Lit Lit: Recent Episodes
Lit Lit
A podcast where we read books sober and talk about them drunk and sometimes fight to the death. Hosted by Andrew Klema and Dani Burford.
Dani left Andy behind and went to Bali. A 19 hour direct flight is the perfect time for a LOTR movie marathon. Bali is such an amazing, beautiful island! NEVER get buried in sand… even if they say it's relaxing. Sean is NOT a fan of geckos. And did the cats miss Dani? Maybe…
Dani and Andy get yolked out. Andy is actually Poopman. Dani’s only-child life REALLy shines here. This book might curse more than us… Do subtle throughlines with a big impact work? And does Andy actually hate his sister…
Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi
Andy and Dani fall in love in a small town… unbelievable. What’s even more unbelievable is that Andy LIKED THIS BOOK. This is a huge win for Dani and she will remember this forever. Anway, we’re back and maybe Dani can convince Andy to only read romcoms forever?
Funny Story by Emily Henry
Andy and Dani go to the beach. Dani derails this episode VERY quickly. What element would make the best bed? What makes a beach read a beach read? And then we obviously descend into the unfair standards of sex in male-gaze books vs female-gaze books.
Andy and Dani go to Spain. Dani learns what goes into a cannon besides a cannonball. Andy once again knows WAY more about history. Jurassic Park and National Treasure are actually very similar, and Dani figures out what her superhero origin story is.
Sharpe’s Eagle by Bernard Cornwell
Andy and Dani take home the gold. The Olympics might be over but we still have some words to say about it… well, mostly just soccer but whatever. The goalkeepers should have their own gold medals. Gymnastics is always insane. Ummmm and the basketball games… wild.
Andy and Dani talk about whales and absolutely NOTHING else. What drink would Whale Fall be? Fetishizing rural living. Men still suck. Bitch, my hands smell like fish. And as always please don’t marry your cousin.
Whale Fall: A Novel by Elizabeth O’Connor
Andy and Dani plan their perfect meal. If, for some reason, we descend into an apocalyptic world where food is scarce and we are living totally differently, what meal would you miss the most?
Andy and Dani finish another series. Again… why is she getting captured ALL THE TIME? We got basically every prediction wrong… and we rewrote the whole plot to get through this final book.
The Dragon and Jin-Sayeng
Andy and Dani talk about balls… soccer balls. Get your mind out of the gutter but get ready to put it back in there. Which teams were we most excited to watch during Copa and Euro tournaments? Which players do we like the most?
Andy and Dani continue with their bitch queen. So…, it turns out we are not liking this book. WHY IS SHE ALWAYS GETTING CAPTURED?! WHY IS SHE A QUEEN?! HOW COULD THIS BOOK END OK? We answer all of these questions very thoughtfully and not spitefully.
The Ikessar Falcon by V.S. Villoso
Andy and Dani escape an assassination attempt. We started our Summer Series! Do we like it? We don’t know yet. Do we trust the author? Um, we’ll get back to you. Is there any smut? No. No there is not. Did we forget to make predictions and now have to drink double? Yes. Yes, we do.
Chronicles of the Bitch Queen by K.S. Villoso
Andy and Dani ask friendship questions. Once again we find out that Andy and Dani are, in fact, "Not Really Strangers." Does Andy give off drummer energy? More importantly, we come up with a band name… A.P.BR… and then Dani descends into branding madness.
Andy and Dani go to Paris. Dani gets all English Major-y and Andy does too? Could this be one of the best books ever written? Absolutely. Will this book take a lot of emotional bandwidth? Most definitely. Is this book worth reading? 100 times, yes.
Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
Andy and Dani FINALLY talk about how old Andy is. It’s Andy’s Bday Little Lit which means he gets to talk about anything he wants, and you know what this man wanted to talk about… that’s right the age difference between him and Dani.
Andy and Dani take a trip down memory lane. A long, long, long time ago Andy was in his 20’s and he really liked a book, so we read it. Does it still hold up? Is Andy more hipstery than he thinks? Can you tell who wrote this description? Oh ya, and happy birthday, Andy.
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
Andy and Dani discuss dates. Dani allows herself to be completely dragged through the dirt as she attempts to accurately date MAJOR events in world history. Does she do better than she thinks she will? Does Andy destroy Dani’s hopes for ever being called smart again?
Andy and Dani talk generational trauma? Is this the best book we’ve read this year? Maybe… Does this book have a SUPER happy ending? Maybe… Do we believe in characters being good and bad and complex? Never.
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Andy and Dani talk about books for young people. But first, let’s talk about fidgets. Andy and Dani get heated about what YA and NA books are. Andy will not be fooled by these naming conventions. What do 13-year-olds care about nowadays… we’ll never know.
Andy and Dani go back to high school. Join the world of YA or NA or whatever you want to say. Never trust the hot hockey player… unless he says, “Trust me. I’m a good guy.” Also don’t trust your half-brother’s Mom. Also absolutely DO NOT trust any Dad.
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Andy and Dani visit Arrakis. Dani is hardcore gaslit by Dune… and maybe Andy. Christopher Walken can only play Christopher Walken. Side stuff comes across better in books than in movies. How long would this movie be without all the desert shots? These costumes are amazing and yes the movie is awesome.
Andy and Dani talk about octopuses. Are high-concept sci-fi books better for conversations? A lot is going on here…. What has 8 legs and MURDERS people? When does AI become human? And why is there so much edging?
The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler
Andy and Dani talk about the Pitts. What is the best chain restaurant? Did Dani have the best sandwich of her life? How many dad jokes are too many? Obviously, the coolest thing about Pittsburgh is… the aviary. And Andy is NOT special.
Andy and Dani talk about time travel, and is everything a simulation? What would you do if a time traveler told you to leave everything and go home… Well, Andy would need some serious proof… and Dani would need absolutely nothing.
Andy and Dani play an April Fools' joke that completely and utterly backfires. Why did we decide to read the third book in this series? We don’t know… Did we enjoy it? No. Will we read the other books eventually? Unfortunately, yes.
Entwined with You by Sylvia Day
Andy and Dani talk about GoT. Reading these books in a fever dream. Is the Hodor storyline worth it? GoT got Dani out of her English major book slump. What if Jon Snow ends up being a bad guy in the books… ooooo ahhhh.
Andy and Dani cast A Gentleman in Moscow. Dani gets one of the cast members right and she’s certainly proud. We’re definitely breaking the actor budget for this one… Who has the better cast? Which character did they choose the same person for? And who is actually casted for the show?
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Andy and Dani get some etiquette training. Dani has to look up what words mean so many times, Andy has BIG issues with aristocracy… is he actually a prince? Don’t miss Andy’s alternate ending and what if the Count was played by Tom Cruise.
Andy and Dani share what they really think of each other. Dani forces Andy to play the card game We’re Not Really Strangers and they find out they are in fact not really strangers. Basically Dani just wants Andy to say nice things about her… but does it work?
