Conor Lastowka and Michael J. Nelson are reading books they're pretty sure they're going to hate. Read along with us for a podcast book clubs of Ready Player One, Armada, The Eye of Argon, Dan Brown, and more!
Get access to the complete 280 Mysteries archive, including the episode we just recorded with Jeopardy host Ken Jennings, on the 372 Patreon: patreon.com/372pages
Sally is once again pounding Bugs’ face into oblivion, Encyclopedia is still sucking in the gasoline fumes from his makeshift cash register, and people in Idaville are still doin’ some crimes!
Let’s see if Conor can crack the case!
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All good things must come to an end. Also, Ugly Love must come to an end, and it does, in our final episode. Does Miles end up with Ian? Does Dillion end up with Rachel? What kind of pain is Miles keeping contained? Is it exactly what you thought it was the very moment you “met” Miles? You’ll have to listen to find out. (Because you’re obviously not reading along, are you? ARE YOU?)
Link to CoHo Bingo
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We’re back to Idaville, the boy detective, Leroy Brown, replete with gangs of roving toughs, girls breaking boys jaws: you know, the usual stuff. But can Mike crack this very, very tough case?
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If you’ve stuck with us this far you must be a fan of the words “kiss” and “heart.” And of the phrase “cut my eyes” and “gripped the doorframe.” In this episode, Conor and Mike speculate like mad about the fate of Rachel, Clayton, Dillon, Lisa, Paige Donahue, and of course, Gary.
Does Mike continue his insane, career-topping totals at Real or Fanfic? You’ll have to listen.
READING ASSIGNMENT: Finish the book!
Ugly Love merch gallery
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To be clear, Dillon is terrible. BUT he’s the least like a cardboard cutout of all these dumbasses (which is not high praise, but there it is.)
If you are craving plot, please look elsewhere. All we know is that Mike’s middle name is nearly revealed, but Conor’s love for all things Marx Brothers is shouted from the rooftops. Real or Fanfic is conquered, Dumb Sentences are reviewed, and after all is said and done, Miles gets no more interesting.
READING ASSIGNMENT: Read through Chapter 30
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There’s no bunnies or smoking jackets, but there is a frightened playboy. Let’s see if Mike can solve the case!
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Look, Cap is a ghost. Or a specter. Or a haint, or something old-timey, and Tater is clearly either dead or in another realm (full disclosure: that is Mike’s guess. Conor has other theories) but no matter what realm we’re in, this much does not change: Miles is a dumb ass. And he likes kissing. Tasting and kissing. But mostly kissing.
Does Mike do well at Real or Fanfic? Well, we wish we could center justify this text as a clue, but Patreon doesn’t allow it. I think the larger point is that he likes orange juice.
READING ASSIGNMENT: Please. Read. Through. Chapter 22.
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Join us once again in Batshitcrazytown, USA, aka Idaville, where Encyclopedia Brown is attempting to solve a case that initially appears to be an attempted murder, but fortunately only ends up beating a savage beating during a home invasion. How many rich people live in Idaville and just how rich are they? Maybe we’ll find out more in this episode, which features one of Donald J Sobal’s most excrutiating ‘solutions’ thus far.
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Get the book here (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/4kKujs4
Ah, a fresh author, a fresh book, a new start; meeting new characters, exciting new locat– wait. What? Half the chapters are center justified?! And half the words in those chapters are “Rachel”?! And fully half of the characters have distinct odors and / or flavors? Ok… Let’s read through Ugly Love.
READING ASSIGNMENT: All the way through Chapter 15
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Craig Finn of The Hold Steady joins our little podcast and the results are nothing short of spectacular. His new book and his upcoming tour with Bob Mould of Hüsker Dü are of course discussed (and Mike somehow refrained from telling him the story of how Hüsker Dü’s Grant Hart and he once emptied garbage cans together…) BUT more importantly, he is presented with an Encyclopedia Brown mystery and it’s everything you’d want it to be.
Even bigger news. I mean, huge, can’t-be-overstated news: he settles a very long time musical feud between Conor and Mike. It does not go how either one of them expected.
Get Craig’s new album Always Been and the companion book Lousy With Ghosts here
Check out his podcast That’s How I Remember It
Subscribe to his Substack
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