Handsome Podcast Episode Summary

Episode Title: Edi Patterson asks about vibey books
Hosts: Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster, Mae Martin
Guest Question Asker: Edie Patterson
Release Date: October 28, 2025
Podcast Network: Headgum

Overview

In this episode, comedians Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster, and Mae Martin tackle a question from Edie Patterson—actor, comedian, and writer—about the most "vibey" book they've read recently. The conversation meanders through hotel pranks, friendship with celebrities, naked spa trips, childhood reading incentives, and ends with genuine book recommendations, both practical and offbeat. The tone is warm, irreverent, and full of self-deprecating humor, staying true to the show’s playful, intimate dynamic.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

Pre-Question Banter & Life Updates

• Hotel Antics & Leaving Notes Behind Paintings

  • Fortune describes her ritual of leaving secret notes behind hotel room paintings, encouraging listeners in Atlanta to find her note (Room 1308, brown painting). (06:00–08:04)
  • The hosts joke about giving prizes to people who find the notes, escalating the silliness with made-up rewards.
  • Mae jokes: “I’m going to fly to their house and deliver [a key]” (07:32).

• Tig’s Droopy Eye and Eye Doctor Ordeals

  • Tig recounts developing a “droopy eye,” and the difficulty of booking specialist appointments in LA. (03:11–04:40)
  • The group jokes about discovering low-key medical “Easter eggs” in the podcast video episodes.

• Fortune’s Film Shoots with Will Ferrell

  • Fortune gives a behind-the-scenes look at filming with Will Ferrell, describing their similar comedic styles and camaraderie on set (12:25–14:31).
    • “In the scenes, it’s so fun to make each other laugh … I have to pinch myself sometimes.” — Fortune (13:05)
  • The hope of getting Will to submit a future question is floated.

• Mae’s Awkward Mystery Caller

  • Mae shares a story about repeatedly receiving calls from a woman, “Jennifer from Toronto,” who likely doesn't actually know her and may have gotten her number under mysterious circumstances. (19:03–22:58)
  • “She says, I saw you at Sweaty Betty's, … and I think we matched on Raya… But I have no memory.” — Mae (21:18)
  • The co-hosts joke about the situation turning into a horror movie or a catfishing incident.

• Naked Friend Experiences & Embarrassment

  • The trio riff on nakedness among friends at spas, contrasting comfort levels and sharing funny stories about Sarah Silverman and Chelsea Handler, both of whom are comfortable baring all. (28:01–29:59)

Main Segment: "Vibey Books"

Edie Patterson’s Question (Starts at 35:34)

“I want to know: What’s your favorite book you’ve read most recently that you found to be the most vibey, in whatever way?”
— Edie Patterson [35:43]

What Does "Vibey" Mean?

• The hosts debate what defines “vibey”. Mae jokes about whether people called Dostoevsky “vibey” when Crime and Punishment was published (36:09).
• Tig, deadpan: “First off, the Bible is very vibey.” [36:16]

Recent Reading Habits

• Mae Martin shares her current book pick (The Book of Symbols) and her ritual of keeping crystals atop her bedside tomes, hoping for osmotic knowledge.
  • “I’m not really reading it. I’m hoping that by putting the crystals on top, I’m just absorbing all the information.” — Mae (43:45)
• Fortune Feimster admits to having a library card (via the Libby app), offers a string of intended-but-unread biographies (Viola Davis’s Finding Me, Cicely Tyson’s Just As I Am), and confesses her preference for non-fiction.
  • “Everyone should have a library card if you like any sort of book.” — Fortune (44:27)
• Tig Notaro says she prefers biographies, autobiographies, and self-help, like the book Anxious Nation—about addiction, self-soothing, and the modern pursuit of balance.
  • “It was about people’s addiction with alcohol, food, sex, drugs, cell phones, social media… it was actually a really fun surprise.” — Tig (49:06)
• The hosts acknowledge their struggle to find time to read and reminisce about reading as kids and the incentives that worked ("Pizza Hut, because, you guys, I'm motivated by food!" — Fortune [53:16–53:19]).