The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary
Andy and Dani talk about falling in love with your roommate. Do these people ever take a day off of work? Was this book about a very cute love story? Yes. Did we end up talking about abusive ex for nearly 80% of the episode? Also, yes. But we PROMISE this book is lovely and cute!
Andy, Dani and Jason talk about their relationships with religion. Some of this stuff is absolutely crazy… no really, like how did these things happen. Creation stories are wild, what is a cult checklist, and communion crackers are pretty tasty.
If you want to support Jason, which you should, head over to his site to purchase Hell Is a World Without You.
Jason Kirk Book Site: https://www.jasonkirk.fyi/p/novel
Jason Kirk About site: https://www.jasonkirk.fyi/about
Past episodes with Jason:
Hot Al Gore
Interstellar Edging
Hell Is a World Without You by Jason Kirk
Andy and Dani very professionally interview Jason Kirk, author of Hell Is a World Without You. Note that this episode is full of spoilers, but you should listen anyway because we also get to ask Jason a ton of cool questions like “how many surprises did you have writing this?” and “what was a scene that didn’t make the final edit but you loved.” Also how many times do you think Dani nervously says “like”...
To support Jason head over to his site to purchase Hell Is a World Without You. Even cooler 100% of proceeds will go to the Trevor Project for books bought before 2/17/2024.
Jason Kirk Book Site: https://www.jasonkirk.fyi/p/novel
Jason Kirk About site: https://www.jasonkirk.fyi/about
Past episodes with Jason:
Hot Al Gore
Interstellar Edging
Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee
Andy and Dani finish the series. How did Andy make the right predictions? Can the last book in a trilogy ever be the best? These character arcs are NEXT level, ummm this Tar guy is killing it… literally, missed opportunities, and please don’t give either of us jade.
Andy and Dani rank all the series they’ve read from favorite to least favorite. Don’t worry Shadow and Bone is DEFINITELY number 1. Did Andy admit that he likes Blood and Ash? And where did Green Bones Saga place?
Andy and Dani try to talk about ensemble characters. Do we get immediately derailed from our topic, yes. Do we find our way back to the topic, kinda? Do we then get even more off topic after that, you bet we do! And Boba Fett is hot dammit!
Jade War by Fonda Lee
Andy and Dani walk into a jade war. We really messed up on some of these predictions, the way time works in this series is wild, there is some SHADY stuff going down, Daddy Hilo, how many more predictions can we mess up?
Andy and Dani talk about fraudulent friendships and 2024. What books do we have coming up for the first few months, Ludacris fantasies, a lull in weddings, and we’re going to be REALLY professional in 2024.
Jade City by Fonda Lee
Andy and Dani talk about precious stones. Will this New Year series make up for the absolute trash series we last read? These are some really intense sibling dynamics, we would be utterly terrible family members in this book, and get ready for some wild predictions.
Andy and Dani talk about their top 3 books of the year! Did we pick the same favorite books? Did Andy read 1,000 more books than Dani? Will Dani ever stop reading smutty fantasy?
Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
Andy and Dani talk about leaving Christmas behind. Well everyone… we still haven’t found a good holiday book… but was this worse than Mr. Dickens and his Carol? It might just be. Also what’s wrong with wanting to take a cruise over Christmas? Dani is in fact an idiot.
Andy and Dani talk 2023 faves… but not books. Honestly, we really only talk about music, and a little bit about TV, and then only Andy talks about sports. Naturally, Andy agrees with all of Dani’s top TV choices. We do spiral towards the end… sorry?
Terrace Story: A Novel by Hilary Leichter
Andy and Dani talk about a terrace. Do you want to cry? And not like a cute cry but an “oh shit this is feeling like a lot of feelings” cry? Cool.. so did we. Oh, and also be very careful who you go on a terrace with.
Andy and Dani talk all about Dani. Dani got married… kinda? Listen for the best wedding advice you’ll ever receive, are live bands worth it, how to properly use an open bar, and everyone has the best time at The Burren.
If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery
Andy and Dani finally finish a book. Once again we have another f*cked up story, but a really good story. The moral of the story is don’t go out on a boat with your dad… or don’t go out on a boat with anyone. And definitely don’t answer any weird Craigslist ads.
Andy and Dani get questioned… hypothetically. Special guest, Sean, submits unhinged hypothetical questions. Could we beat up 4th graders? Could we exit a room with laser beams? Would we fight Goofy? Are we friends with T-Pain? And obviously we would both survive in the show Naked and Afraid… right?
Rouge by Mona Awad
Andy and Dani get a little blush. It happened everyone… We finally did it… We read a GREAT book. No seriously we could cry. Maybe we already did. Come enter the super creepy, culty, collagen filled beauty book with us.
Andy and Dani find Balance. Who cries first... well actually do we ever stop crying. How soon is too soon to start re-listening to Balance? Are happy endings better than sad endings?
Soul of Ash and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Andy and Dani have survived… for now. Guys don't worry it gets better... Have you ever loved a series so much that you were happy the 5th book in that book series was just the 1st book all over again?!? No? SAME. And also… Why is she doing this to us?
Dani also HATES feet, are time loops worth it, no answers for Mom, building trust between characters, and Andy and Dani are in their own Suffering Game.
Andy and Dani continue to suffer. Ok but like what happened to the writing here… A VERY chaste threesome, the history of nonhistory, stop giving the villain EXACTLY what she’s asking for, so EVERYONE dies and then NO ONE dies… cool.
Andy and Dani talk about The Adventure Zone… again. STOP ASKING QUESTIONS, allowing characters to be themselves, not forcing a storyline, Death as a person, showing the story instead of just telling, doing what your character would do and not what you would.
The War of Two Queens by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Andy and Dani continue on. What the heck is happening here, so like… does anyone remember their history, maybe people should START ASKING SOME QUESTIONS, where are all these mythical creatures coming from, also VIKTER VIKTOR, and Andy makes a FIRE prediction.
Andy and Dani talk about The Adventure Zone. Figuring out when the larger story started, how to come up with good names, using different voices for different characters, when a story turns into a psychological thriller, and don’t do what Dani did.
The Crown of Gilded Bones by Jennifer L Armentrout
Andy and Dani talk about Queens. Confrontations with EVERYONE, does the sex work in this series, there is so much lore to keep track of, do we cared who died, and predictions…
Andy and Dani talk soccer. The time difference was ROUGH, favorite goals, favorite teams to watch, and should we go to the next World Cup?
The Crown of Gilded Bones by Jennifer L Armentrout
Andy and Dani talk about beastiality? Types of books that need to be read quickly, yooooo Alistair though, why does Cas seem so not powerful, once you marry someone then you love them, step-by-step Ikea instructions for bj’s, do we care about these characters yet, and what the hell is Poppy?
