How do you know when it’s time to make your next big career move? With International Women’s Day around the corner, we are excited to feature Avni Patel Thompson, Founder and CEO of Milo. Avni is building technology that directly supports the often overlooked emotional and logistical labor that falls on parents—especially women. Milo is an AI assistant designed to help families manage that invisible load more efficiently. In this episode, Avni shares her journey from studying chemistry to holding leadership roles at global brands like Adidas and Starbucks, to launching her own ventures. She discusses how she approaches career transitions, the importance of unpleasant experiences, and why she’s focused on making everyday life easier for parents. [01:26] Avni's University Days and Early Career [04:36] Non-Linear Career Paths [05:16] Pursuing Steep Learning Curves [11:51] Entrepreneurship and Safety Nets [15:22] Lived Experiences and Milo [19:55] Avni’s In Her Ellement Moment [20:03] Reflections Links: Avni Patel Thompson on LinkedIn Suchi Srinivasan on LinkedIn Kamila Rakhimova on LinkedIn Ipsos report on the future of parenting About In Her Ellement: In Her Ellement highlights the women and allies leading the charge in digital, business, and technology innovation. Through engaging conversations, the podcast explores their journeys—celebrating successes and acknowledging the balance between work and family. Most importantly, it asks: when was the moment you realized you hadn’t just arrived—you were truly in your element? About The Hosts: Suchi Srinivasan is an expert in AI and digital transformation. Originally from India, her career includes roles at trailblazing organizations like Bell Labs and Microsoft. In 2011, she co-founded the Cleanweb Hackathon, a global initiative driving IT-powered climate solutions with over 10,000 members across 25+ countries. She also advises Women in Cloud, aiming to create $1B in economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs by 2030. Kamila Rakhimova is a fintech leader whose journey took her from Tajikistan to the U.S., where she built a career on her own terms. Leveraging her English proficiency and international relations expertise, she discovered the power of microfinance and moved to the U.S., eventually leading Amazon's Alexa Fund to support underrepresented founders. Subscribe to In Her Ellement on your podcast app of choice to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, business, and technology.…
Spine Crackers is an in-depth literary analysis podcast where we discuss a different book every other week, with some jokes and goofs tossed in for good measure. Follow us on instagram, twitter, facebook, etc. and check out our patreon! We post our next read on twitter so you can keep up and read along with us if you like. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/spinecrackers https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers spinecrackerspod@gmail.com
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Percival Everett - Telephone
1:26:39
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1:26:39In this episode the Spine Crackers discuss Percival Everett's 2020 novel of grief, loss, human connection, and agency in the face of a seemingly random and uncaring universe, Telephone. Full episode on Patreon as always! https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers
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Spine Crackers

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The (Belated) Spine Crackers 2024 Year-In-Review Awards Spectacular
3:07:20
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3:07:20The Spine Crackers review our 2024 in books, take questions from our Patrons, and reflect on what was and what is to come. Full episode for everyone this time, but check out our Patreon. See you guys again soon! patreon.com/spinecrackers
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Spine Crackers

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Robert M. Coates - The Eater of Darkness
1:08:51
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1:08:51In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss American author and critic Robert M. Coates' 1926 experimental, pseudo-Dada, proto-sci-fi, heist(?) novel The Eater of Darkness! Full episode on Patreon as always! https://www.patreon.com/c/spinecrackers
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Spine Crackers

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Susan Choi - Trust Exercise
1:16:30
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1:16:30In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss Susan Choi's 2019 National Book Award winning novel of trauma, memory, and the nature of storytelling, Trust Exercise! Full episode available on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/spinecrackers
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Spine Crackers

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Italo Calvino - The Baron in the Trees
1:21:24
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1:21:24In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss postmodern master Italo Calvino's 1957 historical-fantasy-bildungsroman-fable-novel The Baron in the Trees. Full episode available at https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers
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William Golding - The Paper Men
1:10:54
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1:10:54In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss English author William Golding's (of Lord of the Flies high school fame) first post-Nobel Prize novel of art, fame, and obsession The Paper Men (1984). Full episode on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers
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Spine Crackers

