Aliza and Marissa are two Creative Writing Grads from Pratt Institute who LOVE books! Pratt gave us years of experience discussing books and being able to really identify the things we like or don't like. Our goal each week is not to find super amazing books we absolutely love, although that would be a nice treat. Our goal is to present new books to our listeners (and oftentimes ourselves) that they may not have had the opportunity to know about. Of course, we will throw in popular titles sometimes and keep up with the trends, because at the end of the day, we really just want to talk about Books! So join us weekly to discuss two new titles, maybe you'll discover something new, or maybe we will open your mind about an old favorite, either way we would love to have you!
Marissa Belmonte and Aliza Pelto
These Ladies really do be readin, Huh? The LSMR Ladies are bringing you their 5(ish) favorites of 2024. Both ladies feel like their lists are a little underwhelming but lets get into it!
Marissa is the worst because she consistently forgets to post. But here we go this is our Morbid Christmas episode, and by morbid we mean that the LSMR girlies talk about Alaina's (from Morbid) newest book, The Butcher Game.
The Little Sleep Much Reading Podcast has reached ONE HUNDRED EPISODES!!! To celebrate we called in some of our favorite friends! We are beyond grateful to have reached this point. We love talking books with you all!
Howdy there folks. Better late than never right? Riss is juggling many things, but we want to make sure you get these episodes. Episode 99 is coming to you live with Sequels!
Happy Summerween to all of you who celebrate. Us LSMR girlies love Summer and love Halloween, so Summerween is the ultimate treat. Also we are just two episodes away from our 100th episode extravaganza!!
Sleepy Readers we are almost to episode 100!!! WE CANNOT BELIVE IT! This week we are bringing you some Middle Grade/Young Readers books! We really enjoy reading books for all ages and talking about them on the Pod for you.
We've had some technical difficulties this week, but that is okay because this episode is one that Marissa has been waiting for for YEARS. The LSMR Ladies embrace this graphic novel and are so excited to just talk about it together. Plus you all get back to back episodes.
Happy Pride!!!! A bit of a short episode today but we're reading them gay books so you know it'll be a good one. Honestly, we both read really fun books this week too so it is a pretty great episode to get them recommendations. Also I included a long rant at the end about 1) Liza's computer dying and 2) my Dead Hedgehog, because I thought it would be fun.
We picked some freaky weird very original books for today. You know we like that weird sh*t.
A Short episode for some short stories! Riss and Liza were apart for this episode, but that doesn't mean the PARTY STOPS!Also I have no idea how we are at episode 93, that is insanity.
Dystopian YA books dominated our young teenage years and while Liza and Riss absorbed as many of them as possible, there are a few we just missed. For Liza it was "The Maze Runner" and for Riss it was "Divergent." Also please excuse our technical difficulties during this episode...we both have old sleepy computers.
Better late than never, right?! Sorry this is posted a little later than usual. Riss doesn't know her days this week. Here we are celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Month! Oh May, how good you are to us.
Ewwww episode ninety! That feels old and icky, but also like a huge celebration! That is so many books read and so many authors in the spotlight. Happy to do it. This episode is dark and gross and about serial killers to reflect our episodes reaching ninety. We love ya.
Well, Howdy There Folks!Today we are talking about them there Gothic Books (Again)! What makes a book gothic? What do we think when we hear the word gothic? What is the definition? We don't know about you guys, but we LOVE a gothic book.
Remember back in like December when we were supposed to do a True Crime episode? No? Maybe we never told you, so in case we never told you, we were supposed to do a True Crime episode. It never happened. So now we are bringing it straight to your Ear Canals! And oh yeah, it IS a long one.
Holy Moly welcome to season SIX!!!!! The LSMR girlies are giving you a shorter episode this week that has a lot of chatter, to ease you into sweet season six. Strap up, get in, lets gooooooo. We are beyond excited to be bringing you more books. Thanks for listening.
SORRY FOR SUCH A DELAY IN POSTING THIS!! But Happy Season Finale Best Friends!!! As per our new Tradition, we're bringing a smut episode to all you Sleepy Readers out there.
Hey Besties! The LSMR Ladies are picking some YA off of our TBR shelves! It is a bit of a shorter episode today, but we hope it pleases your ears anyways. Next week is our last episode in season five so listen till the end to hear our theme for that!
AHHHHH We have waited so long for this book to come out (it was released in October) and we have waited even longer to read and discuss it with you!!! Welcome to the Little Sleep Much Reading episode talking about Jordan Peele's black horror Anthology, "Out There Screaming". Happy Black History Month !!!!
This week the LSMR ladies take on the amazing Paperbacks from Hell. Special Thank you to Mr Grady Hendrix for putting in the WORK on getting these books rereleased. They were truly great reads that deserved to be back in print, they deserve to be saved from Book Death. We certainly enjoyed our two for this week and we are looking forward to reading more from the collection in the future.
