the cover of The Nursery by Szilvia Molnar displayed on a yellow background
Bookish Life, Podcast Shownotes

The Nursery and Postpartum Mental Health as Horror

Mariquita and Steph sit down to discuss Szilvia Molnar’s debut novel, The Nursery, which examines one woman’s struggles with overwhelming postpartum fear and disconnection. They reflect on how the book mirrored their own experiences and the disservice we do by not discussing the daunting reality of new parenthood. Books mentioned: The Nursery by Szilvia Molnar …

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A woman on her computer drinking coffee
Author Interview, Podcast Shownotes

Thrillers & Copaganda + Multigenerations, Music, & Mystery with Diane Marie Brown

What is copaganda? And why do so many thrillers feel like copaganda? Mariquita and Renee discuss these questions plus how to spot copaganda in our literature. They also share some books that they loved that don’t pass the test and some great books that do. In the second segment, Ashley interviews Diane Marie Brown, author …

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The Cover of Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin on a colorful flat background
Author Interview, Podcast Shownotes

Food, Home, and Grief with Cecile Pin

Ashley interviews Cecile Pin about her debut novel, Wandering Souls. Wandering Souls follows siblings Anh, Minh, and Thanh as they journey to Hong Kong after the last American troops leave Vietnam.  The conversation includes making a girl the oldest child, creating community through food, making a home amidst assimilation, and recalling memories.  Book content warning: …

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The cover of the light pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton sits on a yellow background.
Author Interview, Podcast Shownotes

Resilience, Climate, and Lineman: An interview with Lily Brooks-Dalton

In this episode Natalia interviews Lily Brooks-Dalton, author of The Light Pirate. They talk about what it means to be resilient, what even *is* good infrastructure, hope, ecology, that dream we have of sawing Florida off the nation as a whole, and so much more.  We hope after listening to the conversation you love this …

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The cover of Leaving: How I Set Myself Free from an Abusive Marriage by Kanchan Bhaskar sits on a pink and orange background
Author Interview

Escaping Abusive Relationships: A discussion with Kanchan Bhaskar

Jordy sits down with Kanchan Bhaskar to discuss her book Leaving: How I Set Myself Free from an Abusive Marriage. Kanchan is from New Delhi, India and she shares with us her story of escape and the struggles faced by women in India today. This conversation discusses domestic violence and abuse, addictions, and mental health.  …

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A parent and child set fresh cookies from the oven onto the counter top. This image is just decorative to show that we're discussing our favorite cookbooks!
Bookish Life, Podcast Shownotes

The Joy of Cookbooks

One thing you may not know is that Natalia and Renee regularly text each other about food–what they’re eating, what they’re cooking, what they’re craving, what they discovered at Costco–you name it, they’ve chatted about it. So they’re rechanneling that hungry energy into a conversation about their favorite cookbooks, cookbook cultures, and cultural cookbooks. Renee …

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A Black woman sits in a chair reading
Author Interview, Podcast Shownotes

5 Star Reads of 2023 (so far) + The Wild Wild Alaskan Front with Iris Yamashita

It’s been a very good year of reading for Renee so far. Even though we’ve barely scratched the surface of the year (and we’re still covered in snow), Renee shares seven books that she’s rated five stars already. Then, Jordy sits down with Academy-Award nominated screenwriter, Iris Yamashita, to discuss her debut novel, City Under …

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Author Interview, Podcast Shownotes

The New Hercule Poirot + Discussing Toil & Trouble: A Women’s History of the Occult

In the first segment Jordy sits down to discuss the Jane Wunderly mystery series. This cozy yet suspenseful series is perfect for anyone looking for a spooky season recommendation that won’t leave you with nightmares. If you’re an Agatha Christie fan, this is for you.  Then, Mariquita talks with Lisa Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson …

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