This discussion of Index, a History of the by Dennis Duncan is a big day for Victoria because it’s an episode all about her favorite thing ever: sorting things into categories. Julia is there to help translate the Middle English quotes.

Julia and Victoria are surprised to find hope and belonging in a new story of humanity with The Dawn of Everything by “the Davids” (Graeber and Wengrow), the anthropological clapback to Sapiens by Harrari.

A Suga bias (Julia), a Jungkook bias (special guest RJ), a V bias (special guest Adam), and a person who knows almost nothing about K-pop (Victoria) have a spirited conversation about the style and silences of Beyond the Story: A 10-Year Record of BTS by Kang Myeong-seok and translated by Anton Hur, Clare Richards, and Slin Jung. There are… emotions.

Julia and Victoria talk about the marriage of message and form in the “memoir situation” by one of their favorite human beings: 10 Steps to Nanette by Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby.

Julia and Victoria meet up with their internet friend Sofía Syntaxx (of the ANGR podcast) to talk about how much they loved Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, swap stories, compare languages and knowledge systems, and laugh about all the things American scientists “discovered” which indigenous peoples have known for thousands of years. A good deal of swearing is involved, but like, in a fun way.

Julia and Victoria learn about the history of mental health stigma in the United States and have some lightbulb moments with Nobody’s Normal by Roy Richard Grinker.

Julia and Victoria reflect on their winding work histories and the rise of pointless labor with the help of Bullshit Jobs by anthropologist David Graeber. They get very excited about it.

Julia and Victoria discuss the core points of Unmasking Autism by Devon Price: What is masking, and how can we unmask our own lives to build a better world together? Julia drops her neurodivergent-friendly skin care routine.

Julia and Victoria explore how and why they connected so much to Pop Song by Larissa Pham, a memoir exploration of art, adulthood, love, and theory.

How I Became a Tree by Sumana Roy really spoke to Julia and Victoria’s exhaustion with productivity, their love for their houseplants, and their ever-growing need to run away to the woods. Plus: a few tips and suggestions for reading books outside of your cultural context.

Julia and Victoria read the first book by one of their favorite comedians: Everyone You Hate Is Going to Die by Daniel Sloss. They ask themselves, why do celebrity memoirs get published? And why this one in particular? Then they give a poor imitation of their favorite jokes from the book for their own personal enjoyment.

Julia and Victoria provide a little feedback sandwich on Burnout by Emily and Amelia Nagoski, a book designed to help women cope with the unique burnout that results from dealing with the patriarchy.