Shows
Mean Book ClubSkipping Christmas by John Grisham w/ Jonathan FernandezFrom the author of seminal legal-thrillers such as The Firm and A Time to Kill, comes the inspiration behind... Christmas with the Kranks? This week we read Skipping Christmas by John Grisham and all we want from santa is to give us back the time we spent reading this nonsense. Big thanks to our very special guest Johnathan Fernandez!Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast (almost) every...
2025-11-251h 43Mean Book ClubBeautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney w/ Raúl EsparzaA very special episode with a very special guest, this week we read "Beautiful Ugly" by Alice Feeney and it was... confusing. Revenge, instant bestsellers, and murderous lesbians make for a wild and confusing ride as we read between the lines of this bad bad book. Special thanks to our guest Raúl and to our wonderful fans who support us over on Patreon!Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your c...
2025-11-181h 50Mean Book ClubWhere is Joe Merchant by Jimmy BuffettWhere are our Parrot Heads at?! This week we read Where's Joe Merchant by Mr. Margaritaville himself, Jimmy Buffett. Did the plot make sense? No. Did we like the book? Also no. But did Johnna find out that Jimmy Buffett is her most listened to artist on Spotify mid-episode? The answer may surprise you.Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast (almost) every Tuesday! Here’s the...
2025-10-281h 31Mean Book ClubWho Moved my Cheese by Spencer JohnsonPersonal goals, career goals, squad goals, any and all of it can be considered "The Cheese." But what happens when someone moves the cheese? What wildly oversimplified options do you have? Well Spencer Johnson lays it all out in this tiny little business fable about adapting to change and the very literal rat race.Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast (almost) every Tuesday! Here’s the...
2025-10-141h 30Mean Book Club"We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart w/ David Joseph CraigArson, anmesia, and a private island? It's a wonder how this book could be so boring. This week we read "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart and we can't say it enough: JUST WATCH THE TV SHOW!Big thanks to our special guest David Joseph Craig who's new film "I Don't Understand You" is now streaming on Hulu. Check it out!Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New...
2025-09-161h 34Mean Book ClubThe Plot Against America by Phillip RothAn alternate history with family drama, cultural identity, and extremely detailed descriptions of stamps, this week we read "The Plot Against America" by Phillip Roth and what can we say? This book was way too good for our podcast. Special thanks to our patron Miles for foisting this literary classic on us. We enjoyed the break from our usual trash!Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast (almost...
2025-09-141h 24Mean Book Club"Prep" by Curtis SittenfeldSometimes in life, a special book comes along and embraces you with characters you relate to, a setting that you enjoy, and a plot that exists. This is unfortunately not that book. This week we read "Prep" by Curtis Sittenfeld and good news, we hated it! Big thanks to our patron Saroj for making us read this stinker and congratulations to Curtis Sittenfeld for being our first ever three-peat author!Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit...
2025-09-021h 17Mean Book Club"The Corrections" by Jonathan FranzenWas it profound or was it pretentious? Is the author a genius or a misogynist? The only thing we know for sure is that a man made love to a couch. Mean Book Club returns for our 20th season with "The Corrections" by Jonathan Franzen. Big thanks to patron of the mean arts, George for generously forcing this behemoth onto us!Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast...
2025-08-191h 41Mean Book ClubFrom the Vault: "Twilight" by Stephenie MeyerMean Book Club "From the Vault!" We're periodically reuploading episodes straight from the ghost of Mean Book Club's past! This week we're taking a look back at the book that started the multimillion dollar franchise: "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer.Sarah, Johnna, Clara & Sabrina rip apart this week's NYT bestseller: Twilight. Released in 2005, this book debuted at #5 on the New York Times Best Seller list within a month of its release and later peaked at #1.Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that...
2025-08-1251 minMean Book ClubSeason 20 Book List and PromoMean Book Club is BACK with their biggest season yet! Join us for a series of bad romances, self-help stinkers, and mandane mysteries to celebrate our 20TH SEASON. New episodes start on August 15th and follow us on Patreon for even more of that sweet, sweet season 20 content! Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast (almost) every Tuesday! Here’s the Season 20 reading list:The...
