Podcast
Facts & Fictions
Hosted by Desiree Reed & Morgan Kline · EN
A cozy book club podcast hosted by Desiree Reed and Morgan Kline.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
16episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Brief Encounters Series: The Man Behind the Pulitzer Prize was a Chaos Agent
3w ago00:27:04Tap to summarizeIn today's Brief Encounters, we explore the Pulitzer Prize — and get surprised at every turn. JosephPulitzer shot a man in his twenties and kept his political career. He invented yellow journalism. He treated newsboys sobadly there was a strike in 1899 (that's the Newsies). Then he died and left money to fund the prize that now bears hisname.We also cover: this year's fiction winner Angel Down by Daniel Kraus (one sentence, the whole book), the $15,000 prizethat shocked us both, a quiet ethics controversy on this year's board, and the Newberry Award books that shaped us askids. Facts and Fictions is a cozy book club podcast where we talk about the books we're reading and the thoughts we have on them. New Episodes Weekly! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy — Our Most Uncomfortable Read Yet
4w ago00:28:22Tap to summarizeFacts & Fictions goes deep on Jennette McCurdy's debut novel Half His Age — and yes, it's asuncomfortable as it sounds. Morgan gives it her lowest rating in podcast history. We discuss whatMcCurdy gets right, what made us squirm, and why we think this book has a very specific audiencethat isn't us. Content warnings: grooming, underage relationships, neglectful parenting. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Overdue for a Chat: Yesteryear Discourse, Celebrity Book Club Drama & Why TikTok Feels Scary Now
May 400:36:06Tap to summarizePull up a blanket... we're overdue for a chat! This week Morgan and Desiree catch up on the books filling theirnightstands, react to the wildly polarized Yesteryear discourse (plus the Anne Hathaway co-writing reveal),debate celebrity book clubs in the wake of Oprah’s sale to Amazon, and get honest about why being online feelsdifferent lately. Plus: Indie Bookstore Day spoils, a dopamine playlist, and one very firm endorsement of DevilWears Prada 2. Cozy up! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →The Book That Made Us Believers in Epistolary Fiction: THE CORRESPONDENT
Apr 2600:36:32Tap to summarizeThis week we're diving into THE CORRESPONDENT by Virginia Evans — the runaway debut novel that's sold over a million copies, hit #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, won the 2026 PEN/Hemingway Award, and is officially heading to the big screen with Jane Fonda attached to star.Told entirely through letters and emails, the novel follows Sybil Van Antwerp — a sharp-tongued, fiercely private retired lawyer in her 70s who uses correspondence to make sense of her world. She writes to authors, neighbors, suitors, a customer service rep at a DNA testing company, her estranged daughter… and one mysterious recipient whose letters she never sends.We're unpacking it all: why we were both skeptical of the epistolary format and how quickly the book won us over, Sybil as a complicated mother and an even more complicated woman, the DNA test storyline, the suitors (RIP Theodore's cat 💔), the gut-punch storyline with Desi and his father, the burden of grief Sybil has carried for decades, and what we hope the Jane Fonda film keeps intact.Plus: our full fancast for the adaptation, our ratings, and a peek at the 15-ish books Sybil mentions throughout the novel — basically a built-in TBR list.📖 Up next on the pod: HALF HIS AGE by Jennette McCurdy⚠️ Spoiler warning: this is a full-book discussion. Read it first, then come hang.🎧 New episodes every Sunday. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. 📲 Follow along: @factsandfictionspod on Instagram, TikTok & YouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Brief Encounters Series: 3,599 Books and a Life Well-Read
Apr 1900:41:25Tap to summarizeWhen Dan Pelzer passed away at 92, his daughter discovered something extraordinary — a handwritten log of every book he had read since 1962. All 3,599 of them. She turned it into a website and shared it at his funeral via QR code, and the reading community hasn't stopped talking about it since.In this Brief Encounters episode, Desiree and Morgan dig into Dan's story and the bigger questions it raises: What do the books we read say about who we are? Are there books that feel permanently stamped to specific seasons of your life? And has a book ever actually changed the way you live?In this episode:The viral reading log that made us both emotionalBooks that timestamp your life — Twilight, Harry Potter release nights, a box of Goosebumps from a yard saleThe DNF debate: is it okay to abandon a book?The return of analog habits and why they're good for your nervous systemWe build our dopamine menus live 🍽️Honorable mention reads: Evelyn Clarke and YesteryearVisit Dan's log yourself: what-dan-read.comFacts & Fictions is a cozy book club podcast where we talk about the books we're reading and the thoughts we're having on them. New episodes weekly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →We Read the Book Your Burned-Out Coworker Would Write | Discontent by Beatrice Serrano
