Podcast appearances and mentions of Brit Bennett

Brit Bennett’s book The Vanishing Half was on a lot of best-of lists in 2020. Though spanning the second half of the 20th century, the novel speaks to questions about race and identity that have been central to national conversations for the last two years. In that novel and her other writing, Bennett deals with the bonds of family, the importance of storytelling, and nature of identity. We spoke to Bennett about her essays and novels in front of an audience of students at Grant High School in Portland in 2021.

Send us a textIn this episode, our stack of books is tied together with the common theme of all being books that are Tiny and Cute.  Each of these titles are treasures that come in under 300 pages. These little gems pack a big punch!Featured Books:Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito (LH) (208 pages)Normal Rules Don't Apply by Kate Atkinson (LH) (224 pages)Lark Ascending by Silas House (LP) (288 pages)Three Days in June by Anne Tyler (LP) (176 pages)Book in Hand: Not Tiny and Cute ;)Reckless by Lauren Roberts (#2 in the Powerless Trilogy)Books Mentioned in This Episode:The Accidental Tourist by Anne TylerThe Beginner's Goodbye by Anne TylerLife After Life by Kate AtkinsonA God In Ruins by Kate AtkinsonThe Jackson Brodie Series by Kate AtkinsonAdditional Books That Go Along with Our Stack:Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong (208 pages)My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout (208 pages)The Mothers by Brit Bennett (288 pages)The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead (224 pages)Ways to contact us:Follow us on Instagram - @thebookbumbleFacebook:  Book BumbleOur website:  https://thebookbumble.buzzsprout.comEmail:  bookbumblepodcast@gmail.comHey Friends, please rate and review us!

Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi er en ugandisk-britisk forfatter, kjent for debuten Kintu, så vel som novellesamlingen Manchester Happened og romanen The First Woman. Hun har blant annet blitt tildelt Commonwealth Short Story Prize og Windham-Campbell Literature Prize, samt blitt kåret til en av de hundre mest innflytelsesrike afrikanerne av New African magazine. Dette er Makumbis leseliste:Brit Bennett, The Vanishing HalfYvonne Battle-Felton, Curdle CreekChinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart Arrow of GoodNgugi wa Thiong'oWole SoyinkaNamwali Serpell, The Old Drift The FurrowsAyọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, Stay With MeAyesha Haruna Attah, The Hundred Wells of SalagaLeila Aboulela, Lyrics Alley River Spirit Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi is a Ugandan British writer, known for her debut novel Kintu, as well as the short story collection Manchester Happened and the novel The First Woman. She has been awarded the Coomonwealth Short Story Prize and the Windham-Campbell Literature Prize, and also been named one of the 100 most influental Africans by New African magazine.This is Makumbi's reading list:Brit Bennett, The Vanishing HalfYvonne Battle-Felton, Curdle CreekChinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart Arrow of GoodNgugi wa Thiong'oWole SoyinkaNamwali Serpell, The Old Drift The FurrowsAyọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, Stay With MeAyesha Haruna Attah, The Hundred Wells of SalagaLeila Aboulela, Lyrics Alley River Spirit Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How does one construct an identity? And what must you sacrifice to forge one all your own (and who is most impacted by your choices)? Bennett's acclaimed novel The Vanishing Half meditates on these questions and more in a story about passing, sister/motherhood, and acting.This episode is sponsored by Squarespace. Go to squarespace.com/overdue for 10% of your first purchase of a website or domain.Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis.Follow @overduepod on Instagram and BlueskyAdvertise on OverdueSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Novelist Jacinda Townsend and writer James Bernard Short join co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about the movie American Fiction, which is based on the novel Erasure by Percival Everett. Townsend and Short discuss how the film addresses race in the publishing industry via its central character, Black author Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, who tries to make an ironic point by writing a book exploiting Black stereotypes and finds, to his dismay, that it's received in earnest and a bestseller. Townsend and Short analyze director Cord Jefferson's approach and the film's themes of family dysfunction, freedom in storytelling, and the importance of portraying the complexity of Black lives.  To hear the full episode, subscribe through iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app (include the forward slashes when searching). You can also listen by streaming from the player below. Check out video versions of our interviews on the Fiction/Non/Fiction Instagram account, the Fiction/Non/Fiction YouTube Channel, and our show website: https://www.fnfpodcast.net/ This episode of the podcast was produced by Anne Kniggendorf. Jacinda Townsend Mother Country Saint Monkey James Bernard Short “Aqua Boogie” | Blood Orange Review “Rootwork” | Blood Orange Review “Flash, Back: Langston Hughes' The Simple Shorts” | SmokeLong Quarterly Others: American Fiction (movie) | Official Trailer Erasure by Percival Everett An American Marriage by Tayari Jones Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward The Color Purple by Alice Walker Thelonious Monk Ralph Ellison Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison “The Little Man at Chehaw Station” by Ralph Ellison | The American Scholar, 1978 The Tuskegee Institute White Negroes by Lauren Michele Jackson “The White Negro” by Norman Mailer | Dissent, 1957 “Dragon Slayers” by Jerald Walker | The Iowa Review, 2006 “The Hidden Lesson of ‘American Fiction'” by John McWhorter | The New York Times Origin (movie) | Official Trailer Fiction/Non/Fiction Season 1, Episode 11, “Annihilation, Adaptation: What's It Really Like to Have Your Book Made Into a Movie” Fiction/Non/Fiction Season 2, Episode 11, “Brit Bennett and Emily Halpern on Screenwriting's Tips for Fiction” Fiction/Non/Fiction Season 6, Episode 33, “The Stakes of the Writers' Strike: Benjamin Percy on the WGA Walkout, Streaming, and the Survival of Screenwriting” Fiction/Non/Fiction Season 6, Episode 38, “Jacinda Townsend on Why Democrats Are Skeptical of President Biden—and How He Can Win Them Back” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Multi premiada jornalista, escritora e documentarista brasileira, a Eliane foi um encanto de convidada. Tem uma profunda conexão com a natureza, especialmente com a Amazónia. Quando era pequena, o seu sonho era ter uma biblioteca mas, há pouco tempo, o sonho mudou de rumo... Uma frase que sobressaiu desta conversa: “eu acho que as contradições são muito importantes, na literatura”. Os livros que a Eliane escolheu: Amor & Capital (O nascimento de uma Revolução), Mary Gabriel; Teoria King Kong, Virginie Despentes; Um defeito de cor (2006), Ana Maria Gonçalves; Memórias de um gato viajante, Hiro Arikawa. Outras referências: Virginie Despentes: Vernon Subutex (Trilogia); Caro idiota. A outra Metade, Brit Bennett; Somos o esquecimento que seremos, Héctor Abad Faciolince Encontrar-me, Viola Davis; Alguns dos livros que escreveu: Olho da Rua – Uma Repórter em Busca da Literatura da Vida Real; Uma Duas (1º romance); A Menina Quebrada e Outras Colunas de Eliane Brum; Meus Desacontecimentos: A História da Minha Vida Com as Palavras; Banzeiro Ôkôtô: Uma Viagem à Amazônia Centro do Mundo. Gostaria de jantar com Anaïs Nin. O que ofereci: Gente melancolicamente louca, Teresa Veiga. Os livros aqui: www.wook.pt

Drei auf dem Papier E-Book nicht ganz einfache Romane über Leid, Verlust und Selbstbetrug erweisen sich als Meisterwerke im leichten und fesselnden Erzählen. Irmgard Lumpini bringt uns “Demon Copperhead” (der sich nicht aus Versehen fast auf den Namen des Ehemann von Heidi Klum reimt), Anne Findeisen erzählt von “Die Mütter” von Brit Bennett und Herr Falschgold war im befreundeten Nachbarland unterwegs: Pavel Kohout schrieb 1978 die schwarze Komödie “Die Henkerin”. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lobundverriss.substack.com