Recommendations from Producer Thomas

• Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood: "It’s so funny. Painting a portrait of a weird, dysfunctional family." — Thomas (57:07)
• Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte: Short stories about rejection interwoven with online culture.
• The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff: A survival adventure set in 1610 Jamestown, heralded for its beautiful ending.
• Thomas assigns each book to the hosts based on personality; Tig: The Vaster Wilds, Fortune: Priestdaddy, Mae: Rejection. (58:05–58:22)

Edie Patterson’s Own "Vibey" Pick (60:27)

“Mine is a book that my niece told me about: Bunny by Mona Awad, and it's so vibey... The whole book is kind of like you go into a dream and come out after. It’s really, really cool.”
— Edie (60:28–61:08)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Bookish Vibes:
  • “Do you think when Dostoevsky put out Crime and Punishment, people were like, this is vibing?” — Mae (36:11)
  • “First off, the Bible is very Vibey.” — Tig (36:16)
• On Reading Habits:
  • “I think Thomas reads a book a week… and it shows, because he’s a grounded and informed individual who keeps us on track.” — Mae (39:03)
  • “When I was a kid, Pizza Hut … did a summer thing where if you read a certain amount of books, you could get a free personal pan pizza. … I would go to the library with my grandma and get like six books ... and then I would get to go get my free personal pan pizza.” — Fortune (53:16–53:50)
  • “Once you do get into a book and make it a habit, it is really a nice thing that you look forward to.” — Fortune (50:27)
• On Self-Help & Autobiography:
  • “I realized I was so disconnected from my actual reality… I was just talking like I was doing it.” — Tig (48:35–48:48)
• On Edie’s Recommendation:
  • “The whole book is kind of like you go into a dream and come out after. It’s really, really cool.” — Edie on Bunny (60:49)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 06:00–08:04 | Fortune’s hotel note prank and Atlanta shoutout
• 12:25–14:31 | Filming stories with Will Ferrell
• 19:03–22:58 | Mae’s mystery Toronto caller “Jennifer”
• 28:01–29:59 | Nakedness among friends, Chelsea Handler & Sarah Silverman stories
• 35:34 | Edie Patterson’s question
• 39:45–44:00 | The hosts’ recent/current books and reading habits
• 57:07–58:22 | Thomas’s three book recommendations
• 60:27–61:08 | Edie’s answer: Bunny by Mona Awad

Atmosphere & Tone

• Playful, Roasting, and Genuine: The hosts keep a breezy, bantering flow, frequently roast each other, and readily embrace tangents. They’re honest about their struggles with reading, and their affection for each other and their listeners is palpable throughout.
• Relatable: The mix of jokes and earnest admissions about modern distractions, reading less, and the nostalgia for libraries keeps the show down-to-earth.
• Irreverent: Expect sex jokes, running gags about nakedness, celebrity nudity, and the occasional cheeky swerve into the absurd.

Book Recommendations List

1. The Book of Symbols (Taschen) - Mae’s current bedside “vibey” book
2. Finding Me by Viola Davis - Fortune’s aspirational read
3. Broken Horses by Brandi Carlile - Fortune (read & recommends)
4. Just As I Am by Cicely Tyson - Fortune (on list)
5. Mating in Captivity by Esther Perel - Fortune (recommended by Tig, also good as an audiobook)
6. Live Your Life by Amanda Kloots - Fortune (read & recommends)
7. Anxious Nation (author not specified) - Tig (on work-life balance, addiction, self-regulation)
8. Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood - Producer Thomas’s humorous family memoir recommendation
9. Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte - Thomas’s pick, short stories on rejection and online culture
10. The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff - Thomas’s book-club-level gripping adventure
11. Bunny by Mona Awad - Edie Patterson’s “most vibey” recent read

Memorable Tangents (and Why You’ll Want to Listen)

• Fortune’s prank for Atlanta hotel guests and dreams of a fan finding her note (08:00)
• Mae’s saga with the mysterious “Jennifer from Toronto” (19:03)
• Naked spa stories, Sarah Silverman and Chelsea Handler’s exhibitionism (28:01–29:59)
• Producer Thomas breaking the fourth wall and giving out personalized book recs, along with a callback to the book-for-pizza economy (57:07–58:22, 53:16–53:50)
• The aspirational and often-neglected “Handsome List”—an ongoing inside-joke of plans the hosts never seem to fulfill, like recording a podcast naked on Zoom (31:02–31:18)

Conclusion

The “Handsome” trio delivers another hour-plus of smart, raucous, and often self-deprecating hilarity, this time circling around the theme of “vibey” books. They tackle how hard it is to read for pleasure as busy adults, reminisce about childhood book habits and incentives, celebrate the joy of real libraries, and share the most memorable or mood-altering things they’ve read lately—included are thoughtful and, naturally, some completely sidetracked recommendations.

Whether you’re a voracious reader or just want the vibe of being one, this episode has you covered—with laughs, nostalgia, and a renewed appreciation for the simple happiness of getting lost in a good (or at least a very “vibey”) book.