Podcast
Check This Out with Rachel Barenbaum
Hosted by Rachel Barenbaum · EN
From New Hampshire Public Radio and the PEN/ Faulkner Foundation, Check This Out is a literary series where host Rachel Barenbaum dives deeply into the works of emerging and diverse authors.
24episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Ep. 157 NHPR Rebecca Lehman: THE BEHEADING GAME
Apr 2400:52:00Tap to summarizeWe all know what happened to Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn. But what if she woke up the day after her execution and took it upon herself to seek justice? A fantastical journey through the wilds of England and Tudor history, filled with danger and magic and steeped in Arthurian legend.
Transcribe →Ep. 156 NHPR Claire Oshetsky & Rachel Kanter: EVIL GENIUS and Lovestruck Books
Apr 1700:50:09Tap to summarizeEVIL GENIUS is a darkly comedic, surreal noir novel set in 1974 San Francisco, following 19-year-old Celia Dent as she becomes obsessed with murder and desire after a co-worker's death, leading her to challenge her controlling husband and her mundane life. Also on the show we introduce a new recurring segment: The Book Biz. On this show, Rachel Kanter, the owner and founder of Lovestruck Books, talks about the growth of romance bookstores and how they are changing publishing.
Transcribe →Ep. 155 NHPR Karan Mahajan: THE COMPLEX
Apr 1000:49:45Tap to summarizeTHE COMPLEX moves between the U.S. and modern India to follow the illicit liaisons, real estate dramas, political ambitions and betrayals of a prominent Delhi family, unraveling in the shadow of a nation's transformation.
Transcribe →Ep. 154 NHPR: Holiday Episode with Deesha Philyaw and Gwydion Suilebhan
Dec 1300:50:01Tap to summarizeA conversation with Deesha Philyaw and Gwydion Suilebhan from the prestigious PEN/Faulkner Foundation offering a behind-the-scenes look at what makes a book stand out—and their favorite books you might have missed.
Transcribe →Ep. 153 NHPR Janet Rich Edwards: CANTICLE
Dec 600:50:59Tap to summarizeSet in 13th-century Bruges, this historical debut centers on a young woman’s search for faith, agency, and love in a convent—and in a world that wants to silence her.
Transcribe →Ep. 152 NHPR Eliana Ramage: TO THE MOON AND BACK
Nov 2900:51:02Tap to summarizeA sweeping, multi-generational story of a young woman obsessed with becoming an astronaut and escaping her complicated past, and the extraordinary lengths she will go to find space for herself.
Transcribe →Ep. 151 NHPR Callie Hart: BRIMSTONE
Nov 2200:49:17Tap to summarizeThe romantasy series that began with “Quicksilver” is back with “Brimstone.” Originally self-published, the series has been picked up by a traditional publisher and is back with more drama, higher stakes, and deadly consequences.
Transcribe →Ep 150 NHPR Quiara Alegría Hudes: THE WHITE HOT
Nov 1500:51:03Tap to summarizeTold as a letter from mother to daughter, this luminous novel explores a moment of abandonment that stretches from ten days to ten years—and reshapes a family forever.
Transcribe →Ep. 149 NHPR Katie Yee and Vanessa Lillie: Maggie or A Man and A Woman Walk Into A Bar and The Bone Thief
Nov 800:50:18Tap to summarizeMaggie: Or A Man and A Woman Walk Into A Bar - When a young mother’s life unravels after a divorce and a cancer diagnosis, she spins her pain into sharp, comedic fiction that’s equal parts heartbreaking and hilarious. The Bone Thief - When a Native teenager vanishes from her small town, a place with dark ties to an elite historical society, archaeologist Syd Walker is called to investigate.
Transcribe →Ep. 148 NHPR Rickey Fayne: THE DEVIL THREE TIMES
Nov 100:50:37Tap to summarizeIn this debut novel, eight generations of a Black family in West Tennessee are visited by the Devil himself, each offered a different kind of salvation—while he wonders if redemption is possible for him, too.
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