Books and the City

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Mini Episode - All Things NYC Apr 20, 2020

Show notes

WELCOME TO NEW YORK and welcome back to another bonus episode of Books and the City! New York City has always been a pretty big part of this podcast and our book club, so on this episode, we're talking about all things NYC - how we ended up here, how we felt about it, how we feel about it now, etc. Warning: Becky's NYC origin story is almost too pure to handle, Kayla schools us on how to refer to Long Island, Emily tries to turn this into a Chicago episode, and Libby changes her mind about the city every other day. Read on to find links to our favorite NYC bookstores! And want to share your New York faves? Send us a note at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com!------------->

Kayla's favorite bookstore: Strand Bookstore https://www.strandbooks.com/

Emily's favorite bookstore: Book Culture (with a special shout-out to Word Up Books) https://www.bookculture.com/
https://www.wordupbooks.com/

Libby's favorite bookstore: Greenlight Bookstore https://www.greenlightbookstore.com/

Becky's favorite bookstore: McNally Jackson Soho (with a special shout-out to Hoboken's Little City Books) https://www.mcnallyjackson.com/
http://www.littlecitybooks.com/

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

On Anxiety AKA “We Haven’t Even Talked About Books Yet!” Apr 13, 2020

Show notes

Cuddle up with something comforting because we’re talking about ~anxiety~ on today’s episode of Books and the City! More specifically, we discuss how we cope with our own personal forms of anxiety. Hopefully, at least some of it is useful, but most of it will certainly make you chuckle. And then we’re getting into the books. Once again, we have quite the variety for you, including a hyped, somewhat controversial book, a courtroom drama, a strange and delightful one, and a historical fiction (guess who read that one:).) Read on for timestamps, links, bar recs, and more! Also, got a perfect bar + book pairing in your city, OR any thoughts about the books we talked about in episode 6? Send us a note at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com!------------->

Libby just read: My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell (20:00-42:51)
https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062941503/my-dark-vanessa/
No NYC pairing for this one, but we recommend a bit of further reading if you’d like to learn more about the controversy surrounding this book. Start with Wendy C. Ortiz’s “Adventures in Publishing Outside the Gates,” (https://gay.medium.com/adventures-in-publishing-outside-the-gates-a06f089c372e) and then head over to Kate Elizabeth Russell’s “This Is Not A Love Story” (https://www.vulture.com/2020/02/my-dark-vanessa-kate-elizabeth-russell.html)
Up next for Libby: Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls by T Kira Madden
Emily just read: Little Weirds by Jenny Slate (43:00-54:58)
https://www.littlebrown.com/titles/jenny-slate/little-weirds/9780316485357/
You’ll want to pick this one up surrounded by an aesthetically pleasing, somewhat strange setting. We recommend you head to the East Village’s Beauty Bar, which is a nightclub that offers a quirky selection of cocktails, dance floors, and literal manicures. The perfect place to explore Jenny Slate’s brain!
Up next for Emily: The New Me by Halle Butler
Kayla just read: The Holdout by Graham Moore (54:59-1:06:05)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/554758/the-holdout-by-graham-moore/
Drop by for a pint at The Malt House in the Financial District while you read this thriller. Afterward, take a quick walk a few blocks north to the NYC Supreme Court building! Jury duty or not, it's worth checking out. You may even recognize it from some of your favorite films and TV shows.
Up next for Kayla: You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Peklanen
Becky just read: The Kennedy Debutante by Kerri Maher (1:06:06-1:21:08)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/572974/the-kennedy-debutante-by-kerri-maher/
Head to the Bowery Hotel's lobby bar for some live music and expert cocktails while you enjoy this book. You'll feel like you've been transported to Kick Kennedy's London! Just like her beloved 400 Club, you never know who you might see stopping in for a drink.
Up next for Becky: The Body Double by Emily Beyda
Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions our own.

