Elton Reads A Book A Week

About Elton Reads A Book A Week

Built specifically for the intellectual 'Night People'—the weary wage slaves, cynics, and late-night autodidacts—this solo narrative podcast transforms dry literature into hilarious raw human truth. Hosted by Elton, a profane, caffeinated former comedy writer turned podcaster, and a team of misfits, we surgically dissect a new book weekly, exposing billionaire fluff, celebrating tragic geniuses, and walk with monsters. Subscribe to Elton Reads A Book A Week. Don’t let them die out. It's time to enter this endless library, and see where it takes you...

Publisher

Elton Edgar

Category

comedy

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

6 Apr 2018

Latest episode

21 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

68 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   21 Sept 2026

   [CERTIFIED GREATEST HIT!] Somebody To Love: The Life, Death And Legacy of Freddie Mercury (Part one)

   This is a Greatest Hits repost. If you heard it the first time, congratulations on your taste. If you didn't, you're welcome! So, this is f*cked up. I got a copyright strike while playing a portion of a the Queen song "My Fairy King." They emailed me about it. I said it was "free use" as I was illustrating a part of Freddie Mercury history by giving it context via the track. They went away. Then TWO MORE music groups sent me emails. I disputed. Finally, Spotify decided, "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! On behalf of a podcast creator who posts using our platform and distribution infrastructure we insist that you listen to him and FINALLY understand that the track is being used as FREE USE, due to the context the small portion is being used to flesh out detail in the subject's own history. STOP HARASSING HIM RECORD COMPANIES!" Ah, no, they took it down...and left up part two. This one had to be edited because SPOTIFY and the powers that be weren't in the mood for a "free use" argument about the use of the song 'Fairy King'. Freddie Mercury was arguably the greatest frontman in rock history and the patron saint of excess. He lived at the speed of light, right up until a disease and some spectacularly cruel timing hit the brakes far too soon. Elton tries to lighten the mood about one of rock & roll's most brilliant and unluckiest sons. Part 1 runs from the birth of Farrokh Bulsara to the birth of Queen. Come for the insanity. Stay for the tragedy. Also, an uncomfortable amount of dick jokes. What more could you ask for? Less? Maybe less. That would be reasonable. We didn't do that. Here's a link to Somebody To Love: The Life Death And Legacy of Freddie Mercury part two! (https://pod.link/1366761102/episode/MDNiYzc0YTItZGQzYi00MDEyLWIxOGYtOWFjNTYxMDFiMDll) Enjoyed it? A five-star review on your podcast app of choice helps more than you'd think. Then follow the show on social media by searching "Elton Reads A Book A Week." GET THE BOOK FROM AMAZON HERE! (https://link.amazon/B0iGhsJfH)⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://amzn.to/4gz7WVd) ⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://bookshop.org/a/114282/9798886741308)FROM AN INDIE BOOK STORE HERE! (https://bookshop.org/a/114282/9798886741308)⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://bookshop.org/a/114282/9780143139256)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ BECOME AN Elton Reads A Book A Week CONTRIBUTOR HERE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elton Reads A Book A Week Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.patreon.com/eltonreadsabookaweek) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Me A Coffee!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (http://buymeacoffee.com/vZ8LuAO) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SOCIAL MEDIA!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://linktr.ee/EltonReadsABookAWeek) (https://linktr.ee/EltonReadsABookAWeek)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This is the LINK TREE!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://linktr.ee/EltonReadsABookAWeek) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the Discord server!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://discord.gg/X8fhnhtNVV) EMAIL: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠eltonreadsabookaweek@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The following section is reserved for the people, places, things, and more that Elton probably offended in this episode-- THE APOLOGIES SECTION: Freddie Mercury, probably JFK, all the people Freddie f*cked, Queen, Haiti, probably the entire LGBTQIA+ community worldwide. Oh, and also,...f**k racists. A special thanks to Diedrich Bader and Jenna Fischer for their inspiration.

2. 