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Gerald Murnane - The Plains
1:14:12
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1:14:12In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss Australian master Gerald Murnane's 1982 breakout novel of place, country, and the nature of representation The Plains! Full episode on the Spine Crackers Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers
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Spine Crackers

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Djuna Barnes - Nightwood
1:17:22
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1:17:22In this episode the Spine Crackers discuss Djuna Barnes' pioneering 1936 novel of queer modernism, identity, and history, Nightwood. Full episode available at https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers
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Bernard Malamud - The Natural (feat. Nate of Books You Haven't Read)
1:33:53
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1:33:53In this episode, the Spine Crackers are joined by friend of the show Nate, who is the proprietor of the excellent Books You Haven't Read Youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@BooksYouHaventRead) to discuss American author Bernard Malamud's 1952 debut novel The Natural.
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Nicholson Baker - Vox
1:13:36
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1:13:36In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss American author and literary one-of-a-kind Nicholson Baker's Vox (1992), an erotic study of character, technology, human connection, and fantasy. Full episode on Patreon below: https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers
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The Third Annual Spine Crackers Year-in-Review Awards Spectacular (2023 Edition)
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3:30:27In this year-end episode, the Spine Crackers rank every book we read this year from worst to best, hand out various other awards such as best cover, best quote/passage, best character, answer listener questions, and more!
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Cormac McCarthy - The Passenger
1:17:44
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1:17:44In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss American author Cormac McCarthy's penultimate novel of family, loss, madness, and genius, The Passenger. Full episode on our patreon as always! https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers
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Spine Crackers

