Person
Every book Matt Rogers recommended on podcasts
Matt Rogers’s most recommended books
- Election by Tom Perrotta
- Marsha by Tourmaline
- Animal Farm by George Orwell
- Famesick by Lena Dunham
- Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton
- Over the Influence by Joanna "JoJo" Levesque
- The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp
- Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino, Juan Trejo
- And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
- Bad Mormon by Heather Gay
Matt Rogers is a co-host of the podcast Las Culturistas, where he frequently discusses books, memoirs, and popular culture alongside Bowen Yang. During various episodes of the show, Rogers has recommended and talked about several literary works. He praised Lena Dunham's memoir Famesick, noting that it provides a wonderful glimpse into the creative process. Rogers also strongly recommended Tourmaline's book Marsha, describing the Joy and Defiance of Marcia P. Johnson as a work that listeners would enrich themselves by reading. While discussing great choreographers and dancers, he encouraged everyone to read Twyla Tharp's The Creative Habit. Rogers further praised Jia Tolentino's Trick Mirror and its audiobook version, sharing a memorable detail about the text involving NE Schulman. Together with Bowen Yang, he recommended the memoir Over the Influence by their guest Joanna Levesque, telling millennial music fans that they absolutely have to read it. When discussing difficult times for artists, Rogers suggested that every singer should go through a Glennon Doyle and Love Warrior era, referencing Glennon Doyle Melton's book Love Warrior. Finally, while discussing a television adaptation and Florence Pugh's performance, Rogers brought up John Steinbeck's classic East of Eden, sharing his admiration for actress Zoe Kazan.
Books recommended by Matt Rogers
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Election
Election by Tom Perrotta is a sharp satirical novel about high school politics, ambition, and corruption, which gained widespread acclaim through its Oscar-nominated film adaptation starring Reese Witherspoon.
Discussed“Cuz I frequently returned to it and I watched it again after I read the novel.”
Where to get it
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Marsha
Marsha by Tourmaline is a biographical work celebrating the life, joy, and profound legacy of activist and gay liberation movement pioneer Marsha P.
Discussed“Um yes, the book is Marca, the joy and defiance of Marcia P. Johnson.”
Where to get it
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Animal Farm
Animal Farm by George Orwell is a classic allegorical novella that uses a farmyard setting to satirize the corruption of socialist ideals and the rise of totalitarianism following the Russian Revolution.
Recommended“You would love it, it's called Animal Joy and it's about laughter!”
Where to get it
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Famesick
Famesick by Lena Dunham is a reflective memoir offering an intimate look into the complexities of modern celebrity, personal ambition, and the creative life.
Recommended“But then you read this wonderful book, Famesick, and you get a glimpse into the creative process.”
Where to get it
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Love Warrior
Glennon Doyle Melton's memoir Love Warrior chronicles the author's painful journey through marital betrayal, personal collapse, and spiritual awakening.
Recommended“every singer should have a Glennon Doyle era should have like a Love Warrior era”
Where to get it
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Over the Influence
Over the Influence by Joanna "JoJo" Levesque is a candid memoir written by the acclaimed singer and performer.
Recommended“I mean we we've just been so like enraptured by and impressed by the Memoir this is over the influence by our guest and if you are a music fan especially if you are a millennial music fan you have to have to read this”
Where to get it
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The Creative Habit
The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp is a practical guide by the legendary choreographer that outlines how routines, schedules, and daily practices can foster lifelong artistic expression.
Recommended“and she wrote a wonderful book called The Creative habit which I encourage everyone to read”
Where to get it
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Trick Mirror
Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino is a widely acclaimed collection of cultural essays that examines the illusions and complexities of modern selfhood in the digital age.
Recommended“audio book Legend I'll never forget when I was listening to trick miror like she was talking about uh NE Schulman and there's a line where she goes Schulman punched a girl in college”
Where to get it
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And Then There Were None
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie is a masterclass in suspense, following ten strangers lured to a remote island who are systematically murdered one by one.
Discussed“they're the original title for um and then there were none was 10 Little Indians and then the original title before that was 10 little n-words”
Where to get it
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Bad Mormon
Discussed“What did that feel like when it when it not only when it came out but also like when Bad Mormon went on that bestseller list?”
Where to get it
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Big Little Truths
Discussed“So, I bought Big Little Truths. What's that? Well, it's the sequel to Big Little Lies cuz you know there's going to be a a new season of Big Little Lies. That's right. And apparently it's like the kids are grown and you know I don't know what else. All I know I I didn't make it very far honestly.”
Where to get it
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East of Eden
East of Eden by John Steinbeck is a sprawling, multi-generational masterpiece that adapts the Cain and Abel story into twentieth-century California.
Discussed“So this actually reminds me of something I attempted to watch, which was East of Eden. Okay. So I'm just going to, I'm just going to, I'm just going to, first of all, I want to say this. I am a Zoe Kastan. I, I, I love Zoe Kazan. I am a Zoe Kastan. Like I've always like loved this”
Where to get it
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Kiss of the Spider Woman
Discussed“And it shows us, it reminds us what Manuel Puig wrote in that novel back in the day reminds us that love and humanity and the soul of a person is much more important than the shell or their circumstances or where they grew up or what they are, right? Like that who they are inside is really the thing”
Where to get it
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Mr Know-It-All
Discussed“I have Mr. Knowit All, which I bought in Boston. I have my hard copy with me.”