Andy and Dani get hypothetical… and very inappropriate. If you could own any movie prop what would it be? If your toilet was sentient… would you prefer it craved your bodily waste or hated you for it? And assuming you get the best version of it… what are your three favorite fruits?
From Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L Armentrout
Andy and Dani talk will they, won't they. Did you know love tastes like strawberries? When the hell is this threesome? Can we maybe keep one person alive so we can ask some questions?! Dani really wants to touch the mist. And we’re taking some BIG swings about Alistair in our predictions.
Andy and Dani talk about their favorite fictional couples. Andy is throwing SHADE, Dani is bringing the HEAT, and will we ever agree on good movies? Absolutely not.
Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Andy and Dani talk about burning loins. Will they ever leave New Haven? Everything is VERY nefarious. Viktor 2.0. You gotta love a good fight scene. Of course we have some preDICKtions! AND did we just figure out what happens the rest of the series?
Andy and Dani get trope-y. What tropes do we just HATE to love? Will Dani ever stop reading fantasy romance? Is Andy the sacrificial mentor?
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L Armentrout
Andy and Dani get acquainted with tall hot men. Did Andy actually say he thought this book wasn’t half bad? Is Dani into lacrosse guys? Will Poppy survive this big, tall, throbbing, hot wolf man? Does any of this make sense? Probably not… but we’re having fun and that's all that matters, dammit.
Andy and Dani talk about grammar. Did anyone know that Andy is particular about his language? Clippy is a bad friend. Andy literally hates everything about the word “literally.” Dani will continue to put hundreds of exclamation points in all of her emails. Does language even matter? Why do these sounds mean anything?
Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
Andy and Dani talk about furniture stores. Dani starts off with unhinged behavior, we’ve decided on a new drinking game for Andy, quickly moving between book genres, does highbrow noir work, successfully tying in cultural experiences, is this book grimy enough, and could Dani do petty crime?
Lives of the Monster Dogs by Kristen Bakis
Andy and… Ryan Nanni, from Shutdown Fullcast, talk about dogs. Are you guys ready for a really realistic story about frankensteined dogs in top hats? Andy once again thinks about his own mortality and death, maybe don’t kill your step brother, welcome to the dog opera, trading in dogs for the modern models, and how many times do you think Dani wanted to chime in listening back to this?
Check out Ryan’s podcast Shutdown Fullcast! It’s awesome!
Andy and Dani talk about working collaboratively. Andy keeps trying to end the podcast, don’t take things personally, could Lit Lit have gone a different direction, getting drunk as a chore, and will Andy and Dani switch their roles?
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Andy and Dani talk about building video games? Well we really don’t know how to build video games but after reading this maybe we do… nope… we don’t. Is this book a top contender? Who is the main character? And how heavy can a book about video games be? Spoiler alert: VERY.
Andy and Dani see each other… in person, but also forget to record? Minneapolis got a small taste of the amount of beer we can drink together, Dani shows Andy her fave local spots, Andy gets smoked in Mario Kart, Dani wins all the stars, and we actually watched a movie?
The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa
Andy and Dani talk about forgetting things. Ok this book is creepy, but you know what’s creepier… the book within this book. No, seriously, it's like really weird. What things would we want to disappear… obviously hangovers, and what would be the worst thing to disappear?
Andy and Dani watch Blade Runner: The Final Cut. Andy is forced against his will to watch something other than Guy’s Grocery Games, Dani has an existential crisis about cell phones, Rutger Hauer can really pull off jean shorts, and will Andy and Dani write a book?
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K. Dick
Andy and Dani talk about AI. Dani verbally attacks Andy’s sense of humor, the terrible year of 2019, there are soooo many furbies in this book, small mousy actors, how many books pass the Bechdel test, and this podcast was made 100% by morons.
Andy and Dani give D&D updates. Dani gives updates on her first campaign, how dare these players break the rules, getting stuck in time loops, rolling nat 20’s, learning how to change directions without changing the end goal, and EVERYONE will cry.
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
Andy and Dani talk about goblin politics. In case you were wondering, Dani did not win the lottery, authors that are good at showing not telling, will Andy ever not interrupt, SUCH good politicking, and would a good person make a good ruler, could they stay a good person?
Andy and Dani talk about their time in the service industry. Not having to make mixed drinks is superior, did anyone know that Dani was an extrovert, new restaurants and new pain points, should Andy and Dani open up a restaurant together… DO NOT STEAL THE IDEA or else…
Less is Lost by Andrew Sean Greer
Andy and Dani talk about the Walloons. This episode is unhinged, Jon we’re talking about you, love is so temperamental, situationships, if I was Freddy’s friend... favorite scenes, and of course they end with talking about blowing jobs…
Andy and Dani talk about March Madness. March Madness more like March Sadness…. Ha…. anyway Andy loves the chaos of basketball, Dani knows absolutely nothing about basketball including what mascots are involved, and finally we get the answer to “Is Andy a shitty sports guy?”
Andy and Dani talk about what’s not theirs. Dani’s english major brain pops off in this episode while Andy’s polisci brain is keeping up? This collection of short stories is a vibe with roughly 1 million motifs, fairy tales, and a few really creepy puppets. Oh… and would not recommend THC before reading.
Andy and Dani talk about legends and folklore? Let’s just start off by saying, “Dani did not read the assignment.” Have you ever wanted to learn close to nothing about The Jersey Devil, Jove, the story of Pan, Orpheus, or The Jew Among Thorns? Good, because that’s all we have for you.
The Long Ship by Frans G. Bengtsson
Andy and Dani get on a boat? Ok… no we didn’t get on a boat, but this has boats in it, so whatever. Andy wants to be in Slipknot, WHERE’S the damn dialogue, a little party break in England, how hot is Orm, Ludmilla rocks, Daddy Willibald, and the most insane names.
Andy and Dani talk about a REALLY healthy relationship. Eva has a super hot cop daddy, and a super hot rich mom, and a super hot best friend... oh and she's super hot. Murder? But besides that, will Brett sneak his way into Eva's heart, will Eva and Gideon make it, will Andy ever forgive Dani for making him read this series... probably not, but at least they recovered the original audio and didn't have to talk about this book twice.
It finally happened. We lost the audio to our Lit Lit, but fear not! We have our Little Lit to share and will be uploading the Lit Lit next week.
Anyway...Finally the show you've obviously been waiting for. All of the questions you’ve ever had about Andy’s love life are being answered. Is he in a "love" relationship? A "lust" relationship? A TERRIBLE relationship? We’ll never know… well that’s not exactly true… listen to Andy dissect the intricacies of intimacy with a little “relationship” quiz as Dani dies laughing.
Check out Andy’s blog! Books I read in 2022
Andy and Dani talk video games. Are card games a millennial thing, PC games vs gaming systems, Guitar Hero and bringing the pinky, Turtles in Time, Andy LOVES Path of Exile, watching someone play video games, Mario Kart, and Grandma’s Boy did not land.