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Malcolm Lowry - Under the Volcano
1:38:30
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1:38:30In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss British author Malcolm Lowry's harrowing 1947 masterpiece of love, war, disease, culture, and meaning, Under the Volcano! Full episode available to patrons as always! https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers
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Kenzaburō Ōe - The Silent Cry
1:22:58
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1:22:58In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss Japanese Nobel Prize winner Kenzaburō Ōe's 1967 novel of family, death, war, and history, The Silent Cry! Full episode available on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers
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David Duchovny - Truly Like Lightning (feat. Patrick Willems)
1:50:23
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1:50:23In this episode, the Spine Crackers are joined by friend of the show, real life friend, film critic, filmmaker, youtube legend, and all around renaissance man Patrick Willems to discuss David Duchovny's novel of faith, family, and life in modern-day America Truly Like Lightning. Full episode on Patreon as always! Pat - https://www.youtube.com/@patr…
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Stefan Zweig - Chess Story
1:15:34
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1:15:34In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss Austrian writer Stefan Zweig's final novella of war, class, and genius, Chess Story! Full episode on the Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers
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William Gaddis - Agapē Agape (feat. Book Shore)
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1:29:53In this episode, the Spine Crackers are joined by friend of the show and booktube stalwart Ben from Book Shore to discuss iconic postwar American author William Gaddis' posthumously published final work of culture, history, technology, and art, 2002's Agapē Agape! Full episode on the Patreon! (SORRY FOR SLIGHTLY SCUFFED/CHOPPED AUDIO GABE FROZE AND…
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Tarjei Vesaas - The Birds
1:21:50
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1:21:50In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss Norwegian author Tarjei Vesaas' 1957 novel of mental illness, family, nature, and perception The Birds. Full episode on Patreon as always. https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers
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Emil Ferris - My Favorite Thing is Monsters
1:36:24
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1:36:24In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss the first ever graphic novel read for the show, Emil Ferris' 2017 pulp noir horror tale of trauma, history, and childhood My Favorite Thing is Monsters! Full episode available on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers
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William Faulkner - Big Woods: The Hunting Stories
1:24:47
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1:24:47In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss William Faulkner's 1955 collection of stories of humanity's relationship with nature, history, and race Big Woods. Full discussion on Patreon as always! https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers
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Don DeLillo - Libra
1:21:29
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1:21:29In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss Don DeLillo's 1988 pseudo-historical novel of the Kennedy assassination, postmodernism, conspiracy, and the nature of America, Libra. https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers
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George Sand - Indiana
1:22:50
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1:22:50In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss French romantic (?) author George Sand's (aka Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil) 1832 novel of loveless marriage, colonialism, and social mores, Indiana. Enjoy. https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers
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William T. Vollmann - The Atlas
1:26:28
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1:26:28In the first episode of 2023, the Spine Crackers read William T. Vollmann's semi-autobiographical 1996 novel of sex, violence, regret, and loneliness The Atlas!
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The Second Annual Spine Crackers End of Year Roundup Spectacular (2022)!
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2:30:48In this episode, the Spine Crackers go over their 2022 year in reading, including awards for our top 5 books of the year, best cover, worst book, and many more! We hope you're having a fantastic holiday season and we'll be back to our normal schedule in the new year!
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Nicholas Mosley - Impossible Object
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1:26:00In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss British author and 3rd Baron Ravensdale Nicholas Mosley's 1968 novel of war, love, power, and violence, Impossible Object.
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James Baldwin - Giovanni's Room FEAT @Juliemichellereads
1:25:32
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1:25:32This week, the Spine Crackers were lucky enough to be joined by Julie, who runs the fantastic bookstagram account @Juliemichellereads, to discuss James Baldwin's 1956 novel of sexual and national identity, desire, morality, and death Giovanni's Room! Enjoy and make sure to follow Julie!
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Ivan Turgenev - Fathers and Sons
1:20:52
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1:20:52In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss Ivan Turgenev's legendary 1862 novel of family, friendship, generational difference, philosophy, and love Fathers and Sons. Enjoy!
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Interview with the new owners of Owl Pen Books
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43:59Matt sits down for a conversation with Sydney and Eric, L.A. transplants and newly minted bookstore owners of the legendary "bibliophile Mecca of Washington County": Owl Pen Books! Please enjoy this casual discussion about the rationale behind assuming ownership of a bookstore in 2022, the history of the store, literary loves, leaps of faith, and h…
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Percival Everett - The Trees
1:22:44
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1:22:44In this episode, the Spine Crackers read prolific American author Percival Everett's most recent (and recently longlisted for the Booker prize) novel of race, memory, genre, and violence, The Trees, which tells the story of a series of mysterious and gruesome murders in a small, but historically significant, Mississippi town and winds up in places …
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Roberto Bolano - The Third Reich feat. Ben of Book Shore
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1:32:03In this episode, the Spine Crackers are joined by friend of the show Ben, who runs the fantastic booktube channel Book Shore, to discuss legendary Chilean author Roberto Bolano's first novel, published after his untimely death but written in 1989, The Third Reich! https://www.youtube.com/c/BookShore https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers https://www…
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Maxine Hong Kingston - Tripmaster Monkey: His Fake Book
1:13:48
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1:13:48In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss Maxine Hong Kingston's 1987 novel of race, American and Chinese history, love, and the legacy of the 60s, Tripmaster Monkey: His Fake Book!
