Jeselnik Book Club

The Ringer

Anthony Jeselnik wants you to read books.

In Jeselnik Book Club, Anthony shares his obsessive passion for the benefits of reading literature—with contagious results.
Every week, Anthony will discuss modern literary gossip and question popular culture with a series of guests, ranging from authors to celebrities, friends, and guests from your favorite Ringer podcasts.

Tune in to Jeselnik Book Club because you love to read or because you want to become a better, smarter, more beautiful person.

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8 episodes
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Avg 1 hr 5 min
English

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Wednesday · 1 hr 7 min
‘Elf Unwrapped’ With Andy Richter
Anthony is joined by actor, comedian, and author Andy Richter to discuss his new book, ‘Elf Unwrapped,’ an oral history of the making of the holiday classic ‘Elf.’ The guys discuss their experiences with improv, taking creative risks, and Andy’s favorite behind-the-scenes stories from the film. They also explore his collaboration with cowriter Aaron Karo, the lessons he learned from writing the book, and his experience working on the film ‘Obsession.’ 00:00 - Open 02:40 - Introduction: Improv, Creative Risks, and Oral Histories 12:13 - Chapter 1: Favorite ‘Elf’ Anecdotes 28:00 - Chapter 2: Cowriting With Aaron Karo 34:35 - Chapter 3: Lessons From Writing ‘Elf Unwrapped’ 41:10 - Chapter 4: Jeselnik Book Club Gauntlet 56:33 - Chapter 5: One Additional Question (Behind the Scenes of ‘Obsession’) 58:20 - Acknowledgments: Andy’s gift and book rec 1:04:39 - To Be Continued: ‘The Red Dress’ with Dr. Frank Huyler Books discussed in this episode: ‘Elf Unwrapped’ by Andy Richter and Aaron Karo ‘Truth in Comedy’ by Charna Halpern, Del Close, and Kim “Howard” Johnson ‘Save the Cat!’ by Blake Snyder ‘As You Wish’ by Cary Elwes and Joe Layden ‘Please Kill Me’ by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain ‘Tai-Pan’ by James Clavell ‘Shogun’ by James Clavell ‘The Man From the Train’ by Bill James and Rachel McCarthy James ‘The Red Dress’ by Frank Huyler Email me your thoughts and questions about our next book club selection, ‘The Friend,’ by November 24 at JeselnikBookClub@gmail.com. Join Jeselnik Book Club: https://anthonyjeselnik.com/the-jeselnik-book-club Save the Jeselnik Book Club audiobooks playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DXdm9jUEbwwfR?si=8c8f714014474a83 Tour dates: https://anthonyjeselnik.com/tour You can order ‘The Friend’ and all the Jeselnik Book Club picks through our Bookshop.org shop: https://bookshop.org/shop/anthonyjeselnik Website: https://www.anthonyjeselnik.com/the-jeselnik-book-club Shop the books: https://bookshop.org/shop/anthonyjeselnik Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anthonyjeselnik Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@anthonyjeselnik Host: Anthony Jeselnik Guest: Andy Richter Supervising Producer: Magdalena Munao Talent Booker: Paige Garbarini Creative Producer: Daniel Comer Technical Director: Chris Wohlers Editor: Matt Pevic Social: Kelsey Carter Set Design: Jonathan Ratliff and Gitu Mehra Additional Production Supervision: Jack Wilson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
November 4 · 1 hr 20 min
'Dungeon Crawler Carl’ by Matt Dinniman with Mallory Rubin | Jeselnik Book Club
Anthony is joined by The Ringer’s Mallory Rubin to discuss Matt Dinniman’s sci-fi fantasy novel ‘Dungeon Crawler Carl,’ the story of a man and a cat fighting to survive a deadly, alien-run game show. They compare their expectations and fears going into the book, break down the highs and lows of the reading experience, and discuss the kind of reader who should give the series a shot. Mallory also shares some ‘Dungeon Crawler Carl’–adjacent recommendations and gives Anthony a crash course in romantasy. 00:00 - Open 01:05 - Introduction 09:42 - Chapter 1: “You Have to Read ‘Dungeon Crawler Carl’” 17:53 - Chapter 2: 'DCC' Expectations and Fears 21:00 - Chapter 3: The Highs and Lows of the Reading Experience 44:23 - Chapter 4: Who Should Read This Book and 'DCC'-Adjacent Recommendations 1:03:18 - Chapter 5: Jeselnik Book Club Gauntlet 1:10:17 - Acknowledgments: Mallory’s Gift and Romantasy Talk 1:16:40 - To Be Continued: 'Elf Unwrapped' with Andy Richter Email me your thoughts and questions about our next book club selection, 'The Friend,' by November 24 at JeselnikBookClub@gmail.com. Join Jeselnik Book Club: https://anthonyjeselnik.com/the-jeselnik-book-club Save the Jeselnik Book Club audiobooks playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DXdm9jUEbwwfR?si=8c8f714014474a83 