The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
Andy and Dani finish the Mistborn Trilogy. Warranted on-screen deaths, listen to The Adventure Zone, rapid fire reveals, what did Dani see coming, sad boi Sazed, Andy’s favorite breadcrumbs, an illiterate God, dogs who have backpacks, and favorite characters.
Andy and Dani ask each other “friend questions.” Are they superstitious, knocking on wood, spring time vs fall, have you ever had a friend before type question, what do you do when no one else is around, Hotel Dani, embarrassing moments, and worst dates.
Andy and Dani talk about some mist. Are second books in trilogies better, will they won’t they romances, WHY IS NO ONE LOOKING FOR THE SPY, super hot boy Zane, favorite scene, predictions, and Dani and Andy really want to touch lava.
Andy and Dani talk their fave things of 2022. Obviously the World Cup, Dani’s got engaged, what makes someone an adult, MUSIC, like really good music, what’s on tv, booo Henry Cavill, everyone needs a good cry, and is Andy fired?
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
Andy and Dani talk metal. Dani swears she’s not dumb, books between young adult and adult, choosing certain ages of characters, did this magic system work, making predictions, and what actor would play Kelsier?
Andy and Dani give their top 3 books. Having an email with AOL, was this a good year for books, a lot of honorable mentions, not upset just disappointed, Dani gets mad at Andy, what the author set out to do vs their execution, and 2 Bared 2 You.
Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman
Andy and Dani talk the plague. Christian horror, River Monsters, creatures with human hands, losing your glasses during the apocalypse, killing characters off perfectly, casting this book as a movie, and of course a movie where Cate Blanchett plays everyone.
Andy and Dani talk the men’s World Cup. The “oh no I’m getting old hangover,” streaming vs live games, camaraderie in airport bars, women’s World Cup, favorite goals, favorite matches, favorite players, and obviously who will win bets.
Left Behind: The Kids by Jerry B. Jenkins & Tim LaHaye
Andy and Dani are joined this week by Jason Kirk, co-host of podcasts Vacation Bible School and Shutdown Fullcast. This book is TERRIBLE, which kid got it the worst, getting wild at trailer park parties, the antichrist’s hot flight attendant, Jason explains why we would all miss the rapture, and we cannot stress this enough this book is terrible.
Andy and Dani talk Dungeons and Dragons. World building, The Adventure Zone, Dani is REALLY into being a DM, playing who your character is instead of yourself, Andy obviously has backstabbing bonuses, how to introduce strong monsters, and we all love a little role play.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Andy and Dani talk afterlives? It’s Dani’s damn birthday, the famous two sentence summary, Andy has THEORIES, would you want to go into new lives, what do Andy and Dani’s books of regret look like, and of course girl scout cookies.
Andy and Dani talk politics? Does Dani know anything about politics? Probably not. Does Andy? Probably. Doing your political homework, not being old enough to vote, Dr. Oz HAS to do a charisma check, third party voting, and are political tv ads the hallmark movies of advertising?
Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead by Sara Gran
Andy and Dani read a mystery. Dani is unhinged this whole episode, is this white savior-y, guys who don’t wear socks with loafers, detectives who know everything, Andy spills beer everywhere, new characters at the end of a mystery, who would play Claire DeWitt?
SPOILERS
Andy and Dani finish talking about House of the Dragon. World class acting, did side characters hold the same weight, what if Vhagar gobbled with her turkey neck, did Alicent believe Viserys, Aegon looks like Gerard Way, there are always too many men, show us your feet, and favorite scenes.
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
Andy and Dani read a horror book. Carving pumpkins is annoying, Jigsaw had a bad day at Sephora, slow burn horror, was this all just a bad shroom trip, scary books with happy endings, and of course Gilmore Girls.
Andy and Dani talk about spooooooooky season. Andy is a fancy boi, coming up with new Halloween candies, spooky decorations, trick-or-treating with drunk parents, top 3 animated Disney movies, favorite Halloween candy, and lime skittles vs. green apple skittles.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Andy and Dani read about WWII. Titanic framing, reading different character chapters as different books, don't pick on the girl with hot pink hair, men really are that dumb, Andy reveals a terrible secret, who else googled what the Pyrenees mountains looked like, big pay off in Paris.
Andy and Dani talk about modern myth and folklore… kind of. Dani stans scooters, palm pilots were just fancy Etch A Sketches, it was in fact Matt Damon, go play The Wolf Among Us, Shrek is amazing, FernGully is way better than Avatar, and take to the streets to find your local folklore.
Andy and Dani talk Polish folklore. Dani brings absolute chaos, so many sex jokes, rule 34, VERY accurate descriptions of characters, fantastical but also true, changing locations for subplot, and everyone actually just has scurvy.
Andy and Dani talk about House of the Dragon… can you believe it?! Andy absolutely, without a doubt loves Renaissance Fairs, these costumes are awesome, pretty petty girls, can we trust the writers yet, how small is too small of a detail to mean something.
The Sandman by Neil Gaiman
Andy and Dani talk comics with their friend, Angela. Learning how to read comics, favorite volumes, Death is a jooob, warm beer will ALWAYS be bad, which of the Endless would you be, and of course Florence Pugh vs Olivia Wilde.
Andy and Dani ask each other 1,001 or more like 10 questions. Get to the point in work messages, there is an “I” in team, a partner making more money, lucid dreaming, what color sheets are best, nocturnal professions, 3 things that are over and underrated, and piece by piece snacks.
The Arc by Tory Henwood Hoen
Andy and Dani talk scientific dating services. Authors justifying weird names, personality tests vs compatibility tests, cold butter is a crime, fatal flaws in relationships, why do people kiss so loud, Andy is very against murder mystery parties, and would join The Arc?
Andy and Dani talk terrible travel tales. Dani gives expert travel advice, what makes a travel day horrible, planes in free fall, turbulence will always be scary, Las Vegas bachelor parties, hangovers on the tarmac, and backstabbing audio.
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
Andy and Dani get really, really sad. Bring Whiskey Andy back, this book is sad, realistic shit show, fiction acting like a memoir, assuming the worst is going to happen, most devastating scene, and did we mention this book is sad?
Warning: This book deals HEAVILY with alcoholism and relapse.
Andy and Dani talk about disappointments. Star Wars prequels, Andy traveled for a Star Wars card game, X-men movies, a young Magneto movie, Three Musketeers, Heroes, would you finish reading GoT if it was exactly like the last season.
The Burning God by R. F. Kuang
Andy and Dani finish The Poppy Wars trilogy. Andy is actually a big fat loser, mismanagement of characters, failed predictions, getting rid of characters in dumb ways, is Rin a shitty drunk white guy, and what the hell was the point?
Andy and Dani are supposed to talk about D&D. Everyones moving out of Boston, packing SUCKS, call him bougie Andy, Dani is the new and bestest DM, decent sized D&D group, hard Mountain Dew, playing your character’s wisdom and not your own, playing as Shrek.
