The last “official” episode of my book pod for a minute dropped today… and it‘s not to be missed! Author Ore Agbaje-Williams — who wrote one of my favorite books of 2023 — joins me to chat about *both* of our first experiences reading A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN. 🌳 Listen at the link in my bio!
Since the earliest days of my book podcast, I‘ve been hearing requests for an episode about Margaret Peterson Haddix‘s AMONG THE HIDDEN. Today, you get it! Author Claire Ahn joins me on Episode 273 for a thoughtful conversation about this first book in the Shadow Children series and the many eerie ways in which it still feels relevant today. 🖤 listen at the link in my bio!
I‘m so psyched to welcome bestselling author Jesse Q. Sutanto to my book podcast today for a discussion about the problematic Roald Dahl and the weirdness that is his 1970 book, FANTASTIC MR. FOX. Listen at the link in my bio! 🦊
This week on my book pod, it‘s the grand finale of New Reads November 2023 — and it‘s extra grand because we have THREE guests! Representing the amazing SSR Patreon community, Brittany, Cait, and Shira join me to discuss HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS AND UNFAIRLY CUTE. We cover OCD representation, romance tropes, outdoorsy adventures, and what it means for there to be two sides to every story. Listen at the link in my bio!
Author of THE CHRISTMAS ORPHANS CLUB and Bad on Paper podcast co-host Becca Freeman is on my book pod this week for another juicy New Reads November conversation, this time about Maurene Goo‘s THROWBACK. Tune in to hear us gab about everything from mother/daughter relationships and inter-generational empathy to high school homecoming and conforming vs. standing out. Listen at the link in my bio!
Week ✌️ of New Reads November is HERE on my book podcast, featuring author Erin La Rosa‘s return to the show and a book written by former guest Joelle Wellington, THEIR VICIOUS GAMES. Erin and I spend most of the episode fangirling our way through the novel and the many ways in which it takes us back to the YA booms of the earlier aughts. Listen at the link in my bio!
New Reads November is BACK on my book podcast! YA author Eliot Schrefer joins me to kick off the sixth (!!!!) year of this beloved annual series and to talk about FRIDAY I‘M IN LOVE by Camryn Garrett. We discuss coming out narratives, casual racism, self-aware narrators, the subversion of tropes about sweet sixteens, and how to write for a teen audience. 🎉🏳️🌈 Listen at the link in my bio!
Mary and Allison from the Dolls of Our Lives podcast are BACK on my show this week! They give us alllllll the details about their book (out next week!) and chat with me about DANGER AT THE ZOO: A KIT MYSTERY. We talk all things Kit, American Girl mysteries, journalism greats, and Depression history. 🦁🐒 Listen at the link in my bio!
When was the last time you thought (and laughed and cringed) about the awkwardness of your first movie theater date? The first time a crush met your parents? The first time you TOTALLY miscommunicated with a crush? It doesn‘t get much more nostalgic and escapist (and — again — cringey) than memories like these, and i invite you to indulges them with me as I unpack Beverly Cleary‘s FIFTEEN on my podcast this week. 😍 listen at the link in my bio!
Happy Tuesday, Upper East siders! Grab your earbuds and pumpkin spice lattes, because it‘s time for a little quality time with Gossip Girl and my book podcast. 🌃💁🏻♀️ Specifically, this week‘s episode explores the fourth book in the glittery series that was so beloved by millennials, BECAUSE I‘M WORTH IT. Author Jamie Lilac joins me as a guest and we have the best time reflecting together! 💎💋 Link to listen in my bio.
Join me on this week‘s episode of my book podcast as Huda Fahmy walks me through the first installment of one of her all-time favorite series: Protector of the Small by Tamora Pierce. We discuss FIRST TEST, why the series has been so meaningful to her over the years, and more. ⚔️ listen at the link in my bio!
A whopping five years (too long!) after my podcast‘s first foray into the Twilight universe, we‘re BACK in gloomy Forks, baby! — this time to discuss NEW MOON. 🌙 I had so much fun chatting with author and one-time Twihard Emma Noyes about the high and low points of this moody second book in the bestselling series. 🌑 Listen at the link in my bio!
