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PODCAST

Why A Book?

Mary Cleary and Renee Garrahan

Join Mary and Renee as they jump back into the world of 2000s and 2010s Young Adult Fiction. Each week, they discuss a different YA book from their youth and pose hard hitting questions: Why aren"t any of these characters in therapy? Is this incest? Why were we so obsessed with toxic vampire boys? Each episode is full of laughs, absurd teen drama, memories of the early 2000s, and a cat who is hellbent on derailing this production. Tune in weekly to see if Mary and Renee can every answer the

arts books

All Episodes

01:32:31

Royals: The Princess Diaries

Why A Book? ·

2021/09/09

We’re diving into a YA classic, this week! Mary takes Renee through the rollercoaster that is the novel version of The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot, which bears minimal resemblance to its movie adaption. Key differences include: New York City, provoking foot fetishist stalkers, tattooed eyeliner, casual references to violence, a racially-motivated campaign against a family business, and a devastating lack of Joe. Join us for other highlights such as trying to figure out how principalities work,

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58:08

What Would You Do: Hatchet

Why A Book? ·

2021/08/26

It's that time of year when students rush to do their summer reading, so we are bringing y'all Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (yes, that book you read in 5th grade). Renee explains the disappointing plot of this book and along the way create fanfiction about the creation of Plenty of Fish. Mary teaches Renee that a billfold is not a money clip and Renee reveals how quickly she would die in the woods. If your type is a sad 30-something in the suburbs, this is the episode for you.Episode Material: Hatchet

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01:20:09

Reflection: Fairest

Why A Book? ·

2021/08/19

Mary finally reads a book, but at what cost? This week’s book is Fairest by Gail Carson Levine, aka the Snow White AU nobody asked for and another contender for worst book on the podcast. Not only does the story make no sense and filled with weak world-building that basically amounts to just giving things weird names, it’s also filled with terrible messages about body image and self esteem. Truly it’s a miracle if you made it out of this book without a whole new set of insecurities. Highlights of

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01:29:27

House of (Egyptian) Memories: The Red Pyramid

Why A Book? ·

2021/08/12

We enter the world of Rick Riordan, Renee’s one time email penpal this week. The Red Pyramid is book one of The Kane Chronicles, a series best described as Egyptian AU The Alchemyst. Sadie and Carter Kane witness their dad get abducted by immortal Endeavor from My Hero Academia, deal with racist cops, and then have to save the world with their pet cat and a baboon who loves basketball. If you were an Anubis simp because of this book series, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Episode

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47:45

Levitation: Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging

Why A Book? ·

2021/07/29

Back from a brief hiatus, Mary dives into the quintessential YA novel that is Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging. What it lacks in plot it makes up for in pure 90s British humor. Included is a surprising amount of black magic, a shocking amount of incest, and a pleasing amount of one-liners from a toddler. Other highlights include an ongoing lesbian crisis, an unhinged cat, and early Dalgona coffee preparation. Episode Source Material: Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise

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01:21:20

Stole my He(art): Heist Society

Why A Book? ·

2021/07/16

We are back with more (and better) Ally Carter! Renee takes Mary into her love of art heists with Heist Society which is essentially a crossover of Catch that Kid and Ocean's 11. This book follows a group of teen thieves who rack up quite the travel bills as they attempt to steal some art. Highlights of this episode include Haikyuu fanfiction, cockney slang trivia, and a horrible rendition of American Pie. Episode Source Material: Heist Society by Ally Carter

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58:10

Colors by Flow: A Mango Shaped Space

Why A Book? ·

2021/07/08

We have a new champion! This week, Mary dethrones Elsewhere as the worst book on the podcast with A Mango Shaped Space by Wendy Mass, a book with no plot, an unlikable protagonist, incorrect science, and a terrible message. Highlights of this episode include trying to remember the quadratic formula, finding out if the Hail Mary is exclusively Catholic, and becoming Goodreads fact-checkers. Episode Source Material: A Mango Shaped Space by Wendy Mass

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01:01:44

You Belong with Me: The Summer I Turned Pretty

Why A Book? ·

2021/07/01

This week is all about summer vibes and lackluster characters. Renee takes us through Jenny Han's soon to be TV adapted book The Summer I Turned Pretty. The story follows Belly (you read that right) as she navigates the world of teen love, and reminisces on the summers that have shaped her into the girl she now is. She also slut shames her best friend for trying to have a Hot Girl Summer. That's right, Jenny Han invented Hot Girl Summer. Other stand out moments include a stalker boy who is not

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01:10:37

Fancy: Private

Why A Book? ·

2021/06/24

This week, Mary and Renee enter the wild world of bougie New England boarding schools (that might be cults). Reed Brennan escapes her small-town life and abusive household to learn how to gaslight, gatekeep, and girlboss her way to success. Her sights are set on the Billings Girls, the most powerful clique at Easton Academy and the source of Reed’s bi panic. The other half of the panic is her new boyfriend Thomas, the most popular guy at Easton with a classic rich kid angsty background. Strap in for

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01:54:55

Hello, Brooklyn: City of Bones

Why A Book? ·

2021/06/11

We cover our most infamous author yet when Renee revisits her Mortal Instruments obsession by covering City of Bones. This story about a totally normal girl who gets thrown into the world of demons and demon hunters starts off like someone misremembering Blue Bloods. We dive deep into this long story of decent world building, unrealistic dialogue, and Cassandra Clare's notoriety. Surprisingly no references are made to Nic Cage and no songs are sung, but it's still a fun time. Episode Source

