Advertise on podcast: In the Stacks with Barry & LaToya

Barry started the show by discussing football, including Arsenal's standing in the Premier League and a recent Atlanta United game that Barry attended. LaToya shared that she got her first tattoo, a small one that says "always" with musical notes, and talked about her relationship with her sister-in-law, Gwen. They discussed whether either wanted children, with LaToya explaining why she decided not to have any. They also talked about the show Ted Lasso, including their favorite characters and the new season. Barry mentioned some horror series he was watching on Peacock and Amazon Prime. They discussed the upcoming election and their plans to vote.

LaToya and Barry’s conversation began with their frustration over not being able to watch Arsenal games due to Peacock and USA Network's broadcasting decisions. The conversation shifted to personal financial struggles, with both sharing stories of debt, high-interest loans, and the challenges of managing expenses, especially when it comes to eating out. Barry detailed issues with delayed school pay and bank overdrafts, while LaToya expressed concerns about credit card debt, student loans, and the stress of juggling multiple financial responsibilities. They also touched on health, mentioning their use of GLP-1 medications and the challenges of maintaining weight loss. Throughout, they reflected on the pressures of work, the lack of work-life balance, and the emotional toll of ongoing financial stress. The episode ended on a light note, with both acknowledging their situation as a cautionary tale.

LaToya and Barry caught up on personal and work updates, with LaToya sharing her recent cruise experiences. They discussed work, aging, health issues, and the difficulty of taking true vacations. Barry talked about his teaching, including reading violent short stories and poetry with his students. Both shared their current reading habits, with LaToya finishing Andy Weir’s books and Barry reading a historical mystery series. The conversation covered favorite colors, collectibles, and streaming services, as well as recent celebrity deaths and the passage of time. They also touched on TV shows like Beauty and Black, true crime documentaries, and reality TV such as Married at First Sight. Barry and LaToya talked about Marvel movies, Atlanta United’s recent wins, and using the Refract app to track shows. They ended by briefly discussing Mark Zuckerberg’s reported plans to replace employees with AI and shared thoughts on his leadership.

LaToya and Barry conducted their 201st podcast episode, discussing various personal updates and topics. LaToya shared details about moving her home office to her bedroom due to upcoming house guests, including a new sit-stand desk and monitor setup. They discussed their experiences with the recently completed World Cup tournament and MLS soccer, including Atlanta United's performance. LaToya mentioned reading Andy Weir books, and Barry discussed his recent reading of Dan Brown's latest novel. Both talked about their use of the Refract app as a replacement for TV Time to track their media consumption. LaToya revealed she had injured her foot after the World Cup and was starting GLP-1 medication again, while Barry shared that he would need to stop taking Ozempic two weeks before his upcoming colonoscopy. They also discussed Barry's writing career and royalty income, and LaToya's upcoming cruise plans. The conversation concluded with them noting they had 199 episodes remaining before reaching their 400th episode milestone.

LaToya and Barry recorded their 200th podcast episode, reflecting on their long-running friendship and discussing recent events, including World Cup games, Love Island controversies, and upcoming summer plans. LaToya shared her excitement about attending a World Cup game in Atlanta between Congo and Uzbekistan, while Barry discussed his upcoming medical procedure and concert plans to see Train, Bare Naked Ladies, and Goo Goo Dolls. They reminisced about favorite past episodes, including the "corndog episode" and "Bigfoot porn episode," and acknowledged that their monthly recording schedule has evolved over the years, typically recording on the last Saturday of each month rather than their original second-Saturday schedule.

LaToya and Barry conducted their 199th podcast episode while both dealing with health issues - LaToya had a sinus-related headache, and Barry was experiencing ongoing headaches from recent dental work. The conversation covered Barry's Golden Apple Award recognition at school, where a student read a humorous speech he had written about him. They also discussed Arsenal Football Club's recent performance, Barry's decision to start shopping for groceries at Aldi, and LaToya's new gambling habit with her sister-in-law, involving scratch-off tickets.

