11 episodes
Turek Books Podcast Ninth Planet Audio
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- Comedy
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4.9 • 57 Ratings
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We’re never going to have enough time to read all the books we want, but hearing about them from an interesting person is its own valid form of experiencing their stories. Turek Books invites comedians and writers on as guests to grab a few books off their shelves that they really want to tell the world about.
The compelling nature of chatting about the books we read becomes a springboard to revealing ourselves. The show’s subject matter ranges from inspirational favorites to petty grievances with all kinds of layers peeled back in between. Mostly, each guest returns to the good reads, those ones we can’t forget that rattle our souls for the better.
Joshua Turek is a comedian, poet, and factotum whose viral rants on social media have found a home talking about his great passion of reading books. Turek Books Podcast, because all the clever names were already taken.
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Love in the Time of Tolstoy with Jeff Loveness
"Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" writer Jeff Loveness (Rick and Morty, Jimmy Kimmel Live) brings our biggest stack of books yet and talks with Joshua about everything from Anthony Bourdain books to the Teenage Bible. He and Joshua bring the same final novel of Tolstoy, "Resurrection" and joke about the time they bro'd out at the Alamo Theater and watched the emotionally heavy movie "Past Lives". Joshua also gives a sneak peek at his soon to be released poetry book "On the Outside Looking Up" and reads two book recommendations written in from listeners of the show!
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The Joy of Trees and Spider Aliens with Kurt Braunohler
“Bananas Podcast” co-host and voice on BOB’S BURGERS, stand up comedian, Kurt Braunohler joins Joshua to talk about how his kids read more than him by virtue of them exhausting him. The two discuss their shared love of trees prompted by book “The Overstory” that Kurt says is one of his all time favorites even if he hasn’t finished it yet. Their conversation ranges from a book about dishwashing to imagining Raymond Carver’s stories as cartoonishly overwritten without his famed editor Gordon Lisch. They also discuss the stunted feelings of the cursed white male rugged individualists and CIA interference in U.S. art institutions and literature. Ultimately, it’s about reading what you love, no matter if it’s spiders in outer space science fiction or 70’s NYC musician junkie memoirs.
Books talked about include:
“What People Talk About When They Talk About Love” by Raymond Carver
“The Overstory” by Richard Powers
“Dishwasher” by Pete Jordan
“I Dreamed I was a Very Clean Tramp” by Richard Hell
“Children of Time” by Adrian Tchaikovsky
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"Life Wants You Dead" with Evan Waite
“Family Guy” writer/producer Evan Waite joins Turek Books to talk about his time writing for “The Onion” and his new book “Life Wants You Dead”. Evan and Joshua bond over used book sales at libraries and avoiding social media witch hunts. Evan talks about how reading “48 Laws of Power” was the impetus to creating a writer’s group at the Strand Bookstore in New York City. He also discusses making the leap from teaching English in China to finding his way into comedy writing. And how he drew inspiration in penning his book about fear from a book about the inner workings of New York City.
Books talked about include:
THE WORKS: ANATOMY OF A CITY by Kate Ascher
LIFE WANTS YOU DEAD by Evan Waite
THE STENCH OF HONOLULU by Jack Handy
WATCHMEN by Alan Moore
FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS by Hunter S. Thompson
AMERICA by Jon Stewart and team
IS THIS ANYTHING? by Jerry Seinfeld
48 LAWS OF POWER by Robert Greene
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Every Book is a New York Times Bestseller with Ali Macofsky
Comedian Ali Macofsky joins Joshua to talk about both being child actors and Jeanette McCurdy’s bestselling book about that life “I’m Glad My Mom is Dead”. Longtime friends, they discuss growing up in Southern California and Steve Martin being a magician at Disneyland. Their conversation threads through subjects like public transportation, stand up comedy, old substance slang like “crank”, and reaching out to people you admire on Instagram.
Books Talked About Include:
“Born Standing Up” by Steve Martin
“I’m Glad My Mom is Dead” by Jeanette McCurdy
“The Maid” by Nita Prose
“Crank (Trilogy) by Ellen Hopkins
“Trees of Santa Monica” by George Hastings
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A Fine Cry, Long and Loud with Ellory Smith
Emmy nominated writer and comedian Ellory Smith joins us to talk about being a George Saunders superfan and trying to identify the hypocrisy of the world as a means of illuminating a better one. She and Joshua get into conspiracy theories about hippies and PETA, Toni Morrison and Magic Bullet blenders. Their conversation ranges from nature reclaiming Chernobyl to the graffiti artists doing the same to the abandoned high rises in downtown LA. This conversation skips the small talk and goes right into grief, the world’s problems, and how literature gets us into reflecting on what’s right and wrong in our own lives.
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Hotter Before Social Media but Cooler After Elmore Leonard with JT Parr
Joshua is joined by comedian and stoke activist JT Parr from Chad and JT Go Deep on Netflix, a comedic duo known for their amazing viral videos, often addressing city councils across America with urgent pleas for services like public yachts. Beneath his comedic characters, JT is lowkey well-read. He and Joshua discuss Elmore Leonard, life before social media, David Foster Wallace after cancellation, Mary Karr's devastating poem about DFW, JFK's legendary status, and learning to own our issues and apologize for past mistakes as bullies and the ones bullied. Joshua talks about a Terry Tempest Williams book that made him cry for 3-5 seconds the night before and a photo book about bros he bought his girlfriend for Christmas.
Books Discussed Include:
CUBA LIBRE by Elmore Leonard
THE GREAT MOVIES by Roger Ebert
JFK: COMING OF AGE IN THE AMERICAN CENTURY 1917-1956 by Fredrik Logevall
JOE COLLEGE by Tom Perrotta
EROSION by Terry Tempest Williams
AMERICAN BACHELORS by Michael Rababy
INFINITE JEST, A SUPPOSEDLY FUN THING I'll NEVER DO AGAIN, BROOM OF THE SYSTEM etc by David Foster Wallace
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Customer Reviews
Five Stars
I’m becoming convinced Josh deliberately mixes the audio to be nearly unlistenable on car speakers in an attempt to get us off the roads. Five stars.
My new favorite
As someone who listens to a lot of book and reading podcasts, this one has quickly become my new favorite. It’s smart and touching and funny, and feels like listening to your smartest friends tell you a little about a book they’ve read. It’s increased my TBR pile for sure, but it doesn’t make you feel pressured to read them all. Sometimes I’ll hear a great little nugget or quote, and I enjoy turning it over in my mind without having read the book. Tough to explain, so just give it a try!
ITS GOOD
I wish I read more but sadly my attention span is very 2024, thankfully I now have Josh’s podcast to enlighten me about books I should read. I love hearing people talk about books. So far my favorite ep has been Chris Estrada. Book people can be so precious and serious and I love that Josh is talking to comedians about books, because it ends up feeling casual and approachable. Josh has a great radio voice.
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