Nerdette

Today on Nerdette we're bringing you a fascinating interview from another WBEZ podcast - Art of Power. Leigh Bardugo is the author of the bestselling 'Shadow and Bone' trilogy. Leigh talks with Aarti Shahani about the many ups and downs she traversed before ultimately landing at success.

How is it September already?! We talk music news with Certified Music People™ Jasmine Garsd (NPR) and Jill Hopkins (Vocalo). Then, we check in with actor Harvey Guillén, who does all his own stunts as Guillermo de la Cruz in 'What We Do in the Shadows,' and walk through a recommendation from the American Medical Association that could make life a lot easier for trans and intersex folks.

It's our long-awaited episode on Kazuo Ishiguro’s 'Klara and the Sun'! We dive into the Nobel prize-winner’s latest with writer Anita Felicelli, who recently reviewed ‘Klara and the Sun’ for the Los Angeles Review of Books, and author Veronica Roth (‘Divergent,’ ‘Chosen Ones’).

WTTW anchor Brandis Friedman and WBEZ reporter Araceli Gómez-Aldana talk to us about Lil Nas X’s new gig with Taco Bell, if anything we watch is “good” in the age of armchair critics, and why the baby from the cover of Nirvana’s 'Nevermind' isn’t smiling anymore. Then, TV critic Kathryn VanArendonk christens a new genre we can get behind (White Man As Obstacle) and author Jess Zimmerman takes a feminist spin on Greek myths.

We’re back with a panel! This week, we talk COVID, Jeopardy!, and #RushTok with WBEZ daily newsletter writer Hunter Clauss and New York Times TV critic Margaret Lyons. Then, Eve Ewing tells us about 'Maya and the Robot,' her lovely new book for middle grade readers. (Note: We recorded this week’s panel on Thursday, before the news broke about Mike Richards leaving Jeopardy!)

This week, it’s all about SUMMER MOVIES. First, we check in with TIME’s Eliana Dockterman about what’s been good, what to avoid, and what the deal is with that whole ScarJo/Disney lawsuit situation. Then, we ask film critic Robert Daniels about his favorite movies of 2021 so far. His list may surprise you!

This week, two of our favorite eaters — Bon Appetit senior staff writer Alex Beggs and New York Times restaurant critic Tejal Rao — tell us why the best picnics might just be the least photogenic ones. They’re all about tiny swimsuits, big sandwiches, cold wine in insulated water bottles, and minimal, minimal effort.

Welcome back to Nerdette Book Club! It’s just like a regular book club only we have our own hashtag! This month we’re reading ‘Klara and the Sun’ by Nobel prize-winning Kazuo Ishiguro. Stay tuned for the panel discussion of the book later this month -- in the meantime, as if you didn’t need more books to add to our to-read list, Greta talks with book nerds Liberty Hardy and Bethanne Patrick about some of the best books they’ve read so far this year.

This week we check in with Jacoby Cochran, host of City Cast Chicago, and WBEZ politics reporter Mariah Woelfel about the CDC’s re-masking guidelines, the Jan. 6 hearing, and that Adam Driver centaur ad. Then, Carleton University journalism professor Sarah Everts joins to talk about her new book ‘The Joy of Sweat: The Strange Science of Perspiration.’ AND, Gabrielle Bluestone (aka the VICE reporter who broke the story on Fyre Festival) explains why we just can’t stop falling for scams.

Welcome back to Nerdette Book Club! It’s just like a regular book club only we have our own hashtag! This month we’re reading ‘Version Zero’ by David Yoon (‘Frankly In Love,’ ‘Super Fake Love Song’). In this fast-paced genre-defying tale, three friends team up to take down Big Tech...