Books and the City

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Conspiracy Theories & Summer Snacks Jul 05, 2021

Show notes

Hi, hello, happy July, have you ever wondered what the BATC hosts’ favorite summer snacks are? Well you’re in luck, because we’re discussing that and more before we get into the books on today’s episode! And you’re not going to want to miss this one, because we’re chatting about some really great YA, NYC and Baltimore-based historical fiction, and a contemporary fantasy classic. Thanks for listening!! You can join our fan club here: https://www.patreon.com/booksandthecitypod. Grab your BATC merch (and stay tuned for a summer addition): https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Subscribe to our newsletter on our website, and send us an email at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com------------->

Becky just read: Everything Leads to You (14:23-22:57)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/311370/everything-leads-to-you-by-nina-lacour/
Up next for Becky: The Great Pretenders by Laura Kalpalkian

Libby just read: City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert (22:58-34:32)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/318864/city-of-girls-by-elizabeth-gilbert/
Up next for Libby: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Kayla just read: Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau (34:33-43:44)
harpercollins.com/products/mary-jane-jessica-anya-blau?variant=32269630504994
Up next for Kayla: Survive the Night by Riley Sager

Emily just read: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (43:45-56:26)
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/neverwhere-neil-gaiman?variant=32181423210530
Up next for Emily: Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko

Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions our own.

Seth Rogen Makes Kayla Blush Jun 28, 2021

Show notes

Hello, hello! Before we talk books today, we’re sharing an update about the July book club pick (from Emily again!) and a mini-update about our summer merch. Exciting things! Stay tuned to hear us reflect on some of our oldest clothing items (shoutout to Soffe shorts, our old faithfuls). And for today’s book talk, we’re doing something out of character, and chatting about lots of memoirs! Tune in to hear about two comedy memoirs, one memoir about gender exploration, and a buzzy, highly anticipated new thriller. Thank you for listening, we love you! You can join our fan club here: https://www.patreon.com/booksandthecitypod. Grab your BATC merch (and stay tuned for a summer addition): https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Subscribe to our newsletter on our website, and send us an email at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com------------->

Kayla just read: Yearbook by Seth Rogen (11:23-22:55)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/606190/yearbook-by-seth-rogen/
Up next for Kayla: Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Becky just read: The Maidens by Alex Michaelides (22:56-33:23)
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250304476
Up next for Becky: Miss Meteor by Anna-Marie McLemore and Taylor Kay Mejia

Libby just read: Fairest by Meredith Talusen (33:24-44:07)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/598149/fairest-by-meredith-talusan/
Up next for Libby: Frying Plantain by Zalika Reid-Benta

Emily just read: Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets & Advice for Living Your Best Life by Ali Wong (44:08-53:01)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/561707/dear-girls-by-ali-wong/
Up next for Emily: Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson

Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions our own.

Three Cheers for Pride! Jun 21, 2021

Show notes

We are back on Zoom for the first time in a while, talking about pride books for the month of June! Before diving into some of the titles that helped us celebrate queer joy this month, we’re chatting about our ~child star~ moments. Can you believe all four of us have been on TV?! And then, of course, some fantastic gay books. And here’s your friendly reminder to read diversely all year round - not just during Pride month (or Black History month, AAPI Heritage month... you get it). Don’t forget to head over to our Instagram story poll to vote on this year’s summer merch 😍 Thank you for listening! You can join our fan club here: https://www.patreon.com/booksandthecitypod. Grab your BATC merch: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Subscribe to our newsletter on our website, and send us an email at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com------------->

Emily just read: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (13:16-22:18)
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Aristotle-and-Dante-Discover-the-Secrets-of-the-Universe/Benjamin-Alire-Saenz/Aristotle-and-Dante/9781442408937
Up next for Emily: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Libby just read: One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston (22:19-34:40)
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250244499
Up next for Libby: Inferno by Eileen Myles

Becky just read: When Katie Met Cassidy by Camille Perri (34:41-44:54)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/550394/when-katie-met-cassidy-by-camille-perri/
Up next for Becky: Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour

Kayla just read: Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur (44:55-55:53)
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/written-in-the-stars-alexandria-bellefleur?variant=32117470855202
Up next for Kayla: One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions our own.

