Required Reading

Writer and podcaster Josh Corey (Welcome to Flatch) joins me to discuss literary legend Beverly Cleary and her novel THE MOUSE AND THE MOTORCYCLE. The story? Well, it's really very simple: boy meets mouse, and they both love motorcycle. Check out Josh's new podcast FROM WRITER TO FIGHTER!! Follow Josh on Instagram! Follow Erin!

It's winter break at the Vampire Academy and Liz Wiest and I are sinking our TEETH into the sequel Frostbite. From Richelle Mead and the pivotal year of 2008, Frostbite follows the increasingly treacherous world of St Vladimir's Academy and the broader Pacific Northwest as royal vampire families are being eliminated by the bad guy vampires.Listen to our episode on book one! Follow Liz!Follow Erin!I'm not going to include our buymeacoffee link because YouTube seemed to throw a fit this week about the link on our Lord of the Flies episode from almost a year ago? Absolutely no clue why but I don't think anyone reads the episode notes, let me know!

Kate Hagen (SVP, The Black List) joins me to discuss Stephen King's classic novel of teen girl rage: CARRIE!High school outcast Carrie gets her period for the first time, and also telekineses. It ends poorly.Follow Kate!Listen to Kate talk BABY BOOM on Ticklish Business!Check out our previous Stephen King episode: Misery with Enor Bishop! Follow Erin!Support the show!

It's Slenderman...before Slenderman...This week writer Lev Francesca AKA Lisco2000 joins me to discuss a book no one has ever heard of (probably) Malice by Chris Wooding - a novel combining graphic novel and prose and miscellaneous documents to tell the story of a graphic novel that's really pulling kids in. Follow Lev! Follow Erin!Support the show!

This week comedian Tocarra Elise joins me to discuss her favorite revenge classic: THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO by Alexandre Dumas!After 14 years of wrongful imprisonment, sailor Edmond Dantes transforms himself into the Count of Monte Cristo in order to exact revenge on those who imprisoned him.Follow Tocarra's Library and check out her work on the Getty kid's podcast If Objects Could Talk!Support the podcast!Follow Erin!

What is a witch if not a woman by a pond? This week Courtney Young joins me to revisit everyone's favorite book from 4th grade: THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND! In colonial America, Kit Tyler leaves Barbados to come to her aunt's family in Connecticut but finds herself quickly under suspicion by the Puritanical community. A girl who's a little bit different? Must be a WITCH!! Check out Courtney's work!Follow Erin! Support the podcast!

Can you believe it took this long to get to Ray Bradbury? Better late than never as this week incredible video essayist and writer Mel Thomas joins me to discuss THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES - a science fiction novel-in-short-stories about human colonization of Mars. Follow Mel!Follow Erin!Support the podcast!

We're back! Erin got laid off and then went on vacation, but now we're back! We as in the royal we.Madeline North also returns to discuss Charlotte Bronte's 1847 classic: JANE EYRE. And we also talk a lot about Wuthering Heights. It can't be helped!Jane Eyre follows orphan Jane from ages 10-20 as she escapes a cruel home to go to an even crueler boarding school, then becomes a governess, falls in love, almost gets married, finds out her employer/fiance's been keeping a secret wife in the attic, gets the heck outta there, joins a family, finds out they're her real family, gets a lot of money, goes back to the employer and makes him a husband. And that's what you missed on Glee!In this episode we discuss my video essay about the book (ooooooo) and this video essay about some common Charlotte Bronte misconceptions!Follow Madeline!Listen to her previous episodes on Eragon and The Princess Bride!Follow Erin!Support the pod!

Welcome to 2026 and welcome to the VAMPIRE ACADEMY where we are horny, confused, and Catholic. Writer Liz Wiest joins me to discuss Richelle Mead's 2007 novel. The plot is complex but it's girls at an academy for vampires. You get the gist. Follow Liz! Follow Erin! Support the show!

