Books and the City

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Christmas Chaos! Dec 20, 2021

Show notes

Another Secret Santa episode! We’re back with even more holiday chaos in our second annual Secret Santa episode. If you missed last year’s, you can find that linked below. Before we get into the books, a couple of things: don’t forget to join us for Kayla’s fan club book club meeting next week! Also, keep your eyes peeled in 2022 for some very exciting, highly requested BATC merch returning to our store. Then, it’s book time. We have guesses, we have another 500+ page book, and we do a lot of yelling. Enjoy and sorry to your ears! Thanks so much for tuning in :) you can grab your 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. Subscribe to our newsletter on our website, and send us an email at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com------------->

ICYMI, the first Secret Santa episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/books-and-the-city/id1500784660?i=1000503069463

Kayla’s Secret Santa chose: Her Heart For a Compass by Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York (6:03-20:18)

https://www.harpercollins.com/products/her-heart-for-a-compass-sarah-ferguson?variant=33054123327522

On Kayla’s TBR: The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher

Becky’s Secret Santa chose: Outlawed by Anna North (21:00-34:50)

https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/outlawed-9781635575422/

On Becky’s TBR: The Housewives: The Real Story Behind the Housewives by Brian Moylan

Libby’s Secret Santa chose: Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge (34:51-43:37)

https://www.workman.com/products/libertie/hardback

On Libby’s TBR: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Emily’s Secret Santa chose: The Broken Girls by Simone St. James (43:38-57:37)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/318472/the-broken-girls-by-simone-st-james/

On Emily’s TBR: The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

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

Board Game People Dec 13, 2021

Show notes

We're all about board games today! Join us and hear about all our favorite games, plus a friendly reminder that we're off in January 2022 but will be rereleasing old favorites all month long. And join Kayla's fan club book club hang on December 27th! Thanks for tuning in ❤️ grab your (discounted) 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. Subscribe to our newsletter on our website, and send us an email at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com------------->

Libby’s pick: Dominicana by Angie Cruz (9:25-18:22)

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250205940/dominicana

On Libby’s TBR: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Kayla’s pick: Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren (18:23-25:45)

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Love-and-Other-Words/Christina-Lauren/9781501128011

On Kayla’s TBR: Miss Dior by Justine Picardie

Emily’s pick: The Lighthouse Witches by CJ Cooke (25:46-36:49)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/669573/the-lighthouse-witches-by-c-j-cooke/

On Emily’s TBR: Dreaming of You: A Novel in Verse by Melissa Lozada-Oliva

Becky’s pick: The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher (36:50-45:16)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/623972/the-paris-bookseller-by-kerri-maher/

On Becky’s TBR: A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

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

We Need A Vacation! Dec 06, 2021

Show notes

Today, we’re letting out a bit of wanderlust with a fishbowl question about our travel bucket lists - which is especially timely since Becky and Kayla returned from a trip to France recently. A couple reminders before we get into it: join Kayla’s fan club book club chat about her pick for the month, which is *drumroll* Always, In December by Emily Stone! Book club is on December 27, so mark your calendars. Also! Just a heads up that we’re taking our (first ever and much needed) break in January 2022. No new eps, but stay tuned to the Patreon where we’ll continue hanging out, AND we’ll be rereleasing some fun throwback episodes every Monday in January 2022. Jump in and listen to how far we’ve come since the beginning of the pod :) and finally, what you’re actually here for: the books! We’re covering some fun ones in this ep. THANK YOU for listening! You can grab your (discounted) 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. Subscribe to our newsletter on our website, and send us an email at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com------------->

Emily’s pick: K-Pop Confidential by Stephan Lee (10:35-28:30)

https://shop.scholastic.com/teachers-ecommerce/teacher/books/k-pop-confidential-9781338639933.html

On Emily’s TBR: If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha

Becky’s pick: The Talented Miss Farwell by Emily Gray Tedrowe (28:31-36:05)

https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-talented-miss-farwell-emily-gray-tedrowe?variant=33021714890786

On Becky’s TBR: A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw

Libby’s pick: Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch by Rivka Galchen (36:06-44:21)

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374280468/everyone-knows-your-mother-is-a-witch

On Libby’s TBR: Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed, edited by Saraciea J. Fennell

Kayla’s pick: Always, In December by Emily Stone (44:22-52:33)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/692803/always-in-december-by-emily-stone/

