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Poured Over

Barnes & Noble

Poured Over is a show for readers who pore over details, obsess over sentences and ideas and stories and characters; readers who ask a lot of questions, just like Poured Over's host, Miwa Messer, a career bookseller who's always reading. Follow us here for surprising riffs, candid conversations, a few laughs, and lots of great book recommendations from big name authors and authors on their way to being big names. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional bonus episodes on Saturdays).

Play
  • 61 episodes
  • a few times a week
  • Avg 52 min
  • English
Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.
  • August 11 · 1 hr 5 min

    Chang-rae Lee on A TENDER AGE

    A Tender Age by Chang-rae Lee is a coming-of-age story which explores complex family dynamics, masculinity and the search for the American dream. Chang-rae joins us to talk about retrospection, the hidden drama of the suburbs, childhood in the 70's and more with host Miwa Messer. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books: A Tender Age by Chang-rae Lee Native Speaker by Chang-rae Lee My Year Abroad by Chang-rae Lee On Such a Full Sea by Chang-rae Lee Aloft by Chang-rae Lee A Gesture Life by Chang-rae Lee The Surrendered by Chang-rae Lee A Typing Lady by Ruth Ozeki Dubliners by James Joyce Dominion by Addie E. Citchens

  • August 8 · 50 min

    David Szalay on FLESH

    Now out in paperback, Flesh is a poignant examination of one teenage boy's brush with trauma that continues to haunt him far into adulthood. David joins us to talk about Hungary, agency, free will, physicality, realism and more with cohost Chris Gillespie. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Chris Gillespie and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books: Flesh by David Szalay All That Man Is by David Szalay Turbulence by David Szalay London and the South-East by David Szalay

  • August 6 · 47 min

    Colson Whitehead on COOL MACHINE

    The final installment in the vibrant Harlem trilogy, Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead is a portrait of New York in transition during the 1980s. Colson joined us live at B&N Union Square to talk about the evolution of his career, ghost stories, researching the perfect coffee table and New York nostalgia with host Miwa Messer. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books: Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead The Odyssey by Homer Ulysses by James Joyce Night Shift by Stephen King The Colossus of New York by Colson Whitehead The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead The Noble Hustle by Colson Whitehead The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney Apex Hides the Hurt by Colson Whitehead Zone One by Colson Whitehead The Taking of Pelham One Two Three by John Godey The Living Dead by George A. Romero and Daniel Kraus The New York Trilogy by Paul Aster John Henry Days by Colson Whitehead Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead The Hunter by Richard Stark

  • August 4 · 43 min

    Stacey Yu on KITTEN

    Kitten by Stacey Yu is a darkly funny modern love story from a debut novelist. Stacey joins us to talk about character, repression, coming of age, relationships, animals and more with cohost Jenna Seery. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Jenna Seery and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): Kitten by Stacey Yu Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt The Friend by Sigrid Nunez Intermezzo by Sally Rooney All About Love by bell hooks Hot Milk by Deborah Levy My Baby's First Birthday by Jenny Zhang Lost Cat by Mary Gatskill Featured Books (TBR Top Off): Kitten by Stacey Yu The Friend by Sigrid Nunez Fruit Fly by Josh Silver

  • August 1 · 53 min

    Alison Espach on THE WEDDING PEOPLE

    The Wedding People by Alison Espach is a tender, wise and witty story following a luxe wedding at the Cornwell Inn. Alison joins us to talk about character, middle age, liminal spaces, relationships and more with cohost Brenda Allison. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Brenda Allison and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books: The Wedding People by Alison Espach Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte Heart the Lover by Lily King

  • July 30 · 55 min

    Jenny Jackson on THE SHAMPOO EFFECT

    The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson is a hilarious tale of old friends, new lovers and the pressures they face. Jenny joined us live at B&N Upper West Side to talk about small-town gossip, parenting, invisible labor, friendships, editing and more with cohost Brenda Allison. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Brenda Allison and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson Couples by John Updike Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke Make Nice by Ryan Effgen On the Calculation of Volume, Book I by Solvej Balle Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close Marrying the Ketchups by Jennifer Close Featured Books (TBR Top Off): The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth Salty by Kate Myers

  • July 28 · 42 min

    Emilee Hackney on ALL THAT'S UNSEEN

    All That's Unseen by Emilee Hackney is a triumphant memoir of hope, home and reinvention. Emilee joins us to talk about growing up in Appalachia, faith, shame, craft and more with host Miwa Messer. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): All That's Unseen: An Appalachian Memoir by Emilee Hackney Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover Shiner by Amy Jo Burns The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

