Books and the City

Latest Episodes:

Five Billion Stars Mar 01, 2021

Show notes

Books and the City is almost 1 year old!!!! To celebrate, we’re doing a fun little giveaway so tune in to find out how you can enter for a chance to win a very exclusive wine glass! And then stick around for some travel-book-talk to make not being able to travel a little less painful for the time being. After that, of course, more book talk with a highly anticipated historical fiction book (and keep your eyes peeled for an exciting author interview 👀), plus the romcom that our fan club members may be pretty familiar with by now (🎙️❤️). You can become a Patreon fan club member here: https://www.patreon.com/booksandthecitypod. Get your Books and the City merch here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter on our website, and send us an email at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com. THANK YOU for listening! ------------->

Kayla just read: The Rose Code by Kate Quinn (7:57-17:59)
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-rose-code-kate-quinn?variant=32126577999906
Up next for Kayla: A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

Libby just read: Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk (18:00-26:20)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/603656/drive-your-plow-over-the-bones-of-the-dead-by-olga-tokarczuk-translated-by-antonia-lloyd-jones/
Up next for Libby: The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

Becky just read: Jackie & Maria by Gill Paul (26:21-31:17)
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/jackie-and-maria-gill-paul?variant=32128449675298
Up next for Becky: The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

Emily just read: The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon (31:18-40:59)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/647762/the-ex-talk-by-rachel-lynn-solomon/
Up next for Emily: The Subtweet Vivek Shraya

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

The Real Kevin Feb 22, 2021

Show notes

If you’ve ever wondered what superlatives we would all win if we went to a four-person high school with each other… then you’re in luck!! Today before we get into the book talk, we’re talking superlatives, and we just get to inflate each other’s egos for a bit. It’s warm and fuzzy. And then, as always, we’re talking about some really solid books: we have a culty drama, a queer Florida novel, and a couple of snowy, winter books - one is about hockey, the other is magical fantasy. Thank you for listening! Remember, you can join our Patreon fan club for fun bonus content here: https://www.patreon.com/booksandthecitypod. Get your Books and the City merch here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter on our website, and send us an email at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com.------------->

Becky just read: We Can Only Save Ourselves by Alison Wisdom (12:22-19:51)
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/we-can-only-save-ourselves-alison-wisdom?variant=32126412128290
Up next for Becky: The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick

Libby just read: Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett (19:52-30:37)
https://tinhouse.com/book/mostly-dead-things/
Up next for Libby: Godshot by Chelsea Bieker

Kayla just read: Beartown by Frederick Backman (30:38-40:56)
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Beartown/Fredrik-Backman/9781501160776
Up next for Kayla: Homegoing Yaa Gyasi

Emily just read: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden (40:57-48:23)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/251789/the-bear-and-the-nightingale-by-katherine-arden/
Up next for Emily: The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden

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

Once Again: It’s Fish Time Feb 15, 2021

Show notes

First things first: are YOU familiar with coding on the WIX platform? Let us know, because we could use your help!! Now that that’s out of the way, thanks for tuning in to hear us talk about our fictional Valentine's and the V-Day candy we'd love to share with them. PS: here's the link to help support Troop 6000, as promised in the ep: https://digitalcookie.girlscouts.org/scout/troop6000-161. If you’re a member of the fan club you may have seen that The Ex Talk book club discussion kicked off yesterday. We’re so excited to keep chatting about the book for the rest of the month, so join us over on the Patreon if you’re interested! You can join our fan club at https://www.patreon.com/booksandthecitypod, and you can get your merch here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter on our website, and send us an email at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!!------------->

Emily just read: Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour (11:20-22:03)
https://www.hmhbooks.com/shop/books/Black-Buck/9780358380887
Up next for Emily: Breathless by Beverly Jenkins

Becky just read: The Lost Letter by Jillian Cantor (22:04-31:09)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/534620/the-lost-letter-by-jillian-cantor/
Up next for Becky: The Divines by Ellie Eaton

Libby just read: What We Lose by Zinzi Clemmons (31:10-39:33)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/547466/what-we-lose-by-zinzi-clemmons/
Up next for Libby: A Lucky Man by Jamel Brinkley

Kayla just read: The Dating Plan by Sara Desai (39:34-48:52)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622473/the-dating-plan-by-sara-desai/
Up next for Kayla: The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