Feat. The Many Voices of Emily Apr 06, 2020

Show notes

We start this week’s episode of Books and the City by diving into some of our all-time childhood favorites. If you think that seems too straightforward and book-related, don’t worry, because we go very far down an American Girl Doll rabbit hole. And guess what? The Samantha of our group is the only one who owned the Samantha doll! Classic. Also yikes, some of us have some THOUGHTS on said Samantha doll. And then read on for links, bar recs, and more related to what we’ve been reading this week! Also, got a perfect bar + book pairing in your city, OR any thoughts about the books we talked about in this episode? Send us a note at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com!-------------> Libby just read: The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/566902/the-kiss-quotient-by-helen-hoang/ You should head to NYC’s Museum of Sex before jumping into this one. The main character, Stella, is all about research and data so what better way to learn than through the world's foremost museum of the cultural significance of human sexuality? You’ll be ready for all the steamy scenes by the time you leave. Up next for Libby: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern Becky just read: The Gilded Years by Karin Tanabe https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Gilded-Years/Karin-Tanabe/9781501110450 Follow along on Anita’s first trip to NYC and get afternoon tea at the Bergdorf Goodman department store, which sits at the site of the now-demolished Vanderbilt mansion on Fifth Avenue! Up next for Becky: The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré Emily just read: The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250303547 No bar pairing for this one, but please note: the suicide hotline is 1-800-273-8255 and the line is available 24 hours. Up next for Emily: Middlemarch by George Eliot Kayla just read: Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062430274/pieces-of-her/ Kayla’s favorite part of Pieces of Her were the flashback scenes set in the ‘80s, so we recommend you take a trip to Retroclubnyc near Times Square for a fun, cozy, 80’s-themed dance club as the backdrop to your reading experience. Up next for Kayla: He Started It by Samantha Downing Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @see_nic_read, all opinions our own.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Brenda Janowitz Mar 30, 2020

Show notes

Coming to you from self-isolation via Skype, Becky and Kayla sit down with Brenda Janowitz, author of The Grace Kelly Dress to chat about everything from where she gets her inspiration to how she writes characters and of course what she’s reading right now. Enjoy our first ever (and definitely not our last) interview! Read on for links, bar recs, and more! And if you have a perfect books/bar pairing in your city, let us know! You can email booksandthecitypod@gmail.com with those recommendations or anything else------------->

The Grace Kelly Dress http://www.brendajanowitz.com/the-grace-kelly-dress
Read this one while sipping a mimosa on the patio at Champignon, a modern french bistro in Chelsea (they even have $15 bottomless mimosas!) Afterwards, take a quick 2 block stroll over to the famous Kleinfeld Bridal shop and peek in the windows at dresses that our favorite character, Rose, might have made!

Shop any of the books we discuss on the pod at https://bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity and support indie bookstores with every purchase!
Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions our own.

Do They Fall in Love!? Mar 23, 2020

Show notes

Bust out your Thin Mints, kick back and enjoy some book talk (once we get past the cookie talk, of course). We’re discussing pretty drastically different books today: there’s a book about an affair, a book about grief with a misleading cover, some thinly-veiled One Direction fanfic, and a fantasy about a whole lot of things all at once. Something for everyone! Let’s also take a quick moment to highlight that Becky has slept with wolves. Casual. Read on for links, bar recs, and more! And if you have a perfect books/bar pairing in your city, let us know! You can email booksandthecitypod@gmail.com with those recommendations or anything else------------->

Libby just read: Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/550263/conversations-with-friends-by-sally-rooney/
Frances and Bobbi, the main characters of this novel, perform spoken word poetry together. We recommend a trip down to the East Village for a drink and poetry performance at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe to feel fully transported into the plot of this novel.
Up next for Libby: The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
Becky just read: The Sisters Grimm by Menna Van Praag
https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062932464/the-sisters-grimm/
The “Grimm Girls” enter the dreamworld of Everwhere in The Sisters Grimm, but we recommend you head to Elsewhere Bar out in Williamsburg. It’s a massive music venue with a dreamy rooftop terrace, so you can kick back with a drink and enjoy this novel in warmer weather.
Up next for Becky: Little Women Part II by Louisa May Alcott
Kayla just read: The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/611061/the-two-lives-of-lydia-bird-by-josie-silver/
The GMT Tavern just north of Soho is the perfect place to dive into The Two Lives of Lydia Bird. With an English theme, British entrees, and imported English beer, you’ll feel right at home reading about Lydia and Freddie’s time spent at their local pub.
Up next for Kayla: Red Letter Days by Sarah Jane Stratford
Emily just read: The Idea of You by Robinne Lee
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250125903
Dive into the artsy, glamorous world of Solène Marchand - the main character in The Idea of You - with a visit to the newly expanded PERROTIN art gallery. Explore this contemporary gallery and grab a drink afterward in the Lower East Side at one of the neighborhood’s many bars.
Up next for Emily: Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions our own.

