I'd Rather Be Reading: Recent Episodes
I'd Rather Be Reading
This conversation today with my new friend Glynnis MacNicol is so empowering, as is her latest book, I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself: One Woman’s Pursuit of Pleasure in Paris, which came out June 11. In Glynnis’ latest memoir, she takes us to Paris during the pandemic—a Paris she calls “quiet Paris”—where, because of COVID, there’s no tourists coming in, and because it’s August, all of the Parisian locals are headed out. It was a magical experience, and Glynnis kind of had the city to herself. In this book and in our conversation today we dissect why it’s still so taboo for women to want to experience pleasure—which Glynnis does during this season in her life, leaning into, as she writes, “the audacity of being selfish.” She writes in the book that “The thing women fantasize about most is freedom”; we talk about that in our conversation today, and I was struck by Glynnis’ ability to so vividly make her reader feel as though they were right alongside her in Paris, experiencing all the city has to offer in a very unique time. In this book, Glynnis writes about the way society regards women over 40; she will turn 50 in early September, and she writes that when you’re a woman of a “certain age,” you are only promised that everything will get worse—but what if everything you’ve been told is a lie? After Glynnis—who, at the time, was 46 and unmarried with no children—spent 18 months in isolation, from March 2020 to August 2021 as the pandemic raged on, this memoir sees her break out of her tiny Manhattan apartment and across the Atlantic to Paris; what follows is, as the book reads, a decadent, joyful, unexpected journey into one woman’s pursuit of radical enjoyment, with her weeks filled with food and friendship and, yes, sex. Glynnis also write the 2018 memoir No One Tells You This about turning 40 and also created and hosted the podcast Wilder: A Reckoning with the Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder; she’s written everywhere from The New York Times to The Guardian, The Cut, Town & Country, The Daily Beast, Elle, and The New York Daily News, among others. I can’t wait for you to hear what she has to say.
I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself: One Woman’s Pursuit of Pleasure in Parisby Glynnis MacNicol
There are so many books coming out this month about rethinking women and the workplace—specifically by former magazine editors, which, as a magazine editor, I’m really into. Out today is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time, Samhita Mukhopadhyay’s powerful The Myth of Making It: A Workplace Reckoning, which opens with a beautiful epigraph from Toni Morrison that reads “You are not the work you do; you are the person you are.” So many of us have bought into, as Samhita calls it, the myth of making it—as she writes, our definitions of success are myths, and seductive ones, at that. She writes in the book that we have a collective responsibility to re-imagine work as we know it, and she advocates for a liberated workplace that pays fairly, recognizes our values, and gives people access to the resources they need. The book traces the origins of, basically, how we’ve been getting it all wrong all of these years—I especially enjoyed the rethinking of Helen Gurley Brown, former editor-in-chief at Cosmopolitan and author of Sex and the Single Girl, as well as rethinking Lean In and Girlboss and hustle culture. Samhita writes about how millions of us “in the past decade—and especially during and after the pandemic—have looked at their lives and said, ‘What the fuck?’ Why are we working all the time to make less than our male counterparts? Why are we doing most of the childcare, even when our partnerships are ‘equal’? Why have we sacrificed so much of our personal happiness to be driven by these undefined measures of success? Why were we spending more time with our coworkers than with anyone else in our lives? Why are we tired all the time?” She adds, “The way we work has become untenable, both personally and globally. We are craving something more and something better,” and she adds, of her rock bottom while executive editor at a major fashion magazine, “all I could think was, This is not normal. There must be a better way. My hope is, together, we can find it.” In this book and in this conversation, Samhita discusses the end of the hustle, Anna Wintour, burnout, working moms, and so much more. Samhita is the former executive editor of Teen Vogue and former executive editor at Feministing. As a writer, her work has appeared in New York Magazine, The Cut, Vanity Fair, Vogue, The Atlantic Monthly, and Jezebel. Let’s get into our conversation.
The Myth of Making It: A Workplace Reckoningby Samhita Mukhopadhyay
You may not know the name Judith Jones, but you’ve certainly felt this dynamic woman’s impact and influence on culture. Judith Jones was the editor behind books like The Diary of Anne Frank and Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child; she was also behind authors like Sylvia Plath, John Updike, Langston Hughes, Sharon Olds, and so many others. Her work, as our guest today writes in her new book, was “unrivaled in the industry.” Book editors are kind of shadow figures—they’re behind-the-scenes, unsung heroes, who, as Sara B. Franklin writes in her book The Editor: How Judith Jones Shaped Culture in America, which came out on May 28, are people who “work in the service of their authors, not themselves, and their touch is meant to be difficult, if not impossible, for readers to see”—a bit of an invisible hand, if you will. Judith Jones rose through the ranks of publishing when it was very much an industry still dominated by men; one of her gifts was the ability to see talent in women writers, especially women writers many had overlooked. It’s hard to believe that, for example, publishers weren’t chomping at the bit for the works of Anne Frank or Julia Child, but they weren’t; it was Judith who saw their books through to the finish line. She is most associated with cookbooks, and Sara writes that Judith may never have fully gotten the respect she so deserved because “books about food were (and to some extent still are) treated with an air of condescension by the literary world.” Sara and I talk about that on the show today, as well as topics like Judith’s portrayal in the 2009 Nora Ephron film Julie & Julia—which Judith didn’t like so much—and some of Judith’s misses, like with the aforementioned Sylvia Plath and The Bell Jar. Through Sara’s book, Judith emerges from the shadows to the spotlight—the amount of passion and dedication Sara put into this bestselling book is remarkable. I can’t wait for you to meet Sara and, through her, meet Judith. A little about Sara: she is a writer, teacher, and oral historian who teaches courses on food, writing, embodied culture, and oral history at NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study. In addition to writing The Editor, she also edited Edna Lewis, co-authored The Phenicia Diner Cookbook, and holds a PhD in food studies from NYU and studied documentary storytelling at both the Duke Center for Documentary Studies and the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies. Take a listen to our conversation.
The Editor: How Judith Jones Shaped Culture in Americaby Sara B. Franklin
Alzheimer’s and finding a cure for it is a cause I am deeply passionate about; we have spoken about it on the show many times before. I couldn’t be more thrilled to bring you today’s guest, Dr. Heather Sandison, who is here to talk to us about her brand-new book Reversing Alzheimer’s: The New Toolkit to Improve Cognition and Protect Brain Health, which came out June 11. This book is a much-needed exploration of this awful disease, and how both patients and their caregivers can take back control. There are currently 6.5 million Americans alone living with Alzheimer’s, and that number only grows. As Dr. Sandison writes, the urgency for a solution has never been greater, and this book helps us find one. Dr. Sandison is at the forefront of dementia care and research. She is both the founder of Solcere Health Clinic (which is San Diego’s premier brain optimization clinic) and also Marama, the first residential memory care facility to have the goal and aim of returning cognitively declined residents back to independent living. She sees up close and personal every single day what Alzheimer’s and dementia looks like, and she’s doing something about both preventing it and reversing it. The main takeaway that I got from Reversing Alzheimer’s was that there is hope, and that we have more power to fight back against this disease than we previously thought we did. There is a growing body of evidence that shows that implementing a handful of strategies can improve cognition and quality of life in dementia patients, and this book lays out this customizable and doable approach so that work can begin immediately in that effort. If you are looking to fortify your brain health against cognitive decline, implement lifestyle changes that can reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s, transform your environment to support cognitive wellness, and understand options for brain health to fit any budget—this book is for you. This book, for anyone who has experienced Alzheimer’s up close, is a big exhale; Dr. Sandison wants a future where Alzheimer’s is not a terminal diagnosis, but a reversible condition, a future free of the affliction of this disease. I think you, like me, will find hope in these pages and in this conversation. Dr. Sandison is a renowned neuropathic doctor specializing in neurocognitive medicine and is also the primary author of the peer-reviewed research “Observed Improvement in Cognition During a Personalized Lifestyle Intervention in People with Cognitive Decline,” which was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease last August. She also hosts the annual online Reverse Alzheimer’s Summit, where she shares cutting-edge insight into what is possible for those suffering with dementia. Dr. Sandison is the doctor I wish my family had when my grandparents were suffering with dementia, but one that I’m also so glad is here now with the mission of making dementia rare and optional, and to shatter common misconceptions about Alzheimer’s and share what she has learned about keeping our brains sharp, no matter our age.
Reversing Alzheimer’s: The New Toolkit to Improve Cognition and Protect Brain Healthby Dr. Heather Sandison
I’m really excited to bring you today’s conversation with Erika Ayers Badan, who you might know as the woman formerly known as Erika Nardini. (Erika got married, and that explains the name change.) Erika is perhaps most well-known as not just the first female CEO of Barstool Sports, but the first CEO of Barstool Sports, period. If you’re not familiar with Barstool somehow, it’s a sports and pop culture blog that also has podcasts and videos under its umbrella—it’s not afraid to be controversial and shake the industry up, and I think maybe the best word to describe the company is chaotic. Intentionally chaotic. Erika was extremely successful at Barstool, which grew to more than 5 billion monthly video views and 225 million followers under her leadership and was valued at $550 million. During her time at Barstool, Erika referred to herself, very tongue-in-cheek, as a “token CEO,” not only the rare female employee but, again, the CEO of a very male-dominated culture. Not only has Erika experienced ample professional success—and I’ll talk more about that in a moment—but she is someone who clearly just loves to work. She loves what she does. She is invigorated and energized by it, and I relate to that, because I am the same way. Erika’s first book is out today, June 11, and is called Nobody Cares About Your Career: Why Failure Is Good, the Great Ones Play Hurt, and Other Hard Truths, and it is basically a career manual for women and men on how to get it done and have a career that means something. It’s advice from someone who is firmly in the arena; it’s real and raw, tell it to you straight—much like Erika herself. There’s more advice in this book than I could ever give in this episode—it’s page after page of it—and this book is all-encompassing; it really is a career guide I’ll keep with me and return to and return to, again and again. It’s a playbook for success by somebody who has found it. Erika was CEO at Barstool from 2016 until earlier this year, January to be exact; she led the company from 12 employees to over 300 employees, and saw it become a national powerhouse under her leadership. Prior to joining Barstool, Erika held leadership positions at Microsoft, AOL, Demand Media, and Yahoo, and is now, as of April of this year, CEO at Food52, a culinary, lifestyle, and homeware company. One of my favorite aspects of Erika’s philosophy is her fail-always mindset—she embraces failure and doesn’t run from it or shy away from it. As she writes, “Falling down and getting back up—awkwardly at first, but, over time, more gracefully—is what has made my career successful.” There’s a ton of good nuggets here, and I can’t wait for you to read this book and hear our conversation.
Nobody Cares About Your Career: Why Failure Is Good, the Great Ones Play Hurt, and Other Hard Truthsby Erika Ayers Badan
Just when you think you know everything there is to know about the White House, here comes Corey Mead and his book The Hidden History of the White House: Power Struggles, Scandals, and Defining Moments, which came out June 4. This book is presented by the hit podcast “American History Tellers,” and it reveals behind-the-scenes stories of some of the most dramatic events in American history, told from right inside the White House where they happened. Talk about “if these walls could talk”—the White House has been the soundstage for some of the most climactic moments in American history, and its walls have witnessed history-making decisions, power struggles, scandals, and so many stories from the First Family, their guests, and the staff at the White House. Just some of the topics delved into were Andrew Jackson’s disastrous inauguration; Woodrow Wilson’s stroke and his second wife Edith’s basically shadow presidency as his administration came to a close; Dolley Madison’s courageous act when the White House was set aflame in 1814; when U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill visited the White House and plotted, with FDR, plans to defeat Germany; and the decision by Barack Obama to green-light the Navy SEAL raid that ultimately killed Osama bin Ladin. I talk about this with Corey, but maybe one of the most fascinating parts to me about the book—and I wasn’t expecting this—was the actual construction of the White House itself and its subsequent renovations, especially the 1948 Truman renovation, which we talk about on the show today. The book is broken into three parts: part one, Laying the Foundation; part two, The People’s House; and part three, Halls of Power—each as fascinating as the last. As Corey writes in the book, “Every corner and hallway has a tale to tell,” and there’s so many of those tales in this book. We have Corey Mead on the show today, the author of this great book and also an associate professor of English at Baruch College, City University of New York. In addition to this book, Corey is also the author of Angelic Music: The Story of Benjamin Franklin’s Glass Armonica and War Play: Video Games and the Future of Armed Conflict. You can also find his work everywhere from Time to Salon, The Daily Beast, and numerous literary journals, and I know you’ll enjoy this conversation.
P.S.: The Rebecca Boggs Roberts episode we mention in this conversation about First Lady Edith Wilson is from season 7, episode 6!
The Hidden History of the White House: Power Struggles, Scandals, and Defining Momentsby Corey Mead
I’m pulling out the champagne and raising a glass to I’d Rather Be Reading, my passion project and the work of my life, a show that celebrates nonfiction books (and, occasionally, some fiction books and children’s books and cookbooks, too) which aired its first episode three years ago today, on June 7, 2021. Happy three-year anniversary, listeners! Our very first episode on the show was a conversation with Lisa Napoli about her book Susan, Linda, Nina, and Cokie: The Extraordinary Story of the Founding Mothers of NPR, about, at its core, women in journalism. As such, to tie it all together with a bow today, our anniversary special features a trailblazing woman in journalism: the dynamic Lynn Povich. Simply put, my career would not exist without Lynn’s courage. Let’s go back in time to the early 1970s. Lynn was working at Newsweek, and at the time, that magazine, like others at the time as well, only hired men as writers. Women did the researching and reporting, but the men got the byline. Lynn writes in her 2012 book The Good Girls Revolt: How the Women of Newsweek Sued Their Bosses and Changed the Workplace that Newsweek had a serious problem—sexism—and that, in her words, “we all accepted it—until we didn’t.” Lynn and a group of 46 other women ultimately sued the magazine for sex discrimination, becoming the first women in the media to sue for sex discrimination and taking part in the first female class action suit. Lynn’s book, Good Girls Revolt, is the first full account of the Newsweek suit, which, by the way, was later turned into a series on Amazon Prime that I loved. Lynn writes that, prior to the lawsuit, “I don’t think it occurred to many of us that we could actually change the system” and continues “in 1970 we challenged the system and changed the conversation in the news media for the women who participated in the lawsuits. The struggle rerouted our lives and bonded us and gave many of us opportunities.” Lynn went on to become Newsweek’s first female senior editor in 1975 and had a 25-year career at the magazine; she left it in 1991 and has since become editor-in-chief of Working Woman magazine and managing editor and senior executive producer for MSNBC.com. Lynn is from a famed journalism family, and she edited a book of columns by her father, renowned Washington Post sports journalist Shirley Povich called All Those Mornings…At the Post; her brother, by the way, is Maury Povich, and her sister-in-law is Connie Chung. I’d love to be at that family dinner table! Lynn’s husband is also a journalist; his name is Stephen Shepard, and he is the former editor-in-chief of Business Week and founding dean of the graduate school of journalism of the City University of New York. There’s no better person I could think of to mark this important day for our show than Lynn Povich, and I’m excited for you to hear from her today.
The Good Girls Revolt: How the Women of Newsweek Sued Their Bosses and Changed the Workplaceby Lynn Povich
When I invited Garrett M. Graff on the show, I did so to chat about his incredible book The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11, which came out in 2019. What I didn’t realize was that, by happenstance, Garrett had another oral history coming out in June, released two days before the eightieth anniversary of D-Day, which is today, June 6. I don’t feel like I have to explain the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, but just in case you don’t remember the details of D-Day, on June 6, 1944, the invasion of the beaches at Normandy in northern France by troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and other countries during World War II is one of the most important days in world history; historians often refer to D-Day as the beginning of the end of World War II. At the time, the D-Day invasion was the largest naval, air, and land operation in history, and about 326,000 troops, more than 50,000 vehicles, and some 100,000 tons of equipment had landed. By August 1944, two months later, all of northern France had been liberated, and in the spring of 1945, the Allies defeated the Germans and World War II, blessedly, was over. Today, June 6, 2024, matters, because it’s likely the last anniversary that we will still have any living veterans from that day here with us, as the Greatest Generation has all but left us. Before I go any further, I want to honor those who served on D-Day and in World War II and in any conflict; I also want to honor the lives lost on September 11, 2001. It makes me emotional to think of the debt of gratitude we owe those who served and those who serve, present day. Thank you seems insufficient, but I offer it, nonetheless. Garrett M. Graff, our guest today, has mastered the art of the oral history, a unique way to unpack history that makes it very focused on the human element. Though we do talk about Garrett’s latest book about D-Day, When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day, which came out this past Tuesday, June 4, I’d say the bulk of our conversation is about September 11 and The Only Plane in the Sky, which really is such a vivid human portrait of that tragedy. It is a 360-degree view of the day, a comprehensive, full account of one of the worst days in American history. Garrett has spent nearly two decades covering politics, technology, and national security and is the former editor of Politico. He’s a contributor to CNN and Wired and has written for outlets like Esquire, Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times; he also serves as the director of the cyber initiative at the Aspen Institute. In addition to the two aforementioned books, he’s also written The First Campaign: Globalization, the Web, and the Race for the White House, which examined the role of technology in the 2008 presidential race; The Threat Matrix, about the FBI; Raven Rock, about the government’s Cold War Doomsday plans; and the New York Times bestseller Watergate, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. The Only Plane in the Sky was also a New York Times bestseller, by the way, and I have no doubt that When the Sea Came Alive will be, as well. He taught at Georgetown for seven years, including courses on journalism and technology, and he’s appeared everywhere from Good Morning America to The Today Show, CBS This Morning, the History Channel, the BBC, Al Jazeera English, and more. He also hosts the podcast “Long Shadow,” an eight-episode series about the lingering questions of 9/11. In this episode, Garrett and talk about these two powerful days in history, ones that should never be forgotten from memory.
All by Garrett M. Graff:
The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11
When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day
“We’re the Only Plane in the Sky” for Politico
I wasn’t expecting, through Jennifer Romolini’s memoir Ambition Monster, to feel as seen as I was. About workaholism. Ambition addiction. Achievement addiction. Why I am that way. Why I experienced debilitating burnout, which, if you’ve ever experienced true burnout, you know what I mean when I say it is truly debilitating. And then, from the book to this conversation—I don’t like to play favorites, but this conversation has to rank up there with my absolute favorite episodes of this show’s 215 or so episodes. It felt more like a therapy session than an interview. Whatever you want to call it—hustle culture, Girl Boss-ing it, I heard a new term this week actually called “grindset” instead of “mindset”—whatever you want to call it, I know I’m not the only one influenced and affected by it. Jennifer’s book is about what happens when ambition—which certainly is a good thing—turns bad. What happens when workaholism sneaks in, and how this actually relates to childhood trauma. What happens when you get everything you’ve ever dreamed of, and then realize that it’s not enough to fill that hole inside you. And, at last, filling that hole with what is really sustaining, and it’s not work. Achievement addiction and ambition addiction and constantly trying to prove yourself, that addiction—it may not be drugs or booze or gambling or shopping, but it’s an addiction, nonetheless, and nothing done to excess like that is good for you. Jennifer raced up the professional ladder and reached the apex of success: she had a high-profile, C-suite dream job, and even traveled around the country giving speeches on how to make it and what it feels like to have made it. Beyond that, she had a handsome husband, a beautiful child, but, as the book puts it, “beneath this polished surface was a powder keg of unresolved trauma and chronic overwork. It was all about to blow.” This book will make you rethink the way we work, and rethink ambition on the whole. Jennifer co-hosts the podcast “Everything Is Fine,” which examines life for women over 40, with Lucky magazine founding editor Kim France (the show is one of my all-time favorites, though I’m not quite 40); she’s also the author of Weird in a World That’s Not: A Career Guide for Misfits, Fuckups, and Failures, and her work has appeared in outlets like The New York Times, Elle, Fast Company, Vogue, and more. She was a magazine editor in the 2000s, won awards for websites she edited in the 2010s, was a former deputy editor at Lucky alongside Kim, and was also the former Chief Content Officer of ShondaLand.com (as in, yes, the one and only Shonda Rhimes), Vice President of Content for Zooey Deschanel’s HelloGiggles, a writer, speaker, and digital media consultant who likes talking and thinking about women and work. In 2019, Jennifer was asked to be one of 10 authors tasked with creating The New York Times’ “Working Women’s Handbook,” so, yeah, she knows a little bit about women and work. Ambition Monster examines the lies women were and are sold about work and one of my least favorite three-word combination ever, “having it all,” and before we get into it, I should warn you that there is some ample cursing in this episode, as there tends to be when a subject resonates so close to home.
Ambition Monster: A Memoir by Jennifer Romolini
“Society’s Twisted Pleasure in Seeing Strong Women Fail” in Variety
True Loveby Jennifer Lopez
Three Womenby Lisa Taddeo
Welcome back to I’d Rather Be Reading—both the start of season 12 and, later this week, our three-year anniversary! We’ve got so much good in store this season, and I’m thrilled, as ever, to be back with you after one long week of a hiatus. Today on the show we have Julie Satow, who is here to chat with me about her latest book, When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion, which is out June 4. This book and this conversation take us back to the twentieth century department store, a place where women—whether you worked at the department store or were shopping there—could stake out newfound independence, whether you were in New York City or on Main Street USA. Back in the 1930s and going forward to the 1960s, women didn’t rule many places—but they ruled the American department store. Not only is the American department store of those years examined—it’s a whole world unto itself inside its walls—but it’s a story told through the eyes of three women who rose to the top of the department store universe: Hortense Odlum of Bonwit Teller, who came to her husband’s department store as a housewife tasked with attracting more shoppers like herself in the 1930s—and wound up running the company; then we have Dorothy Shaver of Lord & Taylor, who was a champion of American designers during World War II, before which U.S. fashions were almost completely copies of Parisian looks. Dorothy, by the way, was the first businesswoman to earn a $1 million salary. Then, in the 1960s, Geraldine Stutz of Henri Bendel modernized the department store and became an eternal trendsetter in the space. Not only did these women advance their own careers, but they opened doors for all women, as well. We’ve got style, glamour, women’s empowerment, drama, trade secrets, wealth—it’s the department store in all its glitz, decadence, and fun, and looks closely at the women who made the beautifully curated world of the twentieth century department store operate and opened doors for working women everywhere. I am so thankful that, through this book, Julie is ensuring that these three women aren’t lost to history; their fingerprints are still felt today, in both fashion and business. Here to lead us on this journey is Julie Satow, who also wrote the fantastic book The Plaza: The Secret Life of America’s Most Famous Hotel, which was a huge hit and critically acclaimed. Julie is an award-winning journalist, a regular contributor to The New York Times, and she has also been published in Travel + Leisure and Bloomberg Businessweek and appeared on NPR. Take a listen to our conversation!
Both by Julie Satow:
When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion
The Plaza: The Secret Life of America’s Most Famous Hotel
We have come to our season 11 finale, unbelievably, and to mark the occasion we have the fantastic, dynamic Sunny Hostin here to talk about her latest book, the third novel in her New York Times bestselling Summer Beach series, Summer on Highland Beach, which is out May 28. The best fiction, to me, not only takes me away, but teaches me something—and Summer on Highland Beach did just that. Highland Beach along the Chesapeake Bay is the oldest Black resort community in America and was founded in the late 1800s by the son of Frederick Douglass. It is a secluded beach community of about 100 private homes, and that’s where Sunny’s latest novel takes us to. As has become a trademark of her Summer Beach series, this book celebrates family, friendship, and community, and reminds us both of the importance of the legacies of our collective past but also about finding one’s way in the world in the present. Olivia Jones is the star of the show in this book, and her story continues to be told by Sunny, who is a three-time Emmy Award winner and a co-host of ABC’s popular The View. She is also an attorney and the Senior Legal Correspondent and Analyst for ABC News and the author, of course, of the other two books in the Summer Beach series: Summer on the Bluffs and Summer on Sag Harbor, both of which I inhaled, as well as Summer on Highland Beach. She is also the author of her memoir, I Am These Truths: A Memoir of Identity, Justice, and Living Between Worlds. I wasn’t aware of an HBBC—or a Historically Black Beach Community—until I read Sunny’s Summer Beach series. These communities have flown pretty under the radar until Sunny brought them to life through this trilogy, and this series absolutely uses place and setting as a character, which listeners, you know I love. Summer on Highland Beach closes the Summer Beach series, and I can’t wait for you to hear what Sunny has to say—I found her to be an absolute joy to be with.