2025-08-0504 minMean Book ClubFrom the Vault: "Congo" by Michael CrichtonMean Book Club "From the Vault!" We're periodically reuploading episodes straight from the ghost of Mean Book Club's past! This episode we're revisiting "Congo" by Michael Crichton. Check out our thoughts on this bad, bad book before we watch the bad, bad movie!Hey book nerds! This week Colin O’Brien (Just For Laughs) and Michael Wolf (Comedy Central, MTV), hosts of the Literati podcast, forced us to read Congo by Michael Crichton. This book spent 12 weeks on the NYT bestseller list in 1980 and was later adapted to a movie in 1995 (unfortunately not starring Sean Connery). But WHY? Me...
2025-07-221h 39Mean Book Club"The Rom-Commers" by Katherine Center (w/ Emily Fidago)A Hollywood romance, a high diving board, and a weirdly important video from high school: this week we read "The Rom-Commers" by Katherine Center for a very exciting season finale, featuring special guest Emily Fidago, and the triumphant return of Sabrina!Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast (almost) every Tuesday! Here’s the Season 18 reading list: 1. Fourth Wing by Yarros 2. Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance 3. The Hou...
2025-06-171h 51Mean Book Club"The Paris Apartment" by Lucy FoleyFamily drama, wine caves, and Johnna crimes: This week we read "The Paris Apartment" by two-time Mean Book Club offender Lucy Foley and it was un peu ennuyeux.Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast (almost) every Tuesday! Here’s the Season 18 reading list: 1. Fourth Wing by Yarros 2. Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance 3. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden 4. Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg 5. A Court of Thrones and...
2025-06-031h 10Mean Book Club"The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" by Taylor Jenkins ReidHeartbreaks, hate rates, and a host of husbands. This week we read "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" by Taylor Jenkins Reid and it was... pretty good? Special shoutout to the person who recorded Johnna's version of the audiobook. This episode wouldn't have been the same without you.Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast (almost) every Tuesday! Here’s the Season 18 reading list: 1. Fourth Wing by Yar...
2025-05-201h 19Mean Book Club"The Last Mrs. Parrish" by Live ConstantineRich husbands, dead sisters, and another non-NYTimes Bestseller!? This week we read "The Last Mrs. Parrish" by Liv Constantine and, twist, it was a stinker. Big thanks to Molly our recommender who was very correct about the NYTimes Bestseller status of this book.Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast (almost) every Tuesday! Here’s the Season 18 reading list: 1. Fourth Wing by Yarros 2. Hillbilly Elegy by JD Van...
2025-05-061h 17Mean Book Club"Thursday Murder Club" by Richard OsmanAn old folks home and filled with red herrings. This week we read "Thursday Murder Club" by Richard Osman and we got mad. Big thanks to our listener Abby who recommended the book, which we found out IS a NYTimes bestseller after all.Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast (almost) every Tuesday! Here’s the Season 18 reading list: 1. Fourth Wing by Yarros 2. Hillbilly Elegy by JD Van...
2025-04-221h 27Mean Book Club"Killers of a Certain Age" by Deanna RaybournJames Bond meets pickle ball? This week we read "Killers of a Certain Age" by Deanna Raybourn and we'd rate it a big old "Dr. No."Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast (almost) every Tuesday! Here’s the Season 18 reading list: 1. Fourth Wing by Yarros 2. Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance 3. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden 4. Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg 5. A Court of Thrones and Roses by...
2025-04-081h 31Mean Book Club"Handbook for Mortals" by Lani SaremMaybe the best/worst book we've ever done? This week we read "Handbook for Mortals" by Lani Sarem and we will never be the same.Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast (almost) every Tuesday! Here’s the Season 18 reading list: 1. Fourth Wing by Yarros 2. Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance 3. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden 4. Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg 5. A Court of Thrones and Roses by Sar...
2025-03-251h 45Mean Book Club"Darkly Dreaming Dexter" by Jeff LindsayMurderous middle-age male meets moral mentor's mindful mantras. This week, we kick off season 19 with the alliterative "Darkly Dreaming Dexter" by Jeff Lindsay. Will Dexter turn evil? Will he ever experience human emotions? Should we have watched the TV show instead of reading his bad bad book? Tune in to the episode to find out!Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast (almost) every Tuesday! Here’s t...
