On episode 162, I'm visited by biographer Mark Oppenheimer, author of Judy Blume: A Life. 

We discuss our favorite Judy Blume books, Blume's captivating draw as an author and we share some favorite book recommendations. 

This episode is sponsored by Fangs of Fate by Rebecca Parcha. Click here to listen to the audiobook. 

Books Recommended:

The Director by Daniel Kehlmann translated

Cursed Bread by Sophie McKintosh

Air Guitar: Essays on Art and Democracy by Dave Hickey

The Optimists by Brian Platzer

Lake Effect: A Memoir by Rich Cohen

Find Mark Oppenheimer on Substack

 I'm giving away a month-long giveaway to my online book club in April where we will be reading Lauren Groff's Brawler. Click here to enter. 

I will be returning to the Culver City Book Festival on Sunday March 29th from 10 - 5 pm. I’ll be signing books, selling upcycled journals made out of books, selling original art and Books Are My People coffee mugs and stickers, which you can always purchase here. Come say hi if you’re in the area!

Purchase Books Are My People swag here. 

Charlotte Woods The Natural Way of THings Giveaway linkup open closes 3/31. I will contact a winner on April 1st. This giveaway is open to US mailing addresses only. Thank you to Riverhead Books for sponsoring this giveaway.

Click here to enter.

Registration for my gelli printing class in Santa Monica is open. If you happen to be local, please join me for a four-week beginning gelli printing class at the Brentwood Art Center in Santa Monica! Click here for more information. We will have so much fun exploring printmaking and maybe even side chatting about books. 

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I hope you all have a wonderfully bookish week! 

On episode 161 this week I'm visited by Booker Prize shortlist nominee, Charlotte Wood. We talk about internalized misogyny, systems of oppression, what it’s like to be a Booker Award finalist and Wood's reissue of her 2015 novel, The Natural Way of Things. 

Books Recommended: 

So Long, See You Tomorrow, William Maxwell

The Old Fire by Elisa Shua Disapin translated by Aneesa Abbas Higgins

Delirious by Damian Wilkins 

How to Commit A Postcolonial Murder by Nina McConigley

Attention: Writing on Life, Art and the World by Anne Einreight  out April 8th

Guest Author: 

Lies We Tell About the Stars by Susie Nadler

Find Charlotte on Social Media: 

 Charlottewoodwriter on Instagram

Substack: substraction

Have an easy knitting project for me to try? Email me at [email protected]

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I hope you all have a wonderfully bookish week! 

This week, on episode 160 of Books Are My People, I speak with Lillian Li author of Bad Asians. We talk about identity, the perils of the internet, and the aftermath of the 2008 recession. 

Shownotes:

How to Commit A Post Colonial Murder by Nina McConigley

Vigil by George Saunders

Nice Places by Vincent Chu

Pedro the Vast by Simón Lopez Trujillo translated by Sophie Hughes

House of Monstrous Women by Daphne Fama 

Find Lillian Lee on Social Media @zillianzee

See my two new Works of Art at Red bluff Gallery

Wuthering Heights Giveaway 

Enter to Win A Free month on Books Are My People

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I hope you all have a wonderfully bookish week! 

It's a bit of a longer episode today but I couldn’t tear myself away from my new Bay Area Crafty friends: Monica and Cortney from the fantastic podcast Craft Cook Read Repeat. 

These joyful makers will inspire creativity and curiosity in the kitchen, on the needles on the nightstand and more. And, one of them answers the age-old question "Are Sophie scarves a project for beginning knitters?"

Plus, they share some of their favorite book recommendations. 

And we get three bonus guest author recommendations this week:

Christina Hammonds Reed, author of The Johnson Four recommends American Nightmare by Kelly McWilliams. 

Rebecca Fallon, author of Family Drama recommends Almost Life by Kiran Mlgood Hargrave.

Eleanor Shearer, author of Fireflies in Winter recommends Barkskins by Annie Proulx.

WIN A FREE MONTH AND READ AND WATCH WUTHERING HEIGHTS WITH US on my Books Are My People bookclub on Substack. 

Books Discussed:

On the Calculation of Volume – Solvej Balle

A Sociopath’s Guide to A Successful Marriage – by M. K. Oliver

The Light Pirate - Lily Brooks-Dalton

The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow

Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi  translated by David Boyd and Lucy North

Bog Queen - Anna North 

Where to find Cortney and Monica on Social Media:

IG @craftcookreadrepeat

Podcast Website

IG @cortneysf 

Other Things Mentioned:

Char Hamilton's amazing art classes! 

Ravelrly 

Imagined Landscapes gnomes

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I hope you all have a wonderfully bookish week! 

Yup, I finally read part of a romance novel and watched two romance shows. Who am I in 2026?

In episode #158 I announce some new forthcoming screen adaptations, we get a guest author book recommendation from Nalini Singh, author of Such A Perfect Family and I recommend five books to add to your TBR. 

Join me on Substack. 

Books Recommended:

Such a Perfect Family Nalini Singh

The Midnight Taxi - Yosha Gunasakera

The Irish Goodbye - Heather Aimee O’Neill

The Infamous Gilberts - Anjela Tomaski

Only Son – Kevin Moffett

Is This A Cry For Help? – Emily Austin

The Housemaid - Freida McFadden

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I hope you all have a wonderfully bookish week! 

This week on episode #157, I speak with one of my favorite authors, the delightful Sara Levine, author of The Hitch, out tomorrow. I talk about some of my New Year’s resolutions, the amazing new skill I taught my dog and winter break travel plans gone wrong. We also get a guest author recommendation from Mark Medley author of Live to see the Day. 

PODCAST NOTES:

The Hitch by Sara Levine

Treasure Island by Sara Levine

War with the Newts – Karel Capek 

Heart The Lover by Lily King

Nature Poem by Tommy Pico

Often I am Happy by Jens Christian Grondhal

Is Mother Dead by Vigdis Hjorth

Instagram @hitchface

Substack

Sara Levine’s website

Live to see the Day by Mark Medley

Joyride by Susan Orlean

Saturday Night by Susan Orlean

Read The Empusium with me on Substack

Listen to Episode #3 of Books Are My People, where my dad and I talk about Sara Levine’s Treasure Island!!! (It was only my third episode, so please forgive any sound editing issues!) 

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I hope you all have a wonderfully bookish week! 

This week, I go back in time to 2012 to share some of my favorite reads as well as discuss other, notable reads from that year. 

We have a special guest author recommendation from Emily Wiberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka authors of Seeing Other People . 

Happy New Year, everyone! 

Shownotes: 

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey 

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloane

Every Day by David Levethan

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

The Round House by Loise Erdrich

Tell The Wolves I’m Home by Carole Rifka Brunt

Links to Books Are My People mugs

Link to my Chair Art

Link to Empusium Read Along

Link to National Book Award winners

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I hope you all have a wonderfully bookish week! 

Check out my top reads of 2025. I also include some books I read in 2025 that were previously published. I share what craft I'm struggling with, what Thanksgiving crop I grew this year as well as some bookish news. 

Books Published in 2025 Mentioned:

Heart The Lover by Lily King

The Ten-Year Affair by Erin Somers

A Truce That Is Not Peace by Miriam Toews

Runs in the Blood by Matthew J. Trafford 

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy 

Endling by Maria Reva

Things in Nature Merely Grow by Yiyun Li 

Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams

Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley 

Books Published Other Years: 

This Motherless Land by Nikki May

How to Read a Book by Monica Wood 

How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair 

Sky Full of Elephants by Cebo Campbell

Send me a photo of your specialty library card! You can send it to: [email protected]

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I hope you all have a wonderfully bookish week! 

This week, I speak with Aja Gabel, author of Lightbreakers. We talk about loss, writing and book recommendations, of course! We also get a guest author recommendation from Amie McNee, author of To Kill A Queen.

Books recommended:

Stories of Your Life by Ted Chiang

The Ten Year Affair by Erin Somers

Notes on Infinity by Austin Taylor

Maggie: or a man and a woman walk into a bar by Katie Lee

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

Find Aja Gabel on Instagram @AjaGabel

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I hope you all have a wonderfully bookish week! 

Every once in a while I like to just record on my own! Especially when life gets hectic! 

We get a guest author recommendation from Kristin Bair, author of Clementine Crane Prefers Not To.

I share a story about why I'll never wear white pants again, I talk about the National Book Award fiction contenders and I recommend five great reads. Enjoy!

In November, we'll be reading Washington Black and watching the TV series in my online bookclub on Substack. Come join us! 

Books Recommended: 

The Ex-Boyfriend’s Favorite Recipe Funeral Committee by Saki Kawashiro 

Ghost Fish by Stuart Pennebaker

A Truce That Is Not Peace by Miriam Toews

Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor

The Road to the Country by Chigozie Obioma

Register to watch the National Book Awards

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I hope you all have a wonderfully bookish week! 

This week, we're joined by Nick Medina, author of The Whistler. We talk about superstitions, narrative voice and so much more! We also get a book recommendation from  Julian Brave NoiseCat, author of We Survived The Night. 

Books Recommended:

Buffalo Hunter Hunter - Stephen Graham Jones

The Red Car by Marcy Dermasnky

Villain Hitting for Viscous Little Nobodies - Lindsay Wong (this one is forthcoming and not yet listed online.) 

The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy

Angel Down by Daniel Krause

Other Books Mentioned:

Never Whistle At Night - Shane Hawk, et al.

There, There by Tommy Orange

Find Nick on Social Media:

@nickmedinawrites

X @medinanick

www.nickmedina.net

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I hope you all have a wonderfully bookish week!