Books and the City

Latest Episodes:

“Live the raw notes straight for you” Nov 28, 2022

Show notes

Hello and happy end-of-November! Now that we’re moving into the holiday season, if you’re in NYC don’t forget to stop by Ink 48 Hotel in Hell’s Kitchen. The hotel is partnering with the amazing non-profit organization, The Book Fairies, to collect used books to redistribute to underserved communities on Long Island and NYC. Also, don’t forget to stop by Libby’s fan-club book club meeting this Wednesday at 8pm ET for an All This Could Be Different discussion. This is a very fun episode where we steal one of Andy Cohen’s games (since he stole our fishbowl), and we’re guessing whether some wild book titles are real or fake. Guess along with us! And then stay tuned for some book talk: we have cannibalism, we have mermaids, we have magical Native essays, and we have the hottest memoir of the year. Thanks so much for listening! You can get your BATC merch here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at https://www.bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Check out our website for more information about the fan club, any anything else at https://www.booksandthecitypod.com. You can also subscribe to our newsletter there, and send us a note at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com------------->

Libby’s pick: Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica, translated by Sarah Moses (18:22-34:07)

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Tender-Is-the-Flesh/Agustina-Bazterrica/9781982150921

On Libby’s TBR: Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley

Becky’s pick: Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen (34:08-46:59)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/609878/skin-of-the-sea-by-natasha-bowen/

On Becky’s TBR: Soul of the Deep by Natasha Bowen

Emily’s pick: White Magic by Elissa Washuta (47:00-56:53)

https://tinhouse.com/book/white-magic/

On Emily’s TBR: The Dolphin House by Audrey Schulman

Kayla’s pick: I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (56:54-1:11:31)

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Im-Glad-My-Mom-Died/Jennette-McCurdy/9781982185824

On Kayla’s TBR: The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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

This is a Try Guys Roast. Nov 21, 2022

Show notes

Welcome to one of the most chaotic episodes in recent memory - I know we say that every month, but we're on another level today. We're chatting about live music, Broadway, being sick in public, and a shocking amount of time on the Try Guys. Thank you for listening! And hope to see you at Libby's book club next week! Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃 Get your BATC merch here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on past episodes at https://www.bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Check out our website for more information about the fan club, any anything else at https://www.booksandthecitypod.com. You can also subscribe to our newsletter there, and send us a note at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com------------->

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

Who Would You Haunt? Nov 14, 2022

Show notes

Halloween may be long over, but it's always a little bit spooky season on this pod! So this week naturally we're chatting about who we'd haunt for a day, if we could. We run in a few different directions with this one 👻. Don't forget to join Libby for her fan club book club discussion of All This Could Be Different on November 30 at 8pmET! Last but not least: the books. A buzzy historical fantasy, another kind of historical fiction, & a smutty romance that made Becky blush. Thanks so much for listening! You can get your BATC merch here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at https://www.bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Check out our website for more information about the fan club, any anything else at https://www.booksandthecitypod.com. You can also subscribe to our newsletter there, and send us a note at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com------------->

Libby’s pick: The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich (9:25-19:39)

https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-night-watchman-louise-erdrich

On Libby’s TBR: Grand Union by Zadie Smith

Becky’s pick: Under One Roof by Ali Hazelwood (19:40-26:11)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/688518/under-one-roof-by-ali-hazelwood/

On Becky’s TBR: The Lonely Hearts Hotel by Heather O'Neill (26:12-41:29)

https://www.harpervoyagerbooks.com/book/9780063021440/babel/

On Emily’s TBR: Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz

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

“I’m not okay, thank you for asking.” Nov 07, 2022

Show notes

First thing’s first, mark your calendars for Libby’s November book club. We’re reading All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews on Wednesday, November 30 at 8pmET. Hope to see y’all there! On this week’s episode, the three of us are chatting about NAMES! Including our own name stories, and what we’d pick for our first names if we could choose. Then, we have a wild assortment of books that are honestly hard to sum up, so you gotta just listen. Thanks so much for listening! You can get your BATC merch here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at https://www.bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Check out our website for more information about the fan club, any anything else at https://www.booksandthecitypod.com. You can also subscribe to our newsletter there, and send us a note at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com------------->