Folks, it's episode 100. Professor Carly O'Brien returns for her fourth episode (first time a guest has made it to four episodes, a historic one indeed) to cover a play that fundamentally shaped who I am as an artist and as a lil freak. Measure for Measure is known as one of Shakespeare's three problem plays. It follows a Duke, a nun, and, well,.,, just listen. This is the last episode of 2025! See you next year! Cover art is James McMullen's poster for Lincoln Center. Check out Carly's previous episodes about A Christmas Carol and Johnny Tremain and Where the Red Fern Grows!Follow Carly!Follow Erin!Support the show!

Favorite person alert: Justina Engel returns to discuss Ali Sparkes' 2009 sci-fi novel FROZEN IN TIME. During summer vacation siblings Ben and Rachel dig up a bomb shelter in their backyard. Inside the bomb shelter are their great aunt and uncle, cryogenically frozen (and there's a puppy there too). Family mysteries, government conspiracies, and international intrigue come to light - and fingernails fall off! Check out Justina's previous episode! It's the American Girl Doll episode! Follow Justina!Follow Erin!Support the podcast!

An ode to the magic and miseries of girlhood - but mostly the magic. Comedian and Emmy-winning producer Britt Migs joins me to discuss Louise Rennison's 1999 British classic: Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging.Follow Britt!Follow Erin!Support the podcast!

Yes, it's the incest book. This week Lauren Badillo Milici joins me to discuss VC Andrew's salacious and iconic first novel Flowers in the Attic. Four siblings are trapped in an attic by their mother and grandmother in an attempt to hide their existence from their grandfather. Check out Lauren's book and her work at GamesRadar! Follow Erin!Support the podcast!

Miracle of miracles! Kevin T Porter of Good Christian Fun returns to discuss one of the best-selling book series of all time: Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer.Artemis Fowl is a twelve year old criminal mastermind, on a quest to save his family's reputation and gold. But a little fairy named Holly Short just might get in his way. Check out Kevin's previous appearance on the show where we discussed the Wayside School sequel! Subscribe to Kevin's podcast Good Christian Fun, also hosted by previous guest Caroline Ely! Follow Erin!Support the show!

Comedian Enor Bishop joins me to discuss Stephen King's immortal classic from 1987: Misery.Author Paul Sheldon's life is saved after he is pulled from the wreckage of his car by his number one fan: Annie Wilkes. Trouble is, she won't let him leave.Get tickets to Enor's show on November 15th 2025!Follow Erin!Support the show!

Another week, another Goosebump! Book 4 in the series is Say Cheese and Die, where a mysterious camera causes misfortune to whoever appears in a pic! Goosebumps episode one! Two! Three! With Chelsea Pope! With Keara Sullivan! Support the podcast!Follow me!

It's a mini episode and a solo episode so you know it's gonna be absolutely whack-a-doodle. I talk about my favorite Halloween movies! Here's my letterboxd list!Follow me!Support the podcast!

AAAAAH! Legendary director Paul Feig joins me to discuss Mary Shelley's immortal Frankenstein from 1818. Check out Paul's newest film The Housemaid only in theaters December 19th!

Original guest and girlhood expert Georgia Shenk returns to discuss a book I was not allowed to read and the touchstone for "mean girl"-hood of the 00s.....other than the one you're thinking of. It's THE CLIQUE by Lisi Harrison!When new girl Claire moves into mean girl Massie's guest house, worlds collide. Claire eats sugar and does not fit in with the Pretty Committee (Massie's group of friends) - will she choose popularity or being true to herself?Check out Georgia's previous episodes on the podcast about The Summer I Turned Pretty and Airhead! Follow Georgia!Listen to author Lisi Harrison's podcast for all things The Clique!Follow Erin!Support the podcast!

This week on the podcast it's an all-time classic of girlhood: Frances Hodgson Burnett's A LITTLE PRINCESS with podcaster Caroline Ely!Sarah Crewe enters Miss Minchin's boarding school as a wealthy heiress, but when her father dies finds herself shoved into servitude, poverty, and hunger.Check out Caroline's podcast Good Christin Fun (Erin was on it!)Follow Caroline!Follow Erin!Support the podcast!

