Unfortunately Required Reading

Review and relive the books that made you cringe in school, but now with cocktails and sass.

Episode 124: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Italy (The Aeneid)

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss the epic poem by Virgil (or Vergil), The Aeneid. Also, our weird obsession with bunt cakes.

07-27
01:53:52

The Book Club

Welcome to our first "Book Club" episode, as Amanda and Victoria discuss Sinners, Conclave and the atrocious Lilo and Stitch live action. Fair warning: there's no outline, no script, and plenty of tangents. Back to our regularly scheduled programming in July!

06-08
01:43:14

Episode 123: Not a Single Woman of Color Was Involved or Asked (The Second Sex)

This week Amanda and Victoria explore Simone de Beauvoir's exploration of women, The Second Sex, and discuss intersectionality and a whole blend of modern-day f**kery.

03-22
02:06:44

Isn't this An Episode of Family Guy (Uncle Tom's Cabin)

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Uncle Tom's Cabin and its enduring (and destructive) legacy.

02-22
01:54:38

Tocqueville's American Travel Vlog (Democracy in America)

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss the possible series finale of the US by talking about Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America and his accurate, and not so accurate, talking points.

01-19
01:59:00

That's Showbiz Kid (A Confederacy of Dunces)

This week Amanda and Victoria celebrate Victoria's birthday month with A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, and the legacy of New Orleans.

12-21
02:08:09

Inconceivable! Anybody want a Peanut? (The Princess Bride)

Somehow in this economy we get Baron Von Cheeseplate back on the show to discuss William Goldman's The Princess Bride, as well as how much we all hate that weird Evangelical puppet, Douglas.

11-25
02:25:18

The Haunted Audio (Turn of the Screw)

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Henry James' novella, The Turn of the Screw. After Daddy's Little Harbinger shows up (Mothman) our audio started to have some problems, the episode crashing twice. The rest of his death story is posted on UnfortunatelyRequiredReading.com for the curious.

10-19
01:37:00

Diet Malthus (Ishmael)

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss the Daniel Quinn book of Socratic dialogue with a gorilla, Ishmael.

09-28
01:29:36

This is My Roman Empire (I, Claudius)

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Robert Graves' epic I, Claudius, and immediately questioning Graves' concepts of history.

08-31
01:18:20

Episode 115: Word by Word (Bird by Bird)

Happy Birthday Month to Amanda! This month, we discuss Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird (and Victoria actually does the shortest short story long.)

07-22
01:05:26

City of Naw (City of Night)

This month Amanda and Victoria discuss City of Night by John Rechy for Pride Month and discuss the old ways and the new of Queer community and acceptance.

06-29
01:27:12

Following the White Rabbit (Alice in Wonderland)

Baron Von Cheeseplate joins Amanda and Victoria to discuss Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll, and the impact of this work on pop culture.

05-25
02:13:13

Little Scam on the Prairie (Little House on the Prairie)

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie, Manifest Destiny, the Minnesota Massacre, the lie of Westward expansion and why neither host can spell prairie.

04-13
01:27:16

Basically, Just Real Life in Late Stage Capitalism (Fahrenheit 451)

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

03-16
01:35:08

Episode 110: I Bet on Losing Dogs (Lady Chatterley's Lover)

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Lady Chatterley's Lover, sex politics, and what DH Lawrence means by a "crisis."

02-17
01:16:08

Strong Independent Pilgrim (Little Women)

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Little Women, Louisa May Alcott, and the myth of typical femininity.

01-20
01:31:26

A Bug's Life (Metamorphosis)

This month Amanda and Victoria discuss Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis, traumatic childhood abuse, and the utterly depressing life of Franz Kafka.

12-17
01:19:57

This Time, We Want to Join a Cult (or Build a Submarine)

Baron Von Cheeseplate returns to discuss 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne with Amanda and Victoria.

11-12
02:22:44

Do You Want to Get Sued? (The Shining)

For Spooky Month Amanda and Victoria discuss Stephen King's infamous work The Shining, alcoholism, hotels, and Stanley Kubrick.

10-07
02:24:36

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