On this episode, Angelo, Ariana, Quinn and Charlie discuss the 2024 Oscars, including their own picks and predictions of movies nominated, opinions about actors and films that have been unfairly snubbed, and suggestions to the Academy for future categories.

On this episode, Angelo, Amy, Quinn and Sarah talk about the fantasy tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons.

On this episode, Angelo, Maureen, Michelle and Charlie and Lynne talk about some of their favorite film experiences of 2023, from Barbenheimer to Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.

On this episode, Angelo, Sarah, Charlie and Lynne will go boldly where this podcast has never gone before with a discussion of Star Trek, from the original series to the movies, all the way through the new shows premiering on Paramount+.

On this episode, Annie, Maureen, Alicia and Elizabeth talk with Shannon Downey, a Chicago-based crafter and activist and founder of Badass Cross Stitch.

On this episode, Charlie, Maureen, Tia, Angelo, and Christa talk about music, from the new albums and concerts they're excited about, to their recommendations of books and documentaries about popular musicians, as well as a discussion about the role of AI in creating music.

On this episode, Charlie, Alicia, Maureen and Michelle talk about Disney: the classic animated films, the recent live-action remakes, the TV shows, the parks, the video games, the toys and everything in between!

On this episode, Charlie, Angie, Nina and Maureen talk about Colleen Hoover, the popular fiction author and BookTok, an online community of book enthusiasts on the social media platform TikTok.

On this episode, Sarah, David, Maureen and Jessica talk about this year's summer reading programming at the Des Plaines Public Library, as well as the theme of the challenge: dinosaurs!

On this episode, Charlie, Ariana, Angelo, and David discuss The Menu, a dark comedy/horror film released in 2022, and the celebrity chef/foodie culture that the film satirizes.

On this episode, Charlie, Angelo, Nina and Maureen talk about Jennette McCurdy's bestselling memoir, I'm Glad My Mom Died, as well as some other recently-released and revelatory celebrity autobiographies and documentaries.

On this episode, Charlie, Angelo, Ariana, and Maureen talk about the forthcoming 95th Academy Awards, with discussions of the films Elvis, The Banshees of Inisherin, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Tár, Women Talking, Fire of Love and more.

On this episode, Charlie, Ariana, Lydia and Joel discuss their likes and dislikes when it comes to horror films. They discuss the horror-comedy Tucker & Dale vs. Evil at length, and also touch on other scary films such as Midsommar, Young Frankenstein, The Blair Witch Project and more!

On this episode, Charlie, Ariana, Elizabeth and Joel discuss true crime, a genre that documents real stories of illegal behavior. They talk about the recent documentary adaptation of Michelle McNamara's book I'll Be Gone In The Dark, true crime podcasts such as My Favorite Murder, and debate the ethics involved in producing a narrative about real traumatic events.

On this episode, Charlie, Ariana, Michelle and Joel celebrate the "Reading Is Art-Rageous" theme of our summer reading program by discussing art, including reviews of documentaries about Marina Abramović, Maurizio Cattelan, Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun and Vincent Van Gogh and plenty of tangents regarding the questions provoked by these artists' works.

On this episode, Charlie, Liz, Elizabeth and Joel have a conversation about gardening. Along the way, they touch on subjects such as composting, soil conditions, container gardening, planting zones, protecting your crops against hungry squirrels and chipmunks, and a lot more!

On this episode, Charlie, Ariana, Annie and David talk about The Queen's Gambit, a limited miniseries available on Netflix, based on a novel by Walter Tevis. Along the way, they also touch on how the show's popularity has encouraged a new wave of interest in chess, how Netflix has changed our watching habits, the library's board game collection, and much more! (Please note: this episode was recorded remotely using Zoom - you may notice some slight audio imperfections, which were inherent in the source.)

On this episode, Charlie, Lynne, and Joel discuss Stephen King's new collection of novellas If It Bleeds. Their conversation also touches on filmed adaptations of King's work, how future authors might write about the events of 2020, and much more! (Please note: this episode was recorded remotely using Zoom - you may notice some slight audio imperfections, which were inherent in the source.)

On this episode, Charlie, Jami, and Joel discuss The Water Dancer, the debut novel by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Along the way, they discuss magical realism, slave narratives, the differences between the printed word and audiobooks, and much more! (Please note, this episode was recorded remotely using Zoom - you may notice some slight audio imperfections, which were inherent in the source.)

On this episode, Charlie, Jami, Joel and Natalie discuss The Office, a sitcom originally created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant for the BBC, but which took on a life of its own when it was adapted for American television. We'll talk about a few of our favorite episodes, the impact the show had on other comedy shows, other notable projects from members of the cast and much more! (Please note, this episode was recorded remotely using Zoom - you may notice some slight audio imperfections, which were inherent in the source.)