Begibt man sich bei Google auf die Suche nach der Stadt Oceanside in Kalifornien, unweit von San Diego, so fördert einem selbige Suchmaschine in kürzester Zeit Bilder der Stadt zu Tage, die einen träumen lassen. Mit dem größten Holzpier an der Westküste und einer atemberaubende Küste selbst, sowie besten klimatischen Bedingungen lässt sich leicht vorstellen, wie einfach man hier eine gute Zeit verbringen könnte. Dabei ist Oceanside einerseits die Stadt, in der die Autorin Brit Bennett geboren und aufgewachsen ist und andererseits der Schauplatz, an dem sie die Handlung ihres Debütromans Die Mütter ansiedelt. The mothers erschien 2016 im Original und wurde zwei Jahre später auf Deutsch im Rowohlt Verlag veröffentlicht.Die Mütter, die nicht nur titelgebend für den Roman sind, sondern auch thematisch einen wichtigen Schwerpunkt bilden, erscheinen dabei in unterschiedlichsten Formen und bestimmen das Leben der beiden Protagonistinnen Nadia und Aubrey vor allem durch ihre Abwesenheit. Während Erstere ihre Mutter durch Suizid verlor, wandte sich Letztere von ihrer Mutter aufgrund traumatischer Ereignisse in ihrer Kindheit und Jugend ab. Beide Mädchen sind Außenseiterinnen – die eine durch den Selbstmord ihrer Mutter dazu geworden – und finden dadurch, aber auch aufgrund ihrer unterschiedlichen Persönlichkeiten zueinander und werden schließlich zu Freundinnen. Den dritten in diesem Bunde bildet Luke, dessen Vater Pastor in der örtlichen Gemeinde ist und seine Frau und damit Lukes Mutter die strenge und gut organisierte Pastoren Gattin ist, welche größten Wert auf ihr Ansehen legt und die genau weiß, was für ihren Sohn das Beste ist.Nadia zählt dazu definitiv nicht, doch Luke ist ihre erste große Liebe und mit 17, kurz nach dem Verlust ihrer Mutter, wird sie ungewollt von ihm schwanger. Sie entscheidet sich gegen das Baby, nicht wissend, dass es für Luke eine Option gewesen wäre, es zu behalten und nicht ahnend, dass das Geld für die Abtreibung von Lukes Eltern kommt, denen es nur Recht ist, dass Nadia sich um „das Problem“ kümmert und der gute Ruf der Familie unbeschadet bleibt, auch wenn sie damit gegen ihre Religion handeln. Der Schwangerschaftsabbruch stellt auch das Ende der Beziehung der beiden dar und verweist ebenfalls auf den Titel des Romans und die Frage nach Mutterschaft. In diesem Fall nicht gewollt und doch gedanklich immer in Nadias Hinterkopf, auch aufgrund der Tatsache, dass ihre eigene Mutter im nahezu selben Alter mit ihr schwanger gewesen ist und sich für sie entschieden hat.Im Verlauf der Handlung werden schließlich Luke und Aubrey ein Paar. Aubrey, die eher ruhig und zurückhaltend ist, ohnehin in der Gemeinde arbeitet und von Lukes Mutter fast schon wie eine Tochter behandelt wird, ist damit die perfekte Schwiegertochter. Aubrey kennt jedoch die vollständige Vergangenheit, die Nadia und Luke miteinander teilen, zunächst nicht. Diese wird ihr nach und nach klar und bestimmt auch die Dynamik der drei und den Fortgang der Geschichte.Bereits aus der griechischen Tragödie kennen wir den Chor, der als Bindeglied zwischen Publikum und Schauspielern diente, kommentierte und eine moralische Instanz darstellte. Auch in Brit Bennetts Roman finden wir eine Art Chor, es ist der Chor der Mütter, der sich meist am Anfang der Kapitel zu Wort meldet und zum Lesenden spricht. Sie berichten von ihrer eigenen Vergangenheit, kommentieren die Geschehnisse und verweisen immer wieder darauf, dass sie nicht alle Details der Umstände – also des Skandals der Abtreibung – kannten, was sie jedoch nicht davon abhält, nicht von ihrem moralischen Podest herunter zutreten und zu bewerten. Trotz ihrer eigenen Geschichte benehmen sie sich teilweise, man möge mir den Ausdruck verzeihen, wie alte Klatschweiber; zumindest machten sie diesen Eindruck während der Lektüre auf mich.Brit Bennetts Roman glänzt durch seine thematische Vielfältigkeit. Mit den Müttern bzw. deren Abwesenheit verknüpft sie das Thema Identität und die Suche nach selbiger: „Und wenn es möglich war, den Menschen nicht zu kennen, dessen Leib einem das erste Zuhause gewesen war, wie konnte man dann überhaupt einen Menschen kennen?“ Diese Suche nach sich selbst findet außerdem in einem rein schwarzen Umfeld statt, zu dem die Autorin selbst auch gehört. Das Thema Rassismus wird dabei eher subtil behandelt und findet sich treffend auf den Punkt gebracht in beispielsweise folgendem Zitat wieder: „Er ging mit der Tatsache, dass er Weißer war, genauso um wie alle linksliberalen Weißen: Er nahm sie nur zur Kenntnis, wenn er sich durch seine Hautfarbe benachteiligt fühlte, und ignorierte sie ansonsten.“ Aber auch die Themen Freundschaft, Liebe und Einsamkeit, sowie falsche Moral sind stetige Begleiter im Roman und machen das gefühlsmäßige Spannungsfeld in dem sich die drei Protagonist:innen bewegen nachfühlbar und zu einem empfehlens- und lesenswerten Roman.Nicht weniger empfehlenswert ist auch ihr zweiter Roman Die verschwindende Hälfte, welcher 2020 erschien und der für mich ebenfalls ein Pageturner war. In diesem widmet sie sich dem Thema Identität und Herkunft auf eine neue, ungewöhnliche und nicht weniger spannende Weise. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lobundverriss.substack.com

Brit Bennett’s book The Vanishing Half was on a lot of best-of lists in 2020. Though spanning the second half of the 20th century, the novel speaks to questions about race and identity that have been central to national conversations for the last two years. In that novel and her other writing, Bennett deals with the bonds of family, the importance of storytelling, and nature of identity. We spoke to Bennett about her essays and novels in front of an audience of students at Grant High School in Portland in 2021.

Pick up a six-pack of Catahoula Commons to enjoy while I talk about The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. Support this podcast on Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/dontreaddrunkBrit Bennett Wikihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brit_Bennett Brit Bennett Websitehttps://britbennett.com/ Gnarly Barley Brewinghttps://gnarlybeer.com/ Shrimp Creole Recipehttps://www.fromachefskitchen.com/best-shrimp-creole/ Get 60 days of Everand Freehttps://www.scribd.com/g/9s1nq7 Everandhttps://www.everand.com Media RecommendationsOuter Banks – NetflixThe Stillhouse Lake Series by Rachel Caine Find my sponsors: 1uptilsunup on @1uptilsunup on; TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, or YouTubeAvenue Coffee is on Facebook and at: www.avenue-coffeehouse.com Find me on Instagram @dontreaddrunk www.dontreaddrunk.buzzsprout.comdontreaddrunk@gmail.com

Season 3 finale!!! We're taking all of your questions about all things Emma, Jane Austen, and ourselves as we gear up to start Persuasion!Glossary of People, Places, and Things: Gilmore Girls, Euphoria, Bottoms, Heartstopper, RWRB, The White Lotus, Percy Jackson (The Lightning Thief), How to Get Away With Murder, Bridgerton, The Cruel Prince, Buffy, Percy Jackson (series), Maisie Peters, Renee Rapp, Caroline Polachek, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Girls5eva, Sara Bareilles, Anais Mitchell, How to Say Babylon, Brit Bennett, Amor Towles, The Broken Earth Series, One of Us is Lying, TJ KluneOur show art was created by Torrence Browne, and our audio is produced by Graham Cook. For bios and transcripts, check out our website at podandprejudice.com. Pod and Prejudice is transcribed by speechdocs.com. To support the show, check out our Patreon!Instagram: @podandprejudiceTwitter: @podandprejudiceFacebook: Pod and PrejudiceYoutube: Pod and PrejudiceMerch store: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/pod-and-prejudice?ref_id=23216

Have you read Nella Larsen's Passing (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), a brilliant classic written in 1929? If you haven't read this stellar (short!) book, take time to do that and then join us for the discussion. We share our pairing recommendations as well, including Toni Morrison's Sula (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Brit Bennett's The Vanishing Half (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm).   We are continuing our Patreon drive and appreciate the support on there so much. Also, if you are participating in our challenge this year, this book is perfect for a pre-1950 classic! If you haven't joined us for the challenge yet, there is still time to participate this year. Check out the Reading Challenge page where you can see all of the categories and can download printables and images for social media.     Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.   Want to support Unabridged?     Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Dearest Slushies, we're so happy to be back in the saddle! We took a mini-hiatus and return with this episode devoted to the poems of Jodi Balas. You'll hear us mull over her artful use of concrete poetry and dive deep into her thinking about poetry, the body, and NFTs. How does a poem's form entwine with its image system in order to serve its sense? How is taste also (always) about power? All of these questions are wrapped in a glittering cascade of editorial acumen and quirky dishing: Listen as Dagne explains the difference between NFTs and Cryptocurrency, reminding us of Rattle's prescient issue dedicated to NFT poets. Or let us know what you think: should “mini cocktails” ever be a thing for happy hours? Is “drinkable” ever a compliment? Can we make a meme of Jason's seductive eyebrow skills? In addition to the following links you might dig–  NFTs explained in 5 Minutes & Brit Bennett's “Ain't That Good News”-- we invite you to contemplate the ritual of champagne sabering (if you try this in your backyard, shout “Poetry!”) With best wishes for a happy new year from the Slush Pile Crew.   At the table: Kathleen Volk Miller, Marion Wrenn, Jason Schneiderman, Dagne Forrest, Samanatha Neugebauer   Jodi Balas is a neurodivergent poet from Northeast Pennsylvania. A lover of words (salacious, being a favorite – it just rolls off the tongue), her poetry has been accepted in Hole in the Head Review, Wild Roof Journal, Humana Obscura, Pinch Journal, and elsewhere. Jodi's poem, “His mouth, mine” was selected as a finalist for the 2023 River Heron Review poetry prize and her poem, “Bone Density” won the 2023 Comstock Review Muriel Craft Bailey Award judged by Danusha Lameris. Jodi is in the process of developing her first chapbook to market to the poetry world. You could follow her musings on Instagram @jodibalas_ WALKING TO SURRENDER   The ghost at my side,   the knife in my coat pocket       hanging on the coat rack. I         yield to morning in apprehension             almost every morning. I'm               hardening, becoming the                   weight of two dead trees. A                     spool of thread wound so tight,                         it's hard to find the starting                           point - the dull tip of a needle is                         useless. I try and unknot the                     shoelace from yesterday, the                   muscle of memory below the ribs               and figure out which direction I'm             headed or which route is correct for         my mental state I've been trying       to correct but cannot correct   until I surrender entirely to the blinding wave of fear. MY BODY AS AN NFT Allow me to unshackle your wrists, bring you up off your knees & up to speed. Call me a good investment, the original copy. Non-refundable, metallic over bone, wire over skin – untethered, the virtual sin. You cannot use me in some side hustle, sleight of hand deal. I am my own creator. Watch how I catapult through your veins and rush you faster than a thief with a shank. Electric/cryptic #mytongueisdigitalweight Begging for a bit of action you're not sure how to obtain. Tell me, is there mutual interest? I can tell you that I'm priceless. Watch closely before I become a liability, before your pockets explode, before the scales begin to re-balance themselves.

