Book Friends Forever Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 368: Publishing News and Play Personalities! Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

Grace and Alvina discuss a bunch of book publishing news, including the Anthropic Settlement, the National Book Award for Young People's Literature long list, a study about how library eBook lending hurts sales, how Libro.FM is planning to expand into the eBook market, and they talk about some of the new words that have recently been added to Merriam-Webster's dictionary, including words such as looksmaxxing, yacht rock, shishito, chili crisp, and glow-up.

For the Fortune Cookie segment, they talk about eight different "play personalities" and which ones they are--Grace is a creator, and Alvina is an explorer. And, they both have dreamer energy. And they end as always with what they're grateful for.

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Episode 367: Two Topics: Sabbatical and Life Lessons! Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

Grace and Alvina take on two topics. They talk about sabbaticals, and a recent Happiness Lab podcast episode about how life changing sabbaticals are. Grace talks about the challenges of taking a sabbatical as a freelancer, and Alvina shares how life-changing her sabbatical was, even though it was just four weeks. They talk about the different types of sabbaticals you could take: as an achiever, an explorer, or a healer. And, how to plan a sabbatical. They also touch on the different ways to be retired as discussed on a recent Gretchen Rubin podcast: a relaxer, a reinventor, or a reinvigorator.

For the second topic, Grace talks about how she was asked to contribute a life lesson to her alma mater for a publication. She is supposed to reflect on one true thing she has learned from life. They talk about the different things they've learned over the years, including that you need to be your authentic self, that everything will turn out okay in the end, and more. They end, as always, with what they're grateful for--old friends who feel like family!

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Episode 366: CHOP SUEY: Retreats, Procrastination, Fall Publishing, and Book Recs with Alison Morris! Sep 11, 2026

Show notes

Grace's audio/microphone is finally fixed!!

Grace and Alvina have an odd-and-ends Chop Suey episode where they discuss various topics. Since Grace is just back from the Boyd's Mills Asian American Voices retreat, they talk about retreats in general, the community benefits that come from attending retreats, and different kind of retreats.

Then they discuss procrastination--Alvina is a somewhat "recovered procrastinator" and Grace talks about procrastinating on chores that she isn't good at doing. They talk about tips for not procrastinating, including "temptation bundling" and gamifying tasks. Then they talk about the Fall season in publishing and why it feels so busy, and they discuss whether editors acquire more in the Fall.

For the final segment, children's literature specialist Alison Morris joins to share some book recommendations. And, they end as always with what they're grateful for.

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Episode 365: Easy vs Hard! Sep 03, 2026

Show notes

Grace and Alvina discuss how publishing and writing is hard, and why it should or shouldn't be. They talk about the stereotype of the tortured artist, and while the act of creating art doesn't have to be hard, but that the publishing part perhaps does need to be in order for it to be a true accomplishment. They talk about how if things are hard now, things may be easier later, while other things may be easy now, but make things harder later. They talk about what things should be hard, and what things should be easier (like taxes and healthcare). They talk about how the sense of accomplishment comes from doing hard things. And, how balance in your life is important.

For the Fortune Cookie segment, they talk about how they currently use (or don't use) AI in their own lives, and what is ethical vs unethical usage. They talk about a recent article about AI usage amongst Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists. And they end as always with what they're grateful for.

Click here to become a Patreon member: https://www.patreon.com/Bookfriendsforever1

Episode 364: Book Friends Forever and You, Me, and the Writing Journey Podcast crossover Aug 28, 2026

Show notes

Grace Lin and Alvina Ling are joined by Danielle Render Turmaud, host of the podcast You, Me, and the Writing Journey podcast to do a crossover episode! Danielle is a therapist and a kidlit author, and You, Me, and the Writing Journey meets at the intersection of all thing literary + mental health, so they discuss anxiety and stress in the writing industry. The distinguish between the anxiety and stress involved with the actual writing vs publishing. They talk about the potential joy of the doing/writing, but the stress and anxiety that's introduced once you share your work with others, try to get published, and then actually get published! Danielle talks about how your writing can change, and your relationship to writing can change, once you decide that publishing your writing is your goal. They talk about how publishing brings the market and capitalist element into your art. They also talk about how uncertainty in publishing contributes to anxiety, as well as the personal nature of writing, and the danger of comparison. Danielle shares a few factors that research has found that are highly likely to contribute to stress: lack of control, suddenness, and ambiguity. They discuss how these three factors are intrinsic in the industry. They also talk about how stress and anxiety manifest in their lives and bodies (like insomnia, rumination, and "stress eating"), and what things they've done to help alleviate their work stress and anxiety. Danielle talks about how to "Feel, release, and accept."

