Why Podcast Nerdette Launched A New Book Club

Podcaster Greta Johnsen, host of WBEZ’s Nerdette Podcast, is “obsessed with books,” so it’s a natural fit that the podcast would start its own book club, with discussions each month on the podcast, as well as an online component on Goodreads, which has amassed 375 members. In an interview, Johnsen said of the new venture, “I read a lot, and I love talking about them with friends. But my work schedule has always been weird, so it’s been hard to stick with an in-real-life book club. So this is the best of both worlds.”

Here’s how the podcast’s show notes announced the book club on January 17: “Nerdette has always been a podcast for book lovers, but for the first few months of 2020, we’re doubling down. Join host Greta Johnsen and a rotating cast of panelists as they discuss the year’s buzziest books.”

The book club launched today with a podcast episode about reading the much-buzzed-about Kiley Reid’s New York Times bestseller Such a Fun Age (G.P. Putnam’s Sons). Asked why her podcast audience would be interested in a book club, Johnsen said, “There’s so much good stuff out there, but it can be overwhelming to find something you like. If I can help people figure out what’s good, and motivate them to read a book, that’s a win. I post pictures of books I like on Nerdette’s Instagram, and response to that has been really nice.

Johnsen’s current plan is to read a book each month. “We’ll record a conversation with me and a rotating panel of people, and play voicemails and read comments from our audience. I also want this to work as a podcast for people who don’t have time to read a book but are still curious about it, so we’ll do a dash of plot summary along with a big dose of analysis.”

The podcast did an “experimental run” of a book club last year by reading The Testaments (Nan A. Talese), Margaret Atwood’s sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale (Anchor), discussing it on the podcast alongside New York Magazine’s Heather Havrilesky and Vocalo’s Jill Hopkins. Johnsen said “people seemed to enjoy reading it along with us,” so much so she still gets at least an email a week from someone who’s finally getting to the book, something she’s thrilled to see.

For The Testaments, they read one third of the book at a time. Of that way of operating, Johnsen said, “I think that pacing was a little too intense for some people (and too slow for others!), so this time we’re going to try doing the whole book at once and see how that works. What we’ll lose is being able to make predictions about what will happen with different storylines, but I’m hoping we’ll still be able to have a dynamic conversation.” She added, “The Goodreads group is another experiment. I want it to be as easy as possible for people to weigh in and feel like they’re part of a community, and this seemed like a nice way to do it.”

In trying to figure out how a book club podcast would work, Johnsen noted that “the interactive element was the trickiest part to envision. How can listeners feel like they’re a part of this conversation?” But then she thought about her TV show recaps, and “it all clicked.” Johnsen decided to let listeners to send voicemails of themselves and send in the audio files to be played when they record the episodes. She’s invited listeners to comment on the show’s next pick, the New York Times bestselling tech industry memoir Uncanny Valley by Anna Wiener (MCD).

Asked how she made the Such a Fun Age selection, Johnson explained, “I read 75 books last year, and Such a Fun Age was my favorite. I love that it’s a fun book about really important stuff. It’s an invitation to consider issues around race and class on a small scope, which makes the stakes low enough to allow for serious reflection. And there’s a lot to talk about!” She interviewed author Kiley Reid in December about the book in an episode highlighting her favorite books of 2019, and is open to different ways of interacting with authors going forward. “So far, the idea is for a rotating panel of people to discuss the book without the author there, but I think there’s definitely a world where we collect listener questions and bring them to the author. I also love the idea of doing some real-life meetups, maybe with the author, too. We’ll just have to see how it goes.” 

As for future Nerdette Book Club selections, Johnsen said, “I’d like to get a good smattering of genres. There will be a solid dose of literary fiction, with some memoir/biography mixed in and at least one sci fi pick too. Most authors will be female identifying and/or people of color. I’d like to make sure there’s something for everyone.”

Asked why podcast listeners are a good fit for a book club, Johnsen said, “[A[s an introvert, I love the idea of participating in something without having to leave my own house. I also think it’s fun as a super low-pressure book club. You don’t have to read it on our schedule. You could find the episodes six months from now, and they’d still be relevant. The episodes will always be there for you. Maybe you live somewhere without a book club that resonates with you. Maybe you want to connect with a community based on a podcast you like. Either way, we’re here for you!.”

Johnsen emphasized that book club participants don’t have to be Nerdette listeners. “You don’t even have to read the book,” she said. “Anyone is invited along for this ride.”