In Episode 163, Sara Hildreth, from @FictionMatters and co-host of the podcast Novel Pairings, returns for her third appearance on our show as our expert for Classics & Retellings 101. Sara guides us through the sometimes intimidating world of timeless reads in an accessible way. She busted some myths about classics and changed my mind about some elements of the classics. And, she has a great approach to find the perfect retelling of your favorite classics for your next read.  This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog. Highlights Sara explores the definitions of a classic and a modern classic book. We talk about separating the American literature canon from the idea of a classic. Sara talks about being free to define classics on personal terms. The idea of a book being labeled a “future classic.” Now-famous books that went unnoticed initially when they were released. Sara's personal reading motivations. Common issues people have when trying to tackle classic books. Notable quirks of many classics that were first published as serials. Tips and advice for approaching older books. Addressing the pressure surrounding reading or revisiting classics. Examples of nonfiction classics. Legal considerations for all those retellings. The rise of retellings as a trend with today's audience. The difference between retellings and fan fiction. Sara's recommendations for accessible classic literature. A different approach to finding the right retelling for your reading. Please note: Sara mistakenly mentions during the discussion that The Great Gatsbydid not come into popularity until its distribution to soldiers during World War I, when this actually occurred during World War II. Sara's Book Recommendations [49:02] Two OLD Books She Loves — Classics The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton | Amazon | Bookshop.org [49:43] Passing by Nella Larson | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [53:12] Other Books Mentioned The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton [50:58] The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton [50:59] Roman Fever and Other Stories by Edith Wharton [51:03] The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett [55:44] Two NEW Books She Loves — Retellings Anna K by Jenny Lee | Amazon | Bookshop.org [57:35] The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vho | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:00:28] Other Books Mentioned Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy [59:01] Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar [59:53] Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan [59:58] One Book She DIDN'T Love — Classic Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain | Amazon | Bookshop.org[1:03:25] One NEW RELEASE She's Excited About — Retelling and Classic Pairing The Garden by Claire Beams (April 9, 2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:05:12] Other Books Mentioned The Illness Lesson by Claire Beams [1:05:37] Little Women by Louisa May Alcott [1:05:41] The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett [1:06:21] Last 5-Star Book Sara Read James by Percival Everett (March 19, 2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:07:47] Books Mentioned During the Classics Discussion The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe [3:44] Beloved by Toni Morrison [10:46] Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver [12:05] David Copperfield by Charles Dickens [12:19] James by Percival Everett (March 19, 2024) [13:29] Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain [13:34] Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys [13:51] Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë [14:02] The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald [14:45] Frankenstein by Mary Shelley [15:09] Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn [15:20] Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë [24:27] A Model of Christian Charity: A City on a Hill by John Winthrop [26:35] A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft [26:47] Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass [26:54] The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank [26:59] A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf [27:02] In Cold Blood by Truman Capote [27:14] The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith [29:13] The Time Machine by H. G. Wells [29:20] The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson [29:23] Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier [29:30] The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood [29:36] The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor [29:45] The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell [30:17] The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman [30:20] The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson [30:23] The Minority Report and Other Classic Stories by Philip K. Dick [30:26] Going to Meet the Man: Stories (with Sonny's Blues) by James Baldwin [30:37] Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick: Stories from the Harlem Renaissance (with The Gilded Six-Bits) by Zora Neale Hurston [30:42] Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston [30:54] Kindred by Octavia E. Butler [31:00] Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler [31:08] Books Mentioned During the Retellings Discussion Julia by Sandra Newman [33:38] 1984 by George Orwell [33:40] Hamlet by William Shakespeare [34:10] Emma by Jane Austen [34:24] The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare [34:28] The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson [34:45] Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith [34:51] Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson [35:04] And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie [35:08] The Winters by Lisa Gabriele [35:35] The Odyssey by Homer [36:38] The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller [37:00] Circe by Madeline Miller [37:01] Hogarth Shakespeare series by various authors [37:53] Canongate Myth Series by various authors [37:57] The Austen Project series by various authors [38:00] Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld [38:03] Naamah by Sarah Blake [38:56] Anna K by Jenny Li [40:10] Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy [40:20] Tom Lake by Ann Patchett [40:41] Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor [42:36] Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes [44:14] Marmee by Sarah Miller [44:17] Little Women by Louisa May Alcott [44:22] Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell [44:38] Ruth's Journey: A Novel of Mammy from Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind by Donald McCaig [44:40] Pride by Ibi Zoboi [45:19] Other Links The Atlantic | Italo Calvino's 14 Definitions of What Makes a Classic by Maria Popova (July 7, 2012) Novel Pairings | The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton (February 27, 2024) About Sara Hildreth Website | Instagram | Facebook  Sara Hildreth is the creator behind FictionMatters, a literary Instagram account, newsletter, and book club focused on putting thought-provoking books into the hands of adventurous readers. She also co-hosts Novel Pairings, a podcast dedicated to making the classics readable, relevant, and fun.

It's time for another American Girl road trip! In the second Claudie book, Brit Bennett takes us from Claudie's neighborhood in Harlem to her grandmother's house in Shellman, Georgia. Along the way, Claudie learns that there are different "rules" about living in the South and the North. She also sees a new side of her mother, an investigative journalist inspired by Ida B. Wells-Barnett. When Claudie returns to Harlem, she takes one of her grandmother's stories with her and offers an uplifting finale at the boardinghouse benefit concert. We discuss both of Claudie's worlds and a bit about what's happening in ours. Time Stamps: Resources: You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod Order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl Order our audiobook: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl (Digital Audio) Check out books we mention at our bookshop.org storefront. We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com Follow us on social media: Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast Twitter - @dollslivespod Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/ Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter) Subscribe to Landline, Mary's newsletter!  Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

Novelist Jacinda Townsend and writer James Bernard Short join co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about the movie American Fiction, which is based on the novel Erasure by Percival Everett. Townsend and Short discuss how the film addresses race in the publishing industry via its central character, Black author Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, who tries to make an ironic point by writing a book exploiting Black stereotypes and finds, to his dismay, that it's received in earnest and a bestseller. Townsend and Short analyze director Cord Jefferson's approach and the film's themes of family dysfunction, freedom in storytelling, and the importance of portraying the complexity of Black lives.  To hear the full episode, subscribe through iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app (include the forward slashes when searching). You can also listen by streaming from the player below. Check out video versions of our interviews on the Fiction/Non/Fiction Instagram account, the Fiction/Non/Fiction YouTube Channel, and our show website: https://www.fnfpodcast.net/ This episode of the podcast was produced by Anne Kniggendorf. Jacinda Townsend Mother Country Saint Monkey James Bernard Short “Aqua Boogie” | Blood Orange Review “Rootwork” | Blood Orange Review “Flash, Back: Langston Hughes' The Simple Shorts” | SmokeLong Quarterly Others: American Fiction (movie) | Official Trailer Erasure by Percival Everett An American Marriage by Tayari Jones Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward The Color Purple by Alice Walker Thelonious Monk Ralph Ellison Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison “The Little Man at Chehaw Station” by Ralph Ellison | The American Scholar, 1978 The Tuskegee Institute White Negroes by Lauren Michele Jackson “The White Negro” by Norman Mailer | Dissent, 1957 “Dragon Slayers” by Jerald Walker | The Iowa Review, 2006 “The Hidden Lesson of ‘American Fiction'” by John McWhorter | The New York Times Origin (movie) | Official Trailer Fiction/Non/Fiction Season 1, Episode 11, “Annihilation, Adaptation: What's It Really Like to Have Your Book Made Into a Movie” Fiction/Non/Fiction Season 2, Episode 11, “Brit Bennett and Emily Halpern on Screenwriting's Tips for Fiction” Fiction/Non/Fiction Season 6, Episode 33, “The Stakes of the Writers' Strike: Benjamin Percy on the WGA Walkout, Streaming, and the Survival of Screenwriting” Fiction/Non/Fiction Season 6, Episode 38, “Jacinda Townsend on Why Democrats Are Skeptical of President Biden—and How He Can Win Them Back” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Our ancestors, our grandparents, love us by not speaking…”    The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan follows one family in 1945 Malaya as they face the realities of a life shaped by war and colonization. Chan joined us to talk about her family connection to her novel, her unique journey to becoming an author, the things about writing that surprised her and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over.  This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Executive Producer Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang.                 New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app.              Featured Books (Episode):  The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan  Sea Change by Gina Chung  The Great Reclamation by Rachel Heng  The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett   The Five Wounds by Kirstin Valdez Quade  In Memoriam by Alice Winn 