   12 Sept 2026

   Grunge, Guns, and Garbage Science: The Kurt Cobain Conspiracy

   Put on your oversized flannel, dust off your Discman, and dive into the granddaddy of rock-and-roll conspiracy theories. In this shortisode of Elton Reads A Book A Week, we head back to April 1994 to dissect the death of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. We strip away three decades of internet forum echo chambers, sensationalized cable documentaries, public access TV host antics, unaccredited lie detectors, and absurd Brad Pitt time-travel paradoxes to inspect the actual forensic pathology, toxicology reports, and police records. From Eldon "El Duce" Hoke's bizarre $50,000 record-store hitman story to Cable Communications Policy Act public-access shows, we examine how Hollywood myths and media spectacles corrupted public understanding of crime scene mechanics. We break down the real science behind opiate tolerance, intraoral shotgun ballistics, latent print physics on textured steel and wood, and forensic document analysis of the handwriting. Finally, we explore the unexpected public health curveball of the "Papageno Effect," showing how responsible media coverage and hotline promotion following Cobain's death unexpectedly saved lives. Show Notes & Crisis Resources This episode discusses suicide, clinical depression, substance abuse, and firearm violence. Support is free, confidential, and available 24/7: US & Canada: Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. UK: Call 111 or contact Samaritans at 116 123.1 (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KLFdtsok7KBXV4qpnztCupOeAzNEwZAMrGdVZbUCMHQ/edit) International: Find country-specific support at findahelpline.com (https://www.google.com/url?source=gmail&sa=E&q=https://findahelpline.com) GET THE BOOK FROM AMAZON HERE!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://link.amazon/B0g1lKPvN) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FROM AN INDIE BOOK STORE HERE!⁠⁠ (https://bookshop.org/a/114282/9781607106838)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://bookshop.org/a/114282/9780143139256)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ BECOME AN Elton Reads A Book A Week CONTRIBUTOR HERE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elton Reads A Book A Week Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.patreon.com/eltonreadsabookaweek) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Me A Coffee!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (http://buymeacoffee.com/vZ8LuAO) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SOCIAL MEDIA!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://linktr.ee/EltonReadsABookAWeek) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This is the LINK TREE!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://linktr.ee/EltonReadsABookAWeek) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the Discord server!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://discord.gg/X8fhnhtNVV) EMAIL: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠eltonreadsabookaweek@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (mailto:eltonreadsabookaweek@gmail.com) The following section is reserved for the people, places, things, and more that Elton probably offended in this episode-- THE APOLOGIES SECTION: Elton would like to apologize to the following people, places and things: Kurt Cobain. Also,...f**k racists. A special thanks to Diedrich Bader and Jenna Fischer for their inspiration. 00:00 – 03:00 | Intro & Cold Open: Pre-show advisory, introducing the 1994 rock conspiracy landscape. 03:00 – 10:00 | Act I: The Timeline & The Tragic Reality: Cobain's origins, rise with Nevermind, chronic stomach pain, opiate dependency, the Rome Rohypnol overdose, Seattle police domestic response, Dylan Carlson at Stan Baker’s Gun Shop, Exodus Recovery Center exit, sitting next to Duff McKagan, and final days at Lake Washington Boulevard. 10:00 – 20:00 | Act II: Enter the Conspiracy Industrial Complex: Tom Grant and public access host Richard Lee (Kurt Cobain Was Murdered via the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984). Nick Broomfield’s Kurt & Courtney, El Duce’s hitman claims, unaccredited polygraph examiner, El Duce's death on train tracks. 20:00 – 30:00 | Act III: Debunking the Myths with Science & Math: 30:00 – 34:00 | Act IV: The Public Health Curveball (The Papageno Effect): Comparing the Werther to the Papageno Effect (King County suicides dropping from 31 to 24 post-event due to responsible crisis hotline broadcasting). 34:00 – 35:00 | Outro & Wrap-Up: Summary, mental health resources recap.

3. 

