

Poured Over
Barnes & Noble
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
Mentioned books

Jan 15, 2026 • 38min
Isabel Ibañez on GRACELESS HEART
Graceless Heart by Isabel Ibañez is a dazzling slow-burn historical romance set in 1400s Florence. Isabel joins us to talk about lush world building, coming-of-age novels, self-reflection, eldest daughters, control and more with cohost Isabelle McConville. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Isabelle McConville and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): Graceless Heart by Isabel Ibañez What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibañez Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibañez Written in Starlight by Isabel Ibañez Together We Burn by Isabel Ibañez

Jan 13, 2026 • 52min
Matt Dinniman on DUNGEON CRAWLER CARL
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman is an intergalactic sci-fi adventure following one man's journey through the apocalypse. Matt joins us to talk about LitRPG novels, video games, worldbuilding, writing in a gameshow structure, the evolution of gaming and more with guest host Chris Gillespie. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Chris Gillespie and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman Ready Player One by Ernest Cline Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman A Parade of Horribles by Matt Dinniman

Jan 10, 2026 • 44min
Ross Montgomery on THE MURDER AT WORLD'S END
The Murder at World's End by Ross Montgomery is a rollicking locked-room mystery centered on a dynamic detective duo. Ross joins us to talk about Halley's Comet, writing for children vs adults, cosmic frenzy, research, Golden Age murder mysteries and more with cohost Isabelle McConville. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Isabelle McConville and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): The Murder at World's End by Ross Montgomery I Am Rebel by Ross Montgomery Bright Objects by Ruby Todd Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo

Jan 8, 2026 • 48min
Emma Pattee on TILT
Tilt by Emma Pattee is a breathtaking exploration of humanity, desperation, love and survival in the midst of a catastrophe. Emma joins us to talk about natural disasters, control, motherhood, research, grief and more with guest host Brenda Allison. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Brenda Allison and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): Tilt by Emma Pattee I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death by Maggie O'Farrell Colored Television by Danzy Senna Liberation Day by George Saunders

Jan 6, 2026 • 49min
Ben Markovits on THE REST OF OUR LIVES
The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovits is a deeply human and tender story of a man's journey across North America. Ben joins us to talk about road trip novels, middle age, marriage, family and more with guest host Brenda Allison. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Brenda Allison and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovits Queen Esther by John Irving Phineas Redux by Anthony Trollope The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin Little One by Olivia Muenter

Jan 1, 2026 • 1h 16min
How We Read Now (featuring MJ Franklin and Joumana Khatib of The New York Times)
Get ready for another great year of reading! MJ Franklin and Joumana Khatib of The New York Times join us to talk about dissecting the literary canon, keeping books weird, language, dialogue, world building, rereading, blurbs and more with host Miwa Messer. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger Moderation by Elaine Castillo Eligible by Curtis Sittinfeld The Complete Novels: Jane Austen by Jane Austen The Bee Sting by Paul Murray Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë James by Percival Everett Middlemarch by George Eliot The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky East of Eden by John Steinbeck Dracula by Bram Stoker The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones The Odyssey: Translated by Emily Wilson Trip by Amie Barrodale Lightbreakers by Aja Gabel The Ensemble by Aja Gabel Angel Down by Daniel Kraus Audition by Katie Kitamura The Collected Short Stories by Jean Rhys My Broken Language by Quiara Allegria Hudes The White Hot by Quiara Allegria Hudes The Hours by Michael Cunningham Terry Dactyl by Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore North Woods by Daniel Mason The Sisters by Jonas Hassen Khemiri Theft by Abdulrazak Gurnah The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller Animal Farm by George Orwell The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls Philadelphia Fire by John Edgar Wideman The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai The Most by Jessica Anthony Lonely Crowds by Stephanie Wambugu Great Black Hope by Rob Franklin Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid The Committed by Viet Thanh Nguyen The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien Playworld by Adam Ross Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell The Voyage of the Narwhal by Andrea Barrett The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante

Dec 13, 2025 • 58min
Jeff Chang on WATER MIRROR ECHO
Water Mirror Echo by Jeff Chang is a gripping blend of biography and history centered on a legendary figure. Jeff joins us to talk about community, Chinatown, the Vietnam War, the 1970s, movies and more with host Miwa Messer. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America by Jeff Chang Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation by Jeff Chang The World of Suzie Wong by Richard Mason The Teahouse of the August Moon by Vern Sneider Sayonara by James A. Michener Your Turn, Mr. Moto by John P. Marquand The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck Peony by Pearl S. Buck Underspin by E.Y. Zhao Flyboy in the Buttermilk: Essays on Contemporary America by Greg Tate Ocean of Clouds by Garrett Hongo The Committed by Viet Thanh Nguyen The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen Who We Be: The Colorization of America by Jeff Chang We Gon' Be Alright: Notes on Race and Resegregation by Jeff Chang

Dec 11, 2025 • 44min
Annie Leibovitz on WOMEN
Women by legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz is a remarkable celebration of life and womanhood through powerful portraits. Annie joined us live at B&N Union Square to talk about the evolution of photography, Rolling Stone, portraits, photojournalism, digital vs film, the 70s, Gloria Steinem and more with host Miwa Messer. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): Women: 2025 Edition by Annie Leibovitz It's What I Do: A Photographer's Life of Love and War by Lynsey Addario

Dec 9, 2025 • 53min
Charles Duhigg on SUPERCOMMUNICATORS
Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg expertly examines how to understand others and be understood through effective communication. Charles joins us to talk about identifying conversation types, connection, attention, the power of questions, neuroscience, habits and more with guest host Chris Gillespie. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Chris Gillespie and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg Smarter Faster Better: The Transformative Power of Real Productivity by Charles Duhigg

Dec 6, 2025 • 51min
Simon Winchester on THE BREATH OF THE GODS
The Breath of the Gods by Simon Winchester is a fascinating deep dive into a familiar phenomenon. Simon joins us to talk about changing wind speeds, the moon landing, oboes, human migration, tumbleweeds and more with guest host Chris Gillespie. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Chris Gillespie and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): The Breath of the Gods: The History and Future of the Wind by Simon Winchester The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester Land: How the Hunger for Ownership Shaped the Modern World by Simon Winchester Knowing What We Know: The Transmission of Knowledge: From Ancient Wisdom to Modern Magic by Simon Winchester


