Ep 737 - The Murder at the Vicarage (Miss Marple #1), by Agatha Christie
The public domain comes for us all and today it's come for Miss Marple, the elderly busybody and amateur sleuth that Agatha Christie created in the 1920s. In her first proper novel, Marple assists a vicar in uncovering the truth behind a murder that occurred in his own home (also known as a vicarage). How does Marple do it? With a keen understanding of Human Nature.
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Ep 736 - Consider the Consequences!, by Doris Webster and Mary Alden Hopkins
We’ve been known to choose an adventure for ourselves every now and again, but rarely have we delved into the history of the “gamebook” genre. Until now! Join us for an abbreviated run through Consider the Consequences, in which players can quickly ruin the lives of three young adults who All Have Their Own Stuff Going On.
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Ep 735 - American Girl: Meet Samantha, by Susan S. Adler and Meet Addy, by Connie Porter
It's time to meet Samantha and Addy, two American Girls from the toy brand of the same name. Their time periods and journeys are rather different, but they are united by one thing: American Girl founder Pleasant Rowland's quest to inspire girls to learn AND to accessorize.
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Sit Me Baby One More Time Ep 06 - Hello, Mallory (The Baby-Sitters Club #14)
We jump forward in the series a little bit this month, past the “we’re still setting up each of the core Club members” phase. This episode is all about Mallory, a younger aspiring BSC member whose membership is jeopardized by a run of bad luck and some mildly unreasonable expectations from the other Club members. We also meet Jessi, one of the only Black residents in the extremely white town of Stoneybrook, and we discuss the dawn of the series’ Perpetual Eight Grade.
These episodes posted first for our Patreon supporters! If you want to hear the rest of them ahead of time (and a bunch of other stuff besides), visit Patreon.com/overduepod.
Here's the full Sit Me Baby One More Time reading list:
Kristy's Great Idea
Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls
The Truth about Stacey
Mary Anne Saves the Day
Dawn and the Impossible Three
Hello, Mallory
Jessi's Secret Language
Welcome to the BSC, Abby
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Ep 734 - Kidnapped by the Krampus, by Emily Shore
Happy Hornydays everyone! This extremely explicit dark holiday romantasy is sure to land someone on the naughty list. Please note that this story about Twyla and her adventure into the world of Krampus is very much Not For Kids. But does it give adults everything they want for Christmas?
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Ep 733 - The Bookshop, by Penelope Fitzgerald
Knowing absolutely nothing else about it, you might guess that a story called "The Bookshop" would a light and cozy novella about how books are magical and that the places where they are sold are sacred spaces. There are lots of books that are like that! But this most certainly is not one of them.
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Ep 732 - Johnny Got His Gun, by Dalton Trumbo
Darkness, imprisoning me / All that I see, absolute horror / I cannot live, I cannot die / Trapped in myself, body my holding cell
These lyrics from Metallica's "One" were inspired by this classic anti-war novel (this is relevant, we promise). Its unique perspective and focus on the irreparable harm that war inflicts on the individual set it apart from the other anti-war texts we've read for the show.
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Ep 731 - Still Life (Inspector Gamache #1), by Louise Penny
There has been a murder! A murder in a small Quebecois village where everyone knows each other and most people seem to be either artists or café proprietors! Luckily Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and the Sûreté du Québec are on the case, there to be avuncular and reassuring and blur the line between friend and law enforcement professional.
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Ep 730 - An American Marriage, by Tayari Jones
What starts as a dismaying story about a wrongful conviction turns into a deep meditation on loyalty, marriage, and independence. Given the subject matter, you might expect a mystery or a courtroom drama. Instead, Jones offers up a moving account of a couple just trying to find a future that will have them.
Support the show! Buy the book on Bookshop.org.