Bad On Paper

Latest Episodes:

What Books are Taught in High School English Classes Today? Sep 14, 2022

Show notes

This week we're excited to interview two English teachers about what books are taught in High School English classes right now. We chat about what books are in their current curriculum, how books get chosen, what books students get excited about, and what books outside the curriculum are popular with high school students right now.

Mary's Books: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Jane Austen, Emily Dickenson, Walt Whitman, Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, Behold The Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue, and Antigone by Sophocles.

Caroline's Books: Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti, A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, The Hunger Games by Susan Collins, and Harrison Burgeron by Kurt Vonnegut.

Obsessions:

Becca: Amazon Hair Clips, The Don't Worry Darling Drama

What we read this week!

Becca: The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes and Scandalized by Ivy Owens (Lauren from Christina Lauren)

Olivia: The Measure by Nikki Erlick

This Month's Book Club Pick: Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

Sponsors:

Tell Me Lies: Check out Tell Me Lies, now streaming on Hulu and let us know what you think!

Betterhelp: Visit BetterHelp.com/badonpaper today to get 10% off your first month.

Join our Facebook group for amazing book recs & more!

Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts.

The Indoor Kid Episode: Fall 2022 TV & Movie Recs Sep 07, 2022

Show notes

We're preparing for indoor time this fall and talking TV and Movie recommendations! Becca and Olivia share their recommendations, and our listeners call in to share their favorite shows and hidden gems!

Olivia's TV Recs: Scripted: Yellowjackets, Severance, Under the Banner of Heaven, Starstruck, and Fleabag.

Becca's TV Recs: Partner Track, Loot, Never Have I Ever, Tell Me Lies, Hacks, Ten Percent, and The Bear.

Listener TV Recs: Trying, Minx, Crash Landing on You, Call your Agent!, Valeria, Minx, Everything I Know About Love, What We Do in the Shadows, Gilmore Girls, The Expanse, Love Island UK, Six Feet Under, A League Of Their Own, Abbott Elementary, The Great British Bake Off

Movie Recs

Becca: Not Okay, Vengeance, and Top Gun: Maverick

Olivia: Good Luck To You, Leo Grande, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

Listeners: The Last Duel (check content warnings before watching!) and Cha Cha Real Smooth

Obsessions

Olivia: Orange Amazon dress (pleasant surprise)

Becca: Sweat shorts (Lou & Grey; Amazon)

What we read this week!

Olivia:

Reclaiming Body Trust by Hilary Kinavey and Dana Sturtevant

Becca:

Now Is Not The Time To Panic by Kevin Wilson

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

How To Fall Out Of Love Madly by Jana Casale

The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

This Month's Book Club Pick: Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

Sponsors:

HelloFresh - HelloFresh.com/bop16 and use code BOP16 for 16 free meals across 7 boxes AND 3 free gifts.

Prose - Go to Prose.com/bop for your FREE in-depth hair consultation and 15% off.

Join our Facebook group for amazing book recs & more!

Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts.

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty Book Club Aug 31, 2022

Show notes

So excited to discuss our August book club pick: You Made A Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi. This lush romantic drama sparked a lot of conversation in our Facebook Group, and we share our differing feelings about the book as well! We also discuss why we think this book was so divisive, our thoughts on the characters' chemistry, how the theme of grief is explored, and what we thought about the ending.

In this conversation we bring up author Akwaeke Emezi's interview with Elle, and To Be Black and Loved's You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty review!

Obsessions

Olivia: Cowboy boots

Becca: New desk setup - Wireless Keyboard, Laptop Stand, Magic Trackpad

What we read this week!

Olivia:

All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers

We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Becca:

Seoulmates by Susan Lee (out 9/20)

If You Could See The Sun by Ann Liang (out 10/11)

Now Is Not The Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson (out 11/8)

September Book Club Pick: Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

Sponsors:

Better Help - Visit BetterHelp.com/badonpaper today to get 10% off your first month

Join our Facebook group for amazing book recs & more!

Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts.

The Freelance Episode Aug 24, 2022

Show notes

This week we're talking about all things freelancing. We share when, why & how we made the decision to go freelance, what our work entails, and if we ever see ourselves going back to a full-time job. We also answer YOUR questions about freelance life including how much experience you need, how to find clients, and how we structure our schedules and stay motivated.

We also get into all the money stuff: from how to set and negotiate your rates, the good, the bad, and the ugly of payment timing, how we save for taxes, how we deal with health insurance, and what we're doing for retirement planning.

Curious about Oliva's Zero to Freelance Course and How to Pitch guide? Use code BADONPAPER for 60% off her offerings which you can learn more about here! (She'll be shutting it down on October 1, 2022!)

Obsessions

Becca: Ceramic cosmetic scooper stick (here's something similar on Amazon)

A bonus thing we discussed today was Bug Bite Thing

Everything we read this week!