The Dragon Republic by R. F. Kuang
Andy and Dani continue reading The Poppy War trilogy. They should never make predictions, main characters you don’t like, cursing in books, undeserved friendships, why is everyone so young and good at war, and of course Andy and Dani still make predictions.
Andy and Dani talk about magic systems in fantasies. Dani has your identity stolen, what do wizards sound like, Magic Mike, could Gandalf just destroy all the Orcs, vague vs. defined magic systems, and what magic did you want to be real?
The Poppy Wars by R. F. Kuang
Andy and Dani read a trilogy! Does Andy like YA, retaliation against standardized testing, the most important people in the world are 15-20, Andy and Dani fight, is the first book in a trilogy the worst, and predictions.
Andy and Dani talk about books they’re looking forward to. You can never leave here, does Dani even know how to read, will Andy be let all the way down, who ends up having the existential crisis, who will finish their list of books first, and should Andy start writing comic books?
P.S. Sorry for the quiet sound quality we’re working on fixing it but didn’t want to leave you without your Lit Lit fix.
The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer
Andy and Dani read a book steeped in science. Dani loved this book more than anything she’s ever loved, what kind of pacing is this, the movie Up, swapping gender roles, casting this book, walking in on your siblings, a subtle Guy Fieri, and thruples.
Andy and Dani finally allow themselves to talk about GoT. Andy misses you Jeff, re-reading all of these dang books, The Wire…again, is the 6th book ever coming out, did Dani just write the end of GoT, and what scenes from the show are you excited to read about.
The N'Gustro Affair by Jean-Patrick Manchette
Andy and Dani read a birthday book. It's Andy's birthday! Like today. It's his birthday. How much did Dani hate this book, reading insufferable main characters, pooping your pants, who was Henri Butron in high school, the music man, and Hi Jon!
Andy and Dani ask the next best hypothetical questions. Dani joined a cult, Andy is always haunted by Pauly Shore, 0.4% away from being funny, Disney character powerpoint, changing college experiences, watching the Canadian Football League, and what moment in time would you visit?
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Andy and Dani get a history lesson. Are Andy and Dani even friends, we got a contender, history told as a story and not a textbook, everyone is not ok, favorite scenes, goosebumps all the time, is there such a thing as a happy ending?
Andy and Dani ask the best hypothetical questions ever. This is pure chaos, everyone has a favorite spoon, Andy is a bottom feeder, Dani really wants to touch lava, useless mutant powers, and of course skateboarding or rollerblading?
The Memoirs of a Survivor by Doris Lessing
Andy and Dani guess what “it” is. Youthz vs old people, is Andy an old person, Dani could not find this book, coming of age through another’s eyes, who is this damn narrator, and are your 30’s like your 20’s but with money?
Andy and Dani talk about how they “plan” their books out. Picking 2022 best book contenders, how long is too long for a book series, Dani’s Dad makes an interesting book choice, birthday books, divisive books, and navel gazing.
Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay
Andy and Dani get into historical-ish fantasy. Dani once again is terrible with history, the story of Franzia, favorite characters, who drinks first for GoT, how many times did Andy cry, and is this book a "Best of 2022" contender?
Andy and Dani discuss humans going to space. Did you know Yoda is not a human, humanoids partaking in space pleasure, Andy actually has watched a few movies, space baked brie, Titan A.E., and planning movie marathons.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Andy and Dani go to space! Ryan Gosling plays a spider, science beach reads, could the world actually save itself, Dani thought this book was from the early 2000’s, long distance space relationships, Slender Man DeVito, and heroic statues.
Andy and Dani take on vigilantism. Dani still can't pronounce words, white male POV is boring, raising standards from dumb fun, stealing from corporations, low level political commentary, and secret vigilante friends.
Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby
Andy and Dani read some vigilante mystery. Dani is not a control freak, figuring out the ending of a book half way through, there’s a lotttt of murder, lock your doors, is Andy Catwoman, and casting the book for a screen adaptation.
Andy and Dani talk about their most hated and favorite words. Words that sound bad vs. words with bad images, Andy surreptitiously avoids his least favorite word, Dani has lugubrious feelings toward meat, and decadent desserts.
Jack Reacher: Killing Floor by Lee Child
Andy and Dani read some big time action. Killing off the sexy, better looking brother, FinSLAY and Hubble-Bubble gum, a fun jail slumber party, Dani comes up with a great money maker plan, one paragraph sex scenes, a really old Jack Reacher, and favorite quotes.
Andy and Dani talk about other authors they have revisited and their works. Andy refuses to learn, Dani shares her love for the show "I Survived", can you believe we talk about Cadfael, finding notes in used books, and the difference between male and female authors when describing victims in crime novels.
One Last Stop Casey McQuiston
Andy and Dani revisit an author and revisit their love of public transit. Hipsters in Brooklyn, is Andy too sad boi for romcoms, pancakes vs. french toast vs. waffles, Dani hates PDA, and what T line would you want to be stuck on forever?
Andy and Dani talk about big time love stories. Dani pulls up a list of “the best love stories” from the internet, who is the most pessimistic, Fight Club is the Joe Rogan of movies, and do you love each other or are you both just hot?
How Long ‘Til Black Future Month by N.K. Jemisin
Andy and Dani read more short stories! Dani’s “English brain” was tingling, Andy makes some new rules, will they pick the same top 3 stories, meeting the author on their own terms, and BIG Chad energy.
Andy and Dani drunkenly watch ALL of The Hunger Games movies virtually. Is Jennifer Lawrence a good Katniss, Andy almost ends friendships, they did dirty by Peeta’s hair, for why are the Capitol people the way they are, stop hating bangs, what character would you want to play?
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Andy and Dani finish The Hunger Games trilogy. Did Andy have the correct predictions, the Capitol’s sanitation team is the true hero, should Coin have been introduced earlier in the series, going to college for Game Mastery, and Katniss and Peeta sexy time.
Everybody Has a Podcast (Except You) by Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy, and Travis McElroy
Andy and Dani read ANOTHER book, but this time about podcasting. Dani is trying to keep her friendship with Andy alive, finding a topic you actually like, can you call yourself funny, hot book summer, and Andy gives lame sports advice.
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Andy and Dani continue the Hunger Games series with Catching Fire. Dani is having a bad week but not as bad as Katniss, what if the Hunger Games wasn’t YA, Andy just LOVES everyones name, Keebler Elves, and series predictions.
Andy and Dani wrap up 2021 with their top 3 books. How do they choose their books for the year, will they choose the same favorites, Dani cannot remember the phrase “honorable mention”, are Andy and Dani owed some bad book karma?
Email: littlelitpodcast@gmail.com
Twitter: @pod_lit
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Andy and Dani start The Hunger Games trilogy. Will they stay on topic, The Hunger Games but with cats, Dani tries to stop saying “really”, could we survive the games, young love, Rue hit Andy hard, and of course Survivor.