On Kayla’s TBR: The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox

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

Splash Mountain Vibes Nov 29, 2021

Show notes

Happy belated Thanksgiving! Today, we're chatting about our "dream homes" which mostly revolves around having enough closet space (lol, we ❤️ NYC!) Also, tune in to hear Kayla announce her December book club pick, Always In December by Emily Stone. Then we have another backlist bonanza episode for you all, where we all discuss books that we really enjoyed but read a while ago. Plus, a conspiracy rabbit hole about Becky's backlist 👀 Thanks so much for tuning in! You can grab your (discounted) 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. Subscribe to our newsletter on our website, and send us an email at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com------------->

Kayla’s backlist pick: Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate (7:55-15:58)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/537866/before-we-were-yours-by-lisa-wingate/

On Kayla’s TBR: A Rogue of One's Own by Evie Dunmare

Libby’s backlist pick: You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine by Alexandra Kleeman (15:59-24:23)

https://www.harpercollins.com/products/you-too-can-have-a-body-like-mine-alexandra-kleeman?variant=32122379239458

On Libby’s TBR: Something New Under the Sun by Alexandra Kleeman

Becky’s backlist pick: The Underwriting by Michelle Miller (24:24-35:05)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/318240/the-underwriting-by-michelle-miller/

On Becky’s TBR: The Wicked Widow by Beatriz Williams

Emily’s backlist pick: The New Me by Halle Butler (35:06-40:33)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/580133/the-new-me-by-halle-butler/

On Emily’s TBR: Jillian by Halle Butler

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

THROWBACK: Happy Thanksgiving! It's Fish Time Nov 22, 2021

Show notes

No new episode this week! But enjoy this really great throwback from last Thanksgiving episode! We'll see you next week (:

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We’re kicking off your Thanksgiving week with some timely talk about the all-time best Thanksgiving foods. Please feel free to come roast us for all of our weird, terrible food choices, but the heart wants what it wants! Before we get into the book talk, we’re announcing some really exciting new merch, and listening to the most heartwarming voicemail that made Emily’s husk of a heart grow three times its size. Happy Thanksgiving to all of our listeners, we are THE MOST thankful for you, today and everyday. This episode was brought to you by Simpson & Vail Tea; you can shop their delicious literary teas at https://www.svtea.com/. Get your merch (including TOTES!) here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. 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 drop us a line anytime at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com------------->

Emily just read: Memorial by Bryan Washington (21:47-32:30)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/621176/memorial-by-bryan-washington/

Up next for Emily: The Changeling by Victor LaValle

Becky just read: Rebel Spy by Veronica Rossi (32:45-47:44)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/562423/rebel-spy-by-veronica-rossi/

Up next for Becky: The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin

Libby just read: Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki (47:45-1:02:02)

https://wwnorton.com/books/Goodbye-Things/

Up next for Libby: All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson

Kayla just read: One To Watch by Kate Stayman-London (1:02:03-1:11:48)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/567329/one-to-watch-by-kate-stayman-london/

Up next for Kayla: Normal People by Sally Rooney

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

"I've actually always thought Taylor Swift would annoy me" Nov 15, 2021

Show notes

Hi friends, thanks for joining us for another episode! Today, before we talk about books, we’re discussing who we would all love to have as celebrity BFFs. Kayla gets spicy, and Emily lists upwards of a dozen superstars, so it’s fun. Then, the books! We have some YA fiction/fantasy, a juicy oral history, and another nonfiction memoir. Thanks again for listening, and don’t forget to join Emily’s fan club book club Zoom next Monday, 11/22! And get a little sneak peek about her thoughts on the book club book in this ep. Grab your (discounted) 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. Subscribe to our newsletter on our website, and send us an email at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com------------->

Becky just read: The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi (9:54-20:09)

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250144553/thegildedwolves

On Becky’s TBR: Baggage by Alan Cumming

Emily just read: The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova (20:10-28:04)

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Inheritance-of-Orquidea-Divina/Zoraida-Cordova/9781982102548

On Emily’s TBR: Incendiary by Zoraida Córdova

Kayla just read: Not All Diamonds and Rosé: The Inside Story of The Real Housewives from the People Who Lived It by Dave Quinn (28:05-44:24)

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250765789/notalldiamondsandrose