Amigas, Cheetahs, Friends for Life Jun 14, 2021

Show notes

We’re (still) reflecting on our upstate retreat, and today we’re sharing what we learned about each other after spending our first full weekend together. The answers may surprise you a little bit! And before we get into some quality book talk, we have some exciting announcements about the fan club book club, BATC merch, and a possible end-of-summer Tri-State meet up 👀 keep your eyes and ears peeled for more on that. Thank you for listening, and enjoy! You can join our fan club here: https://www.patreon.com/booksandthecitypod. Grab your BATC merch: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Subscribe to our newsletter on our website, and send us an email at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com------------->

Libby just read: Eat A Peach by David Chang (15:22-29:59)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/552829/eat-a-peach-by-david-chang-with-gabe-ulla/
Up next for Libby: Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown

Kayla just read: Long Bright River by Liz Moore (30:00-41:08)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/600396/long-bright-river-by-liz-moore/
Up next for Kayla: Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard

Emily just read: The Prestige by Christopher Priest (41:09-53:30)
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780312858865
Up next for Emily: The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee

Becky just read: Is This Anything? By Jerry Seinfeld (53:31-1:02:51)
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Is-This-Anything/Jerry-Seinfeld/9781982112691
Up next for Becky: Shadowplay by Joseph O’Connor

Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions our own.

Us Just Struggling to Pronounce “Aurora” Jun 07, 2021

Show notes

Helloooo, and welcome to our last recording from upstate! Shoutout to us for managing to stretch this trip out a solid few weeks. So we’re reveling in a fun in-person “upstate” recording and chatting about our ideal middle school slumber partiess before we jump into some entertaining book talk! On the docket today, we have some sci-fi, a magical murder mystery, a villain origin story, and some contemporary witchy satire. Thank you for listening, we love you forever! You can join our fan club (and book club!) here: https://www.patreon.com/booksandthecitypod. Grab your BATC merch: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Subscribe to our newsletter on our website, and send us an email at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com------------->

Emily just read: Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor (20:23-31:50)
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250772800
Up next for Emily: Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

Becky just read: Bellweather Rhapsody by Kate Racculia (31:51-47:38)
https://www.hmhco.com/shop/books/embellweatherem-emrhapsodyem/9780544483910
Up next for Becky: Is This Anything? by Jerry Seinfeld

Libby just read: Malice by Heather Walter (47:39-1:01:47)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/635783/malice-by-heather-walter/
Up next for Libby: Piranesi by Susanna Clark

Kayla just read: A Special Place for Women by Laura Hankin (1:01:48-1:15:56)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/608156/a-special-place-for-women-by-laura-hankin/
Up next for Kayla: Sisters of the Resistance by Christine Wells

Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions our own.

Alien Orgies?! May 31, 2021

Show notes

We’re coming to you (not) live with some more BATC Upstate Retreat Content! We recorded this episode from the Airbnb of our dreams in Kingston - can we go back yet? So tune in for that then stay tuned to hear Libby announce the June fan club book club pick! It’s a good one and we cannot wait. After all that, stick around for some very lovely (and really varied) book discussions! Thank you for listening! We love you! You can join our fan club (and book club!) here: https://www.patreon.com/booksandthecitypod. Grab your BATC merch: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Subscribe to our newsletter on our website, and send us an email at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com------------->

Becky just read: Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland (15:30-26:43)
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Florence-Adler-Swims-Forever/Rachel-Beanland/9781982132460
Up next for Becky: Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous by Suzanne Park

Libby just read: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (26:44-36:45)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/253400/dark-matter-by-blake-crouch/
Up next for Libby: Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers

Kayla just read: Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert (36:46-46:30)
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/act-your-age-eve-brown-talia-hibbert?variant=32126621941794
Up next for Kayla: The Sober Girl Society Handbook: An Empowering Guide to Living Hangover Free by Millie Gooch

Emily just read: Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (46:32-1:00:10)
https://imagecomics.com/comics/releases/saga-vol-1-tp
Up next for Emily: The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin

Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions our own.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Laura Hankin May 24, 2021

Show notes

We hope you're ready for a fascinating, fun author interview with the one and only Laura Hankin! Laura's newest book, A Special Place for Women, is a genre-bending take on a fictional (but perhaps familiar) all-female workspace called Nevertheless. It delves into white feminism and proclaimed "inclusive spaces," and it even gets a bit witchy! So you can expect a juicy conversation about the real world parallels to Nevertheless, Laura's inspiration for this book, her writing process, and what she has coming down the pipeline (spoiler: it sounds AMAZING). Also! If you enjoy this interview, you might want to stay tuned for an upcoming episode… 😉 We hope you enjoy this interview! Feel free to send us a note about Laura’s books or anything else at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com. ------------------------>

