Unfortunately Required Reading

Feb 22 2025 128 ep. 75 mins 24

Unfortunately Required Reading Podcast artwork

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

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

Feb 22 2025 114 mins

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

Tocqueville's American Travel Vlog (Democracy in America)

Jan 19 2025 119 mins

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.

That's Showbiz Kid (A Confederacy of Dunces)

Dec 21 2024 128 mins

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.

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

Nov 24 2024 145 mins

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.

The Haunted Audio (Turn of the Screw)

Oct 19 2024 97 mins

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.

Diet Malthus (Ishmael)

Sep 28 2024 89 mins

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

This is My Roman Empire (I, Claudius)

Aug 31 2024 78 mins

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

Episode 115: Word by Word (Bird by Bird)

Jul 21 2024 65 mins

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

City of Naw (City of Night)

Jun 29 2024 87 mins

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.

Following the White Rabbit (Alice in Wonderland)

May 25 2024 133 mins

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.