For the Fortune Cookie segment, they each share what they're obsessed with right now. Grace is obsessed with seeing the Dambo Trolls, Alvina talks about her recent TV and book obsessions, and Danielle is obsessed with their new firepit. And they end with what they're grateful for.

Check out the You, Me, and the Writing Journey podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-me-and-the-writing-journey-podcast/id1791701688

Follow Danielle and You, Me, and the Writing Journey podcast on Instagram: @Drenderturmaud and @YMWJPodcast

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Episode 363: Interviewing! Aug 21, 2026

Show notes

Grace and Alvina discuss interviews--both conducting good interviews and being a good interviewee--Grace had recently had an interview for a surprise opportunity, and Alvina has been interviewing for her new assistant. They talk about what elements make for being a good interviewer, including how all candidates, including rejected ones, should feel like they were fairly assessed. All of the interviews should be conducted with the same list of questions for all candidates, and questions should be crafted to evaluate the specifics of the role requirements. They talk about bias in interviews and when to take that into account. Then they talk about how to be a good interviewee, and how some questions can be misleading in terms of what the interviewer is looking for. If you're interviewing for a position, make sure to do some research about the company you're interviewing for, and use the "STAR" method when answering questions. And, always send a thank-you note after your interview!

For the Fortune Cookie segment they talk about what they both think is worth waiting in line for. And they end as always with what they're grateful for.

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Episode 362: Our Legacies! Aug 13, 2026

Show notes

Apologies, as it sounds like Grace's microphone is still not working properly!

Grace Lin and Alvina Ling catch up with each other's lives, and Alvina gives an update on her search for a new assistant, and Grace talks about attending Jane Yolen's memorial service at the Eric Carle Museum. Because of that, it sparked them to discuss what kind of legacies they would like to leave. Jane had touched so many lives, especially from her mentoring and teaching. Alvina talks about her own mentorship in the industry, while Grace admits that mentorship isn't her strength, and that she hopes that her legacy will be the work she produces. She thinks of her books as a "soft place to land" for her readers.

They share some tips on how to leave a lasting legacy, including "it's a marathon, not a sprint" and "know your mission and vision" and "continue to learn and grow."

For the Fortune Cookie segment, they revisit the four type of thinkers topic from the previous week--the worries, the domestics, the bodily thinkers, and the work hard play hard thinkers. They looped in their husbands to participate in this very unscientific study to determine what kind of thinkers they are.

Then, Grace asks Alvina to tell her about the book NO ONE LEAVES THE MANOR by Kelly McWilliams, a YA historical horror novel that is perfect for summer reading and spooky "summerween"! And then, they end as always with what they're grateful for.

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Episode 361: 2026 Mid-year Check In! Aug 07, 2026

Show notes

Grace Lin and Alvina Ling check in on how they're doing with their new year's resolutions at the halfway through the year(ish) point. They remind themselves about their words of the year, and then run through four resolutions each, and talk about their aspirations and what they wanted to get rid of/stop doing this year.

For the Fortune Cookie segment, they talk about a recent Guardian article outlining four different types of thinkers: the worriers, the domestics, bodily thinkers, and work hard-play hard. They discuss which ones they think apply to them. And they end as always with what they're grateful for.

Click here to become a Patreon member: https://www.patreon.com/Bookfriendsforever1

Episode 360: CHOP SUEY: Aging, Hiring, Favorite Teacher, and Book Recs with Alison Morris! Jul 30, 2026

Show notes

Apologies for the quality of Grace's audio! We're hoping to fix it for next week's episode.

Grace Lin and Alvina Ling talk about several topic, including aging--as they're both in perimenopause, they're dealing with issues like frozen shoulder and brain fog, and Alvina talks about being on hormone replacement therapy. And then, Alvina talks about the process of hiring a new assistant and what some of the things she's looking for. For the next topic, they talk about who their favorite teachers have been over the years.

And then children's literature specialist Alison Morris joins to share some book recommendations. They end as always with what they're grateful for.

Click here to become a Patreon member: https://www.patreon.com/Bookfriendsforever1

Episode 359: The End of Reading? And Raising Readers! Jul 23, 2026

Show notes

Grace and Alvina discuss a recent article in the Atlantic that bemoaned the end of reading in our society, the so-called "literacy crisis," and they also talk about Hachette Book Group's Raising Readers initiative to help counter that crisis and encourage parents and other adults to read with their children. They touch on social media use, and how so much of social media is photo or video-based rather than text based, and how instead of text messaging, some people are using voice memos instead. They also touch on AI use. They talk about how dire things are, but how there is still hope and things that we can all do to turn this around.

For the Fortune Cookie segment they talk about their favorite summer treats, including their favorite popsicle flavor, ice cream flavor, and summer drink. And they end as always with what they're grateful for.

Click here to become a Patreon member: https://www.patreon.com/Bookfriendsforever1

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