This week on my book podcast, I fulfill two frequent listener requests: 1.) a discussion about the landmark ALL-OF-A-KIND FAMILY and 2.) a sit-down with the wonderful Taleen Voskuni. This long-awaited combo won‘t disappoint! Listen at the link in my bio!
On this week‘s episode of my book podcast, my guest Laura Taylor Namey and I deep dive a Judy Blume book that was new to both of us, IT‘S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD. It‘s Judy‘s so-called “divorce book,” so it inspires all kinds of conversations about the evolution of tough talks with kids over the last 50 years. Listen at the link in my bio!
The book we discuss this week on my podcast is one of the oldest we‘ve covered yet: THE SECRET GARDEN. Guest Genevieve Wheeler and I start the episode chatting about the sticky nature of classics and then get into the details of this particular beloved story. We cover colonialism, complicated characters, growth (of many kinds!), mind-over-matter approaches to health, and so much more. 🌼🪻🪻🌺🌹 listen at the link in my bio!
Andrea Bartz returns for round THREE on my book podcast today, this time for a conversation about the second book in the classic Boxcar Children series, SURPRISE ISLAND. The thing that might surprise you the *most* (sadly) is that this story of your Boxcar pals is wayyyy quieter than you probably remember. Listen at the link in my bio!
The wonderful Danielle Jackson is on my book pod this week to chat about her love of all things Baby-Sitters Club and about the eighth book in the BSC Mystery series, JESSI AND THE JEWEL THIEVES. Our conversation covers everything from LDRs and DTRs to race and babysitting. 💎🔍 Listen at the link in my bio!
This week on my book pod, join me and author Sara Desai as we journey under the sea and in pursuit of abominable snowmen and on allllll of the other harrowing quests set up by the bestselling Choose Your Own Adventure series. Listen at the link in my bio!
This week‘s episode of my book podcast brings you *exactly* the kind of conversation I most love having you on the show and I cannot wait for you to listen and share your thoughts. Jake Maia Arlow joins me to discuss CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN, the book that inspired a slew of movies and yet bears little resemblance to them. We cover everything from YouTube bros and the Duggars to dad jokes and big families. Listen at the link in my bio!
Things are getting a little dark on the pod today… but only in the most absurd, Lemony Snicket way possible! Author and Snicket fan Noelle Crooks makes her SSR debut for a discussion about the fifth book in the series, THE AUSTERE ACADEMY. Listen at the link in my bio!
At long last, we are hanging out on my podcast again with a true icon of kid lit, the one and only Ramona Quimby! Kara Alloway is on the show chatting with me about Beverly Cleary‘s beloved RAMONA THE PEST. We cover the many, many things we love about our gal Ramona, but Kara also helps me look at the book through some unique lenses, including reality TV production. Listen at the link in my bio!
Grab your favorite journal and as many crayons, colored pencils, stickers, and other scrapbook supplies as you can carry, because — at long last! — it‘s time for AMELIA‘S NOTEBOOK on my book podcast! My guest and I fangirl over the ever-relatable Amelia and all things handmade creativity. 📓 Listen at the link in my bio!
My book podcast is BACK from summer break and jumping right into a conversation with debut author Joelle Wellington about 2009‘s BEAUTIFUL CREATURES. It‘s a Southern gothic novel that explores witchcraft, first love, and teen angst… so you know there‘s plenty to unpack. 💜 Listen at the link in my bio!
I can‘t think of a better way to celebrate 5️⃣ years and 2️⃣5️⃣0️⃣ episodes of my book podcast (!!!!) than with a conversation about one of my own childhood favorites, HOPE WAS HERE. I loved chatting with author Bridget Morrissey about her first time reading the book. Listen at the link in my bio!
Grab a box of tissues and anything else you might need to feel some serious feelings, because things on my book podcast are about to get heavy (and maybe a litttttle melodramatic). Episode 249 brings you a conversation about Lurlene McDaniel‘s SIX MONTHS TO LIVE and the origins of so-called “sick lit.” 💔 Listen at the link in my bio!
When BSC treasurer Dawn Schafer ditched the sleepy town of Stonybrook for the west coast, she may have dropped our of the daily happenings of the Baby-Sitters Club… but she did become the star of a new spin-off series: the California Diaries. 🌴 this week on my book podcast, STONE COLD FOX author Rachel Koller Croft joins me to discuss! 😎 listen at the link in my bio.
This week‘s book — Sharon Creech‘s BLOOMABILITY — took author Kaitlyn Hill and I on a dreamy journey to a Swiss boarding school… and as you‘ll hear on Episode 247 of my book podcast, we loved every moment of the ride. Tune in to hear us chat about dysfunctional families, the timelessness of Sharon Creech‘s work, dream journals, making new friends, and more. Listen at the link in my bio! 🌸🏔️
This week on my book pod, my guests and I take a sweeping look at the mystery genre and Agatha Christie, paying special attention to the book that‘s widely considered to be the best mystery of all time, AND THEN THERE WERE NONE. Authors Kathleen Glasgow + Liz Lawson — whose recent works THE AGATHAS + THE NIGHT IN QUESTION were inspired by Christie — join me for a conversation about reading *and* writing in the genre. Listen at the link in my bio!
On Episode 245 of my book podcast, we take it back to the dystopian craze of the ‘00s and ‘10s with a discussion about MATCHED. LUNAR LOVE author Lauren Kung Jessen brings her own matchmaking know-how to the table, along with her thoughts on world building, technology, agency, controlling governments, and love triangles. 💚 Listen at the link in my bio!
At long, LONG last, we return to the world of Mia Thermopolis on Episode 244 of my book podcast! Author India Hill Brown joins as our special guest for a very royal walk down memory lane into Princess in the Spotlight. Join us to chat about core reading memories, toxic friendships, AIM culture, sex talks, public platforms, celebrity cameos, and more. 👑 Listen at the link in my bio.
Grab your beach bags and your fainting couches, because Episode 243 of my book podcast will leave you feeling seriously swoony. We talk about THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY! ☀️✨ listen at the link in my bio!
On this week‘s episode of my book podcast, I have the chance to talk to two of my favorite podcasters — Sadie and Gavi from Leaving Eden. We focus on EMILY OF NEW MOON and the ways in which it became important to Sadie during her unusual childhood. We chat about teen angst, cats, atheism, universalism, orphan tropes, one-room schoolhouses, and grief, as well. 🌙 Link to listen in my bio!
Is your child talking back? Refusing to bathe? Staying up past their bedtime? Call Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, because she can handle it allllll. Author and former Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle super fan Meryl Wilsner joins me on my book podcast this week to jump into this extremely wacky world of child-rearing! ✨ Listen at the link in my bio.
Whether you‘re looking for lessons in beating your competition in business, being an advocate for your own health, designing a killer Kid Kit, or simply being the best babysitter, you can find it in THE TRUTH ABOUT STACEY. This week on my book pod, I‘m lucky to have food and romance writer Rochelle Bilow to chat about all of it! 👯♀️💓 Listen at the link in my bio.
We have bestselling author Carley Fortune (!!!) on my book podcast today! Carley requested that we discuss FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC on her episode, and since the polarizing 1979 novel has also been oft-requested by listeners, I was thrilled to oblige. Listen at the link in my bio!
I‘m pretty sure I make some version of this statement every time we talk about the Wakefields on my book podcast, but I‘m going to say it, anyway: this Sweet Valley installment might just be the most bananas one yet. Episode 238 is all about the seventh book in the SVH series, DEAR SISTER — and it features a pair of real subject matter experts in Anna and Karyn, hosts of the Double Love podcast. ☀️👯♀️ Listen at the link in my bio!
Today‘s episode of my podcast is *extra* fun! Author Sara Shepard — who you know from Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game, among others — stops by to talk about the first-ever Baby-Sitters Club Super Special, Baby-Sitters On Board. The gals live a teenage dream: a two-part friend vacay on a cruise and then to Disney World. Listen at the link in my bio!
Episode 236 of my podcast brings you CATCHING FIRE in a way you‘ve never considered, thanks to Heather McGhee, the bestselling author of THE SUM OF US and an expert in public policy and economic inequality. We talk about Panem and the Games through her professional lens… and we cover matters of influencer culture and love triangles while we‘re at it! 🔥🔥🔥 Link to listen in my bio.
