The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast

• Episode 109: The Lighter Side of the Stacks: Funny Books

  In this episode, Paul and Trevor are joined by Kate from The Book Club Review Podcast for a lively discussion about funny books. From dry wit to outright absurdity, we explore the kinds of humor that make us laugh out loud—or quietly smirk into our sleeves—and why comic novels deserve a place on every bookshelf. We also announce the winner of our June giveaway and introduce a brand-new challenge for July. Tune in for some laughs and let us know which books have made you laugh the most.We’ve got some fantastic author-focused episodes lined up for the foreseeable future, and we want to give you plenty of time to dive in if you’d like to read along with us. These episodes come around every ten episodes, and with our bi-weekly release schedule, you'll have a few months to get ready for each. Here’s what we have in store:* Episode 115: Kazuo Ishiguro* Episode 125: Flannery O’Connor* Episode 135: William Faulkner* Episode 145: Elizabeth Taylor* Episode 155: Naguib MahfouzThere’s no rush—take your time, and grab a book (or two, or three) so you’re prepared for these as they come!Join the Mookse and the Gripes on DiscordWant to share your thoughts on these upcoming authors or anything else we’re discussing? Join us over on Discord! It’s the perfect place to dive deeper into the conversation—whether you’re reading along with our author-focused episodes or just want to chat about the books that are on your mind.We’re also gearing up for our second novella book club, where we'll be reading Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin at the start of July. It’s a fantastic book, and we’d love to have you join the discussion. It’s a great space to engage with fellow listeners, share your insights, and discover new perspectives on the books you’re reading.ShownotesBooks* Lockwood & Co. Series, by Jonathan Stroud* Alex Verus Series, by Benedict Jacka* Southern Reach Series, by Jeff VanderMeer* Slanting Towards the Sea, by Lidija Hilje* Waiting for the Fear, by Oguz Atay, translated by Ralph Hubbell* The Pursuit of Love, by Nancy Mitford* All Systems Red, by Martha Wells* Hons and Rebels, by Jessica Mitford* Blood Meridian, by Cormac McCarthy* Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes* Middlemarch, by George Eliot* The Girls, by John Bowen* Catch-22, by Joseph Heller* Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, by Mary Roach* Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law, by Mary Roach* Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal, by Mary Roach* Hyperbole and a Half, by Allie Brosh* The Book Lover’s Joke Book, by Alex Johnson* The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams* The Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro* The Code of the Woosters, by P.G. Wodehouse* Leave It to Psmith, by P.G. Wodehouse* Wodehouse: A Life, by Robert McCrum* A Swim in the Pond in the Rain, by George Saunders* The Nose, by Nikolai Gogol* The Possessed: Adventures with Russian Books and the People Who Read Them, by Elif Batuman* War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy* Once Upon a Tome: The Misadventures of a Rare Bookseller, by Oliver Darkshire* Greta and Valdin, by Rebecca K. Rilley* The Literary Conference, by César Aira* The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks, by E. Lockhart* A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson* A Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson* The Summer Book, by Tove Jansson, translated by Thomas Teal* The White Bear, by Henrik Pontoppidan, translated by Paul LarkinOther* “The Murder of Leo Tolstoy,” by Elif BatumanThe Mookse and the Gripes Podcast is a bookish conversation hosted by Paul and Trevor. Every other week, we explore a bookish topic and celebrate our love of reading. We’re glad you’re here, and we hope you’ll continue to join us on this literary journey!A huge thank you to those who help make this podcast possible! If you'd like to support us, you can do so via Substack or Patreon. Subscribers receive access to periodic bonus episodes and early access to all new episodes. Plus, each supporter gets their own dedicated feed, allowing them to download episodes a few days before they’re released to the public. We’d love for you to check it out! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mookse.substack.com/subscribe

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• Episode 108: From Our Shelves with Pride: LGBTQIA+ Reads We Love