For our last show of the year, Michael heads to Fitzroy Pool to find out what people are reading as the weather warms up. Plus, some of our previous guests offer book recommendations for the summer holidays.Reading list:The Vanishing Half, Brit Bennett, 2020Down and Out In Paris and London, George Orwell, 1933My Body, Emily Ratajkowski, 2021Ghosts, Dolly Alderton, 2020The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Rick Rubin, 2023The Road, Cormac McCarthy, 2006Working Class Boy, Jimmy Barnes, 2018Never Never, Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher, 2023The Spy's Wife, Fiona McIntosh, 2021Lioness, Emily Perkins, 2023And Then She Fell, Alicia Elliott, 2023The Palestine Laboratory, Anthony Loewenstein, 2023England's Green, Zaffar Kunial, 2022The Sullivanians, Alexander Stille, 2023Everyone and Everything, Nadine J. Cohen, 2023Why We Are Here, Briohny Doyle, 2023The Thursday Murder Club, Richard Osman, 2020Middlemarch, George Eliot, 1871You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. Or if you want to listen to them as audiobooks, you can head to the Read This reading room on Apple Books.Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram and TwitterSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For our last show of the year, Michael heads to Fitzroy Pool to find out what people are reading as the weather warms up. Plus, some of our previous guests offer book recommendations for the summer holidays. Reading list: The Vanishing Half, Brit Bennett, 2020 Down and Out In Paris and London, George Orwell, 1933 My Body, Emily Ratajkowski, 2021 Ghosts, Dolly Alderton, 2020 The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Rick Rubin, 2023 The Road, Cormac McCarthy, 2006 Working Class Boy, Jimmy Barnes, 2018 Never Never, Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher, 2023 The Spy's Wife, Fiona McIntosh, 2021 Lioness, Emily Perkins, 2023 And Then She Fell, Alicia Elliott, 2023 The Palestine Laboratory, Anthony Loewenstein, 2023 England's Green, Zaffar Kunial, 2022 The Sullivanians, Alexander Stille, 2023 Everyone and Everything, Nadine J. Cohen, 2023 Why We Are Here, Briohny Doyle, 2023 The Thursday Murder Club, Richard Osman, 2020 Middlemarch, George Eliot, 1871 You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. Or if you want to listen to them as audiobooks, you can head to the Read This reading room on Apple Books. Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram and Twitter

In podcast episode 154, we're diving into the world of book cover design with Karen Horton, graphic designer and former Art Director at Henry Holt. Karen takes us behind the scenes of the process of book cover design, who makes key book cover related decisions, and the role of marketing budgets and author's reputation in this process. Plus, Karen shares her book recommendations! This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog. Highlights The high-level book cover design process. When and why publishers reach out to designers before a book's launch proposal. The dynamics of deciding which books a designer works on. Freelance vs In-house: Factors that determine who gets to design the top titles. The lesser-known “silent auction” approach some publishers adopt. Whether book cover designers really read the whole book. Who holds the final decision about a book cover. The author's role in the decision-making process and the factors that impact how that can play out. How marketing budgets and an author's reputation influence design choices. The influence of ongoing design trends and when publishers decide to break away from them. Karen's Book Recommendations [35:58] Two OLD Books She Loves A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki | Amazon | Bookshop.org [36:11] The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón | Amazon | Bookshop.org [38:04] Two NEW Books She Loves Thicker Than Water by Kerry Washington | Amazon | Bookshop.org [39:36] We Were Once a Family by Roxanna Asgarian | Amazon | Bookshop.org [40:45] One Book She DIDN'T Love A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole | Amazon | Bookshop.org[42:46] NEW RELEASE She's Excited About The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez (April 2, 2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:12] Other Books Mentioned: Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett [46:56] Last 5-Star Book Karen Read A Living Remedy by Nicole Chung | Amazon | Bookshop.org [47:25] Additional Books Mentioned Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent [15:34] Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus [26:45] Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld [31:04] Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert [31:17] When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain [32:11] Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid [32:20] The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller [32:25] The Push by Ashley Audrain [32:32] The Whispers by Ashley Audrain [33:00] The Mothers by Brit Bennett [34:49] The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett [34:50] About Karen Horton Website | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter) Karen Horton is an Art Director and graphic designer with more than 15 years of experience working in the book publishing industry. She previously was the Art Director at Henry Holt and Company + Metropolitan Books. Prior to moving over to the Henry Holt imprint in 2016, she was the Senior Designer at Flatiron Books. Over the years she has worked as a freelancer and consulting Art Director for a variety of publishing clients. Additionally, Karen was a co-founder and the Editorial and Social Media Director for the startup design:related. Karen was also an Art Director on staff for a range of New York Times bestsellers at Little, Brown, and Company. Before working at Little, Brown, she managed a small team of designers as an Art Director at Oxford University Press. She first got her start in book publishing at St. Martin's Press (Macmillan Publishers). When she's not designing book covers, she spends much of her time wandering neighborhoods in Queens and researching all things design.

For Episode 148, as the podcast takes a brief break, we revisit a backlist episode…the Best Books of 2020 with Susie Boutry (@NovelVisits). Re-listening to this one is a unique opportunity to get a look back on a strange year. Whether you're new to the podcast or have been with us for a while, everyone loves a TBR filled with backlist gems! Library holds should be easy and paperbacks editions have been released! So, let's take a look back at our favorite 2020 books (overall and by genre) and our picks for tons of bookish superlatives. This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). This is a backlist episode. It features a new introduction and has been cut for content, but first aired on November 25, 2020, in its entirety, as Ep. 71: Best Books of 2020 and Bookish Superlatives with Susie from @NovelVisits. Highlights 2020 Podcast Overview (including favorite and most downloaded episodes)  Overview of our reading years (including the impact of COVID-19) Favorite books of 2020 (trends, overall, and by genre) 2020 Bookish Superlative Awards Our Favorite Books of 2020 (Overall and by Genre) [18:25] Sarah Saving Ruby King by Catherine Adel West | Amazon | Bookshop.org [18:56] Untamed by Glennon Doyle | Amazon | Bookshop.org [21:28] The Familiar Dark by Amy Engel | Amazon | Bookshop.org [23:15] The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan | Amazon | Bookshop.org [24:39] The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe | Amazon | Bookshop.org [26:13] Saving Ruby King by Catherine Adel West | Amazon | Bookshop.org [28:30] One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London | Amazon | Bookshop.org [29:06] Long Bright River by Liz Moore | Amazon | Bookshop.org [31:19] The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett | Amazon | Bookshop.org [32:24] Craigslist Confessional by Helena Dea Bala | Amazon | Bookshop.org [34:50] We Keep the Dead Close by Becky Cooper | Amazon | Bookshop.org [35:00] Memorial Drive by Natasha Trethewey | Amazon | Bookshop.org [37:55] Smacked by Eilene Zimmerman | Amazon | Bookshop.org [38:11] This is My America by Kim Johnson | Amazon | Bookshop.org [39:25] Susie The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab | Amazon | Bookshop.org[19:34] A Knock at Midnight by Brittany K. Barnett | Amazon | Bookshop.org [22:20] The Night Swim by Megan Goldin | Amazon | Bookshop.org [23:41] Godshot by Chelsea Bieker | Amazon | Bookshop.org [25:15] The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett | Amazon | Bookshop.org [26:52] Writers & Lovers by Lily King | Amazon | Bookshop.org [27:40] The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez | Amazon | Bookshop.org[30:12] Long Bright River by Liz Moore | Amazon | Bookshop.org [32:00] Greenwood by Michael Christie | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:48] Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi | Amazon | Bookshop.org[35:52] Open Book by Jessica Simpson | Amazon | Bookshop.org [38:41] American Royals II: Majesty by Katharine McGee | Amazon | Bookshop.org[41:00] A Children's Bible by Lydia Millet | Amazon | Bookshop.org [42:52] Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam | Amazon | Bookshop.org [43:37] 2020 Superlatives [43:54] Sarah The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett | Amazon | Bookshop.org [44:18] Running by Natalia Sylvester | Amazon | Bookshop.org [44:58] We Wish You Luck by Caroline Zancan | Amazon | Bookshop.org [46:02] Untamed by Glennon Doyle | Amazon | Bookshop.org [47:13] The Searcher by Tana French | Amazon | Bookshop.org [47:59] Sea Wife by Amity Gaige | Amazon | Bookshop.org [49:28] Saving Ruby King by Catherine Adel West | Amazon | Bookshop.org [50:18] This is My America by Kim Johnson | Amazon | Bookshop.org [50:29] The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe | Amazon | Bookshop.org [52:29] Deacon King Kong by James McBride | Amazon | Bookshop.org [53:25] Anxious People by Fredrik Backman | Amazon | Bookshop.org [53:58] Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia | Amazon | Bookshop.org [53:59] A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler | Amazon | Bookshop.org[54:00] Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel | Amazon | Bookshop.org [54:02] Smacked by Eilene Zimmerman | Amazon | Bookshop.org [55:17] Eat a Peach by David Chang | Amazon | Bookshop.org [55:25] Stray by Stephanie Danler | Amazon | Bookshop.org [56:33] Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam | Amazon | Bookshop.org [56:45] The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel | Amazon| Bookshop.org [57:40] Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia | Amazon | Bookshop.org [57:46] The Boys' Club by Erica Katz | Amazon | Bookshop.org [58:59] The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:00:54] The Office by Andy Greene | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:01:19] Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:03:56] A Knock at Midnight by Brittany K. Barnett | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:05:10] The Last Story of Mina Lee by Nancy Jooyoun Kim | Amazon| Bookshop.org[1:05:20] Caste by Isabel Wilkerson | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:05:37] Susie Perfect Tunes by Emily Gould | Amazon | Bookshop.org [44:22] 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:18] Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore | Amazon | Bookshop.org [46:26] Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam | Amazon | Bookshop.org [47:22] Anxious People by Fredrik Backman | Amazon | Bookshop.org [48:34] Greenwood by Michael Christie | Amazon | Bookshop.org [50:41] A Children's Bible by Lydia Millet | Amazon | Bookshop.org [50:43] Last Couple Standing by Matthew Norman | Amazon | Bookshop.org [50:47] Want by Lynn Steger Strong | Amazon | Bookshop.org [51:14] Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore | Amazon | Bookshop.org [52:21] Writers & Lovers by Lily King | Amazon | Bookshop.org [53:10] The Night Swim by Megan Goldin | Amazon | Bookshop.org [54:20] The Guest List by Lucy Foley | Amazon | Bookshop.org [54:23] Pretty Things by Janelle Brown | Amazon | Bookshop.org [54:25] When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole | Amazon | Bookshop.org [54:27] 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand | Amazon | Bookshop.org [54:57] Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld | Amazon | Bookshop.org [56:56] Memorial by Bryan Washington | Amazon | Bookshop.org [58:17] The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe | Amazon | Bookshop.org [58:23] Smacked by Eilene Zimmerman | Amazon | Bookshop.org [58:38] The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:00:40] The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez | Amazon | Bookshop.org[1:01:55] A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:02:15] Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:02:43] Other Books Mentioned Beach Read by Emily Henry [15:57] The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel [23:19] The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan [24:46] The Mothers by Brit Bennett [27:23] The Devil in the White City by Erik Larsen [35:13]  In Cold Blood by Truman Capote [35:15] Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt [35:18]  Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi [36:03] American Royals by Katharine McGee [40:54] The Witch Elm by Tana French [48:01] Beartown by Fredrik Backman [48:59] The Girls of Corona del Mar by Rufi Thorpe [52:50] Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight [1:02:28] Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi [1:02:41] Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle [1:03:42] Blacktop Wasteland by S. A. Cosby [1:04:34] Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell [1:04:42] Other Links Ep. 116: Micro Genres We Love with Susie (@NovelVisits) Ep. 145: 2023 Micro Genres We Love with Susie (@NovelVisits) Ep. 43: Jordan Moblo (@jordys.book.club) on Growing a #Bookstagram Account Ep. 63: Helena Dea Bala (Author of Craigslist Confessional) Mini Ep. 59: Reviving Your Reading Life + Ann Patchett Deep Dive with Alyssa Hertzig (@alyssaisbooked) Ep. 56: Holly Root (Literary Agent) on the Rise of Rom-Coms & Publishing in the Coronavirus Era Ep. 66: Kate Stayman-London (Author of One to Watch) Ep. 64: Catherine Adel West (Author of Saving Ruby King) From Novel Visits: Reading in the Midst of a Global Pandemic | Musings From Novel Visits: The Night Swim by Megan Goldin | [Spoiler] Discussion About Susie Boutry Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Susie has loved reading for as long as she can remember. Some of her fondest childhood memories involve long afternoons at the library and then reading late into the night. More than ten years ago, she began journaling about the books she read and turned that passion into writing about books. Her first forays were as a guest reviewer on a friend's blog, but she soon realized she wanted to be reviewing and talking about books on a blog of her own. From there, Novel Visits was born. That was in 2016 and, though the learning curve was steep, she loves being a part of the book community. Novel Visits focuses on new novel reviews (print and audio), previews of upcoming releases, and musings on all things bookish.