We Should Just Disclaim That We Have Been Drinking Mar 16, 2020

Show notes

Books and the City is back, and we’re drunk! Pour yourself a glass of red wine (or four), but please remember to be very careful about balancing it on Kayla’s new couch. We’re kicking off this tipsy episode with some astrology talk (a leo, a virgo, a pisces, and a gemini start a podcast… stop me if you’ve heard this one). The Obamas come up a lot in this episode, and Emily can’t stop singing. We’re tipsy and we’re having fun talking about some of our recent reads. Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe or follow on your favorite podcast platform. And last but not least, send us an email at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com with your own book + bar recs in your hometown! Read on for links, NYC bar recs, and resources! ------------->
Kayla just read: The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/621991/the-girl-with-the-louding-voice-by-abi-dare/ Adunni’s home country of Nigeria plays such a large role in The Girl with the Louding Voice, so we recommend reading this one over authentic Nigerian cuisine at Buka. Located in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, the bustling eatery gives way to a lively bar so you can stay for drinks after dinner.
Up next for Kayla: And They Called it Camelot by Stephanie Thornton
Emily just read: Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/7741/giovannis-room-by-james-baldwin-introduction-by-colm-toibin/ Giovanni’s Room is an immersive book famously set in Paris, and James Baldwin was born and raised in Harlem. A black-owned business featuring an extensive French wine list, the Harlem-located French bistro Maison Harlem is the perfect place to lose yourself in this novel.
Up next for Emily: Real Life by Brandon Taylor
Becky just read: The Glittering Hour by Iona Gray https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250066794 The Glittering Hour’s main character Selena falls in love with a penniless painter in 1920s England, so we recommend taking a look at some art at Fig. 19 before diving into the novel! The hidden 1920s themed bar on the Lower East Side has a secret art gallery entrance.
Up next for Becky: Her Last Flight by Beatriz Williams
Libby just read: In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado https://www.graywolfpress.org/books/dream-house No pairing for this one, but you can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
Up next for Libby: Severance by Ling Ma
Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions our own.

Pandemic Fiction Hits a Little Too Close to Home Mar 09, 2020

Show notes

Welcome back to Books and the City! Get excited to hear about the horrifyingly stressful way that Kayla got a second-degree burn. Before we dive into what we’re all reading, we’ll address some of your burning questions, such as: is Jim Belushi a wizard? And how does everyone feel about ranch dressing? But seriously, in this episode we discuss some “controversial” books: Becky gives 5 stars to a novel that Kayla DNF’d, plus we discuss a book that Libby and Emily loved and Becky decidedly did not. Read on for all our recent reads and the best places in NYC to dive into them! Got a perfect bar + book match in your city?? Send it to us at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com ------------->
Becky just read: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/239452/station-eleven-by-emily-st-john-mandel/ The main characters in Station Eleven know: “Survival is insufficient.” In this novel, they take their show on the road performing Shakespeare’s plays from town to town after the collapse, so The Shakespeare in the William Hotel in Murray Hill is the perfect bar to dive into this one.
Up next: Girl in White Gloves by Kerri Maher
Kayla just read: The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/576767/the-sun-down-motel-by-simone-st-james/ Employees Only in Greenwich Village is the perfect place to enjoy this haunting book. The building has been around since the 1820s and was allegedly home to a murderer in the early 1900s. There was a ghost sighting when a bartender saw a little girl in a white dress, crying at the top of the basement stairs. Grab a drink there at your own risk!
Up next: Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon
Emily just read: Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi https://groveatlantic.com/book/freshwater/ Read this book before setting off for a night at House of Yes in Williamsburg. This performance space meets night club is the perfect place to test out all the aspects of your identity in a safe space. Maybe you'll even get in touch with your inner god or goddess!
Up next: The Idea of You by Robinne Lee
Libby just read: Normal People by Sally Rooney https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/592625/normal-people-by-sally-rooney/ Didn’t finish reading Normal People at Dublin House (our rec from the first bonus episode?) Head down to the Financial District’s Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog, an Irish bar with sawdust on the floor, live music and cocktails that are so good, they’ve been named the best bar in the world multiple years in a row.
Up next: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

