Written Reviews

Great Openings — Episode 9

October 7, 2021

Paul and I are back with Episode 9 of The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast! In this episode, we talk about that sweet feeling you get when you know you’re going to love a book just from its great opening.

Karen Russell: “The Ghost Birds”

October 4, 2021

This week’s New Yorker story is Karen Russell’s “The Ghost Birds.”

Johnnie To: Throw Down

October 1, 2021

I just watched one of my new favorite films: Johnnie To’s Throw Down. The Criterion Collection recently released a wonderful edition of the film, and I cannot recommend it enough!

Three Favorite Books with Frances Evangelista — Episode 8

September 30, 2021

Paul and I are back with Episode 8 of The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast! In this episode, we welcome our first guest, long-time friend Frances Evangelista, to talk about three of her favorite books.

Vladimir Sorokin: “Red Pyramid”

September 27, 2021

This week’s New Yorker fiction is Vladimir Sorokin’s “Red Pyramid,” translated from the Russian by Max Lawton.

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Episodes of The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast: discussions of books and authors, shaped by curiosity, rereading, and the pleasures of talking things through.

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The Reading Life

The Mookse and the Gripes Instagram features a more immediate space with posts and videos about current reads, recent finds, including a steady dose of Criterion films.