  • July 23 · 52 min

    Melissa Murray on THE U.S. CONSTITUTION: A COMPREHENSIVE AND ANNOTATED GUIDE FOR THE MODERN READER

    The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader by Melissa Murray is an irreverent and accessible guide to understanding our nation's history, amendment by amendment. Melissa joins us to talk about tyranny, translation, the founding fathers, the curation of history, the Electoral College, language and more with host Miwa Messer. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader by Melissa Murray The Lost Founder: James Wilson and the Forgotten Fight for a People's Constitution by Jesse Wegman How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith Kin by Tayari Jones The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

  • July 21 · 1 hr 4 min

    Eddie S. Glaude Jr. on AMERICA, U.S.A.

    America, U.S.A. by Eddie S. Glaude Jr. is a gripping exploration of the United States' history and its anniversaries. Eddie joins us to talk about storytelling, music, the semiquincentennial, language, W.E.B. Du Bois, James Baldwin and more with host Miwa Messer. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): America, U.S.A.: How Race Shadow's the Nation's Anniversaries by Eddie S. Glaude Jr. Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own by Eddie S. Glaude Jr. Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul by Eddie S. Glaude Jr. We Are the Leaders We Have Been Looking For by Eddie S. Glaude Jr. The 42nd Parallel: The U.S.A. Trilogy, Volume 1 by John Dos Passos The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois Common Ground: A Turbulent Decade in the Lives of Three American Families by J. Anthony Lukas Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877 by Eric Foner Black Reconstruction in America, 1860-1880 by W.E.B. Du Bois Slave Religion: The "Invisible Institution" in the Antebellum South by Albert J. Raboteau Race Matters by Cornel West Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People by Imani Perry Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin The Evidence of Things Not Seen by James Baldwin How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith Featured Books (TBR Top Off): America, U.S.A.: How Race Shadow's the Nation's Anniversaries by Eddie S. Glaude Jr. The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein The War Within a War: The Black Struggle in Vietnam and at Home by Wil Haygood

  • July 18 · 40 min

    Nelio Biedermann on LÁZÁR

    Lázár by Nelio Biedermann tells the story of an aristocratic Hungarian family plagued by secrets, desire and tragedy. Nelio joins us to talk about WWII, family history, complicity, the literary canon and more with host Miwa Messer. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): Lázár by Nelio Biedermann Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family by Thomas Mann Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf Ulysses by James Joyce Middlemarch by George Eliot Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

  • July 16 · 43 min

    Maria Reva on ENDLING

    Endling by Maria Reva is an inventive tale that takes on war, art and human connection. Maria joins us to talk about modern dating, malacology, research, character, dark humor and more with cohost Isabelle McConville. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Isabelle McConville and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): Endling by Maria Reva Good Citizens Need Not Fear by Maria Reva Barn 8 by Deb Olin Unferth The People of Paper by Salvador Plascencia Best Canadian Stories 2026 Edited by Zsuzsi Gartner The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood Eradication by Jonathan Miles

  • July 14 · 48 min

    Julie Buntin on FAMOUS MEN

    Famous Men by Julie Buntin is a captivating novel following one woman's pursuit of home, family and identity. Julie joins us to talk about young womanhood, art, ambition, class, genre, structure and more with cohost Brenda Allison. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Brenda Allison and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): Famous Men by Julie Buntin Marlena by Julie Buntin Goodbye, Columbus: And Five Short Stories by Philip Roth Let Us Now Praise Famous Men by James Agee Great Expectations by Charles Dickens The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton Trust Exercise by Susan Choi My Education by Susan Choi The Children by Melissa Albert A Splintering by Dur e Aziz Amna

  • July 11 · 49 min

    Ben Reeves on EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL AND NOTHING HURT

    Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves follows Travis, the human embodiment of Death. Ben joins us to talk about mortality, time, grief, character and more with cohost Brenda Allison. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Brenda Allison and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves Slaughterhouse-Five, or The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death by Kurt Vonnegut The Book Thief by Markus Zusak If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things by Jon McGregor The Overstory by Richard Powers Grief Is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert M. Pirsig Beloved by Toni Morrison North Woods by Daniel Mason

  • July 9 · 46 min

    Jonas Hassen Khemiri on THE SISTERS

    The Sisters by Jonas Hassen Khemiri is a sweeping family saga that explores the lives of three very different sisters who forge their own unique paths. Jonas joins us to talk about siblings, curses, memory, time, empathy and more with cohost Isabelle McConville. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Isabelle McConville and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): The Sisters by Jonas Hassen Khemiri The Brothers Lionheart by Astrid Lindgren War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