All by Sunny Hostin:
Summer on Highland Beach
Summer on the Bluffs
Summer on Sag Harbor
I Am These Truths: A Memoir of Identity, Justice, and Living Between Worlds
One of the most important books written in the last few years is Dr. Katy Milkman’s 2021 book How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, which focuses on the study of behavior change. This is a groundbreaking book in which Dr. Milkman reveals a proven path that can take you from where you are right now to where you want to be and teaches us that change happens most readily when you understand what’s standing between you and success and tailor your solution to that specific roadblock. Dr. Milkman is a behavioral scientist and professor at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and this book draws on her original research and the work of her world-renowned scientific collaborators. (The foreword to the book, by the way, was written by another of my favorites, psychologist Dr. Angela Duckworth, author of the fantastic book Grit.) How to Change shares strategic methods for identifying and overcoming common barriers to change, like impulsivity, procrastination, and forgetfulness, and gives us practical tips and tactics backed by science to help us achieve our goals, once and for all. Dr. Milkman has worked with numerous organizations on how to achieve positive change, including Google, the U.S. Department of Defense, Walmart, the White House, and the American Red Cross. Her research is regularly featured by media outlets like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and NPR, and she currently co-directs the Behavior Change for Good Initiative at Penn as well as hosts the podcast Choiceology, a popular Charles Schwab show about behavioral economics. Speaking of The New York Times, How to Change was not only a bestseller but also named one of the eight best books for healthy living in 2021 by that outlet. Dr. Milkman is a Princeton and Harvard graduate and, as you’ll hear us talk about, wrote a book that truly changed my life, personally. I can’t wait for you to hear what she has to say.
How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Beby Dr. Katy Milkman
When it comes to people I am most compelled by, living or dead, right there at the top of the list is Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. And, actually, one of the parts of Carolyn I am the least compelled by is who she married, even though, trust me, I love John F. Kennedy Jr. separately, all on his own. But, while she became one-half of one of the most famous couples in the world in the 1990s, it’s Carolyn herself that I’m interested in. Carolyn was such a mystery and an enigma during her all too short life; she was elusive, stylish, elegant, graceful, glamorous, and, before Elizabeth Beller’s new book Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, which is out today, May 21, largely unknown. The unrelenting media portrayed Carolyn as an ice queen, a snob—but, as you’ll hear Elizabeth explain today in our conversation, she was anything but. In fact, a word Elizabeth closely associates with Carolyn is compassion—unfailing compassion. Like all of us, Carolyn was multi-layered, and the woman you’ll meet in this conversation and in Elizabeth’s book is, arguably, I think one we’d all like to know, and we’d all like to have as a friend. And her marriage is nowhere near the most fascinating part of her story. Carolyn died at just 33 years old; unbelievably, the 25th anniversary of her death is this upcoming July 16. Because of how private she was and because of a lack of information, Carolyn was incredibly misunderstood and, heretofore, I think we’ve really gotten her all wrong. But, according to those who knew her, she made people feel like they were the only person in the room. She had a timeless style that was minimalist, with a muted color palette—inspired, at least in part, because of her relationship with the paparazzi, which we get into today. Carolyn would be 58 years old today, and I’m so pleased to introduce you to her biographer, Elizabeth Beller. Elizabeth is a writer and journalist specializing in culture, art, and travel with more than 15 years under her belt as a book and story editor. Her work has appeared in Vogue, Travel + Leisure, and The Guardian, and prior to becoming a writer and editor, was a script reader for Miramax and worked for 12 years at Sotheby’s Auction House. In this book, Elizabeth really brings us a comprehensive look at a multifaceted woman who is, in the book’s own words, worthy of our attention regardless of her husband and untimely death.
Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedyby Elizabeth Beller
Welcome to episode three of three in my royal fiction series, which we started with Katharine McGee, continued with Linda Keir, and are finishing with Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan, authors of both The Royal We and The Heir Affair. I would argue that The Royal We released in 2015—actually kickstarted this trend of royal fiction that continues and continues today. In this book—which is inspired by the love story of Prince William and Kate Middleton—we meet an American girl, Bex Porter, who meets a dreamy guy named Nick while at Oxford, and finds herself accidentally in love with, casually, the heir to the British throne. Interestingly, the American aspect was introduced by Heather and Jessica in 2015, before Prince Harry ever met Meghan Markle the next year, in 2016. In 2020, the follow up to The Royal We, The Heir Affair, was released, and in this book, we find (slight spoiler alert here) Bex adjusting to royal life, including a scandalous secret that turned her wedding to Nick into a nightmare, leaving them in self-imposed exile. Trying so hard to not give spoilers here. In this book we get to know the character of Freddie more, and—you know what, you just need to add these two books to your summer beach bag, and you just need to read the books. Because if I keep going, I’m going to give plot points away, and I don’t want to do that. I am so thrilled to have had the chance to chat with the dynamic Heather and Jessica, who, in addition to writing these two books, are the creators of the unparalleled celebrity fashion blog, Go Fug Yourself, and are known as such as The Fug Girls. In addition to The Royal We and The Heir Affair, they’ve also written two young adult novels, Spoiled and Messy, and have written everywhere from New York Magazine to Vanity Fair to Cosmopolitan, The New York Times, The Washington Post, W, Glamour, and more. One thing we actively and intentionally avoid in this conversation is the real-life happenings of the royal family—so if you’re looking for dish and juice on that, you’ll be disappointed—but you won’t be disappointed in this chat, which is fantastic. In this conversation, we prefer to stay in the fictional world of Bex and Nick and Freddie, and I think you’ll find that you’ll enjoy it there with us. These two women are phenomenal.
The Royal Weby Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
One of my absolute new favorite people is Stephanie Harrison, author of the book New Happy: Getting Happiness Right in a World That’s Got It Wrong, which came out this past Tuesday, May 14. This book is being billed as “the definitive guide to happiness” and is packed full of a decade’s worth of research that leads us to a proven path of happiness. Who among us doesn’t want to be happier, and who among us hasn’t struggled with happiness? In this book, Stephanie—who has potentially the coolest job title in the world, happiness expert—walks us through the counterintuitive secrets to happiness and gives us a practical guide to help us all learn how to live a happy life. As Stephanie writes, we all want to be happy—but happiness always seems out of reach. Well, until now anyway. Stephanie draws on hundreds of studies to help us find happiness and makes it clear that it’s not our fault we’re unhappy. See, we’ve as a society been told three damaging lies: that we aren’t good enough, that we need to achieve wealth, fame, and power, and that we need to do it on our own. This is what Stephanie calls “Old Happy,” or our society’s false definition of happiness—and, as you may have noticed, it’s making us absolutely miserable. Now, it’s time for “New Happy,” which includes the truths that you are enough, you have unique and important gifts, and using them to help other people is what will lead to happiness. I also have to make mention here that, in addition to the obviously very powerful words included within, the book is just full of this artwork that is extraordinary, too, that helps explain the concepts. We learn in the book how to unwind “Old Happy,” and firmly step into “New Happy.” Basically, if you’ve ever asked the questions “Who am I, really?” or “When will I be happy?” or “What am I supposed to do with my life?”—this book is for you (so, yeah, everyone). In addition to being a happiness expert, Stephanie is a writer, designer, and speaker, complete with a master’s degree in positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. She’s devoted her life to the study of well-being—truly, what a noble pursuit—and her company, The New Happy (which Stephanie founded in 2018) has revolutionized the way people understand and pursue happiness. In addition to this new book, there’s a podcast, a newsletter, videos, and so many resources that reach millions around the world each month, a science-backed philosophy of happiness. Her happiness expertise has been featured everywhere from CNBC to the Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Forbes, and Architectural Digest, and she is a regular speaker at Fortune 500 companies. Before taking on this happiness work full steam, she was the director of learning at Thrive Global. Speaking of learning, I look forward to you doing just that with Stephanie in this episode.
New Happy: Getting Happiness Right in a World That’s Got It Wrongby Stephanie Harrison
There is no novel better than a Plum Sykes novel, and I have mentioned on the show what a fan I am of Plum’s work—and of Plum, period, end of story. I have another special fiction pick for you listeners as we’re starting to plan summer beach trips and pool days—Plum’s latest, Wives Like Us, is an absolute must for your summer TBR. It comes out today, May 14, and I tore through it and wanted more of Ian the butler (you’ll hear Plum and I talk about him plenty on the show today). Truly, Plum is one of the ultimate icons of fiction to me. Let’s talk about Wives Like Us before we get into getting to know a bit about Plum herself: this book takes us to the Cotswolds, specifically “The Bottoms,” and introduces us to the luxe life there, specifically the life and the concept of “the Country Princess,” which Plum explains in our chat today. Plum lives in the English countryside, so it’s a world she knows well. The signature of Plum’s novels is that they’re so juicy and dishy and high society-focused—upper crust and rich and glamorous. This is her fourth novel, following Bergdorf Blondes, The Debutante Divorcee, and Party Girls Die in Pearls, which came out in 2016, if I’m not mistaken, so it’s been a moment since I’ve gotten my Plum Sykes novel fix. Let me tell you about her, without further ado. First of all, Plum and her twin sister, Lucy, were the “It Girls” in New York City high society, Plum working at Vogue under Anna Wintour and Lucy at Marie Claire, where, actually, I now work. Plum is a fashion journalist, novelist, and socialite and was born in London and educated at Oxford, and remains a contributing editor at Vogue, where she writes about society, fashion, and Hollywood. She has also written for Vanity Fair. I’m a fan of Plum’s writing and just Plum as a person, and there’s no question that you, too, will fall in love with her after listening to our conversation.
Wives Like Us by Plum Sykes
First things first: today’s episode is fantastic, but deals with some really heavy, difficult subject matter. Please be advised, and please take care of yourself and listen as you’re able.
On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into flight above the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida at 11:39 a.m., killing all seven crew members aboard. This marked the first fatal accident involving an American spacecraft while in flight. Not only were the families of all seven crew members watching, but so was the country and the world—the launch was broadcast live, and children across the country in particular were watching thanks to schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe being sent into space that day as a part of the Teacher In Space program. Because of this, media interest was higher than normal, and many children watched in horror as the spacecraft exploded, not understanding, and traumatized.
I want to honor those seven lives lost by naming them here: F. Richard Scobee, commander; Michael J. Smith, pilot; Ronald McNair, mission specialist; Ellison Onizuka, mission specialist; Judith Resnik, mission specialist; Gregory Jarvis, payload specialist; and Christa McAuliffe, payload specialist and teacher. This crew was scheduled to deploy a communications satellite and study Halley’s Comet, but never got the chance; the cause of the explosion was determined to be the failure of the primary and secondary redundant O-ring seals in a joint in the shuttle’s right solid rocket booster—our guest on the show today, Adam Higginbotham, will explain that to us. The record-low temperatures on that January morning of the launch had stiffened the rubber O-rings, reducing their ability to seal the joints. After a three-month search-and recovery operation, the crew compartment, human remains, and many other fragments from the shuttle were recovered from the Atlantic Ocean floor. I talk about this with Adam today, but, while the exact timing of the deaths of the crewmembers is unknown, several crew members are thought to have survived the initial breakup of the Challenger. It is especially difficult, at least for me, to hear Adam talk about this.
As a result of the Challenger disaster, NASA established the Office of Safety, Reliability, and Quality Assurance, as well as other changes focused on safety. In his book Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space, which comes out tomorrow, May 14, Adam Higginbotham tells the story of the Challenger but also the arc from 1967 and the Apollo 1 cabin fire to 2003 and the Columbia disaster, 17 years after the Challenger. This is one of the best books I’ve ever read—full stop. The full story of what happened with the Challenger and why has never been told, until Adam’s book. It is filled with extensive archival research and meticulous, original reporting about this turning point in history, which, as Adam puts it, “forever changed the way America thought of itself and its optimistic view of the future.” Adam is a journalist who is the former U.S. correspondent for The Sunday Telegraph and former editor-in-chief of The Face. He has also served as a contributing writer for The New York Times, The New Yorker, GQ, Smithsonian, and Wired and is also the author of Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World’s Greatest Nuclear Disaster, which came out in 2019. This is a truly harrowing and powerful conversation.
Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space by Adam Higginbotham
I was doing my scroll of all of my favorite magazine’s sites when I saw a headline on Vanity Fair that read “Elise Loehnen Would Like Mothers to Give Themselves a Break.” Now, look, I’m not even a mother, and even I get how much mothers giving themselves a break is necessary. I have so many friends that are moms, and even beyond mothers, just for women, in general, that pervasive guilt always seems to be so present—that we’re never doing enough, or, perhaps even more catastrophically, that we ourselves aren’t enough. That’s why I wanted to release today’s episode on the Friday before Mother’s Day specifically—Elise is my guest on the show today, and her message is one all mothers and all women need to hear, and her book, On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to Be Good, is one all mothers and all women need to read. This isn’t just a book—it’s a masterclass, a manifesto, a book of a generation. Truly. On Our Best Behavior has one of the best frameworks I’ve ever seen for a book, one that uses the Seven Deadly Sins—ancient ideas of morality that still control and distort women’s lives today—to reveal how these are rules we unwittingly follow in order to be considered “good,” and how we equate self-denial with being good. These unselfish, often distinctly feminine instincts are ingrained in us by a culture that reaps the benefits of it. The Seven Deadly Sins of pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth have exerted insidious power and have done so since their adoption in the fourth century up to the present day. Elise’s book is at the same time very modern, tying everything to the present day, but also steeped in history—and, thankfully, it teaches us how to break free from the chains that bind us. The book is a New York Times bestseller and has been since its release in May 2023, a groundbreaking work that every woman and, really, every person needs to read. By the way, Elise taught me that the seven deadly sins were actually once eight sins. I really can’t tell you how much this book impacted me, and how excited I am for you to read this book and hear this conversation. Closing out this incredible week on the show, we have Elise Loehnen herself, who is not just the writer of On Our Best Behavior but is also the host of the podcast “Pulling the Thread” and the Substack newsletter of the same name. Elise went to Yale and, interestingly, was a national championship mathlete finalist, which I deeply appreciate made the cut of her bio. She was a deputy editor at Lucky magazine (which we’ve talked about on the show before, in our episode with Jean Godfrey June), was editorial projects director at Conde Nast Traveler, and was chief content officer of Goop—where she hosted the Goop podcast and the Goop Lab series on Netflix and oversaw Goop magazine. She actually left Goop in 2020 to focus on this book. This is actually not Elise’s first book, not by a long shot—she has worked as a ghostwriter on a ton of books in the areas of self-help, style, and business, and has worked with Ellen DeGeneres and Lea Michelle, for example. She’s co-written 12 books, and five of those were New York Times bestsellers, which is incredible. On Our Best Behavior is her first book written under her own name and not ghostwritten. Elise is a frequent contributor to Oprah and has written for The New York Times, Elle Décor, Stylist, and more. She is a wife and a mother of two sons, and they live in L.A. I can’t wait for you to meet her in this conversation.
On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to Be Good by Elise Loehnen
“Elise Loehnen Would Like Mothers to Give Themselves a Break” in Vanity Fair
Today on the show we’re talking about the legend that is Barbara Walters. We actually have another journalist I admire, Susan Page, who wrote The Rulebreaker: The Life and Times of Barbara Walters (which just came out on April 23), talking about a journalist I admire, so our cup runneth over with powerhouse female journalists. Barbara lived a long, full life, passing away on December 30, 2022, at 93 years old. In her lifetime, she became one of the most well-known and well-regarded broadcast journalists and television personalities, perhaps most famous for her genius level interviewing ability and for breaking barriers that once prevented women from being equal to men when it came to broadcast journalism. She was an Emmy winner and hosted numerous programs like Today, the ABC Evening News, 20/20, and she created The View, which Susan and I talk about on the show today. She was a working journalist from 1951 until her retirement in 2015 and was very deservedly inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1989; she even has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In the early 1960s, Barbara was relegated to reporting on women’s interest stories on Today, but her popularity amongst viewers eventually catapulted to her becoming a co-host of the show in 1974, the first woman to hold such a role on an American news program. In 1976, she broke down more barriers when she became the first American female co-anchor of a network evening news program alongside Harry Reasoner on the ABC Evening News—which, um, did not go so well. Don’t worry, Susan and I talk about that, too. She became known for her annual Barbara Walters’ 10 Most Fascinating People, and during her career interviewed every sitting U.S. president and First Lady from the Nixons to the Obamas; she also interviewed both Donald Trump and Joe Biden, but not when either was president. Her interviews with subjects ranging from Fidel Castro to Monica Lewinsky and so many more gained her recognition as the best interviewer in the business, but who was Barbara Walters the person, not the personality? Well, Susan’s book lays it all out. We learn about Barbara’s marriages—she was married four times to three men—her daughter, other romantic relationships, and her childhood, especially her relationship with her father and her sister, and how those relationships shaped her into the woman she became. Today on the show to discuss it all is Susan Page, the Washington, D.C. bureau chief for USA Today. This is Susan’s third biography of a powerful woman: her first, about Barbara Bush, was released in 2019 and is called The Matriarch: Barbara Bush and the Making of an American Dynasty. She then released a biography about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power in 2021, and her third book is The Rulebreaker. Susan has covered seven White House administrations and 11 presidential elections and has interviewed 10 presidents, right up there with Barbara Walters. She also moderated the 2020 vice presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Mike Pence, founded and hosts a video newsmaker series for USA Today called “Capital Download,” and appears frequently as a panelist or an analyst on various news programs, including Meet the Press—and was even president of the White House Correspondents Association at one point. I can’t wait for you to hear our conversation.
The Rulebreaker: The Life and Times of Barbara Walters by Susan Page
When it comes to women I find totally compelling, Elizabeth Taylor tops the list for me. Why, you may ask? Well, her Academy Award-winning career and her talent onscreen, for starters. Her beauty, specifically her violet eyes. Her work with AIDS, and her White Diamonds perfume. And, yes, her lifestyle, specifically her eight marriages. But there’s only one man she married twice, and that love story, the love story between Elizabeth and Richard Burton, is what we’re talking about on the show today. Joining me today is Roger Lewis, the endlessly compelling author of Erotic Vagrancy: Everything About Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, which came out March 26. It took Roger 13 years to write this book, which clocks in at the juiciest 608 pages imaginable. It, in a word, is delicious. Elizabeth knew celebrity well, and by the time she met Richard on the set of Cleopatra in 1961, she had transitioned from a child star to a Hollywood icon. Meanwhile, we have Richard, who is a legend in the theater and a truly brilliant actor, nominated for seven Academy Awards, though he didn’t win any. He is much, much more averse to fame than his wife Elizabeth, who essentially helped define modern celebrity. Their two lives converge in Rome, and both are married to other people at the time; they can’t resist one another, and in come the private jets, the jewels, the yachts, the furs, and the vodka—so much vodka. Though Roger calls the two the loves of one another’s lives, it all goes wrong, with alcoholism, violence, recrimination, and two divorces. Richard is dead at just 58 in 1982; Elizabeth will live another 29 years before dying in 2011. Elizabeth and Richard were better known as “Liz and Dick” by the media, and ultimately starred in 11 films together and were married the first time from 1964 to 1974, and then remarried in 1975; their second marriage once again ended in divorce in 1976, just one year later. Together, in the 1960s the supercouple earned a combined $88 million. Their relationship has been referred to as the “marriage of the century,” and here to escort us on this rollercoaster ride is Roger Lewis, who, in addition to this masterpiece, also wrote The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, which was made into a Golden Globe and Emmy award-winning film by HBO starring Geoffrey Rush and Charlize Theron. I would expect some type of screen adaptation for Erotic Vagrancy, as well—just saying. He has also written a number of other biographies, including one on Laurence Olivier. Prepare through this conversation to be transported to the lavish, almost unbelievable world of Liz and Dick, and strap yourselves in, because it’s going to be a bumpy, wild ride.
Erotic Vagrancy: Everything About Richard Burton andElizabeth Taylorby Roger Lewis
I have two surprise, special episodes for you this week, including today’s chat with none other than Jen Psaki! Yes, that’s right, the Jen Psaki, the former White House press secretary and current TV host extraordinaire. Jen has a new book out today, May 7, called Say More: Lessons from Work, the White House, and the World, and I loved it. It’s a memoir of her time as White House press secretary but also a how to book on how to be a more successful communicator. I learned so much in the book—not just about Jen, but also about her best tips and tricks and strategies for communicating. She knows a thing or two about that, considering that she is 22 years and several communications jobs into this line of work. There’s no way you don’t know who the dynamic Jen Psaki is, but let me refresh your memory: Jen served under both the Obama and Biden administrations, serving President Obama as the White House deputy press secretary in 2009 and the White House deputy communications director from 2009 to 2011. She was also the spokesperson for the United States Department of State from 2013 to 2015 and the White House communications director from 2015 to 2017. She was also press secretary for both of Obama’s presidential campaigns, in 2008 and 2012. From 2017 to 2020, Jen worked as a political commentator for CNN, and in November 2020 she left the network and joined the Biden-Harris transition team; later that month, she was named the White House press secretary for the Biden administration, and she served until May 2022, as it was always her plan (as we’ll talk about on the show today) to stay for about a year. Jen then became a contributor at MSNBC, and in February 2023 it was announced that she would host a new Sunday morning program, Inside with Jen Psaki, beginning the next month, in March. The show is seriously great, and ratings showed that; in September, the program took over MSNBC’s Monday 8 p.m. primetime slot, and I highly recommend watching it for yourself. (The show focuses on public policy issues, by the way.) Jen is also a wife and a mother of two young children, and we talk about how she juggled marriage and motherhood with one of the toughest communications jobs in the world. Now she’s an author with Say More, a book that Jen said she wished she’d had when starting her career.
Say More: Lessons from Work, the White House, and the World by Jen Psaki
We’re continuing to add to your beach read pile today with another fiction pick I couldn’t get enough of: Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews, which is out May 7. Mary Kay is so talented at making the setting or the place of her books as a character in the novel, and she certainly does that in this latest book with “the Saint,” a landmark hotel on the coast of Georgia. Traditions run deep here, but scandals run even deeper. “The Saint” is shorthand for the St. Cecelia, and if you grew up coming to this hotel, you were referred to as “a Saint”; if you came from the wrong side of the river, you were “an Ain’t.” In the book we meet Traci Eddings, who was one of those outsiders; her family wasn’t rich or connected enough to vacation at the Saint. She did work at the Saint, however, for one summer, and she married the boss’ son. In this book we find her the widowed owner of the hotel, attempting to get the Saint back to its glory days, even though she’s got a mountain of opposition standing in her way. She’s got one summer season to turn it around, but then, new information about a drowning that happened long ago at the hotel threatens to come to light, and then a tragic death of one of the Saint’s own brings Traci to the brink of despair. It’s a love story, it’s a mystery, and it’s definitely worth a place on your TBR pile. Mary Kay Andrews is such a talented writer—she’s a New York Times bestseller and her hit books are too numerous to name, but I’ll try: The Homewreckers, The Newcomer, Hello, Summer, Sunset Beach, The High Tide Club, The Beach House Cookbook, The Weekenders, Beach Town, Save the Date, Ladies’ Night, Spring Fever, Summer Rental, The Fixer Upper, Deep Dish, Savannah Breeze, Hissy Fit, Little Bitty Lies, and Savannah Blues, and I know there are many others that I left out. She is actually a former journalist for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and lives in Georgia; Mary Kay Andrews is actually a pen name she adopted in 2002—her real name is Kathy Hogan Trocheck—and (I find this so interesting!) her pen name is inspired by the names of her children, Mary Kathleen, so Mary K, and Andrew, so Andrews. I love details like that. I have lived in the South for 15 years this year, and I really resonate with Mary Kay Andrews’ Southern-flavored stories, but they’re relatable and totally compelling to anyone, anywhere, as her books at their heart deal with the human element.
Summers at the Saintby Mary Kay Andrews
Hi listeners! I have a very exciting announcement today—our episode today marks our 200th episode! Most podcasts don’t make it to 100 episodes, and to make it to 200 is a milestone I am so, so proud of and thrilled to achieve. All of you know that I’d Rather Be Reading is my absolute passion project and to have spent 200 episodes with you is an honor I don’t take lightly. I am raising a glass to all we’ve done here on the show and all that we will do.
As we continue to grow and expand, our focus will always be the best current nonfiction books, but I’m really enjoying our occasional forays into fiction on the show, and we’ll have a couple more before season 11 concludes. Today we have on the show Hannah Brown, who wrote a memoir, God Bless This Mess: Learning to Live and Love Through Life’s Best (and Worst) Moments in 2021; now she’s turning her focus to fiction with Mistakes We Never Made, which comes out May 7. I learned that this is actually book one in a two-book deal, which is exciting, because Hannah has a talent for this. Hannah has let us get to know her through most of her work heretofore—through her memoir, her podcast “Better Tomorrow,” and appearances on The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and Dancing with the Stars, but in Mistakes We Never Made, we get to know Emma Townsend and Finn Hughes in this work of romance fiction that reads on the page just like a rom-com on the screen. Hannah is an avid reader and said of writing this book that “Storytelling is something I’ve always wanted to do,” and in this book we meet two characters who have had a ton of almoststogether, and quite frankly, they can’t stand each other. Then, as one of their mutual friends is getting married, Emma and Finn have to pretend that they don’t remember all of their nearlys and so close but yet so far aways. There’s a big mystery in there and it is absolutely perfect for your upcoming beach trips, poolside lazy days, and such a refreshing escape from reality. I also get to talk to Hannah about wedding planning, as she has found her happily ever after, and I know you’ll enjoy this conversation as much as I did.