TV writer Jillian Tsai of Netflix's Haunted Hotel joins me to discuss the first entry into the mega-series WARRIORS from 2003! Rusty is a cozy house cat who chooses to join Thunderclan, a group of feral cats who live in the woods behind his house and are having a land dispute with other clans. He becomes a warrior apprentice, Firepaw, and uncovers mysteries within the clan and within himself....Check out Jillian's show Haunted Hotel on Netflix! Follow Erin!Support the show!

Author Sierra Marilyn Riley (The Dark Cove Theatre Society) joins me to discuss one of MY all-time favorite books from childhood: THE WESTING GAME!When wealthy paper magnate Samuel Westing dies he leaves a complicated will demanding 16 "heirs" - most of whom live at an apartment building across a field from his creepy mansion - partake in a game to inherit his fortune.Check out Sierra's book, coming out October 7th and stream Mistletoe Murders! Follow Erin!Support the show!

Mind-blowing writer Jenny Bicks (Welcome to Flatch, Sex and the City) joins me to discuss our second Roald Dahl book JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH. Fun fact: same year as Phantom Tollbooth! Little James finds himself inside a giant peach, surrounded by several very large and very friendly bugs! Support the podcast!

Bellbottoms, capris, cargos: its the summer of pants. Kelly Krauter joins me to discuss Ann Brashare's 2001 immortal classic THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS. And don't you dare roll your eyes. Best friends Carmen, Tibby, Lena, and Bridget are about to spend a summer apart for the first time in their 15 years of life. Just before they go their separate ways they find a magical pair of jeans that fits them all, despite their varying body sizes. They vow to mail the jeans back and forth to each other over the course of the summer to keep the girls in each other's hearts...and also denim. Kelly and I met making a short film which you should watch HERE because we WON THE FESTIVAL, OK? Listen to Kelly's song LOBOTOMY! Follow Erin!Support the show! As of September 2 2025, ads on this show have earned $5.05 thanks to viewers like you! THANK YOU!

Kelsey Buckley returns to wrap up our summer camp series with a nonfiction book: THEATER GEEK. Theater Geek by Mickey Rapkin chronicles one summer at renowned theater camp Stagedoor Manor. Follow Kelsey! Follow Erin!Support the podcast! As of this writing (8.26.25) we have earned $3.56 from ad revenue! Thank you for listening!

Writer Joanna Truman joins me to discuss one of the most iconic characters in children's literature: Harriet M Welsch AKA Harriet the Spy!!From Louise Fitzhugh in 1964, Harriet the Spy follows Manhattanite 11 year old kid spy Harriet M Welsh as she writes infinitely in her trusty notebook about her pesky classmates in order to survive the departure of her dear nanny, Ole Golly.Follow Joanna!Follow Erin!Support the podcast!

Comedian Maggie Winters joins me to discuss THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH by Norton Juster with illustrations from Jules Feiffer! The Phantom Tollbooth follows bored schoolboy Milo as he enters a mystical and very unreasonable land in search of the princesses of Rhyme and Reason! AND - episode 100 is approaching! Let me know what you'd like me to do! I have very few ideas! Follow Maggie! Follow Erin! Support the podcast!

Broadway's Natalie Ortega returns to discuss another entry in Camp Required Reading: CAMP ROCK!From 2008, the DCOM (Disney Channel Original Movie, of course) Camp Rock follows Mitchie (Demi Lovato) at the celebrated music camp where dreams are made, as long as no one finds out her mom is the new cook! Follow Natalie!Support the podcast! Follow Erin!

Keara Sullivan returns to Required Reading to go to camp and, frankly, it's horrifying. We dive into Goosebumps THE HORROR AT CAMP JELLYJAM by RL Stine.Wendy and her brother Elliot fall off their parent's car, down a mountain, and into Camp Jellyjam where something STINKS.Follow Keara!Read her Substack! Support the podcast!Follow Erin!