Andy and Dani talk about Andy’s favorite movie, Love Actually. Is this a romantic movie, best story lines, Andy has a grand theory, you meet a lot more Dicks than you do Richards, and Food Network stars as characters from the A Christmas Carol.
Aurora by Kim Stanely Robinson
Andy, Dani, and guest, Jason Kirk, talk about a little thing known as the expanse of space. When you ship the ship, space travel seems like a lot of work, why is this book called Aurora, watch out for the clay bugs, and please don’t forget your sunscreen.
Go and support our friend, Jason, by listening to his freakin awesome podcasts Vacation Bible School and Shutdown Fullcast!
https://anchor.fm/vacation-bible-school
https://art19.com/shows/shutdown-fullcast-podcast
Andy and Dani talk about their gift giving traditions. Bringing some order to the madness of wrapping paper, is Secret Santa the future, best white elephant gifts, Chuck-E-Cheese, and will Andy like the present Dani got him?
Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva
Andy and Dani read an absolute banger of a Christmas book… jk. Dani blames Goodreads, Andy blames Dani, the world should blame David Copperfield, the unreality of origin stories, making out with ghosts, and don’t forget that Pete Davidson is Tiny Tim.
Andy and Dani talk about their love of myth. Andy got to make ambrosia in elementary school, a claymation a$$ titan movie, Dani accidentally takes a 300 level classics course, favorite Greek Myths, and we need to stop hating on Hades.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Andy and Dani talk Greek Mythology. It’s Dani’s birthday episode, will they pronounce all the names correctly, Tilda Swinton would make a great Thetis, rewriting a well known story, who brings up GoT this episode, and mother-in-laws.
Andy and Dani talk about investigating new cities. Your quintessential local bar, Dani admits to joining Bumble BFF, Portland, Maine and mystery beers, you get what you get and you don’t get upset, everyone in Minnesota is a giant, and everyone should find an arepas place.
Silence of the Lambs written by Thomas Harris & directed by Jonathan Demme
Andy reads and Dani watches Silence of the Lambs. Dani thinks murder is a lot of work, did the movie do the book justice, no one here likes scary movies, books you’ve lied about reading, and marry, f*ck, kill.
SPOILERS
Andy and Dani yell about Ted Lasso. Can you tell they love this show, not watching a show just because it’s recommended, favorite scenes, favorite episodes, can the actors actually play soccer, and please hire Andy and Dani to be on the next season of Ted Lasso.
Dune by Frank Herbert
Andy and Dani talk for a long time about Dune, the book and movie. Dani had a hard time holding the book in her hands, Andy is a big idea guy, could Jake Johnson play Duke Leto, movie vs book, and did you like Paul?
Sorry we’re a day late, friends!
Andy and Dani talk about music. Has Dani really been listening to happy music, singing songs you know you can sing well… or can you, listening to music while wfh is very different than listening at the office, and don’t worry Andy still loves Ka.
There There by Tommy Orange
Andy and Dani read another very heavy book. Dani turns into the biggest English major nerd, realistic characters and conversations, will Andy bring up GoT, favorite quotes, and is this a top read of 2021?
Andy and Dani talk about the murder mystery genre. Dani starts talking about aliens immediately, mystery books are like math problems, Brad the unsuspecting killer, everyone should watch the movie Clue, and a murder mystery maid of honor speech.
Bluebird Bluebird by Attica Locke
Andy and Dani read a murder mystery. Every book should have one steampunk character, Andy is passionate about renaissance fairs, how many characters are too many, what character would you want as your Naked & Afraid partner?
Andy and Dani were supposed to talk about Non-Fiction, but instead talk about everything else. What would 10 million dragonflies look like, does anyone remember Jump Start, a little bit of non-fiction, mostly books from college, Dani talks math nonsense, and finally Ninja Turtles.
The Dragons, The Giants, The Women by Wayétu Moore
Andy and Dani read a memoir ooooo ahhhhh. The moment you forget you’re reading a book, will Andy and Dani ever read a memoir again, writing that makes your whole body tense up, how does Hank Green know everything, favorite scenes and favorite quotes.
Andy and Dani talk about recommendations that didn’t land or really did. Dani forgot that a sad book was sad, is Justin Long the lead singer of Hoobastank, when you find something funny and the other person doesn’t, how to act when you hated a recommendation.
The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory
Andy and Dani get back into RomComs. Andy HATES bowties, “panties” is and always will be an awful word, wedding dress shopping turns into Kill Bill, guess that movie cast, and hiding in kitchens naked?
Andy and Dani talk about wedding season. Andy has far more experience with weddings, the do’s or don'ts of repurposing outfits, is flip cup a good wedding game, what to do when you can’t fit into your dress, and giving the best speeches.
Sorry we’re a day late! A 12 hour flight delay ruined all chances of this episode going out on-time.
The 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Andy and Dani talk about hubbies. Dani survived a battle with suspicious ranch, Andy does not agree on what actors would play these characters, how do you say pecan, does Paul Newman have good salsa, and does a B plot work?
Andy and Dani talk about what their memoirs would be about or do they... Would Charlie Day be a good EDM DJ, Andy’s would have a stand-up special, what is your foible, and Dani likes being in the “why” stage of life.
In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
Andy and Dani read their first memoir, but it was not what they expected. Dani reads half of the wrong book, Andy is not a big memoir guy or is he... what was your favorite chapter, this might be the most quotable book, everyone needs to read this.
If you or a loved one is experiencing domestic abuse you can find help at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or visit https://ncadv.org/get-help. You are not alone!
Andy and Dani talk through different villains in books, movies, and tv shows. The kid from The Giving Tree is a monster, who is your favorite villain, what villain would you want to be, which actor has been ruined because of their villainous role, and of course we talk about Game of Thrones.
Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
Andy and Dani use their superb acting skills to recreate scenes from the final book, ideal characters vs. what we got, things that ended up not mattering… at all, Andy and Dani are horrible at predictions, and did this have a good ending?
Andy and Dani talk Libraries but promise it won’t be boring. Dani gets into the nitty-gritty about overdue library books, the band Frothy Treats makes an appearance, surprise surprise Andy worked as a shelf-reader, library intimidation is real, and do you know how hard it is to be a Librarian?!?
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
Andy and Dani talk about new characters, old characters, and blah characters. Dani loses the bet, Andy shockingly does not like this book, will Mal ever be magical, the Apparat still has the best name, book three predictions ensue.
Andy and Dani talk YA books and movies. The age difference between Andy and Dani shows itself, are YA books written just to be turned into movies, The Hunger Games win the movie adaptation award, what children’s book series should be turned into movies or shows?
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Andy and Dani start the Shadow and Bone series. Andy creates some challenges for Dani, who is Daddy Darkling’s Daddy, what would the YA version of GoT look like, Andy and Dani place bets on series predictions.