  Happy Pride Month! In this episode Trevor and Paul share some of our favorite works of LGBTQIA+ literature (and films)—works that have moved us, challenged us, and expanded our sense of the world. We reflect on how queer literature has shaped our understanding over the years and discuss the importance of lifting up these voices—especially in a moment when so many are under threat. Join us in a heartfelt conversation about storytelling, solidarity, and the power of books to open us up to the lives of others. As two people who don’t speak from within the queer community, we approached this conversation with deep admiration, gratitude, and care, hoping to honor the writers and stories that have meant so much to us.What are some of your favorite LGBTQIA+ books?We’ve got some fantastic author-focused episodes lined up for the foreseeable future, and we want to give you plenty of time to dive in if you’d like to read along with us. These episodes come around every ten episodes, and with our bi-weekly release schedule, you'll have a few months to get ready for each. Here’s what we have in store:* Episode 115: Kazuo Ishiguro* Episode 125: Flannery O’Connor* Episode 135: William Faulkner* Episode 145: Elizabeth Taylor* Episode 155: Naguib MahfouzThere’s no rush—take your time, and grab a book (or two, or three) so you’re prepared for these as they come!Join the Mookse and the Gripes on DiscordWant to share your thoughts on these upcoming authors or anything else we’re discussing? Join us over on Discord! It’s the perfect place to dive deeper into the conversation—whether you’re reading along with our author-focused episodes or just want to chat about the books that are on your mind.We’re also gearing up for our second novella book club, where we'll be reading Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin at the start of July. It’s a fantastic book, and we’d love to have you join the discussion. It’s a great space to engage with fellow listeners, share your insights, and discover new perspectives on the books you’re reading.ShownotesBooks* The Book of Mutter, by Kate Zambreno* The Light Room, by Kate Zambreno* Drifts, by Kate Zambreno* A House and Its Head, by Ivy Compton-Burnett* Daniel Deronda, by George Eliot* The Guermantes Way, by Marcel Proust* Manservant and Maidservant, by Ivy Compton-Burnett* Angels in America, by Tony Kushner* The Hours, by Michael Cunningham* Brokeback Mountain, by Annie Proulx* The Song of Achilles, by Madeleine Miller* Circe, by Madeleine Miller* Desert of the Heart, by Jane Rule* The works of David Seders* Bluets, by Maggie Nelson* The Argonauts, by Maggie Nelson* You Better Be Lightning, by Andrea Gibson* A Single Man, by Christopher Isherwood* Hearstopper, by Alice Oseman* The Price of Salt, by Patricia Highsmith* Strangers on a Train, by Patricia Highsmith* Giovanni’s Room, by James Baldwin* The Line of Beauty, by Alan Holinghurst* Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel* Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, by Jeannette Winterson* The Great Believers, by Rebecca Makai* I Have Some Questions for You, by Rebecca Makai* All Down Darkness Wide, by Seán Hewitt* The Night Watch, by Sarah Waters* The Fingersmith, by Sarah Waters* Dancer from the Dance, by Andrew HolleranFilms* The Hours, d. Stephen Daldry* Brokeback Mountain, d. Ang Lee* Desert Hearts, d. Donna Deitch* A Single Man, d. Tom Ford* Carole, d. Todd Haynes* Paris Is Burning, d. Jennie Livingston* All About My Mother, d. Pedro Almodóvar* Happy Together, d. Wong Kar Wai* Portrait of a Lady on Fire, d. Céline SciammaThe Mookse and the Gripes Podcast is a bookish conversation hosted by Paul and Trevor. Every other week, we explore a bookish topic and celebrate our love of reading. We’re glad you’re here, and we hope you’ll continue to join us on this literary journey!A huge thank you to those who help make this podcast possible! If you'd like to support us, you can do so via Substack or Patreon. Subscribers receive access to periodic bonus episodes and early access to all new episodes. Plus, each supporter gets their own dedicated feed, allowing them to download episodes a few days before they’re released to the public. We’d love for you to check it out! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mookse.substack.com/subscribe

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• 107: Goals or Guilt? A Check-in on Our Reading Ambitions