Emily’s pick: Vita Nostra by Maryna and Serhiy Dyachenko (15:03-31:27)

https://www.harpervoyagerbooks.com/book/9780062694614/vita-nostra/

On Emily’s TBR: Daughter From the Dark by Maryna and Serhiy Dyachenko

Libby’s pick: Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy (31:28-46:19)

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250204035/migrations

On Libby’s TBR: Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

Becky’s pick: Exalted by Anna Dorn (46:20-56:05)

https://www.unnamedpress.com/books/book?title=Exalted

On Becky’s TBR: The Mad Women's Ball by Victoria Mas

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

Scary Microphones Oct 31, 2022

Show notes

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! Today, we’re talking haunted house mishaps and embarrassing spooky season stories in general. This episode features one of the funniest miscommunications we’ve had on the pod in a while, and that’s saying something. Then, appropriately, we’re talking about some spooky reads including a couple of witch stories (with varying degrees of horror/coziness), and a true-crime-podcast-esque mystery. And don’t forget to grab your copy of All This Could Be Different for Libby’s November book club! Stay tuned for dates. <3 thanks so much for listening! You can get your BATC merch here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at https://www.bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Check out our website for more information about the fan club, any anything else at https://www.booksandthecitypod.com. You can also subscribe to our newsletter there, and send us a note at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com------------->

Becky’s pick: Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen (15:55-25:18)

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250019868/otherbirds

On Becky’s TBR: Small Town Big Magic by Hazel Beck

Emily’s pick: Cackle by Rachel Harrison (25:19-34:47)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/667246/cackle-by-rachel-harrison/

On Emily’s TBR: Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

Libby’s pick: Sadie by Courtney Summers (34:48-49:36)

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250267139/sadie

On Libby’s TBR: The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

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

"I'm kinda into cannibals right now.* Oct 24, 2022

Show notes

Welcome to another chaos episode, this one's full to the brim with chaos as we chat about celebrities, their book clubs, and their reading tastes. We're also trying to choose which celebs have our most similar reading tastes, so that's fun. Shoutout to @celebbookrecs for providing some fact-checking content. Also...sorry to Colleen Hoover and all her fans. Thanks so much for listening! And we hope to see you at Becky's book club this week for Practical Magic! Get your BATC merch here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on past episodes at https://www.bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Check out our website for more information about the fan club, any anything else at https://www.booksandthecitypod.com. You can also subscribe to our newsletter there, and send us a note at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com------------->

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

“Do you guys match your socks?” Oct 17, 2022

Show notes

Join us as we roll with the changing seasons by pinpointing what’s in and what’s out. Per usual, our algorithms are all feeding us wildly different trends, so there’s a chance we did this completely wrong. Anyway, hope you enjoy! Then stick around to hear some good convo about a classic book, a magical book, a new take on the Almost Famous story, and a queer book. Thanks so much for listening! You can get your BATC merch here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at https://www.bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Check out our website for more information about the fan club, any anything else at https://www.booksandthecitypod.com. You can also subscribe to our newsletter there, and send us a note at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com------------->

Emily’s pick: Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison (16:52-28:07)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/117657/song-of-solomon-by-toni-morrison/

On Emily’s TBR: Cult Classic by Sloane Crosley

Becky’s pick: The Moon, The Stars and Madame Burova by Ruth Hogan (28:08-35:51)

https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-moon-the-stars-and-madame-burova-ruth-hogan

On Becky’s TBR: Miss Aldridge Regrets by Louise Hare

Kayla’s pick: Groupies by Sarah Priscus (35:52-47:33)

https://www.harpercollins.com/products/groupies-sarah-priscus?variant=39727618195490