Andy and Dani get to record in person! Dani says farewell to Boston, there is an enemy of the podcast, Tabba the Hutt the lesser-known cousin to Jabba the Hutt, what drinking games would the Stars War characters be best at, and epic Fire and Ice parties.
Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich
Andy and Dani have their first guest on the show, Hannah Taylor! Dani is now terrified of her dystopian future, Hannah does not stan Helen Hunt, scary crazy fast big babies, Andy discovers a dirty angel, and is the apocalypse real?
Andy and Dani had a Mortal Kombat movie marathon! Dani finds out how hard DDR really is, Andy finally comes up with his Only Fans name, movie snacks are extremely important, and what Mortal Kombat power would you have?
The Paper Menagerie by Ken Lui
Andy and Dani somehow have to pick their top 3 stories from this masterpiece, Dani gets to use her English Major brain, Ken Lui masters writing about brutality, Shellfish Vs Cephalopod the new hit SyFy movie, how many times did Andy cry, everyone should watch Ted Lasso.
Andy and Dani talk Sci-Fi books, shows, and movies. The Storm Troopers would be horrible at I Spy books, Dani is upset that Andy doesn’t know her Spongebob references, Andy is a HUGE Lil Nas X fan, is Steampunk sci-fi or fantasy, and what would intergalactic passports be like?
Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut
Andy and Dani discuss the existential crisis this book has caused Dani, would you want to know how everything in your life plays out, who would play Rumfoord in a movie, Andy keeps saying quote-unquote, Dani tries to explain science, and Titan is the perfect place for an All-Inclusive.
Andy and Dani ramble about their favorite outdoor patios, breweries, and other things. Dani graduated from keg stands of Bud Light to keg stands of Founders All Day, Andy and Dani are once again the worst Bostonians, Andy keeps making beer appointments instead of reservations, Dani just wants to make friends.
Andy and Dani read another recommendation book, The Night Swim by Megan Goldin. Andy was um... not a fan, Dani liked it for what it was, what does Rachel bring to the table, it always comes back to The Da Vinci Code, Andy and Dani come up with another great band name, and what’s up with the nightingale?
Andy and Dani talk about fan theories especially about the ones that go a little too far. First and foremost SPOILER ALERT, of course, we talk about GoT, is LOST the original fan theory show, Dani reads “well-known” ridiculous fan theories that Andy has a lot to say about.
Andy and Dani read A Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh which was neither restful nor relaxing. Andy’s recommendation gets trashed, Dani can’t spell, is this book its own art installation, did Andy and Dani just not get the point, will they ever recover from reading this?
Tigger warning: Self-harm and addiction throughout this book
Andy and Dani talk about their favorite places to travel. Dani’s Dad got staph at a funhouse in Paris, Andy ships Montreal, watch out for the man with street snakes, Andy and Dani both did country reports on Botswana, and what’s the difference between traveling and vacation?
Andy and Dani read Less by Andrew Sean Greer. Once again Andy and Dani are emotionally ruined, is Andy the main character of his life, Dani has another existential crisis, which character would you want to marry, and they might just have to read the next Bared to You.
Andy and Dani debate best secondary characters in books, tv, and movies. Boba Fett is definitely a cool guy, who would you want to go on a quest with, would The Hound be good at Catan, and who would you want to see party together?
Andy and Dani read The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner. This book is capital “H” Heavy, Andy loves luxuriating in an atmosphere, Dani is forced to drink a flat G&T, bees?, and Andy and Dani realize they MUST read something happy next.
Andy and Dani watch and talk about The Little Drummer Girl. Dani is extremely confused about most things, is it creepy to get a woman clothes for a date, a new drinking rule is established, and it comes back to musicals.
Andy and Dani read The Night Manager by John le Carré. Dani is morbidly hungover, Andy was The Night Lackey at a UConn convenience store, Dani has an existential crisis, and could either of them be good spies?
Andy and Dani talk all things romance. Meeting significant others through a dating app vs “real life,” could Dani meet “the One” at the clurb, Andy guesses rom coms based on their descriptions, and Dani feels like her friendship with Andy has been a lie!
Andy and Dani read Normal People by Sally Rooney. Dani hates the word juicy, what would this book look like if everyone was a mutant, Andy and Dani talk about the different types of love, everyone is f*cked up, and Andy begins his new role as a Love Goro fighting for love.
Andy and Dani have a Harry Potter movie marathon and of course, get hammered. Andy and Dani recast the characters, Andy raps for a quick second, the movies screwed Ginny over hardcore, would Snape have pooped his pants when he died, and more importantly did Harry?
Andy and Dani finally finish the Harry Potter series and talk about The Half-Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows. Would Andy want a Horcrux, could Dani use Liquid Luck for the GameStop stock market insanity, are there sexy memories in the Pensieve, and is Snape a good character?
Andy and Dani talk about childhood books and series that they loved. Andy never ever, ever wants to go back to an office, Grandparent time is just like cat time, Dani tries to remember a book from the Accelerated Reader era, and would Andy have been Dani’s friend in elementary school?
Andy and Dani read Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling. Andy wants to know why the magical world would care about the boundaries of the ‘normal world,’ Dani wants just one nice Slytherin, Neville Longbottom definitely peaks in college, and there are some serious consequences.
Andy and Dani talk about reading Harry Potter for their first time. Dani will forever be a river weasel, Andy keeps a list of every book he’s ever read and spoilers it’s a lot, should there be a Samwise Gamgee and Harry Potter fanfic?
Andy and Dani read Harry Potter books 1-3 by J.K. Rowling. Andy cannot say, Professor McGonagall, Hogwarts would have the most lit faculty lounge, Dani wishes chunky werewolves were a thing, and Andy and Dani discuss what mythical creatures they would be.
Andy and Dani talk through their favorite books, beer, podcasts, and music of 2020 because there has to be something good… right? Santa came for Dani, Andy never wins the game Sorry, and Dani tries to imagine Andy having fun at a club.
Andy and Dani read Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Andy plays “Fuck, Marry, Kill,” Bernard’s, Lenina’s and Helmholtz’s dating profiles are beautifully crafted, did Andy and Dani end up agreeing with the Brave New World society, and Andy sings…?
Andy and Dani talk about mystery and inevitably... murder. Andy talks about pleasure, Dani asks “If you had to kill someone with only a toothpick, a pudding cup, and a rake how would you do it?” and could Andy or Dani actually get away with murder?
Spoilers Andy and Dani read Whose Body by Dorothy L Sayers. Dani is horrible with the concept of time and when things happen, Andy talks sexy, who would play these characters in a movie adaptation, and did Andy and Dani guess the killer?
Spoilers Dani answers the long list of questions Andy has about the Twilight Saga. Dani’s Dad got her a pair of binoculars and no one knows why, Andy guesses the endings of the Twilight books, Bella is a paladin, and Dani broke up with a high school boyfriend because he didn’t sparkle in the sun.