  In this episode, Paul and Trevor check in on our 2025 reading goals—where we’ve succeeded, where we’ve faltered, and most importantly how our goals are impacting our reading experience. Are we setting ourselves up for success, or are we creating unnecessary pressure? We dive into the positives and potentials pitfalls of reading ambitions, exploring what’s working for us. Tune in for a reflective conversation on how to make reading goals meaningful.Plus, we announce the winner of our May giveaway and reveal our June giveaway challenge with another silly performance!We’ve got some fantastic author-focused episodes lined up for the foreseeable future, and we want to give you plenty of time to dive in if you’d like to read along with us. These episodes come around every ten episodes, and with our bi-weekly release schedule, you'll have a few months to get ready for each. Here’s what we have in store:* Episode 115: Kazuo Ishiguro* Episode 125: Flannery O’Connor* Episode 135: William Faulkner* Episode 145: Elizabeth Taylor* Episode 155: Naguib MahfouzThere’s no rush—take your time, and grab a book (or two, or three) so you’re prepared for these as they come!Join the Mookse and the Gripes on DiscordWant to share your thoughts on these upcoming authors or anything else we’re discussing? Join us over on Discord! It’s the perfect place to dive deeper into the conversation—whether you’re reading along with our author-focused episodes or just want to chat about the books that are on your mind.We’re also gearing up for our second novella book club, where we'll be reading Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin at the start of July. It’s a fantastic book, and we’d love to have you join the discussion. It’s a great space to engage with fellow listeners, share your insights, and discover new perspectives on the books you’re reading.ShownotesBooks* Is a River Alive?, by Robert Macfarlane* The White Bear, by Henrik Pontoppidan, translated by Paul Larkin* A Fortunate Man, by Henrik Pontoppidan, translated by Paul Larkin* Giovanni’s Room, by James Baldwin* Deathbed Confessions, by Mark Haber* Middlemarch, by George Eliot* Miss MacIntosh, My Darling, by Marguerite Young* Lies and Sorcery, by Elsa Morante, translated by Jenny McPhee* In Search of Lost Time, by Marcel Proust* The Sunlit Man, by Brandon Sanderson* Suttree, by Cormac McCarthy* Blood Meridian; or, The Evening Redness in the West, by Cormac McCarthy* The Prime Minister, by Anthony Trollope* The Duke’s Children, by Anthony Trollope* The Way We Live Now, by Anthony Trollope* Daniel Deronda, by George Eliot* Schattenfroh, by Michael Lentz, translated by Max Lawton* Blinding, by Mircea Cărtărescu, translated by Sean Cotter* Omensetter’s Luck, by William H. Gass* Herscht 07769, by Lászlo Krasznahorkai, translated by Ottilie Mulzet* Moby Dick, by Herman Melville* Mr. Fox, by Barbara Comyns* A Touch of Mistletoe, by Barbara Comyns* Melvill, by Rodrigo Fresán, translated by Will Vanderhyden* On the Calculation of Volume, I, by Solvej Balle, translated by Barbara J. Haveland* The Ice-Shirt, by William T. Vollmann* The Magic Mountain, by Thomas Mann, translated by John E. Woods* Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Woolf* To the Lighthouse, by Virginia Woolf* The Waves, by Virginia Woolf* The Adventures of China Iron, by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara, translated by Fiona Mackintosh and Iona Macintyre* Rhine Journey, by Ann Schlee* Jane Austen’s Bookshelf: A Rare Book Collector’s Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend, by Rebecca Romney* Evelina, by Frances Burney* The Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro* Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro* The Unconsoled, by Kazuo Ishiguro* The Buried Giant, by Kazuo Ishiguro* A Pale View of Hills, by Kazuo Ishiguro* Your Absence Is Darkness, by Jón Kalman Stefánsson, translated by Philip Roughton* The Summer Book, by Tove Jansson, translated by Thomas TealThe Mookse and the Gripes Podcast is a bookish conversation hosted by Paul and Trevor. Every other week, we explore a bookish topic and celebrate our love of reading. We’re glad you’re here, and we hope you’ll continue to join us on this literary journey!A huge thank you to those who help make this podcast possible! If you'd like to support us, you can do so via Substack or Patreon. Subscribers receive access to periodic bonus episodes and early access to all new episodes. Plus, each supporter gets their own dedicated feed, allowing them to download episodes a few days before they’re released to the public. We’d love for you to check it out! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mookse.substack.com/subscribe

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• 106: Bookshelf Roulette: Surprises from the Shelf

