Better Than the Movie: A Podcast About Books
78 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 6 years ago - ★★★★★ - 20 ratingsBetter Than the Movie is a community for people who love reading, books, book news and issues related to literature and popular culture. Our goal is to review and discuss book themes with passion and an open mind. We want to encourage readers to look beyond the Best Sellers lists and discover new voices and stories.
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Episodes
EPISODE TWENTY-SIX: A Thousand Splendid Tears
August 11, 2015 05:00 - 105 MBBeen gone for a minute now we're back at the jump off. We're back with an extra jam packed show this week to make up for our absence. We're talking Ta-Nehisi Coates' Between the World and Me and some of the criticism it has received about the perceived lack of content regarding Black women. Then we talk about a Michigan bookstore that has decided to offer refunds to anyone who bought Go Set a Watchman and was less than impressed. The bulk of the episode is dedicated to discussing Khaled Hosse...
EPISODE TWENTY-FIVE: The Casting Couch
July 28, 2015 05:00 - 57.5 MBThis week we're talking dream movie castings for a few books, adults reading YA and what we're reading.
EPISODE TWENTY-FOUR: We Are Family
July 21, 2015 12:38 - 82.4 MBThis week's show begins with a petite chat about Magic Mike XXL that's anything but literary, haha! We also have an interview with the ever so talented Angela Flournoy in which we discuss her novel The Turner House, among other things. Finally, we wrap up discussing a few novels whose central focus is the black family unit. Books discussed in the Angela Flournoy segment: The Turner House - Angela Flournoy: http://amzn.to/1VoQ4g3 Into the Go Slow - Bridget M. Davis: http://amzn.to/1JufT5v ...
EPISODE TWENTY-THREE: A Trip to the South
July 15, 2015 13:44 - 58.6 MBWe said we weren't talking about it, but here we are. Today's show begins with us discussing why we don't be discussing Go Set a Watchman, Harper Lee's latest and greatest, haha! We speak frankly about their opinions on Atticus Finch and the revelations that have been yapped about all over the Interwebz. Next we speak to Southern writer (and show fave!) Tayari Jones. Jones speaks about the art of character naming, writing to The Base, and has THE BEST answer to our standard question we ask al...
EPISODE TWENTY-TWO: Whatcha Readin?
July 07, 2015 05:00 - 97.2 MBOn today's show we discuss an article from the Washingtonian, featuring the "Queen of Erotica",Zane. Article can be found here: http://www.washingtonian.com/blogs/capitalcomment/personalities/how-zane-the-queen-of-erotica-became-marylands-top-tax-deadbeat.php We also have an interview with speculative fiction author, Daniel José Older--in which he shares his thoughts on world building, writing for a particular audience and how his recent marriage has affected his writing. The show wraps up wi...
EPISODE TWENTY-ONE: Around the World in 80 Books
July 01, 2015 04:31 - 118 MBFirst we begin with an interview with author, Victoria Christopher Murray about her new book Stand Your Ground which is a fictionalized account of an event that is becoming all too commonplace in current day, a young Black boy being shot by a White man simply for existing. After speaking with Victoria, we discuss an article from Elle South Africa about a young woman Panache Chigumzadi who is a part of a collective of young, Black, female South African artists working to control the image of B...
EPISODE TWENTY: Bad Romance
June 23, 2015 10:00 - 102 MBToday's episode is long and jam packed with a whole buncha stuff! We begin with discussing our experiences with book clubs and why we can't ever seem to find one that catches. To help us understand how a successful book club works, we speak with Nakia, the founder of an awesome multi-city book club called BookTini. Nakia shares with us how she began her club as well as tips for maintaining a longstanding book club. Then we switch gears and talk about the main subject of the episode, books w...
EPISODE NINETEEN: Red Lip, Classic...
June 16, 2015 05:18 - 81.1 MBI'm sorry for the titular reference. : ) This week we start with a brief fangirl moment because someone (read: Jeanette) is excited about something so not literary! The conversation continues with a recap of a recent reading/signing of Balm by Dolen Perkins-Valdez and a brief discussion on what it means to be "well read" before we dive right into our main topic du jour, classic literature. As per the usual, our takes on what is considered to be classic may vary from what you'd normally see in...