   1 Sept 2026

   The Beale Ciphers "The Beale Ciphers: Genius or Clickbait?" - Short-isode

   In this episode of Elton Reads A Book A Week, we crack the Beale Ciphers—a mystery that has obsessed treasure hunters and elite codebreakers for over 140 years. In 1822, a charismatic adventurer named Thomas Jefferson Beale left a locked iron box with Lynchburg innkeeper Robert Morriss before vanishing into the frontier. Decades later, the box yielded three sheets of dense, numerical codes. One cipher was cracked, revealing a $60 million hoard of gold, silver, and jewels buried in Bedford County, Virginia. But as we explore in this deep-dive, Cipher No. 2’s success was merely the irresistible hook to a trap. We dissect the historical narrative, masonic allegories, mathematical proofs, and forensic linguistics that expose the legend as a brilliant, lucrative 19th-century hoax. GET THE BOOK FROM AMAZON HERE!⁠ (https://amzn.to/4gz7WVd)⁠⁠⁠ (https://amzn.to/4gz7WVd) ⁠⁠⁠⁠FROM AN INDIE BOOK STORE HERE!⁠ (https://bookshop.org/a/114282/9781607106791)⁠⁠⁠ (https://bookshop.org/a/114282/9780143139256)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ BECOME AN Elton Reads A Book A Week CONTRIBUTOR HERE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elton Reads A Book A Week Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.patreon.com/eltonreadsabookaweek) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Me A Coffee!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (http://buymeacoffee.com/vZ8LuAO) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SOCIAL MEDIA!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://linktr.ee/EltonReadsABookAWeek) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This is the LINK TREE!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://linktr.ee/EltonReadsABookAWeek) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the Discord server!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://discord.gg/X8fhnhtNVV) EMAIL: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠eltonreadsabookaweek@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (mailto:eltonreadsabookaweek@gmail.com) The following section is reserved for the people, places, things, and more that Elton probably offended in this episode-- THE APOLOGIES SECTION: Elton would like to apologize to the following people, places and things: Honest people, cheese, cryptographers, Jean Pival, Virginia, every person, place and thing that I mispronounced. Also,...f**k racists. A special thanks to Diedrich Bader and Jenna Fischer for their inspiration. Podcast Series: Elton Reads A Book A Week Episode Title: The Beale Ciphers: Genius or Clickbait? Episode Format: Solo Host / Deep-Dive Audio Essay Estimated Duration: 35 Minutes Cold Open: The box arrives in 1822. The inventory ($60M gold/silver/jewels) promises wealth, but the mystery deepens when Beale never returns to claim his prize. Act I: Anatomy of a Frontier Adventure: Contextualizing the 1817–1822 landscape (Erie Canal/Cholera). The legend of thirty gentlemen mining in Colorado, and their secret, two-part burial of four tons of bullion in Bedford County, Virginia. Act II: The 1885 Pamphlet: Examining the 23-page booklet sold by James B. Ward for 50 cents during a post-war economic depression. We identify strong Masonic allegories (subterranean vaults, sacred numbers) that mirror lodge rituals, suggesting the story functions as an allegory rather than historical fact. Act III: Cryptographic Anatomy: How Cipher No. 2 was decoded using a strangely modified transcript of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. We highlight the "smoking gun" transcription errors and forced deletions (like dropping entire phrases) that indicate the cipher was reverse-engineered rather than naturally encrypted. Act IV: The Heavyweights: Why military codebreakers like William F. Friedman failed. Evidence includes the 1-in-a-trillion probability of alphabetical sequences found by Jim Gillogly's supercomputer analysis of Cipher No. 1, and the failure of Ciphers 1 and 3 to meet Benford's Law—proving they lack the natural distribution of real data and were likely fabricated by a human. Act V: Linguistics & Anachronisms: Dr. Jean Pival's 1982 stylometric analysis confirms Beale and Ward share identical linguistic signatures (e.g., misuse of "myself"). Historical anachronisms—words like "stampeding" (unknown in 1822) and conflicting land records for the Washington Hotel—prove the narrative is a fabrication. Act VI: A Century of Madness: The destructive legacy of searching for the gold, including Clayton Hart's 1898 dynamite excavations and Mel Fisher’s 1989 ground-penetrating radar searches in Montvale. Outro: The psychological genius of the hoax. By providing one working cipher (Cipher No. 2) as an undeniable proof-of-concept, the author created the perfect trap to sell pamphlets to a public hungry for wealth and mystery.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

3,073

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.6 / 5

10 ratings

Spotify

4.4 / 5

7 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 50 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

53

Social presence

0

YouTube

68

Engagement

50

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