In this special weekend re-release, Zibby interviews #1 New York Times bestselling author Brit Bennett about The Vanishing Half, a stunning, immersive, provocative, and compassionate novel about twin sisters, inseparable as children, who ultimately choose to live in two very different worlds, one black and one white."A page-turner." —O, The Oprah Magazine"Not to be missed."—Harper's Bazaar"Hypnotic. Hooks you from the very beginning and never lets you go."—Essence Purchase on Zibby's Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3OyqkkxPurchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/46VSrRFSubscribe to Zibby's weekly newsletter here.Purchase Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books merch here. Now there's more! Subscribe to Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books on Acast+ and get ad-free episodes. https://plus.acast.com/s/moms-dont-have-time-to-read-books. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello, Hi! In this episode, I interview Julia Washington @popculturemakesmejealous, a writer, producer, and podcast host based in California. Julia hosts two podcasts, "Pop Culture Makes Me Jealous," where she analyzes pop culture through the lens of race and gender, and "Jelly Pops Book Club," where she compares books to their screen adaptations During the interview, we chat about various pop culture themes, such as representation and systemic oppression in Disney films like "The Little Mermaid". Julia's podcasts encourage using pop culture to explore identity and perspectives rather than using it as a means of escapism. Sometimes, while indulging we come across the “pop culture icks” and have to reconcile enjoying something while thinking critically about it.  I know you'll be inspired as I am to hear Julia's insights into the comfort and excitement that pop culture brings and her belief in using it to deepen self-discovery. ~~~ Julia's three pop culture recommendations for the Medium Lady audience: Movie: Moonwalker (1988) Michael Jackson's experimental film about fandom available on YouTube Television: High Fidelity (Hulu Original) This underrated show (2020) is a  television adaptation of the film (2000) adapted from the book (1995) by Nicholas Hornby.  Book: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett an acclaimed novel about two estranged twins who build very different lives for themselves based on their chosen communities. ~~~ Also mentioned  Still Comfy on YouTube (hosted by Julia and Natalie Katona host of “To all the Men I've Tolerated Before” Breakfast at Tiffany's Mr. Yunioshi (a Japanese character played by Mickey Rooney (a white actor)  Blindspotting on Starz Based on a True Story on Peacock and Crave TV ~~~ You can always help out the podcast by providing a rating or review, and sharing it with another Medium Lady in your life! Make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss when the new episodes drop. I love to connect with listeners, you can swing by to say hi on Instagram, @medium.lady   Music is Climb by The Ghost in Your Piano. I'm grateful for its use via creative commons license.

Brit Bennett’s book The Vanishing Half was on a lot of best-of lists in 2020. Though spanning the second half of the 20th century, the novel speaks to questions about race and identity that have been central to national conversations for the last two years. In that novel and her other writing, Bennett deals with the bonds of family, the importance of storytelling, and nature of identity. We talked to Bennett about her essays and novels in front of an audience of students at Grant High School in Portland in February 2022.

The Vanishing Half is a bestseller for all the right reasons. Kimberly explores Bennett's rich and wide-reaching portrayal of race, family, homecoming and legacy–all while examining prose in ways that will make you a better reader.

Novelist, screenwriter, and Writers Guild of America member Benjamin Percy joins co-hosts V.V. Ganeshananthan and Whitney Terrell to discuss the Hollywood writers' strike, which began May 2. Percy talks about several WGA contract proposals tied to streaming services' rise in popularity, and reflects on how streaming has upended the traditional 22-episode television season, causing writers to scramble for work every 10 weeks. He explains how writers end up doing unpaid labor before shows are greenlit and highlights how a lack of transparency regarding streaming viewership numbers leads to writers being underpaid. He also analyzes why the WGA wants to limit the use of artificial intelligence on its projects. Finally, he talks about his own experiences writing screenplays, including his recent movie Summering. The group listens to the trailer and Percy recalls the genesis of the film, as well as how being on a set changed his understanding of the economics of movies. To hear the full episode, subscribe through iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app (include the forward slashes when searching). You can also listen by streaming from the player below. Check out video versions of our interviews on the Fiction/Non/Fiction Instagram account, the Fiction/Non/Fiction YouTube Channel, and our show website: https://www.fnfpodcast.net/ This episode of the podcast was produced by Anne Kniggendorf. Benjamin Percy Summering Trailer #1 (2022) | Movieclips Trailers The Sky Vault Red Moon  The Wilding  The Ninth Metal The Unfamiliar Garden Thrill Me: Essays on Fiction Others: WGA proposal "You're Not Making Jet Engines, You're Making Art" | The Distraction: A Defector Podcast "2023 Writers Guild of America Strike: What You Need to Know" - The New York Times Writers Guild of America West: Mini-Rooms Are Writers' Rooms. Period. “These are the TV shows and films affected by the Hollywood writers' strike so far,” by Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz "Writers strike: What TV shows are being affected" by Brahmjot Kaur, NBC "WGA strike 2023: Hollywood's writers walked off the job. What happens now?" - Vox "Conan lauded for his support of writers in old video amid new writers strike: 'Man is a legend,'" by Aditi Bora "The last writers' strike, when streaming was new and Conan grew a beard" - By Sonia Rao and Michael Cavna, The Washington Post Especially Heinous: 272 Views of Law & Order SVU | The American Reader by Carmen Maria Machado Story by Robert McKee Save the Cat by Blake Snyder Screenplay by Syd Field Near Dark, directed by Kathryn Bigelow Chinatown William Goldman The Princess Bride All the President's Men Quentin Tarantino Drew's Script-O-Rama Fiction/Non/Fiction Season 6 Episode 17: Chatbot vs. Writer: Vauhini Vara on the Perils and Possibilities of Artificial Intelligence Fiction/Non/Fiction Season 2 Episode 11: Brit Bennett and Emily Halpern on Screenwriting's Tips for Fiction  Fiction/Non/Fiction Season 1 Episode 11: What's It Really Like to Have Your Book Made Into a Movie? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode, get to know Alyssa Adler and Carolina Meurkens,  the new hosts of BOOKS CONNECT US! We chat about what's in store for the new season, how authors portray their origin stories and have fun laughing about what books inspired us growing up (and as adults). All new season of author interviews start Wednesday, April 5!Books In Today's Show:Alyssa's Favorites: Starring Sally J Freedman as Herself by Judy Blume: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/15148/starring-sally-j-freedman-as-herself-by-judy-blume/Educated by Tara Westover: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/550168/educated-by-tara-westover/The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/576782/the-vanishing-half-by-brit-bennett/Fleishman Is In Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/573460/fleishman-is-in-trouble-by-taffy-brodesser-akner/Bras & Broomsticks by Sarah Mlynowski: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/115700/bras-and-broomsticks-by-sarah-mlynowski/Carolina's Favorites:Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/286551/tales-of-a-fourth-grade-nothing-by-judy-blume/This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/289020/this-is-how-you-lose-her-by-junot-diaz/The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/289021/the-brief-wondrous-life-of-oscar-wao-by-junot-diaz/All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/691034/all-this-could-be-different-by-sarah-thankam-mathews/

