Episodes

  • Skipping Christmas by John Grisham w/ Jonathan Fernandez

    Skipping Christmas by John Grisham w/ Jonathan Fernandez
    Nov 25 2025
    From the author of seminal legal-thrillers such as The Firm and A Time to Kill, comes the inspiration behind... Christmas with the Kranks? This week we read Skipping Christmas by John Grisham and all we want from santa is to give us back the time we spent reading this nonsense. Big thanks to our very special guest Johnathan Fernandez!

    Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast (almost) every Tuesday!

    Here’s the Season 20 reading list:
    1. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
    2. Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld
    3. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
    4. The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
    5. Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Jonson
    6. Beautiful Ugly byAlice Feeneyy
    7. Where is Joe Merchant by Jimmy Buffet
    8. Skipping Christmas by John Grishham

    Send any future book suggestions to meanbookclub@gmail.com! Follow us on the socials @meanbookclub!

    Rate, like, subscribe, and check out our Patreon page at patreon.com/meanbookclub to become a true patron of the mean arts.

    CREDITS: Hosted by Sarah Burton, Clara Morris, Johnna Scrabis, & Sabrina B. Jordan. This episode was produced and edited by Sarah Burton and Blake Opper. Special thanks to FSM Team for our theme song, "Parkour Introvert." You can get it here: https://www.free-stock-music.com



    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mean-book-club--3199521/support.
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    1 hr and 43 mins
  • Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney w/ Raúl Esparza

    Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney w/ Raúl Esparza
    Nov 18 2025
    A very special episode with a very special guest, this week we read "Beautiful Ugly" by Alice Feeney and it was... confusing. Revenge, instant bestsellers, and murderous lesbians make for a wild and confusing ride as we read between the lines of this bad bad book. Special thanks to our guest Raúl and to our wonderful fans who support us over on Patreon!

    Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast (almost) every Tuesday!

    Here’s the Season 20 reading list:
    1. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
    2. Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld
    3. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
    4. The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
    5. Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Jonson
    6. Beautiful Ugly byAlice Feeneyy
    7. Where is Joe Merchant by Jimmy Buffet
    8. Skipping Christmas by John Grishham

    Send any future book suggestions to meanbookclub@gmail.com! Follow us on the socials @meanbookclub!

    Rate, like, subscribe, and check out our Patreon page at patreon.com/meanbookclub to become a true patron of the mean arts.

    CREDITS: Hosted by Sarah Burton, Clara Morris, Johnna Scrabis, & Sabrina B. Jordan. This episode was produced and edited by Sarah Burton and Blake Opper. Special thanks to FSM Team for our theme song, "Parkour Introvert." You can get it here: https://www.free-stock-music.com


    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mean-book-club--3199521/support.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 51 mins
  • Where is Joe Merchant by Jimmy Buffett

    Where is Joe Merchant by Jimmy Buffett
    Oct 28 2025
    Where are our Parrot Heads at?! This week we read Where's Joe Merchant by Mr. Margaritaville himself, Jimmy Buffett. Did the plot make sense? No. Did we like the book? Also no. But did Johnna find out that Jimmy Buffett is her most listened to artist on Spotify mid-episode? The answer may surprise you.

    Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast (almost) every Tuesday!

    Here’s the Season 20 reading list:
    1. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
    2. Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld
    3. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
    4. The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
    5. Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Jonson
    6. Beautiful Ugly byAlice Feeneyy
    7. Where is Joe Merchant by Jimmy Buffet
    8. Skipping Christmas by John Grishham

    Send any future book suggestions to meanbookclub@gmail.com! Follow us on the socials @meanbookclub!

    Rate, like, subscribe, and check out our Patreon page at patreon.com/meanbookclub to become a true patron of the mean arts.

    CREDITS: Hosted by Sarah Burton, Clara Morris, Johnna Scrabis, & Sabrina B. Jordan. This episode was produced and edited by Sarah Burton and Blake Opper. Special thanks to FSM Team for our theme song, "Parkour Introvert." You can get it here: https://www.free-stock-music.com



    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mean-book-club--3199521/support.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 31 mins
  • Who Moved my Cheese by Spencer Johnson

    Who Moved my Cheese by Spencer Johnson
    Oct 14 2025
    Personal goals, career goals, squad goals, any and all of it can be considered "The Cheese." But what happens when someone moves the cheese? What wildly oversimplified options do you have? Well Spencer Johnson lays it all out in this tiny little business fable about adapting to change and the very literal rat race.

    Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast (almost) every Tuesday!

    Here’s the Season 20 reading list:
    1. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
    2. Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld
    3. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
    4. The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
    5. Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Jonson
    6. Beautiful Ugly byAlice Feeneyy
    7. Where is Joe Merchant by Jimmy Buffet
    8. Skipping Christmas by John Grishham

    Send any future book suggestions to meanbookclub@gmail.com! Follow us on the socials @meanbookclub!

    Rate, like, subscribe, and check out our Patreon page at patreon.com/meanbookclub to become a true patron of the mean arts.

