About this podcast
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).
Episodes
The newest 50 of 777 episodes
- Mary Beth Keane on WHALE HARBOR · 50 minWhale Harbor by Mary Beth Keane is our 2026 Barnes & Noble Book of the Year. A poignant multigenerational story of eleven brothers and the vastly different life paths they take…
- John Gwynne on THE WOLVES OF WAR · 45 minKnown for his sweeping epic fantasy, John Gwynne returns with The Wolves of War, a new tale in which the future of the Clans hangs in the balance, and only one girl's powers can…
- John U. Bacon on THE GALES OF NOVEMBER · 45 minThe Gales of November by John U. Bacon tells the harrowing true story of the "Mighty Fitz," a 729-foot-long ship that perished in November 1975, and the lasting impact of the…
- Robert Kolker on THE VANISHING FAMILY · 57 minExpertly researched and intimately narrated, The Vanishing Family by Robert Kolker is the harrowing and hopeful account of one family's experience with a terrifying genetic…
- Ariel Lawhon on THE PIRATE QUEEN · 57 minThe Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon follows the headstrong Grace O'Malley, a young woman who defies her family's expectations by becoming a sea captain with her own mighty fleet of…
- Emily St. John Mandel on EXIT PARTY · 55 minExit Party by Emily St. John Mandel begins in future America, where society is crumbling, and a bewildering mystery unravels after a man vanishes during a house party. Emily…
- Nathaniel Philbrick on THE RUSH: CALIFORNIA GOLD, THE CIVIL WAR, AND THE MAKING OF THE MODERN WORLD · 59 minThe Rush: California Gold, the Civil War, and the Making of the Modern World by Nathaniel Philbrick vividly brings to life the western migration that changed the United States…
- Jane Schoenbrun on PUBLIC ACCESS AFTERWORLD · 34 minPublic Access Afterworld, a harrowing mystery from filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun, follows a content moderator who discovers the horrific realm beyond the television static. Jane…
- T. Geronimo Johnson on THE OCCIDENTAL BOOK OF THE DEAD · 47 minThe Occidental Book of the Dead by T. Geronimo Johnson is a sharp-eyed look at America which follows George Washington Jonson across two decades of his life as a Black cop in…
- Julie Orringer on LUNA, PHOENIX, QUEEN · 1 h 0 minLuna, Phoenix, Queen is Julie Orringer's latest, a thoughtful, and thought-provoking novel about the stories we tell about ourselves—and who gets to tells them. Julie joins us to…
- Yiyun Li on MUSIC AGAINST THE NIGHT · 48 minMusic Against the Night is an epic story about love and betrayal, music and power, creativity and lust, that cuts across time and countries, from Yiyun Li, the acclaimed author…
- Bonnie Garmus on PECK & PECK · 50 minAfter the global sensation Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus delivers a charming and funny novel about a young man searching for his place in the world in Peck & Peck. When he…
- Elizabeth Kostova on MYSTERY PLAY · 44 minWhen a dark secret comes to light after his mother's death, Jay sets out to uncover the truth in Mystery Play, a haunting tale steeped in Dracula lore from master storyteller…
- Jason Rekulak on LOOK WHAT THE CAT DRAGGED IN · 49 minIn Look What the Cat Dragged In by Jason Rekulak, after agreeing to pet sit, a cartoonist becomes haunted by violent nightmares and starts to find disturbing imagery in her art…
- Anand Giridharadas on MAN IN THE MIRROR · 1 h 4 minMan in the Mirror by Anand Giridharadas is a meticulously reported, empathetic and urgent account of America at a crossroads, where mental health and systemic failure intersect…
- Deesha Philyaw on THE TRUE CONFESSIONS OF THE FIRST LADY FREEMAN · 50 minThe True Confessions of First Lady Freeman by Deesha Philyaw is a scandalous, messy satire about a pageant for the wives of megachurch pastors, following Scharisse Freeman, a…
- Barbara Kingsolver on PARTITA · 58 minPulitzer Prize winner Barbara Kingsolver returns with Partita, an unforgettable story of resilience, possibility and the transformative power of music. Barbara joins us to talk…
- Imbolo Mbue on EVERY STORY IS A LOVE STORY · 35 minEvery Story is a Love Story by Imbolo Mbue is a smart and tender exploration of grief following a man who meets the person responsible for his wife's fatal car accident. Imbolo…
- Hernan Diaz on PLY · 1 h 6 minIn Pulitzer Prize-winning author Hernan Diaz's Ply, centuries from now, society has adapted to a new way of life as humans mend their relationships to the world…and each other…
- Min Jin Lee on AMERICAN HAGWON · 1 h 3 minThe acclaimed, bestselling author of Pachinko, Min Jin Lee returns with American Hagwon, a modern classic about ambition and love, family and finding home. Min Jin joined us live…
- John Grisham on THE FRENCH ILLUSION · 52 minIn The French Illusion by John Grisham, a honeymoon unravels into terror as newlyweds Paul and Chelsea get snatched from the French countryside, prompting a puzzling…
- Ayad Akhtar on THE RADIANCE · 1 h 7 minPulitzer Prize-winning playwright and author, Ayad Akhtar joins us to talk about craft, the campus novel, autofiction, and his latest book, The Radiance, with host Miwa Messer…
