Books with Betsy

On this episode, Tina of TBR, etc., talks about how being an active book person in multiple internet formats affects her reading life, her favorite genre acronym, and we go deep into the world of reading trackers. We also talk about her viral moment this past summer when she broke an AI-related book story.    Books to Read if You Liked Unknown Caller Books With Covers We Hate and Why We Read Them Anyway   Tina TBR, etc Instagram TikTok Tina Books | TBR, etc. - YouTube Book Talk, etc. Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  It’s Not the End of the World by Jonathan Parks-Ramage  Hot Air by Marcy Dermansky Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin   Books Highlighted by Tina: Look Closer by David Ellis  Hush Little Baby by R.H. Herron Next of Kin by Kia Abdullah One Yellow Eye by Leigh Radford Red Clay by Charles B. Fancher Dominion by Addie E. Citchens  Saving Noah by Lucinda Berry  Nobody Knows You’re Here by Bryn Greenwood  When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi    All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager  We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer  Nestlings by Nat Cassidy  Mary by Nat Cassidy  King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby  Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby  All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby  The Nix by Nathan Hill  When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy  Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy  Play Nice by Rachel Harrison  Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage  The Midnight Library by Matt Haig  The Humans by Matt Haig  The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab  All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

On this episode, Rebecca Tucker, who is working on writing her own fantasy novel, talks about how reading was incentivized for her at an early age but had ups and downs in her reading later in life. We also talk about some great fantasy novels and I make a claim about a book I believe will be considered one of the great memoirs.    Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones It’s Not the End of the World by Jonathan Parks-Ramage    Books Highlighted by Rebecca: When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill  The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon  The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones  Modernist Woman Poets  Eurydice by Sara Ruhl Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk I’m Glad my Mom Died by Jenette McCurdy The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Melinda Lo The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien   All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: Red Rising by Pierce Brown Katabasis by R.F. Kuang The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien

On this episode, Eirien, author of The Riven War, discusses her love of fantasy, including a classic series that I really believe is underrated. She also talks about her first moment understanding the power of a book, how she looks for books that speak to her more than popularity, and how being a slower reader can actually be a benefit.    Get The Riven War here!   Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  The Secret History by Donna Tartt  The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones   Books Highlighted by Eirien: Black Beauty by Anna Sewell  The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg The Witcher Blood of Elves by Andzrej Sapowski Dune by Frank Herbert  The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde    All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis  The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon  The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien  Marley & Me by John Grogan  Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas  Frankenstein by Mary Shelly

On this episode, Marla Taviano, writer and poet, who has a very fun project she’s attempting to complete before her 50th birthday talks about her love for annotating books, why she loves to read writers on writing, and her bookstagram project that greatly influenced her reading life.    Please Cut Up My Poems Liberation is Lit   Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  The Secret History by Donna Tartt  Make Your Way Home by Carrie R. Moore    Books Highlighted by Marla: You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith  A Handful of Earth, A Handful of Sky: The World of Octavia Butler by Lynell George The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley  The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander  The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life by Suleika Jaouad Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals by Alexis Pauline Gumbs  Traveling with Pomegranates: A Mother Daughter Journey to the Sacred Places of Greece, Turkey, and France by Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor  Books & Islands in Ojibwe Country: Traveling Through the Lands of My Ancestors by Louise Erdrich  Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over by Nell Painter Faith Unraveled: How a Girl Who Knew All the Answers Learned to Ask Questions by Rachel Held Evans  Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived by Rob Bell    All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan  Novelist as Vocation by Haruki Murakami  Conversations with Toni Morrison by Toni Morrison & Danille K Taylor-Guthrie  Absolutely on Music by Haruki Murakami & Seji Ozawa  What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami  Toni at Random by Dana A. Williams  Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson  Back in Blues by Imani Perry  South to America by Imani Perry  Looking for Lorraine by Imani Perry  Full of Myself by Austin Channing Brown  Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel  unbelieve by Marla Taviano  jaded by Marla Taviano  whole by Marla Taviano  What makes you Fart? by Marla Taviano  Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad  The Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd 

On this episode, Laura Ustick and Emily Bogaert  join me to discuss the most recent Off Color Book Club book, North Woods by Danel Mason.    My Book Club Guide   If you’re interested in joining the Off Color Book Club in October, we will be meeting on Tuesday, October 21st to discuss Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin. All are welcome! 