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01:09:21

Someone Like You: Someone Like You

Why A Book? ·

2021/06/03

Sometimes having premarital sex has consequences, like getting pregnant or dying in a fiery motorcycle accident the next day. This is what happens to Halley’s best friend Scarlett (getting pregnant) and her boyfriend Michael (dying in a fiery motorcycle accident) just weeks before the start of their junior year. While Halley’s trying to help Scarlett navigate the weird world of teen motherhood, she starts dating Michael’s best friend Macon, a dangerous bad boy with a mysterious past and serious

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01:28:57

FLY HIGH!!: Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

Why A Book? ·

2021/05/27

Chimeras huh? This week, Renee goes through the plot of The Angel Experiment, the first book in James Patterson's Maximum Ride series. The book revolves around Max and her 5 friends who are 98% human, 2% bird, and 100% not good protagonists. Few things in this book make sense ranging from how ATMs work to the dumb scientists. Our tangents include Fullmetal Alchemist, My Hero Academia, Legend of Zelda, and Teen Wolf. We leave this episode asking the age old question: why a book? Episode Source

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01:12:22

5000 Candles in the Wind: City of Ember

Why A Book? ·

2021/05/20

This episode is not for the unprepared. Mary and Renee dive into The City of Ember, and much like Lina and Doon, they end up somewhere unexpected by the end. Join us on a journey into an underground society that still hasn’t figured out fire after 241 years but has functioning greenhouses. Our two child laborers/heroes have to discover the way out of their dying city before food runs out—but they have to contend with a selfish mayor and naive citizens along the way (not to mention solve the mystery

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01:29:10

Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down: 13 Days to Midnight

Why A Book? ·

2021/05/13

Renee is tired of lighthearted teen books, so she whips out a weird one for this week. 13 Days to Midnight tells the story of Jacob, a 15 year old who tragically witnesses his dad die and gains the power of invincibility in the process. With his friend Milo and the new manic pixie dream girl Ophelia, he starts finding ways to use this power. Things go terribly wrong. This book that is so obviously written by a man just includes a lot of death, a stupid teen relationship, and Harry Houdini. While

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59:32

Driver's License (Disaster): ttyl

Why A Book? ·

2021/05/06

Tenth grade really is just /so/ crazy. Maddie’s facing her driver’s test (and getting used by the Queen Bee), Angela’s going on bad dates (is 2 weeks the paper anniversary?), and Zoe’s discovering religion (while getting groomed by her English teacher). Mary takes Renee through the whirlwind instant message of Lauren Myracle’s ttyl, although the true miracle was finishing the book at all—it’s filled with horribly outdated slurs, bad takes on predatory relationships, and absolutely no character

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01:21:58

Spy Girls Are Ruining My Life: I'd Tell You I Love...

Why A Book? ·

2021/04/29

A new foe has appeared. As Renee takes Mary through Ally Carter’s I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have To Kill You, our podcasters realize Nic Cage is not alone. The actual book revolves around Cammie, a spy in training who falls for a normal guy and then makes it her mission to try and date him. The episode revolves around two podcasters who are extremely sleep deprived and obsessed with Jujutsu Kaisen. By the end of the episode, we forget half of what we discussed in the first place. Episode

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01:04:22

Half Mermaid Off Ocean Avenue: The Tail of Emily...

Why A Book? ·

2021/04/22

The Tail of Emily Windsnap is the story of an itsy bitsy mermaid with an itsy bitsy tail and an itsy bitsy life. After she discovers she’s a half mermaid, Emily dives into the world of mermaids and has a slew of increasingly shocking realizations: Her dad was a mermaid. Mermaids have schools. Mermaids have prisons. The mermaid king is married. While this book is lackluster, Mary makes a shocking discovery of her own on its Barnes and Noble page—the reviews are filled with Warrior Cats roleplay,

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01:26:42

Good Girls Go Bad: Bad Girls Don't Die

Why A Book? ·

2021/04/15

What’s scarier than a possessed doll? The amount of time Mary and Renee spend in this episode trying to pronounce the word gestalt. This week, Renee takes Mary through Bad Girls Don’t Die by Katie Alender. This basic ghost story follows Alexis, an angsty girl who hates cheerleaders and most other things, and Kasey, her creepy, doll obsessed little sister. Despite inducing a nightmare for Renee, this book has little special going on in the plot. The true horror comes from Renee revealing her past as

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01:18:36

Till the World Ends: Life as We Knew It

Why A Book? ·

2021/04/08

Are you prepared for the end of the world? Miranda’s family faces the harsh realities of the apocalypse after a meteor hits the moon and shifts it closer to earth, causing a cascade of catastrophes across the world. Instead of going to prom, figure skating, and visiting colleges, she and her family are trapped in their home, rationing food, and trying to stay alive. Join Mary as she tries to avoid existential crisis as some scenes resemble parts of 2020 a little too closely. Warning: this book is

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01:34:37

This Ain't a Scene, it's an Elder Race: The Alchemyst

Why A Book? ·

2021/04/01

Warning: Listening to this podcast may result in Nic Cage appearing. We’re back with another quinceañera conspiracy as Renee takes Mary through The Alchemyst, book one of The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel. This story sees 15 year old twins Sophie and Josh get thrown into the world of magic, immortality, and gods when they discover the kind bookstore owner is famous and supposedly dead 14th century alchemist, Nicholas Flamel. Thrown into a battle between good and evil, these teens find

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