    CREDITS: Hosted by Sarah Burton, Clara Morris, Johnna Scrabis, & Sabrina B. Jordan. This episode was produced and edited by Sarah Burton and Blake Opper. Special thanks to FSM Team for our theme song, "Parkour Introvert." You can get it here: https://www.free-stock-music.com


    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mean-book-club--3199521/support.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 30 mins
  • "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart w/ David Joseph Craig

    "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart w/ David Joseph Craig
    Sep 16 2025
    Arson, anmesia, and a private island? It's a wonder how this book could be so boring. This week we read "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart and we can't say it enough: JUST WATCH THE TV SHOW!
    Big thanks to our special guest David Joseph Craig who's new film "I Don't Understand You" is now streaming on Hulu. Check it out!

    Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast (almost) every Tuesday!

    Here’s the Season 20 reading list:
    1. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
    2. Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld
    3. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
    4. The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
    5. Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Jonson
    6. Beautiful Ugly byAlice Feeneyy
    7. Where is Joe Merchant by Jimmy Buffet
    8. Skipping Christmas by John Grishham

    Send any future book suggestions to meanbookclub@gmail.com! Follow us on the socials @meanbookclub!

    Rate, like, subscribe, and check out our Patreon page at patreon.com/meanbookclub to become a true patron of the mean arts.

    CREDITS: Hosted by Sarah Burton, Clara Morris, Johnna Scrabis, & Sabrina B. Jordan. This episode was produced and edited by Sarah Burton and Blake Opper. Special thanks to FSM Team for our theme song, "Parkour Introvert." You can get it here: https://www.free-stock-music.com

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mean-book-club--3199521/support.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 35 mins
  • The Plot Against America by Phillip Roth

    The Plot Against America by Phillip Roth
    Sep 14 2025
    An alternate history with family drama, cultural identity, and extremely detailed descriptions of stamps, this week we read "The Plot Against America" by Phillip Roth and what can we say? This book was way too good for our podcast. Special thanks to our patron Miles for foisting this literary classic on us. We enjoyed the break from our usual trash!

    Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast (almost) every Tuesday!

    Here’s the Season 20 reading list:
    1. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
    2. Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld
    3. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
    4. The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
    5. Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Jonson
    6. Beautiful Ugly byAlice Feeneyy
    7. Where is Joe Merchant by Jimmy Buffet
    8. Skipping Christmas by John Grishham

    Send any future book suggestions to meanbookclub@gmail.com! Follow us on the socials @meanbookclub!

    Rate, like, subscribe, and check out our Patreon page at patreon.com/meanbookclub to become a true patron of the mean arts.

    CREDITS: Hosted by Sarah Burton, Clara Morris, Johnna Scrabis, & Sabrina B. Jordan. This episode was produced and edited by Sarah Burton and Blake Opper. Special thanks to FSM Team for our theme song, "Parkour Introvert." You can get it here: https://www.free-stock-music.com

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mean-book-club--3199521/support.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 24 mins
  • "Prep" by Curtis Sittenfeld

    "Prep" by Curtis Sittenfeld
    Sep 2 2025
    Sometimes in life, a special book comes along and embraces you with characters you relate to, a setting that you enjoy, and a plot that exists. This is unfortunately not that book. This week we read "Prep" by Curtis Sittenfeld and good news, we hated it!

    Big thanks to our patron Saroj for making us read this stinker and congratulations to Curtis Sittenfeld for being our first ever three-peat author!

    Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast (almost) every Tuesday!

    Here’s the Season 20 reading list:
    1. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
    2. Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld
    3. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
    4. The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
    5. Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Jonson
    6. Beautiful Ugly byAlice Feeneyy
    7. Where is Joe Merchant by Jimmy Buffet
    8. Skipping Christmas by John Grishham

    Send any future book suggestions to meanbookclub@gmail.com! Follow us on the socials @meanbookclub!

    Rate, like, subscribe, and check out our Patreon page at patreon.com/meanbookclub to become a true patron of the mean arts.

    CREDITS: Hosted by Sarah Burton, Clara Morris, Johnna Scrabis, & Sabrina B. Jordan. This episode was produced and edited by Sarah Burton and Blake Opper. Special thanks to FSM Team for our theme song, "Parkour Introvert." You can get it here: https://www.free-stock-music.com

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mean-book-club--3199521/support.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 17 mins
  • "The Corrections" by Jonathan Franzen

    "The Corrections" by Jonathan Franzen
    Aug 19 2025
    Was it profound or was it pretentious? Is the author a genius or a misogynist? The only thing we know for sure is that a man made love to a couch. Mean Book Club returns for our 20th season with "The Corrections" by Jonathan Franzen. Big thanks to patron of the mean arts, George for generously forcing this behemoth onto us!

    Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast (almost) every Tuesday!

    Here’s the Season 20 reading list:
    1. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
    2. Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld
    3. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
    4. The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
    5. Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Jonson
    6. Beautiful Ugly byAlice Feeneyy
    7. Where is Joe Merchant by Jimmy Buffet
    8. Skipping Christmas by John Grishham

    Send any future book suggestions to meanbookclub@gmail.com! Follow us on the socials @meanbookclub!

    Rate, like, subscribe, and check out our Patreon page at patreon.com/meanbookclub to become a true patron of the mean arts.

    CREDITS: Hosted by Sarah Burton, Clara Morris, Johnna Scrabis, & Sabrina B. Jordan. This episode was produced and edited by Sarah Burton and Blake Opper. Special thanks to FSM Team for our theme song, "Parkour Introvert." You can get it here: https://www.free-stock-music.com

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mean-book-club--3199521/support.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 41 mins