In 2020, Brit Bennett released an iconic and timely book about passing and colorism. We love this book (even more so upon our second reading), but still think Jude and Reese stole the show.LINKS:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/onemorechapterpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/onemorechapterpod/Merch: https://www.bonfire.com/store/one-more-chapter-pod/ Want to learn more about the incredible story of Ellen and Wiliam Craft? Clare narrated a podcast about them here: https://honesthistory.co/blogs/podcasts/the-incredible-craftsPlease be sure to leave us a five-star review! It really helps the show. NOTE: Including a complaint about our vocal fry is optional. You don't have to mention it!Book preview

Neha and Shruti introduce their first book pair! Passing by Nella Larsen, and The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett, published nearly 100 years apart, perfectly complement one another as they both revolve around themes of race, discrimination, identity, and belonging. We discuss similarities and differences between the characters and their choices, compare our reading experiences, and gush over the beautiful writing.If you would like to hear more in-depth literary and cultural analysis, curated book recommendations, and critical commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter. You can also connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at thenovelteapod@gmail.com.Shelf DiscoveryPassing by Nella LarsenThe Vanishing Half by Brit BennettNeha - Quicksand by Nella Larsen; and A Woman is No Man by Etaf RumShruti - A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Once upon a time, a reader turned writer named Brit put an idea out into the universe. She told American Girl that she should write a book in the same vein as the stories she'd loved as a child. Cut to 2022, and Brit Bennett is the author of Meet Claudie, a new historical AG book. In this episode, we discuss Claudie's meet book, which is set in Harlem in 1922. We consider Bennett's journey from fan to creator and the stunning world she's made around Claudie. Resources: You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com Follow us on social media: Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast Twitter - @dollslivespod Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/ Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter) Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

Episode 225 - Traci Thomas. Dan Sterenchuk and Tommy Estlund are honored to have as our guest, Traci Thomas. Traci Thomas is an avid reader and book lover who created the acclaimed podcast, The Stacks, in order to talk about books and the ways they shape our cultural understanding of race, gender, politics, and what it means to be alive. Weekly guests range from academic thought leaders to bestselling authors, from actors to politicians and more; you'll find Ibram X. Kendi, Angelina Jolie, Brit Bennett, Desus and Mero, Quentin Tarantino, and many more on The Stacks. Traci is the creator and host of a live literary event series with LAist called One for the Books. She also writes a monthly bookish advice column on Shereads.com. Podcast Website: https://thestackspodcast.com One for the Books Website: https://laist.com/events/one-for-the-books Advice Column: https://shereads.com/author/traci-thomas/ The Stacks Best Books of 2022: https://shereads.com/the-stacks-best-books-of-2022/ Note: Guests create their own bio description for each episode. The Curiosity Hour Podcast is hosted and produced by Dan Sterenchuk and Tommy Estlund. The Curiosity Hour Podcast is listener supported! The easiest way to donate is via the Venmo app and you can donate to (at symbol) CuriosityHour (Download app here: venmo.com) The Curiosity Hour Podcast is available free on 13 platforms: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Audible, Soundcloud, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Podbean, PlayerFM, Castbox, and Pocket Casts. Disclaimers: The Curiosity Hour Podcast may contain content not suitable for all audiences. Listener discretion advised. The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are solely those of the guest(s). These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of The Curiosity Hour Podcast. This podcast may contain explicit language. The Public Service Announcement near the end of the episode solely represents the views of Tommy and Dan and not our guests or our listeners.

4 Friends preparing for the Christmas holiday while reading the historical fiction, The Vanishing Half, by Brit Bennett.

This week, we're listening back to two of our favorite interviews from 2022: Brit Bennett (The Vanishing Half) and Mohsin Hamid (The Last White Man).  Stay tuned for more author interview in 2023, including chats with Grady Hendrix, C.J. Box and J. Ryan Stradal! 

New York Times Bestselling author, Brit Bennett, brought the newest American Girl Doll, “Claudie Wells” to life. Claudie is the franchises' fourth Black girl doll, growing up in 1920s Harlem during the creative boom of Harlem Renaissance. She spoke with The Takeaway about the making of Claudie, and the responsibility to balance historical accuracy with the playfulness of American Girl Dolls.

This month, in the next in our season celebrating The Exuberance of Youth, we talk to American writer Brit Bennett about her unputdownable novel, The Vanishing Half. The Vanishing Half charts the rollercoaster parallel lives of estranged twin sisters who choose to live in two very different worlds - one black and one white. Stella and Desiree are identical twins, growing up together in a small, Southern black community. Until, at age sixteen, they run away. Decades later, still separated by many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation, when their own daughters' storylines intersect? Weaving together multiple stories and generations of one family, from the Deep South to California, from the 1950s to the 1990s, Bennett has produced both a riveting, emotional family drama and an unforgettable exploration of the American history of passing as White. (Picture: Brit Bennett. Photo credit: Emma Trim.)

Novelist Brit Bennett talks about the inspiration for and process of writing her second book, The Vanishing Half.

Brit Bennett is the author of the dazzling coming of age novel The Mothers and the National Book Award nominated novel, The Vanishing Half, which was also longlisted for an Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. Bennett was named a 5 Under 35 honoree by the National Book Foundation and the book was longlisted for the NBCC John Leonard First Novel Prize and the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction. Her work has also been featured in the New York Times, The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, and The Paris Review. While an undergraduate at Stanford, she won the Bocock/ Guerard and Robert M. Golden Thesis prizes for her fiction. Earning her MFA at University of Michigan, she won a Hopwood Award in Graduate Short Fiction as well as the 2014 Hurston/ Wright Award in College Writing. Her conversations are as memorable as her writing and give audiences a window into her craft while exploring broader themes of race and systemic injustice. Interviewer Nikesha Elise Williams is a two-time Emmy award winning producer, an award-winning author, and producer and host of the Black & Published podcast. Her latest novel, Beyond Bourbon Street, was awarded Best Fiction by the Black Caucus of African-American Librarians in the 2021 Self-Published eBook Literary Awards. It also received the 2020 Outstanding Book Award from the National Association of Black Journalists. Nikesha is a Chicago native and she attended The Florida State University. Nikesha writes full time with bylines in The Washington Post, ESSENCE, and VOX. Sign Up for Library U to hear about the latest Lit Chats and catch them live! — https://jaxpubliclibrary.org/library-u-enrollment Brit Bennett Borrow Brit Bennett's books from our catalog: https://jkpl.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/default/search/results?qu=AUTHOR%3D%22brit+bennett%22&te= Website: https://britbennett.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/britrbennett Nikesha Elise Williams Borrow Nikesha Elise Williams' books from our catalog: https://jkpl.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/default/search/results?qu=AUTHOR%3D%22nikesha+williams%22&te Website: newwrites.com Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Jacksonville Public Library Website: jaxpubliclibrary.org Twitter: twitter.com/jaxlibrary Facebook: facebook.com/JaxLibrary Instagram: instagram.com/jaxlibrary YouTube: youtube.com/user/jaxpubliclibraryfl Contact Us: jplpromotions (at) coj.net

In Episode 117, Annie Hartnett, author of Unlikely Animals, shares the intriguing backstory behind her new novel. She is wonderfully candid and shares interesting tidbits from the germ of the idea, through some of the editing process, all the way to the finished book and finding a publisher.  This post contains affiliate links, through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). Highlights How interesting information transitions to the idea to write a book. The importance of voice in her stories. How she infuses comedy into her writing and embraces the potential for silliness. Annie shares the experience of having her second book under her belt and how that affects her confidence going forward. The difficulty in talking about and promoting a multi-faceted book. Cover design and summary decisions for Unlikely Animals. Why she chose to tell the story in the collective voice. The atmospheric place she lived when she began writing Unlikely Animals. Annie answers lightning round questions about some delightfully weird elements in the book. Annie's Book Recommendations [33:09] Two OLD Books She Loves The Electric Woman by Tessa Fontaine | Amazon | Bookshop.org : [33:18] We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry | Amazon | Bookshop.org : [34:56] Two NEW Books She Loves Walk the Vanished Earth by Erin Swan | Amazon | Bookshop.org : [36:30] More Than You'll Ever Know by Katie Gutierrez | Amazon | Bookshop.org : [40:05] One NEW RELEASE She's Excited About Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson (November 8, 2022) | Amazon | Bookshop.org : [42:24] Last 5-Star Book Annie Read Sigh, Gone by Phuc Tran | Amazon | Bookshop.org : [46:26] Other Books Mentioned Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett : [1:20] The Last Chairlift by John Irving (October 18, 2022) : [20:54] The Mothers by Brit Bennett : [24:42] Our Town by Thornton Wilder : [28:04] Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders : [28:15] Wild by Cheryl Strayed : [34:13] Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters : [35:27] When I'm Gone, Look for Me in the East by Quan Barry : [35:48] How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu : [37:16] Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel : [37:38] Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel : [38:19] Are You Sleeping by Kathleen Barber : [40:45] Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson : [42:45] The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson : [45:30] Perfect Little World by Kevin Wilson : [45:35] About Annie Hartnett Website | Twitter | Instagram In addition to her new book, Unlikely Animals, Annie Hartnett is the author of Rabbit Cake, which was listed as one of Kirkus Reviews's Best Books of 2017 and a finalist for the New England Book Award. She has received fellowships from the MacDowell Colony, Sewanee Writers' Conference, and the Associates of the Boston Public Library. She studied philosophy at Hamilton College, has an MA from Middlebury College, and an MFA from the University of Alabama. When she began writing Unlikely Animals, she was living in the groundskeeper's house in a cemetery. She now lives in a small town in Massachusetts with her husband, daughter, and darling border collie, Mr. Willie Nelson.

Brit Bennett's book The Vanishing Half was on a lot of best-of lists in 2020. Though spanning the second half of the 20th century, the novel speaks to questions about race and identity that have been central to national conversations for the last two years. In that novel and her other writing, Bennett deals with the bonds of family, the importance of storytelling, and nature of identity. We talk to Bennett about her essays and novels in front of an audience of students at Grant High School in Portland.

Welcome to the Summer 2022 Book Preview with Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books! In this episode, Catherine and I share our most anticipated books coming out June through mid-August.   This post contains affiliate links, through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). Introducing Summer Shelves (a companion to my Summer Reading Guide)… In addition to my annual 2022 Summer Reading Guide, I introduced Summer Shelves, a companion exclusively for Superstars Patrons ($7/mo). Summer Shelves features BACKLIST summer reading recommendations from over 25 former podcast guests and our team members. The Summer Shelves design is clean, crisp, and unique and is available in a PDF file format via Patreon. If you'd like to get the Summer Shelves companion guide, you can sign up to be a Superstars patron here. You'll also get access to a monthly bonus podcast series called Double Booked (where Catherine or Susie and I share our own book recommendations in the same format as the big show) and my Rock Your Reading Tracker. Plus, as a patron you can listen to the quarterly bonus podcast episode series called Book Preview Extras! In these episodes, Catherine and I share at least 4 bonus books that we're excited about that we did not share in the regular Preview episode.  Get Summer Shelves! Highlights The summer theme lands on the spectrum of female relationships — some healthy and some toxic.   Catherine is more optimistic for these summer releases. Debut novels make up 4 of Sarah's 6 picks! Catherine and Sarah fall into an impromptu new game of Guess What Book This Sounds Like? Catherine shares a funny author meeting gaffe from her past. Catherine and Sarah share their #1 summer release picks. Summer 2022 Book Preview [2:33] June Sarah's Picks: These Impossible Things by Salma El-Wardany (June 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [5:11] The Measure by Nikki Erlick (June 28) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [11:08] Catherine's Picks: Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley (June 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [7:16] Tracy Flick Can't Win by Tom Perrotta (June 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [14:46]  Girls They Write Songs About by Carlene Bauer (June 21) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [22:41]  July Sarah's Picks: The Displacements by Bruce Holsinger (July 5) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [17:12]  Crying in the Bathroom by Erika L. Sánchez (July 12) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [25:12]  The Work Wife by Alison B. Hart (July 19) | Amazon [30:24]  Catherine's Picks: Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark (July 5) | Amazon [27:20] Sirens & Muses by Antonia Angress (July 12) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [34:15]  August Sarah's Pick: Dirt Creek by Hayley Scrivenor (August 2) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [37:03]  Catherine's Pick: Bookish People by Susan Coll (August 2) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [43:57] Other Books Mentioned Upgrade by Blake Crouch (July 12) [3:51]  Normal People by Sally Rooney [6:52]  Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney [6:55]  There There by Tommy Orange [9:44] Brown Girls by Daphne Palasi Andreades [10:00] American Predator by Maureen Callahan [11:00] The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin [11:57]  Election by Tom Perrotta [14:51]  The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta [15:11]  The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger [18:50]  Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel [19:53]  Fantasticland by Mike Bockoven [20:10]  Frances and Bernard by Carlene Bauer [22:54]  The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer [24:42] Love and Saffron by Kim Fay [24:50]  I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez [25:23]  A Very Punchable Face by Colin Jost [26:29]  Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid [32:05]  The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer [35:22]  The Ensemble by Aja Gabel [35:29]  The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale [35:33]  The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb [36:11]  Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett [39:06]  The Mothers by Brit Bennett [39:09]  The Dry by Jane Harper [39:37]  We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker [40:23]  Descent by Tim Johnston [41:08]  The Stager by Susan Coll [44:19]  About Catherine Gilmore Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Catherine started The Gilmore Guide to Books over 6 years ago after wrapping up a career as a corporate librarian. She loves books and reading (surprise!) and currently lives in Ann Arbor, MI.

Season 8 is only two weeks away! We'll be back May 19 with some shenanigans and even more amazing guests.This season we'll also be covering the book The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett in our penultimate episode and we'd love for you to read along with us. Get it at your local bookstore of library today!

In this interview, Adriana and I discuss The Good Left Undone, writing an epic family saga, taking a jewelry-making class at Christie's and how it inspired portions of the book, her title's origin, creating Adriana Ink,, and much more. Adriana's recommended reads are: Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole by Susan Cain Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking of Susan Cain The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Alison Pataki Wise Up by Karen Duffy The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn Cherish Farrah by Bethany C. Morrow Black Bottom Saints by Alice Randell Support the podcast by becoming a Page Turner on Patreon.  Other ways to support the podcast can be found here.     If you enjoyed this episode and want to listen to more episodes, try Julia Claiborne Johnson, Judithe Little, Brit Bennett, Vanessa Riley, and Fiona Davis. The Good Left Undone can be purchased at the my Bookshop storefront, and this purchase really helps support the production of the podcast. Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this interview, Reyna and I discuss A Ballad of Love and Glory, shedding a light on a lesser-known time period, writing in a variety of genres and how they compare, her favorite character to write in this book, what she wants her readers to take away from the novel, and much more. Reyna's recommended reads are: You Sound Like a White Girl by Julissa Are A Woman of Endurance by Dahlia Llanos-Figueroa The Hacienda by Isabel Canas The Neapolitan Sisters by Margo Candela Support the podcast by becoming a Page Turner on Patreon.  Other ways to support the podcast can be found here.     If you enjoyed this episode and want to listen to more episodes, try Julia Claiborne Johnson, Judithe Little, Brit Bennett, Vanessa Riley, and Fiona Davis. A Ballad of Love and Glory can be purchased at the my Bookshop storefront.      Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, I'm sharing an episode from a new podcast I've been enjoying, Well-Read Black Girl, from Pushkin Industries. Glory Edim, author and founder of the Well-Read Black Girl community, sits in deep, honest and close conversation with authors like Tarana Burke, Anita Hill, Gabrielle Union, Brit Bennett and more. You'll also meet literacy advocates and Black booksellers to hear what they're reading and what it means to be well-read. In this episode, Glory talks with Korean American author and teacher Min Jin Lee. Min talks about what she learned about resistance from bell hooks, how the work she does on and off the page challenges society, and how she's mentoring a new generation of writers of color. You can hear more of Well-Read Black Girl at https://podcasts.pushkin.fm/wrbgdesign.

We're sharing a special preview of the new podcast, Well-Read Black Girl from Pushkin Industries. Well-Read Black Girl is the literary kickback you never knew you needed. Glory Edim, author and founder of the Well-Read Black Girl community, sits in deep, honest and close conversation with authors like Tarana Burke, Anita Hill, Gabrielle Union, Brit Bennett and more. You'll also meet book club members, literacy advocates, and Black booksellers to hear what they're reading and what it means to be well-read. In this preview, Glory talks with Korean American author and teacher Min Jin Lee. Min talks about being a student of bell hooks and what the experience taught her about the power of the written word.  You can listen to Well-Read Black Girl at  https://podcasts.pushkin.fm/wrbgjbu. 