Camp Required Reading is BACK, campers!Victoria Harley (A Breath of Fresh Movie podcast) joins me to discuss RL Stine's 12th book in the Fear Street saga: Lights Out.Holly doesn't like the outdoors, but she'll be a camp counselor to help her uncle save his failing camp - but someone's trying to sabotage it all!Check out some of our other camp episodes: Sunkissed and Goosebumps: Welcome to Camp Nightmare!Listen to Victoria's podcast A Breath of Fresh Movie!Follow Erin!Support the podcast!

Author, creator, and marketing maven Madeline North returns to discuss a dragon classic: ERAGON by Christopher Paolini. Young Eragon finds a dragon egg and quickly Saphira the dragon hatches. All matter of mayhem breaks loose as forces from throughout the kingdom seek out the egg. Follow Madeline!Check out Madeline's new marketing agency! Listen to Madeline's previous episode on The Princess Bride!Follow Erin!Support the podcast!

It's week two of Camp Required Reading and Chelsea Pope returns to discuss Goosebumps #9: Welcome to Camp Nightmare!The food at Camp Nightmoon isn't great. The counselors are a little strange. And the camp director, Uncle Al seems sort of demented. OK, Billy can handle that. But when other campers disappear... and his parents don't answer his letters... Camp Nightmoon is turning into Camp Nightmare! (Google Books)Check out Chelsea's previous episode on One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest!Check out Chelsea's podcast A Breath of Fresh Movie!Follow Chelsea on Instagram and TikTok!Follow Erin!Support the podcast!

This week I am debuting a special summer camp series!!Haley OC joins me to discuss SUNKISSED by Kasie West, a YA romance inspired by Dirty Dancing. Avery has always used music as an escape. But after her best friend betrays her, even her perfectly curated playlists can't help her forget what happened. To make matters worse, her parents have dragged her and her social-media-obsessed sister to a remote family camp for two months of "fun." Just when Avery is ready to give up on the summer altogether, she meets Brooks--mysterious, frustratingly charming Brooks--who just happens to be on staff--which means he's off-limits. What starts as a disaster turns into. . . something else. As the outside world falls away, Avery embarks on a journey of self-discovery. And when Brooks offers her the chance of a lifetime, she must figure out how far is she willing to go to find out what she wants and who she wants to be. (Google Books) Follow Haley! Follow Erin!Support the podcast!

Writer Chad Morton (Abbott Elementary) joins me to discuss the most banned book of the 21st century: Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey.Fourth graders George and Harold accidentally hypnotize their terrible principal into actually becoming Captain Underpants, the comic book hero they drew!See Chad's work on Abbott Elementary on ABC!Check out the work of Beetle Moses!Follow Erin!Support the podcast!

Krista Moy returns to discuss William Golding's 1954 classic Lord of the Flies! Also it's EPISODE 75!! We did it babes! A group of boys crash-land on an island and all hell breaks loose. Check out Krista's previous episode about A Streetcar Named Desire!Follow Krista!Follow Erin! Support the podcast!

This week Justine Engel joins me to read our first American Girl DOLL book: Meet Samantha! In 1904 wealthy orphan Samantha Parkington realizes the injustices that exist in the world around her, including child labor, segregation, and women's suffrage. Next week is our 75th episode! We will be reading Lord of the Flies - come prepared! Follow Justine!Follow Erin!Support the podcast!

Filmmaker Molly McGlynn joins me to discuss our first poetry collection - Shel Silverstein's WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS! We ask the critical question: was Shel Silverstein hot? Let us know. Follow Molly!Follow Erin!Support the podcast!

Longest episode title ever? Perhaps. You're welcome.Teaching artist Sara Childrey joins me to discuss TWO movies: The Swan Princess (1994) and Barbie of Swan Lake (2003)!Follow Childrey's substack!Check out some other movie episodes:The Nightmare Before Christmas!The Last Unicorn!Support the podcast!Follow Erin!

Poet and author Erin Taylor joins me to discuss Kate Chopin's 1899 novel THE AWAKENING.Edna Pontellier struggles between her increasingly unorthodox views on femininity and motherhood with the prevailing social attitudes of the turn-of-the-century Louisiana. (Wikipedia)Erin Taylor's book Bimboland! Support the podcast!Follow Erin!

