Portable Magic

This episode, Emily and Kyle catch up on what they've been reading so far in 2016 – including a long-overdue discussion of Scott Hawkins' The Library of Mt Char. They also discuss several new fantasy novels, Kyle's cookbook addiction, Helen Ellis' hilarious new book of short stories, and the inspiration behind the Pringles potato chip guy. Episode Breakdown: 0:00 – 08:00: Smo

This episode, Emily and Kyle discuss how they find the time and motivation to read, even amongst all the other distractions of modern life. Plus, for the second year in a row, they provide a comprehensive gift list for all the last-second holiday shoppers out there. Episode Breakdown: 0:00 – 10:00: What We're Reading 10:00 – 40:00: Finding the Motivation to Read 40:00 – 1:0

This episode, Emily and Kyle discuss which contemporary books will become classics. Along the way, they touch on Infinite Jest, Harry Potter, and many, many more. Plus, Kyle's been spending some time with Welcome to Night Vale and the newest encyclical from the Pope, while Emily's been immersed in Peter Clines' The Fold. Episode Breakdown: 0:00 – 16:00: What We're Reading 16:00

This episode, we take a trip back to our awkward high-school years to discuss what we read, what we didn't, and what stuck with us. Plus, quick thoughts on Kim Stanley Robinson's Aurora and Nicole Kornher-Stace's Archivist Wasp. Episode Breakdown: 0:00 – 16:00: What We're Reading 16:00 – 1:20:00: Books We Read in High School What Emily's Reading: Archivist Wasp by Nicole Ko

This episode, we take a closer look at the bibliography of the amiable travel, science, and memoir writer Bill Bryson. Plus, our quick thoughts on China Mieville, The Devil in the White City, and pop history vs. scholarly history. Episode Breakdown: 0:00 – 10:00: What We're Reading 10:00 – 53:00: Bill Bryson What Emily's Reading: Three Moments of an Explosion by China Miev

This episode, we take a hopefully-not-too-grim look at the genre of post-apocalyptic fiction. Emily wonders why the genre attracts so many hyper-masculine writers and Kyle talks about one of his favorite and one of his least favorite novels. No spoilers to speak of in this episode. Episode Breakdown: 0:00 – 9:00: What We're Reading 9:00 – 1:00:00: Post-Apocalyptic Fiction Wh

This episode, we take a close look at Andy Weir's hard sci-fi novel The Martian and discuss its unusual publication history, its narrative structure, and how effective we thought the book turned out to be. Plus, Emily's been on a horror kick and Kyle's been hate-watching True Detective, so he decided to pick up Nic Pizzolatto's debut novel. Warning: This episode contains some coar

This episode, we're talking about the alternative book formats: eBooks and audiobooks. We talk about our habits with each, our favorite examples of each medium, and what might be stopping these alternative formats from reaching their full potential. Episode Breakdown: 0:00 – 5:00: What We're Reading 5:00 – 55:00: eBooks & Audiobooks What Emily's Reading: The Gracekeepers by

Welcome back to Portable Magic! In this episode, we're talking about adaptations – good and bad. In the mix are The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Princess Bride, The Great Gatsby, Game of Thrones, and many more. Episode Breakdown: 0:00 – 10:00: What We're Reading 10:00 – 1:00:00: Adaptations What Emily's Reading: The Deadlands by Benjamin Percy What Kyle's Readin

We forgot to introduce ourselves this week! If you're new to the show, Portable Magic is hosted by Emily Hughes and Kyle Deas. This episode, we take a look at short stories – our favorites, the classics, and the magic and the art behind them. Emily makes the argument that we're living in the golden age of the short story collection and Kyle wonders what happened to all the magaz