Where to get it
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Notes on a Scandal
Notes on a Scandal by Zoë Heller is a dark, suspenseful psychological novel that examines obsession, manipulation, and the complex dynamics of female friendship and isolation.
Discussed“we're reading a book now in the research um it's called Lost And Sound”
Where to get it
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Rachel Getting Married
Discussed“Rachel getting married. I haven't seen it. Crashes the car. Rachel getting married of it.”
Where to get it
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The Artist's Way
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron is a classic self-help primer on recovering, protecting, and nurturing one's innate creativity.
Discussed“And like if you've read the artist's way like she talks all about like those first people who like snuff out that thing in you are devastating and it's going to take you a long time to get over it.”
Where to get it
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The Beat, the Scene, the Sound
Discussed“we're reading a book now in the research um it's called Lost And Sound”
Where to get it
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The Cultural Significance of the Child Star
Discussed“It was in child star. It was in your It was in your You directed. It was like so charming.”
Where to get it
The other 7 books Matt Rogers recommended or discussed, ranked
- The Giver by Lois Lowry
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- The Little Bird Who Wanted to Fly by The Brown Bear Book Club
- The Lost Girls by D. J. Taylor
- The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- Tracy Flick Can't Win by Tom Perrotta
Appearances
Other mentions (40: passing, ad reads, own books), the 30 most recent
“In the category of the Allison Williams cool girl award, the nominees are Rosalina, Mario, Chase Infinity, Chase Sweetie Wonders, Feyre Archeron, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and Sierra Miller.”
“A crush that doesn't care if you live or die, Jacob. Let them by Mel Robbins. And new girl at work.”
“In the category of Best Little Creature, the nominees are Grogu, hamsters nonviolent, Rocky, Project Hail Mary, Toad, Mario, and the Miniature Wife on Peacock.”
“In the category of best space excellence in outer space, the nominees are Project Hail Mary, Gravity by Sandra Bullock, Ham, the outer space chimp.”
“In the category of best space excellence in outer space, the nominees are Project Hail Mary, Gravity by Sandra Bullock, Ham, the outer space chimp.”
“In the category of most poignant title, the nominees are The Hunting Wives. Are the wives doing the hunting or are they being hunted?”
“And forest where Shakespeare's wife gives birth to Hamnet near the big hole.”
“In the category of Hillary Duff Award for Millennial Excellence, the nominees are Indoor Fern, Gentle Parenting But It Backfires, the Gold Lamé Pant from American Apparel, The Goldfinch by Donna Tart, and TRL.”
“The 48 Laws of Power.”
“And uh he's in this movie that is coming out soon called The Devil's Prada 2. Two. Two. There's the Squel. The Squel.”
“and ran and got the little wicked book and had him sign it.”
“Well, has anyone see Wait, is it Night of the Living Dead?”
“listen to confessions it burn by it”
“She has a whole chapter in Bossy Dance about it.”
“And so like I when I was watching the first episode of I Love LA and it was like flashing around like I saw like you know the little flash at Abbar the little like I mean like is it Leaves of Grass that you shot in in that one bar?”
“And it continued to be New York Times bestselling author of Bad Mormon and good time girl star of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City from the beginning very much the and I think that everyone would agree very much the protagonist of the show.”
“And it continued to be New York Times bestselling author of Bad Mormon and good time girl star of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City from the beginning very much the and I think that everyone would agree very much the protagonist of the show.”
“It's very much like Little Prince.”
“In the category of best title for a book, The nominees are the upstairs of the house, Twilight, she freaked it with that.”
“Conflict is not abuse. You can learn a lot from just this title.”
“And oh this body it stays keeping the score.”
“Professor JK Rowling, read Harry Potter.”
“And Daniel, the Vanity Fair, please read the Harry Potter. Please read Harry Potter.”
“John Proctor is the villain. Her is wonderful. I wanted to make sure I brought it in today and I they can even use this like but I was it's it's about a a group of girls in a high school. It's about a classroom in a high school in 2018 who is reading The Crucible um under new eyes”
“I thought like at first like when I saw like it marketed it looked like girl boss the Crucible and I was like okay interesting. But it's like so which we would still gladly see.”
“Which is a line from Notes on a Scandal, which literally there would have been one time to wear it and it's when we had Kate Blanchett on this podcast and I didn't wear it.”
“there's a book called Moby Dick I didn't read it well that was your first mistake it's real culture number eight if you haven't read M dick that was your first mistake I hear it's an amazing book I've never read it oh it's fabulous it's a really a thriller”
“You're thinking of The Good Earth by Pearl SB”
“tiny beautiful things tiny beautiful things um and we have a tiny beautiful person tiny beautiful”
“I think I think we've like had our fair share of it started with under under the banner of heaven right Andrew Garfield you were robbed”