Tour dates: https://anthonyjeselnik.com/tour You can order 'The Friend' and all the Jeselnik Book Club picks through our Bookshop.org shop: https://bookshop.org/shop/anthonyjeselnik Website: https://www.anthonyjeselnik.com/the-jeselnik-book-club Shop the books: https://bookshop.org/shop/anthonyjeselnik Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anthonyjeselnik Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@anthonyjeselnik Host: Anthony Jeselnik Guest: Mallory Rubin Supervising Producer: Magdalena Munao Talent Booker: Paige Garbarini Creative Producer: Daniel Comer Technical Director: Chris Wohlers Set Design: Jonathan Ratliff and Gitu Mehra Editor: Matt Pevic Social: Kelsey Carter Additional Production Supervision: Jack Wilson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
October 30 · 1 hr 10 min
Jeselnik Book Club: ‘The Trees’ by Percival Everett Book Review + Q&A
Jeselnik Book Club’s review of ‘The Trees,’ written by Percival Everett. Anthony takes you through the novel’s bizarre string of murders in Money, Mississippi, and discusses how Everett blends mystery, horror, and dark comedy to confront America’s history of racial violence. After the recap, Anthony turns to the mailbag to answer questions from listeners. (00:00) - Open (00:40) - Book background and Emmett Till history (06:40) - Recap begins (33:30) - Mailbag! (1:04:10) - November’s book: ‘The Friend’ by Sigrid Nunez (1:06:40) - Next week: ‘Dungeon Crawler Carl’ with Mallory Rubin Email me your thoughts/questions about our next book club selection, ‘The Friend,’ by November 24 at JeselnikBookClub@gmail.com Join Jeselnik Book Club: anthonyjeselnik.com/the-jeselnik-book-club Host: Anthony Jeselnik Supervising Producer: Magdalena Munao Creative Producer: Daniel Comer Technical Director: Trevor Rabone Set Design: Jonathan Ratliff and Gitu Mehra Editor: Matt Pevic Additional Production Supervision: Jack Wilson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
October 21 · 1 hr 32 min
‘American Rambler: Walking the Trail of Johnny Appleseed’ with Isaac Fitzgerald | Jeselnik Book Club
Anthony is joined by ‘Dirtbag, Massachusetts’ author and 'Today' correspondent Isaac Fitzgerald to discuss his new memoir, ‘American Rambler: Walking the Trail of Johnny Appleseed.’ The guys explore Isaac’s journey following in the footsteps of Johnny Appleseed, separating legend from fact, and the case for nonfiction. They also discuss why the book is a love letter to Isaac’s mom and what makes it “a grief memoir in reverse.” (00:42) Introduction (17:13) Chapter 1: 'Dirtbag, Massachusetts' (30:38) Chapter 2: The Case for Nonfiction (40:30) Chapter 3: ‘American Rambler: Walking the Trail of Johnny Appleseed’ (59:04) Chapter 4: JBC Gauntlet (1:17:00) Chapter 5: One Additional Question (1:24:06) - Acknowledgments: Isaac's Gift and Praising JBC (1:28:14) - To Be Continued: 'The Trees' Book Review and Mailbag Email me your thoughts/questions about our next book club selection, 'The Trees,' by October 26 at JeselnikBookClub@gmail.com. Join Jeselnik Book Club: anthonyjeselnik.com/the-jeselnik-book-club Tour dates: anthonyjeselnik.com/tour Save the Jeselnik Book Club audiobooks playlist: open.spotify.com/playlist/…?si=… Host: Anthony Jeselnik Guest: Isaac Fitzgerald Supervising Producer: Magdalena Munao Talent Booker: Paige Garbarini Creative Producer: Daniel Comer Technical Director: Chris Wohlers Set Design: Jonathan Ratliff and Gitu Mehra Editor: Matt Pevic Social: Keith Fujimoto Additional Production Supervision: Jack Wilson (edited) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
October 14 · 56 min
'Brut' by Sam Tallent, With Patton Oswalt
Anthony is joined by comedian and voracious reader Patton Oswalt to talk 'Brut' by Sam Tallent, a novel about a hitman “forced to take an impossible job.” They also discuss some of Patton’s favorite books, a former boss who HATED bananas, the future of reading, novels written with movie adaptations in mind, and more. (00:00) Open (01:18) Introduction: Detroit, Comedians, Reading (06:53) Chapter 1: Patton Oswalt, Reader (14:48) Chapter 2: ‘Brut’ by Sam Tallent (36:50) Chapter 3: Jeselnik Book Club Gauntlet (49:39) Acknowledgments: Patton’s Gift and Small Press Publishing (53:16) To Be Continued: Isaac Fitzgerald on His Memoir, ‘American Rambler: Walking the Trail of Johnny Appleseed’ Email me your thoughts/questions about our next book club selection, “The Trees,” by October 26 at JeselnikBookClub@gmail.com. Join Jeselnik Book Club: https://anthonyjeselnik.com/the-jeselnik-book-club Tour Dates: https://anthonyjeselnik.com/tour Save the Jeselnik Book Club audiobooks playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DXdm9jUEbwwfR?si=8c8f714014474a83 Host: Anthony Jeselnik Guest: Patton Oswalt Supervising Producer: Magdalena Munao Talent Booker: Paige Garbarini Creative Producer: Daniel Comer Technical Director: Chris Wohlers Set Design: Jonathan Ratliff and Gitu Mehra Editor: Matt Pevic Social: Keith Fujimoto Additional Production Supervision: Jack Wilson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