We're sharing a special preview of the new podcast, Well-Read Black Girl from Pushkin Industries. Well-Read Black Girl is the literary kickback you never knew you needed. Glory Edim, author and founder of the Well-Read Black Girl community, sits in deep, honest and close conversation with authors like Tarana Burke, Anita Hill, Gabrielle Union, Brit Bennett and more. You'll also meet book club members, literacy advocates, and Black booksellers to hear what they're reading and what it means to be well-read. In this preview, Glory talks with Korean American author and teacher Min Jin Lee. Min talks about being a student of bell hooks and what the experience taught her about the power of the written word.  You can listen to Well-Read Black Girl at  https://podcasts.pushkin.fm/wrbgjbu.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Calling all book nerds! Are you looking for a place where your book-loving heart can flourish? Join us at jenhatmakerbookclub.com, and become one of our sisters in nerdiness. For February 2022, Jen and the club read Brit Bennett's The Vanishing Half. Brit is a novelist and essayist that has been featured in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Paris Review, and Jezebel. Her first novel, The Mothers, was a finalist for both the NBCC John Leonard First Novel Prize and the Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction. And that brings us to this month's book, The Vanishing Half. It was an instant New York Times bestseller and took the literary world by storm. It was named one of the top books of 2020, and no big deal, landed on the short list of Barack Obama's favorite books. It is a story filled with self-growth, familial pain, generational divisions, and more. So join Jen this week as she chats all about The Vanishing Half and its impact with Brit Bennett. * * *   Thank you to our sponsors! ABLE | Get 15% off sitewide using code JEN at livefashionable.com

Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books joins me for a special Superlatives episode where we are answering from the fourth bucket of questions submitted for the Ask Me Anything episode of Sarah's Bookshelves Live. We give you a little taste of the bonus Monthly Superlative episodes Catherine and I often do for the Patreon community. This format is a favorite of mine, allowing for a bit more candor and a lot of fun. Today we tackle questions about our all-time favorite books, re-reads, auto-buy authors, favorite audiobooks, and more! This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). Announcements If you like this episode, consider joining the Patreon Community ($5/mo) to get our bonus Monthly Superlative podcast episode series! In these episodes, I feature a continued discussion with every big show episode guest from the current month where they answer 5 bookish “superlative” questions. One of my favorite things I hear from patrons about this series is how much they love listening to the same guests from the big show, but with a laid-back and relaxed vibe. Get more details about all the goodies available to all patrons (Stars and Superstars) and sign up here! Highlights Behind-the-scenes info on the Monthly Superlative podcast episode series for patrons. Our all-time favorite books Our auto-buy authors How Catherine and Sarah feel about re-reading Books from Sarah's and Catherine's childhoods Immediate bookish turn-offs What Catherine and Sarah find in a book that makes it easy to read Superlatives ALL-TIME FAVORITE BOOKS [03:15] Catherine:  A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles | Amazon | Bookshop.org [04:01] Skeltons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian | Amazon | Bookshop.org [05:27] Sophie's Choice by William Styron | Amazon | Bookshop.org [06:32] Sarah: The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne | Amazon | Bookshop.org [07:33] The Lords of Discipline by Pat Conroy | Amazon | Bookshop.org [08:15] Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed | Amazon | Bookshop.org [09:10] AUTO-BUY AUTHORS  [09:59] Catherine:  Anna Quindlen [10:13] Alice Hoffman [10:23] Kevin Kwan [10:39] Sarah: Ann Patchett [12:12] Tayari Jones [12:14] Meg Wolitzer [12:58] Megan Abbott [13:13] Brit Bennett [13:34] FAVORITE AUDIOBOOKS  [14:03] Catherine:  Smacked by Eilene Zimmerman | Amazon | Bookshop.org | Libro.fm [14:31] Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer | Amazon | Bookshop.org | Libro.fm [15:04] A Very Punchable Face by Colin Jost | Amazon | Bookshop.org | Libro.fm  [15:08] Sarah: Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed | Amazon | Bookshop.org | Libro.fm [15:40] Untamed by Glennon Doyle | Amazon | Bookshop.org | Libro.fm [15:48] The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff | Amazon | Bookshop.org | Libro.fm [17:12] FIRST BOOK THAT SPARKED YOUR JOY OF READING  [18:09] Catherine:  Laurie and Company by Eleanor Frances Lattimore (currently out of print) [18:21] Sarah: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett | Amazon | Bookshop.org [20:16] The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin | Amazon | Bookshop.org [20:38] Flowers in the Attic by V. C. Andrews | Amazon | Bookshop.org [20:45] Jaws by Peter Benchley | Amazon | Bookshop.org [21:00] ALL ABOUT RE-READING  [21:23] Catherine:  Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin | Amazon | Bookshop.org [21:45] The Longings of Women by Marge Piercy | Amazon [24:05] Sarah: The Great Santini by Pat Conroy | Amazon | Bookshop.org [22:39] The Lords of Discipline by Pat Conroy | Amazon | Bookshop.org [22:41] The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy | Amazon | Bookshop.org [22:44] & [26:07] I Miss You When I Blink by Mary Laura Philpott | Amazon | Bookshop.org [23:00] From the Corner of the Oval by Beck Dorey-Stein | Amazon | Bookshop.org [23:15] SIGNIFICANT / IMPACTFUL BOOKS  [28:00] Catherine:  Inventing the Rest of Our Lives by Suzanne Braun Levine | Amazon | Bookshop.org [28:25] Untamed by Glennon Doyle | Amazon | Bookshop.org [30:04] Sarah: The Mindbody Prescription by John E. Sarno, M.D. | Amazon | Bookshop.org [31:20] The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D. | Amazon | Bookshop.org [32:00] Fear Less by Dr. Pippa Grange | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:00] BOOKS THAT MADE YOU FEEL SEEN  [33:47] Catherine:  Forty Rooms by Olga Grushin | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:56] Sarah: Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan | Amazon | Bookshop.org [35:41] SARAH'S FAVORITE LITERARY MYSTERIES & SLOW-BURN SUSPENSE  [36:48] Literary Mysteries: [37:14] When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain | Amazon | Bookshop.org The Witch Elm by Tana French | Amazon | Bookshop.org Miracle Creek by Angie Kim | Amazon | Bookshop.org The Current by Tim Johnston | Amazon | Bookshop.org Long Bright River by Liz Moore | Amazon | Bookshop.org If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio | Amazon | Bookshop.org Mystic River by Dennis Lehane | Amazon | Bookshop.org The Cutting Season by Attica Locke | Amazon | Bookshop.org Slow-Burn Suspense: [35:41] The Push by Ashley Audrain | Amazon | Bookshop.org Megan Abbott books The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz | Amazon | Bookshop.org You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz | Amazon | Bookshop.org Who is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews | Amazon | Bookshop.org Unraveling Oliver by Liz Nugent | Amazon | Bookshop.org Based on a True Story by Delphine De Vigan | Amazon | Bookshop.org The Dinner by Herman Koch | Amazon | Bookshop.org FAVORITE SPORTS FICTION  [38:44] Catherine:  The Falconer by Dana Czapnik | Amazon | Bookshop.org [38:50] Sarah: Beartown by Fredrik Backman | Amazon | Bookshop.org [40:42] Trophy Son by Douglas Brunt | Amazon | Bookshop.org [40:51] FAVORITE BOOKS IN LEAST FAVORITE GENRE  [41:55] Catherine (Horror):  The Road by Cormac McCarthy | Amazon | Bookshop.org [42:45] Sarah (Horror & Romance): Fantasticland by Mike Bockoven | Amazon | Bookshop.org [43:31] One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:06] Seven Days in June by Tia Williams | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:09] Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:13] American Royals by Katharine McGee | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:17] The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:29] IMMEDIATE TURN-OFFS  [46:14] WHAT MAKES A BOOK EASY TO READ  [49:34] SENIOR MAIN CHARACTERS  [51:44] Catherine:  Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf | Amazon | Bookshop.org [52:16] Margreete's Harbor by Eleanor Morse | Amazon | Bookshop.org [52:19] The Spectator Bird by Wallace Stegner | Amazon | Bookshop.org [52:23] Sarah: Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney | Amazon | Bookshop.org [52:36] Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift | Amazon | Bookshop.org [53:06] Other Books Mentioned The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian [06:17]  The Sleepwalker by Chris Bohjalian [06:20] The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy [08:29] Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan [10:39] A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne [11:38] A Traveler at the Gates of Wisdom by John Boyne [11:54] Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones [12:44] An American Marriage by Tayari Jones [12:46] The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer [13:00] The Wife by Meg Wolitzer [13:02] The Mothers by Brit Bennett [13:50] The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett [13:53] Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown [19:44] The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard [27:24] South of Broad by Pat Conroy [27:43] Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan [36:37] The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe [40:13] You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott [41:11] Lord of the Flies by William Golding [43:52] Vladimir by Julia May Jonas [47:34] Honor by Thrity Umrigar [51:22] Other Links Glennon Doyle's podcast: We Can Do Hard Things [16:15] About Catherine Gilmore Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Catherine started The Gilmore Guide to Books over 6 years ago after wrapping up a career as a corporate librarian. She loves books and reading (surprise!) and currently lives in Ann Arbor, MI.