18: Book Club: SPARE

18: Book Club: SPARE

Author: Jennifer Taub & Politicon LLC March 26, 2023 Duration: 1:09:19
This family has more money than God. Why in the world can’t they get some therapy? A Grandmother who never hugs her grandchildren? A father who does not hug his son after telling him his mother was killed? 

No, our book is not a soap opera, it’s SPARE by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex is our Booked Up book club selection this month. Jen’s three special guests in alphabetical order are Christopher Bouzy, Linda Charnes, and Melissa Murray. 

You know Christopher from his big splash of a social media site called Spoutible. Before that he started the site botsentinel which helped social media users spot and report trollbots. When he’s not busy spouting, Christopher finds time to appear in the occasional Netflix documentary, including the recent one on Harry and Meghan. His effort to expose anti-Meghan hate accounts made him the target of plenty of ire himself.

Linda’s name should be familiar as she was my guest here on Booked Up in late January discussing Hamlet, Talionic Law (aka retributive eye-for-an-eye justice), and America’s revenge fantasies. The author of several brilliant books about Shakespeare, contemporary politics, and political psychology, Linda is a beloved Professor of English, European Studies and Gender Studies at Indiana University, Bloomington.

And, you probably feel like you know Melissa given her frequent appearances on cable news including as a guest host on several prime time shows on MSNBC. Not just a gifted communicator, Melissa is also the Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of Law
Faculty Director, Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Network at NYU. Her award-winning research focuses on the legal regulation of intimate life.

Contact Booked Up:

You can email Jen & the Booked Up team at: BOOKEDUP@POLITICON.COM or by writing to: 

BOOKED UP 
P.O. BOX 147
NORTHAMPTON, MA 01061



Get More from Christopher Bouzy, Linda Charnes, and Melissa Murray

Chris Bouzy:
Spoutible| Twitter | Botsentinel


Linda Charnes:
WebsiteAuthor of HAMLET’S HEIRS and NOTORIOUS IDENTITY

Melissa Murray:
Twitter | Website | Strict Scrutiny Podcast

Get More from Jen Taub:
Twitter | Follow the Money Substack | Author of BIG DIRTY MONEY 



For anyone who’s ever finished a great book and immediately wanted to dissect it with a smart friend, Booked Up with Jen Taub is that conversation. Hosted by author and legal commentator Jennifer Taub, this podcast digs into the ideas, arguments, and narratives shaping our world, all through the lens of what we’re reading. It’s less a formal book review and more a lively, critical exploration. Episodes weave together themes from politics, culture, and current events, treating books as vital source material for understanding the bigger picture. You’ll hear Taub’s insightful commentary and analysis, often drawing connections between an author’s work and the real-world issues it illuminates. The discussion feels urgent and relevant, whether tackling a new release or a classic with renewed significance. Listening to this podcast is like joining a book club where the conversation is always sharp, informed, and unafraid to challenge conventional wisdom. It’s for readers, thinkers, and anyone curious about the power of stories to explain our complicated present.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 59

Booked Up with Jen Taub
Podcast Episodes
59: Sgt. Aquillino Gonell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:06
Today nearly three years after the attack on the US Capitol my guest is American hero, Aquillino Gonell, author of the new book American Shield: The Immigrant Sergeant Who Defended Democracy. You know Staff Sergeant Gone…
58: Norman Lear: Even This I Get to Experience [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:36
Welcome back to Booked Up, a podcast that features you, me and our favorite authors. We release a new episode every Sunday morning. Today for the December book club, we are discussing Norman Lear, the Hollywood legend wh…
57: THE OCTOPUS IN THE PARKING GARAGE with Rob Verchick [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:47
Rob Verchick, author of the award-winning new book, The Octopus in the Parking Garage: A Call for Climate Resilience is Jen’s guest today. Why this unusual title? As he describes: “One morning in Miami Beach, an unexpect…
55: Chuck Collins on ALTAR TO AN ERUPTING SUN [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:05
Chuck Collins, author of several works of nonfiction including The Wealth Hoarders: How Billionaires Pay Millions to Hide Trillions is Jen’s guest today. They mostly discuss his debut novel, Altar to an Erupting Sun, a n…
54: Orly Lobel on THE EQUALITY MACHINE [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:26
Today Jen’s guest is Orly Lobel, author of the recent book THE EQUALITY MACHINE: Harnessing Digital Technology for a Brighter, More Inclusive Future. Orly just sold the film rights to her book on Barbie to CBS Studios. T…
53: THE WOMAN IN ME by Britney Spears [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:12
For our special book club episode today, we are discussing the new bestselling memoir – THE WOMAN IN ME by pop icon Britney Spears. As you know, Britney is a multiplatinum, Grammy-Award winning entertainer. She has sold…
52: Taylor Lorenz is EXTREMELY ONLINE [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:40
Today Jen’s guest is Taylor Lorenz, author of the new book, Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet. Together they discussed many topics including the controversy around mommy blo…
51: Andrea Chalupa on DICTATORSHIP IS EASY [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:23
Today Jen’s guest is journalist, filmmaker, author, and activist Andrea Chalupa. You know Andrea from her award-winning podcast Gaslit Nation that she founded with Sarah Kendzior. Fake populism. Demonizing the press. Sca…
50: Illeana Douglas on CONNECTICUT IN THE MOVIES [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:01
Film star Illeana Douglas is Jen’s guest today. Ileana is the author of the gorgeous new book: Connecticut in the Movies: From Dream Houses to Dark Suburbia. This spans around 100 years from the silent film era up throug…