October 7 · 1 hr 6 min
‘Life of M’ by Rachel Cusk, With Gregg Rosenthal
Gregg Rosenthal, Anthony’s best friend and former JRVP cohost, joins the show to discuss Rachel Cusk’s ‘Life of M’ and recommend a few books for Anthony’s reading list. They also catch up on Gregg’s family, Anthony puts Gregg through the JBC Gauntlet, and the guys dive into a Reddit horror story about a man who joined an all-woman book club. (00:00) Introduction: Jeselnik Book Club Past, Present, Future (01:16) Chapter 1: Gregg’s Family (07:00) Chapter 2: ‘Life of M’ by Rachel Cusk (30:26) Chapter 3: Jeselnik Book Club Gauntlet (44:14) Chapter 4: One Additional Question (46:20) Chapter 5: Book Club Horror Stories (53:18) Acknowledgments: Gregg’s Gift and Listener Requests (1:03:30) To Be Continued: Patton Oswalt Joins the Show Next Week Email me at JeselnikBookClub@gmail.com by October 26 with your thoughts and questions about our next book club selection, ‘The Trees’ by Percival Everett. Join Jeselnik Book Club: https://anthonyjeselnik.com/the-jeselnik-book-club Tour dates: https://anthonyjeselnik.com/tour Host: Anthony Jeselnik Supervising Producer: Magdalena Munao Talent Booker: Paige Garbarini Creative Producer: Daniel Comer Technical Director: Chris Wohlers Set Design: Jonathan Ratliff and Gitu Mehra Editor: Matt Pevic Social: Keith Fujimoto Additional Production Supervision: Jack Wilson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
September 30 · 1 hr 24 min
Jeselnik Book Club: 'The Glass Hotel' Book Review + Q&A
Jeselnik Book Club reviews 'The Glass Hotel' by Emily St. John Mandel. We break down the book’s nonlinear story and answer mailbag questions ranging from “Have you ever refused to acknowledge someone from your past?” to “What do you think of authors killing heroes?” (00:00) - Intro (00:39) - Why I joined The Ringer (11:17) - Plot recap (47:40) - How do you try without appearing to try? (48:25) - Rank the Emily St. John Mandel books (49:49) - What's the closest you've been to a Ponzi scheme? (51:00) - Thoughts on the St. John Mandel connected universe? (52:30) - Did Vincent intend to drown, or was it an accident? (53:40) - What song captures the essence of the hotel? (55:54) - How do you feel about the concept of counter lives? (57:53) - Which character do you find most interesting? (59:05) - Why is the book called 'The Glass Hotel'? (1:00:05) - Have you ever pretended to not recognize someone from your past? (1:02:30) - What do you think of Paul using Vincent's videos for his career? (1:04:25) - What do you think about authors killing their heroes? (1:06:03) - How does revealing a tragic end point early change the reader's experience? (1:07:52) - What would you do if you were implicated in this Ponzi scheme (1:09:00) - What do you think about the role of guilt in this story? (1:11:15) - Why is 9/11 never alluded to in this book? (1:13:35) - Is this book better on a second read? (1:15:04) - What is your favorite place to read? (1:19:00) - October Book Club selection: 'The Trees' by Percival Everett Email us your thoughts and questions about our next book club selection, 'The Trees,' by October 26 at mailto:JeselnikBookClub@gmail.com. Join Jeselnik Book Club: https://anthonyjeselnik.com/the-jeselnik-book-club Tour dates: https://anthonyjeselnik.com/tour Host: Anthony Jeselnik Supervising Producer: Magdalena Munao Talent Booker: Paige Garbarini Creative Producer: Daniel Comer Technical Director: Chris Wohlers Set Design: Jonathan Ratliff and Gitu Mehra Editor: Matt Pevic Social: Michael Rovzar Additional Production Supervision: Jack Wilson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
September 22 · 55 sec
Jeselnik Book Club is coming to The Ringer
Anthony Jeselnik wants you to read books. In Jeselnik Book Club, Anthony shares his obsessive passion for the benefits of reading literature with contagious results. Every week, Anthony will discuss modern literary gossip and question popular culture with a series of guests ranging from authors to celebrities, friends, and guests from your favorite Ringer podcasts. Tune in to Jeselnik Book Club because you love to read or because you want to become a better, smarter, more beautiful person. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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