On this week‘s episode of my book pod, author of JUST MY TYPE and LEASE ON LOVE Falon Ballard joins me to talk about the juicy ‘80s novel that set the stage for her future as a romance author. There‘s more to Ann M. Martin than the BSC — and JUST A SUMMER ROMANCE is a prime example of her other work. We talk about catcalling, meet cutes, red flags, diet culture, cringey personal stories, and more. 🌊❤️🔥☀️ listen at the link in my bio!
Episode 234 of my book podcast can only be described with one word: ICONIC. It brings together two true QUEENS of YA, with Meg Cabot as my guest and Judy Blume‘s BLUBBER as the topic of conversation. 👑👑👑 Tune in to hear Meg share her love for and personal connection with this complicated book. We talk about bullying, banned books, diet culture, and more. ✨ Listen at the link in my bio!
On this week‘s episode of my book podcast, Carlyn Greenwald and I dive into one of the most gloriously bizarre books that either of us have ever read, GOING BOVINE. If you don‘t have a frame of reference for this Printz winner, don‘t worry about it… I‘m still not 100% sure I know what happened! 😂 Carlyn and I break it down together. 🐮 Listen at the link in my bio!
Two decades after the fact, I have the most vivid memories of reading a little book called THE BROCCOLI TAPES at a sleepover at my childhood bestie‘s house… and on today‘s episode of my book pod, author Nikki Payne joins me to try to figure out why. We also talk about grief, cats, and covers. 🥦🐈 Listen at the link in my bio!
If you thought we made it through all of Judy Blume‘s iconic kid lit on my podcast, you thought wrong! As you‘ll discover in Episode 232, we still have plenty of Judy gems to enjoy, including HERE‘S TO YOU, RACHEL ROBINSON. Like all of Blume‘s work for tweens, the book takes seriously the concerns of young people — and this week, author Kwana Jackson and I do the same! 🥂 Listen at the link in my bio.
Cozy up under your favorite blanket with some maple syrup candies, because this week‘s LITTLE HOUSE IN THE BIG WOODS episode of my podcast is an even bigger treat than Pa‘s fiddle stylings. Bestselling author and podcaster Jo Piazza is on the show to talk about the first installment in the beloved, complicated Little House series. ❄️ Listen at the link in my bio!
This week‘s episode of my book podcast seeks to answer one very important question that all book-loving kids found themselves asking in the ‘90s: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO JANIE? 🤷🏻♀️ Join me and Caitlin Barasch to unpack alllllll the trauma of the second book in Caroline B. Cooney‘s Face on the Milk Carton series. 🔍 Listen at the link in my bio!
Join me and my guest on Episode 228 of my book podcast to reunite with Dorothy, Glinda, and all of your other fave yellow brick road pals. Author and Oz superfan Jen DeLuca is on the show this week to discuss all things THE EMERALD CITY OF OZ — the seventh book in L. Frank Baum‘s series. 💚✨ Link to listen in my bio!
I truly had the best time recording this week‘s episode of my book podcast: a conversation with author Iman Hariri-Kia (A HUNDRED OTHER GIRLS), in which she makes her case for The Clique as empowering social commentary. Technically, we‘re covering book three, but our chat extends to the whole series and touches on matters of pop culture, insecurity, mean girls, class, and more. 💋 link to listen in my bio!
Winter break for my pod is over and new episodes are BACK! I‘m thrilled to welcome Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka for the first show of 2023 — and to chat about a book that has personal significance to each of us, E.B. White‘s The Trumpet of the Swan. 🦢 Together, we (swan) dive into a conversation that covers ableism, capitalism, married animals, dad jokes and more. 🎺 Link to listen in my bio!
Between Kiley Reid and Megan Angelo as guests and WISHBONE, today‘s episode of my podcast is a real dream. Tune in for a celebration of dogs in costume and fine literature at the link in my bio! 🦴
There‘s nothing like connecting with a new-to-you reader and/or writer and realizing that you would gladly listen to them talk about books indefinitely. That‘s how I felt about the guest on this week‘s episode of my podcast, author Chloe Liese! We talked about Karen Cushman‘s THE MIDWIFE‘S APPRENTICE… and wow wow wow we covered a lot of ground! Cozy up and listen to us discuss this classic of the ‘90s! 👶 Link to listen in my bio.