Mistakes We Never Made by Hannah Brown
In his latest book The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War, Erik Larson—who I think is one of the best if not the best historical nonfiction writers there is—takes us back to the beginnings of the Civil War. In 1860, we see Abraham Lincoln elected president that November 6; Lincoln’s own reaction to his election is “God help me. God help me.” Just five months later, it’s April 12, 1861, a Friday; Larson writes that that day was destined to be the single-most consequential day in American history. It was that day, at Fort Sumter, South Carolina, that the Civil War began, a location Larson describes as a lonely federal fortress in Charleston Harbor. In the leadup and path to the Civil War, Southern states were seceding one after another, and Lincoln was powerless to stop them. Southern extremists were moving ever closer to destroying the Union when finally, on that day at Fort Sumter, a simmering crisis finally tore a deeply divided nation in two. In the months between his election and Fort Sumter, Lincoln is trying to keep the country together while dealing with betrayal in his own inner circle, attempting to avoid what would become the Civil War, beginning on that April day in 1861 and raging on until 1865, eventually killing 750,000 Americans. In this book, Larson draws on so much historical record—diaries, slave ledgers, plantation records, one of the most thrilling 600 pages I’ve ever read with not one page wasted. If you don’t know who Erik Larson is, please change that immediately, although if you are a lover of nonfiction, I’m all but certain you know who this man is. He has written six national bestsellers—The Splendid and the Vile, The Devil in the White City, Dead Wake, Thunderstruck, In the Garden of Beasts, and Isaac’s Storm—which have collectively sold more than 10 million copies. His books have covered topics ranging from the sinking of the Lusitania during World War I to Winston Churchill to an American ambassador in Hitler’s Berlin to the United States’ first serial killer, but in The Demon of Unrest, which is out today, April 30, Larson turns his gaze to Fort Sumter and the advent of the Civil War. Sit back and get ready to hear from someone who is a master at what he does.
The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War by Erik Larson
Hi listeners—in our conversation today, we will be discussing suicide. If you or someone you know needs mental health help, please text STRENGTH to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or visit crisistextline.org to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. You are not alone.
On the morning of Sunday, January 30, 2022, April Simpkins woke to a text from her daughter Cheslie Kryst that read “First, I’m sorry. By the time you get this, I won’t be alive anymore, and it makes me even more sad to write this, because I know it will hurt you the most.” That day Cheslie took her own life, and on her Instagram had, just hours before, written a final message: “May this day bring you rest and peace.”
Cheslie was Miss USA 2019, made the top 10 at the Miss Universe competition, was a complex civil litigation attorney, a correspondent for Extra and nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards, creator of the blog White Collar Glam, a graduate of the University of South Carolina and Wake Forest School of Law with both a JD and an MBA, beautiful, intelligent, successful. But when you have depression—even high-functioning depression, which Cheslie’s mother, April, will explain in this episode—accomplishments don’t mean much, and oftentimes all that you can see is your perceived inadequacies. From the outside looking in, Cheslie appeared to have it all, but like with so many, there was inner turmoil beneath the surface. Cheslie said that she had imposter syndrome and a “constant inner voice repeating ‘never enough.’” She wrote it herself in a manuscript, which she left behind at her death, which shares the story of Cheslie’s life—the high highs, and the low lows. Her final wish was that her manuscript be published, and this week, on April 23, just over two years after her death, her mother April took the book across the finish line and put it out into the world. The first two-thirds of the book are Cheslie’s words; April comes in and finishes the book, allowing readers to meet not just one but two powerful women. That book—the fulfillment of a promise to her daughter—is called By the Time You Read This: The Space Between Cheslie’s Smile and Mental Illness—Her Story in Her Own Words, and it is a must-read.
I have dealt with suicide in my immediate family, but I have never lost a child. I cannot fathom and I cannot comprehend all that April has gone through in the two-plus years since losing Cheslie. April has turned her pain into purpose, becoming a mental health advocate and launching the Cheslie C. Kryst Foundation, which is being founded in Cheslie’s honor. Net proceeds from the book will be used to support the work of this foundation, and that thrills me to no end.
Today, April 28, is Cheslie’s birthday; she was born on this day 33 years ago. Stay tuned to hear how you can join in on Cheslie’s birthday party happening later today—where we can all join together to honor the life of someone who made an enormous difference in this world.
By the Time You Read This: The Space Between Cheslie’sSmile and Mental Illness—Her Story in Her Own Wordsby Cheslie Kryst and April Simpkins
Join the birthday party live on Instagram at 3:30 p.m. EST on Sunday, April 28! April’s Instagram handle is @aprils_hr.
In her book The Twentysomething Treatment: A Revolutionary Remedy for an Uncertain Age, clinical psychologist Dr. Meg Jay writes of the 75 million adults between the ages of 18 and 35 that most of them “are living through the most uncertain years they will ever know.” She continues, perhaps contrary to popular belief, that young adults are far from problem free; she writes in the book, which came out April 9, that today’s young workers will have, on average, nine different jobs by the age of 35, and it’s not just young adult lives that are unsettled: the era in which they live is unsettling, too. Every decade of life is difficult, but for twentysomethings, uncertainty is the most difficult part of all, she writes. I had a lot of takeaways from The Twentysomething Treatment, but perhaps more than anything? I learned a greater empathy for those in their twenties. It wasn’t too long ago when I was a twentysomething myself—I am 37 and will be 38 later this year—but it’s long enough that this group of twentysomethings have somehow even more challenges facing them than even my generation did. Dr. Jay is an expert in what it’s like to be a twentysomething and has been doing this work for 25 years; I read her first book The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter—and How to Make the Most of Them Now when it came out in 2012, so I would have been roughly 26, and it changed the trajectory of the decade for me. (She has also written another book, Supernormal: The Secret World of the Family Hero, which came out in 2019 and talks about ordinary people who are made extraordinary by all-too-common experiences.) She is not just a clinical psychologist but also an associate professor at the University of Virginia and, in addition to her three books, her work has appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Psychology Today, the BBC, NPR, and TED. In this new book and in our conversation today, Dr. Jay talks about why one’s twenties are the most challenging time of life and reveals essential skills for handling the persistent uncertainties that are part of the decade surrounding work, love, friendship, mental health, and more during that decade and beyond. By the way, many of these essential skills are skills this 37-year-old is still learning. This is a really, really interesting conversation I can’t wait for you to dig into.The Twentysomething Treatment: A Revolutionary Remedy for an Uncertain Age by Dr. Meg Jay
One of the buzziest films of the month is Netflix’s new movie Scoop starring Gillian Anderson and Rufus Sewell—it came out April 5 and is about the BBC’s process of securing Prince Andrew to appear on its program Newsnight, which he ultimately did in November 2019. This interview, which largely touched on his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, ended Andrew’s career as a working royal; his interview with Emily Maitlis aired on a Saturday, and by that next Wednesday, he resigned from his position as a senior royal. Today on the show we have the person responsible for securing that landmark interview, Sam McAlister, who was a producer and booker at the BBC at the time. Now, it’s important to note—and Sam and I do this in our conversation today—how absolutely impossible the prospect of getting a senior working royal to sit down and talk about his association with a convicted sex offender is. After all, the unofficial motto of the British royal family is “Never complain, never explain.” Members of the royal family rarely give interviews, and they never give interviews where they are already set up to fail. But Andrew’s ego led the way, and not only was the interview allowed to happen at Buckingham Palace, but it was allowed to air, as Andrew thought he did a great job. Oh, the joys of self-delusion. In the film, Scoop, Sam is played by actress Billie Piper, who called Sam an “unsung hero.” If you’ve seen Scoop, while Andrew will no doubt draw viewers in, it’s actually Sam who is the star of the movie, and as I say today on the show, a central theme is the story of women at the top of their game banding together to change history. That’s exactly what happened here. I interviewed Sam both for the show and for a piece I wrote about her for Marie Claire, and in doing so I watched the Newsnight interview for the first time since November 2019, and it is ridiculously painful to watch. Sam, in her book, calls the interview on Andrew’s part “a masterclass in how to destroy your life.” By that Wednesday, as I said, Andrew had left royal duty, and in January 2022, his mother, Queen Elizabeth, stripped Andrew of all of his royal patronages and military titles, in a final coup de grace for her reported favorite son. It’s also important to note that, in addition to just being associated with Jeffrey Epstein, Andrew was accused of sexual assault by Virginia Guiffre, who alleged that she was 17 when he had sex with her. In February 2022, Andrew settled out of court with Guiffre, and he has repeatedly, fastidiously, and continuously up to present day denied any of these allegations. Sam’s book, Scoops: Behind the Scenes of the BBC’s Most Shocking Interviews, came out in September 2022 and became the basis of Scoop, which is out now on Netflix. In the book, Sam—who is a single mother and a former lawyer—details booking many hard-to-book guests, Prince Andrew of course, but also Julian Assange, Amy Schumer, Stormy Daniels, and so many others. I am so excited for you to meet the dynamo that is Sam McAlister and learn about what she calls “45 minutes of TV history.”
Scoops: Behind the Scenes of the BBC’s Most Shocking Interviews by Sam McAlister
My piece for Marie Claire about Sam, “Don’t Be Fooled: ‘Scoop’ Isn’t About One Man—It’s About the Power of Women”
Last week, on April 18 and 19, the woman formerly known as Grace Kelly and, after marriage, Princess Grace of Monaco, would have marked 68 years of marriage to Prince Rainier III, had either lived to see it. Grace died at just 52 years old from injuries sustained in a car accident in 1982; Rainier died in 2005, 23 years later. Born in Philadelphia, Grace had just won the Academy Award for Best Actress for The Country Girl when she met Rainier in April 1955. It all started as a publicity gimmick while she was in Europe attending the Cannes Film Festival that, somehow, turned into what would become a 26-year marriage, but before their three children Princess Caroline, Prince Albert, and Princess Stephanie, and before her work as Princess of Monaco, and before her tragic death, there was the dress—one of the most elegant, memorable, and famous wedding gowns of all time. On her wedding day, Grace was 26 years old and was retiring from acting to marry a literal prince. Grace was arguably at the height of her Hollywood career when she met Rainier, and by the end of 1955, they were engaged; Rainier was already the monarch of the small principality of Monaco in the French Riviera and had been on the throne since 1949. He was 32 years old when they married, and reportedly being pressured—as all who are on the throne or who will be on the throne are—to produce an heir to ensure the continuation of the monarchy. As per Monegasque tradition, on April 18, 1956, Grace and Rainier were married in a civil ceremony in the throne room of the Royal Palace in front of just 80 guests. The ceremony was performed by Monaco’s Minister of Justice and was the precursor to the next day’s religious ceremony—that one watched by over 30 million viewers. Grace’s $60,000 religious ceremony wedding dress was a gift from MGM to its star and was a worthwhile investment: is has become one of the most iconic wedding dresses of all time. The timeless look has gone on to inspire brides like Kate Middleton, whose 2011 Alexander McQueen gown bore a close resemblance to the gown worn by Grace, another royal bride that walked down the aisle 55 years before her. Grace and Rainier’s religious ceremony on April 19 was held at the St. Nicholas Cathedral, and the high mass was conducted by the bishop of Monaco. A mixture of high society and Hollywood stars gathered for the occasion, including Ava Gardner, Cary Grant, Gloria Swanson, Aristotle Onassis, Conrad Hilton, and Egypt’s former King Farouk. Tatler reports that “During the wedding breakfast, guests were treated to lobster, caviar, and a six-tier wedding cake by the Hotel de Paris’ pastry chefs, from which two live turtle doves were released after Rainier sliced through it with his sword.” The couple left in a Rolls-Royce—a gift from their subjects—and sailed away on a seven-week honeymoon onboard Deo Juvante II, a gift from Onassis; by the time the newlyweds returned to Monaco, Grace was pregnant with her first child, Princess Caroline, who was born nine months and four days after her royal wedding in January 1957.
Today on the show we welcome back author J. Randy Taraborrelli and induct him into the elite I’d Rather Be Reading second timers club. He was on the show way back in February 2022 discussing his book Jackie, Ethel, Joan, about life as a Kennedy wife. In addition to writing extensively about the Kennedys—Jackie in particular—he has also written biographies on Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Beyonce, the Hiltons, the Bushes, and more. He’s endlessly interesting to talk to, and today we’re digging into his book Once Upon a Time: Behind the Fairytale of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier, which I think is the definitive book on not just Grace, but her marriage, too. It turns out the story of Grace and Rainier is a fairytale, but maybe not in the way you might think.
Once Upon a Time: Behind the Fairytale of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier by J. Randy Taraborrelli
There are no two ways around this fact: today’s conversation is tough. It’s really, really tough. Today, April 20, 2024, marks 25 years since the Columbine High School massacre in Littleton, Colorado. I woke up this morning and read an article in People magazine about Frank DeAngelis, who was the principal at Columbine at the time of the shooting. In the article, DeAngelis said that every single morning, he wakes up and says the names of those killed in that day’s horrible events. He said he almost died twice that day, and, in his words, “For whatever reason God spared me that day. So I need to try to help others.” I will take a page from Principal DeAngelis and begin this episode by saying the names of the 12 students and one teacher killed that day: Cassie Bernall, Steven Curnow, Corey DePooter, Kelly Fleming, Matt Kechter, Daniel Mauser, Danny Rohrbough, Dave Sanders, Rachel Scott, Isaiah Shoels, John Tomlin, Lauren Townsend, and Kyle Velasquez. Thirteen people who woke up on this morning 25 years ago and headed into school for what they probably imagined would be a typical Tuesday—and they never came home.
Today on the show I have Dave Cullen, who wrote the definitive book on the Columbine massacre, simply titled Columbine, in 2009, 10 years after the attack happened. It took Dave a full decade to write this masterpiece, and he followed it up with a book about the Parkland school shooting, simply titled Parkland, in 2019. Dave’s Columbine book has a new edition and we talk about that in today’s episode. You can feel Dave’s passion for a topic he spent a full decade writing about oozing throughout this conversation.
I was 12 years old and in the sixth grade on April 20, 1999, when perpetrators Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold shot and killed 12 fellow classmates and a teacher at the school. The massacre was also an attempted bombing that failed, and 10 of the 12 students killed were in the school library, the epicenter of the attack, where Harris and Klebold also killed themselves at the massacre’s end. When it happened, Columbine was the deadliest mass school shooting at a K-12 school in U.S. history; Harris and Klebold had been planning their attack for at least a year and planned for it to be primarily a bombing attack, and secondarily a shooting attack. When the bombs they’d built failed to detonate, they began shooting.Their motive remains inconclusive, but Dave and I get into the “why” of it all in our conversation today. Its aftermath has unfortunately spawned dozens of copycat killings, called “the Columbine effect,” and the word “Columbine” itself has become a word symbolizing school shootings. The attack took place from 11:19 a.m. to 12:08 p.m., culminating in the suicides of Harris and Klebold. In 2007, the Columbine Memorial opened to the public, and two years later, in 2009, Dave’s book came out. Dave is considered the nation’s foremost authority on Columbine, and his book covers two major storylines: the killers’ evolution leading up to the attack, and the survivors’ struggles with its aftermath after it happened. Chapters alternate between those two stories, and the book spent eight weeks on The New York Times bestseller list and won numerous awards, drawing comparisons to Truman Capote’s classic In Cold Blood and Ann Rule’s The Stranger Beside Me. This conversation is a difficult one, but necessary.
Columbine by Dave Cullen
The audiobook is also available
“Confronting: Columbine” podcast
On April 19, 1995—29 years ago tomorrow—at 9:02 a.m., a fertilizer truck bomb exploded outside of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, an act of domestic terrorism perpetrated by Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols. Fueled by anti-government sentiment—and specifically angered by the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, Ruby Ridge in 1992, and the Waco siege exactly two years to the day earlier in 1993—the blast killed 168 and injured 680. Prior to September 11, 2001, the bombing was the deadliest act of terrorism in U.S. history and remains to this day the deadliest act of domestic terrorism our country has ever seen. The bomb destroyed more than one-third of the building—which ultimately had to be demolished—and damaged 324 other buildings, causing an estimated $652 million in damages. Forensic evidence quickly linked McVeigh and Nichols to the bombing, and within days, both were charged. On that April 19, McVeigh detonated a Ryder truck in front of the building; Nichols had assisted with the bomb’s preparation. McVeigh and Nichols had met in 1988 during basic training for the Army and were both tried and convicted in 1997; McVeigh was executed by lethal injection on June 11, 2001, and Nichols is currently serving life in prison. The victims of the bombing ranged in age from three months old to 73 years old and included three pregnant women; 19 of the victims were babies and children, many of whom were in the building’s day care center. Today on the show we honor the victims of this senseless attack by talking to Jeffrey Toobin, author of the definitive book on the bombing, 2023’s Homegrown: Timothy McVeigh and the Rise of Right-Wing Extremism, and the host of the excellent and brand-new podcast Homegrown: OKC. In both works, Toobin draws parallels between the Oklahoma City bombing and January 6, 2021, writing that this study of the Oklahoma City bombing is “Not just a glimpse of the past, but a warning about the future.” It’s a conversation you won’t want to miss.
Homegrown: Timothy McVeigh and the Rise of Right-Wing Extremism by Jeffrey Toobin
Homegrown: OKC podcast
On April 15, 1912, the RMS Titanic—a British ocean liner operated by the White Star Line—sank in the North Atlantic Ocean after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City. The loss of life was devastating—of the 2,224 passengers and crew aboard, about 1,500 died, making the Titanic the deadliest sinking of a single ship up to that time, 112 years ago. Titanic had aboard her some of the wealthiest people in the world, as well as hundreds of immigrants seeking a new life in the United States and Canada. The Titanic was deemed “unsinkable,” which perhaps accounted for its disturbing lack of lifeboats. The ship was capable of having 48 lifeboats aboard; it only had 20 in actuality. Of those 20 lifeboats, 1,178 lives could have been saved in them, roughly half of the number of passengers on board. When the Titanic sank, the lifeboats lowered were only filled up to an average of 60 percent, which has always troubled me. She set off on her maiden voyage on Wednesday, April 10, 1912, and was due to arrive at New York Pier 59 one week later, on April 17. As played out in the blockbuster 1997 film Titanic directed by James Cameron and starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, you can see that the ship was the lap of luxury. At 11:40 p.m. on April 14, lookout Frederick Fleet spotted an iceberg immediately ahead, and alerted the bridge. First Officer William Murdoch ordered the Titanic to steer around the iceberg and the engines to be reversed, but it was too late. The starboard side of the ship struck the iceberg, creating a series of holes below the waterline, allowing water to rush in. It soon became clear that the ship was doomed. Between 2:10 and 2:15 a.m., a little over two-and-a-half hours after the Titanic struck the iceberg, her rate of sinking increased suddenly as the boat deck went underwater; as her stern rose out of the water, exposing the propellers, the ship broke into two. The bow was now underwater and the stern remained afloat and buoyant for a few minutes longer, rising to a nearly, and terrifyingly, vertical angle with hundreds of people still clinging to it, before foundering at 2:20 a.m. All of the remaining passengers and crew were flung into water at a temperature of 28 degrees Fahrenheit, or -2 degrees Celsius. Only five thrown into the frigid waters were helped into the lifeboats, though the lifeboats had room for almost 500 more souls. Women and children survived the disaster at rates of about 75 percent and 50 percent, respectively; because of the “women and children first” policy, only 20 percent of the men aboard made it out alive. Today on the show I have one of my favorite interview subjects ever: Gareth Russell, the author of 2019’s The Ship of Dreams: The Sinking of the Titanic and the End of the Edwardian Era. As you’ll hear, he is an expert on the Titanic, and there’s no one better to honor those lives lost and to remember her than him; to me, anyway, this is the absolute definitive book on the Titanic—no questions asked.
The Ship of Dreams: The Sinking of the Titanic and the End of the Edwardian Era by Gareth Russell
Welcome to this special fiction episode of I’d Rather Be Reading—specifically part two in my latest fiction subgenre obsession: royal family fiction. We’ve already had Katharine McGee on the show of the four-part American Royals series, and we will later have the writing duo behind The Royal We and The Heir Affair; today we have the writing duo behind The Royal Game, my latest royal family fiction favorite. (I’d also throw Red, White, and Royal Blue onto this list, as well.) It is a subgenre that is growing and growing in popularity, and not surprisingly, considering how ubiquitous the royal family has become in culture, especially lately. Today you get the chance to meet Linda Keir, a writing duo who has now written four books together and has been writing together since 2016. Linda Keir is a portmanteau of Linda Joffe Hull and Keir Graff, both of whom have successful writing careers on their own and as a team. The Royal Game—which came out on January 30 of this year—is their first foray into royal family fiction, but hopefully not their last. I won’t give too much away, but the loose plot of The Royal Game involves the love story between American pop singer Jennie Jenson and Prince Hugh of England, the heir to the throne. Someone is determined to keep Jennie from becoming a princess, and to have the happy ending to her fairytale, Jennie will have to play “the royal game.” Not everyone is excited about the prospect of an American princess, apparently. Jennie finds parallels between what’s happening to her and Hugh’s mother, Princess Penelope, who died in a mysterious plane crash. (Don’t worry, I ask Linda and Keir if my theories that Jennie and Hugh and Penelope are based on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry and Princess Diana are true.) Jennie wants to know if Penelope is murdered—and worries she might be next. It’s a thrilling mystery, a romantic love story, and really, really good. Today on the show we talk about their process of being a writing team, what they think about the royal family and if they follow it outside of their work on this latest book, why they chose to get into the royal family fiction subgenre, and what, exactly, “the royal game” is, anyway.
The Royal Game by Linda Keir
We also mention On Duty with the Queen by Dickie Arbiter on the show!
When it comes to fashion journalists, the crème de la crème is my guest today, Teri Agins. Today’s episode is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Teri’s book Hijacking the Runway: How Celebrities Are Stealing the Spotlight from Fashion Designers, which speaks to how celebrity interfaces with fashion and how fashion interfaces with celebrity. There used to be a delineation between fashion designers and fashion and supermodels on the one hand, and then celebrities, like actors and actresses and musicians, on the other. On the show today, Teri talks about when those lines started to blur, and when celebrities could no longer be one note—in addition to being, say, an actor, or a musician, or what have you, seemingly every celebrity now has a perfume, or a beauty line, or a fashion collection, or some kind of alcoholic beverage, or some (if not many) entrepreneurial ventures. It’s almost like being an actor is just the launchpad to becoming a multihyphenate and a mogul. It wasn’t always this way, believe it or not. In today’s episode we talk about how so-called “traditional” fashion designers feel about celebrities like Jessica Simpson, Victoria Beckham, and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (of the brand The Row) infiltrating the fashion industry; when celebrities decided to not just endorse products but own them; the magic formula as to why some celebrity fashion brands take off and some flop; how the emergence of reality stars changed the game even further; and how the pendulum swings both ways, as some designers are coming to prominence or deepening their fame on reality television as well (think, in particular, Project Runway). Let me tell you about the powerhouse that is Teri: she worked as a writer for Fairchild Publications in the 1970s, and after she and her former husband moved to Brazil for five years, she worked as a freelance writer for The New York Times and Time. In 1984, she became a reporter at The Wall Street Journal, where she wrote a business column; in 1989, Teri was assigned to develop the fashion beat for The Wall Street Journal, covering fashion from a business perspective. She was named senior special writer in 1995 and retired from The Wall Street Journal in 2009 but continues to freelance for them, including writing the popular fashion column “Ask Teri.” She has also written for Vogue, Town & Country, Essence, Harper’s Bazaar, and more. In addition to Hijacking the Runway, Teri also wrote the book The End of Fashion: How Marketing Changed the Clothing Game Forever. Quick aside—in the middle of our conversation, New York City experienced a 4.8 magnitude earthquake—remember that last Friday?—and, true to the force of nature Teri is, she didn’t even bat an eye. I can’t wait for you to meet this dynamic woman and learn from her expertise.
Hijacking the Runway: How Celebrities Are Stealing the Spotlight from Fashion Designers by Teri Agins
Welcome to season 11 of I’d Rather Be Reading! This season we will, of course, continue to cover the latest and greatest nonfiction books, but we’re also going to focus on many events that gripped the nation past and present—like the O.J. Simpson murders (which happened 30 years ago this June), the Oklahoma City bombing, Columbine (which happened 25 years ago this month), and JFK Jr.’s plane crash, which is marking its twenty-fifth anniversary this year. Today on the show we’re digging into a true crime case that’s much more recent: the quadruple homicide of four University of Idaho students on November 13, 2022. Today on the show we are speaking with J. Reuben Appelman about his book While Idaho Slept: The Hunt for Answers in the Murder of Four College Students, released last October. He is from Idaho and has lived there for 25 years; you’ll hear him talk about how his daughter attended U of I and how unlikely even one murder, let alone four, is in the idyllic town of Moscow. He is a private investigator and his true crime memoir, The Kill Jar, inspired the popular Hulu docuseries Children of the Snow. Stick around after the show for a book pick about the Murdaugh murders, one connected to Nirvana (Kurt Cobain committed suicide 30 years ago on April 8), and two nonfiction picks based off of television shows premiering on Hulu and Apple TV+ in the coming week.
While Idaho Slept: The Hunt for Answers in the Murder of Four College Studentsby J. Reuben Appleman
Plus two entertainment picks!