A Special Place for Women by Laura Hankin: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/608156/a-special-place-for-women-by-laura-hankin/

Happy and You Know It by Laura Hankin: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/608155/happy-and-you-know-it-by-laura-hankin/

Laura's currently reading: Dial A for Aunties by Jessie Q. Sutanto: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/667815/dial-a-for-aunties-by-jesse-q-sutanto/

Find Laura online at: https://www.laurahankin.com/ or on Instagram at: https://instagram.com/laurahankin

Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos

It's a YA Wonderland! May 17, 2021

Show notes

One of the hazards of co-hosting a podcast with a super-genius is sometimes her obligation to science and research is sliiiightly more important. But, guest hosting in Emily's place today, you may recognize the voice of our very own Nicole Zollos, who creates all of our beautiful BATC art! She joins us today to discuss blindly switching current reads with other cohosts, and some fantastic works of YA literature. Thank you for listening, and enjoy! Make sure you're following Nicole's bookstagram @see_nic_read! You can join our fan club (and book club) here: https://www.patreon.com/booksandthecitypod. Grab your BATC merch: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Subscribe to our newsletter on our website, and send us an email at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com------------->

Libby just read: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (9:05-22:25)
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250777881
Up next for Libby: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Kayla just read: A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray (22:26-32:37)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/17785/a-great-and-terrible-beauty-by-libba-bray/
Up next for Kayla: The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray

Guest host Nicole just read: Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley (32:38-40:16)
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250766564
Up next for Nicole: Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

Becky just read: Eventide by Sarah Goodman (40:17-50:12)
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250224736
Up next for Becky: Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions our own.

Invisibility Cloaks & "I (Sometimes) See Dead People" May 10, 2021

Show notes

Today, we're hitting record like 4 seconds after consuming a weird coffee shot drink halfway through a marathon record, so bear with us. Before we get into the book talk, we're sharing which fictional element we'd want access to in the real world. Things get weird, but mostly on brand. And then: the books! There's memoir, YA coming of age, courtroom drama, and a Los Angeles classic. Thank you for listening ❤️!! You can join our fan club here: https://www.patreon.com/booksandthecitypod. Grab your BATC merch: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Subscribe to our newsletter on our website, and send us an email at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com------------->

Emily just read: Sigh, Gone: A Misfit's Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit In by Phuc Tran (11:18-20:07)
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250194718
Up next for Emily: The Nix by Nathan Hill

Kayla just read: The Boys’ Club by Erica Katz (20:08-30:02)
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-boys-club-erica-katz?variant=32306064752674
Up next for Kayla: The Other Mrs. Miller by Allison Dickinson

Becky just read: Mazie by Melanie Crowder (30:03-41:38)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/572844/mazie-by-melanie-crowder/
Up next for Becky: The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

Libby just read: Sex and Rage by Eve Babitz (41:39-52:41)
https://www.counterpointpress.com/dd-product/13223/
Up next for Libby: Eat a Peach by David Chang

Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions our own.

Dating Apps & Throwbacks May 03, 2021

Show notes

We’re kicking off May with a super fun throwback book convo! We all chose books that we read more than one year ago, and tried to do the barest plot refresher before talking about them. We kept the books a surprise (kind of) from each other, so tune in for a very fun episode. And before we even get into that, we’re workshopping some dating app bios for each other. Not to brag, but we are really good at it. Plus! Becky makes a very special May fan club book club announcement. Thank you for listening, and enjoy! You can join our fan club (and book club!) here: https://www.patreon.com/booksandthecitypod. Grab your BATC merch: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Subscribe to our newsletter on our website, and send us an email at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com------------->

Becky’s throwback: The Air You Breathe by Frances de Pontes Peebles (18:43-25:58)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/540700/the-air-you-breathe-by-frances-de-pontes-peebles/ Up next for Becky: Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland

Libby’s throwback: The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton (25:59-34:58)
https://www.littlebrown.com/titles/eleanor-catton/the-luminaries/9780316074292/
Up next for Libby: When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

Emily’s throwback: Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic by David Quammen (34:59-51:08)
https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393346619
Up next for Emily: The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic - and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World by Steven Johnson

Kayla’s throwback: The Alice Network by Kate Quinn (51:09-58:52)
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-alice-network-kate-quinn?variant=32122703183906
Up next for Kayla: The Light Over London by Julia Kelly

Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions our own.

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