Hello party people, and by party people we mean Sleepy Readers. So we came up with the theme of this episode from one of Liza's favorite shows of all time (guess what it is) and one of the lady's favorite themes in literature. Give it a listen, let us know what you think.
Hello Chickens! Happy 2024 !!!!! This is the Little Sleep Wrapped episode, where the LSMR Ladies review their year in books. We do the reading and let you know the favorites.
The Little Sleep Ladies are a little late with this one... but Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays friends! Better late than never. Please take this Christmassy episode as a gift from us. Riss discusses a Christmas Horror, while Liza explores Nonfiction with some Christmas legends from around the world.
Hello friends! Remember when we said we would be doing a true crime episode? That fell through a little, but instead we're bringing you this episode focusing on celebrity memoir, specifically Britney Spears! Liza and Riss also talk a lot about what women face in Hollywood, and the toxicity of celebrity.
Take a trip to the Irish theatre this episode with the Little Sleep Ladies. Riss and Liza read and discuss Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett.
A brief discussion about the book Bunny by Mona Awad with our Special Guest and best friend Jessica D'ambrosio. Also a lot of tea and gossip and silly talking.
ITS ONE OF OUR FAVORITE EPISODES OF THE YEAR. This episode ALWAYS SLAPS and this year is no exception!! The LSMR Ladies once again found too banger books by Native American Authors to share with you today.
Hello Ghouls and Ghosts! Welcome to another episode of LSMR. Since last week we took a look at Classic Horror, this week we read some Modern Horror titles that mirrored the themes and tropes in our Classic Reads.
Liza and Riss go back to their spooky roots with this episode about classic horror!
Hello Ghouls and Pals! This week the LSMR Ladies read books with strong bodily themes//body horror, thus title Anatomy! Liza read "Eyes Guts Throat Bones" by Moira Fowley. Riss brought in a Y/A pick that came out in June called, "This Delicious Death" by Kayla Cottingham.
This week the LSMR Ladies crack into some little books, some light reads, some pocket-sized pieces. Riss read "The House Guest" by Amparo Dávila while Liza dug into "And Then I Woke Up" by Malcolm Devlin.
Hello Friends and welcome to season five of the Little Sleep Much Reading Podcast. We are so sorry we were gone for so long, but we are so excited to be back talking books with all of you. This week is a summer catch up episode, where we tell you everything we've read since May...and of course we get a little off topic with things, and share some bookish opinions. We missed you so much!
Well... after avoiding this book like the PLAGUE, Liza and Riss finally caved in! And guess what! WE LOVED IT. Yeah, it is hard not to absolutely devour this book...although our hosts had different reasons for doing so. Liza was fueled by love while Riss was fueled by hate (F U TAMLIN). Sarah J. Maas Cult Girlies RISEEE!!!!
Can you believe we recorded this entire episode and didn't make a single 69 joke?? Thats maturity.Anyways this week Liza and Riss read books with really just specific and weird plot lines.
Guess who's back....back again... its the LSMR Ladies with Lexi Anderson coming at you on a SUNDAY with a BONUS EPISODE to really celebrate National Poetry Month!!!!Welcome back to Poetry with the ladies. Part two features Riss and Liza's books and then a reading of some of Lexi's own writing!
The one, the only, Lexi Anderson is back guest hosting the LSMR Podcast with us! We are beyond excited to talk Poetry with one of our favorite Poetry Queens. If you don't remember Lexi from our Body Horror Episode aaaaalll the way back in Season One (Episode 8), you may recognize her name from when we thank her for making our fabulous music. That's right! She is the creator of the LSMR tune! As an extra special treat we split this episode into two parts! Part one features Lexi talking about herself, and poetry, and giving us a reading of some of her favorite Bukowski poems. The second part will be released Sunday to round out April as Poetry Month, and will feature Riss and Liza discussing their books, and a special reading from Lexi of her own work!So sit back, relax and enjoy some poetry. Also be sure to check out a piece Lexi wrote that has been published in Hobart.https://www.hobartpulp.com/web_features/hand-on-thigh
A bit of a shorter episode today, but we did something a little different today! Happy Birthday to the one, the only, William Shakespeare!!!! The Little Sleep Ladies celebrate this monumental birthday not be reading a classic by the literary giant, but by doing a Choose Your Own Adventure book of Hamlet!!! It was beyond fun, and we highly recommend it to any teacher for their class, any Shakespeare fan, or even any reader looking for something fun and different!
Hey Besties! April 13th is celebrate Teen Lit day so the LSMR Ladies picked up some wonderful YA reads!Liza went with the fantastic Suzanne Collin's Hunger Games Prequel "A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" while Riss picked up a book that recently had its TikTok moment, "Clown in a Cornfield" by Adam Cesare.
Hey Sleepy Readers! Riss and Liza are proud to bring to you.....DEAD WEEK!!!! Here at the LSMR Podcast love dead things! Both of the gals read books having to do with, you guessed it, DEATH!While Riss read a (questionable) Sci-Fi/Fantasy book, Liza graced us with a nonfiction pick!