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

Still Pronouncing Things A Little Wrong Feb 08, 2021

Show notes

Hello, hi, welcome back! We’re kicking things off today, naturally, with prolonged chit chat about stuffed animals, because why not? Then, a couple quick reminders (like hurry and buy your merch if you’ve had your eye on it, because it’s going fast and we’re not sure when we’ll restock! And join us on Patreon next week for the first book club discussion about The Ex Talk!) Then, finally, the reason you’re all probably here: some quality book talk. One quick reminder, because a couple of today’s books have content warnings: we always include the timestamps below our shownotes, and we do our best to include content warnings before getting into our books. You can and definitely should skip over a section if you’re not up for hearing about anything we’re discussing! That’s what they’re there for. Thank you for listening! You can buy merch here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Come hang with us on our Patreon fan club at https://www.patreon.com/booksandthecitypod! Shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter on our website, and send us an email at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com.------------->

Libby just read: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (13:53-26:34)
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250076960
Up next for Libby: Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam

Kayla just read: The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr. (26:35-33:57)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622773/the-prophets-by-robert-jones-jr/
Up next for Kayla: The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Becky just read: The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert (33:58-40:54)
https://books.disney.com/book/the-voting-booth/
Up next for Becky: The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

Emily just read: They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill US by Hanif Abdurraqib (41:00-51:04)
https://twodollarradio.com/products/they-cant-kill-us
Up next for Emily: The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

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

A New Catchphrase? Feb 01, 2021

Show notes

Hi friends, we're coming to you with some very exciting fan club book club updates!!! We're excited to announce our first book club pick, chosen by Emily, is Rachel Lynn Solomon's The Ex Talk, so get ready for some steamy hate-to-love goodness. If you want to participate, you can join our fan club using the link below! Then, we're doing some spicy assumptions about all the BATC hosts before getting into so much wonderful book talk (witchy YA, survival thriller, Irish mystery, & literary fiction galore!). Thanks for starting your week with us; you can buy merch here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Come hang with us (and participate in the inaugural book club 🎉) by joining the fan club at https://www.patreon.com/booksandthecitypod! Shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter on our website, and send us an email at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com.------------->

Libby just read: Lanny by Max Porter (17:13-26:57)
https://www.graywolfpress.org/books/lanny
Up next for Libby: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Kayla just read: Girl A by Abigail Dean (27:20-35:07)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/651829/girl-a-by-abigail-dean/
Up next for Kayla: Faye, Faraway by Helen Fisher

Emily just read: The Secret Place by Tana French (35:08-46:00)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/312053/the-secret-place-by-tana-french/
Up next for Emily: Less by Andrew Sean Greer

Becky just read: The Ravens by Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige (46:01-54:31)
https://www.hmhbooks.com/shop/books/The-Ravens/9780358098232
Up next for Becky: We Can Only Save Ourselves by Alison Wisdom

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

Steve the Dog Jan 25, 2021

Show notes

Welcome back to your regularly scheduled Monday episode! And thanks for bearing with us as Kayla took some much-needed COVID-recovery time last week. After we get into that, we’re discussing our dream vacations! This was an especially difficult conversation during this travel-less time :( catch us on, like, any beach as soon as it’s safe to be there. And after all of that: BOOKS! We’re talking thrillers, historical and literary fiction. Remember to wear your masks, wash your hands, and stay safe. Get BATC merch (including the newly stocked, *very* limited tarot cards!) here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Come hang with us by joining the fan club at https://www.patreon.com/booksandthecitypod! Shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter on our website, and send us an email at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com. Thank you for listening! ------------->

Kayla just read: The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins (14:34-22:12)
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250245496
Up next for Kayla: Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner

Becky just read: Glimmer As You Can by Danielle Martin (22:13-32:10)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/652785/glimmer-as-you-can-by-danielle-martin/
Up next for Becky: Jackie and Maria by Gill Paul

Emily just read: The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi (32:11-45:10)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/604152/the-death-of-vivek-oji-by-akwaeke-emezi/
Up next for Emily: Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

Libby just read: No Exit by Taylor Adams (45:11-56:58)
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/no-exit-taylor-adams?variant=32117561032738
Up next for Libby: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

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

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Wendy Walker Jan 18, 2021

Show notes

A few months ago, Becky covered a thriller called Don’t Look For Me by Wendy Walker in an episode, and all of the BATC hosts were transfixed. We stayed on the Zoom call afterward grilling Becky with questions about the book; suffice it to say that we’re SO excited to share an today’s interview with Wendy Walker, herself! Becky and Kayla chatted with Wendy about all things thriller, including Wendy’s decision to begin writing in the genre in the first place, and how that decision paid off in a big way. We also get to learn about Wendy’s background in corporate and family law, her all-time favorite character to write, and what sounds like an exciting future project that came as a silver lining in the earlier COVID days. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did! And we’ll see you next week with our regularly scheduled programming and typical Monday ep. Spoiler alert: it’s a fun one. Feel free to send us a note about the interview, Wendy’s books, or anything else at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com. ------------------------>