Olivia: All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers

Becca: The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner

August's Book Club Pick: You Made A Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akweake Emezi

Sponsors:

Zocdoc - Go to Zocdoc.com/BOP and download the Zocdoc app for FREE and start your search for a top-rated doctor today.

Honeylove - Get 20% off your second item, PLUS an ADDITIONAL 10% off at Honeylove.com, with code BADONPAPER

Join our Facebook group for amazing book recs & more!

Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts.

Jennifer Weiner on Body Diversity in Books Aug 17, 2022

Show notes

We're taking body diversity in books with Jennifer Weiner, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of nineteen books, including That Summer, Big Summer, Mrs. Everything, Good in Bed, and an essay collection, Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, and Writing.

Jennifer talks about her journey to becoming a best-selling author, what motivated her to feature women with different body types in her books, and the process of getting a visibly plus-size woman on book covers. We also ask Jennifer about how she decides what to write about, her newest book The Summer Place, and writing a book set in the time of COVID.

Jennifer also shares her favorite Philly bookstores and her favorite recent reads.

You can find Jennifer at @jenniferweinerwrites on Instagram, @jenweinerwrites on Tik Tok, Jennifer Weiner on Facebook, jenniferweiner.com, and get a signed copy of her books at Head House Books in Philadelphia

Books Jennifer loves right now:

When We Were Bright and Beautiful by Jillian Medoff

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult

You Made A Fool Of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

Obsessions

Becca: Anthropologie bracelet stack: Colorful Chicklet Bracelet, Pearly Heart Bracelet, and Colorful Tennis Bracelet

Olivia: The Ghost Ship That Didn't Carry Us by Cheryl Strayed, Dear Sugar Column

Some bonus things we talked about this week include Olivia's Mango Cucumber salad by What's Gaby Cooking and a Smashed Pickle Salad recipe from NYT cooking we both want to make ASAP.

What we read this week!

Becca: Killers of A Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn (out Sept 6!) The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner

Olivia: The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner, The Measure by Nikki Erlick

This Month's Book Club Pick: You Made A Fool Of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

Sponsors:

Better Help - get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/badonpaper

Join our Facebook group for amazing book recs & more!

Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts.

Our Q3 Listener Q&A! Aug 10, 2022

Show notes

It's finally time for another Q&A! We answer some quick questions about how we found our voices as writers, advice for balancing creative projects and a day job, how we answer the question "so what do you do for work?" We also dive into lengthier questions about our favorite books of the year, the backlist books we love, the best & worst parts of hosting a podcast, and more!

Our favorite books of the year

Becca: Every Summer After by Carley Fortune, This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Olivia: Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, and Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka.

Backlist books we love

Becca: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, The Selection Series by Kiera Cass, A Discovery of Witches series by Deborah E. Harkness, A Million Junes by Emily Henry, and Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering

Olivia: The Push by Ashley Audrain, Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller, The One by John Marrs, The Whisper Man by Alex North, Good Girls' Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson, and Room by Emma Donoghue.

Becca's seltzer influencer updates

Nixie Peach Iced Tea Seltzer (caffeinated)

Spindrift Pineapple

Our Favorite Candles

Hotel Lobby Signature Candle

Hotel Lobby Miami Candle

Hotel Lobby Pride Candle

Obsessions

Olivia: Airfly Pro for flying with wireless headphones

Becca: Sticky Tabs on Amazon

What we read this week!

Becca:

Nora Goes off Script by Annabel Monaghan

You Made A Fool Of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

The Counselors by Jessica Goodman

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn (out September 6!)

Olivia:

Notes on an Execution by Dana Kukafa

August Book Club Pick: You Made A Fool Of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

Sponsors:

Tradlands - Go to tradlands.com/badonpaper and use the code BADONPAPER20 for 20% off your order

Prose - Take your FREE in-depth hair consultation and get 15% off your first order at prose.com/bop

Join our Facebook group for amazing book recs & more!

Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts.

How A Book Gets Made with Marketer Cristina Arreola & Ashley Winstead Aug 03, 2022

Show notes

For the final episode of our series about how a book gets made, we're talking all things marketing and publicity with Cristina Arreola, the senior marketing manager at Sourcebooks Landmark, and Ashley Winstead, the author of In My Dreams I Hold A Knife, Fool Me Once, and the forthcoming The Last Housewife.

Cristina and Ashley answer our questions about at what point marketing gets involved in the publishing process, how publishers decide how much marketing support a book gets, what the author is responsible for when it comes to marketing and publicity, and how much input authors get on book covers. We also discuss the different marketing playbooks for an author's first book vs their following books, the importance of pre-orders, and the impact of book clubs and social media buzz.

Find Cristina at @sourcebooks and @tinamariposa on Instagram.

Find Ashley at @ashleywinsteadbooks on Instagram.

Obsessions

Becca - The Bear on Hulu

Olivia - her niece's obsession with dinosaurs

What we read this week!

Becca - Portrait of A Thief by Grace D. Li

Olivia - Every Summer After by Carley Fortune and Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

This Month's Book Club Pick: You Made A Fool Of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

Sponsors:

Better Help - get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/badonpaper

Join our Facebook group for amazing book recs & more!

Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts.

Lessons in Chemistry Book Club Jul 27, 2022

Show notes

It's finally time to discuss our listener-picked Book Club selection: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus!

We talk about our general feelings about the book, how we reacted to the moments of sexism in the 1960s setting, our thoughts on the main character, and the differing perspectives of the three key women in the book. We also discuss how we felt about the ending and since this book already has a TV adaptation in the works, we talk about our casting thoughts and hear from listeners about the characters they pictured.

What the book reminds us of

Where'd you go Bernadette by Maria Semple

Radioactive

Julia Child HBO Series

Obsessions

Becca - Trader Joe's Hold The Cone Mini Ice Cream Cones (also toffee bars)

Olivia - Catfish (the documentary and TV Show)

What we read this week!

Becca:

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Olivia:

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

August's Book Club Pick: You Made A Fool Of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

Sponsors:

Zocdoc - Go to Zocdoc.com/BOP to start your search for a top-rated doctor today

Honeylove - Get 20% off your second item, plus an additional 10% off at Honeylove.com with code BOP.

Tradlands - Go to tradlands.com/badonpaper and use code BADONPAPER20 for 20% off

Join our Facebook group for amazing book recs & more!

Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts.

How a Book Gets Made: Editor Amanda Bergeron and Author Carley Fortune Jul 20, 2022

Show notes

We're BACK and continuing our series about how a book gets made! This week we're chatting with Amanda Bergeron, an executive editor at Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Random House, and Carley Fortune, the author of Every Summer After.

Amanda breaks down the acquisition & publication process from the editor's end, how many submissions she receives, and what leads her to choose a book to work on. Carley shares her writing process from conception to submission, how she felt when she got her initial edit letter, and how much her manuscript changed from acquisition to publishing. We also ask them about how many rounds of edits they worked through together, what happens when they disagree on a change, and what makes a successful author/editor relationship.

Find Carley Fortune at @carleyfortune on Instagram, carleyfortune.com, and get a signed copy of Every Summer After via Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston Texas.

Books Carley and Amanda are Excited about

The No-Show by Beth O'Leary

A Hundred Other Girls by Iman Hariri-Kia (Out July 26)

Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Obsessions

Becca:

Paris, Perfected

Burgundy Wines!

Digit for a rainy day fund

Olivia:

Pod Meets World Podcast

What we read this week

Olivia:

Process: The Writing Lives of Great Authors by Sarah Stodola

The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark

Becca:

Vacationland by Meg Mitchell Moore

The Cloisters by Katy Hays (Out November 1)

The Work Wife by Alison B Hart

This Month's Book Club Pick: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Sponsors:

Better Help - Get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/badonpaper
True Bill - Start canceling unwanted subscriptions today at Truebill.com/BOP
ReTold Recycling - Go to RetoldRecycling.com and get 10% off with code BOP10 on all Retold Bags and make recycling a part of your summer clean-up!
Betches - Listen to @Betches on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Join our Facebook group for amazing book recs & more!

Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts.

How A Book Gets Made Series: Agent Taylor Haggerty with Author Iman Hariri-Kia Jul 06, 2022

Show notes

We're so excited to start our summer series about how a book gets made! This week we're talking all about book agents, from what they do to how authors find an agent in the first place. We brought on Taylor Haggerty, an agent at Root Literary representing commercial fiction for teens and adults, and Iman Hariri-Kia, writer and editor born and based in New York City whose debut novel A Hundred Others Girls will be published July 26th by Sourcebooks.

We chat with Iman about her writing process for A Hundred Other Girls and how she found, queried, and picked out an agent to work with. Taylor explains an agent's role in the publishing process and shares her tips for choosing the right agent, how to regroup if you get passed on, and she gives us a sense of how much money an author can expect to make for a debut novel.

You can find Iman at @imanharirikia on Instagram and @imanharirikia on Tik Tok

You can find Taylor at @rootliterary on Instagram, rootliterary.com, and PublishersMarketplace.com

Related to our conversation:

Track Changes - First Draft with Sarah Enni

Obsessions

Becca: The Summer I Turned Pretty & The Time Traveler's Wife

Olivia: My Sweet Dumb Brain email newsletter by Katie Hawkins-Gaar

What we read this week!

Olivia:

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering

Becca: