PODCAST

Required Reading

Erin Bowles

Required Reading revisits the most impactful books from our childhood with a new guest every week.

arts books

All Episodes

47:47

Meet Samantha with Justine Engel

Required Reading ·

2025/05/28

This week Justine Engel joins me to read our first American Girl DOLL book: Meet Samantha! In 1904 wealthy orphan Samantha Parkington realizes the injustices that exist in the world around her, including child labor, segregation, and women's suffrage. Next week is our 75th episode! We will be reading Lord of the Flies - come prepared! Follow Justine!Follow Erin!Support the podcast!

41:28

Where the Sidewalk Ends with Molly McGlynn

Required Reading ·

2025/05/14

Filmmaker Molly McGlynn joins me to discuss our first poetry collection - Shel Silverstein's WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS!Follow Molly!Follow Erin!Support the podcast!

34:52

Required Viewing: Barbie of Swan Lake & The Swan...

Required Reading ·

2025/05/07

Longest episode title ever? Perhaps. You're welcome.Teaching artist Sara Childrey joins me to discuss TWO movies: The Swan Princess (1994) and Barbie of Swan Lake (2003)!Follow Childrey's substack!Check out some other movie episodes:The Nightmare Before Christmas!The Last Unicorn!Support the podcast!Follow Erin!

57:14

The Awakening with Erin Taylor

Required Reading ·

2025/04/30

Poet and author Erin Taylor joins me to discuss Kate Chopin's 1899 novel THE AWAKENING.Edna Pontellier struggles between her increasingly unorthodox views on femininity and motherhood with the prevailing social attitudes of the turn-of-the-century Louisiana. (Wikipedia)Erin Taylor's book Bimboland! Support the podcast!Follow Erin!

49:08

The Great Gatsby with Alex Brunkhorst

Required Reading ·

2025/04/23

Author Alex Brunkhorst joins me to discuss what was almost our very first book - The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald. It just turned 100!Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire with an obsession to reunite with his former lover, Daisy Buchanan. (Wikipedia)Read Alex's novel The Gilded Life of Matilda Duplaine! Support the podcast! Follow Erin!

28:29

Goosebumps: Monster Blood

Required Reading ·

2025/04/16

Another solo episode! Do you like these? Please let me know. Goosebumps book 3 follows Evan Ross when he discovers a can of "Monster Blood" in an old toy store. And it's got an appetite.

25:54

Goosebumps: Stay Out of the Basement

Required Reading ·

2025/04/09

Book two in our Goosebumps deep dive! Something weird is going on with Dad ever since he got fired from his job - and why is he wearing that hat all the time? Could be he's a mad scientist! Follow Erin!Support the show!

56:53

Fablehaven with Zannah Schorer

Required Reading ·

2025/04/02

Zannah Schorer returns to discuss Brandon Mull's absolutely buck wild novel: FABLEHAVEN. Kendra and Seth discover their grandparents live on a nature preserve for all the world's mythical creatures (a haven, you might say, for fables...)Follow Zannah!Follow Erin!SUPPORT THE PODCAST

27:13

Required Viewing: The Last Unicorn with Christin...

Required Reading ·

2025/03/26

I love this one :) Writer Christin Campbell joins me to discuss the 1982 Rankin/Bass film THE LAST UNICORN!A unicorn leaves the protection of her enchanted forest to discover if she really is the last of her kind. Follow Christin!Follow Erin!Support the podcast!

43:00

Midnight for Charlie Bone with Rachel Moss!

Required Reading ·

2025/03/19

Rachel Moss joins me to discuss Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo from 2002! Many write it off as a Harry Potter rip-off but - hear this - it might be a whole lot better. When Charlie Bone discovers he can hear the voices of people in photographs he is whisked away to the Bloor Academy to train his powers, where he becomes entrenched in a generations-old battle for power. AND: Erin is in last week's episode of Mythic Quest (season 4 episode 8 around 17 minutes in) on Apple TV! Keep your eyes

24:59

Goosebumps Book 1: Welcome to the Dead House

Required Reading ·

2025/03/05

It's just me this week! I am debuting a new intermittent series where I read all of RL Stine's immaculate Goosebumps series!Follow me!Support the show!

