Circle Time: A Book Club Podcast
Circle Time is a space where we share pieces of what we’re reading to scratch our English-class itch and get some personalized, in-depth recommendations from each other. We hope that by opening our circle to a wider audience we can inspire introspection, curious conversation, and of course, more reading in the world!
Episodes
35 episodes
The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
Special guest (and dear friend) Michaela Eckler brings us this historical fiction novel to inspire conversation about what certain words truly mean, who gets to define them, and how to fight the "good fight" no matter who you are. This is a "sl...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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1:39:53
Who Is Wellness For? by Fariha Róisín
Yoga, meditation, astrology, good diet, high self-esteem; where does it all come from and who gets to have it? In this episode, we take a close look at the wellness industry through the lens of anti-colonialism and Róisín's personal experience....
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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1:14:35
Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed – The Truth That Lives There
Here it is... a long-awaited Circle Time by yours truly, Olivia! This book changed her life and she couldn't wait to share it with everyone. In this episode, Lauren and Olivia discuss "the truth that lives there" and Michelle questions if Sugar...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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53:17
The Buddha Walks Into the Office by Lodro Rinzler
This book walked its way into Michelle's life and now she can't look back. The daily practices and Buddhist philosophies that Rinzler espouses here bring a renewed sense of meaning into work, and help calm the mind/body along the way. From sett...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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1:11:05
The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John Gottman
Are any of us married? Nope. Do we have any experience with marriage? Nope. Are we still gonna talk about it? Yup. Through information from relationship researcher John Gottman, we talk about the Four Horsemen as they relate to the demise of a ...
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57:15
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover (Part 2)
SPOILERS!!! Welcome back to the conversation about It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover. In this episode Lauren spills all of her thoughts on the characters, the story, and the book as a whole. Michelle revisits her previous thoughts on what conse...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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1:16:03
Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski
Let's talk about sex, baby! This insightful book is one of our favorites. We *came* out of it knowing so much more about communication around sex, managing turn-ons and turn-offs, and dealing with stress healthily. Talking points include:
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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1:08:44
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover (Part 1)
TRIGGER WARNING: domestic violence. NO SPOILERS! This episode is all about Colleen Hoover's book It Ends With Us as well as the movie that stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. The Circle Time ladies discuss social and emotional implications t...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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1:04:52
Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés; Ch.4 The Mate
Michelle and Olivia get wild in this episode on one of our favorite books to return to: Women Who Run with the Wolves. (And by "get wild" we mean, get pretty sidetracked and don't actually talk about the book all that much. . .whoops!) Conversa...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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1:06:21
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Welcome to Season 2 of Circle Time! We're back from summer break and we're kicking off the new season with a rare occasion - all 3 of us read and loved this novel! Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is a story about platonic love, the creative ...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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1:03:48
Kinship with All Life by J. Allen Boone
Get on "another level" with us as we talk about human relationships to animals. Can we truly communicate with animals in a deep and meaningful way? Is there a natural hierarchy found in the animal kingdom? Are we all created from the same plane...
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Season 1
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Episode 22
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1:01:25
Pure Colour by Sheila Heti
We're truly getting messy about life and covering a lot of ground in this episode as we chat about Sheila Heti's Pure Colour and welcome our very first guest to Circle Time, our beloved Lex! Join us for some existential conver...
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Season 1
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Episode 21
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1:23:42
Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés; Ch. 5 When the Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
We return to the "woo woo bible" to explore one of our favorite topics: love and relationships. Estés analyzes the story of the skeleton woman; an Inuit folktale that speaks to the transformational nature of love, the willingness to embrace cha...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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51:21
Big Announcement!
You can now join the Circle Time Bookclub Podcast Group on Goodreads! Check out the page here.
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0:57
Walking to Mercury by Starhawk
Our first novel on the podcast! This is the second book in a series published in the 1990s by ecofeminist leader Starhawk. It tells the story of a young woman named Maya protesting the Vietnam War and trying to stay true to herself amidst all t...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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1:00:22
Negotiating with the Dead by Margaret Atwood
Welcome back to another Circle Time! In this episode, Lauren shares from Negotiating with the Dead: Writers on Writing by Margaret Atwood. We put on our English class hats and talk about our ideas about writers, our experiences with fiction vs ...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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1:03:25
Marry Him by Lori Gottlieb
Olivia begins this conversation by giving an overview of what this book is about and who this book might be written for (probably not for us). We then dive into a discussion about qualities that make up a "life partner" and how those traits may...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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1:04:12
Communion: The Female Search for Love by bell hooks; queerness
We keep unpacking Communion with a deeper discussion of queerness and how it doesn't go away, even when you're in a straight-presenting relationship. Further, we discuss the experience of reading bell hooks' work and how truly impactful it is.&...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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56:02
Communion: The Female Search for Love by bell hooks; loving under patriarchy
Book three in bell hooks' series on the big-L Love. This book spells out the challenges women face in finding and keeping love in a patriarchal society. From identifying "feminist" men who would never actually date a feminist, to challeng...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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1:07:39
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Join us for this discussion about garden(ing), hyperawareness of where our products come from, and The Honorable Harvest. This conversation toes the line between existing in a consumer culture and existing harmoniously in nature. Is this even p...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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50:19
Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés; Chapter 12. Marking Territory: The Boundaries of Rage and Forgiveness
Michelle has deemed it the "woo woo" bible because this book has got ALL the wisdom about spiritual growth; shared through themes of nature, folktale and female archetypes. There will probably be many Circle Times on this book because there's s...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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54:13
Unf*ck Your Anger by Faith G. Harper (part 2)
Welcome back for PART 2 as we continue to UnF*ck our anger! (and our forgiveness).This episode features:-Michelle forgiving Olivia once long ago-Olivia, continually mindblown by forgiveness-and a brief 10-step overview of how yo...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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34:01
Unf*ck Your Anger by Faith G. Harper (part 1)
Welcome to part 1 of our first 2-part episode! Who knew this little book could contain so much? Join us as we talk about some evolutionary science, our own experiences with anger, and begin to unravel our understanding of forgiveness. Is moving...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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42:51
Our Poetry Episode
In this episode we read some poems aloud and digest them together. The poems selected are random - just ones that Lauren and Michelle liked a lot and wanted to share. Some strong themes of connection to nature and mental health recurred. <...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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1:00:01
The Defining Decade by Meg Jay
If you're ready to put a whole lotta pressure on your 20s, here you go! This book was a tough pill to swallow - it has such a strict definition of success. However, the underlying themes of setting goals, doing fulfilling work, envisioning the ...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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59:06