  In this episode we’re shaking things up with Bookshelf Roulette! No pre-planned selections—just pure randomness. Using a random number generator, we each pick a few books from our shelves and dive into spontaneous discussions. Did we read them? Do we love them? Do we remember them? From forgotten gems to books we’ve been meaning to get to, we explore what’s lurking in the corners of our collections. Tune in for some unexpected literary discoveries, personal stories, and maybe even a few surprises as we take a fresh, unplanned look at what’s on our shelves.What surprises are hiding on your bookshelf? Join in the fun—pull out a random book, whether you follow our rules or come up with your own way to pick, and share what you find with us! From forgotten classics to books you’ve been meaning to read, we’d love to hear about the unexpected gems in your collection.We’ve got some fantastic author-focused episodes lined up for the foreseeable future, and we want to give you plenty of time to dive in if you’d like to read along with us. These episodes come around every ten episodes, and with our bi-weekly release schedule, you'll have a few months to get ready for each. Here’s what we have in store:* Episode 115: Kazuo Ishiguro* Episode 125: Flannery O’Connor* Episode 135: William Faulkner* Episode 145: Elizabeth Taylor* Episode 155: Naguib MahfouzThere’s no rush—take your time, and grab a book (or two, or three) so you’re prepared for these as they come!Join the Mookse and the Gripes on DiscordWant to share your thoughts on these upcoming authors or anything else we’re discussing? Join us over on Discord! It’s the perfect place to dive deeper into the conversation—whether you’re reading along with our author-focused episodes or just want to chat about the books that are on your mind.We’re also gearing up for our second novella book club, where we'll be reading Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin at the start of July. It’s a fantastic book, and we’d love to have you join the discussion. It’s a great space to engage with fellow listeners, share your insights, and discover new perspectives on the books you’re reading.ShownotesBooks* Lesser Ruins, by Mark Haber* Your Absence Is Darkness, by Jón Kalman Stefánsson, translated by Philip Roughton* Three Summers, by Margarita Liberaki, translated by Karen Van Dyck* Great Granny Webster, by Caroline Blackwood* The Short Stories of Elizabeth Hardwick* Giovanni’s Room, by James Baldwin* Gould’s Book of Fish, by Richard Flanagan* Question 7, by Richard Flanagan* Quartet in Autumn, by Barbara Pym* Hopscotch, by Julio Cortázar, translated by Gregory Rabassa* The Nose and Other Stories, by Nikolai Gogol, translated by Susanne Fuso* Dead Souls, by Nikolai Gogol* A Swim in the Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Masterclass on Writing, Reading, and Life, by George Saunders* The Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri* The Master and Margarita, by Mikhail Bulgakov* First Love, by Ivan Turgenev* The Forgery, by Ave Barrera, translated by Ellen Jones and Robin Myers* Cautery, by Lucía Lijtmaer, translated by Maureen Shaughnessy* On Earth as It Is Beneath, by Ana Paula Maia, translated by Padma Viswanathan* Chilco, by Daniela Catrileo, translated by Jacob Edelstein* The World We Saw Burning, by Renato Cisneros, translated by Fionn Petch* The Oppermanns, by Lion Feuchtwanger, translated by James Cleugh* The Aesthetics of Resistance, by Peter Weiss, translated by Joachim Neugroschel* Hotel du Lac, by Anita Brookner* A Start in Life, by Anita Brookner* Providence, by Anita Brookner* Look at Me, by Anita Brookner* Proustian Uncertainty: On Reading and Rereading In Search of Lost Time, by Saul Friedländer* Paintings in Proust: A Visual Companion to In Search of Lost Time, by Eric Karpeles* Monsieur Proust, by Céleste Albaret, translated by Barbara Bray* Lost Time: Lectures on Proust in a Soviet Prison Camp, by Józef Czapski, translated by Eric Karpeles* Strike Your Heart, by Amélie Nothomb, translated by Alison Anderson* Pétronille, by Amélie Nothomb, translated by Alison Anderson* Life Form, by Amélie Nothomb, translated by Alison Anderson* The Neapolitan Quartet, by Elena Ferrante, translated by Ann Goldstein* H Is for Hawk, by Helen Macdonald* Vesper Flights, by Helen Macdonald* Is a River Alive?, by Robert MacfarlaneOther* The Eclipse Viewer PodcastThe Mookse and the Gripes Podcast is a bookish conversation hosted by Paul and Trevor. Every other week, we explore a bookish topic and celebrate our love of reading. We’re glad you’re here, and we hope you’ll continue to join us on this literary journey!A huge thank you to those who help make this podcast possible! If you'd like to support us, you can do so via Substack or Patreon. Subscribers receive access to periodic bonus episodes and early access to all new episodes. Plus, each supporter gets their own dedicated feed, allowing them to download episodes a few days before they’re released to the public. We’d love for you to check it out! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mookse.substack.com/subscribe