Don’t Look For Me by Wendy Walker: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250198709

The Night Before by Wendy Walker: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250198686

And don’t miss Hold Your Breath by Wendy Walker, the Audible-exclusive novella!:

https://www.audible.com/pd/Hold-Your-Breath-Audiobook/B08JMC526T?source_code=ORGGB156022519003B

Wendy just read and loved: The Bright Lands by John Fram

https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335836625_the-bright-lands.html

And The Watcher by Jennifer Pashley https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/647539/the-watcher-by-jennifer-pashley/

Find Wendy online at: https://www.wendywalkerbooks.com/ or on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/wendywalkerauthor/

Psst! Here’s the episode where Becky covers Don’t Look For Me, ICYMI: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/father-becky-its-a-dad-thing/id1500784660?i=1000493632405

Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos

“Us just saying words a little wrong” Jan 11, 2021

Show notes

Hello, thanks for tuning into another episode of BATC! We’re back together for the first time in a while, so thanks for bearing with us as we stretch our 2021 muscles. Before some very fun (and varied) book talk, we’re diving into a great fishbowl question about what fictional world we’d want to live in (permanently or temporarily). After that, we got some horror, some romance, some historical fiction, and some crime. You know us, all about ~balance~ . Thank you forever for listening ❤️ Get BATC merch here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. You can join our fan club at https://www.patreon.com/booksandthecitypod, where we have tons of fun stuff planned for the new year--so get in there! Shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter on our website, and send us an email at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com! ------------->

Libby just read: Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth (11:19-22:34)
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/plain-bad-heroines-emily-m-danforth?variant=32123706474530
Up next for Libby: Citizen by Claudia Rankine

Becky just read: The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner (22:35-31:32)
https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9780778311010_the-lost-apothecary.html
Up next for Becky: The Ravens by Danielle Paige and Kass Morgan

Kayla just read: The Duke and I by Julia Quinn (31:43-40:07)
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-duke-and-i-julia-quinn?variant=32126627119138
Up next for Kayla: The Wrong Family by Tarryn Fisher

Emily just read: The Duke and I by Jo Nesbo (40:08-49:33)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/200709/the-snowman-movie-tie-in-edition-by-jo-nesbo/
Up next for Emily: The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

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

We Haven't Talked Since Last Year! Jan 04, 2021

Show notes

Happy New Year, listeners!! We're kicking off the first episode of 2021 with a very special guest: our amazing illustrator, Nicole! Her and Emily did a thicc buddy read to close out last year, so stay tuned to hear them tag-team that one on this ep. And before we get into books, we're diving into a great fishbowl question about what book we'd read over again for the first time and why. Thanks for listening, and thanks for starting your 2021 with us 🎉 Get BATC merch!: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. You can join our fan club at https://www.patreon.com/booksandthecitypod. Shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter on our website, and send us an email at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com. Last but not least, thank you very, very much for listening! ------------->

Emily (and Nicole!) just read: The Eighth Life by Nino Haratishvili (trans. by Charlotte Collins, Ruth Martin) (14:30-30:47)
https://scribepublications.com/books-authors/books/the-eighth-life
Up next for Emily: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Up next for Nicole: Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe

Becky just read: The Mermaid from Jeju by Sumi Hahn (30:47-40:45)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/647536/the-mermaid-from-jeju-by-sumi-hahn/
Up next for Becky: Timekeeper by Tara Sim

Libby just read: We Love You, Charlie Freeman by Kaitlyn Greenidge (40:45-51:30)
https://www.workman.com/products/we-love-you-charlie-freeman
Up next for Libby: The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan

Kayla just read: Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah (51:30-1:05:00)
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250787989
Up next for Kayla: The Huntress by Kate Quinn

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

Thanks For Listening To Our Time Capsule Dec 28, 2020

Show notes

We’re deep in our feelings on this week’s episode, as we reflect on this truly ~unprecedented~ year in books (and everything else). Keep listening to hear us discuss: our 2020 reading goals, successes, and failures, our top 5 (give or take hehe) books of the year, and our goals looking ahead to more fantastic reading in 2021. Last but not least: a huge THANK YOU to you, our listeners, for making this little passion project of ours the all-time most fun. We love you and if you took the time to listen during this wild year, we are sending you a warm, sincere thanks. This episode was brought to you by Simpson & Vail Tea; shop their amazing literary teas at https://www.svtea.com/! You can find our merch here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Join our fan club at https://www.patreon.com/booksandthecitypod. Shop all the books we’ve discussed on past episodes at bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter on our website, and send us an email at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com. Happy New Year, and good riddance to 2020!!!! Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions our own.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected