Book Club for Masochists: a Readers’ Advisory Podcast Book Club for Masochists

It’s time for our Spring Media Update episode! We talk about art installations, manga, board games, comics, and birds. So many birds.
You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system.
In this episode
Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | Jam Edwards
Join our Discord Server!
Media We’ve Been Consuming
Jam Quality Assurance in Another World by Masamichi Satō Wingspan (board game designed by Elizabeth Hargrave) Redactle New York Times responds to Only Connect resemblance Anna Meow Wolf Convergence Station Terraria Terraria Ep1 || Mine O'Clock Amanda the Jedi Explaining the Chaotic Disaster of Madame Web Meghan Lisa LeBlanc  Long books :  The Abominable by Dan Simmons (663 pages) Dead Water by C.A. Fletcher (513 pages) The Year of the Locust by Terry Hayes (760 pages) Bungalow Details Interior by Jane Powell Matthew Spy x Family, vol. 1 by Tatsuya Endo Giant Days Library Edition, vol. 1 by by  John Allison, Lissa Treiman, and Max Sarin Birds We Mentioned
Chickadee Emu Cassowary Kākāpō Shoebill Tawny Frogmouth Pesquet's parrot (Dracula Parrot) Kiwi Hawk Pigeon Crow Chicken Links, Articles, and Things
OLA RA in a Day Yotsuba&!, vol. 1 by Kiyohiko Azuma Chiac Acadia Birds Aren’t Real Only Connect Bungalow 12 Political Thrillers by BIPOC Authors
Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.
Rogue Justice by Stacey Abrams The Caretaker by A.X. Ahmad The Opium Prince by Jasmine Aimaq Exceptional Circumstances by James Bartleman The Emperor of Ocean Park by Stephen L. Carter The Sniper by Chang Kuo-Li, translated by Roddy Flag The Executioner’s Game by Gary Hardwick What You Leave Behind by Wanda M. Morris One in the Chamber by Robin Peguero Grant Park by Leonard Pitts Jr. Paper Gods by Goldie Taylor American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson
Give us feedback!
Fill out the form to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our Tumblr, follow us on Instagram, join our Facebook Group or Discord Server, or send us an email!
Join us again on Tuesday, May 7th we’ll be discussing books from Indie Publishers!
Then on Tuesday, June 4th we’ll be discussing non-fiction Pop Culture!

This episode we’re discussing the format of Non-Fiction Graphic Novels & Comics! We talk about what we even mean when we say “non-fiction,” comics vs. graphic novels, art vs. writing, memoirs vs. other stuff, and more. Plus: It’s been over 365 days since our last gorilla attack!
You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system.
In this episode
Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | Jam Edwards
Join our Discord Server!
Things We Read (or tried to…)
Moi aussi je voulais l'emporter by Julie Delporte This Woman's Work by Julie Delporte, translated by Helge Dascher and Aleshia Jensen Sông by Hài-Anh and Pauline Guitton Kimiko Does Cancer by Kimiko Tobimatsu and Keet Geniza Why I Adopted by Husband by Yuta Yagi The Art and Life of Hilma af Klint by Ylva Hillström, translated by Karin Eklund Go to Sleep (I Miss You): Cartoons from the Fog of New Parenthood by Lucy Knisley Nuking Alaska: Notes of an Atomic Fugitive by Peter Dunlap-Shohl My Brain is Different: Stories of ADHD and Other Developmental Disorders by Monzusu, translated by Ben Trethewey The Comic Book Guide to Growing Food: Step-by-Step Vegetable Gardening for Everyone by Joseph Tychonievich and Liz Kozik Other Media We Mentioned
Fun Home by Alison Bechdel Fun Home (musical) (Wikipedia) Maus by Art Spiegelman Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, translated by Mattias Ripa Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud The Essential Dykes To Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel Displacement by Lucy Knisley Pedro and Me: Friendship, Loss, and What I Learned and Judd Winick Melody: Story of a Nude Dancer by Sylvie Rancourt, translated by Helge Dascher Kid Gloves by Lucy Knisley The Mental Load by Emma The Secret to Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel What Is Obscenity?: The Story of a Good for Nothing Artist and Her Pussy by Rokudenashiko Homestar Runner Button Pusher by Tyler Page Last of the Sandwalkers by Jay Hosler Clan Apis by Jay Hosler Ping-pong by Zviane Dumb: Living Without a Voice by Georgia Webber When David Lost His Voice by Judith Vanistendael Blankets by Craig Thompson Smile by Raina Telegmeier Dog Man by Dav Pilkey Sensible Footwear: A Girl's Guide by Kate Charlesworth Links, Articles, and Things
Harvey Pekar (Wikipedia) Joe Sacco (Wikipedia) Japanese adult adoption (Wikipedia) In the name of the queer: Sailor Moon's LGBTQ legacy The Spectre of Orientalism in Craig Thompson’s Habibi Cultural Appropriation in Craig Thompson’s Graphic Novel Habibi 35 Non-fiction Graphic Novels by BIPOC Authors
Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.
This Place: 150 Years Retold Zodiac: A Graphic Memoir by Ai Weiwei with Elettra Stamboulis & Gianluca Costantini Nat Turner by Kyle Baker The Talk by Darrin Bell The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui I’m a Wild Seed by Sharon Lee De la Cruz Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese American by Laura Gao Stamped from the Beginning: A Graphic History of Racist Ideas in America by Joel Christian Gill and Ibram X. Kendi Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts by Rebecca Hall and Hugo Martinez The 500 Years of Resistance Comic Book by Gord Hill Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations by Mira Jacob The American Dream? A Journey on Route 66 Discovering Dinosaur Statues, Muffler Man, and the Perfect Breakfast Burrito: a Graphic Memoir by Shing Yin Khor Banned Book Club by Kim Hyun Sook, Ryan Estrada, and Ko Hyung-Ju In Limbo by Deb J.J. Lee This Country: Searching for Home in (Very) Rural America by Navied Mahdavian Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir by Pedro Martín Monstrous: A Transracial Adoption S

This episode we’re discussing the fiction genre of Dark Fantasy! We talk about horror, grimdark, violence, amoral protagonists, epic fantasy vs small scale fantasy, the importance of tone, and more!
You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system.
In this episode
Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | Jam Edwards
Things We Read (or tried to…)
Berserk by Kentaro Miura (Wikipedia) The Citadel of Fear by Francis Stevens (Gertrude Barrows Bennett) Coraline by Neil Gaiman The Lies of the Ajungo by Moses Ose Utomi Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire Shadowland by Peter Straub Flowers for the Sea by Zin E. Rocklyn Twice Cursed edited by Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane Other Media We Mentioned
Dark Souls (Wikipedia) Elden Ring (WIkipedia) Magic Knight Rayearth by CLAMP Pet Shop of Horrors by Matsuri Akino The Library at Mount Char by  Scott Hawkins The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (Episode 147 - Contemporary Fantasy) Monstress by  Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda (Wikipedia) Ravenloft (Wikipedia) Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher Leech by Hiron Ennes (Episode 184 - Horror) The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw (Episode 176 - Fantasy) Norylska Groans by Michael R. Fletcher and Clayton W. Snyder Porky Pig's Haunted Holiday (Wikipedia) The Sandman by Neil Gaiman and various artists (Wikipedia) Children of Men (Wikipedia) The Children of Men by P.D. James Fables by Bill Willingham and various artists (Wikipedia) Deerskin by Robin McKinley Links, Articles, and Things
Dark fantasy (Wikipedia) Category:Dark fantasy anime and manga Category:Dark fantasy video games Grimdark Magazine 20 Dark Fantasy by BIPOC Authors
Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.
The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi Eleventh Cycle by Kian N. Ardalan To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean Funeral Songs for Dying Girls by Cherie Dimaline The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson  The Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu Babel, or the Necessity of Violence by R. F. Kuang The Changeling by Victor LaValle  Jade City by Fonda Lee She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse Tender Beasts by Liselle Sambury Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir The Lies of the Ajungo by Moses Ose Utomi The First Binding by R.R. Virdi
Give us feedback!
Fill out the form to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our Tumblr, follow us on Instagram, join our Facebook Group, or send us an email!
Join us again on Tuesday, April 2nd we’ll be talking about the format of Non fiction Graphic Novels and Comics!
Then on Tuesday, April 16th we’ll be giving an update on Media we’ve recently enjoyed!

This episode we’re discussing our 2024 Reading Resolutions (and Rants)! We talk about how we’ve already failed our 2024 reading resolutions, audio books, short stories, reading long things, not being able to read long things, and more!
You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system.
In this episode
Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | Jam Edwards
Media We Mentioned
Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline Fraser Born to Be Posthumous: The Eccentric Life and Mysterious Genius of Edward Gorey by Mark Dery War and Peace by Lev Tolstoy (Wikipedia) Anna Karenina by Lev Tolstoy (Wikipedia) Animal Farm by George Orwell (Wikipedia) Stalingrad by Vasily Grossman, translated by Robert Chandler and Elizabeth Chandler The Platform Edge: Uncanny Tales of the Railways edited by Mike Ashley Baldur's Gate 3 (Wikipedia) Yakuza (franchise) (Wikipedia) Feed by M.T. Anderson The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers The Majesties by Tiffany Tsao Minecraft (Wikipedia) Two Point Hospital (Wikipedia) Links, Articles, and Things
Episode 167 (version 2) - 2023 Reading Goals & 2022 Reading Report Which Pokémon are the most goth? 🦇 - Friday Night Spooktacular 2024 Great Graphic Novels for Teens Manga, Manhwa, and Webtoon titles on YALSA's 2024 Great Graphic Novels for Teens List Manga for Teen Librarians (page 26) by Matthew Murray & Jean Broughton Episode 187 - Favourite Reads of 2023 Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong (Podcast) Teacher training programs don't always use research-backed reading methods Literacy crisis in college students: Essay from a professor on students who don’t read  Hark Episode 354: A Special Kind of Horny Topping & Company Booksellers The ladder Matthew mentioned Our Reading Resolutions
Anna Read (and finish) a book Listen to audiobook fiction Jam Reading (physical books) on public transit Matthew Read the books in his office Read (all) the graphic novels on library ebook platform wish lists Read short story collections Meghan Read more (very) long books 30 Romance Books by BIPOC Authors (including 11 new releases from 2024)
Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.
Our Cursed Love by Julie Abe When I Think of You by Myah Ariel (2024) Stay with My Heart by Tashie Bhuiyan (2024)  The Art of Scandal by Regina Black  A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole Ana María and the Fox by Liana De la Rosa The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton (2024) You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest Canto Contigo by Jonny Garza Villa (2024) Drunk on Love by Jasmine Guillory Match Me If You Can by Swati Hegde (2024) An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera D'Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding by Chencia C. Higgins Let Me Love You by Alexandria House The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang (2024) Where We End & Begin by Jane Igharo To Catch a Raven by Beverly Jenkins How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang (2024) That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming Aphrodite and the Duke  by J.J. McAvoy The Marquis Who Mustn't by Courtney Milan The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava (2024) The Lover, the Lake by Virginia Pésémapéo Bordeleau, translated by Susan Ouriou Partners in Crime by Alisha Rai Never Cross a Highlander by Lisa Rayne This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan (2024) The Takeover by Cara Tanamachi  (2024) A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams (2024) Frankly in Love by David Yoon
Give us feedback!
Fill out the form to ask for a recommendation or sugge

This episode we’re discussing the fiction genre of Romantic Comedies! We talk about the difference between “fun” and “funny,” crossover romance genres, cataloguing romance fiction, and more!
You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system.
In this episode
Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | Jam Edwards
Things We Read (or tried to…)
The House Witch by Delemhach A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston  Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake Take Me Home by Lorelie Brown  I Kissed a Girl by Jennet Alexander  The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams Other Media We Mentioned
When Harry Met Sally… (Wikipedia) The Bear (Wikipedia) Nominated for Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy The Martian (Wikipedia) Golden Globes change comedy rules after controversial win for The Martian The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams Beetlejuice (Wikipedia) The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare A Week to be Wicked by Tessa Dare You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston Judgment (video game) Bridgertons Series by Julia Quinn Crazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams A Very Merry Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan Cats (2019 film) (Wikipedia) Links, Articles, and Things
Episode 119: Regency Romance What does a happily ever after look like? (romance novel covers) Sensible Chuckle (Know Your Meme) There Is Only One Bed (TV Tropes) Pop Culture Happy Hour Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! Does the Dog Die? 20 Humorous Romance by BIPOC Authors
Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.
Courting Samira by Amal Awad The Wildest Ride by Marcella Bell A Proposal They Can't Refuse by Natalie Caña Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband? by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria Game On by Seressia Glass Manhattan Dreaming by Anita Heiss Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert A Dash of Salt and Pepper by Kosoko Jackson Much Ado about Nada by Uzma Jalaluddin Serena Singh Flips the Script by Sonya Lalli The Stand-Up Groomsman by Jackie Lau Booked on a Feeling by Jayci Lee  The Secret to a Southern Wedding by Synithia Williams Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne Tastes Like Shakkar by Nisha Sharma The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa The Donut Trap by Julie Tieu 
Give us feedback!
Fill out the form to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our Tumblr, follow us on Instagram, join our Facebook Group, or send us an email!
Join us again on Tuesday, February 20th we’ll be talking about our reading resolutions for 2024! 
Then on Tuesday, March 5th we’ll be discussing the genre of Dark Fantasy!

All aboard! This episode we’re discussing the non-fiction genre of Transportation and Transit! We talk trains, buses, bicycles, spaceships, and more!
You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system.
In this episode
Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | Jam Edwards
Things We Read (or tried to…)
The Art of the Locomotive by Ken Boyd Iron Empires: Robber Barons, Railroads, and the Making of Modern America by Michael Hiltzik Ghost Train (four part podcast by Denver Public Radio) Transit Maps of the World: The World's First Collection of Every Urban Train Map on Earth by Mark Ovenden Transit Maps of the World: Expanded and Updated Edition of the World's First Collection of Every Urban Train Map on Earth by Mark Ovenden Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town by Charles L. Marohn Jr. Canadarm and Collaboration: How Canada’s Astronauts and Space Robots Explore New Worlds by Elizabeth Howell Links between two cities: historic bridges between Ottawa and Hull by Lucien Brault.  Other Media We Mentioned
The Platform Edge: Uncanny Tales of the Railways by Mike Ashley Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie Orient Express by Graham Greene Maiden Railways by Asumiko Nakamura Heaven's Design Team, Vol. 1 by Hebi-Zou, Tsuta Suzuki, and Tarako For 2 Weeks, Switzerland Has A Rail Replacement Helicopter Vancouver's Expo Line 1990 vs 2020 Mini Metro Soviet Bus Stops by Christopher Herwig There’s a documentary movie! Soviet Metro Stations by Christopher Herwig How To F#€k Up An Airport (five part podcast by Radio Spaetkauf) Some YouTube channels and videos about trains and transport things: CityNerd Not Just Bikes Stroads are Ugly, Expensive, and Dangerous (and they're everywhere) Crossing the Street Shouldn't Be Deadly (but it is) (See the building Anna and Matthew used to live in!) RMTransit The Tim Traveller This New LA Metro Station Should be PACKED - Here’s Why It’s Not Denver’s Transit System is Problematic Freight Trains: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments by David Foster Wallace Links, Articles, and Things
Note to self: Make “derail” joke about conversation going off topic. Train_Station-Katowice_Poland.wav by jgrzinich Rail replacement bus service (Wikipedia) Slow television (Wikipedia) “It was popularised in the 2000s by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK), beginning with the broadcast of a 7-hour train journey in 2009.” Fort Collins Trolley ‘I am done’: Amid rider woes, is Ottawa’s transit system a victim of its own success? Heritage Minutes: Avro Arrow 12 Transit/Automotive/Planes/Trains/Boats books by BIPOC Authors
Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.
Traveling Black: A Story of Race and Resistance by Mia Bay Driving the Green Book: A Road Trip Through the Living History of Black Resistance by Alvin Hall Empire's Tracks: Indigenous Nations, Chinese Workers, and the Transcontinental Railroad by Manu Karuka Bicycle/Race: Transportation, Culture, & Resistance by Adonia E. Lugo Making a Chaputs: The Teachings and Responsibilities of a Canoe Maker by Joe Martin with Alan Hoover Taxi!: Cabs and Capitalism in New York City by Biju Mathew Crash Course: If You Want To Get Away With Murder Buy a Car by Woodrow Phoenix Colored Travelers: Mobility and the Fight for Citizenship Before the Civil War by Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor Why Flying Is Miserable: And How to Fix It by Ganesh Sitaraman Driving While Black: African American Travel and the Road to Civil Rights by Gretchen Sorin Overground Railroad: T