Author Alex Brunkhorst joins me to discuss what was almost our very first book - The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald. It just turned 100!Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire with an obsession to reunite with his former lover, Daisy Buchanan. (Wikipedia)Read Alex's novel The Gilded Life of Matilda Duplaine! Support the podcast! Follow Erin!

Another solo episode! Do you like these? Please let me know.Goosebumps book 3 follows Evan Ross when he discovers a can of "Monster Blood" in an old toy store. And it's got an appetite.Follow Erin! Support the podcast! Listen to Goosebumps Book 2!Listen to Goosebumps Book 1!

Book two in our Goosebumps deep dive! Something weird is going on with Dad ever since he got fired from his job - and why is he wearing that hat all the time? Could be he's a mad scientist!Follow Erin!Support the show!Listen to Goosebumps Book 1!

Zannah Schorer returns to discuss Brandon Mull's absolutely buck wild novel: FABLEHAVEN.Kendra and Seth discover their grandparents live on a nature preserve for all the world's mythical creatures (a haven, you might say, for fables...)Follow Zannah!Follow Erin!SUPPORT THE PODCASTListen to Zannah's previous episode about The Tail of Emily Windsnap!

I love this one :) Writer Christin Campbell joins me to discuss the 1982 Rankin/Bass film THE LAST UNICORN!A unicorn leaves the protection of her enchanted forest to discover if she really is the last of her kind.Follow Christin!Follow Erin!Support the podcast!Another Required Viewing episode: The Nightmare Before Christmas!

Rachel Moss joins me to discuss Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo from 2002! Many write it off as a Harry Potter rip-off but - hear this - it might be a whole lot better. When Charlie Bone discovers he can hear the voices of people in photographs he is whisked away to the Bloor Academy to train his powers, where he becomes entrenched in a generations-old battle for power. AND: Erin is in last week's episode of Mythic Quest (season 4 episode 8 around 17 minutes in) on Apple TV! Keep your eyes peeled for Rachel's short MAX DISTANCE! Support the podcast! Follow Erin!

It's just me this week! I am debuting a new intermittent series where I read all of RL Stine's immaculate Goosebumps series!Follow me!Support the show!

Madeline Douglass returns and this time we've got a third: former co-worker Luke Henke! We all worked in a Girl Scout Museum in college. Jealous?From Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850 comes one of the first mass-produced books of all time: The Scarlet Letter. The novel tells the story of Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter with a man (minister Arthur Dimmesdale) to whom she is not married. As punishment, she must wear a scarlet letter 'A' (for "adultery"). Summary from Wikipedia (which Luke gives a lil speech about!) Follow Madeline on Instagram!DONT find Luke.Support the show!Follow Erin!

Not to be biased but this is a really good one!Author Gretchen Schreiber joins me to discuss two-books-in-one, Crown Duel and Court Duel by Sherwood Smith from 1997/1998/2002? The first book follows the adventures of young Countess Meliara "Mel" Astiar of Tlanth as she and her small group of forces rebel against the greed of King Galdran; along the way the mysterious Marquis of Shevraeth aids her, though she distrusts him. With the king now dead, the second part focuses on Mel's journey to the court in Remalna-city, where she must navigate court intrigues surrounding Shevraeth's rise to power as king. (Wikipedia)Check out Gretchen's new book, coming out April 1st! (Not a joke!)Support the podcast! Follow Erin!

Its a long one because its STEPHENIE MEYER!!!! It's what she would want.Repeat guest Jess Woodworth returns to discuss The Host!The book is about Earth, in a post-apocalyptic time, being invaded by a parasitic alien race known as "Souls", and follows one Soul's predicament when the consciousness of her human host refuses to give up her body. (Wikipedia)Follow That Bookish Witch on YouTube!Follow Erin!Support the podcast!More episodes with Jess!Required Viewing: The Nightmare Before ChristmasThe Tale of Despereaux

Author Darrin Simpson (Abby's Big Debate) joins me to discuss Roald Dahl's CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY in our 60th episode!!Support the show! Follow Erin!