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PODCAST

Close Reads Podcast

Goldberry Studios

Close Reads is a book-club podcast for the incurable reader co-hosted by David Kern, Heidi White, Sean Johnson, and occasionally Tim McIntosh. We read good books and talk about them. This is a show for amateurs in the best sense. This is not an experts show: we’re book lovers, book enthusiasts. Our goal is have empathetic and intelligent conversations about good books. Close Reads is produced by Goldberry Studios, the podcast wing of Goldberry Books, a family-run indie bookshop in Concord, NC

arts books

All Episodes

65:43

Short Story Hour: "Leaf by Niggle" by J. R. R....

Close Reads Podcast ·

2026/04/10

Welcome to another episode of our new series on classic short stories! This month, it’s Tolkien’s beloved story about creativity, hope, and the finitude of life. It’s also a little bit about Dante and Virgil, maybe a bit auto-biographical, and the perfect story to discuss during the Easter season. We discuss. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

en

72:54

The Grapes of Wrath: Chapters 19-21

Close Reads Podcast ·

2026/04/07

Does Casy redeem himself with his heroic action? Does this this book live too much in the realm of artifice? Does this book, like East of Eden, feature the idea of timshel and in what ways is his view of human nature different in this novel. Also: Tom as microcosm. These and many other topics are on this episode’s rundown. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

en

69:29

The Grapes of Wrath: Chapters 15-18

Close Reads Podcast ·

2026/03/30

Is Steinbeck an American Dickens? Does this book have a villain/antagonist? What role do each of the tertiary characters play? And does Steinbeck take his particular use of symbolism too far? These are the sort of questions we’re discussing on this week’s show! Thanks for joining the conversation and happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

en

73:49

This Is Happiness: To the End

Close Reads Podcast ·

2026/03/03

Welcome back to our ongoing series on Niall Williams’ novel! This we discuss whether the novel has a “happy” ending, its final verdict on what happiness is, Williams’ subtle use of symbolism, Noe’s vocation, and much more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

en

78:17

This Is Happiness: Chapters 23-31

Close Reads Podcast ·

2026/02/23

Welcome back to our ongoing series on Niall Williams’ novel, This Is Happiness. This week we discuss some audience comments, the book’s examination of the relationship between poetics and rhetoric, the difference between nostalgia and sentimentality, look at the way Noe and Christy are merging as the story goes on, and much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

en

76:38

This Is Happiness: Chapters 12-22

Close Reads Podcast ·

2026/02/16

Welcome back to our ongoing series on Niall Williams’ lovely novel. This week we discuss what this book has to say about happiness, the themes of hope and cynicism, Christy the romantic, coming of age, and our favorite passages in these chapters. Hope you enjoy and thanks for listening!To learn about The Tapestry, the new curriculum from the CiRCE Institute click here! It’s available to pre-order now. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to

en

88:36

The Age of Innocence: Chapters 10-18

Close Reads Podcast ·

2026/01/12

Welcome back to our series on Edith Wharton’s excellent novel. This week we talk about the way the two main female characters have emerged, how we respond to Newland’s dilemma, the moral conditions of the novel’s world, and much more. Happy listening! To learn about The Tapestry curriculum from the CiRCE Institute click here! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

en

67:33

Age of Innocence: Chapters I-IX

Close Reads Podcast ·

2026/01/06

Welcome to our first series of the new year, as we jump into Edith Wharton’s novel of the Gilded Age, The Age of Innocence. This we discuss the way Wharton uses Newland Archer’s unique point-of-view, the nature of the Countess’ role in the story (and in Newland’s life), the book’s contemplation of the changing society, and much much more. As always, happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

en

117:30

2025: A Year of Reading in Review

Close Reads Podcast ·

2025/12/31

Welcome to our longest episode of the year, during which we discuss our favorite reading experiences of the year, share our individual top five books, and drop some news about HQ books for 2026. Happy new year from all of us at Close Reads! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

en

59:00

Much Ado About Nothing: Act IV

Close Reads Podcast ·

2025/12/08

In this week’s conversation about Shakespeare classic comedy, we discuss the famous “kill Claudio” demand from Beatrice: How it opens up the drama of the play and brings Benedick and Beatrice together. Plus, Benedick’s transformation, the true cost of love, Don Pedro the man of causes, and much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

en

69:45

A Farewell to Arms: Book 5

Close Reads Podcast ·

2025/11/04

Is A Farewell to Arms pure tragedy? Is there any hope in the denouement? What should we do with Hemingway’s alternate endings? These and many other questions are the focus of this week’s episode. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

en

63:41

A Farewell to Arms: Book 4

Close Reads Podcast ·

2025/10/27

Sean calls this the happy section of the book, so in this episode we discuss the book’s conception of happiness, engage in a close reading of the scene between Frederic and an old billiards player, and contemplate the question of cynicism in this book. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

en

51:42

A Farewell to Arms: Book 2 (Chapters 13-24)

Close Reads Podcast ·

2025/10/13

Welcome back to our ongoing series on Hemingway’s classical novel. This week we discuss the turn the book takes in book two, the nature of Hemingway’s contemplation of love, and a couple of key scenes that reveal his genius as a storyteller. As always, happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

en

65:51

A Farewell to Arms: Book One (Chapters 1-12)

Close Reads Podcast ·

2025/10/07

Welcome to our new series on Ernest Hemingway’s modern classic. For this first episode we chatted about Heidi’s deep love of the book, the subtly of Hemingway’s prose, the role of faith and confession in the story. whether it’s melodramatic, and much, much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

en

67:28

Q&A: The Princess and the Goblin + Ask-Us-Anything

Close Reads Podcast ·

2025/10/01

This week is one part Q&A about The Princess and the Goblin, one part ask-us-anything. That means we’re discussing George McDonald’s plot devices, Irene’s grandmother, and goblins but also cooking, Shakespeare, new book releases, and the Muppets. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

en

57:03

The Princess and the Goblin: Chapters 1-14

Close Reads Podcast ·

2025/09/15

Over the next few weeks we’ll be discussing George Macdonald’s delightful nineteenth century children’s story, The Princess and the Goblin. In this episode we discuss its similarities to (and influence on) Lewis and Tolkien, why books like this matter more than ever, and where it’s most delightful. As always, thanks for tuning in and happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

en

71:20

The Great Winnowing of 2025 (for 2026)

Close Reads Podcast ·

2025/09/09

It’s that time of year! You’ve probably seen the posts revealing the books we’ll be discussing on the show in 2026 , but now you can tune into the process of making those determinations. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

en

60:28

Wuthering Heights: Q&A

Close Reads Podcast ·

2025/09/03

You had plenty of great questions; we did our best to answer them. So join in as we conclude our series on Emily Bronte’s classic novel. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

en

69:13

Wuthering Heights: Chapters 22-28

Close Reads Podcast ·

2025/08/18

Welcome back to our ongoing conversation about Emily Bronte’s novel! This week we discuss whether it’s too melodramatic, Heathcliff’s malevolence, Cathy’s kindness to pathetic Linton, and much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

en

76:37

The Great Gatsby: The Final Chapters

Close Reads Podcast ·

2025/06/25

It’s a bit late, but better late than never, right? Apologies for the delay! The upload speeds weren’t great in the English countryside. All the same, we’ve come to the end of The Great Gatsby, which means it’s time to talk about some of the most memorable passages in American literature. Join us as we dig in. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

en

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