Literary Connections

Melissa Hansen, James Earle, and Kimberly Johnson
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  • BOOKS
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

Staying connected around the world by reading together.

  1. 12/28/2025

    48. A Merry Little Ex-Mas

    This month, James and Melissa take a detour into movies discussing A Merry Little Ex-Mas through themes of gender roles, want vs need, and green worlds. Join us next month for Goodreads Choice YA Fiction Winner (and somehow our first hockey romance book), Fake Skating by Lynn Painter.

    38 min

  2. 12/14/2025

    47. Remain

    Melissa and James discuss Remain by Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan through themes of money, power, and connection. Join us next month for our first movie episode, special for the holidays: A Merry Little Ex-Mas, available on Netflix.

    38 min

  3. 11/16/2025

    46. Katabasis

    Melissa and James discuss R. F. Kuang’s Katabasis through themes of power, motivation, and the hell that is academia. Join us next month for Remain by Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan.

    53 min

  4. 10/03/2025

    45. Atmosphere

    James and Melissa discuss Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Atmosphere through themes of radical acceptance, community versus individuality, and love. Join us next month for Katabasis by R.F. Kuang.

    45 min

  5. 08/24/2025

    44. Sunrise on the Reaping (Hunger Games #0.5)

    Melissa and James discuss Suzanne Collins’ latest Hunger Games prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping, through themes of integrity, the role of government, and human nature. Join us next month for Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

    45 min

  6. 07/01/2025

    43. Great Big Beautiful Life

    Melissa and James discuss Emily Henry’s Great Big Beautiful Life through themes of truth, process, and relationships. Join us next month for Sunrise on the Reaping, the new Hunger Games prequel by Suzanne Collins.

    44 min

  7. 05/18/2025

    42. Colored Television

    James and Melissa discuss Danzy Senna’s Colored Television through themes of categorization, integrity, and a brief detour into American Girl Doll lore. Join us next month for Great Big Beautiful Life, our annual return to Emily Henry.

    43 min

  8. 04/04/2025

    41. The Pairing

    Melissa and James discuss Casey McQuiston’s The Pairing through themes of self-discovery, relationships, and cross-cultural encounters. Spiciness warning for the book itself! Join us next month for Colored Television by Danzy Senna.

    42 min
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About

Staying connected around the world by reading together.

Information

  • Creator
    Melissa Hansen, James Earle, and Kimberly Johnson
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    49
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2021 by Kimberly Johnson
  • Show Website
    Literary Connections