Pairings

Only one book can make for a conversation peppered with equal amounts of laughter and cringe. Yes, Tony Tulathimutte's Rejection.Across a series of 4 painfully funny essays, Amile and Phoebe discuss rejection in all its forms: romantic, social and self-inflicted. From the "nice guy" performing wokeness in exchange for companionship, to the young woman lost in an obsessive spiral of limerence, no one’s stories (including their own!) escapes unexamined.Perhaps the rejection itself isn't what we're most afraid of. Perhaps it's what the rejection reveals about our deepest insecurities.This episode pairs well with: Rejection by Tony TulathimutteSo You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon RonsonQueenie by Candy Carty-WilliamsWhy Did I Get Married? (2007), dir. by Tyler PerryHe's Just Not That Into You (2009), dir. by Ken KwapisBinge watching Chewing Gum or Fleabag over the weekend.Sending "No worries!" when there are, in fact, many worries.Seeking a partner who triggers your childhood wounds.One more drink than you planned on having.Enjoy listening!A&P

Fresh off reading Divya Maniar's soon-to-be-released novel After Care, Amile and Phoebe discuss the strange afterlife of reality television and the unspoken pressure to remain visible long after the cameras stop rolling.Through the story of Grace, a former reality star intent on clawing her way back into the public eye, they explore influencer culture, the attention economy, and the blurred line between authenticity and performance. They ask whether social media has turned all of us into our own publicists, carefully curating lives designed to be consumed.What happens when our identity hinges on being watched? And what responsibilities do the watchers have in return?This episode pairs well with:After Care by Divya Maniar [pre-order for Oct 2026]The Truman Show (1998), dir. Peter WeirBlack Mirror: "Nosedive" (Netflix, 2016)Miriam: Death of a Reality Star (Channel 4, 2024)Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth (2025)Commenting "what are they doing working at a checkout?"Wondering whether you're living for yourself or a personal brandChoosing the Montepulciano over the Tempranillo for social cloutHappy listening,A&P

Amile & Phoebe use their next read as a springboard to discuss familial disharmony, competing ideas of freedom & the relational ties that can both sustain and hold us back.Tangerinn by Emanuela Anechoum is an intimate portrait of family identity & the complicated relationships that shape us. The story begins with an Italian Moroccan woman who returns to her childhood home of Calabria upon the death of her father.They also explore the tensions that linger between Mina, her hijab-wearing sister, her emotionally absent mother & the father who built the family business from the ground up. In the end, they ask whether home is somewhere we return to or something we carry with us.This episode pairs well with: Tangerinn by Emanuela AnechoumThe Farewell (2019), dir. Lulu WangBless The Daughter Raised By A Voice In Her Head by Warsan ShireSwapping your shagpile rug for a handwoven Berber heirloomArguing with your sister over who makes the better feministA Negroni sbagliato (with prosecco in it, duh)Happy listening,A&P

For our first-ever recap episode, we revisit the conversations that lingered long after the microphones were switched off.From Love Island analogies to our very different reactions to the Barbie movie, we reflect on the cultural moments that divided us, surprised us, and challenged the way we think.We also highlighted some of our favourite books from the season including Reel, Yesteryear, Strangers, and Lost Boys, asking whether time (or netizen reactions!) has changed the way we view them.Think of it as one last drink before the next chapter.This episode pairs well with:Returning to your favourite highlighted passageTurning your boyfriend into a fan of reality televisionRomanticising barista FIRETexting, "I finally read the book!"Choosing the long conversation over the hot takeToasting to another 20 episodes!A&P

South Korea is home to one of the world's lowest birth rates, the radical feminist 4B movement, and some of the best performing IVF clinics. This juxtaposition provides the perfect backdrop for Amile and Phoebe's next deep dive into Kim Eui-Kyung's brilliant translated novel, Hello Baby.Using the novel as a springboard, they discuss fertility treatment, pregnancy loss, the choice to pursue motherhood...or opt out entirely. They highlight the quiet camraderie that exists between people navigating infertility. They also question the balance between the need for privacy and support in that first 12 weeks of pregnancy.This episode pairs well with:Hello Baby by Kim Eui-KyungJoy (2024), dir. Ben TaylorThe Baby Decision by Merle BombardieriMissed (2020), a poem by Elizabeth Day, written after baby lossCreating a groupchat for the girlies going through it.Finding out that the 4B movement has 4 central rules.Raising a glass of light Beaujolais & making a toast to hope.Happy listening,A&P

In a world where selling "identity art" might guarantee an extra $10,000 in the bank or a greenlit film in Hollywood, Amile & Phoebe question what happens when blackness becomes commodified. They also examine contemporary debates around authorship, influence and recognition. Yes, Patrick Ta, we are looking at you.Using Brandon Taylor's Minor Black Figures as a springboard, they explore a world full of competing acts of perception. They compare Wyeth's strained relationships with his friends to the slow paced kinship with his lover, Keating.The episode ends on familiar ground: intimacy. Borrowing from Timothy Keller's observation that "to be loved is to be known", they reflect on who sees us as we desire to be seen.This episode pairs well with:Minor Black Figures by Brandon TaylorAmerican Fiction (2023), dir. Cord JeffersonThis Is America (2018, song) by Childish GambinoAMERIICAN REQUIEM (2024, song) by BeyonceAdmiring the work of Danielle McKinneyLearning the difference between intention and impactBuying dried sorrel to make Grandma’s Red Drink recipeHappy listening,A&P

At last! Amile and Phoebe discuss Lena Dunham's hotly anticipated memoir, Famesick. They remember the cultural phenomenon that was Girls, reflecting on why its messy protagonists felt so jarring in a world of bandage dresses, millennial ambition & carefully curated femininity.As the conversation unfolds, they revisit the backlash directed at Lena from the moment she entered public life. Together, they unpack the harsh realities of fame, the impact of body image and the constant expectation of productivity. They also consider the appeal of the "cool guy" and society's tendency to deem certain women as off-putting. Or worse, merely "fine".This episode pairs well with:Famesick by Lena DunhamValley of the Dolls by Jacqueline SusannFrances Ha (2012), dir. Noah BaumbachLucky (song, 2000) by Britney SpearsAn Hervé Léger bandage dress you couldn't afford in 2012Deciding to retire your people pleasing tendenciesAn espresso martini made with an extra shot of espresso

Amile and Phoebe discover one of the most provocative protagonists they've encountered in Imani Thompson’s debut, Honey. After a seemingly ordinary bee sting becomes a life-or-death trolley problem, they unpack Ysra's relationship with revenge and the men who cross her. From childhood memories of learning about "bases" to the everyday realities of misogyny and misogynoir, they explore the limits of male allyship. In Ysra, they encounter a woman who is equal parts principled, unhinged, and charming: someone determined to distance herself from what she percieves as the weaknesses of femininity, whilst imagining herself as a quasi-heroine of a deeply patriarchial world.If you're in need of a summer read, look no further.This episode pairs well with:Honey by Imani ThompsonMen Who Hate Women by Laura BatesCurry & Cyanide: The Jolly Joseph Case (Netflix), 2023Gone Girl (2014), dir. David FincherKeeping a spreadsheet of all the people who hurt youStealing your protégés work whilst having an affair with herCounting a Pimm's as 1 of your 5 a dayHappy listening,A&P