That Pretentious Book Club
A Comedy Podcast By and For Book Lovers. If you love books, laughter, and witty ladies drinking tea (and whiskey), this is the podcast for you.
Episodes
In this episode of That Pretentious Book Club, hosts Spoons, Wheezy, and Gino are joined by fellow teacup Grandmaster Myla for a magical deep dive into Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston.
This popular middle grade fantasy quickly has quickly become a contender for one of the best books in the genre—ever. We're talking Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief level praise here, which, if you know this podcast...
Welcome to Season 6, Episode 1 of That Pretentious Book Club!
In the first episode of season 6, Spoons, Wheezy, and Gino join The Teacups to discuss ethereal classic mystery The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. Heralded as one of the first detective novels (despite the absence of any licensed detective), this book ranges from spooky to intensely intriguing, heart-wrenching, and back again. Also up for debat...
✨ Come behind the scenes of our Spring 2025 Story Sirens Writing Retreat—a weekend filled with creativity, connection, and storytelling magic!
In this short episode, we share some of our favorite moments from Story Sirens inaugural retreat and discuss some of the things we are looking forward to at our next one!
🌿 Whether you're drafting a novel, revising a memoir, or just craving time with fel...
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 23 of That Pretentious Book Club!
In this episode (the last episode of Season 5!), hosts Spoons, Wheezy, and Gino dive into the girl-power-inspired world of Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix. This Cinderella retelling flips the classic tale on its head, exploring the harsh realities and pressures of royal life for our beloved protagonist, Ella. As Ella navigates the treacherous waters ...
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 21 of That Pretentious Book Club!
In this episode, Spoons and Wheezy deep-dive into listener recommendation North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. This Victorian romance is rife with more than just yearning (although make no mistake—the yearning is copious), and also features fascinating social commentary and confirmation that humans have always been humans. Featuring the first tru...
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 20 of That Pretentious Book Club!
In this episode Wheezy and Gino slip into the shadowy world of The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides—an unsettling psychological thriller and the second book by this author the club has covered this season! Fueled by a hilariously fitting cocktail, chaos quickly takes the reins as our hosts try to piece together the tangled threads of a story whe...
In this special episode, Wheezy (aka Ash O'Rourke) is joined by guests Lacy Rising and Madison Hull to dive into the romantasy sensation that has taken the internet by storm – Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros!
Surprisingly on-topic (no skip notes needed this time!), this trio doesn't have to search hard for juicy details in this spicy, action-packed fantasy. Tune in as we break down the plot, characters, and all...
Welcome to Season 5, Episode 18 of That Pretentious Book Club!
This week, Spoons, Wheezy, and Gino are venturing into a world of treacherous fae, forbidden love, and a Cinderella story like you've never seen before. In Ash by Malinda Lo, we’re diving deep into a fable reimagined—a tale of grief, magic, romance, and a powerful journey of self-discovery.
Tune in as we give this enchanting novel a thorough ...
Welcome to Season 5 Episode 17 of That Pretentious Book Club!
In this episode Spoons, Wheezy, and Gino dive headfirst into the wildly popular academic folkloric fantasy, Emily Wilde's Encylopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett. Get ready for some serious fangirling over Wendell Bambleby—who somehow manages to be both a golden-haired prince AND a bad-boy dreamboat, and a main character who is nothing les...
It's that time of year again! Are you ready to throw out the time codes and embrace the nonsense?
Welcome to Season 5 Episode 16 of That Pretentious Book Club and Episode 117 of The Scripturient Society -- also known as the 4th Annual Story Sirens Studio Christmas Party!
Join the hosts for a series of bookish games, deranged laughter, and friendship as all four hosts come together for the first...
Welcome to Season 5 Episode 15 of That Pretentious Book Club!
In this episode Spoons and Wheezy discuss cozy regency romance Merry Little Match by independent author Celine Rachelle. Inspired by Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (an all-time and iconic pod-favorite) but taking place during Christmas, this story is positively bursting with holiday cheer and all the enemies-to-lovers vibes an Austen girli...
Welcome to Season 5 Episode 14 of That Pretentious Book Club!
In this episode Gino and Wheezy discuss the absolutely gripping thriller The Fury by Alex Michaelides. This novel takes place on a private Greek island when an ex-movie star's spontaneous vacation is derailed by a shocking murder, told in a series of five acts by an unreliable narrator who--let's face it--we would all love to be friends ...
Welcome to Season 5 Episode 13 of That Pretentious Book Club!
In this episode Spoons and Wheezy come to you (recorded) live from "Girl World" to discuss classic young adult novel The Outsiders, by master-of-her-craft S. E. Hinton. This coming-of-age novel has more than earned its spot in middle and high school reading curriculums, and may just be begging to take up residence on your TBR list this y...
Welcome to Season 5 Episode 12 of That Pretentious Book Club!
In this episode Wheezy and Gino fill their glasses and dive into the sweet, slightly nostalgic young adult fantasy Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones--the inspiration for Studio Ghibli's 2004 Japanese animated fantasy film of the same name.
From comparisons between the relative "thirst-worthiness" of Howl in th...
Welcome to Season 5 Episode 11 of That Pretentious Book Club!
In this episode Spoons, Wheezy, and Gino team up for a (slightly out of control) discussion of YA sci-fi/fantasy Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte. Catch up with the club, sit back, relax, and listen to some very mixed opinions about this book.
Skippers jump to 12:16
Pour yourself a cup of tea, raise a pinky, and join the club f...
Welcome to Season 5 Episode 10 of That Pretentious Book Club!
In this episode Spoons and Wheezy return for a rousing (and mildly deranged) discussion about none other than the infamous tragedy Macbeth by the bard himself, William Shakespeare -- or as the club may better know him, good ol' Billy Shakes.
Join Ash and Kendall as they dive into the spooky, treacherous, and questionably... feminist...
Welcome to Season 5 Episode 9 of That Pretentious Book Club!
In this episode the club makes a spectacular return from its extended hiatus with the addition of new co-host Myrissa "Gino" Yokie! Join Ash (AKA Wheezy) and Gino as they celebrate this return with a fittingly chaotic and humorous discussion of YA fantasy Chaos and Flame by Justina Ireland and Tessa Gratton.
Skippers jump to 13:3...
Welcome to Season 5 Episode 9 of That Pretentious Book Club and Episode 103 of The Scripturient Society!
After a long, unannounced hiatus, Wheezy and Spoons return for this bookish holiday extravaganza--and introduce a new little member of the pod crew while they're at it!
Join sister podcasts and Story Sirens Studio productions The Scripturient Society and That Pretentious Book Club in this thi...
In this episode not only does Ash returns in all her Wheezy glory, but the club is also joined by pod-sister-graphic-designer Maddie Hull for a truly rousing discussion of The Catcher in the Rye byJ.D. Salinger. With a polarizing protagonist and a painfully relatable (to some) portrayal of the teenage experience, this is a book that is renowne...
Welcome to Season 5 Episode 7 of That Pretentious Book Club!
This very special episode is hosted by none other than Dr. Spoons Palermo and Pod Nurse Haleigh (usual host Wheezy has taken a break this episode due to-well-her wheezy-ness). In this episode Spoons and Haleigh discuss King of Scars by our queen of fantasy, Leigh Bardugo! The first book in the final duology to the Grishaverse focuses on the dangers...
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