EPISODE EIGHTEEN: Let's Hear It for the Boys
June 09, 2015 05:00 - 108 MBWe're baaaaaack! ^_^ Did ya miss us? We begin by discussing the upcoming memoir of Naya Rivera and an amazing initiative that is putting mini libraries in barbershops so young brown boys can get their read on. To learn more about Barbershop Books, click here! The bulk of this week's episode is spent discussing a widely overlooked population in the literary world, men! *insert snarky face emoji here* The show ends with us discussing the tragedy that is the recent events in McKinney, Texas and...
EPISODE SEVENTEEN: The Doctor Is In...
May 26, 2015 05:00 - 81.3 MBThis week's episode finds us discussing the merits of eBook subscriptions services. And by us, I mean Tahmeka because Jeanette thinks she's made of money and just keeps buying books. We discuss Oyster, Kindle Unlimited, & Scribd (briefly). The bulk of the episode is spent discussion Julie Iromuanya's Mr. and Mrs. Doctor, a novel released on Coffee House Press on 5/15. The episode concludes with the What Are You Reading? segment where we discuss a few books that have graced our shelves recently.
EPISODE SIXTEEN: Weine, Weine, Weine...
May 19, 2015 05:13 - 70.7 MBThis week we're discussing Jennifer Weiner, one of our favorite writers. Join us as we discuss our favorite novels written by Weiner as well as some other aspects of her career including that infamous feud with a guy whose names rhymes with Schmonathan Schmranzen. We wrap up the show with our "What Are You Reading?" segment and talk about the writing process. Jeanette also stans out for Tahmeka's writing. ;-P
EPISODE FIFTEEN: Books on Books on Books
May 12, 2015 05:00 - 66.6 MBTaking a break from the heft of previous shows, today's episode we're simply talking books. Join us as we go back and forth naming books that fall into certain categories and, as always giving our $.02 on them.
EPISODE FOURTEEN: We Can't All Be Martin Luther King
May 05, 2015 05:00 - 63.4 MBIn this episode we discuss a variety of interlinking subjects. We begin with a semi-in depth look at Martin Luther King's "Other America" speech and talk about the mischaracterization of King in modern day narratives with regard to the riots and protests of today. We also discuss poetry as a means of capturing the experience of being Black in America, briefly discussing the works of poets like Sojourner Truth, Claude McKay, Langston Hughes, Julian Bond and Jayne Cortez. The show wraps up wit...
EPISODE THIRTEEN: Claire of the Sea Light
April 28, 2015 05:00 - 61 MBThis week we're finally discussing our book club selection Edwidge Danticat's Claire of the Sea Light. We know. : ) Join us for an atypical discussion that centers on this novel, its inhabitant and the literary prowess of the author.
EPISODE TWELVE: The Seinfeld Episode
April 21, 2015 05:00 - 76.5 MBThis week's episode is a hodgepodge of topics that were outstanding that we wanted to address. Join us this week as we talk ARCs, failed book clubs, books we want to read and as always, Toni Morrison. HA!
EPISODE ELEVEN: Blackity Black, Don't Talk Back
April 14, 2015 05:00 - 82.1 MBToday's episode features Special Guest Sarah (@sarahsosincere) in the Honeycomb Hideout once again as we discuss the VIDA count findings and the amazingly crafted New York Times profile of the The Queen--Toni Morrison.
EPISODE TEN: Let's All Go to the Movies
April 07, 2015 05:00 - 85.3 MBThis week's episode we're discussing book to film/tv movie adaptations. We begin with discussing this article outlining some of the most highly anticipated book to film adaptations of 2015. As the show moves along, we talk about some adaptations that we love, loathed and long to see brought to life. Listen to hear which adaptations make us swoon and which made us retch. We ran a little long on this one, but it was a fun time. If we missed any of your faves, feel free to reach out
EPISODE NINE: An Ode to Pearl
March 31, 2015 05:00 - 87 MBThis week we began with discussing the survey results (thank you again for your participation!) and have our first interview in the to be named "non-readers" interview series. We spend the great majority of the show fangirling over one of our literary giants, Pearl Cleage. Books discussed in the episode have been added to the Bookshelf page.