On this episode, Liv Hoselton, an indie bookseller in Chicago, talks about their impulse to dive deep into the horrors of the world to better understand them, how their teachers and librarians were so impactful for their reading life, and one of our shared favorites that kids just aren’t interested in (much to our chagrin). I anticipate you’ll also be surprised at how engrossing Liv’s description of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald is and it might make you want to read that book.    Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  North Woods by Daniel Mason Uzumaki by Junji Ito  Summerdale II by David Jay Collins    Books Highlighted by Liv: The Einstein of Sex by Daniel Brook Murderland by Caroline Fraser  The Gales of November by John U. Bacon Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O’Brien The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster  The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff City of Thieves by David Benioff Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin   All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman  The Clique by Lisi Harrison  Twilight by Stephenie Meyer  Women Talking by Miriam Toews  Redwall by Brian Jacques  Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer  Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin  A Noble Madness by James Delbourgo  Playing Possum by Susana Monso  Good and Evil and Other Stories by Samanta Schweblin  The Essential Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson 

On this episode, Lauren Oliver, author of many books, comes on to talk about her new book that was just released, What Happened to Lucy Vale. We also have a great conversation about mysteries, the magic of Agatha Christie, and how even when you’re plugged-in to the book world it can be hard to decide what to read.    Get a copy of What Happened to Lucy Vale More About Lauren  Lauren’s Substack Follow Lauren on Instagram    Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King   Books Highlighted by Lauren: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez  And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie  Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie  The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne  Not Nothing by Gayle Forman  The Secret Place by Tana French  The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis  The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis  Breathing Underwater by Richard Rohr   The Wisdom Pattern by Richard Rohr     All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar  The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Lilian Jackson Braun  The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley  Matilda by Roald Dahl  The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame  Curiosity House: The Shrunken Head by H.C. Chester & Lauren Oliver  The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri  The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman  The Boy from the Woods by Harlan Coben  The Secret History by Donna Tartt  The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd  True Biz by Sara Novic  Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis

On this episode, Blake Chastain, author and podcaster, talks about how reading has helped him slow down through the difficult times we live in now, how technology helps and hurts his reading life, and some really excellent book recommendations. He will likely make you want to read comics and if that’s new for you, go for it!!    Exvangelical and Beyond: How American Christianity Went Radical and the Movement that’s Fighting Back  Find Blake on Substack  Hear me on Let’s Talk About Text on Apple and Spotify   Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  Phantasma by Kaylie Smith What Happened to Lucy Vale by Lauren Oliver    Books Highlighted by Blake: A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers  A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy by Katherine Stewart  Females by Andrea Long Chu Devotions by Mary Oliver  Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer  House of X/Powers of X by Jonathan Hickman  The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson  Technology and the Virtues: A Philosophical Guide to a Future Worth Wanting by Shannon Vallor  The AI Mirror: How to Reclaim our Humanity in an Age of Machine Thinking by Shannon Vallor  Marriage, a History: How Love Conquered Marriage by Stephanie Coontz   All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien  The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien  Fantastic Four: Solve Everything by Jonathan Hickman  Ultimate Spider-Man by Jonathan Hickman  God Is Disappointed in You by Mark Russell & Shannon Wheeler Apocrypha Now by Mark Russell & Shannon Wheeler  Inventing the Renaissance by Ada Palmer  The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers  The Power Worshippers by Katherine Stewart  The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

On this episode, Cynthia Chen (Episode 64) and Maggie Brennan (Episode 46) join me to discuss the most recent Off Color Book Club book, Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado.    My Book Club Guide   If you’re interested in joining the Off Color Book Club in September, we will be meeting on Tuesday, September 16th to discuss North Woods by Daniel Mason. All are welcome! 

