again!
August 15th, 2018 | 1 hr 6 mins
america's first daughter, historical fiction, laura kamoie, patsy jefferson, stephanie dray, thomas jefferson
School is back in session! Tara, Susan, and Jeannette talk about prepping for the school year, Harry’s 20th (31st) Birthday, and the American Revolution. Listen in as they talk about their fav Harry memories and whether Jefferson was kind of… you know… a manipulative $#!
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Episode 50: A Man Called Ove: Is Curmudgeon a Lifestyle Choice?
July 15th, 2018 | 1 hr 15 mins
a man called ove, curmudgeon, fredrik backman, translated books
Susan, Jeannette, and Meredith look into translated books and what makes it a good translation or not. Then they bring out their inner curmudgeon as they discuss A Man Called Ove.
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Episode 49: A Discovery of Witches: I’m a Little Sassy This Morning
June 15th, 2018 | 1 hr 4 mins
a discovery of witches, deborah harkness, eclectic readathon, fantasy, rereads, urban fantasy, vampires, witches
Meredith, Jeannette, and Tara talk all about re-reads and what goes into their decision to re-read a book. Then they get sassy while discussing A Discovery of Witches and wish they had a house as cool as the Bishop’s
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Episode 48: The Last Black Unicorn: I Listened With My Eyes
May 15th, 2018 | 1 hr 14 mins
last black unicorn, memoir, poc, tiffany haddish
Jeannette, Susan, and Tara discuss free comics, what our memoirs would be about, and give you dates for the upcoming Eclectic Readathon in June! Then we discuss Tiffany Haddish’s memoir The Last Black Unicorn and all the many humorous and not-so-humorous topics it covers.
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Episode 47: The Sparrow: This is Why the Prime Directive Exists!
April 15th, 2018 | 1 hr 19 mins
Susan, Jeannette, and Meredith confess the size of their TBR along with habits like how they decide what goes on their TBR and how they remove a book from their TBR. Then they take flight and discuss The Sparrow and how it’s more than just Jesuits in space.
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Episode 46: Shadow and Bone: We’re Smart, Okay, We Know Things
March 15th, 2018 | 1 hr 26 mins
fantasy, leigh bardugo, shadow and bone, world building, ya fantasy
Susan, Jeannette, and Meredith talk about what they like and don’t like when it comes to world-building, (hint: food descriptions are always appreciated) and mention some books they think did it well. They then discuss Shadow and Bone, the first book in a Young Adult Fantasy Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo and are quite happy with the color-coded science-based magic system. Yay, organization!
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Episode 45: American War: We're the Old Guy on the Bus
February 15th, 2018 | 1 hr 6 mins
american war, dystopian, fiction, just trust me, weird books
Party for 2 with Meredith and Susan! They discuss weird books that they love to recommend and just needs people to trust them on it. Then they discuss Sarat from American War on how war changes a person and how likely another American Civil can be.
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Episode 44: Sorcerer to the Crown: He’s Good-looking, I Trust Him, Too Bad He’s Such a Drag
January 15th, 2018 | 1 hr 16 mins
book resolutions, bookolutions, fantasy, regency, sorcerer to the crown, zen cho
In this episode, Susan, Tara, and Jeannette review how they did on last year’s reading resolutions and set new goals for this year. Then they discuss Zen Cho’s Sorcerer to the Crown and discuss all the ways Regency romances and fantasy novels both work and don’t work when mixed together.
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Episode 43: Her Body and Other Parties: It's OK to Not Be OK
December 15th, 2017 | 1 hr 45 mins
carmen maria machado, feminism, her body and other parties, horror, lgbtq, short stories
All 4 hosts come together to wrap up 2017 with favorite books they have read. Also, 2 fun announcements about the 11th Hour Readathon and the ER Mad Libs reading challenge! Then they dive into the Main Read of Her Body and Other Parties. WARNING: Adult themes and trigger warnings of sexual violence.