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Colin O'Sullivan - The Dark Manual
1:10:54
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1:10:54In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss Colin O'Sullivan's sci-fi novel of family, loss, AI, and getting drunk, The Dark Manual! https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers https://www.buymeacoffee.com/spinecrackers
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Yu Miri - Tokyo Ueno Station
1:21:38
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1:21:38In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss Japanese author Yu Miri's 2014 novel of national identity, trauma, family, regret, and class, Tokyo Ueno Station!
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Toni Morrison - Beloved
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1:15:22In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss Toni Morrison's seminal 1987 novel of race, trauma, memory, family, community, and so much more Beloved.
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Gerald Murnane - Barley Patch (feat. Sean of Travel Through Stories)
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1:19:56In this episode, the Spine Crackers are lucky enough to be joined by Sean, who is the creator of the fantastic YouTube channel Travel Through Stories, to discuss Australian author Gerald Murnane's reflective novel of the life of the writer, memory, and subjective experience "Barley Patch."
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Ted Chiang - Exhalation
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1:30:03In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss Ted Chiang's much-lauded sci-fi short story collection Exhalation, which touches on issues as wide ranging as tech startup culture, free will, and time travel!
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John Wyndham - The Day of the Triffids (feat. W.A.S.T.E. Mailing List)
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1:23:09In this episode, the Spine Crackers are joined by Seth, proprietor of the excellent Instagram and Youtube accounts under the W.A.S.T.E. Mailing List moniker, to discuss John Wyndham's 1951 catastrophe novel of war, science, and human society The Day of the Triffids. https://www.instagram.com/wastemailinglist/?hl=en https://www.youtube.com/channel/U…
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Olga Tokarczuk - Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
1:09:30
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1:09:30In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss Nobel Prize winning Polish author Olga Tokarczuk's 2009 existential pseudo-murder-mystery Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers https://www.buymeacoffee.com/spinecrackers
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Katharina Volckmer - The Appointment
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1:12:35This week, the Spine Crackers discuss Katharina Volckmer's transgressive 2020 novel of sex, identity, and trauma, (still unpublished in her native country of Germany) The Appointment. https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers https://www.buymeacoffee.com/spinecrackers
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Paul Auster - Leviathan
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1:12:22This week, the Spine Crackers read American author Paul Auster's 1992 novel of friendship, writing, and finding one's place in political history, Leviathan. https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers https://www.buymeacoffee.com/spinecrackers
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John Bunyan - The Pilgrim's Progress
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1:21:23In this episode, the Spine Crackers discuss their first devotional text, John Bunyan's 1678 allegorical adventure and proto-novel The Pilgrim's Progress. See y'all down the road! https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers https://www.buymeacoffee.com/spinecrackers
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Lorrie Moore - Like Life
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1:08:17In this episode, the Spine Crackers read American author Lorrie Moore's elegiac collection of short stories on isolation, rootlessness, art, and, well...you get the idea, Like Life. https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers https://www.buymeacoffee.com/spinecrackers
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This week, the Spine Crackers read English author Anna Kavan's final novel, 1967's schizological sci-fi blizzard-dream, Ice. https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers https://www.buymeacoffee.com/spinecrackers
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Ersnt Junger - The Glass Bees
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1:08:45In this episode, the Spine Crackers read controversial German author Ernst Junger's 1957 science fiction novel of technology, war, celebrity, and fascism (?) The Glass Bees. https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers https://www.buymeacoffee.com/spinecrackers
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Italo Calvino - If on a winter's night a traveler (Featuring Nate Rankin of Books You Haven't Read)
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1:10:17In this episode, the Spine Crackers are joined by Nate Rankin, proprietor of the YouTube channel Books You Haven't Read, to discuss Italo Calvino's 1979 metatextual novel (within novel within novel) If on a winter's night a traveler! https://www.youtube.com/user/IamSeamus1 https://www.naterankin.com/ https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers https://ww…
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Christopher Isherwood - A Single Man
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1:01:19In this episode (the first in our new condensed format) the Spine Crackers read Christopher Isherwood's 1964 novel of grief, aging, and the American psyche, A Single Man! Full two-and-a-half hour discussion available to patrons! https://www.patreon.com/spinecrackers
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ANNOUNCING: Spine Crackers 2.0!
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15:52The Spine Crackers share a very important announcement regarding plans for 2022 and beyond! We will be taking a brief break to get ourselves mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally ready for the coming changes and are so excited to get back to the show in a couple weeks!
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Charles Simic - The Lunatic & The World Doesn't End
1:41:21
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1:41:21In the first episode of 2022, the Spine Crackers welcome the bleak midwinter months with their first ever episode on poetry. Specifically, they discuss the bleak, philosophical, surreal, and deeply human poetry of Yugoslav-American poet Charles Simic.
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The First Annual Spine Crackers End-of-Year Awards Spectacular
3:13:54
3:13:54
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3:13:54In this very special episode, the Spine Crackers present their first annual end-of-year awards. They each count down their personal top 5 books of the year, give out awards for categories such as Best Character, Best Cover, Most Disappointing Book, and many more! Have a fantastic New Year!
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Spine Crackers

1
Herman Melville - The Confidence-Man
2:14:57
2:14:57
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2:14:57In this episode, the Spine Crackers read Herman Melville's final novel, the 1857 satirical masterpiece of identity, religion, irony, and the American psyche, The Confidence-Man.
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