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2026 Subscriber Benefits at Close Reads HQ
Hello Close Reads Community!
 • David Kern

Recent posts

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58:56
The Age of Innocence: Q&A Episode
As always, we conclude our series on Edith Wharton’s classic novel by answering your questions.
 • David Kern, Sean Johnson, and Heidi White
1:07:07
Discussing "The Hollow Crown" Series from the BBC
As we come to the end of our ongoing series on Shakespeare’s first tetralogy, we’re digging into the BBC series that covers the four plays.
 • David Kern, Sean Johnson, and Heidi White
1:30:05
The Age of Innocence: To the End
Welcome back to our series on Edith Wharton’s very complex (and wonderful) novel.
 • David Kern, Sean Johnson, and Heidi White
1:00:32
Monthly Mystery: Josephine Tey's "Brat Farrar"
Hello and welcome to our first monthly mystery here at Close Reads HQ!
 • David Kern
1:05:15
Age of Innocence: Chapters 19-25
Welcome back to our ongoing series about The Age of Innocence! This week we’re discussing when a thought becomes a sin in this book, whether there’s…
 • David Kern, Sean Johnson, and Heidi White
1:02:42
Short Story Hour: Elmore Leonard's "3:10 to Yuma"
Hey CRHQ subscribers, welcome to a new monthly series on which we’ll be discussing a variety of really good short stories!
 • David Kern, Sean Johnson, and Heidi White
1:28:36
The Age of Innocence: Chapters 10-18
Welcome back to our series on Edith Wharton’s excellent novel.
 • David Kern, Sean Johnson, and Heidi White
1:10:52
Henry V: Acts 3-5
Let’s talk about the battle of Agincourt and King Henry’s Crispin’s Day speech.
 • David Kern, Sean Johnson, and Heidi White
1:07:33
Age of Innocence: Chapters I-IX
Welcome to our first series of the new year, as we jump into Edith Wharton’s novel of the Gilded Age, The Age of Innocence. This we discuss the way…
 • David Kern, Sean Johnson, and Heidi White
1:57:30
2025: A Year of Reading in Review
Welcome to our longest episode of the year, during which we discuss our favorite reading experiences of the year, share our individual top five books…
 • David Kern, Sean Johnson, and Heidi White
54:27
Henry V: Acts I-II
It’s time to dig in to the final play in our ongoing series about Shakespeare’s Henriad.
 • David Kern, Sean Johnson, and Heidi White
49:45
Much Ado About Nothing: Q&A Episode
You had questions, we had answers, so join us for the final conversation about Shakespeare’s classic comedy!
 • David Kern, Sean Johnson, and Heidi White

Monthly Mysteries

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1:03:20
Monthly Mystery: Murder in the Mill-race
Join in as we discuss this month’s mystery novel: E.C.R Loran’s story about a provincial small town with more secrets than it wants to reveal.
 • David Kern, Sean Johnson, and Heidi White
59:01
Monthly Mystery: Epitaph for a Spy
Join in as we discuss this month’s mystery novel: Eric Ambler’s story about a regular man who is caught up in the world of international intrigue on the…
 • David Kern, Sean Johnson, and Heidi White
1:05:51
Monthly Mystery: A Morbid Taste for Bones
Join in as we discuss this month’s mystery novel: Ellis Peter’s first book in the Brother Cadfael series, a medieval-set murder mystery in which a monk…
 • David Kern
50:37
Monthly Mystery: "Five Little Pigs"
Join in as we discuss this month’s mystery novel: Agatha Christie’s Five Little Pigs, one of her most psychologically complicated (and nearly hard…
 • David Kern, Heidi White, and Sean Johnson
56:24
Monthly Mystery: The Zebra-Striped Hearse
Join in as we discuss this month’s mystery novel: Ross Macdonald’s The Zebra-Striped Hearse, a classic midcentury title from one of the kings of the…
 • David Kern, Heidi White, and Sean Johnson
1:11:02
Monthly Mystery: Some Buried Caesar
Join in as we discuss this month’s mystery novel: Rex Stout’s Some Buried Caesar, a 1930’s classic from one of the most popular of all American mystery…
 • David Kern, Heidi White, and Sean Johnson
57:29
Monthly Mystery: John Dickson Carr's "The Seat of the Scornful"
Join in as we discuss this month’s mystery novel: John Dickson Carr’s The Seat of the Scornful, a cult classic from the master of the locked room…
 • David Kern, Sean Johnson, and Heidi White
1:00:31
Monthly Mystery: Mystery Mile
Join in as we discuss this month’s mystery novel: Margery Allingham’s Mystery Mile, a book for which we had varying degrees of affection.
 • David Kern, Heidi White, and Sean Johnson
1:10:23
Monthly Mystery: The Great Mistake
Join in as we dig in to this month’s mystery novel: Mary Roberts Rinehart’s The Great Mistake, a very American but very interesting mystery from a…
 • David Kern, Sean Johnson, and Heidi White
1:15:22
Monthly Mystery: The Singing Sands
Join in as we dig in to this month’s mystery novel: Josephine Tey’s The Singing Sands, a book about anxiety, obsession, and conspiracy.
 • David Kern, Heidi White, and Sean Johnson
1:08:52
Monthly Mystery: Smallbone Deceased
Hey Close Reads HQ subscribers, welcome back to our monthly mystery series!
 • David Kern, Heidi White, and Sean Johnson
1:22:13
Monthly Mystery: The Hound of the Baskervilles
As we begin our second season of Monthly Mysteries, it’s time to finally discuss the most famous of all detectives.
 • David Kern, Heidi White, and Sean Johnson
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