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

Mini Episode - Our Bookstagram Origin Stories Feb 25, 2020

Show notes

Welcome back to Books and the City! We’re changing things up with our first bonus mini episode, so pour yourself a glass of wine and pull up a comfy chair for this mini convo about all things Bookstagram. This lovely little corner of the internet is the reason we all met and became IRL friends, so we’re breaking it down. Find out how we all got started on Bookstagram, how we feel about the platform, the pressure to read it all, and Emily’s alternate handle (she made the right call with @thelazylibrary, trust us). Read on for all of our “Bookstagram Made Me Do It” picks, paired with the best NYC places to read them! ------------->

Bookstagram made Emily read Normal People by Sally Rooney
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/592625/normal-people-by-sally-rooney/
Head to the Upper West Side’s throwback bar, Dublin House, to enjoy this one. You’ll feel transported to Dublin, where the main characters in this novel reconnect and attend University together.

Bookstagram made Kayla pick up The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/535031/the-giver-of-stars-by-jojo-moyes/
You’ll want to enjoy this novel about Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky at The Library Bar at The NoMad hotel, just south of Koreatown. Get cozy with a cocktail and enjoy surrounded by stunning, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.

Bookstagram made Becky read American Royals by Katharine McGee
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/598278/american-royals-by-katharine-mcgee/
Stop by the George Washington Bar in the Freehand Hotel to settle into a world where American Royals could exist. This upscale atmospheric refurbished library room in Kips Bay perfectly matches the lush political intrigue of the novel. Sip a cocktail and imagine that giant painting above the bar is of KING George Washington!

Bookstagram (and book club) made Libby pick up The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Unhoneymooners/Christina-Lauren/9781501128035
Read this one with a refreshing cocktail at The Happiest Hour in the West Village, where it feels like you’re partaking in a Hawaiian vacation all year round.

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

Meet Your New Favorite Book Club Feb 13, 2020

Show notes

Pop some champagne because we’re kicking off Books and the City with some exciting convos about how we met, what we’re reading right now and what we want to read next! Plus, are we ALL Charlotte York or does someone have to be the Samantha?! Here are the books we discussed and the bar that matches it in NYC ------------->

Kayla Read: The Words I Never Wrote by Jane Thynne https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/557329/the-words-i-never-wrote-by-jane-thynne/ Read this one while you have a cozy hot toddy and type away at your own history-making novel on the vintage typewriters at The High Line Hotel’s Lobby Bar in Chelsea.
Up next: Before and After by Judy Christie

Becky Read: City of Flickering Light by Juliette Fay https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/City-of-Flickering-Light/Juliette-Fay/9781501192937 Read this while you sip a latte or an old fashioned at the art deco themed Five and Dime in the Financial District. Go at night for happy hour and you might find a silent film (or should we say flicker!) projected on the wall.
Up next: Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret by Craig Brown

Emily Read: Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow https://www.littlebrown.com/titles/ronan-farrow/catch-and-kill/9780316486637/ Because of the sensitive subject matter of this book we do not have a location recommendation to go along with it. Read this book in the place that makes you feel most comfortable. <3
Up next: Why We're Polarized by Ezra Klein

Libby Read: The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780765334336 Get yourself some craft beer on tap at Burp Castle While you read this book! This medieval-themed bar in the East Village is the perfect place to read, especially since patrons aren’t allowed to speak louder than a whisper. A rule that is heavily enforced by bartenders.
Up next: Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

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

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