92:23

The Scarlet Letter with Madeline Douglass and Luke Henke

Required Reading ·

2025/02/26

Madeline Douglass returns and this time we've got a third: former co-worker Luke Henke! We all worked in a Girl Scout Museum in college. Jealous?From Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850 comes one of the first mass-produced books of all time: The Scarlet Letter. The novel tells the story of Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter with a man (minister Arthur Dimmesdale) to whom she is not married. As punishment, she must wear a scarlet letter 'A' (for "adultery"). Summary from Wikipedia (which Luke gives a

46:40

Crown Duel with Gretchen Schreiber

Required Reading ·

2025/02/12

Not to be biased but this is a really good one!Author Gretchen Schreiber joins me to discuss two-books-in-one, Crown Duel and Court Duel by Sherwood Smith from 1997/1998/2002? The first book follows the adventures of young Countess Meliara "Mel" Astiar of Tlanth as she and her small group of forces rebel against the greed of King Galdran; along the way the mysterious Marquis of Shevraeth aids her, though she distrusts him. With the king now dead, the second part focuses on Mel's journey to the court

81:20

The Host with Jess Woodworth

Required Reading ·

2025/02/05

Its a long one because its STEPHENIE MEYER!!!! It's what she would want. Repeat guest Jess Woodworth returns to discuss The Host! The book is about Earth, in a post-apocalyptic time, being invaded by a parasitic alien race known as "Souls", and follows one Soul's predicament when the consciousness of her human host refuses to give up her body. (Wikipedia)Follow That Bookish Witch on YouTube! Follow Erin!Support the podcast!

45:19

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with Darrin Simpson

Required Reading ·

2025/01/29

Author Darrin Simpson (Abby's Big Debate) joins me to discuss Roald Dahl's CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY in our 60th episode!!Support the show! Follow Erin!

59:35

The Little Prince with Kelsey Buckley

Required Reading ·

2025/01/22

This week it's French! Kelsey Buckley joins me to discuss Antoine de Saint Exupery's 1943 classic The Little Prince! There's a little "easter" "egg" in this episode - I hope you like it! Follow Kelsey!Follow Erin!Support the show!

59:22

Redwall with Carter Hambley

Required Reading ·

2025/01/15

This week we are all eating dirt - comedian Carter Hambley joins me to discuss Brian Jacques' sword-toting-mice-fantasy series Redwall!Watch Happy Gilmore 2! Support the podcast! Follow Erin!

70:14

Rebecca with Lena Kouyoumdjian

Required Reading ·

2025/01/08

Writer Lena Kouyoumdjian (Welcome to Flatch!) joins me to discuss the immaculate Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier!A young bride discovers herself haunted by the reputation of her husband's dead first wife Rebecca.Read Lena's Substack! Support the podcast!Follow Erin!

61:57

A Christmas Carol with Carly O'Brien

Required Reading ·

2024/12/25

Merry Happy! Professor Carly O'Brien returns for her third episode (!) to discuss A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens from 1843.Support the podcast! Follow Carly!Follow Erin! In the new year: Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier! Redwall by Brian Jacques! And then... who knows!

94:26

The Giver with Trish Franks

Required Reading ·

2024/12/18

Trish and I have known each other since 6th grade, and this week we revisit the first book we read in 6th grade!!!!! The Giver by Lois Lowry from 1993. Trish is an incredible educator and radiant light. When Jonas turns 12 he is assigned a job: to become the next Giver, the only person in the perfect community to retain the memories of a life before things were perfect. Find Trish on LinkedIn! Follow Erin!Support the podcast!

97 results

Required Reading

All Episodes

Similar Podcasts

Start The Breakthrough Full Audiobook Now, Thriller Fans!

thebookvoice.com

Get Hooked On The Life-Enhancing Full Audiobook Experience!

thebookvoice.com

西四五条

主播郑捕头

Podcast Patapoe

0d0a

On Mic Podcast

Jordan Rich