It’s Dani’s birthday! Dani forces Andy to read Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer. Dani had no clue this book is just Twilight but from Edward’s perspective, Edward is a sulky sugar daddy, Andy’s hot take is not hating portions of this book, Alice is a badass.
Andy and Dani talk about the goddamn election. Andy fights Dani for calling Somerville a suburb of Boston, Dani says the word “excited” and “happy” about a thousand times, Andy tries not to be cynical, and both are ready to move to the next stages of their anxieties.
Andy and Dani talk about The Princess Bride by William Goldman. Is Humperdink Lord Farquaad? Andy would marry The Albino, kill The Count, and f*ck Humperdink, would the Princess Bride band be flamenco or rock, and once again the importance of Taco Bell is discussed.
Andy and Dani talk about Halloweens past. Dani lived in a haunted house, the new hit TV show ghost squirrels, Andy refuses to shave his beard for costumes, and Dani’s costumes weren’t the most age-appropriate.
Andy and Dani talk about The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. After some technical difficulties, Dani’s mic makes her sound extra spooky, Andy doesn’t know his feels about unreliable narrators, Dr. Montague is Daddy Summer camp, Mrs. Montague SUCKS, and who on earth pays the Dudleys?!?
Sorry for the delay. The tech issue was as creepy as Hill House.
Andy and Dani talk musicals after too many glasses of champagne. Christain Bale in Newsies was Dani’s first crush, Andy never-ever-ever wants to see Sound of Music ever again, Dani sadly belongs in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and everyone needs a good emo band.
Andy and Dani read Wicked by Gregory Maguire. Dani comes in hot after a champagne brunch, what if Wicked was the only story of Oz, Liir is the saddest boi there ever was, Elphaba would be an Olympic curler, and Dorothy definitely has man hands.
Andy and Dani talk RomComs. Dani is very passionate about romantic reality TV shows, Andy guesses the plots to popular RomComs, and the Hallmark movie equation is finally cracked.
Andy and Dani read Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. Zahra has the best one-liners, who would play these characters in a movie adaptation, Dani majored in nouns and Vote Andy for President 2028.
Andy and Dani talk about the books they haven’t read but should have? McDonald’s cuisine is the best road trip food, Dani didn’t like being told what to read in school, Andy holds a 10-year grudge against the school cop who cut the power while he wrote an essay.
Andy and Dani read Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Andy comes to terms that he is Piggy, these kids obviously never watched Naked and Afraid, and who would play these characters in a movie adaptation?
Andy and Dani argue over the best super powers. Is the power of flight overrated? Dani wants the power to predict the next big band and Andy wants the power to stop the effects of alcohol and hangovers.
Andy and Dani read Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi. This book has force behind every one of the 174 pages. The injustice of the prison system, what it means to have super powers, Dani has to drink every time she says “interesting,” and Andy is a smarty-pants.
Andy and Dani discuss their guilty pleasure reads, shows, and other things. Dani the farsighted four year old, Andy and His Pleasures, the new hit ska band, Tusk, and David Caruso.
Andy and Dani read The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. Dan Brown is the ultimate English Major until someone else does the reading for class, Andy’s cat sneak attacks, and Granddads can still be Granddaddies.
Andy and Dani talk about breaking their reading habits and the habits of the book industry as a whole. How do we, as readers, diversify our book choice? Will Andy ever stop bringing up GoT? Will Dani ever read the Brontë sisters again?
Andy and Dani read Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor. Bad ass phoenix-dragons, sorcery, camel whispers and women should just run the world already.
Andy and Dani watch and talk about Briarpatch the TV show. Who is chaotic neutral? Would you put your shopping cart away? Would Andy or Dani make the better drone driver?
Andy and Dani read Briarpatch by Ross Thomas. The best “fck you” characters and “fck you” money, 2020 still sucks, and noir turns Dani into a heartless monster.
Andy and Dani talk through the difference between going to a big city high school vs a small town high school. Who runs the quad? The theater kids...? High school hierarchy, hot or not lists, and the importance of prom dates.
Andy and Dani read To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han. Dani hates how much word Daddy is used, Andy nopes through all the high school awkwardness, and the great cereal debate of 2020 begins.
It’s Andy’s Birthday! Andy goes over his top fantasy books and Dani pretends like she knows what’s happening. Introducing Andy’s Absolutely Outrageous Book Rating System:
Tier 1: Best of the best
Tier 1A: Best of the best but something missing
Tier 2: Seminal texts to read
Tier 3: Everything else
Andy and Dani read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. Dani listens to the audio book instead of reading because she was lazy, sometimes an olive is just an olive, and the what-not-to-do-after-a-breakup book.
Andy and Dani talk about finishing different series books, TV, and movies. What makes the end of the series satisfying? Andy admits his love for Guy’s Grocery Games, Dani gets heated about Lost, and fan theories gone too far.
Andy and Dani finish the Wolf Hall trilogy withThe Mirror & the Lightby Hilary Mantel. Andy and Dani create Cromwell’s dating profile, Christophe saves the day, and Henry VIII would be the ultimate Catfish in the 21st century.
Andy and Dani talk through the quarantine process and how COVID-19 has changed the day to day. Dani has discovered her undying love and hatred for TikTok. Andy’s working on his relationship with Stella the sphynx cat.
Andy and Dani dive in the second Wolf Hall trilogyBring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel. Dani finds all the cats, Saturdays are for the 16th Century bois, and Andy can’t help but bring up Game of Thrones. Apologies for the quiet audio quality in this episode… Let’s blame it on Andy.
Andy and Dani talk about Banshees and Leprechauns. Dani still loves Ghost Adventures. Andy still doesn’t. Dani’s great grandfather gets taken out by Leprechauns.
Andy and Dani discuss Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel. Dani knows nothing about history. Is Cromwell the 16th century Bachelor? Who will receive the final rose?
Andy and Dani dive into erotic fiction with Sylvia Day’s Bared to You. Dani finds out her grandmother is an erotic fiction fan. The team plays F*ck, Marry, Kill. What should you do when butt stuff comes out of left field?
Andy and Dani movie marathoned the extended editions of Lord of the Rings and of course drank… a lot. They discuss other TV or movie adaptations, Andy’s poofy hair (when he had hair), and Ents on Ents on Ents.
Andy and Dani finish talking about the Lord of the Ring series by J.R.R.Tolkein. Will Dani ever be able to say Denethor correctly? Would the Nazgûl win the Battle for Mall of America? And of course Frodo nopes out with the Elves.
Andy and Dani's first Little Lit! An in-between episode because frankly Dani won't read a book a week. Don't worry they'll explain what this is all about, or will they just sidebar the whole time. Who knows...
Andy and Dani bumble their way through the shire as they talk about Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R.Tolkein. Why does Tom Bombadil have such a boring name? Did someone say Eagles? Are you an Elf or a Dwarf household?