2025-03-111h 25Mean Book Club"While Justice Sleeps" by Stacey Abrams with Blake OpperA book as thrilling as joining the chess club at law school: for our season finale this week we read "While Justice Sleeps" by Stacey Abrams with our editor extraordinaire Blake Opper! You can check out his album "For Money and Power" on Bandcamp or wherever you get your music!https://goldbloomtrio.bandcamp.com/album/for-money-and-powerMean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast (almost) every Tuesday!
2025-01-071h 38Mean Book Club"Memoirs of a Geisha" by Arthur GoldenThe memoir of a fictional Japanese geisha written by white guy who went to Harvard... what could go wrong? This week we read "Memoirs of a Geisha" and just in time for Christmas. Happy Holidays everyone and thank you so much for the support this year! Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast (almost) every Tuesday! Here’s the Season 18 reading list: 1. Fourth Wing by Yarros 2. Hillbilly Elegy...
2024-12-241h 21Mean Book ClubThe House In The Pines by Ana ReyesYour classic who-done-it where the hypnotist is the killer and you find that out in... the prologue? Also the house is not a house it's a cabin and the cabin isn't a cabin, it's a pit with cement blocks.Special thanks to Susan from Book Squad Goals for this rec! You can check out their podcast at https://www.booksquadgoals.com or wherever you get your podcasts. Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's c...
2024-12-101h 33Mean Book ClubA Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J MaasThis week we read "A Court of Thorns and Roses" by Sarah J Maas and sorry listeners, we loved it! (Well, most of us). Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast (almost) every Tuesday! Here’s the Season 18 reading list: 1. Fourth Wing by Yarros 2. Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance 3. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden 4. Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg 5. A Court of Thrones and Roses by Sarah J. M...
2024-11-261h 41Mean Book ClubLean In by Cheryl SandbergThis week we read "Lean In" by Cheryl Sandberg and if we had to sum up this book in one sentence it would be "GO TO HARVARD!" Check out our Patreon where you can get access to ad-free episodes and check us out on all the socials @MeanBookClub. Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast (almost) every Tuesday! Here’s the Season 18 reading list: 1. Fourth Wing by Yarr...
2024-11-121h 40Mean Book ClubThe Housemaid by Frieda McFaddenThis week we read "The Housemaid" by Frieda McFadden so you know what that means, things are about to get toxic. In this episode we talk about gaslighting, plot twists, and the infamous "butt-eye." Check out our Patreon where you can get access to ad-free episodes and check us out on all the socials @MeanBookClub. Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast (almost) every Tuesday! Here’s the...
2024-10-291h 37Mean Book ClubHillbilly Elegy by JD VanceSeason 18 continues with "Hillbilly Elegy" by J.D. Vance! Did we learn something about traditional American values? Not really, but we did have a blast ripping on this wet nerd's memoir. Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast (almost) every Tuesday! Here’s the Season 18 reading list: 1. Fourth Wing by Yarros 2. Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance 3. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden 4. Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg 5. A Court...
2024-10-151h 53Mean Book ClubFourth Wing by Rebecca YarrosWe're back with season 18 baby! This season we're covering some of our most requested books and we may or may not love each and every one of them. In this episode Sabrina, Johnna, & Sarah review "Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros.Mean Book Club is four ladies (UCB, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) who read, discuss and whine about NYT bestselling books that have questionable literary merit. It's fun. It's cathartic. It's perfect for your commute. New podcast (almost) every Tuesday! Here’s the Season 18 reading list: 1. Fourth Wing by Yarros 2. Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance 3. The...
2024-10-011h 52
The Improv InsiderWhat Is Improv?In this debut episode of the now world famous Improv Insider Podcast, comedy icons Nick Plackis and Blake Opper dive head first into the most hotly debated topic of our time: "What is Improv?" In this episode they discuss props/costumes, how to win over an audience, the nature of reality, and show-don't-tell.
2022-06-1542 min