Apr 1200:43:28Tap to summarizeThis week Desiree and Morgan are reading Discontent by Beatrice Serrano — a debut translated novel from Spain that is part workplace satire, part slow-burn existential unraveling, and entirely too relatable.We're talking about Marissa: a mid-level marketing employee in Madrid who looks fine from the outside but is quietly dissolving on the inside. She's hiding in her office watching YouTube, surviving on tranquilizers, and dreading the corporate retreat that's about to push her over the edge.In this episode we dig into:✦ Why corporate burnout isn't just an American problem — and how uncomfortable that is to admit✦ The connection between Discontent and My Year of Rest and Relaxation ✦ Faking productivity, stealing ideas from interns, and the particular horror of the workplace retreat✦ What this book gets right about loneliness and the need for real community✦ That ending — and why it might actually be Marissa's happily ever after✦ Fan cast picks for a potential adaptation⭐ We gave it a 4–4.5 out of 5. It's a great read if you already love the "quietly falling apart" genre — but maybe not the one to hand a beginner reader. Facts & Fictions is a cozy book club podcast hosted by Desiree & Morgan. New episodes every week. Subscribe so you never miss one. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Overdue for a Chat: Audiobooks, BookTok Drama & Upcoming Reads
Apr 500:35:20Tap to summarizeWe're doing something a little different this week — welcome to our first ever Overdue for a Chat episode. No book breakdown, no deep dive. Just Morgan and Desiree catching up on everything bookish that's been living rent-free in their heads.Storygraph: @desireereed @morganklineInstagram: instagram.com/factsandfictionspodSubscribe to Facts & Fictions for new episodes every other Sunday📚 Books & things mentioned in this episode:Before I Forget — Tori Hendwood HoenThe Future SaintsHalf His Age — Jeanette McCurdyRemarkably Bright Creatures — Shelby Van PeltWuthering Heights (upcoming film, Charli XCX soundtrack)Project Hail Mary — Andy Weir (film adaptation March 2026)The Astral LibraryHeated Rivalry — Emily Rath (TV adaptation)Photographer: Sylvester MakoFacts & Fictions is a cozy book club podcast dropping new episodes every Sunday. Subscribe so you never miss one. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Crux
Mar 2900:37:07Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Facts and Fictions, Desiree & Morgan are discussing Crux by Gabriel Tallent. Tallest describes the book as:“It’s about two down and out kids, one of them is good at school “American golden child,” one of them is a mouthy burnout lesbian who everyone hates because she won’t stop talking about periods. At night they escape their houses and they run out into the desert to go climb shitty sandbag boulders in an obscure parking lot together spotting each other and lighting the climbs with flashlights and joking and talking about life. So it’s about having this passion, and something you want to pursue as a young person but being a little too down and out to really pursue it safely.”We discuss the intense family dynamics, the eternal battles Dan & Tamma face, and our thoughts on the book as a whole. If you've read Crux we would love to know your thoughts! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →The Ten Year Affair
Mar 800:32:15Tap to summarizeThis week on Facts and Fictions we are diving into The Ten Year Affair by Erin Somers. We discuss first impressions, the characters and all of their quirks, and the slippery slope of emotional infidelity that led to a decade long affair.We explored the moral gray area of when did Cora and Elliot's friendship cross the line? Did Cora go out seeking an affair or did she stumble into it? Please note: we record under the assumption that listeners have already read the book - there are spoilers in the episode, so save listening for later if The Ten Year affair is still on your TBR. Want to reach out with questions, comments, or book suggestions for future episodes? Find us at factsandfictionspod@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Brief Encounters Series: The Literacy Crisis, Bibliotherapy, & AI?
Mar 100:58:34Tap to summarizeIn this Brief Encounters episode of Facts & Fictions, we’re diving into a few thought-provoking pieces on the state of reading today — from declining literacy rates to the rise of bibliotherapy and the growing role of AI in how we consume and create stories.What does it mean to be a reader in 2026? Are attention spans really shrinking? Can books still change us? And where does artificial intelligence fit into all of it?In this conversation, we reflect on the cultural moment around reading — what’s shifting, what concerns us, and what gives us hope.Brief Encounters is our short-form series where we unpack essays, articles, and big ideas shaping the literary world.If you care about reading culture, the future of books, and the evolving role of storytelling, this one’s for you.✨ New episodes every other Sunday📚 Book Discussions + Brief Encounters + Overdue for a ChatReading is better when you talk about it.Let us know your thoughts in the comments — is reading in crisis, or just changing?Mentioned articles:https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/12/us/high-school-english-teachers-assigning-books.htmlhttps://www.newyorker.com/culture/open-questions/whats-happening-to-readinghttps://psyche.co/ideas/reading-books-is-not-just-a-pleasure-it-helps-our-minds-to-heal Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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