On Kayla’s TBR: From Bad to Cursed by Lana Harper

Libby’s pick: Yerba Buena by Nina LaCour (47:34-1:00:42)

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250810465/yerba-buena

On Libby’s TBR: Intimacies by Kate Kitamura

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

Ghosts, Hauntings & Fat Tom the Cat Oct 10, 2022

Show notes

Today's episode is all about keeping you on your toes. You may think we're talking books per usual, but it's actually a bunch of chaos about ghosts (and, weirdly, Disney Channel original movies from the 90's). So buckle up, because spooky season is here and so are all of our ghosts/alternate timeline and/or universe selves. Thanks so much for listening! And thank you to those who came to the bookstore crawl, we all had the best time and hope you did too! Get your BATC merch here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on past episodes at https://www.bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Check out our website for more information about the fan club, any anything else at https://www.booksandthecitypod.com. You can also subscribe to our newsletter there, and send us a note at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com------------->

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

They’re Teens. Oct 03, 2022

Show notes

First: are you coming to our very first BOOKSTORE CRAWL??? If yes, please RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nyc-bookstore-crawl-tickets-423013423537. Have we mentioned how excited we are? Another reminder: Becky’s spooky month book club is coming up! (Re)Read Practical Magic and join her to discuss on Tuesday, October 25 at 8pmET. Finally, tune in to hear us talk scary movie villains and all kinds of books. Thank youuu for listening! You can grab BATC merch here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at https://www.bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Check out our website for more information about the fan club, any anything else at https://www.booksandthecitypod.com. You can also subscribe to our newsletter there, and send us a note at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com------------->

Libby’s pick: Sisters by Daisy Johnson (7:18-15:04)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/624960/sisters-by-daisy-johnson/

On Libby’s TBR: The Cherry Robbers by Sarai Walker

Emily’s pick: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (15:05-25:24)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/690750/tomorrow-and-tomorrow-and-tomorrow-by-gabrielle-zevin/

On Emily’s TBR: Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee

Kayla’s pick: Stay Awake by Megan Goldin (25:25-34:15)

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250280671/stayawake

On Kayla’s TBR: Half Life by Jillian Cantor

Becky’s pick: At Summer’s End by Courtney Ellis (34:16-40:48)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/658433/at-summers-end-by-courtney-ellis/

On Becky’s TBR: Miss Aldridge Regrets by Louise Hare

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

"But I love my life!" Sep 26, 2022

Show notes

Today on the pod, we're chatting about which author we'd like to write our life story - turns out two of us would enjoy a British spin on the fictionalized versions of our stories! Also, we hope to see you at the BATC bookstore crawl!! The first of an annual pod tradition? Maybe? Please RSVP if you'll be joining us: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nyc-bookstore-crawl-tickets-423013423537, WE CAN'T WAIT 🥳 thanks so much for listening, and hope to see you this weekend! Get your BATC merch here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at https://www.bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Check out our website for more information about the fan club, any anything else at https://www.booksandthecitypod.com. You can also subscribe to our newsletter there, and send us a note at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com------------->
Becky’s pick: The Lost Summers of Newport by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White (11:11-21:52)
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-lost-summers-of-newport-beatriz-williamslauren-willigkaren-white?variant=39741188669474
On Becky’s TBR: Mad Woman by Louisa Treger
Libby’s pick: Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams (21:53-32:20)
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Queenie/Candice-Carty-Williams/9781501196027
On Libby’s TBR: Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Emily’s pick: Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou (32:21-44:03)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/671562/disorientation-by-elaine-hsieh-chou/
On Emily’s TBR: Lady Joker, Volume 1 by Kaoru Takamura
Kayla’s pick: Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister (44:04-54:34)
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/wrong-place-wrong-time-gillian-mcallister?variant=39971613179938
On Kayla’s TBR: The Diviners series by Libba Bray
Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions are our own.

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