BOOK CLUB: You Dreamed of Empires by Álvaro Enrigue

On this episode, Tom sits down with members of the SciFi/Fantasy book club to discuss The Murderbot Diaries. They had a great conversation and saved all the spoilers till the end (don’t worry there’s a warning).If you’d like to grab a copy check out the link below:https://villagewell.com/item/MWp_c1qAP1yOIlKI7t1ZFQThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

This week, Jen sat down with Andrea Tetrick from Publishers Group West and Two Rivers to talk about exciting releases for 2025. We hope you enjoy!Andrea's Picks:Culpability by Bruce HolsingerMona's Eyes by Thomas SchlesserHeart the Lover by Lily KingThe Enduring Wild by Josh JacksonRocks and Riches by Gary L ProstBritannica All New Kids' Encyclopedia edited by Christopher LloydAndrea's Personal Faves:The Sea, The Sea by Iris MurdochMother’s Milk by Edward St. AubynThey by Kay DickThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

This week on the pod, Jen and Brett sat down with writer, producer, and newly published author David Meyer. They chatted about his new book Five Minutes From a Meltdown, and got to the heart of poetry, or something like that.David's Recommendations:- You Don't Have to Have a Dream by Tim Minchin- How to Be Perfect by Michael Schur- Egghead by Bo BurnhamThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

This episode, Tobi sat down with two of our Book Club attendees to chat about last month’s pick: You Dreamed of Empires by Álvaro Enrigue. It’s a wild, surreal book about the historically-inspired first encounter between Cortez and Moctezuma. We hope you enjoy!If you’d like to purchase a copy of the book, check out the link below:https://shop.villagewell.com/item/wCIDqQu6pg-qiKBk_SDvkwThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

This episode, Jen and Shira sat down with the wonderful Lil Miss Hot Mess, drag queen and professor at the University of Arizona. We recorded during Pride month, and had a great conversation about Drag Story Hour, Drag culture more broadly, and queer and trans rights. We hope you enjoy!Lil Miss Hot Mess's Recommendations:- Tabitha and Magoo Dress Up Too⁠ by Michelle Tea- The Queen Bees of Tybee County⁠ by Kyle Casey Chu-Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson⁠ by TourmalineThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

This week on the pod, Jen and Brett sat down with Professor Mo Ogrodnik from NYU. They talked about Mo's new book Gulf, featuring stories from women in the Gulf States. They also covered the impact of international education, shifting geopolitics in the region, and Brett's experience as one of Mo's students.Mo's Recommendations:Secondhand Time by Svetlana AlexievichWe Do Not Part by Han KangThe Autobiography of My Mother by Jamaica KincaidThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

On this very special Mother’s Day episode, Jen and her daughter Allie sat down with Angourie and Kate Rice to talk about their new book Stuck Up and Stupid, a contemporary YA adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. They talked about their work collaborating together, their relationship with each other, and their love for Jane Austin. We hope you enjoy!The Rices’ Recommendations:- The Art Thief by Michael Finkel- My Friends by Fredrik Backman- You Belong With Me by Mhairi McFarlaneThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

This week on the pod, Anneliese Judge stopped by to chat with Brett and Neema! She talked about her love of reading, her experience as an actor on Sweet Magnolias, and her inspiration for starting a book club (Who to Judge). We hope you enjoy!Anneliese’s Recommendations:- The Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors- Daughter of Daring by Mallory O'Meara- Tell Me How You Really Feel by Betty CayouetteThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

This week on the pod, Josh and Sam sat down with Professor Leah Litman to talk about her new book Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes. Leah is a professor of Law at the University of Michigan and co-host of the legal podcast Strict Scrutiny. She has a gift for breaking down complicated legal decisions into straightforward summaries, and she sprinkles in a healthy dose of pop culture along the way. We hope you enjoy!Grab your copy of Lawless HERELeah’s Recommendations:- Dark Money by Jane Mayer- How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt- Lady Justice by Dahlia LithwickThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

On this episode of the Village Well Podcast, we sat down with Dave Ehrlich, a Sales Rep from the book publisher Chronicle Books. We talked about the publishing world and exciting new releases for 2025.Dave's Picks for 2025:100 Afternoon Sweets by Sarah KiefferOne Week in January by Carson EllisTaste In Music by Luke Pyenson and Alex BleekerPalace Costume by Mimi HaddonThey Hold the Line by Dan Paley and Molly MendozaA Fearless Eye by Barbara Ramos, Sally Stein, and Steven HellerThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!