I'm Natalie Moore. I fell in love with soap operas when I was just five years old, and I still

watch them. Their television's longest scripted series and have zero reruns. Now let me tell you,

soap operas aren't just some silly art form. They are significant. In this season of making,

Stories Without End from WB EZ Chicago.

Join me as I share how the genre began, their social impact, and why these stories endure.

Listen, wherever you get your podcast.

From WBEZ Chicago, I'm Greta Johnson, and this is the Nerdette Book Club.

It's just like a regular book club, except you don't have to share your snacks.

This month's book is Kave Akbar's debut novel, Martyr, exclamation point.

It is about Cyrus, who was born in Iran and moved to the Midwest when he was really young after his mom died in a real life historical event

where the United States Navy reportedly accidentally shot an Iranian passenger plane out of the sky.

The book picks up when Cyrus is in his 20s. He's in Indiana and his dad has died recently

and he is struggling in more ways than one. He finds himself thinking a lot about the idea of

martyrdom and what makes life truly worth living. And when he learns of an artist in New York,

who's exploring similar topics, he has to meet her. That is all I'm going to say for now,

but this is going to be a spoilery conversation. So if you haven't read the book and you don't

want to know what happens, go listen to my interview with Kave in the feed.

If you have read the book or you are game for spoilers either way, welcome.

I am very excited to introduce you to this month's guests.

We're getting the band back together with us.

We have an editor at the New York Times Book Review, MJ Franklin, MJ.

Hello, hello. Thank you for

...