We are celebrating wonderful Women's History Month, by bringing you this episode on one of the very last days of March! We know that almost every week is Women's Week here on the LSMR podcast, because we read so many amazing women authors, but it is always wonderful to slow down and take the time to recognize it. Riss shook things up with a nonfiction book, while Liza read something that enlightens a well-beloved classic. Thank you feminist press for sending Riss this book! Be sure to follow the movement @Ihadamiscarriage
Last week the Little Sleep Ladies took a tiny break to catch up on our reading, but this week we are back with some fresh content for your ear holes!!!Liza and Riss were thrilled to read books that were Fairytale Retellings. Both ladies sort of interpreted this theme in their own way, which we love! Riss brought in a book that is a retelling, but also a modern fairytale in its own right, that has dashes of other fairytales within. Liza read a book that pulls from one of the oldest stories ever told!!This week was so fun to examine our ideas of fairytales and folktales, to really consider where certain stories originate from, and to even reconsider the idea of "original".Also if you haven't yet please check out Miss. Lexi Anderson's piece published in Hobart! Link >>> https://www.hobartpulp.com/web_features/hand-on-thigh
Besties, we're all a little bit obsessed with something, especially in the Age of Social Media. This episode the Little Sleep Ladies read books centering around obsession, coincidentally both books involved idols, and the obsession with other people. We go off on a few tangents in this episode so prepare for that! Also be prepared that Marissa's book in particular is disgusting! Make sure you check trigger warnings if you are interested in reading that one!
Hey Besties! This week the LSMR Ladies are talking about one of their most favorite topics ever: MOTHER MONSTERS!!!!! We definitely go off on a few long tangents about mother horror, and believe it or not, but also Father horror and what that would be. Riss read Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects. Liza read Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth.Both such lovely and thrilling books!
Hey Sleepy Readers! This episode is a celebration of Jewish Book Week! Did you know that was a thing? We certainly did not, but are excited to celebrate it with you today!We both picked books by Jewish authors, and books that aren't fiction. Marissa picked a Poetry book and Liza picked a Nonfiction book. At the end of the episode we even name a few books we considered reading, that you can pick up this week!
Sleepy Readers, have you been reading books by black authors??????? Have you been buying from black owned bookstores???? How have you been celebrating Black History month?Aliza and Riss read books by black authors this week! Riss went for a classic author, the amazing, Octavia Butler and read "Fledgling." Aliza picked a Pratt Professor, James Hannaham, and read his new book "Didn't Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to Carlotta."We also talked some lit news, and had a really good conversation about the discussion of consent in "Fledgling"
A VERY explicit episode not at all about corn.Hey sleepy readers! This week the Little Sleep ladies read Porn books. Join us on this wild ride. Liza enjoyed a tame book about a girl on a self discovery called "Shmutz: A Novel" by Felicia Berliner. Marissa went very dark and dirty with Katee Roberts' "Court Of The Vampire Queen".
It is that time of year again where humans let a weird kind of rodent tell us if it is going to stay cold or get warmer...in other words it is Ground Hogs Day! To celebrate in our own way, the two Little Sleep Ladies picked books with big themes of winter and/or darkness. This episode is a little bit on the shorter side because we had one DNF this episode! Whose book do you think got the chop???
Hey Sleepy Readers! We are celebrating another raging birthday here on the Little Sleep Pod. This time we are giving a big happy birthday to Mister Edgar Allen Poe! For this episode we picked Gothic Horror books or a retelling of a Poe Tale. We also have a fun conversation about Gothic Horror and some of our favorite Gothic Writers!
Hello Sleepy Readers! Your favorite reading fools are BACK with a new season for you! HAPPY SEASON FOUR!!!!To kick this one off we are giving you our top ten favorite reads of 2022!Some of our favorite books we talked about with you are featured on this episode as well as some favorites you didn't get to hear about! So come hang out with us while we tell you all about our top ten of 2022.
Happy Thanksgiving and Welcome to the Little Sleep, Much Reading Podcast's Second Annual Feast Week extravaganza! We are so excited to celebrate with you and yours while you make your dinner, or take a nap from your turkey coma, or even while you use us as a distraction to avoid your annoying family!This Feast Week specializes in Cannibalism books!! Riss is in love with her pick this week, Ania Ahlborn's Brother. While Liza was captivated by A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers. Both Ladies somewhat agreed that both writers were doing incredible things! So once again we wish you a Happy TURKEY day! (Emphasis on the Turkey)
IT IS ALMOST THE END OF OUR SEASON!! But not quite!For our second to last episode, the Little Sleep Ladies picked books from our (extremely long) To Be Read piles! Sweet Liza picked one of the best titled books we've ever encountered, The Great Glorious Goddamn Of It All by Josh Ritter. Riss picked a book that was flying off shelves this summer, Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. Felt good to get those TBRs shrinking a little bit...but alas the books keep coming.