64 episodes
New Wizards Aaron Horton & Josh Nalven
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- Arts
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4.9 • 80 Ratings
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Does Hogwarts accept adults? Join Josh as he reads Harry Potter for the first time with the guidance of his co-host and patronus Aaron. Discover or re-visit all seven books through the eyes of some grown nerds.
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Muggle Life and Literature — Before the Reading
Do you remember when Harry Potter first took the world by storm? Aaron and Josh discuss their memories of Pottermania, and their different tastes in literature as children. Josh then shares some of his previous knowledge of the Potterverse, some spoilers he inadvertently caught (SPOILER WARNING), and his burning questions before diving in for the very first time…
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Uncle Vernon Rules — Book 1, Ch. 1-7
We start our adventure with some loveable folks: the Dursleys. Could they be the most beautiful, tragic characters in the Western canon? (Absolutely.) We also discuss the complex tension between the Muggle and wizarding worlds, the spooky Mr. Ollivander, and the memorable Sorting Hat scene.
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The Blood Price — Book 1, Ch. 8-17
We finally get to discuss the main subject of all seven books: the Weasleys, and their lust for violence. We also learn more about our new sorta-friend Hermoine, and quidditch, the Worst Game in History. Oh, and the book ends, too.
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The Weasley Way, with Mel Kassel — Book 2, Ch. 1-8
The wizards are joined by noted ~dark fiction~ writer and close personal friend Mel Kassel (@melkassel) to discuss the first part of book two! We touch upon wizard inequality, wizard racism, magical hominids of all kinds, and everyone’s wizard bae Gilderoy Lockhart.
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Snake Chat — Book 2, Ch. 9-15
SPOILER ALERT: Josh spoils himself (...?) about the book’s ending. The wizards parcel out some Parseltongue takes, explore just how badly Hagrid deserves to be fired, and most importantly, discuss the noble savagery of the Weasley car.
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Seamless, but for Swords — Book 2, Ch. 16-18
The wizards spelunk into the titular chamber, and reflect on this fearsome and satisfying book as a whole. Under the crunchy shell of this extremely metal ending lies the sweet, chewy nougat of some interesting character development. Snake guts, too.
Customer Reviews
These dudes were great
Give this podcast a listen.🪄🧹🗡
As an adult who grew up in the same era when the books and films were being released, this podcast was so much fun to listen to. It was nice to relive the nostalgia of the series and their interpretations/POV of the books were enjoyable. I enjoyed the guests they had in the show and I believe it was Josh’s frustrations of the goblin rebellion and love for blood prices that had me invested in listening and finishing this podcast. Personally liked how they were HP fans but didn’t necessarily know all things of the wizarding world. Some people get really snarky about fandoms but these dudes aren’t which was refreshing. I’ve listened to a couple of HP podcasts and this one is currently my favorite. Just finished listening about mid February and planning on listening to this podcast again when it is safer to travel again since Covid is still very contagious.
*One time I was listening to this podcast from my tablet and had the volume on low so I could listen and still fall asleep (not because of the podcast, was just genuinely tired) and Aaron’s unique laugh was so effin loud it woke me from a 40 minute nap. Yeaah that guy’s laugh is very bombastic and can wake even deep sleepers like a freaking alarm clock.*
Listening into a nerdy book club
If you've been longing to be a fly on the wall of a hilarious but also incredibly smart and pointed book club discussion of Harry Potter, look no further. I'm a spotify podcast listener but I love these boys and this pod so much that I logged back into my itunes acct just to write a legitimate review. I had to dig up a decades-old password, that is how much I enjoy this podcast.
If only I could read the books for the 1st time again...
I love listening to you both, and I started this podcast about a month or two ago. I listen(ed) to you anytime I am in my car. It makes my commute to work enjoyable. I caught up to your current one on September 26th and I’ve been bummed not having anymore to listen to, and right before the epilogue. I’m dying!!! J/K, I shall endure this. Anyhow, great podcast guys.