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• Episode 105: Wrists Be Damned: or, How We Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Big Books

  In this episode, Trevor and Paul are joined by Chris Via of Leaf by Leaf to celebrate the experience of reading big books. From the books that once intimidated us to the ones we now can't imagine our overburdened shelves without, we dive into what makes a book feel "big." Along the way, we share personal stories, favorite strategies for tackling doorstoppers, the books that stretched us as readers, and reflect on why some big books stay with us for life. Whether you're a lifelong lover of big books or someone who's still building up your wrist strength, this is an episode for you.We’d love to hear from you, too—what are your favorite big books? Which ones are still looming on your to-be-read pile, daring you to pick them up? Let us know!Join the Mookse and the Gripes on DiscordAn easy place to respond to our question above is over on Discord!We’re creating a welcoming space for thoughtful, engaging discussions about great novellas—and other books things. Whether you want to share insights, ask questions, or simply follow along, we’d love to have you.ShownotesBooks* War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy, translated by Anthony Briggs* 2666, by Roberto Bolaño, translated by Natasha Wimmer* The Guermantes Way, by Marcel Proust* FEM, by Magda Carneci, translated by Sean Cotter* Blinding, by Mircea Cărtărescu, translated by Sean Cotter* Solenoid, by Mircea Cărtărescu, translated by Sean Cotter* Novel Explosives, by Jim Gauer* Bookwork: Conversations with Michael Silverblatt* The Recognitions, by William Gaddis* The Dying Grass: A Novel of the New Perce War, by William T. Vollmann* Faust, Part One: A New Translation with Illustrations, by Johann Wolfgang van Goethe, translated by Zsuzsanna Ozsváth and Frederick Turner* Invidicum, by Michael Brodsky* The Ice-Shirt, by William T. Vollmann* The Aesthetics of Resistance, by Peter Weiss, translated by Joachim Neugroschel* Middlemarch, by George Eliot* Great Granny Webster, by Caroline Blackwood* Pilgrimage, by Dorothy Richardson* Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurtry* Moby Dick, by Herman Melville* Train Dreams, by Denis Johnson* Magpie Murders, by Anthony Horowitz* Nausea, by Jean-Paul Sartre, translated by Richard Howard* Schattenfroh, by Micheal Lentz, translated by Max Lawton* The Sword of Shannara, by Terry Brooks* The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoevsky, translated by Andrew R. MacAndrew* It, by Stephen King* The Stand, by Stephen King* Shogun, by James Clavell* Tom’s Crossing, by Mark Z. Danielewski* Women and Men, by Joseph McElroy* Swann’s Way, by Marcel Proust* Lies and Sorcery, by Elsa Morante, translated by Jenny McPhee* Miss MacIntosh, My Darling, by Marguerite Young* The Blue Room, by Hanne Ørstavik, translated by Deborah Dawkin* Against the Day, by Thomas Pynchon* Ulysses, by James Joyce* 4 3 2 1, by Paul Auster* Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison* Shadow Ticket, by Thomas Pynchon* The Tunnel, by William H. Gass* A Suitable Boy, by Vikram Seth* The Golden Gate, by Vikram Seth* The Story of a Life, by Konstantin Paustovsky, translated by Doug Smith* The Tale of Genji, by Murasaki Shikibu, translated by Royall Tylor* A Little Life, by Hanya Yanagihara* The People in the Trees, by Hanya Yanagihara* Stone Upon Stone, by Wiesław Myśliwski, translated by Bill Johnston* Needle’s Eye, by Wiesław Myśliwski, translated by Bill JohnstonOther* Leaf by Leaf* Episode 1: Bucket List Books* Episode 99: Books We Think About All the Time, with Elisa Gabbert* The Untranslated: Schattenfroh by Michael LentzThe Mookse and the Gripes Podcast is a bookish conversation hosted by Paul and Trevor. Every other week, we explore a bookish topic and celebrate our love of reading. We’re glad you’re here, and we hope you’ll continue to join us on this literary journey!A huge thank you to those who help make this podcast possible! If you'd like to support us, you can do so via Substack or Patreon. Subscribers receive access to periodic bonus episodes and early access to all new episodes. Plus, each supporter gets their own dedicated feed, allowing them to download episodes a few days before they’re released to the public. We’d love for you to check it out! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mookse.substack.com/subscribe

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