It’s The Stacks Book Club Day, and we’re diving into The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley with returning guest J Wortham. We explore the book’s layered genres, discuss its most compelling moments, and reflect on the parts that didn’t quite land. Plus, we consider the question: is it possible to unplug from empire?

There are spoilers on this episode.

Be sure to listen to the end of today’s episode to find out what our February book club pick will be.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:

https://thestackspodcast.com/2025/1/29/ep-356-the-ministry-of-time

Connect with J: Instagram | Twitter

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Join The Stacks Pack on Patreon

To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

Purchasing books through Bookshop.org or Amazon earns The Stacks a small commission.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we're joined by journalist and debut author Michael Waters to discuss his book, The Other Olympians: Fascism, Queerness, and the Making of Modern Sports. We explore the history of gender surveillance and sex testing for athletes, as well as how sports have become the frontier for transgender political battles. Michael also shares his approach to navigating the evolving landscape of language in gender identity.

The Stacks Book Club pick for January is The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley. We will discuss the book on January 29th with J Wortham returning as our guest.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/1/22/ep-355-michael-waters

Connect with Michael: Instagram | Twitter | Website

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Subscribe

Inclusive Action for the City Fundraiser | Ways to Help with Fire Relief

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In today's special bonus episode, we’re offering some counterprogramming to the inauguration with a discussion of Toni Morrison’s lecture, “Goodness: Altruism and the Literary Imagination.” Saeed Jones joins us to explore Morrison’s thoughts on how goodness sustains itself in the face of evil and what it means to lean into our own goodness as we move into 2025 and beyond.

The Stacks Book Club pick for January is The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley. We will discuss the book on January 29th with J Wortham returning as our guest.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/1/20/bonus-saeed-jones

Connect with Saeed: Instagram | Twitter | Bluesky | Threads | Vibe Check | Substack

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Subscribe

Inclusive Action for the City Fundraiser | Ways to Help with Fire Relief

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser*

In this episode of The Stacks Unabridged, Cree Myles (All Ways Black) and Sara Hildreth (Fiction Matters) are back to reflect on 2024 as a year in books and share the titles they’re most excited to read in the first half of 2025. From last year’s standouts to exciting new releases, this conversation is a must-listen for book lovers updating their TBRs.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2025/1/17/tsu-42-2025-book-preview

Connect with Cree: Instagram | Twitter | Substack

Connect with Sara: Instagram | Fiction Matters | Novel Pairings | Substack

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Subscribe

Purchasing books through Bookshop.org or Amazon earns The Stacks a small commission.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we're joined by debut author Kaliane Bradley to discuss her novel, The Ministry of Time, which is The Stacks Book Club pick for January. We talk about how her pandemic obsession inspired this book, how she feels about her novel being called "genre-breaking", and what it was like to land on Obama’s summer reading list.

The Stacks Book Club pick for January is The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley. We will discuss the book on January 29th with J Wortham returning as our guest.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:

https://thestackspodcast.com/2025/1/15/ep-354-kaliane-bradley

Connect with Kaliane: Website

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Subscribe

Inclusive Action for the City Fundraiser | Ways to Help with Fire Relief

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we're joined by author and educator Irvin Weathersby Jr. to discuss his new book, In Open Contempt: Confronting White Supremacy in Art and Public Space. We delve into the complicated legacy of monuments and art—what they represent, how they uphold systems of white supremacy, and what it takes to envision something new. Irvin also shares how his identity as a “teacher who writes” informs his work and perspective.

The Stacks Book Club pick for January is The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley. We will discuss the book on January 29th with J Wortham returning as our guest.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:

https://thestackspodcast.com/2025/1/8/ep-353-irvin-weathersby

Connect with Irvin: Instagram | Website

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Subscribe

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today, we're joined by J Wortham, journalist and culture writer at The New York Times. They are the co-author of Black Futures and a former co-host of the podcast Still Processing. In this conversation, J shares their thoughts on the relationship between reading comprehension and social media, reflects on their evolving relationship with their name, and reveals what they look for in a great book.

The Stacks Book Club pick for January is The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley. We will discuss the book on January 29th with J Wortham returning as our guest.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:

https://thestackspodcast.com/2025/1/1/ep-352-j-wortham

Connect with J: Instagram | Twitter

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Subscribe

SUPPORT THE STACKS

Join The Stacks Pack on Patreon

To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

Purchasing books through Bookshop.org or Amazon earns The Stacks a small commission.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s The Stacks Book Club Day, and we’re diving into Tacky: Love Letters to the Worst Culture We Have to Offer by Rax King with returning guest Nora McInerny. This heartfelt and hilarious essay collection celebrates the pop culture often dismissed as “lowbrow” or “uncool,” exploring how guilty pleasures shape our identities and bring us joy. In this episode, we discuss the meaning of tackiness, share our favorite essays, and reflect on all the ways tackiness relates to criticism.

Be sure to listen to the end of today’s episode to find out what our January book club pick will be.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:

https://thestackspodcast.com/2024/12/25/ep-351-tacky

Connect with Nora: Instagram | Website | Substack

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Subscribe

SUPPORT THE STACKS

Join The Stacks Pack on Patreon

To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

Purchasing books through Bookshop.org or Amazon earns The Stacks a small commission.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser*

In this episode of The Stacks Unabridged, we’re closing out 2024 with a lively recap of the year in pop culture. Chelsea Devantez and Sam Sanders join the show to hand out superlatives for this year’s biggest moments—from breakout performances to the villain of the year, and the stories that defined 2024.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2024/12/20/tsu-41-chelsea-devantez-sam-sanders

Connect with Sam: Instagram | Twitter | Into It | Vibe Check

Connect with Chelsea: Instagram | Twitter | Website | Glamorous Trash

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Subscribe

Purchasing books through Bookshop.org or Amazon earns The Stacks a small commission.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s time to pick the best books of 2024! Joining me for this year-end celebration are two longtime friends of the show, podcast host Greta Johnsen and MJ Franklin, editor at The New York Times Book Review. In today’s episode, we share our top 10 books of 2024, reflect on the trends that defined this year in reading, and look ahead to the titles we’re most excited for in 2025.

The Stacks Book Club pick for December is Tacky by Rax King. We will discuss the book on December 25th with Nora McInerny returning as our guest.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:

https://thestackspodcast.com/2024/12/20/ep-350-best-books-of-2024

Connect with MJ: Instagram | Twitter

Connect with Greta: Instagram | Twitter 

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Subscribe

SUPPORT THE STACKS

Join The Stacks Pack on Patreon

To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

Purchasing books through Bookshop.org or Amazon earns The Stacks a small commission.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we’re joined by Mosab Abu Toha, Palestinian poet, activist, and author of the new collection Forest of Noise. In today’s episode, Mosab shares why he feels compelled to write during the ongoing genocide in Gaza and reflects on the urgent questions his work poses about Palestinian rights. He also discusses the meaning behind his book’s title and what he hopes readers will take away from this moving collection.

The Stacks Book Club pick for December is Tacky by Rax King. We will discuss the book on December 25th with Nora McInerny returning as our guest.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:

https://thestackspodcast.com/2024/12/11/ep-349-mosab-abu-toha

Connect with Mosab: Instagram | Website | Twitter

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Subscribe

SUPPORT THE STACKS

Join The Stacks Pack on Patreon

To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

Purchasing books through Bookshop.org or Amazon earns The Stacks a small commission.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.