LaToya and Barry start the show complaining about technical difficulties with streaming services, particularly their inability to watch the Arsenal game because the content was not on Peacock, despite online information suggesting it would be available there. They discussed various forms of entertainment and the practice of reading multiple books simultaneously. The conversation also covered LaToya's work challenges, managing multiple clients while working full-time, her recent cruise experience, and concerns about debt management. They discussed Atlanta United's recent performance and game scores, and Barry shared updates on his publishing business and author-management responsibilities through Reese Unlimited. The conversation concluded with a discussion about their next planned recording session and updates on sports scores.

LaToya and Barry had a casual conversation covering various topics, including technology issues with Barry's meeting access, T’Challa's cat Avery's health concerns, and their monthly podcast show scheduling challenges. They discussed TV shows, including "The Pit"; celebrity news about Tiger Woods and Britney Spears; and political concerns about Trump's actions and their impact on American politics. Barry shared updates about winning a Pulp Fiction Award for Best Novel, though not for his own writing, and discussed his writing projects, including re-releasing old Peregrine books in chronological order. The conversation concludes with personal updates on upcoming cruises and tax returns, with Barry mentioning his significant tax refund and T’Challa's upcoming tuition payments.

LaToya and Barry discussed recent cruise experiences and upcoming travel plans, including T'Challa's current cruise and LaToya's future cruises. They shared updates about their work lives, with LaToya mentioning she was feeling unwell and Barry discussing his teaching responsibilities and upcoming summer break. They also discussed their shared interests in Arsenal football and the new Scream movie, with Barry providing details on the film's plot and reception. The conversation concluded with Barry sharing updates about his son’s friend moving in with them, and LaToya reflecting on how quickly time passes and how life experiences change over the years.

LaToya and Barry caught up on various personal updates, including LaToya's recent purchase of new AirPods 3 and Barry's relationship status with Eris, who is now Facebook official. They discussed the new Take That documentary series, their shared interest in Arsenal football, and the challenges of following the team due to U.S. broadcasting restrictions. LaToya shared her excitement about upcoming cruises, including a family cruise in February and three other cruises planned throughout the year. They also discussed their financial situations, with LaToya acknowledging her ongoing debt challenges and Barry mentioning his bankruptcy. The conversation concluded with LaToya requesting that Barry avoid discussing the library with her, as it’s triggering.

LaToya shared her positive experience on a recent Western Caribbean cruise with Princess Cruises, highlighting the itinerary and food quality, and expressed interest in future cruises. She further discussed her trip to Trinidad, including the purchase of a special wedding band and managing internet connectivity during the cruise. Barry discussed looking forward to the great beyond as he plans to retire at age 62. Both hosts concluded by sharing their music-listening habits and streaming-service preferences, along with discussions of Arsenal FC's performance and LaToya's goal-planning for 2026.

LaToya and Barry discuss various personal and professional matters, including their recording schedule, sports interests, and technical issues. They share updates on their respective work commitments, including teaching schedules and educational standards, and discuss the impact of AI tools in their lives. The conversation covers personal challenges, including LaToya's family’s experiences with Hurricane Melissa. They discuss their shared interests in reading and sports before concluding with topics such as upcoming events and traditions.

LaToya and Barry discuss their schedules and TV viewing habits, including various shows and actors they enjoy or have opinions about. They share personal updates about health issues, work challenges, and financial concerns, while also discussing music preferences and recent album releases. The conversation concludes with discussions about sports preferences.

LaToya practically takes over this episode. Having had only 3 hours of sleep and just getting back from running errands with Gwen, LaToya manages to hijack almost the first twenty minutes of the show. She’s talking on fumes despite also having to work on payroll. Barry graciously allows it. Talk turns to television, LaToya’s news/pop culture blackout, and Barry’s thriving venture in book publishing. He’s happily writing and could even stop writing for a year and still be publishing new material. However, we know that will never happen. The episodes also include a brief chat about our world with AI.

It’s back-to-school time, and Barry’s classes are overcrowded. There are not enough desks for every student. And there are already classes that he could do without. LaToya has been up for more than 24 hours since having her first boba tea, and so she deliriously rambles and hijacks the first part of the show. She suggests implementing specific runtimes for the show, as they can vary widely. Guess we’ll have to see if that happens.