Read: Under the Bridge by Rebecca Godfrey | Watch: Under the Bridge on Hulu, out on April 17
Read: A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America by Stacy Schiff | Watch: Franklin on Apple TV+, out on April 12
Welcome to the season 10 finale, friends! What a great season it has been, with so much more in store in the forthcoming season 11. Today on the show we’re talking about a topic close to my heart as I look to undertake this project this year: getting signed to a literary agent and getting signed to a book deal. I realize this is a podcast for readers, but I also realize that many of you are writers, and maybe you’ve been feeling the nudge too to write that book, whether fiction or nonfiction, that you just can’t get out of your head. The process of getting a book deal is totally overwhelming, but thankfully now we have Lucinda Halpern’s Get Signed: Find an Agent, Land a Book Deal, and Become a Published Author, which walks you step-by-step through the cumbersome process in a way that is easy to understand, digestible, and, most importantly, doable! If you have that idea tugging and gnawing at you, listeners, and it just won’t go away, it’s time to write that book, whatever that book is, and here’s your sign. Lucinda’s book walks us all the way through how to do it; this mystifying process isn’t shrouded in complexity anymore, and through her six-step method you’ll close the book able to write a query letter that gets an agent’s attention, build an effective marketing platform, and go on to write the book you’re meant to write. In today’s conversation we talk about whether the process of finding a literary agent is different for fiction and nonfiction writers, red flags to look out for when choosing an agent, whether an agent is absolutely necessary to land a book deal and impart a boost of confidence for all of you, like me, who think maybe you aren’t good enough or ready to do this. Guess what? You are!
Get Signed: Find an Agent, Land a Book Deal, and Become a Published Author by Lucinda Halpern
Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment without Burnoutby Cal Newport
There is no better person to close out March and Women’s History Month on I’d Rather Be Reading than Sarah Ditum, author of the new book Toxic: Women, Fame, and the Tabloid 2000s, which came out on January 23. Through the lens of nine of the biggest female celebrities of the 2000s—Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Aaliyah, Janet Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Kim Kardashian, Chyna (the professional wrestler), and Jennifer Aniston, Sarah’s book and this conversation takes a look back at how, well, toxic it was to be a female celebrity in the aughts. As we talk about on the show, with different celebrity magazines picking apart women’s bodies and using women as punching bags, that gave permission for regular people like all of us permission to do the same, and—as Sarah acutely points out—do that not the least of which to ourselves. If you were young and female and coming into your own during this time period as I was, it was not easy, and I’m sure it was the same if you were young and male, too. Celebrity culture in the early aughts was an amalgamation of celebrity sex tapes, tabloids fed by paparazzi willing to do anything to get the shot, Perez Hilton and the internet on its worst behavior, rampant fat-shaming and slut-shaming, and revenge porn. This was the time before all of this was completely unacceptable—sure, it was frowned upon (sometimes), but not unacceptable like it is today, or at least like it is inching towards today. And perhaps no one was treated worse in all of the aforementioned regards than the female celebrity, in a decade where a female celebrity in crisis was the absolute center of attention. Three of the nine women profiled in Sarah’s book—Aaliyah, Amy Winehouse, and Chyna—didn’t survive until present day. This era really was toxic and proof that we can and should always do better in the way we treat women. I’m thankful to Sarah for writing this book and for being here today.
Toxic: Women, Fame, and the Tabloid 2000s by Sarah Ditum
- check this book out about the power of women working together:
Huddle: How Women Unlock Their Collective Power by Brooke Baldwin
Well, we started our Women in Power series for Women’s History Month with a legendary editor-in-chief and we’re going to end the series with one, too. Today on the show I have Kate Betts, former editor-in-chief at Harper’s Bazaar, a longtime colleague of Anna Wintour’s at Vogue, and the author of one of my all-time favorite memoirs, My Paris Dream: An Education in Style, Slang, and Seduction in the Great City on the Seine. In addition to My Paris Dream, Kate also wrote the book Everyday Icon: Michelle Obama and the Power of Style and reveals in our chat today that she’s working on a third book, which I will devour when it comes out. I first interacted with Kate when I interviewed her for an oral history piece I did in Vanity Fair on Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s wedding dress back in 2021—I love that piece, and I’ll link it below. Of course, I’d known of Kate and her work for 25 years prior to us speaking three years ago. After graduating from Princeton, one of Kate’s first big roles was at Fairchild Publications’ European office in Paris, a period of her career that she calls essential to her development as a fashion journalist. Kate was a features writer for the Paris bureau of Fairchild, overseeing fashion coverage for Women’s Wear Daily, W, and M magazines. In this role, she also helped launch W Europe. After two years, she became the bureau chief, and in 1991, she left Paris and Fairchild for New York City and Conde Nast, where she took over as fashion news director at Vogue. She created Vogue’s Index section, and in 1999 took over as editor-in-chief at Harper’s Bazaar. In a testament to Kate’s ferocity, three days after starting at Bazaar, she gave birth to her first child. Kate was a new mom, and the youngest editor ever at America’s oldest fashion magazine. She hired two writers I adore, Bret Easton Ellis and Lynn Hirschberg, and after leaving Bazaar in 2001, Kate freelanced for The New York Times, specifically its Styles section. In 2004, she became the editor of Time’s Style and Design section, and she remains a contributing editor there still today. In addition to freelancing and writing books (as if that’s not enough!), she reports on fashion for CNN, and today we talk about her formative career experiences, her books, what she’d tell her younger self, and she leaves us with incredible book recommendations to add to our “To Be Read” pile.
By Kate Betts:
My Paris Dream: An Education in Style, Slang, and Seduction in the Great City on the Seine
Everyday Icon: Michelle Obama and the Power of Style
“25 Years Later, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s Wedding Dress Still Stuns,” written by me for Vanity Fair and featuring Kate as a source
- Kate’s picks
Devotion by Dani Shapiro
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Fierce Attachmentsby Vivian Gornick
Ideas of Heaven: A Ring of Stories by Joan Silber
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
Mary Karr collection
- more picks from me!
Women, Food, and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything by Geneen Roth
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemptionby Laura Hillenbrand
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseveranceby Angela Duckworth
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talkingby Susan Cain
I have with me the remarkable Kaitlin Menza, another contemporary of mine who has just done so much, it’s baffling. Kaitlin is another journalist whose byline has literally been everywhere you can think of: The Cut. InStyle. Conde Nast Traveler. Elle. Town & Country. Vogue. Marie Claire. Esquire. Business of Home. Rolling Stone. The Hollywood Reporter. Architectural Digest. Cosmopolitan. The New York Times. The Guardian. Time. Vanity Fair. Popular Mechanics. Have to say, I wasn’t expecting that last one, but it’s true! Kaitlin prides herself on sharing the stories of women, whether it’s celebrities you’ve heard of like Paris Hilton, or women sharing personal stories about life events they’ve been through, like the plaintiff in the largest-ever revenge porn case or a mom who was addicted to opiates. She’s spoken to politicians, like the youngest Black woman to serve in Congress, Lauren Underwood. Her stories are famously heavy hitting, like how the number of women in prison is up 1,260 percent in a generation. Now a freelance writer, Kaitlin has also edited for T: The New York Times Style Magazine, House Beautiful, Refinery29, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Business of Home, and Publisher’s Weekly, and she has been on staff at Teen Vogue, Glamour, and Seventeen, and while at the latter, wrote the first American cover stories featuring Zendaya, Kylie Jenner, and Harry Styles. Again—just an absolute dynamo. She has multiple columns now that she writes—“How I Travel” and “How We Pulled It Off” for Conde Nast Traveler, a column at Business of Home, as well as writing extensively about weddings for New York Magazine’s The Cut, which you know I am wildly obsessed with. Speaking of obsessed, Kaitlin was one of the first royal family podcasters—of which I am now one—and was one of the two original hosts of the hit show Royally Obsessed, which led to television appearances on Good Morning America, 20/20, and MSNBC, as well as in Argentina, the Philippines, Canada, and the U.K. After 13 years in New York City, Kaitlin relocated to Taipei, Taiwan in 2022, and we talk about that experience on the show, including how she manages doing business in New York City from all the way across the globe, while also being a new mom. This is actually a level of Superwoman that I didn’t know existed. How Kaitlin is able to get it all done, and done so well, is really, truly incredible. I can’t wait for you to get to know her.
Kaitlin Menza’s portfolio
“How I Travel” for Conde Nast Traveler
“How We Pulled It Off” for Conde Nast Traveler
“Shop Talk” for Business of Home
“The Wedding Files” for New York Magazine’s The Cut
- it’s leave you with four today!
Celia Rivenbark collection
Gabby Bernstein collection
Nedra Glover Tawwab collection
Barbie: The World Tour by Margot Robbie and Andrew Mukamal
How often is it that you write an essay so oft-quoted and ubiquitous that you define an entire generation by a single color? Today’s guest, Veronique Hyland, did just that, but what could perhaps be called her signature piece isn’t all that she has to offer—and not even close. She is fashion features director at Elle and is also the author of the fantastic 2022 book Dress Code: Unlocking Fashion from the New Look to Millennial Pink. Dress Code is an essay collection centered around the fashion industry, from its history to its importance, why we wear what we wear, and why it matters. The book covers whether gender differentiated fashion will go out of style forever, the appeal of the “French girl” aesthetic, how social media has warped our sense of self-presentation, and so many more thoughtful and interesting takes and perspectives. In addition to her work with Elle and her book, Veronique has also written for The New York Times, The New Yorker, Conde Nast Traveler, W, New York Magazine, and Harper’s Bazaar, and she was an absolute delight to speak to.
By Véronique Hyland:
“Why Is Millennial Pink Suddenly So Popular?”
Work with Elle
Dress Code: Unlocking Fashion from the New Look to Millennial Pink
“Jennifer Lopez Is Standing in Her Power”
“Mariah Carey Is Here to Un-Cancel Christmas”
“Dolly Parton May Look Artificial, But She’s Totally Real”
Véronique also recommends the work of Kennedy Frazer, Holly Brubach, Anne Hollander, Annie Dillard, and Jenny Odell
- three more incredible books for you to add to your shelf via my recommendation!
The Discomfort Zone: How to Get What You Want By Living Fearlessly by Elle U.K. editor-in-chief Farrah Storr
The Body Book: Feed, Move, Understand, and Love Your Amazing Body by Cameron Diaz
Get the F— Out of the Sun: Routines, Products, Tips and Insider Secrets from 100+ of the World’s Best Skincare Gurus by Lauryn Bosstick
My two main niches in both my life and my work are books (but you already knew that) and the royal family. You may not know this about me—or maybe you do—but my main specialty coverage area in my work is the royals, and boy, has it been one hell of a ride in the British royal family this year, especially with one Kate Middleton as of late. One of the best royal correspondents in the game is our guest today, Vanity Fair’s Erin Vanderhoof, who is deeply talented and someone I consider to be the gold standard in royal reporting. In addition to covering the royal family, she also covers culture, books, and music for Vanity Fair, and she and fellow royal expert Katie Nicholl co-host the podcast “Dynasty” about the royal family, which I love. Yet another podcast I need more episodes from! Erin’s reporting on the royals has been featured on Today, NBC News, BBC’s Newsnight, CBS Sunday Mornings, and CNN, where, randomly, Erin and I appeared together on a 5 a.m. segment the day after the Queen died talking about her passing. I enjoyed hearing about Erin’s entry point into covering the royals, hearing about her favorite royal family books, and, interestingly, about her past jobs as a teacher and a butcher. Royal reporting is a very interesting beat, and Erin is the leader of the pack.
Erin’s work at Vanity Fair
“Dynasty” podcast
Katie Nicholl’s books
Tina Brown’s books
- I love leaving you with three!
The Royals by Kitty Kelley
The entire Kate Andersen Brower collection
The News Sorority: Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric, Christiane Amanpour—and the Triumph of Women in TV Newsby Sheila Weller
I know we are still in the thick of March and Women’s History Month and that our Women in Power series has introduced (or reintroduced) you to some phenomenal female writers, but I wanted to take a moment and pay homage to some of my favorite male writers too, because I have many. You can’t go wrong with any of these picks, and I’ll link them all below. Women are worthy of being celebrated, but so are men—and good books are always worthy of being celebrated. I hope you are enjoying the Women in Power series!
The Call to Serve: The Life of An American President, George Herbert Walker Bush by Jon Meacham
Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bushby Jon Meacham
TrumanbyDavid McCullough
Malcolm Gladwell collection
Michael Lewis collection
Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Clear
10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self Help that Actually Works by Dan Harris
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Actionand Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’tby Simon Sinek
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and Death by Meeting by Patrick Lencioni
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us and The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward by Daniel Pink
Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Principles by Ray Dalio
Tribes by Seth Godin
Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier by Arthur Brooks (and Oprah Winfrey)
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard, andDecisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work by Chip and Dan Heath
The Road to Character, The Second Mountain, and How to Know a Personby David Brooks
Adam Grant collection
Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World by Dr. Vivek Murthy
When InStyle’s cover for “The Confidence Issue” came out, I tore through Mattie Kahn’s cover profile on Sharon Stone. Listeners, this is a fantastic article, but when it comes to Mattie Kahn’s writing, that’s just what one comes to expect when it comes to her. Mattie is one of the most published writers today, and after working full-time at outlets like Elle and Glamour, she’s now a full-time freelance writer and has written for literally every publication you can dream of: Vogue, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Conde Nast Traveler, Time, The Atlantic, Town & Country, New York Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Seventeen, I could go on and on. Today Mattie and I talk about the secrets to a good celebrity interview, what she wishes she knew before going freelance, how telling stories of powerful women and girls is a running theme throughout her work, and about her first book, Young and Restless: The Girls Who Sparked America’s Revolutions, which came out in June 2023. The book is about teenage girls involved in activist work and, as the book description reads, is “the untold story of the people who have helped spark America’s most transformative social movements throughout history: teenage girls.” Mattie is a Harvard graduate and, in addition to all of the publications she writes for and her book, she also has a Substack called “Things I Ask My Mother.” Mattie Kahn is very deservedly one of my Women in Power.
By Mattie Kahn:
Young and Restless: The Girls Who Sparked America’sRevolutions
“Sharon Stone Has Found Her Limit” for InStyle
“Things I Ask My Mother” Substack
- another day of extra picks by female authors!
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People’s Lives Better, Too) by Gretchen Rubin
Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U.S. History by Maureen Orth
Our Women in Power series for Women’s History Month rolls on—today’s guest is Lesley Jane Seymour, who has been editor-in-chief of four different magazines, something that is just not done. That is legends only stuff right there. I feel extra connected to her because she was editor-in-chief of Marie Claire, the magazine where I now work, from 2001 to 2006. She was also editor-in-chief of Redbook, YM, and More, and before taking on her role as an editor-in-chief worked at Women’s Wear Daily, Vogue, and Glamour, so she has certainly cut a wide swath in this industry. Lesley was another icon of magazines who was very much present for what I call the golden age of magazines, and as we’ll talk about in the show, I think a cornerstone of her story is resilience. In 2016, Meredith Corporation, which owned More, her last editor-in-chief role, announced it was closing the magazine. Lesley went back to school, receiving a master’s degree in sustainability from Columbia. In 2018, she founded Covey Club, an online community for professional women, specifically over 40, that resembled More’s demographic. Lesley calls Covey Club “a meeting place for lifelong learners,” and it continues to thrive today. Lesley maintains it’s never too late to be all that you want to be, and, in addition to all of her work with Covey Club, she hosts the podcast “Reinvent Yourself”; she has really taken what others might wallow in and has turned this into purpose-driven work. She is also the author of two books, On the Edge: 100 Years of Vogue and I Wish My Parents Understood, and she has appeared on every major television news show you can think offrom Today to Good Morning America to Hardball to MSNBC and CNN. I can’t wait for you to get to know her.
By Lesley Jane Seymour:
“The Joys of Losing Your Job in the Digital Age”
On the Edge: 100 Years of Vogue
I Wish My Parents Understood
CoveyClub
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Read: Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors by Piers Paul Read | Watch: Society of the Snow on Netflix, out now
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more great books:
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Leadby SherylSandberg
Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joyby Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant
The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lessons from Extraordinary Livesby Katie Couric
Going There by Katie Couric
I’ve Been Thinking…: Reflections, Prayers, and Meditations for a Meaningful Life by Maria Shriver
Ten Things I Wish I’d Known Before I Went Out into the Real World by Maria Shriver
“The Sunday Paper” by Maria Shriver
We are going to close this week with such a fun conversation with one of my favorite writers and editors, the spectacular Andrea Lavinthal! Andrea is People magazine’s style and beauty director, which is just as wide of a swath as you think it would be. Andrea has 20 years’ experience as a writer, editor, and content creator, and she has been with People specifically since 2012. In her role, she regularly appears on shows like Today, Good Morning America, and Access, as well as podcasts and radio programs; for one beautiful slice of time, she co-hosted one of my personal favorite podcasts, “People in the ‘90s,” which I beg on today’s episode for her to bring back. Prior to her time at People, Andrea worked for Cosmopolitan, Us Weekly, and SiriusXM, and she has also written three books. Consider this your permission to sit back, take a breather, and enjoy this incredibly entertaining conversation with Andrea.
By Andrea Lavinthal:
Work from People
People in the ‘90s podcast
The Hookup Handbook: A Single Girl’s Guide to Living It Up
Friend or Frenemy?: A Guide to the Friends You Need and the Ones You Don’t
Your So-Called Life: A Guide to Boys, Body Issues, and Other Big Girl Drama You Thought You Would Have Figured Out by Now
+our “Leave You with Three” picks for today!
Daring Greatlyby Dr. Brene Brown
Three Women by Lisa Taddeo
Rebecca Traister’s entire collection
The Cut
Continuing our Women in Power series for Women’s History Month, today I’m bringing you the absolutely fabulous Danielle Pergament, whose work as a contributing editor at Allure, as well as with The New York Times, Goop, Conde Nast Traveler, Women’s Wear Daily, and my new obsession, Air Mail, have been some of the best celebrity profiles and travel writing you’ll read. Here is but a sampling of the A-list women Danielle has interviewed and profiled: every Jennifer possible, first of all—Jennifer Lopez! Jennifer Garner! Jennifer Aniston!—Victoria Beckham, Charlize Theron, Kim Kardashian, Alicia Keys, Sharon Stone, Hillary Duff. I could go on and on. Halsey said, when being interviewed by Danielle, “This wasn’t an interview. This was a therapy session.” There is something very disarming and comfortable about Danielle, particularly her unbelievable ability to self-deprecate, which is a quality I absolutely love in people. As someone who has interviewed celebrities myself, though nowhere near as many or as well as Danielle has done it, I have to tell you that it is a art form, especially when you get to the A-listers among A-listers like Jennifer Aniston or Kim Kardashian, people who have been interviewed a bazillion times. It is difficult to get nuggets out of them that haven’t been told before—but Danielle can do it. Wait until she tells you how she was able to help Jennifer Aniston feel comfortable enough to open up about not having children, or with Charlize Theron, where she talked about aging in Hollywood. Danielle is a master at the celebrity profile; she is also a gifted travel writer and beauty writer. In the past, Danielle has served as Allure’s executive editor and editor at large, as well as editor-in-chief at Goop, and she has also been published at Marie Claire, which you know I have to shout out every time a guest has worked for my wonderful employer. I knew I appreciated Danielle as a writer; after this time with her, I couldn’t get enough of her as a person.
“Jennifer Aniston Has Nothing to Hide”
“Victoria Beckham Is in Control”
“The Griselda Creator’s Miami”
“The History of the Bob Haircut and Why It’s Trending Now”
“Charlize Theron Didn’t Get a Facelift, Thanks for Asking”
“Jennifer Garner: I’m Not Good at Being Fake”
My absolute obsessionAir Mail, where Danielle writes frequently
Admittedly, I don’t read a ton of fiction, but one fictional character I deeply enjoy is that of Jordan Manning, born from the mind of Tamron Hall, one of my favorite journalists. Tamron dipped her toe into writing novels with the publication of her debut work of fiction, As the Wicked Watch, back in October 2021. Now, today, March 12, book two in the Jordan Manning series is out, and it’s a great sophomore effort: Watch Where They Hide, another delicious hit of crime fiction. By the way, Tamron addresses in our conversation whether there will be a third Jordan Manning book and…I’m just going to let her tell you. As our Women in Power series continues, Tamron is certainly among the most powerful women in journalism. Since September 2019, she has hosted her eponymous talk show, The Tamron Hall Show, to much success including two Daytime Emmy Awards. Prior to hosting her own talk show, Tamron was a national news correspondent for NBC News, a daytime anchor for MSNBC, host of the show MSNBC Live with Tamron Hall, and a co-host of the third hour of the Today Show. Tamron’s new book, Watch Where They Hide, touches on domestic violence—a subject that, through her sister, Tamron knows all too well, unfortunately. In 2004, Tamron’s sister Renate was murdered after experiencing domestic violence. Though police officers originally informed Tamron’s family of their belief that they knew who murdered Renate, that person was never charged, and the case remains unsolved today. Tamron has made domestic violence awareness and ending domestic violence a cornerstone of her life since, and domestic violence is a part of the story of Marla Hancock in Watch Where They Hide. In the book Marla, a stay-at-home mother, disappears not long after leaving her abusive husband and moving to Indiana with her sister, Shelly, who knows Marla would never leave without bringing her kids with her. Shelly fears that Marla’s disappearance won’t get the attention it deserves, or worse, will go unsolved—see the parallels here?—so, a few weeks after filing a missing person’s report, she enlists the help of TV journalist Jordan Manning, and the twist and turns from there will keep you on the edge of your seat. Plus, stick around after our conversation for two more upcoming television shows based on books to look out for, as well as 11 fiction writers I can’t get enough of.
By Tamron Hall:
As the Wicked Watch
Watch Where They Hide
The entire collections of
Emily Giffin
Rebecca Wells
Kathryn Stockett
Fannie Flagg
Terry McMillan
Plum Sykes
Candace Bushnell
Taylor Jenkins Reid
Carley Fortune
Lauren Weisberger
Jennifer Weiner
- television picks!
Read: Chasing Hillaryby Amy Chozick | Watch: The Girls on the Bus on Max, out March 14
Read: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles | Watch: A Gentleman in Moscow on Paramount+, out March 29
In addition to Friday being International Women’s Day, March is Women’s History Month, and that seemed the perfect time to have this series I’ve been concocting in my brain for a while called Women in Power. I am so proud and happy to share my conversations with you! Also, at the end of each episode in this series, I’ll be sharing three books by three female writers whose collections I love, so stick around after the interview for that. Our first guest in the Women in Power series is a legend in the magazine space: Alexandra Shulman, who was editor-in-chief of British Vogue for 25 years. A full quarter century! She is the longest-serving editor in the position and took the helm in 1992; she has become one of the U.K.’s most respected voices in fashion since. Her 25 years at the top of the masthead included many iconic issues of the magazine, like the December 1999 “Millennium Issue,” which became the highest-selling issue of Vogue. You’ll hear me speak about this with her, but I always respected Alexandra’s stance that the magazine never publish pieces on diets or cosmetic surgery, as she didn’t want to tell women a specific way they should look. While still editor in-chief, she published a novel, Can We Still Be Friends?, in 2012, and in 2016, highlighting British Vogue’s centenary year, she published the book Inside Vogue: My Diary of Vogue’s 100th Year. In January 2017, nearing the quarter-century mark in her role, it was announced that she would leave her role that June, and she was succeeded as editor-in-chief by Edward Enninful. Since then, she has published a memoir I loved called Clothes And Other Things That Matter, which came out in 2021. Today we talk about what she’s up to these days (and it’s a lot!), what she’s reading, and, of course, about her time at Vogue.
By Alexandra Shulman:
Can We Still Be Friends?
Inside Vogue: My Diary of Vogue’s 100th Year
Clothes…And Other Things That Matter
Alexandra’s recommendations:
Orbitalby Samantha Harvey
Slow Horses by Mick Herron
My “Leave You with Three” picks today:
Tiny Beautiful Thingsby Cheryl Strayed
Big Magicby Elizabeth Gilbert
Untamedby Glennon Doyle + Together Rising
Have you ever met someone, and you just instantly knew they were someone you wanted to get to know? That’s how I felt when I met today’s guest, Lisa Mayer, the cofounder and CEO of Boss Beauties and the author of Boss Beauty: Inspiration to Be Everything You Want, which is out this upcoming Tuesday, March 12. Boss Beauties is a media and entertainment brand that inspires and elevates the next generation of women and girls, and the book, Boss Beauty, is, first of all, incredibly enjoyable to look at—colorful, and truly a work of art—but also filled with meaningful content, like inspirational quotes, love notes from your future self, advice from your big sis when you feel like giving up, how to reframe our Mondays, and how to make confidence our all-purpose wardrobe. Today, March 8, is International Women’s Day, and inside the pages of this book live the words “Every day is International Women’s Day to me,” so what better day for me to let you get to know Lisa and this book than today? Page after page of the book features wisdom and advice from entertainers, chefs, Olympic athletes, CEOs, an astrophysicist, a Disney legend, a champion NASCAR driver—all of whom teach us how to harness our inner grit, make an impact in the world, learn when to say yes, when to not give up, how to be everything you want, and, of course, be your own Boss Beauty. Lisa was inspired to write this book to bring to the world the business wisdom and mentorship she didn’t have. Ladies, you can be everything you want, and this book will make you believe that and go out and live that truth, once and for all. Core Boss Beauties characteristics include self-love, courage, clarity, grace, and passion, and this book will give you the inspiration and that extra push you may need to take charge and become the CEO of your own life. If you’re looking to be a force in the world and be everything you want to be, this book and this conversation are for you. Plus, stay tuned at the end for by top television (and movie!) picks based off of books for spring 2024.
Boss Beauty: Inspiration to Be Everything You Wantby Lisa Mayer
Learn more about Boss Beauties here!
- my television and movie picks based on books for spring2024!
Read: Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany by Donald L. Miller | Watch: Masters of the Air on Apple TV+, in progress now
Read: The Expatriates by Janice Y.K. Lee | Watch: Expats on Amazon Prime, out now
Read: One Day by David Nicholls | Watch: One Day on Netflix, out now
Read: Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty | Watch: Apples Never Fall on Peacock, out March 14
Read: Mr. and Mrs. American Pie by Juliet McDaniel | Watch: Palm Royale on Apple TV+, out March 20
Read: The Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn | Watch: Seasons 1 and 2 and Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, out now; season 3 premieres May 16
Read: The Idea of You by Robinne Lee | Watch: The Idea of You on Amazon Prime, out May 2
I’m so pleased to share with you a special bonus episode discussing the Oscars, which are quickly approaching this Sunday, March 10. The Academy Awards are the culmination of awards season, and there’s so much to discuss when it comes to this year’s ceremony. Will Oppenheimer sweep the awards, as is predicted? Why wasn’t Barbie’s star Margot Robbie nominated for Best Actress, or its director, Greta Gerwig, nominated for Best Director? Will Lily Gladstone of Killers of the Flower Moon make history by winning Best Actress, or will the coveted prize go to Emma Stone, star of Poor Things? There’s so much to look forward to, and, in honor of Hollywood’s biggest night, I have with me a gentleman who could easily be called an Oscars guru: Dave Karger, author of the new book 50 Oscar Nights: Iconic Stars and Filmmakers on Their Career Defining Wins, which came out on January 23. The anecdotes in this book are absolutely second to none, and Dave talks to everyone for the book, from Meryl Streep and Steven Spielberg to Julia Roberts and Martin Scorsese to Jane Fonda and Clint Eastwood; the book features never-before-told stories of the crème de la crème of awards shows and is told through a collection of interviews with actors, filmmakers, craftspeople, and those that helped bring the film to life and then won an Oscar for it. All told the winners included in the book span 60 years of Oscar winners and include quite a few that have achieved the elusive EGOT status, signifying that they’ve won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and a Tony. Heretofore, only 19 people have done this, by the way, including Elton John, Whoopi Goldberg, and John Legend, all of whom are profiled in Dave’s book. Dave is a film expert, an award-winning journalist, and a host on Turner Classic Movies. He’s been the Oscars expert on the Today Show for nearly a quarter century and has spent over 15 years writing about the Oscars for Entertainment Weekly. He has cohosted ABC’s Live from the Red Carpet pre-show and has served as the Academy’s official red carpet greeter on Oscar night. So, to put it mildly, Dave knows the Oscars! The stories he was able to get out of some of the most famous people in the world through this book are truly remarkable. In our conversation, Dave reveals if any of the celebrities he interviewed left him starstruck, where most people keep their Oscar statuette, how heavy the statuette is (I was shocked by his answer!), which Oscar moments make his so called Mount Rushmore of iconic moments from the awards show, the relevancy of winning an Oscar today, and, yes, I had to get his Oscar predictions. It’s a can’t miss conversation that I can’t wait for you to tune into.
50 Oscar Nights: Iconic Stars and Filmmakers on Their Career Defining Wins by Dave Karger
Today’s conversation, if nothing else, was made just for me—and I hope many of you, as well. Two of my favorite subjects to read about are the British royal family and U.S. presidents, and those two subject matters meet today thanks to David Charter, author of Royal Audience: 70 Years, 13 Presidents, One Queen’s Special Relationship with America, out March 5. In the book David zooms in on one facet of the Special Relationship between the U.K. and the U.S.—the relationship of the late Queen Elizabeth with the 13 U.S. presidents she knew in her record-breaking 70 year reign on the British throne, from 1952 to her death in 2022. This book traces the Queen’s relationship with each president from Eisenhower to Biden—and she was especially close to four presidents during that time period. Do you think you can guess who? You’ll have to listen to the episode to find out. Her late Majesty loved the U.S.; on a visit in 1957, for example, she requested to go to a football game and a supermarket in Maryland—and she did just that. Any viewer of The Crown knows the less-than-great exchange between First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and the Queen, who were roughly the same age; today on the show we unpack that interesting encounter between two of the most famous women in the world. Around the Reagan presidency, the Queen developed such a love affair with the U.S. that, in addition to state visits, she took five private visits to the U.S., mostly centered around horseracing. I was so touched by this anecdote: after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the U.S., the Queen sang “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the first time she had ever sung a national anthem for a foreign country, and the first time she had sung a national anthem, period, as she didn’t sing “God Save the Queen” to herself. This moment is but one example of her class and dignity, in my opinion. Her last state visit to the U.S. was during the George W. Bush administration, in May 2007. From then on out, U.S. presidents came to her. Today on the show David and I talk about subjects like royal protocol and U.S. presidents and how, all told, the Queen visited 15 U.S. states and Washington, D.C.; I love this quote David has in here from The Washington Post from 1991: “Two centuries after George III lost the colonies, Queen Elizabeth is in danger of winning them back.” She was very difficult not to love. I gobbled up this book and wanted more, and I can’t wait for you to hear from David. He became the U.S. editor of The Times in 2018 and is based, perhaps appropriately for this book, in Washington, D.C. Before that, he was the chief political correspondent, Brussels correspondent, and Berlin correspondent at The Times, and is now the assistant U.S. editor of the publication. Get ready for a fascinating conversation!
Royal Audience: 70 Years, 13 Presidents, One Queen’s Special Relationship with Americaby David Charter
Today on the show, we’re talking about loneliness. Now, before you switch off this episode and head off to what you might consider greener pastures, let me reframe loneliness for you: it can actually have an upside. Today’s guest Charlotte Donlon writes, in her book The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other, “Everyone knows loneliness. Some may experience it more often. Some may find relief from it more quickly. Some may deny or avoid it. But I don’t think any of us escapes its company entirely, and I’m no longer sure we should.” She adds in the book that “Being human requires a touch of loneliness.” Loneliness has reached epidemic proportions since the pandemic, and, as many of you will relate to, you can be lonely even if you are surrounded by people. On the other side of loneliness is belonging, and that’s what Charlotte’s book centers around. She writes “We can deny our loneliness, or we can embrace it and step into the great belonging.” What is the great belonging? Well, take a listen to our conversation and read Charlotte’s book to find out. Charlotte is fantastic, and was actually introduced to me by Carla Jean Whitley, a dear friend of the podcast and of mine. In her book, Charlotte asks “What if loneliness is a necessary part of the human condition? What if it is a current that leads us deeper into belonging—to ourselves, to each other, and to God?” Now, I have self-disclosed many times that I am a Christian on the show; we talk about faith, specifically our shared Christian faith, in this episode, but this book and this conversation is for all faiths, including those of you who may not have one. In this book, Charlotte encourages us to, instead of turning away from the waters of loneliness for fear they will engulf us, wade in and see what we find there. In the book, Charlotte offers tools, resources, and practices for transforming loneliness into true belonging, and I can’t wait for you to hear from her.
The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Otherby Charlotte Donlon
Charlotte’s Five Good Things Substack
One of my personal favorite subjects to study is First Ladies—I am completely compelled by these women, regardless of party affiliation, and I’ve read just about every book on them as a group, as well as many individual biographies of these dynamic women. Today on the show I have with me Katie Rogers, White House correspondent for The New York Times, to discuss her first book, the fantastic American Woman: The Transformation of the Modern First Lady, from Hillary Clinton to Jill Biden, which is out February 27. In the book, Katie delves into the transformation of the modern First Lady. The role of First Lady has definitely changed from Martha Washington to Dr. Jill Biden, but even more granularly, it has changed so much from the 1990s and Barbara Bush and Hillary Clinton to the present day, in particular Dr. Biden’s refusal to give up her role as an educator in favor of being First Lady full-time, as all of her predecessors have done. In the book and in our conversation today, Katie gets into how we ask so much of our First Ladies yet give them no proper blueprint on how to do their job. (We also don’t pay them, and there’s no barometer of what a successful First Lady is or does.) We talk about what will happen when the U.S. finally elects a female president, and what the role of First Gentleman, if that is what he is called, will look like. There is so much depth to this conversation—I can all but promise you that you won’t look at the role of the First Lady the same ever again. Katie has worked at The Times since 2014 and has been a White House correspondent since 2018, covering two presidential administrations and writing extensively about domestic policy, foreign policy, and, perhaps most interestingly to me, the complicated dynamics of First Families. Before writing for The Times, Katie was a reporter at The Guardian and The Washington Post. I am excited for you to meet her and learn from her in this episode.
American Woman: The Transformation of the Modern First Lady, from Hillary Clinton to Jill Biden by Katie Rogers
We’ve got yet another first on the show today—our very first cookbook author! Yes, this is a cookbook, filled with delicious recipes and mouthwatering food photos, but this is a cookbook with a twist. It is part cookbook and part memoir of its author, renowned chef Missy Robbins. It really is as much about self discovery as it is about food, and that’s what makes it extra compelling. Missy actually has two books, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner…Life: Recipes and Adventures from My Home Kitchen, and Pasta: The Spirit and Craft of Italy’s Greatest Food, both of which are out now (and are linked below). In this episode, we specifically talk about Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner…Life, and in our conversation Missy and I talk about The Bear, which is a show I totally binged—and you should too if you haven’t yet. Missy introduced me to the term “kitchen culture” and said that, probably very much for the best, the type of kitchen culture on display in The Bear would not be acceptable at her restaurants. Speaking of, Missy has two restaurants, Lilia, which opened in 2016, and Misi, which opened in 2018. She takes us into the busy and nonstop life of a chef, gives us her best cooking tips, and gives us a peek behind the curtain of the restaurant industry, including winning a Michelin star, which Missy has done at two different restaurants, actually. She is actually only one of 10 women to have a Michelin star, which of course is incredibly imbalanced. Missy’s specialty is Italian food, and both Lilia and Misi are of that food genre. Missy also introduced me through this book to the concept of being a food tourist, which is something I’m adopting immediately. In addition to being a Michelin star chef, Missy appeared on season four of Top Chef Masters, and has worked at many restaurants you’ve heard of, including Spiaggia in Chicago, where she frequently cooked for Barack and Michelle Obama. No pressure, right? She then became executive chef at A Voce, changing the menu completely with the exception of two dishes, and oversaw the opening of its second location. In addition to all of this, she is in such a balanced, healthy place in her life, and I know you’ll enjoy getting to know her through our conversation.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner…Life: Recipes and Adventures from My Home Kitchen by Missy Robbins
Pasta: The Spirit and Craft of Italy’s Greatest Food by Missy Robbins
Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Deadby Jenny Hollander, the February pick of Marie Claire’s book club—some of the best fiction I’ve read lately!
Yet another pinch me moment this week—today on the show we have Audrey Hepburn’s son, Luca Dotti, and Meghan Friedlander, who together wrote the beautiful and compelling book Audrey Hepburn in Paris. Meghan is the curator of the popular Audrey fan site Rare Audrey Hepburn, and Luca? Well, he knew Audrey better than almost any human being can say. I am a huge Audrey Hepburn fan, so the thought of spending time with one of her two sons is unbelievable to me. The book also includes a foreward by Giambattista Valli, and the book explores and celebrates Audrey’s lifelong connection to Paris, featuring all of the places in the City of Light she loved the most and telling her story there. The book has never-before-published anecdotes and photographs and digs into her family, friendships, films, photoshoots, and fashions, especially her soul mate relationship with friend and fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy. You will be left breathless and speechless, both by the book itself and the stories and photos within it, and by this conversation. In this book we get a glimpse of the iconic actress’ beautiful life there, and each chapter of the book focuses on a different aspect of Paris that made it so precious to Audrey. Audrey never actually lived in Paris, but she was an honorary Parisienne. Towards the end of the book, it reads that “She would form some of her happiest memories in the life-altering city.” It was endlessly enjoyable reading about them. Plus, stick around to hear about what writers I’d love to invite to my dinner party or interview, but won’t be able to, at least not on this side of heaven. Imagine: Nora Ephron. Maya Angelou. Dominick Dunne. Julia Reed. And little old me. I may not ever be able to have them on the show (they’ve all left us for a better place), but I can at least have the honor of talking to you about them.
Audrey Hepburn in Paris by Luca Dotti and Meghan Friedlander
Surprise! Today is a special fiction pick day, and I have one of the most popular writers of fiction on the market today: New York Times bestselling author Katharine McGee, author of the wildly beloved American Royals series. The four-part series debuted in 2019 and wrapped in 2023, and asks the compelling question “What if America had a royal family? What if, instead of becoming president, George Washington became king instead?” As a royals editor, royal podcast co-host, and general royal obsessive, I couldn’t get enough of this series. (Katharine is also the author of the popular Thousandth Floor trilogy, but today we’re talking about American Royals.) In addition to talking about the royals (come on, we had to!), we also talk about Katharine’s process in writing fiction and what we can expect from her in 2024.
All by Katharine McGee:
American Royals
Majesty
Rivals
Reign
Katherine’s fiction picks to keep you satisfied until our next fiction episode:
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
The Buccaneers, The House of Mirth, and The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper
Life is full of pinch me moments, and this certainly is one: talking to the Savannah Guthrie about our shared faith in God. All glory to God for this conversation! The public facing Savannah is the co-anchor of Today on NBC, a position she’s held for nearly 12 years, since July 2012. She’s a former attorney turned NBC News professional who, in addition to her Today responsibilities, is an NBC News anchor, a substitute anchor on NBC Nightly News, and, since 2012, she’s hosted the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and the annual Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting. In her personal life, she’s married to Michael Feldman, and they have two children. But here’s the more private side of Savannah that you might not be as familiar with: a woman of deep, deep faith whose faith is imperfect (just like the rest of us) but whose faith is firmly rooted in the belief that mostly what God does is love us. In her new book, Mostly What God Does: Reflections on Seeking and Finding His Love Everywhere, Savannah is extraordinarily candid about her faith, sharing how it has impacted her and how it can impact us all, if we’d be open to receiving it. It is a beautiful book written by a beautiful soul, one who I can’t wait for you to get to know a little more through this conversation.
Mostly What God Does: Reflections on Seeking and Finding His Love Everywhere by Savannah Guthrie
Today’s episode is a tough one—but it is also such a beautiful one. I want to insert a trigger warning here: my guest and I will be discussing the loss of a child to stillbirth today, so if you are grieving any type of pregnancy loss (or any type of loss, period) this conversation may be upsetting to you. Please take care of yourself and return to the conversation when you can. This is an absolutely beautiful, powerful conversation with a dear friend of mine, Vera Chapman, who is also the first children’s book author we’ve ever had on the show. Vera’s book, Our Baby In Our Hearts, focuses on the real life experience that her two living children, Grayson and Ivey, faced when confronted with the loss of their baby brother, Hayes, on February 15, 2021. (Yes, this episode is being released on Hayes’ third birthday.) Our Baby In Our Hearts offers practical mindfulness exercises to help young hearts cope with big feelings. It is also stunningly illustrated and will truly be so moving to anyone, but especially anyone who has experienced pregnancy loss. After losing Hayes in 2021, Vera has turned her pain into purpose, not only writing this book but also creating the “Light in Loss” daily healing affirmation cards series for women. She is the founder of the wellness coaching practice Resonating Soul Wellness and has over a decade of experience supporting women through coaching and counseling. I am so proud to call her my friend, and today’s esteemed guest.
Our Baby In Our Hearts: A Mindful Story of Grief and Healingby Vera V. Chapman
Daily affirmation cards for grieving mothers and women
More affirmations for both women and children
Follow Vera on Instagram @veravchapman!
I first became familiar with the dynamic Jennie Allen in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when my Bible study group did a study on Jennie’s book Get Out of Your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts, which is a book worth reading anytime, but especially in the summer of 2020. Now she’s back with a new book called Untangle Your Emotions: Naming What You Feel and Knowing What to Do About It, which is out February 13. As you’ll hear Jennie and I discuss, Untangle Your Emotions is a perfect companion piece to Get Out of Your Head which, by the way, was a New York Times bestseller. Untangle Your Emotions dives deep into understanding where our emotions come from, what to do with them, and how to honor God in processing all that we feel. Jennie admits that this is the most difficult book she’s ever written, and the subject matter is tough—but through this book and this conversation, if we take it all to heart, we can walk away so much the better for it. Jennie—thank you for writing a difficult book. It will touch so many lives, and it has already touched mine.
Untangle Your Emotions: Naming What You Feel and Knowing What to Do About It by Jennie Allen
Today on the show we have the remarkable Patti Davis, daughter of U.S. President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan. Patti’s new book, Dear Mom and Dad: A Letter About Family, Memory, and the America We Once Knew is a book, in Patti’s own words, about acceptance, forgiveness, and moving on from the past, a book that—though Patti’s parents were much more famous than most, even before her father entered politics—anyone can relate to. There’s not a person among us who hasn’t at one point or another struggled with their parents, as the parent-child relationship is so complicated; this is Patti’s story, and it’s a powerful one. When her father became president, Patti became Ribbon, her Secret Service code name. The complexities that go along with being the child of a president are daunting, and we talk about that in today’s episode, as well as family secrets, living life as the world watched, and what she’d like to say to her father and mother after their deaths in 2004 and 2016, respectively.
Dear Mom and Dad: A Letter About Family, Memory, and the America We Once Knewby Patti Davis
The Long Goodbye: Memories of My Father by Patti Davis
I am so pleased to have Dr. Caroline Leaf on the show today to impart knowledge from her 30-year career as an applied neuroscientist. I originally intended to do a career retrospective on Dr. Leaf’s many books, but quickly realized that if I did that, this would become an hours and hours long episode. So I decided to choose one of her books, Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess: 5 Simple, Scientifically Proven Steps to Reduce Anxiety, Stress, and Toxic Thinking, to zoom in on for our conversation today—but I highly recommend all of her books. In this book (and in this conversation), she teaches us what mental mess is, how to practice mind management, what neuroplasticity is, and about the neurocycle, which she formulated. The neurocycle has, amazingly, statistically reduced depression and anxiety by a staggering 81 percent! I guarantee you’ll learn something in this episode, and for this episode in particular, I’d recommend listening when you can really absorb what Dr. Leaf is saying. Some episodes on the show are light and frothy and can be listened to while multitasking; I’d say this episode is not one of those. To get maximum impact from what Dr. Leaf is teaching us, set aside some time for yourself to truly take all of this in, because you know what? You deserve it. Dr. Leaf is also a podcaster, and in addition to her own show, “Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess,” she is an extremely frequent guest on other podcasts. That’s actually how I found Dr. Leaf—from hearing her on other podcasts and then discovering her work. She has spent three decades researching the mind-brain connection, the nature of mental health, and the formation of memory, and her work centers around helping people learn how to use their mind to detox and grow their brain to succeed in every area of their lives—talk about work that truly matters!
Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess: 5 Simple, Scientifically Proven Steps to Reduce Anxiety, Stress, and Toxic Thinkingby Dr. Caroline Leaf
A link to all of Dr. Leaf’s books
Welcome one, welcome all to season 10 of I’d Rather Be Reading! As ever, I’m so happy to have you here and a part of this community—don’t forget to reach out if you ever want to chat books at helloidratherbereading@gmail.com. For our season opener today, we have the fantastic Julie Menanno, who is a licensed marriage and family therapist, an expert couple’s therapist, and the person behind the popular Instagram account @TheSecureRelationship, which has over 1 million followers. I have long been interested in attachment theory and attachment styles, and there is secure attachment (the ideal which we should all strive for) and three different insecure attachments—anxious, avoidant, and disorganized. Julie will explain what all of that means in the episode, and how we can work towards bringing a secure attachment to our relationships. Beyond just attachment styles, Julie brings so much wisdom and insight into how we navigate romantic relationships, and how we can create a healthy relationship that will, as the subtitle suggests, last a lifetime.
Secure Love: Create a Relationship That Lasts a Lifetime by Julie Menanno
For our season nine finale I have a legendary journalist, Laurence Leamer, here to talk about his book Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era, which is the basis for the new Ryan Murphy show on FX, Feud: Capote vs. the Swans. (I loved the first iteration of Feud—about Bette Davis and Joan Crawford—and I love everything Ryan Murphy does.) The show has a cast as deep as any ocean: Naomi Watts. Diane Lane. Demi Moore. Calista Flockhart. Chloe Sevigny. Molly Ringwald. And Tom Hollander as Truman Capote. It premieres on FX on January 31 (and the next day on Hulu) and it will be appointment television for me. Through this book, this series, and this conversation, we dip our toe into New York City high society, into the world of Truman Capote and his “Swans”—glamorous women who were Capote’s closest confidantes. Babe Paley, Slim Keith, CZ Guest, Gloria Guinness, Pamela Harriman, Lee Radziwell, and Marella Agnelli were not just beautiful and wealthy, but intelligent and interesting. Then, enter the “feud” portion of the program: Capote wrote a piece for Esquire called “La Cote Basque 1965,” in which he puts the Swans’ dirty secrets in black and white, and in print for the entire world to read. The women cut Capote off totally; it was social suicide, and it led to Capote’s downfall that ultimately resulted in his death. Why did he do this? He thought they’d be too dumb to know the piece was about them. It was one of the worst decisions he could have ever made. Here to tell us all about it is the legendary Laurence Leamer, who is regarded as an expert on the Kennedy family and who has written biographies of not just the Kennedys but also the Reagans, Johnny Carson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ingrid Bergman, and Donald Trump’s resort, Mar-a-Lago. By the way, I have to throw this detail in here—his book about Mar-a-Lago was controversial and banned him from the resort for life. Not unlike that detail, this book and this conversation are as compelling as it comes.
Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Eraby Laurence Leamer
“La Cote Basque” by Truman Capote for Esquire
No matter if you are a parent or not, this conversation is for you—after all, we all have parents, right? Today’s guest is Dr. Aliza Pressman, a Dartmouth and Columbia-educated developmental psychologist whose new book The 5 Principles of Parenting: Your Essential Guide to Raising Good Humans is out January 23. In today’s conversation we discuss her five principles, all of which begin with R: relationships, reflection, regulation, rules, and repair, all leading to the sixth R, which is resilience. We talk today about the science and art of parenting—how there is no right way to parent, reparenting ourselves, how it feels harder than ever to be a parent. Parenting is, simply put, the hardest work anyone will ever do—I can’t wait for all of you parents to hear what Dr. Pressman has to say in this episode, and I hope that it absolves you of your mom guilt or dad guilt. I hope her words will give you the permission you need to let that guilt go, once and for all. It is such an enriching conversation. Dr. Pressman has an extremely popular podcast of her own, “Raising Good Humans," and she herself is the mother of two teenagers and has a lot of wisdom to impart to us.
The 5 Principles of Parenting: Your Essential Guide to Raising Good Humansby Dr. Aliza Pressman
Hi friends! If you didn’t know, I am the Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor at Marie Claire magazine, and as of this month I am in charge of our monthly virtual book club, #ReadwithMC. Seeing as though we already read together here on I’d Rather Be Reading, why not read on #ReadwithMC, too? It is my hope to grow this book club on par with some of my favorite book clubs, like those from Jenna Bush Hager, Reese Witherspoon, Queen Camilla, and Oprah Winfrey. (Now, look. I’m never going to be Oprah. But a girl can try.) If you’re listening to this show I hope you like my taste in books, and you know that just how I only bring you the best of the best on I’d Rather Be Reading, I plan to do the same with #ReadwithMC.
I am so excited to tell you about my very first #ReadwithMC book pick, and that is One in a Millennial: On Friendships, Feelings, Fangirls, and Fitting In by Kate Kennedy, which is out January 23, this Tuesday. Kate is a podcaster so many know and love; she hosts “Be There in Five” and is a dynamic pop culture commentator. When I read One in a Millennial, I felt so seen. Kate is a year younger than me. I was born in 1986 and I believe Kate was born in 1987. In this book, Kate wrote everything I wish I could have written about being a millennial but I probably wouldn’t be able to articulate as concisely and perfectly as she did. I laughed, I cried, I found in Kate the voice of a generation. This book essentially nails down the millennial experience into a 336-page book. I could wax on and on, but this book encapsulates the experience of being a millennial largely through the lens of pop culture—an exploration of the millennial zeitgeist and the life lessons learned (for better and for worse) from being a member of this generation.