On this episode, Dan Dzurak, a physical media fan, discusses his love for books that are “out there,” how his dad’s reading life informed his early reading memories, and why being compared to a character is one of his standout memories. We also get into the ups and downs of being feral readers when you know so many people in the hospitality industry.    Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  Several People are Typing by Calvin Kasulke Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado   Books Highlighted by Dan: Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut A Slow Death: 83 Days of Radiation Sickness  A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin Detours and Lost Highways: A Map of Neo-Noir by Foster Hirsch The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson Approaching Oblivion by Harlan Ellison    All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton Sleepless by Charlie Huston  High Fidelity by Nick Hornby  Dune by Frank Herbert  Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig The Road by Cormac McCarthy One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez A Million Little Pieces by James Frey  Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut  God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut  Deadeye Dick by Kurt Vonnegut  Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut  Nuclear War by Annie Jacobsen  Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace  Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson  Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett  The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain  Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen  American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis  Heat 2 by Meg Gardiner & Michael Mann

On this episode, Karishma Verma, an English professor who keeps her reading life outside of school alive, talks about her love for celebrity memoirs, and gives a really great list of places she gets her book recommendations. She also talks about her own podcast, Gilmore Gals, which discusses and recaps all things Gilmore Girls.    Karishma on Instagram  Gilmore Gals   Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  Ask Me Again by Claire Sestanovich Monkey Grip by Helen Garner Biography of X by Catherine Lacey   Books Highlighted by Karishma: Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman By The Book by Jasmine Guillory The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians by James Patterson I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy Yes Please by Amy Poehler   All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware  Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park & Denise Brunkus  The Clique by Lisi Harrison  A Promised Land by Barack Obama  Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple Educated by Tara Westover The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls  Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling  Why Not Me?  by Mindy Kaling  The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey

On this episode, Chloe Waryan, a librarian and horror fan, discusses how the job of a librarian affects the reading life, their favorite types of horror books, and the way that an audiobook can work really well for her. You’ll learn a bit more about the Chicago Public Library and we discuss the anticipation for the Booker Prize longlist, which came out after this was recorded.    Chloe on Substack  Chloe on Instagram    Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind by Molly McGhee  They Dream in Gold by Mai Sennaar   Books Highlighted by Chloe: Grey Dog by Elliot Gish Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai Build Your House Around my Body by Violet Kupersmith The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty  A Touch of Jen by Beth Morgan  Uzumaki by Junji Ito  Turtles All the Way Down by John Green   All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: Italian Folktales by Italo Calvino  Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids by Jamie Rix  Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz & Stephen Gammell  The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones  Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez  Eynhallow by Tim McGregor  The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander  The South Side by Natalie Y. Moore  Reprieve by James Han Mattson All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews  Gossip Girl by Cecily Von Ziegesar  Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison

On this episode, Cynthia Chen, a fellow Reader & Runner, shares some of her piping hot takes about the reading life. She also discusses how she got back into reading after an eight year hiatus and tips for people who want to get back into reading. She gives a lot of really great book recommendations for Chicago books and we talk about how annoying it is when the geography of Chicago is incorrect.    Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  Mina’s Matchbox by Yoko Ogawa The Rich People Have Gone Away by Regina Porter The House on the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune    Books Highlighted by Cynthia: The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker  Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah  Eastbound by Maylis de Kerangal Three Girls from Bronzeville by Dawn Turner  Tales from the Cafe by Toshikazu Kawaguchi I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai  The Chicago Neighborhood Guidebook by Martha Bayne Running While Black by Allison Mariella Désir BFF: A Memoir of Friendship Lost and Found by Christie Tate    All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: Night of the Living Dummy (Goosebumps #1) by R.L. Stine Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky  The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream by Dean Jobb  Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano  River East, River West by Aube Rey Lescure  Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin  Atomic Habits by James Clear  The Battle of Lincoln Park by Daniel Kay Hertz The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

On this episode, Amy Smalley and Carrie Vittitoe, co-hosts of the Perks of Being a Book Lover Podcast, discuss their sometimes opposite book preferences, how having a podcast has changed their reading lives, and we laugh a lot. If you enjoy this conversation, definitely check out their show, which has a lot of their fun banter.    The Perks of Being a Book Lover  Follow The Perks of Being a Book Lover on Instagram   Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips  Mina’s Matchbox by Yoko Ogawa   Books Highlighted by Amy & Carrie: The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science by Kate McKinnon You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith Gone Girl by Gyllian Flynn Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb What Ben Franklin Would Have Told Me by Donna Gordon I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry American Ghost: A Family’s Extraordinary History on the Desert Frontier by Hannah Nordhaus Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain Paris Letters by Janice McLeod   All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise by Colleen Oakley  Prophet Song by Paul Lynch  Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward Circe by Madeline Miller  Ariadne by Jennifer Saint  My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris Border Crossings by Emma Fick  The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque American Sniper by Chris Kyle  Roadside Picnic by Arkady Strugatsky  It by Stephen King The Changeling by Victor LaValle  The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin  The Marmalade Diaries by Ben Aitken  Clay’s Quilt by Silas House  Ulysses by James Joyce  How to Read Ulysses and Why Morning Glory Milking Farm by C.M. Nascosta  Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk  The Book Thief by Markus Zusak  Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

On this episode, Madi Badger, a PhD student, discusses the book series that changed her reading life, the reading challenge that has taken over her reading life, and some amazing bookstore stories. We discuss a shared love of paperbacks and how many different ways there are to use the library, including as a bad bookish habit.    Follow Madi on Instagram  Follow Madi on TikTok Queer Liberation Library   Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  Skeleton Crew by Stephen King Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips  Severance by Ling Ma   Books Highlighted by Madi: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins  Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin  Broken Horses by Brandi Carlisle  Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer  Medicine Wheel for the Planet by Dr. Jennifer Grenz ADHD for Smart Ass Women by Tracy Otsuka   All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman  The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop & Amy Sherman-Palladino  Rainbow Magic Rainbow Fairies by Daisy Meadows & Georgie Ripper  The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller  Circe by Madeline Miller  One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune  A Monetary History of the United States by Anna Jacobson Schwartz & Milton Friedman Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

On this episode, Katie Blechle, a mom and educator, talks about her true love of reading over TV, how she incorporates reading into her life as a mom, and the books about strong women that she really loves. We also go down a shared rabbit hole that’s one of my absolute favorite non-book topics.    Follow Katie on Instagram   Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  Skeleton Crew by Stephen King Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki   Books Highlighted by Katie: The Outlaw Noble Salt by Amy Harmon Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman Someone Else’s Bucket List by Amy T. Matthews Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab The Road Back to You by Suzanne Stabile & Ian Morgan Cron   All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: The Women by Kristin Hannah The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb Reckless Girls by Rachel hawkins The Villa by Rachel Hawkins People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry  The Peaceful Parenting Revolution by Kiva Schuler Good Inside by Dr. Becky Kennedy  Fly Away by Kristin Hannah  House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas  Tom Lake by Ann Patchett 

On this episode, Melissa Joulwan, author and co-host of the podcast Strong Sense of Place, discusses the way her personal reading life and work for the show overlap. We talk about her deep and varied book preferences, our shared love for diving deep into a backlist, and you get to hear the fabulous way she describes the books she loves.   Strong Sense of Place website https://strongsenseofplace.com For the podcast, extensive show notes, book lists, and travel tips and photos.    For people new to the show, this is a good place to start: https://strongsenseofplace.com/welcome   Substack https://strongsenseofplace.substack.com/ Free newsletter with photos and book recommendations, behind-the-scenes stories, secret recipes, inspiring ideas, and (sometimes) silly stuff.   Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby  The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark Skeleton Crew by Stephen King   Books Highlighted by Melissa: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte A Room with a View by E.M. Forester The Inn at Lake Divine by Elinor Lipman   Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery  Circe by Madeline Miller  Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia  Less by Andrew Sean Greer The Trick by Emanuel Bergman Spoonbenders by Daryl Gregory  A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles  Odds Against by Dick Francis Dietland by Sarai Walker Piglet by Lottie Hazell The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson    All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: Well Fed Weeknights by Melissa Joulwan  Rollergirl by Melissa Joulwan  The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva  This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart  Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver  The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde  The Madwoman Upstairs by Catherine Lowell  What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher  Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia  Carmilla by Joseph Sherican Le Fanu Hungerstone by Kat Dunn  The Curse of Pietro Houdini by Derek B. Miller  Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel  The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova  The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon  A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn  A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley  The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley  The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley  2 A.M. at The Cat’s Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino  Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino  The Way Men Act by Elinor Lipman  Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel  The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller  Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia  Less is Lost by Andrew Sean Greer  My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh 

On this episode, Samiksha Gaur, a mom and baker who has found herself enjoying dark romance recently, talks to me about her life engaging with bookish social media. We talk about a bunch of series that she loves, how she got back into reading later in life, and we give a big shoutout to Tanima Kazi for getting us connected!   Follow Samiksha on Instagram    Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  Lost Man’s Lane by Scott Carson Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab New People by Danzy Senna  King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby    Books Highlighted by Samiksha: Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross Broken Bonds (The Bonds that Tie Series #1) by J. Bree A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR Series #1) by Sarah J. Maas  The Kat Bunglar by Tanima Kazi  The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid  Quicksilver by Callie Heart Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros  Lady Iris’s Lover by Kelsey Painter Mindf*ck by S.T. Abby  Butcher and Blackbird by Brynne Weaver The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni    All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: Famous Five by Beja & Nataël  Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene Goosebumps by R.L. Stine  Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton  Never Lie by Frieda McFadden  There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak  Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros  Caraval by Stephanie Garber  Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber 

On this episode, Jess Abra Sandy, a self-described lapsed opera singer and cyber security expert talks about how poetry has provided for her in different ways as her seasons of life change. We also talk about books that make us want to throw them across the room, how her reading life has changed as her kid has grown, and Jess shares a lot of very insightful thoughts about the reading life.    Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  Devil House by John Darnielle Say Hello to My Little Friend by Jennine Capó Crucet  Lost Man’s Lane by Scott Carson   Books Highlighted by Jess: What Narcissism Means to Me by Tony Hoagland Priest, Turned Therapist, Treats Fear of God by Tony Hoagland Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor I Sailed with Magellan by Stuart Dybek The Ocean in the Next Room by Sarah V. Schweig Oh the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss  The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones East of Eden by John Steinbeck My World - And Welcome to It by James Thurber    All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin  Nancy Drew #1: The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene The Wasteland, Prufrock, and Other Poems by T.S. Eliot  Fox by Joyce Carol Oates  The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop & Amy Sherman-Palladino  White Teeth by Zadie Smith  Midwest Shreds by Mandy Shunnarah  Good Bones by Maggie Smith  Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson  Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña & Christian Robinson  Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado

On this episode, Caroline Pilman, a fellow Chicago Public Schools teacher, and I discuss the many ways of reading, all of which are acceptable. We also discuss a shared pet peeve in children’s literature, how a seasonal career can affect the reading life, and how Chicago Public Schools does one thing right.    American Library Association Lists  CPS Battle of the Books 2025   Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak  Amatka by Karin Tidbeck Devil House by John Darnielle   Books Highlighted by Caroline: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt  One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia   All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: Kristy’s Great Idea (The Babysitters Club #1) by Ann M. Martin The Giver by Lois Lowry  A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle  Dog Man by Dav Pilkey The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai  Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña & Christian Robinson  Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña & Christian Robinson