EPISODE 8.5: Tampa, FLAW-duh
March 24, 2015 05:00 - 73.2 MBThis was the very first episode of the podcast we recorded way back when. Please excuse the sounds of Jeanette typing at random intervals, LOL! We spend the majority of the hour discussing Tampa by Alissa Nutting. Borne of seeing a story of a former classmate in the news, Nutting's novel takes a look at a predatory nature of one female middle school teacher who uses her classroom as a way to feed her perversion. Article we discussed in the beginning of episode here.
EPISODE EIGHT: The One about *that* MFA article...
March 17, 2015 05:00 - 59 minutes - 67.5 MBToday's episode we have a special guest in the house, @sarahsosincere! Sarah is a friend of ours who was a member of our former writing group. Together we all discuss a few things, including that infamous MFA article written by a former professor in a low-res program.
EPISODE SEVEN: New Classics
March 10, 2015 05:00 - 1 hour - 78.2 MBWe begin with revisiting Eric Jerome Dickey's Cheaters and whether or not it held up for us many years later. We also discuss reading slumps and how we deal with getting back in the groove after being caught in one. This bulk of this week's episode finds us discussing contemporary books that we feel should be considered classics in the years to come.
EPISODE SIX: Funny Girls
March 03, 2015 06:00 - 1 hour - 76.6 MBThis week's episodes finds us discussing humorous books written by women writers from all walks of life, but mainly comediennes. We discuss books from Mindy Kaling, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Issa Rae, Helena Andrews, and a host of others. We also briefly speak about whom we would like to see a book of this ilk from in the future.
EPISODE FIVE: Tales of a Childhood Bookworm
February 24, 2015 06:00 - 1 hour - 72.7 MBIn this week's episode, we discuss the launch of the Better Than the Movie book club. We pick our first selection, Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat. WE also talk about our nostalgic favorites looks from childhood. From Ann M. Martin to Lois Lowry, we discuss some of our our faves that shaped our literary trajectory.
EPISODE FOUR: FOH [Fiction Outta the Hood]
February 17, 2015 06:00 - 1 hour - 81.6 MBIn this week's episode we tackle the genre of urban fiction aka hood lit. We discuss our gripes with it as well as its...unique traits. We also spend a bit of time reminiscing for authors of days of yore, specifically Trisha R. Thomas, Sheneska Jackson and Lolita. We also finally get to the root of Jeanette's Zane issues.
EPISODE THREE: Diversity or Nah?
February 10, 2015 06:00 - 1 hour - 73.7 MBIn this week's episode we begin with a tribute to a fallen friend, Borders Books & Music. We also unpack our feelings about the #WeNeedDiverseBooks movement. We discuss everything from the genesis of the movement to our suggestions to those who need a nudge in the right direction when it comes to reading diversely.
EPISODE TWO: Conversing with Mrs. Jones
February 04, 2015 05:14 - 1 hour - 79.9 MBWe have a special guest! Christina Jones is a writer of contemporary romance and romantic suspense who speaks with us today regarding her writing career, diversity in publishing, romance stereotypes/tropes, and her Serendipitous Love book series.
EPISODE 1.5: The Chimamanda Episode
January 29, 2015 03:39 - 61 MBWe dug in the crates for this one! While we're working through our woes with iTunes integration, enjoy this bonus episode! In this episode we dissect Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's novel Americanah. There is a difference of opinion amongst the hosts regarding this novel. Check it out and let us know how you feel about the novel (& our viewpoints) in the comments!
EPISODE ONE: The One About EJD
January 29, 2015 02:39 - 1 hour - 43.8 MBIn the first episode of Better than the Movie, we discuss the works of Eric Jerome Dickey. We talk about everything from how we were first exposed to how his writing holds up over the years.