Below you’ll find some useful links:
Read chapter one of One in a Millennial and buy the book with the link in the post (again, it comes out January 23)
Learn more about #ReadwithMC on the whole
Join us for Kate’s Instagram takeover onMarie Claire’s page on January 25
Leave a review of the book on Instagram or Twitter (or X, whatever) by January 28 using the hashtag #Readwith MC (keep in mind your profile needs to be set to public for me to see it)
Then join us in the first week of February for our next pick!
I can’t wait to be in a book club with you!
To say that having Kate Bowler here today is an honor is something I don’t say lightly. Kate is so gentle, soothing, and easy to open up to that I cry at the end of this episode; her new book of daily devotions, Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day!: Daily Meditations for the Ups, Downs, and In Betweens, will bring out emotions in you, as well. I appreciate everything about this conversation, but especially Kate confirming that faith and fear can and do coexist, and that it is okay. Kate is a three-time New York Times bestselling author, a graduate of Yale and Duke, a wildly popular podcaster, a professor at Duke, and, perhaps most blessedly, a cancer survivor. She’s also a truly wonderful person who is just as lovely off mic as she is on. Prepare to fall in love with her!
Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day!: Daily Meditations for the Ups, Downs, and In Betweensby Kate Bowler
For episode two of two of our bonus Mean Girls content, we’ve got Rosalind Wiseman on the show today, whose 2002 book Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and the New Realities of Girl World was the basis for Tina Fey’s screenplay for the original 2004 Mean Girls film. This book—which is currently undergoing its third revision—is the go-to manual for being a teenage girl and raising a teenage girl. This isn’t Rosalind’s only book—she has written nine and has multiple New York Times bestsellers—but it’s likely her most well-known book, and Rosalind is a subject matter expert when it comes to girls and the complex social issues they face, like cliques, gossip, bullying, self-image, social hierarchy, and (of course) boys.
Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and the New Realities of Girl World by Rosalind Wiseman
The godfather of emotional intelligence is on the show today! Dr. Daniel Goleman’s groundbreaking bestseller Emotional Intelligence was released nearly 30 years ago; I studied Dr. Goleman’s work in college (and I have been out of college for, unfortunately, many, many years). Emotional intelligence is the key to success in leadership and life, and in his latest book Optimal: How to Sustain Personal and Organizational Excellence Every Day, Dr. Goleman teaches us how to reach peak performance through emotional intelligence while avoiding burnout and maintaining balance. Sound too good to be true? It’s not! It’s totally attainable. If you’re looking to achieve results in your life and your work—plus fulfillment and satisfaction—let Dr. Goleman teach you how to get to your optimal level.
Optimal: How to Sustain Personal and Organizational Excellence Every Day by Dr. Daniel Goleman
Daniel Goleman Emotional Intelligence Courses
Surprise! I’m here with a bonus episode today celebrating the pop culture juggernaut that is Mean Girls, in honor of the release of the musical film yesterday. To talk about Mean Girls—yes, the 2024 film, but also the 2004 original film and the Broadway musical, which debuted in 2018—I have Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, who has actually been on the show before. She joined me in late 2021 to chat about Sex and the City and she’s back today to talk about another pop culture phenomenon we both love. Jennifer is a New York Times bestselling author and a pop culture historian, and her latest book, So Fetch: The Making of Mean Girls (and Why We’re Still So Obsessed with It) comes out January 16. Interestingly enough, Jennifer and her publisher did not time the book’s release four days after the new Mean Girls movie on purpose—it just worked out that way. Talk about happenstance! As we approach the 20-year anniversary of the 2004 original in April, I’m wondering: will we ever see a proper Mean Girls 2 featuring Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, and Lacey Chabert? After all, three of the four original Plastics did do a commercial together late last year. What is the Broadway musical like, and is the new movie worth seeing? Do younger generations relate to the original film like my generation did? (After all, we were in high school at the time and the movie’s target audience.) What are some behind-the-scenes details about the filming of the movie we might not know? I have questions, and Jennifer has all the answers.
So Fetch: The Making of Mean Girls (and Why We’re Still So Obsessed with It) by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong
If I told you that today’s episode—the eighth and final in our January Wellness Series—could help you stop anxiety, burnout, and fatigue before they even start, I know your ears would perk up. Dr. Linnea Passaler is working to do just that—shift from reactive treatment to proactive healing—for nervous system dysregulation, which is so often not spoken about but can contribute to a number of problems both mentally and physically. She has written a five-stage plan in her new book Heal Your Nervous System: The 5-Stage Plan to Reverse Nervous System Dysregulation, and we discuss the five stages of awareness, regulation, restoration, connection, and expansion on the show today. We talk about so much today, including how stress and fear affects everyone differently; as ever, I learned so much, and I am confident that you will, too.
Heal Your Nervous System: The 5-Stage Plan to Reverse Nervous System Dysregulationby Dr. Linnea Passaler
For the only throwback pick of the January Wellness Series, I present to you the fabulous Dr. Samantha Boardman, who is talking to us today about vitality. Let’s be honest: do you ever think about vitality, let alone in your day-to-day life? If I put you on the spot and quizzed you, could you even totally define what vitality means? Today we not only define it but help you understand that vitality is a verb and have practical steps for how to implement it in your daily life. We also talk about building resilience, countering stress, and how it’s time to eliminate the phrase “When things calm down…” from our lexicon. I guarantee you’ll look at life just a bit differently after listening to this episode.
Everyday Vitality: Turning Stress into Strength by Dr. Samantha Boardman
This might shock you (or maybe it won’t) but 75 percent of Americans don’t get the federally recommended weekly minimum of 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise (or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise), let alone the recommended two days of full body strength training. When we think about getting healthier, we often think about nutrition, as we should—but exercise is a critical part of the equation, too. Our guest today, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, puts forth in her new book Forever Strong: A New Science Based Strategy for Aging Well that, instead of focusing so closely on decreasing fat on and in our bodies, we should focus instead on increasing muscle. Muscles, Dr. Lyon says, are the key to aging well; she even calls muscles the fountain of youth, says healthy muscle is imperative to a body’s function, and writes that muscle is the organ of longevity. She is a practitioner of muscle-centric medicine, and after listening to this episode, you might be, too.
Forever Strong: A New Science Based Strategy for Aging Wellby Dr. Gabrielle Lyon
As our January Wellness Series continues, today we are speaking to the dynamic Neal Allen about taming our inner critic. We all have one, and it’s called the superego; the superego was developed in our respective childhoods as a survival mechanism, but as adults, we no longer need it for protection—but for so many of us, its presence in our lives is cumbersome at best and extremely damaging at its worst. The good news? Our inner critic can be quieted, allowing us to live our best lives. Neal teaches us how through his book and this conversation, finally examining a critical aspect of the human psyche—the superego—that often gets ignored. Listeners, you also might be interested to know that Neal is married to the writer Anne Lamott, and often refers to himself as Mr. Anne Lamott (which I love him for).
Better Days: Tame Your Inner Critic by Neal Allen
What if I told you that it was possible to control anxiety, ADHD, OCD, depression, and more by what you eat (or don’t eat)? That it was completely possible to calm your mind with food? That’s what today’s episode is all about, and we’re talking to Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo about the “powerful medicine of food,” looking at a groundbreaking, full-body approach to mental health, how we can enhance our overall mental wellbeing through what we eat, and how our daily food choices can help treat and prevent a wide range of cognitive and psychological health issues. So fascinating—and proof that we have more control over our health than maybe we even realized heretofore.
Calm Your Mind with Food: A Revolutionary Guide to Controlling Your Anxiety by Dr. Uma Naidoo
For today’s January Wellness Series conversation, we’re back to mental and emotional wellness, specifically this relatable topic: caring too much about what others think of you. Our guest today, Dr. Michael Gervais, calls caring too much about other people’s opinions “the single greatest constrictor of human potential,” and introduces the concept of “FOPO” (fear of other people’s opinions), assessing that it is a human epidemic in our society. (I know it has impacted my life personally in spades over the years.) We all have a basic human need to belong, but it’s when we let others’ opinions of us control our lives that we know we need to make a change—and I hope for all of us that 2024 is the year we begin to or continue to live our authentic lives, not chained to what others think of us. Michael has taught companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and AT&T to perform to the highest level, as well as Olympians, Fortune 100 leaders and teams, and world renowned artists and musicians—and now it’s our turn for a one on-one coaching session. There is a huge connection between the mind and human performance, and we’re delving into it today.
The First Rule of Mastery: Stop Worrying About What Other People Think of You by Dr. Michael Gervais
As our January Wellness Series rolls on, today we switch from mental and emotional wellness to physical wellness. Aging is a good thing—hey, it certainly beats the alternative, right?—but I’d venture to guess that all of us want to continue to grow older without looking or feeling older. Today’s guest, Dr. Anthony Youn, teaches us how to do just that, looking at environmental and lifestyle factors to turn back and freeze the clock. What we eat, how much we sleep, and our skincare routines allow us to have an ample amount of control on aging, and we cover the gamut in today’s episode—this might be one of the most jam-packed informational episodes we’ve ever done on the show and I know you’ll walk away having learned so much about how to look and feel younger as we enter 2024 and, interestingly, though Dr. Youn is one of the most well-known plastic surgeons in the country (his social media following tops 14 million!), we don’t mention plastic surgery at all in this episode—it’s all natural methods to staying, as he puts it, “younger for life.”
Younger for Life: Feel Great and Look Your Best with the New Science of Autojuvenation by Dr. Anthony Youn
Welcome to 2024, and welcome to our January Wellness Series! We are alternating episodes about mental and emotional wellness (like this one) and physical wellness, and I am thrilled to kickstart this series with perhaps my favorite book of 2023: How to Be the Love You Seek: Break Cycles, Find Peace, and Heal Your Relationships by Dr. Nicole LePera. In the book, Dr. LePera gives the simple but profound advice “You already are the love you seek.” Before we go seeking love (many of us in all the wrong places), let’s begin this year by realizing we already have an abundance of love within us, and, once we harness our self-love and self-worth, we will truly be able to attract what we have deserved all along. This is truly one of the most revelatory, powerful books I have ever read.
How to Be the Love You Seek: Break Cycles, Find Peace, and Heal Your Relationshipsby Dr. Nicole LePera
My annual best books episode with the dynamic Carla Jean Whitley never disappoints! Below are her picks, in order. Happy reading!
The Best Books She’s Read This Year:
I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai (Fiction)
Arrangements in Blue: Notes on Loving and Living Alone by Amy Key (Nonfiction)
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano (Fiction)
The Quickening: Creation and Community at the Ends of the Earth by Elizabeth Rush (Nonfiction, and her No. 1 pick of 2023!)
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett (Fiction)
Happily: A Personal History—With Fairy Tales by Sabrina Orah Mark (Nonfiction)
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (Fiction)
You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith (Nonfiction)
The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl (Nonfiction)
The Best Books She’s Reread This Year:
Frindle by Andrew Clements (Fiction)
The Giver by Lois Lowry (Fiction)
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott (Nonfiction)
This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett (Nonfiction)
This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub (Fiction)
Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro (Fiction)
The Books She Is Anticipating for 2024:
Sandwich by Catherine Newman (Fiction)
After Annie by Anna Quindlen (Fiction)
Grief Is for People by Sloane Crosley (Nonfiction)
The Last Fire Season by Manjula Martin (Nonfiction)
Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story by Leslie Jamison (Nonfiction)
If You Can't Take the Heat: Tales of Food, Feminism, and Fury by Geraldine DeRuiter (Nonfiction)
Twelve Trees: The Deep Roots of Our Future by Daniel Lewis (Nonfiction)
Anita De Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez (Fiction)
The Books I Am Anticipating for 2024:
The Summer Pact by Emily Giffin (Fiction)
Closer Together: Knowing Ourselves, Loving Each Other by Sophie Grégoire Trudeau (Nonfiction)
Today on the show we have a career retrospective episode with journalist Nancy Jo Sales, who walks us through her career writing for the likes of Vanity Fair, New York Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, and more. Nancy Jo is a New York Times bestselling author, and we also discuss her three books: The Bling Ring: How a Gang of Fame-Obsessed Teens Ripped Off Hollywood and Shocked the World (which was made into a movie directed by Sofia Coppola), American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers, and Nothing Personal: My Secret Life in the Dating App Inferno; she is also behind a documentary film called Swiped: Hooking Up in the Digital Age, which aired on HBO. I know you’ll find Nancy Jo real and raw and transparent, and her career as a journalist has long inspired my own.
Books by Nancy Jo Sales:
The Bling Ring: How a Gang of Fame-Obsessed Teens Ripped Off Hollywood and Shocked the World
American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers
Nothing Personal: My Secret Life in the Dating App Inferno
Her HBO Documentary:
Swiped: Hooking Up in the Digital Age
Other Works Mentioned:
“The Suspects Wore Louboutins” by Nancy Jo Sales for Vanity Fair
Picture by Lillian Ross
Air Mail
Simply put? Today’s guest, Aurora James, is a force. I have no idea what hidden stash of hours she has to do all that she does in a day, a week, a month, a year—but she is changing the world. One of my favorite books of 2023 was her memoir, Wildflower, and I’m not alone—it was praised globally for its vulnerability and candidness. Aurora contains multitudes: in addition to being an author, she is the founder and designer behind Brother Vellies, a Black-owned and female-led lifestyle and accessories brand that is, in its own words, redefining luxury. Beyoncé, Solange Knowles, Elaine Welteroth, and Nicki Minaj have worn her items, and in 2015 Aurora made history as the first Black designer to win the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund prize; in 2020, she was on the cover of the September issue of Vogue. Also in 2020, after the senseless murder of George Floyd, Aurora founded the 15 Percent Pledge, a nonprofit that urges major retailers to commit 15 percent of shelf space to Black-owned businesses. Within two weeks of Aurora announcing the pledge on May 29, 2020, Sephora signed the pledge; companies like Macy’s, Rent the Runway, Yelp, and West Elm have followed. This is an impressive person who has left her mark in so many spaces, and I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this conversation.
Wildflower by Aurora James
The one, the only Candace Bushnell is on the show today! insert fangirl screaming here As Sex and the City is my favorite show of all time—and Candace, you know, created the whole franchise back in 1994—this is a dream come true. I actually met Candace in person in 2019, when she was on her book tour for Is There Still Sex and the City?, and I found her to be as lovely as I hoped she would be. Most people probably know Candace best from penning The New York Observer column “Sex and the City” from 1994 to 1996, which later became an anthology of the same name in 1996 and, of course, an HBO show of the same name in 1998. But actually, Candace is one of those unicorn writers that can tackle both fiction and nonfiction writing and do both well. My favorite works from Candace are actually her novels, of which there are many: 4 Blondes, Trading Up, Lipstick Jungle (also made into a television show), One Fifth Avenue, and Killing Monica. She’s also written young adult fiction like The Carrie Diaries (also made into a television show), Summer and the City, and Rules for Being a Girl. Candace continues to evolve and pivot, and is now on tour with her one-woman show, “True Tales of Sex, Success, and Sex and the City” (go to candacebushnell.com for more information!) and is also helming a reality dating show for women over 50 that is generating tons of buzz. It was an honor to do this career retrospective with not just a talented writer, but a really cool person.
Sex and the City (1996)
4 Blondes (2000)
Trading Up(2003)
Lipstick Jungle (2005)
One Fifth Avenue(2008)
The Carrie Diaries(2010)
Summer and the City(2011)
Killing Monica (2015)
Is There Still Sex and the City? (2019)
Rules for Being a Girl (2020)
For Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino—star of MTV’s Jersey Shore and a career reality show talent with other appearances on shows like Dancing with the Stars and Celebrity Big Brother—the highs have been very high, and the lows have been very low. At his highest point (or at least what he thought was his highest point at the time), Mike was a multimillionaire, the second highest-paid reality star of 2010—second only to Kim Kardashian. Drugs, partying, and women came easily, and he was living seemingly every twentysomething man’s dream. But the lows were so low: a crippling drug addiction that could have taken his life, prison time for tax evasion, and nearly losing a child. In today’s conversation, we talk about it all, and Mike is candid, vulnerable, and real about every part of it. Today, Mike is a husband and a father to soon-to be three children (what he now realizes is truly what the dream life consists of), and truly believes this book will save lives—and I agree. A conversation my 25-year-old self could never dreamed of having, but one I am so glad I got to take part in.
Reality Check: Making the Best of the Situation by Mike“The Situation” Sorrentino
There will literally never be another "I'd Rather Be Reading" episode this short again. Enjoy it, and support your local booksellers this holiday season. That's all!
Today on the show we have one-half of one of my favorite writing duos: BBC’s Katty Kay who, along with fellow journalist Claire Shipman, has authored five books that are all about advancing womanhood. The bulk of our conversation today centers around The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance—What Women Should Know, addressing specifically the confidence gap between men and women, which is keeping women from achieving their full potential. Confidence is something that matters so much but is so rarely spoken about like this—and conversations like this will hopefully move the needle forward. We also talk about the duo’s books Womenomics: Work Less, Achieve More, Live Better and their latest, The Power Code: More Joy, Less Ego, Maximum Impact for Women (and Everyone), which came out this summer. (They’ve also written two books geared towards a younger audience, The Confidence Code for Girls and Living the Confidence Code.) It’ll be impossible for you to not leave feeling empowered.
All by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman:
Womenomics: Work Less, Achieve More, Live Better
The Confidence Code: The Science and Art ofSelf-Assurance—What Women Should Know
The Power Code: More Joy, Less Ego, Maximum Impactfor Women (and Everyone)
The Confidence Code for Girls
Living the Confidence Code
There are so many details when it comes to planning a wedding: what dress code will your guests wear? How about the flowers? Should you get a photographer, a videographer, or both? What do you want your wedding theme to be? (I honestly didn’t even know there was such a thing.) There are so many details to planning a wedding that it can be enormously overwhelming, but it will be decidedly less so with my guest today’s new book. Terri Pous had only been on one date with her now fiancé when she started writing How to Plan a Wedding: A Month-by-Month Guide for Modern Weddings, and now, of course, they’re deep in planning a wedding of their own—and through this book, Terri wrote her own guide to making wedding planning easier, she just didn’t know it at the time. Isn’t life beautiful? Terri’s book covers everything you can think of about wedding planning and some aspects of it that you wouldn’t even know to think of, and our conversation covers a pretty wide swath as well. Some of you know you will be planning a 2024 wedding; some of you are about to get engaged over the holidays and start wedding planning yourself, you just don’t know it yet! I know you will really enjoy this conversation, and I promise you will learn something.
How to Plan a Wedding: A Month-by-Month Guide forModern Weddingsby Terri Pous
Some episodes of this show are more niche, and some apply to us all—and this is an example of the latter. No matter where you’re at in your personal finance journey—whether you’re debt free and have it all figured out or are in a rock bottom moment financially—my guest today is here to teach you something. I am so excited to introduce you to my personal finance heroine Tiffany Aliche, also known as “The Budgetnista,” whose new book, Made Whole: The Practical Guide to Reaching Your Financial Goals, follows her New York Times-bestselling book Get Good with Money. Tiffany and I have a candid conversation about everything from budgets to savings to living wills, 401Ks, how a credit score is calculated, and more. If you’re intimidated by personal finance, you’re certainly not alone—but through this episode and reading her 10-step book, I promise you will emerge more confident and ready to tackle your personal finance goals as we walk into 2024. Don’t forget to visit madewholeworkbook.com (also linked below) to grab your copy!
Made Whole: The Practical Guide to Reaching Your Financial Goalsby Tiffany Aliche
Today’s season nine opener is so fun—I could have talked to Rob Harvilla forever! We are going back to our mutual favorite decade, the 1990s, specifically to talk the decade’s music. And what a random grab bag assortment that decade was in terms of music: grunge. Ska. Swing. The Latin explosion. Bubblegum pop. Hip-hop—perhaps some of the best of the genre, ever. MTV still played music videos (!), and played them all the time. We all knew every song on the Top 40. The 1990s were magic, as Rob writes in his book 60 Songs That Explain the 90s, and we are tapping into that magic today. So many trends from the 1990s are coming back around in present day—and oh, to return to the days when our biggest worries were if we’d make it home in time to watch that day’s episode of TRL. If you know, you know.
60 Songs That Explain the 90sby Rob Harvilla
For our season eight finale, I had the honor of speaking to the editor-in-chief of Guideposts, a faith-based magazine I grew up reading, as my grandparents were subscribers. If you’ve listened to past episodes, you know that Alzheimer’s disease has profoundly affected my family, my grandparents, in particular—and that is the topic of conversation today, as I speak with Edward Grinnan about his mother’s battle with the disease and his fear of one day falling victim to it, too. This beautiful conversation has ugly facts embedded into it, like that, in the absence of a cure, Alzheimer’s will have a $355 billion economic impact by 2050. I was not given a brain for science to help cure this—but I am able to do my part to spread awareness of it. I am proud to use any platform I have to advocate for a cure for this terrible disease—and I want to dedicate this season eight finale (and all of my work) to my grandparents, who I miss every day of my life.
A Journey of Faith: A Mother’s Alzheimer’s, a Son’s Love, and His Search for Answersby Edward Grinnan
Samantha Harris—a broadcaster who you know from co-hosting Dancing with the Stars alongside Tom Bergeron for seven seasons and hosting shows like E! News, Entertainment Tonight, and so many more—is the picture of health, and even wrote the book on it back in 2018. She’s also a breast cancer survivor and learned firsthand that, at the end of the day, if your health is compromised, not much else matters. Today we have a wide ranging conversation about diet, exercise, and getting to our healthiest healthy—and don’t forget to reach out to her via Instagram or Facebook for her clean beauty products PDF, which she has graciously offered to all of you listeners. Just DM her @samanthaharristv for this great resource.
Your Healthiest Healthy: 8 Easy Steps to Take Control, Help Prevent and Fight Cancer, and Live a Longer, Cleaner, Happier Life by Samantha Harris
Who knew that a text about blueberries could nearly end a marriage? Eve Rodsky received a text from her husband, Seth, asking why she didn’t pick up blueberries at the store—and it sparked a movement that has saved countless marriages and made women’s time and the value of it a topic in the forefront of conversation. A Harvard-educated lawyer, Eve is the author of two of my favorite books: Fair Play: A Game Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live) and Find Your Unicorn Space: Reclaim Your Creative Life in a Too Busy World. Both books, at their core, are about time: in Fair Play, how to create a more equitable division of labor within a household, and in Find Your Unicorn Space, how to create—period. Creativity, as Eve argues, is not optional—it is essential, and makes us more interested and interesting. This is an interview I’ve wanted to have for years and am so thankful to have made it happen, hence its release on Thanksgiving. Both books are essential to modern womanhood (and personhood, really), and are groundbreaking in their respective approaches. Two must reads, and a must listen.
Fair Play: A Game Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live) by Eve Rodsky
Find Your Unicorn Space: Reclaim Your Creative Life In a Too Busy World by Eve Rodsky
This conversation lit a fire in me, and I knew I’d Rather Be Reading was nowhere near finished. Mitch is the author of my favorite work of fiction of all time, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, and his latest, The Little Liar, is just as powerful. It takes us back to the Holocaust, a beautiful tale during an awful time told masterfully by the well-researched and thoughtful Mitch Albom. This show is about nonfiction books, so you know if we have a fiction pick on the show, it’s special. That’s what this book is, in a nutshell—special, and worthy of a spot on your bookshelf.
The Little Liarby Mitch Albom
The Murdaugh saga (there is no better word I can find for it than that) gripped the nation earlier this year, as patriarch Alex Murdaugh was sentenced to two life sentences for the brutal murders of his wife, Maggie, and younger son, Paul. As horrific as that crime alone is, that’s nowhere near where the Murdaugh saga begins or ends. In 2019, a boat driven by Paul crashed and killed friend Mallory Beach; an upcoming hearing about the Murdaugh finances is what I believe killed Paul and Maggie just three days prior. There’s also the 2015 murder of Stephen Smith on a rural road in Hampton County, South Carolina, and the 2018 alleged “accidental” death of the Murdaugh housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield. Three months after Paul and Maggie were murdered in June 2021, Alex was shot in the head in a failed assisted suicide that September. He was eventually arrested for Paul and Maggie’s murders and convicted on March 2, 2023. Alex is also believed to have embezzled up to $20 million, mostly from his clients he was paid to help, all in support of a rampant opioid addiction. Today on the show we have the reporter who covered the Murdaughs from the 2019 boat crash forward, Mandy Matney. In addition to covering the case, she also hosts the extremely popular Murdaugh Murders podcast, and if you know anything about the Murdaugh saga, you’ve likely heard of her or her podcast. Her new book about the Murdaugh trial comes out November 14, and it’s a must read if you’re even 1 percent interested in this wild “truth is stranger than fiction” saga.
Blood on Their Hands: Murder, Corruption, and theFall of the Murdaugh Dynastyby Mandy Matney
It’s very rare I know my guests on the show personally, but for today’s episode, I do. I have been proud to know Mark Dent and Rustin Dodd since our days as students at the University of Kansas, where we all graduated from journalism school in the same class—the class of 2009. (As the senior class president of the class of 2009 back in my glory days, to that I say a heartfelt Rock Chalk.) Mark and Rustin have gone on to have extremely successful careers, both in sportswriting; Mark is now working in the business and tech sector. (You’ll hear all about what they’ve done with the past 14 years on the show.) These longtime friends just wrote a book together, Kingdom Quarterback: Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs, and How a Once Swingin’ Cow Town Chased the Ultimate Comeback, which zooms in on the quarterback of a generation, Patrick Mahomes, and how the Kansas City Chiefs have gone from struggling to winning their first Super Bowl in 50 years in 2020, made another Super Bowl appearance in 2021, and won this year’s Super Bowl, as well. (And more to come.) In addition to being about Mahomes and the Chiefs, the book is just as much about Kansas City—a love letter of sorts to the place where Mark and Rustin grew up. And if you’re wondering about the Kansas City Chiefs elephant in the room—Taylor Swift—yes, we do talk about her, and her connection to the so-called “greater Kansas City area” goes even deeper than you think.
Kingdom Quarterback: Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs, and How a Once Swingin’ Cow Town Chased the Ultimate Comebackby Mark Dent and Rustin Dodd
It's January 15, 1978. Kathy Kleiner is a student at Florida State University and is asleep in her room at the Chi Omega sorority house. Unbeknownst to her, a serial killer named Ted Bundy has discovered the sorority house’s back door is accessible—the lock is broken. That night, he broke into the house, murdered two of her sorority sisters, savagely injured Kathy and her roommate, and changed so many lives forever. Today, Kathy gets to tell her story. It is harrowing and terrifying, and please be forewarned that this conversation contains graphic descriptions of violence that is very difficult to listen to. Bundy was ultimately convicted of murder in Florida and executed by electrocution on January 24, 1989; his total victim count is unknown, but it numbers over 30 women across seven states from 1974 to 1978. Kathy is the first confirmed survivor of his to write a book, and it is a beautiful one, though the subject matter is ugly. As Kathy put it, she didn’t just want to survive—she wanted to live. And that she has. This book is her offering to honor Bundy’s victims who never got the chance to tell their story. One of the most, if not the most, powerful conversations I’ve ever had.
A Light in the Dark: Surviving More Than Ted Bundyby Kathy Kleiner Rubin
From beauty in our last throwback pick episode to fashion in this one, I have another of my heroes, Robin Givhan, on the program today. Robin is a fashion critic at The Washington Post and is a Pulitzer Prize winner, having won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 2006—the first time that award was given to a fashion writer. Just as she herself has made history, her 2015 book The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled into the Spotlight and Made History talks about a night that was so culturally impactful it forever changed the history of fashion, specifically American fashion. The Battle of Versailles took place 50 years ago this month, and saw five French designers (Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Cardin, Emanuel Ungaro, Marc Bohan, and Hubert de Givenchy) pitted against five American designers (Oscar de la Renta, Stephen Burrows, Halston, Bill Blass, and Anne Klein) in a competition concocted to raise money for the restoration of the Palace of Versailles. The deck was more than stacked against the American fashion designers—it was all but assured that victory would go to the French. But then, lo and behold, the Americans stole the show, and not just the American fashion industry but the global fashion industry changed forever. It is a fantastic conversation about a game-changing moment in history with one of the most respected journalists in the fashion stratosphere. I can’t wait for you to listen.
The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled Into the Spotlight and Made Historyby Robin Givhan
Today’s episode is truly a dream come true—I get to chat with one of my heroes in the magazine industry, Jean Godfrey-June, current beauty editor at Goop, former beauty editor at Lucky, a writer for Elle and Vanity Fair, and the author of today’s throwback pick, 2006’s Free Gift with Purchase: My Improbable Career in Magazines and Makeup—her memoir. I am happy to tell you that, even though she’s interviewed everyone and seen everything, she is so down to earth and relatable—the ultimate cool girl. A legend in the beauty space and in the magazine industry (and she is currently cringing as she reads this), Jean takes us inside the golden era of magazines, what its like to be inside the beauty closet at one of the world’s biggest fashion magazines, and we pay very much due homage to the dearly departed Lucky magazine. This is a conversation not to be missed, my friends.
Free Gift with Purchase: My Improbable Career inMagazines and Makeupby Jean Godfrey-June
When we think of famous pairs, we’ve got Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Thelma and Louise, Bonnie and Clyde, and, per the topic of today’s discussion, Siskel and Ebert. These two film critics were fierce rivals working for competing newspapers in Chicago and never envisioned working together—when I say they were bitter rivals, put some emphasis on the bitter—but ended up uniting to form a partnership that changed the way we see movies forever. Here to talk about it all is Matt Singer, whose new book explores the team of Siskel and Ebert, how they changed the game, and what their legacy is, 25 years after Gene Siskel unexpectedly passed away in early 1999.
Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert ChangedMovies Forever by Matt Singer
Here’s the thing: whether we claim it or not, we all have a personal style. So why not take control of it and leverage it for the good? Our guest today, Allison Bornstein, will teach you how to do just that. There are so many quantifiable tips on this episode -- The AB Closet Editing System! The Three Word Method! The Nine Universal Pieces! -- that the only way you won’t learn something is if you don’t listen. When you look good, you feel good, and, as Allison will teach us, fashion is a tool for self-expression and overall wellness. Let’s lean into it!
Wear it Well: Reclaim Your Closet and Rediscoverthe Joy of Getting Dressed by Allison Bornstein
The 1970s was a pivotal decade in the wide world of sports: Title IX and women and sports; widespread racial integration across athletics; athletes taking their power back and taking ownership of their careers; sports shifting to primetime television; and so much more. I don’t think any of us realize until author Michael MacCambridge put it all in writing just how much the 1970s changed sports forever. He is here to talk about it all with me today—and stick around until the end of the episode, where two Kansas City Chiefs aficionados shoot the breeze about the infiltration of Taylor Swift into our city. It’s a great listen.
The Big Time: How the 1970s Transformed Sports inAmericaby Michael MacCambridge
Just when you think you know everything there is to know about the Beatles, the most famous group in history—you’re wrong. Today on the show we have the Beatles expert himself, Philip Norman, here to break down George Harrison, as complex and complicated a character as they come. Just about as antithetical to fame as it gets, George never saw his talent like the rest of the world did, and his contributions to music are vast: “Something.” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” “Here Comes the Sun.” “My Sweet Lord.” In addition to his professional life, his personal life is compelling too. (Four words—Pattie Boyd. Eric Clapton.) He left us far too soon nearly 22 years ago, and I am excited to bring you part of his story through this conversation.
As ever in Hollywood, there are so many movies set to be released by the end of the year that are based on books, both nonfiction and fiction. Take a listen to what to expect when it comes to movie adaptations of fantastic memoirs, biographies, works of nonfiction, novels, and more -- and see which ones sound appealing to you.
If you’ve been looking for a book that clearly and conciselylays out how to live your best life—your happiest, healthiest life—you’re in luck, because this episode is about just that! Liz Moody’s latest book, 100 Ways to Change Your Life: The Science of Leveling Up Health, Happiness, Relationships, and Success, came out this week and offers up 100 easily implementable tips to live a full life. As I start to implement some of the 100 tips into my own life, I am already noticing a difference, and I know you will, too. My favorite part about this show is, ultimately, improving our livestogether, so take a listen to but a sampling of how to do just that through our conversation.
100 Ways to Change Your Life: The Science of Leveling Up Health, Happiness, Relationships, and Successby Liz Moody
What a powerful episode we have for you today, listeners -- on the program we have former U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas Nicole Avant, whose new book talks about working through grief after the murder of her mother, Jacqueline Avant, in December 2021, and the loss of her father, Clarence Avant, this past August. Grief is certainly not something any of us want to face, but when it's here, it helps to follow the lead of others who have navigated it and are navigating it, too, and the lessons and wisdom in this book are ones I'll keep in my heart forever.
Think You'll Be Happy: Moving Through Grief with Grit, Grace, and Gratitude by Nicole Avant
Talk about feeling seen—when I read Alicia Menendez’s book The Likeability Trap: How to Break Free and Succeed As You Are four years ago, I thought, “Finally. Someone gets me.” And, listeners, I believe you will feel seen too through this conversation, though I wish that wasn’t so. So often women in particular have to choose between being successful and likeable. Why is it so difficult to like a successful woman? And why do we care if we are liked at all? We dig into everything in this Throwback Pick conversation—one of many this season.
The Likeability Trap: How to Break Free and Succeed As You Are by Alicia Menendez
What are you most afraid of? Chances are, it's one of the nine fears that personal finance expert Farnoosh Torabi encourages readers to face head on in her latest book, "A Healthy State of Panic." Instead of attempting to become fearless, she encourages us to stare fear in the face and embrace it as a gift. We are used to hearing from Farnoosh sound advice about all things money -- and while that component is in the book, too, the book is so, so much more than that. It destigmatizes fear and, once we confront it, we can conquet it.
A Healthy State of Panic: Follow Your Fears to Build Wealth, Crush Your Career, and Win at Life by Farnoosh Torabi
Cindy Chupack is a multihyphenate -- a screenwriter, a director, an executive producer, a Golden Globe winner, an Emmy winner. She has written for iconic shows like Sex and the City (where I first became aware of her work -- she wrote more episodes of the show than almost anyone), Modern Family, Everybody Loves Raymond, Divorce, and so many more, and, for the past five years, she has been directing, as well. In addition to that -- and serving as an executive producer -- Cindy has written three books and is an advocate for writers emerging and established. I have wanted to go inside the writer's room of Sex and the City for 25 years, and today, we get to have a glimpse inside it. One of my favorite conversations to date!
Here are Cindy's three fantastic books:
The Between Boyfriends Book: A Collection of Cautiously Hopeful Essays
The Longest Date: Life as a Wife
We Waited for You: Now We're a Family
And here is a link to her website, where she is generous with tips for fellow writers:
Cindy Chupack Official Website
We have a fantastic episode for you today! In our first Yesteryear Pick of season eight, we have on the show Brian Stelter, who literally wrote the book on morning television. His 2013 book "Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV" was the basis of Apple TV+'s hit series "The Morning Show" starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. The show's third season premiered this month, and Brian is on the show today to talk about it, why morning television will always be important, and what has changed in the genre in the past decade since his book was released.
"Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV" by Brian Stelter
We're back! Season eight will be a bit of this, a bit of that -- I'm calling it my potpourri season. We'll have some fiction picks, some yesteryear picks, but still keep to our ethos of bringing you the best current nonfiction picks, like today's episode. Marisa Meltzer has just released the book of the season three days ago, and it dives into the rise of the beauty brand Glossier, its mysterious founder Emily Weiss, and the beauty industry as a whole in the U.S. It is a must read, even if you're not historically interested in beauty. It's so good to be back with you for this scattered season, but we're here, and I am so happy! I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I enjoyed having it.
Glossy: Ambition, Beauty, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss' Glossier by Marisa Meltzer
Surprise! Only for Luke Russert would I come back from hiatus -- and what a great chat this was. Luke's book is a New York Times bestseller, and for good reason. It unpacks the grief he felt over losing his father, Tim Russert, at such a young age; traveling the world in search of himself; his relationship with his mother Maureen Orth, also an iconic journalist; nepotism in the workplace; and so much more. This will be our last episode for a while, so I hope you enjoy it -- and pick up this book. You'll love it.
Look for Me There: Grieving My Father, Finding Myself by Luke Russert
For our season seven finale, we're chatting with the wonderful Anna Kloots about rediscovering your magic. Magic, as you'll hear in our conversation, was a central theme in Anna's life -- her ex-husband was a magician. When they divorced, Anna lost her marriage, her home, and her job, and was forced to start over and build a life from the ruins. As you'll hear, she built a life she is proud of -- one that is, well, magic.
As I announced in the last episode, at the close of season seven I'd Rather Be Reading is going on hiatus. Thank you to ALL of my guests, listeners, and especially my beautiful mother, Joy -- the show's unabashed biggest fan -- for supporting this show. It has been an honor reading with you for the past two years.
My Own Magic: A Reappearing Act by Anna Kloots
Two of my favorite topics to study -- sports and the American presidency -- are fused into one in this fascinating book, and I can't wait for you to learn how presidents from Eisenhower to Biden interface with athletics. Some, like Nixon, can quote stats like they're reciting the alphabet. Some, like Johnson, aren't big fans. Some, like Ford, played a sport and played it well. Some, like Biden, could take it or leave it. So interesting -- and the Clinton anecdote had me uncontrollably laughing.
Power Players: Sports, Politics, and the American Presidency by Chris Cillizza
If you remember an episode from last summer I put out about the team, you know that I am a passionate, albeit new, fan of the New York Yankees. That fandom continues, and our conversation today about the 1998 Yankees -- one of the best Major League Baseball teams ever -- far predates my becoming a fan. But our guest today, Jack Curry, was very much there and covering it, and he's written a beautiful book about it. You don't have to be a Yankees fan to appreciate this episode. If you love the game of baseball, or even if you're just mildly interested, you'll enjoy this conversation.
The 1998 Yankees: The Inside Story of the Greatest Baseball Team Ever by Jack Curry
We certainly have read much about Jacqueline Kennedy (and have even done a couple of episodes about her on this show). We also know much about Jacqueline Onassis. But what about Jacqueline Bouvier, the woman before marriage, pursuing a career in Washington, D.C., falling in love with Paris, and attending Queen Elizabeth's Coronation as her last hoorah as a single woman during the late spring days of 1953? This book zooms in on Jackie from 1949 to 1953, during her early twenties, in a formative time of her life that we don't often discuss. To talk about it is perhaps the leading expert on First Ladies in the entire world -- Carl Sferrazza Anthony. I can't wait for you to hear this episode!
Camera Girl: The Coming of Age of Jackie Bouvier Kennedy by Carl Sferrazza Anthony
Who knew that the generation you were born into -- obviously through no choice of your own -- could shape SO much of who you are? Today we're talking about a really interesting topic: The six currently living generations, spanning the Silents (the oldest of whom were born in 1925) to the Polars (who are being born even as you read this). Why does our generation have so much influence over us? And what are each of the generations like? This and so much more are covered in today's episode.
Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents -- and What They Mean for America's Future by Dr. Jean M. Twenge
Charlotte Fox Weber is a therapist, and from her practice, she's uncovered the 12 most common human desires and has written a book about all of them. Each desire gets its own chapter -- and I'll bet you share these desires, too. (No, we're not talking explicit sexual desires, although that certainly can be a part of it.) Listen in for a therapist's insight and one of the most brilliant metaphors I've ever heard -- still can't get over it.
Tell Me What You Want: A Therapist and Her Clients Explore Our 12 Deepest Desires by Charlotte Fox Weber
Not just some of us, but ALL of us need a strong, effective personal brand. The good news is? My guest today can help you build just that. Not only is this book fantastic, but so is our guest, Aliza Licht -- she has enough experience to take a personal branding novice or a personal branding professional to the next level. Listen and prepare to learn!
On Brand: Shape Your Narrative, Share Your Vision, Shift Their Perception by Aliza Licht
We have another memoirist on the show today! As you'll hear me say in the introduction, after reading Maggie Smith's book, I was flummoxed as to how I would ask her MORE questions about her life after she wrote such a candid, raw, vulnerable memoir. Hadn't she already given me enough on the page? But off the page, Maggie is just as dazzling, as you'll no doubt hear for yourself. A poet and a memoirist, Maggie doesn't shy away from honesty and transparency about some difficult topics she has faced. It's how we all should be -- brave, courageous, bold.
You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith
What we think of as self-care might not be self-care at all. In fact, what we've come to know as "self-care" -- think expensive wellness retreats and fad diets and juice cleanses and creams and serums and the like -- is part of a gigantic self-care industry that makes its profit on making people, and especially women, feel terrible about themselves. That is not self-care. In fact, REAL self-care, as our guest today tells us, does the opposite of making ourselves feel terrible: It honors ourselves, uplifts ourselves, and celebrates ourselves. Not only that, but it's an inside job -- not something we can attend or purchase or obtain. Such a meaningful conversation that I hope you enjoy and get something out of.
Real Self-Care: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness (Crystals, Cleanses, and Bubble Baths Not Included) by Dr. Pooja Lakshmin
Resiliency has become a problem in our society. If something gets too hard, we abandon it -- after all, there are many, MANY other options we can choose from that maybe won't be so difficult. The "swiping" culture -- think shopping online and dating apps -- has become habitual online but offline, too, meaning we continually disengage and never finish what we start. This has a human cost, and we're talking about it today.
Swipe: The Science Behind Why We Don’t Finish What We Start by Tracy Maylett and Tim Vandehey
The title of Dr. Henry Cloud's latest book is simple: Trust. But its subtitle (and the concept itself) is much more complex -- Knowing When to Give It, When to Withhold It, How to Earn It, and How to Fix It When It Gets Broken. Whew! Trust is vitally important in all of our lives, and Dr. Cloud gives a masterclass on it in today's episode. It's truly a must listen episode and a must read book for everyone.
Trust: Knowing When to Give It, When to Withhold It, How to Earn It, and How to Fix It When It Gets Broken by Dr. Henry Cloud
I never planned for it to be this way, but we finally have our first male guest of season seven! It has been girl power thus far. And Dr. William Li comes with the masterclass in health and wellness today, specifically about metabolism -- get ready to learn so much. We cover the gamut, from metabolism to intermittent fasting to one takeaway we can do today to start righting our metabolism and getting to a healthier us. Listeners, you know health and wellness episodes are some of my favorites these days, and this one does NOT disappoint!
Eat to Beat Your Diet: Burn Fat, Heal Your Metabolism, and Live Longer by Dr. William Li
Sensitive people often get a bad rap, especially sensitive men. But today I talk to an author who says sensitivity is a superpower, and that sensitive people are filled with gifts that bring so much to the world. Plus, we reveal the legendary rock star that self-identifies as a sensitive person -- and who it is might surprise you.
Sensitive: The Hidden Power of the Highly Sensitive Person in a Loud, Fast, Too Much World by Jenn Granneman and Andre Solo
The United States may well have had its first female president already. The problem? Nobody knew it. After President Woodrow Wilson suffered a devastating stroke in October 1919, his wife, First Lady Edith Wilson, became acting president until his second term ended on March 4, 1921. Today we talk about that decision and the woman who was Edith Wilson, who was acting president before women even had the right to vote.
Untold Power: The Fascinating Rise and Complex Legacy of First Lady Edith Wilson by Rebecca Boggs Roberts
We have made it to our 100th episode! I could not be happier to reach this milestone, and to reach it with all of you, talking about nonfiction books. I have an extra special guest on the show today, Cyndie Spiegel, and we are talking about how to find joy no matter what you're facing in life right now. I realize that some of my episodes apply to only certain people -- but I chose this book for our centennial because this topic applies to ALL of us. Sit back and prepare to be enriched by this meaningful conversation. And THANK YOU, listeners, for helping us reach this special day!
Microjoys: Finding Hope (Especially) When Life Is Not Okay by Cyndie Spiegel
I love a good fashion episode, and this is definitely a good fashion episode! Today on the show I've got Maggie Bullock -- a writer for Vogue, Elle, Vanity Fair, The Cut, and more -- and we're talking about J. Crew, the original lifestyle brand. From its founding 40 years ago to now has seen the company go from the highest of highs to filing for bankruptcy in 2020. How did this happen? And how is J. Crew doing today? We dig into it all in a book Vogue calls one of its most anticipated books of 2023.
The Kingdom of Prep: The Inside Story of the Rise and (Near) Fall of J. Crew by Maggie Bullock
Working moms have the deck stacked against them: They constantly feel like they are failing -- at work, at home, and everywhere in between. Today I sit down with Paula Faris -- who now runs her own company, CARRY Media, after a successful career as an Emmy Award-winning journalist and television personality. (You might know her from her days at ABC, where she was co-anchor of Good Morning America Weekend and a cohost of The View.) Now, she says, she's reporting on her most important assignment -- the life of an American working mom, which, as you'll hear in our conversation, is one rife with challenges.
You Don't Have to Carry It All: Ditch the Mom Guilt and Find a Better Way Forward by Paula Faris
As I told Dr. Amy Shah on today's episode, I wish I'd had this book YEARS ago. We talk about why we crave what we crave, what we can do about it, how to tell whether we are hungry or thirsty (or bored), and so much surrounding the topic of food and the complexities it carries. I learned so much from this book and this conversation, including a confirmation of my long held belief that there's something about a Coke from McDonald's that just tastes better. There's a lot to get into here, and we tackle all of it.
I'm So Effing Hungry: Why We Crave What We Crave -- And What To Do About It by Dr. Amy Shah
We are kicking off season SEVEN -- seven! -- today with a guest I know you'll love as much as I did: Mallory Ervin. Hailing from Kentucky (and a former Miss Kentucky, at that!), Mallory has had a full life, no doubt: from finishing fourth runner up at Miss America, Mallory went on to appear on "The Amazing Race" and launch her own lifestyle brand seven years ago. The road to the content place she is at now wasn't without bumps, and Mallory is candid about those. She can now confidently say she's living the life she dreamed of, and her latest book can help YOU see what the life you dream of looks like, too. A great way to usher in our seventh season!
All In: A Vision for Living Fully Every Day by Mallory Ervin
For our season six finale, we're talking to the brilliant Katherine May about finding enchantment again. When did we stop seeing the wonder of our everyday lives? And how can we get back to that childlike sense of amazement on a daily basis? This is a beautiful conversation with a talented writer and truly fantastic person.
Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in An Anxious Age by Katherine May
So many of us feel stuck in our lives from time to time. So few of us actually DO something about it. In this book, Alisha Fernandez Miranda takes us along for her "what if year" -- prepare to be inspired to do the same for yourselves and live the life you've dreamed about.
My What If Year by Alisha Fernandez Miranda
Did you know that The Beatles and James Bond were both launched on the very same Friday? October 5, 1962 -- a day that will forever live on in pop culture history. Today on the show we talk about what both mean to the U.K. and the world.
Love and Let Die: James Bond, The Beatles, and the British Psyche by John Higgs
The term status is undergoing a revolution, writer Chuck Thompson says -- with status available to the masses now and so easily attainable, has it become irrelevant? An incredibly cerebral discussion that will no doubt leave you thinking about status' place in 2023 -- if it has one at all.
The Status Revolution: The Improbable Story of How the Lowbrow Became the Highbrow by Chuck Thompson
If you want to feel better, stronger, and more resilient this year, this is the episode for you. Join me as I chat with Dr. Molly Maloof about all things health and wellness -- most especially about how to get our spark back. Let's do this!
The Spark Factor: The Secret to Supercharging Energy, Becoming Resilient, and Feeling Better Than Ever by Dr. Molly Maloof
It's a new way of looking at the concept of leadership: One where the door is open to everyone, where everyone is encouraged to lead, and where leadership is seen as an activity, not a person or a position. This inspiring conversation will help you find a way where you can contribute -- because we need your leadership.
When Everyone Leads: How the Toughest Challenges Get Seen and Solved by Julia Fabris McBride and Ed O'Malley
Even our toughest decisions can be made with Trey Gowdy's three-pronged decision making framework, which asks three simple yet profound questions: Should I start? Should I stay? Or should I leave?
Start, Stay, or Leave: The Art of Decision Making by Trey Gowdy
Continuing our "Relationships Week" here on the show, we're chatting today about dating. Why do we hate it so much, rather than embracing this season? And how can we have a better experience -- including on first dates? Michelle Elman's got the answers.
The Selfish Romantic: How to Date Without Feeling Bad About Yourself by Michelle Elman
Who among us DOESN'T want improved relationships, both with ourselves and with others? This week is what I'm calling "Relationships Week" on the show, where we talk to two great authors about how to do just that. If you're looking for healthy, fulfilling relationships in your life, take a listen to this important episode.
Making Great Relationships: Simple Practices for Solving Conflicts, Building Connection, and Fostering Love by Dr. Rick Hanson
Stephen A. Smith brings his trademarked authenticity to the show today -- you may think you know Stephen A. Smith, but I guarantee you'll learn more about this fascinating person after listening (and reading his book!).
Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes by Stephen A. Smith
You know that line from "Already Gone" by The Eagles that says "So oftentimes it happens that we live our lives in chains and we never even know we have the key"? Well, this episode is about just that: Getting unstuck, and realizing you have the key to live the life of your dreams, if we'd all only just realize it.
You Are Not Stuck: How Soul-Guided Choices Transform Fear into Freedom by Becky Vollmer
The Vietnam War is perhaps America's most misunderstood war, a conflict left largely in the shadows. Today we unpack the pivotal years of 1965 to 1968 in Vietnam with a true expert on the subject. Whether you love history or not, it's a conversation not to be missed.
Triumph Regained: The Vietnam War 1965-1968 by Mark Moyar
Who among us wouldn't benefit from adding more fun to their lives in 2023? We've got an expert here to help you do just that!
The Fun Habit: How the Pursuit of Joy and Wonder Can Change Your Life by Dr. Mike Rucker
In our second annual “best books” episode, I invite my dear friend Carla Jean back to run down the best books of 2022, nonfiction and fiction—and what we’re both looking forward to reading in 2023.