  • July 7 · 1 hr 1 min

    Daniel Mason on COUNTRY PEOPLE

    Country People by Daniel Mason follows a family man who immerses himself in his local community full of eccentric characters and one hidden mystery. Daniel joins us to talk about New England, loneliness, connection, character archetypes, storytelling, humor and more with cohost Chris Gillespie. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Chris Gillespie and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): Country People by Daniel Mason North Woods by Daniel Mason A Registry of My Passage upon the Earth by Daniel Mason The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason The Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason Featured Books (TBR Top Off): Country People by Daniel Mason Virgil Wander by Leif Enger Land by Maggie O'Farrell

  • July 4 · 1 hr 56 min

    Poured Over Double Shot: Beverly Gage and Megan Kate Nelson

    This Land is Your Land by Beverly Gage is a road-trip through the past (and present) alongside an award-winning historian. Beverly joins us to talk about human migration, nostalgia, historical conservation, J. Edgar Hoover and more with host Miwa Messer. The Westerners by Megan Kate Nelson is a fascinating portrait of the American West. Megan joins us to talk about defining the frontier, historical figures, cowboys, identity and more with host Miwa Messer. Listen in as these authors speak separately with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang. Featured Books (Episode): This Land Is Your Land: A Road Trip Through U.S. History by Beverly Gage G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century by Beverly Gage The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family by Annette Gordon-Reed How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith Never Caught: The Washingtons' Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge by Erica Armstrong Dunbar American Scoundrel: Roy Cohn's Dark Journey from Joe McCarthy to Donald Trump by Kai Bird and Susan Goldmark The Westerners: Mythmaking and Belonging on the American Frontier by Megan Kate Nelson On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder The Three-Cornered War: The Union, the Confederacy, and Native Peoples in the Fight for the West by Megan Kate Nelson Thousand Pieces of Gold by Ruthanne Lum McCunn Bad Land: An American Romance by Jonathan Raban

  • July 2 · 41 min

    Laurie Halse Anderson on REBELLION 1776

    Rebellion 1776 by Laurie Halse Anderson is a must-read tale of bravery and resilience amid a smallpox epidemic. Laurie joins us to talk about writing for young readers, historical fiction, research, reading, storytelling and more with cohost Jenna Seery. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Jenna Seery and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): Rebellion 1776 by Laurie Halse Anderson Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson A Fortune of Sand by Ruta Sepetys Saltwater by Katy Hays Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Laud Montgomery Heidi by Johanna Spyri Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Featured Books (TBR Top Off): Rebellion 1776 by Laurie Halse Anderson 1776 by David McCullough Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan

  • June 30 · 51 min

    Neil deGrasse Tyson on TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER

    Take Me to Your Leader by Neil deGrasse Tyson is a fascinating look into the possibility of extraterrestrial life and what to do if they come knocking. Dr. Tyson joins us to talk about gathering data during potential alien encounters, human intelligence, ego, curiosity and more with cohost Chris Gillespie. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Chris Gillespie and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): Take Me to Your Leader: Perspectives on Your First Alien Encounter by Neil deGrasse Tyson Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries by Neil deGrasse Tyson Merlin's Tour of the Universe, Revised and Updated for the Twenty-First Century: A Traveler's Guide to Blue Moons and Black Holes, Mars, Stars, and Everything Far by Neil deGrasse Tyson The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir The Martian by Andy Weir

  • June 27 · 52 min

    Amitav Ghosh on GHOST-EYE

    Ghost-Eye by Amitav Ghosh follows a woman whose memories stretch beyond a single lifetime. Amitav joins us to talk about the Sundarbans, past life memories, near death experiences, folklore, the natural world and more with host Miwa Messer. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): Ghost-Eye by Amitav Ghosh Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh River of Smoke by Amitav Ghosh Flood of Fire by Amitav Ghosh Gun Island by Amitav Ghosh The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh

  • June 25 · 1 hr 5 min

    Mary H.K. Choi on POOL HOUSE

    Pool House by Mary H.K. Choi follows the unraveling of a mother and daughter's lives in Hollywood. Mary joined us live at B&N Upper West Side to talk about fame, family, Los Angeles, performance and more with host Miwa Messer. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): Pool House by Mary H.K. Choi Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Showing 41–60 of 61 episodes