On Kayla’s TBR: The Collector’s Daughter by Gill Paul

Libby just read: The Recovering: Intoxication and Its Aftermath by Leslie Jamison (44:25-59:15)

https://www.littlebrown.com/titles/leslie-jamison/the-recovering/9781478903253/

On Libby’s TBR: Misery by Stephen King

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

The Storygraph Campaign Nov 08, 2021

Show notes

We're joined by everyone's favorite guest host, Nicole, and we're kicking things off with a little reading goal check in. Then before we talk about books, we're talking about books (some more) with the ones that are currently living on our nightstands. Spoiler: we all organize these piles a bit different, so that's fun. Thanks so much for tuning in! You can grab your (discounted) 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. Subscribe to our newsletter on our website, and send us an email at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com------------->
Becky just read: The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw (12:01-20:09)
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Wicked-Deep/Shea-Ernshaw/9781481497350
On Becky’s TBR: The Godmothers by Camille Aubray
Libby just read: Pet Sematary by Stephen King (20:10-32:50)
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Pet-Sematary/Stephen-King/9781982115982
On Libby’s TBR: My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones
Emily just read: A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. James (32:51-42:39)
https://www.bloombooks.com/a-touch-of-darkness.html
On Emily’s TBR: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Guest host Nicole just read: Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (42:40-48:55)
https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/min-jin-lee/pachinko-national-book-award-finalist/9781455563937/
On Nicole’s TBR: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions are our own.

Grey Sweatpants on a First Date Nov 01, 2021

Show notes

Today we're joined by the greatest, most bookish illustrator in all the land: guest host Nicole!! Tune in to hear what items of clothing would make us storm out on a first date (spoiler alert: probably none of us would ever storm out on a first date 😇. All of this is of course followed by some excellent book discussion. And! Don't forget to 1) grab your copy of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina for Emily's November fan club book club, and 2) check out Nicole's amazing design shop at www.istoriapress.com! If you're in the mood for more merch, head to: 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. Subscribe to our newsletter on our website, and send us an email at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com------------->
Libby just read: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (10:28-23:03)
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Seven-Husbands-of-Evelyn-Hugo/Taylor-Jenkins-Reid/9781501161933
On Libby’s TBR: High School by Tegan Quin and Sara Quin
Guest host Nicole just read: If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio (23:04-29:34)
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250095282
On Nicole’s TBR: When Night Breaks by Janella Angeles
Emily just read: Changeling by Victor LaValle (29:35-37:12)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/234343/the-changeling-by-victor-lavalle/
On Emily’s TBR: Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo
Becky just read: The Riviera House by Natasha Lester (37:13-46:42)
https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/natasha-lester/the-riviera-house/9781549108280/
On Becky’s TBR: The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher
Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions are our own

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Natasha Lester Oct 28, 2021

Show notes

Becky got to sit down with a pod-favorite author,Natasha Lester, to discuss all of her amazing historical fiction novels including her latest, The Riviera House! Tune in for a fascinating conversation about a dream that led to Natasha’s signature style, the real-life historical woman who inspired this book, some fantastic Paris recommendations, French-learning tips, and a fascinating fun fact about the Mona Lisa. Plus, Natasha gets into her history with and love of fashion, and the ways that passion has informed and appeared in her writing. We hope you enjoy this convo as much as we did! Feel free to send us a note about this interview, Natasha’s book, your favorite historical fiction, or anything else at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com. ------------------------>

The Riviera House by Natasha Lester: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/natasha-lester/the-riviera-house/9781549108280/

Natasha just read and loved: Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

Natasha is excited to read: The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

Find Natasha online! Here she is on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natashalesterauthor, here she is on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NatashaLesterAuthor, and here’s her website: https://www.natashalester.com.au/

PS: ICYMI, here’s the holiday episode where Kayla talks about The Paris Secret: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/books-and-the-city/id1500784660?i=1000503069463

Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos

"I guess it's one of my favorite books?" Oct 25, 2021

Show notes

Get ready for another backlist episode! Before we get into the books we read quite some time ago, we're talking magic potions and what our ideal ones would do. After that, it's a fun episode where each host discusses a surprise backlist title, pulled from their Goodreads or booksta from years ago, by ANOTHER host, without doing much of a refresher. Enjoy! PS: if you're a fan club member, hope to see you at Rooney book club this Wednesday. Keep your 👀 peeled on the Patreon for that Zoom link. Thanks for being here! Grab 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. Subscribe to our newsletter on our website, and send us an email at booksandthecitypod@gmail.com------------->
Libby’s way backlist read: A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara (10:20-22:09)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/239717/a-little-life-by-hanya-yanagihara/
On Libby’s TBR: The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne
Becky’s way backlist read: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain (22:10-30:38)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/201138/the-paris-wife-by-paula-mclain/
On Becky’s TBR: Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor
Emily’s way backlist read: My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh (30:39-38:29)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/561517/my-year-of-rest-and-relaxation-by-ottessa-moshfegh/
On Emily’s TBR: McGlue by Ottessa Moshfegh
Kayla’s way backlist read: The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne (38:30-45:30)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/555799/the-hearts-invisible-furies-by-john-boyne/
On Kayla’s TBR: The Accidental Empress by Allison Pataki
Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions are our own.

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