Here are the books mentioned in the episode (there are a LOT of them!):
Books Carla Jean Wrote:
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio: How the Swampers Changed American Music by Carla Jean Whitley
Birmingham Beer: A Heady History of Brewing in the Magic City by Carla Jean Whitley
Balancing Act: Yoga Essays by Carla Jean Whitley
Carla Jean’s Best Nonfiction Books of 2022:
Lost & Found by Kathryn Schulz (also mentioned—Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep)
The Crane Wife by CJ Hauser (also mentioned by me—Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed and by Carla Jean—Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss by Margaret Renkl)
In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss by Amy Bloom
A late add Carla Jean forgot to mention on the show—Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives by Mary Laura Philpott
Carla Jean’s Best Fiction Books of 2022:
We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman
This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub
Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro (also mentioned—Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love by the same author)
My Fiction Pick of 2022:
Meant to Be by Emily Giffin
Books Carla Jean is Looking Forward to Reading in 2023 (Or Already Has Read and Recommends):
The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li (fiction)
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (fiction)
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler (fiction)
The Urgent Life: My Story of Love, Loss, and Survival by Bozoma Saint John (nonfiction)
Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age by Katherine May (I cosign this, and also another book by the same author, Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times—both nonfiction)
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano (fiction, and also Dear Edward by the same author)
You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith (nonfiction)
Midwest Shreds by Mandy Shunnarah (nonfiction)
Losing Music by John Cotter (nonfiction)
Books I Am Looking Forward to Reading in 2023 (Or Already Have Read and Recommend, All Nonfiction Naturally):
And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle by Jon Meacham
The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama
Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit and Glamour of an Icon by Kate Andersen Brower
Spare by Prince Harry and J.R. Moehringer
8 Rules of Love: How to Find It, Keep It, and Let It Go by Jay Shetty
Whew! Happy reading! And happy new year!
What an honor it was to chat with one of my teenage heroines about THE most important of topics -- total body health and wellness. This is a conversation you won't want to miss. Come for the valuable information, and stay for Lo's passion about health and wellness. It's impossible to not be motivated for a healthier 2023 after listening to this conversation.
Love Yourself Well: An Empowering Wellness Guide to Supporting Your Gut, Brain, and Vagina by Lo Bosworth
It only took us 80 episodes, but finally -- we're exploring true crime!
Deliberate Cruelty: Truman Capote, the Millionaire's Wife, and the Murder of the Century by Roseanne Montillo
We are all about to enter the holiday season, a chance to spend ample time with family. This is great -- unless it's not. Today I chat with renowned psychotherapist Julia Samuel -- who many of you may know as a dear friend of the late Princess of Wales -- about navigating family dynamics, grief, and so much more. For my U.S. listeners, it's truly a conversation worth listening to on your way to Thanksgiving this year!
Every Family Has a Story: How We Inherit Love and Loss by Julia Samuel
Alzheimer's disease is devastating across the board -- to the one diagnosed, and to his or her loved ones and caretakers. Today, for our season five finale, we tackle a tough topic, but one that matters: Alzheimer's disease, sometimes referred to as "The Longest Goodbye."
The Longest Goodbye: A Family's Hope-Filled Journey Through Alzheimer's by Shelly Calcagno
I promise this isn't slowly morphing into a music podcast, but this book was too good to not share with you! What does the Billboard Hot 100 chart mean not just to American music, but to American culture? We dig in!
The Number Ones: Twenty Chart-Topping Hits That Reveal the History of Pop Music by Tom Breihan
Also, check out "The Number Ones" column on Stereogum!
This one is a BIG DEAL for me -- it's Melody Beattie! The author of perhaps the most well-known self-help and relationship book of all time, Codependent No More, on MY show! Unbelievably cool. Melody has rereleased the book 30 years after its 1992 revision, and 36 years after its original publication. If you've read it, it likely changed your life -- and if you haven't, grab a copy and prepare to close the book changed for the better.
Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself by Melody Beattie
What an absolute delight it was to talk to an American hero -- a former U.S. Secret Service agent who served five presidential administrations, from Eisenhower to Ford. You won't want to miss Agent Clint Hill's stories about traveling around the world with First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, chronicled in his new book.
My Travels with Mrs. Kennedy by Clint Hill and Lisa McCubbin Hill
We are on a music kick over here -- and today we're chatting about Stevie Nicks.
Mirror in the Sky: The Life and Music of Stevie Nicks by Simon Morrison
Brian Wilson is one of the most influential and iconic artists of the 20th century. What impact has he had on music and on culture, and who is he as a man, not just a musician?
God Only Knows: The Story of Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys, and the California Myth by David Leaf
Friendships are a force -- but why are friendships harder to come by as adults? And why do we not find them as important as, say, romance? We delve deep into the power of friendship in today's episode.
Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make--and Keep--Friends by Dr. Marisa Franco
Today, we unpack the impact belonging -- or not belonging -- has on our lives. It's a crucial and critical part of the human experience, and Rachel is lucky to have THE belonging expert, Geoffrey Cohen, on the show to discuss.
Belonging: The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides by Geoffrey L. Cohen
Also check out The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories by a talent we lost far too soon, Marina Keegan
Boundaries are essential to living your best life and feeling empowered -- but, when it comes to enforcing them, the deck seems to be stacked against us, especially if you're a woman.
Brave Boundaries: Strategies to Say No, Stand Strong, and Take Control of Your Time by Dr. Sasha Shillcutt
The twenty-first anniversary of September 11, 2001 is this week -- may we never forget the sacrifices made.
Five Floors Up: The Heroic Family Story of Four Generations in the FDNY by Brian McDonald
Someday, that glass ceiling will shatter -- and we may be closer than we think.
Electable: Why America Hasn't Put a Woman in the White House...Yet by Ali Vitali
This week, Rachel would rather be delving into a time capsule of life in Los Angeles in the 1960s alongside then-married couple Dennis Hopper and Brooke Hayward.
Everybody Thought We Were Crazy: Dennis Hopper, Brooke Hayward, and 1960s Los Angeles by Mark Rozzo
Also check out An Unexpected Appearance by 13-year-old Isabelle Addo-Yobo!
This week, Rachel would rather be reading about how to get to the life she wants -- one day and one very important question at a time.
How Are You, Really?: Living Your Truth One Answer at a Time by Jenna Kutcher
Jenna is a podcaster, herself -- her Goal Digger podcast is a must listen.
This week, Rachel would rather be reading about liking herself rather than depending on others to do so. This is such a powerful book and conversation!
Liking Myself Back: An Influencer's Journey from Self-Doubt to Self-Acceptance by Jacey Duprie
This week, right in the heart of baseball season, Rachel would rather be reading about the Bronx Bombers. Love 'em or hate 'em, you can't deny their power.
The Franchise: New York Yankees: A Curated History of the Bronx Bombers by Mark Feinsand
This week, Rachel would rather be reading about her writing inspiration -- the one and only Nora Ephron.
Nora Ephron: A Biography by Kristin Marguerite Doidge
This week, Rachel would rather be reading about one of the most influential forces in both fashion and culture, the one and only Anna Wintour.
Anna: The Biography by Amy Odell
Tonight on Showtime, a brand new and FANTASTIC anthology series premieres: "The First Lady." It zooms in on three First Ladies in particular -- Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford, and Michelle Obama. (All of whom have written memoirs, by the way!)
To break it down, Rachel invited C-SPAN's Susan Swain to chat about these three women and the Office of First Lady.
Check out C-SPAN's phenomenal First Lady coverage here, then add the accompanying book (below) to your list.
First Ladies: Presidential Historians on the Lives of 45 Iconic American Women by Susan Swain
In 2016, Ian Halperin wrote a book about the Kardashian family -- and my oh my, SO MUCH has happened since then!
The next chapter for the world's most famous family begins tomorrow, with their new show, "The Kardashians," set to premiere on Hulu. So Rachel sat down with Ian to talk to him about it, and we got an exclusive we weren't expecting! (But were more than happy to receive.)
Heads up: There are a few choice words used in here, so we're putting the "E" tag on this episode and advising you not to listen around sensitive ears.
Kardashian Dynasty: The Controversial Rise of America's Royal Family by Ian Halperin
First of all, in case you didn't know this already, Rachel is a graduate of Kansas -- so ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK!
But, even though her team won the NCAA college basketball championship this week, she was still torn up over Coach Mike Krzyzewski's final game being a loss to, of all teams, North Carolina in the Final Four. So she rung up the guy who literally wrote the book on Coach K, Ian O'Connor, to hash it out.
Coach K: The Rise and Reign of Mike Krzyzewski by Ian O'Connor
For the season four finale, Rachel would rather be reading about a paradigm shift in our understanding of anxiety and mental health. This book is an absolute game-changer and a must read.
The Anatomy of Anxiety: Understanding and Overcoming the Body's Fear Response by Dr. Ellen Vora
We'll be on hiatus for a while -- never hesitate to reach out at helloidratherbereading@gmail.com! So proud to be part of this community with you.
This week Rachel would rather be reading about how to become a better leader through digging into community.
Mastering Community: The Surprising Ways Coming Together Moves Us from Surviving to Thriving by Christine Porath
This week Rachel would rather be talking to her new friend Madeleine about letting yourself off the hook and shelving today's to do list -- and learning how to NOT do the thing today.
I Didn't Do the Thing Today: Letting Go of Productivity Guilt by Madeleine Dore
This week Rachel would rather be reading about life as an heiress -- one can dream, right?
Heiresses: The Lives of the Million Dollar Babies by Laura Thompson
Stay tuned after the chat for some spring book picks, everything from fashion to beauty to memoirs to social change and more!
This week Rachel would rather be reading about the three women who married a generation of Kennedy men -- Jackie, Ethel, and Joan. What were their lives like as the women of Camelot?
Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot by J. Randy Taraborrelli
This week, Rachel would rather be reading about how to take her life to the next level and usher in her own version of The Big Life.
The Big Life: Embrace the Mess, Work Your Side Hustle, Find a Monumental Relationship, and Become the Badass Babe You Were Meant to Be by Ann Shoket
Visit Ann's website to find out about the community she is building!
This week, Rachel would rather be reading about how ubiquitous social media has become -- and how being seen isn't necessarily being known. There is so much good in this discussion!
Who Are You Following? Pursuing Jesus in a Social Media Obsessed World by Sadie Robertson Huff
This week, Rachel would rather be reading about personal finance, investing, and growing her money, honey.
Miss Independent: A Simple 12-Step Plan to Start Investing and Grow Your Own Wealth by Nicole Lapin
This week Rachel would rather be reading about the American criminal justice system by someone who knows it well.
American Injustice: Inside Stories from the Underbelly of the Criminal Justice System by David S. Rudolf
This week Rachel would rather be reading about how to eat healthier! Thankfully Michele Promaulayko, former editor-in-chief of both Cosmopolitan and Women's Health, is here to help.
Sugar Free 3: The Simple 3-Week Plan for More Energy, Better Sleep, and Surprisingly Easy Weight Loss by Michele Promaulayko
This week Rachel would rather be reading one of the greatest fiction works of all time ahead of its film adaptation's release on Friday!
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
This week Rachel would rather be reading Atoosa Rubenstein's thoughts on life and love from her Substack newsletter, Atoosa Unedited.
Atoosa Unedited by Atoosa Rubenstein
This week Rachel would rather be reading about how to apologize more effectively.
The 5 Apology Languages: The Secret to Healthy Relationships by Dr. Gary Chapman and Dr. Jennifer Thomas
This week Rachel would rather be reading lessons on life and leadership from THE QUEEN -- Coach Monica Aldama of Netflix's Cheer!
Full Out: Lessons in Life and Leadership from America's Favorite Coach by Monica Aldama
After you grab a copy of her book, set your Netflix queue for season two of Cheer, dropping January 12!
This week Rachel would rather be reading about how to avoid toxic positivity.
Toxic Positivity: Keeping It Real in a World Obsessed With Being Happy by Whitney Goodman
Stay tuned at the end of the episode for four motivational titles to jumpstart this year.
If you guessed that all four have their own book club, you're exactly right.
Here in this special mini-episode between seasons three and four, Rachel discusses four celebrity book clubs:
Oprah's Book Club
Reese's Book Club
Read with Jenna
The Duchess of Cornwall's Reading Room
Book clubs -- whether locally or internationally, like these four -- are a fantastic way to build community around our favorite topic: Good books.
We'll be back soon with a jam-packed season four in 2022!
This week Rachel would rather be reading about life's lessons -- including "the beautiful no" -- from the inspiring Sheri Salata.
The Beautiful No: And Other Tales of Trial, Transcendence, and Transformation by Sheri Salata
Join Sheri (and Rachel!) for “Write Your New Story 2022” from January 3-7. Visit www.sherisalata.com/challenge for more information.
The end of 2021 is near, so Rachel sits down with dear friend Carla Jean Whitley to discuss the best books they read all year -- and what they're most looking forward to reading in 2022.
This week Rachel is making a conscious choice to live life to the fullest and never settle thanks to the wise words of Bonnie Fuller, current editor-in-chief of Hollywood Life and former EIC at titles like Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, YM, and Us Weekly. (Yes, if you can't tell, Rachel's heroes are magazine editors-in-chief.)
Remember, friends -- this isn't a dress rehearsal -- we're living the only life we've got. Go for every last dream you have. We only get one shot!
The Joys of Much Too Much by Bonnie Fuller
This week Rachel would rather be reading about -- and taking in stunning photos of -- some of Hollywood's most influential Black actresses.
Supreme Actresses: Iconic Black Women Who Revolutionized Hollywood by Marcellas Reynolds
This week, Rachel would rather be reading about getting organized so she can live the life she was meant to live and make space for what matters most.
Life in Jeneral: A Joyful Guide to Organizing Your Home and Creating the Space for What Matters Most by Jen Robin
The Sex and the City reboot, And Just Like That..., hits HBO in less than two weeks, so Rachel would rather be reading Sex and the City and Us, the first book chosen for her new Throwback series! This 2018 book takes a behind the curtain look at the greatest television show of all time -- in Rachel's opinion, anyway.
Sex and the City and Us: How Four Single Women Changed the Way We Think, Live, and Love by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong
This week Rachel would rather be reading about a little sister's lifelong love and devotion to her big sister, the legendary actress Natalie Wood -- who died 40 years ago this week.
Little Sister: My Investigation Into the Mysterious Death of Natalie Wood by Lana Wood
This week Rachel would rather be reading about COLLEGE BASKETBALL, baby! (Said in her best Dick Vitale voice.)
The Big East: Inside the Most Entertaining and Influential Conference in College Basketball History by Dana O'Neil
This week, Rachel would rather be reading about the childhoods of Vice President Kamala Harris and her best friend, Stacey Johnson-Batiste!
Friends from the Beginning: The Berkeley Village That Raised Kamala and Me by Stacey Johnson-Batiste
This week, Rachel would rather be reading about science -- specifically the COVID-19 vaccine and the race between Pfizer and Moderna to get shots in arms.
The First Shots: The Epic Rivalries and Heroic Science Behind the Race to the Coronavirus Vaccine by Brendan Borrell
To kickstart season three, Rachel would rather be reading about Alabama football. It is football season, after all!
We Want Bama: A Season of Hope and the Making of Nick Saban's Ultimate Team by Joseph Goodman
This week Rachel would rather be reading about the American South.
Graceland, At Last by Margaret Renkl
This episode concludes season two. We'll see you very soon with more episodes!
This week Rachel would rather be reading about Calabasas and its most famous residents -- the Kardashians.
If You Lived Here You'd Be Famous By Now: True Stories from Calabasas by Via Bleidner
Also check out
Set the Night on Fire: Living, Dying, and Playing Guitar with The Doors by Robby Krieger
This week, Rachel would rather be reading fiction for a change!
The Fianceé by Kate White
Also make sure to check out
The Wish by Nicholas Sparks
The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom
This week Rachel would rather be reading about the wonderdog Piglet.
Piglet: The Unexpected Story of a Deaf, Blind, Pink Puppy and His Family by Dr. Melissa Shapiro
Click here to learn more about Piglet's important work!
This week Rachel would rather be reading about the Kennedy dynasty.
The Ambassador: Joseph P. Kennedy at the Court of St. James's 1938-1940 by Susan Ronald
This week Rachel would rather be reading about how to have successful mornings!
Own Your Morning: Reset Your A.M. Routine To Unlock Your Potential by Liz Baker Plosser
This week Rachel would rather be reading about presidential friendships.
Check out:
First Friends: The Powerful, Unsung (And Unelected) People Who Shaped Our Presidents by Gary Ginsberg
This week Rachel would rather be reading about Aaliyah.
Baby Girl: Better Known as Aaliyah by Kathy Iandoli
This week Rachel would rather be reading Out of the Pocket by Kirk Herbstreit.
Out of the Pocket: Football, Fatherhood, and College GameDay Saturdays by Kirk Herbstreit
This week Rachel would rather be reading about Miss America.
There She Was: The Secret History of Miss America by Amy Argetsinger
This week Rachel would rather be reading Leave No Man Behind by Dr. Tony Brooks.
Leave No Man Behind: The Untold Story of the Rangers’ Unrelenting Search for Marcus Luttrell, the Navy SEAL Lone Survivor in Afghanistan by Dr. Tony Brooks
You should also check out Dr. Tony Brooks' website HERE.
We were going to take a longer break, but this book was too poignant not to discuss given current events.
This week Rachel would rather be reading literally anything written by Michelle Williams. Seriously, who doesn't want to read this?
Michelle Williams really doesn't need an introduction (she has a nice long wikipedia article if you're interested).
Checking In: How Getting Real about Depression Saved My Life---and Can Save Yours by Michelle Williams
If you are struggling, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
If you're looking to find a therapist, Michelle references Psychology Today (www.psychologytoday.com) in the episode. Better Help (www.betterhelp.com) or Talkspace (www.talkspace.com) are also good resources.
I'd Rather Be Reading will be back after a short break with season two!
This week Rachel would rather be reading Worthy of Wearing.
Worthy of Wearing: How Personal Style Expresses Our Feminine Genius by Nicole Caruso
You are #worthyofwearing
This week Rachel would rather be reading Style Therapy.
Style Therapy: 30 Days to Your Signature Style by Lauren Messiah
Producer's note: I need style. Rachel has great style.
This week Rachel would rather be reading Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be A-holes!
This is relatable and poignant. Make sure you listen to the whole thing because every second of this interview is good.
Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be A-holes: Unfiltered Advice on How to Raise Awesome Kids by Karen Alpert
This week Rachel would rather be reading This Beautiful Mess.
Shelly Bartholomew is a former Miss Teen USA and a fantastic writer.
This Beautiful Mess: Let Go of Perfection, Embrace Your Mess and Find Beauty In Your Story by Shelly Bartholomew
This week Rachel would rather be reading Fierce Self-Compassion.
Dr. Kristin Neff has a great website!
Fierce Self-Compassion: How Women Can Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Their Power, and Thrive by Dr. Kristin Neff
Rachel also suggests:
You Are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and the Black Experience by Tarana Burke and Dr. Brene Brown
This week Rachel would rather be reading something to help her be great, and it sounds like she found it! Rachel welcomes Ron Friedman to talk about his fantastic book.
Decoding Greatness: How the Best in the World Reverse Engineer Success by Ron Friedman
Rachel has some companion books that she think would be good reads, too:
Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire by Brad Stone
CenterStage: My Most Fascinating Interviews―from A-Rod to Jay-Z by Michael Kay
Will you accept this rose?
Rachel would rather be reading this book on the beach this week.
The Road to Roses: Heartbreak, Hope, and Finding Strength When Life Doesn't Go as Planned by Autumn Krauss and Desiree Hartsock Siegfried
In true Thursday Three fashion, though, Rachel doesn't want to leave you without a companion pick:
Thanks for Waiting: The Joy (& Weirdness) of Being a Late Bloomer by Doree Shafrir
If you're an American who survived the start of the pandemic thanks to Netflix, these guests need no introduction. This week, Rachel would rather be reading Leap of Faith by Cameron Hamilton and Lauren Speed.
Leap of Faith: Finding Love the Modern Way by Cameron Hamilton and Lauren Speed
Rachel also has some books to suggest:
Nothing Personal: My Secret Life in the Dating App Inferno by Nancy Jo Sales
Mergers and Acquisitions: Or, Everything I Know About Love I Learned on the Wedding Pages by Cate Doty
This week's Thursday Three has a special guest -- C.J. Wade.
You can find C.J. Wade's musings and a link to all of her most important writings on her site thewritewade.com. You may also enjoy her podcast Queens be Like.
C.J. Wade's Picks:
I Am Restored: How I Lost My Religion but Found My Faith by Lecrae
Rita Moreno: A Memoir by Rita Moreno
Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend
Rachel's Picks (actually three this week!):
Dream First, Details Later: How to Quit Overthinking & Make It Happen! by Ellen Marie Bennett
Growing Boldly: Dare to Build a Life You Love by Emily Ley
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
Check out the book mentioned in the show:
Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded, and Thriving by Scott O'Neil
Calling this a Thursday Three would just be lying to you. It is 38 minutes of pure book loving bliss. If you can't find a book you enjoy reading from this list of picks from these two, well, you shouldn't be listening to a podcast about books. So, for this week's "Thursday 33" we have the incomparable Sparky Reardon, a legend from the Ole Miss family and as voracious a reader as our inimitable host.
Without further ado, here are the picks listed for your convenience:
Rachel's Picks:
Seeing Serena by Gerald Marzorati
Brat: An '80s Story by Andrew McCarthy
Fearless: The New Rules for Unlocking Creativity, Courage, and Success by Rebecca Minkoff
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood: A Novel by Rebecca Wells
Sparky's Picks:
All the Light We Cannot See: A Novel by Anthony Doerr
When Evil Lived in Laurel: The "White Knights" and the Murder of Vernon Dahmer by Curtis Wilkie
The Inspector Montalbano Series by Andrea Camilleri (Producer's note: There are 28 books in the series and a BBC television series.)
Seeds Of Greatness by Denis Waitley
Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson by Mitch Albom
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Watership Down: A Novel by Richard Adams
Beach Music: A Novel by Pat Conroy
Red Dragon by Thomas Harris
The Promised Land: The Great Black Migration and How It Changed America by Nicholas Lemann
Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How it Changed America by John Barry
Dispatches from Pluto: Lost and Found in the Mississippi Delta by Richard Grant
Also, we would be remiss if we didn't share with our readers a bookstore that both host and guest recommend if you are visiting Oxford, Mississippi: Square Books
Enjoy!
This week Rachel would rather be reading Body Talk by Katie Sturino.
Body Talk: How to Embrace Your Body and Start Living Your Best Life by Katie Sturino
Rachel suggests the following four books as companions to Katie's book:
The Wreckage of My Presence: Essays by Casey Wilson
Women Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything by Geneen Roth
Comparisonitis: How to Stop Comparing Yourself To Others and Be Genuinely Happy by Melissa Ambrosini
Breaking Free from Body Shame: Dare to Reclaim What God Has Named Good by Jess Connolly
Editor's Note: If you are having issues with an eating disorder, please call the National Eating Disorder Association at 1-800-931-2237.
We love feedback -- send it to helloidratherbereading@gmail.com!
This week for our Thursday Three, Rachel is joined by fellow voracious reader and writer Carla Jean Whitley.
First, check out the three books that Carla Jean has written:
Birmingham Beer: A Heady History of Brewing in the Magic City by Carla Jean Whitley
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio: How the Swampers Changed American Music by Carla Jean Whitley
Balancing Act: Yoga Essays by Carla Jean Whitley
Carla Jean has some excellent suggestions for your reading pleasure:
Writers & Lovers: A Novel by Lily King
Sparrow Envy by J. Drew Lanham
Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss by Margaret Renkl
Letters from Max: A Poet, a Teacher, a Friendship by Sarah Ruhl
And Rachel has her usual fantastic lineup of books for Thursday:
Kennedy's Avenger: Assassination, Conspiracy, and the Forgotten Trial of Jack Ruby by Dan Abrams
The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War by Malcolm Gladwell
The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lessons from Extraordinary Lives by Katie Couric
Feel free to let us know what you're reading at helloidratherbereading@gmail.com.
See you back on Monday!
Check out the books mentioned in the show:
The Man I Knew: The Amazing Story of George H. W. Bush's Post-Presidency by Jean Becker
Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush by Jon Meacham
And here is a link to our People magazine piece -- such a delight!
Check out the books mentioned in the show:
Best Seat in the House: 18 Golden Lessons from a Father to His Son by Jack Nicklaus II
The Bench by Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex
Stronger: Courage, Hope, and Humor in My Life with John McCain by Cindy McCain
Where the Grass Is Green and the Girls Are Pretty: A Novel by Lauren Weisberger
That Summer: A Novel by Jennifer Weiner
Check out the books mentioned in the show:
The Housewives: The Real Story Behind the Real Housewives by Brian Moylan
Sign up for Brian's Housewives newsletter at vulture.com/housewives
Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo
Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
Check out the books mentioned in the show:
How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Katy Milkman
What Happened to You? by Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce Perry
Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed
Check out the books mentioned in the show:
Susan, Linda, Nina, and Cokie by Lisa Napoli
The Girls in the Balcony: Women, Men, and The New York Times by Nan Robertson