- Sharon McMahon on THE SMALL AND THE MIGHTY · 56 minNow out in paperback, The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon casts a needed spotlight on the other heroes of American greatness — ones you may not have heard of. Sharon joins…
- John Green on HOLLYWOOD, ENDING · 51 minBeloved storyteller John Green returns with a tender love story set against the underbelly of the entertainment industry as two actors balance their rising fame with their…
- Makenna Goodman on HELEN OF NOWHERE · 46 minBlending surrealism, satire and philosophical concepts, Booker Prize-longlisted Helen of Nowhere by Makenna Goodman weaves a tale of beginnings following a disgraced professor…
- Claudia Rankine on TRIAGE · 51 minIn Triage, acclaimed author and playwright Claudia Rankine uses prose, poetry and art images to challenge the ways we look at friendship and memory, action and obligation…
- Jodi Picoult on HOLLOW BONES · 56 minIn her latest novel, Hollow Bones, Jodi Picoult uses her powerful voice to craft a moving story about what we do to protect our loved ones when faced with the unexpected. Jodi…
- Olga Ravn on THE WAX CHILD · 54 minTold from the perspective of a wax doll, Olga Ravn's The Wax Child is a chilling tale inspired by a real group of women accused of dark magic in seventeenth-century Denmark. Olga…
- Emily Wilson on CROSSING THE WINE-DARK SEA · 45 minCrossing the Wine-Dark Sea by Emily Wilson takes readers on a tour through the ancient world for an entertaining examination of Greek and Roman literature and their impact on our…
- Marlon James on THE DISAPPEARERS · 1 h 2 minThe Booker Prize–winning author Marlon James returns with The Disappearers, a deeply human story exploring queer life in Jamaica during the 1980s and 1990s. Marlon joined us live…
- Kai Bird on AMERICAN SCOUNDREL · 57 minKai Bird follows his Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer with a timely and meticulously researched true story of Roy Cohn — a friend of the famous, the…
- Charlotte McConaghy on WILD DARK SHORE · 54 minGripping, visceral and taut, Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy is a complex story about survival, isolation and hope at the end of the world. Charlotte joins us to talk…
- Chloe Benjamin on UNDER STORY · 45 minIn Under Story by Chloe Benjamin, one biologist's journey to escape her painful past takes a turn when an unexpected scientific discovery bends time and memory, offering a…
- Jill Lepore on THE RISE AND FALL OF THE ARTIFICIAL STATE · 45 minThe Rise and Fall of the Artificial State by Jill Lepore explores technology's impact on human community and self-government, and what the future holds. Jill Lepore joins us to…
- Edwidge Danticat on DÈY · 60 minDèy by acclaimed writer Edwidge Danticat is multigenerational story of family, resilience, and hope in the wake of an unexpected tragedy. Edwidge joins us to talk about evolving…
- John Manuel Arias on CROCODILOPOLIS · 47 minCrocodilopolis by John Manuel Arias is a riveting meditation on legacy, myth and masculinity which follows brothers locked in a power struggle after a dark family secret…
- Addie E. Citchens on DOMINION · 49 minDominion by Addie E. Citchens explores the clash of small-town secrets, unspoken rules and family drama in a Mississippi church community. Addie joins us to talk about Faulkner…
- Ed Park on THREE TENSES: A TRANSMISSION FROM THE NINETIES · 47 minThree Tenses: A Transmission from the Nineties by Pulitzer Prize finalist Ed Park is an experimental portrait of the author, pieced together from his early twenties to now. Ed…
- Daisy Dixon on DEPRAVED: THE STORY OF DANGEROUS ART · 48 minDepraved: The Story of Dangerous Art by Daisy Dixon is an art guide unlike any other, exploring the history and meaning of depraved art through a fresh lens. Daisy joins us to…
- Téa Obreht on SUNRISE · 55 minSunrise by Téa Obreht is a riveting tale about one woman's survival, a Wyoming ghost town and a past that refuses to stay quiet. Téa joins us to talk about memory, mythology, and…
- Chang-rae Lee on A TENDER AGE · 1 h 5 minA 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…
- David Szalay on FLESH · 50 minNow 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…
- Colson Whitehead on COOL MACHINE · 48 minThe 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…
- Stacey Yu on KITTEN · 44 minKitten 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…
- Alison Espach on THE WEDDING PEOPLE · 53 minThe 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…
- Jenny Jackson on THE SHAMPOO EFFECT · 55 minThe 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…
- Emilee Hackney on ALL THAT'S UNSEEN · 43 minAll 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…
- Melissa Murray on THE U.S. CONSTITUTION: A COMPREHENSIVE AND ANNOTATED GUIDE FOR THE MODERN READER · 52 minThe 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…
- Eddie S. Glaude Jr. on AMERICA, U.S.A. · 1 h 4 minAmerica, 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…
- Nelio Biedermann on LÁZÁR · 40 minLázár 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…
