Babes in Bookland: Your Favorite Women's Bookclub Podcast

What happens when the system you joined to fight injustice turns out to be part of the problem?  Anna Dorn's memoir "Bad Lawyer" takes readers on a journey through the disillusionment that awaits idealistic young lawyers who enter the profession wanting to make a difference. My friend, Cara (a retired lawyer!) and I discuss how to stay hopeful and find the positives in a "bad&q...

How can you grow toward the light? When geobiologist Hope Jahren picks up a seed, she sees what most of us miss – not just a potential plant, but a living testament to survival against impossible odds. In Lab Girl, Jahren's extraordinary memoir, these botanical insights become profound metaphors for human resilience, determination, and growth. Join my friend, Page, and I as we dig into this m...

Surprise! We're releasing the EXTENDED episode for free this week! Why don’t we all dance it out?  The Queen of storytelling, Shonda Rhimes' memoir "Year of Yes" chronicles her transformative journey of saying yes to everything that scared her for one year, resulting in profound personal growth and reclaiming her joy.  In this episode, my friend, Gina, and I discuss her insight...

How do our parents shape our identity? In her beautiful and thought-provoking memoir, Elizabeth Miki Brina, exposes her painful personal history and complicated relationship with her mother. My friend, Nadia, and I discuss the ways Elizabeth seeks to build an understanding of why their relationship was so tense in her adolescence and how she has learned to love the part of herself she was once ash...

Does luck negate success? Ina Garten's memoir "Be Ready When the Luck Happens" shatters the perfect image we've come to know from her television persona. Behind that warm smile and effortless entertaining style lies a woman who overcame crushing parental criticism, gender barriers of the 1970s, and career frustrations before finding her true calling.   My friend and Ina Super F...

How do you find your purpose? My friend, Suz, and I chat about how difficult it can be to feel like you're on the right path and how in awe of Sister Jean's ability to relax into and trust in God's plan for her. In her memoir, Sister Jean, the 105-year-old basketball-loving Sister who captured America's heart during March Madness, shares her century of wisdom in a heartwarming...

Happy New Year and Welcome to Season 2! We're returning to Jessica Pan's hilarious and thought-provoking memoir to reflect on how far we've been and look forward to where we can go! Thanks for being on this journey with me! Xx, Alex Who could you be if you didn’t label yourself?    Jessica Pan, a self-described shintrovert (that’s shy + introvert) is ready to challenge herself to li...

How can you find yourself?    Cheryl Strayed recounts her transformative 1,100-mile solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail following her mother's death and subsequent personal crisis. My friend, Lauren, and I discuss how through physical challenges and moments of profound clarity, Cheryl rediscovers her strength and finds healing in the wilderness. • Cheryl's motivation to hike the PCT...

When life falls apart, how far would you go to put yourself back together?  In this thought-provoking episode, my friend, Jaime, and I dive deep into LL Kirchner's memoir "Blissful Thinking: A Memoir of Overcoming the Wellness Revolution," exploring one woman's global quest for healing after her marriage suddenly ends. From yoga teacher training in India to ten-day silent medit...

How do you live with unanswered questions? How do we heal from wounds that were never acknowledged? In Anna Qu's powerful memoir "Made in China," my friend, Brett, and I witness the devastating impact of maternal rejection against the backdrop of immigrant struggles in America. Pulled from her loving grandparents' home in China at age seven, Anna arrives in America to discover...

Gave myself a birthday break and you guys access to the extended version of Finding Me by Viola Davis. Also, included this poem that I am turning to right now for hope, comfort, and grit: Still I Rise by Maya Angelou You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I'll rise. Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset...

When is it sexual empowerment versus sexual exploitation?  Kate Flannery's memoir "Strip Tees: A Memoir of Millennial Los Angeles" pulls back the curtain on her time at American Apparel, revealing the seductive allure and ultimate betrayal of what appeared to be an ethical fashion revolution. When fresh out of feminist-focused Bryn Mawr College, Kate found herself drawn to American...

Do you accept the love you deserve? My friend, Priscilla, and I chat about the incredibly unique and moving memoir In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado. Carmen illuminates and writes about her own experience with domestic abuse within her same-sex relationship—bringing her story and those like it out of the shadows and into the conversation. Priscilla and I reflect on the ways we resonated w...

How can we continue to learn and grow? The extraordinary journey of Tara Westover from isolated survivalist compound to prestigious academic institutions forms the heart of our discussion about her bestselling memoir "Educated." This raw, powerful book chronicles how a young woman who never attended school until age 17 eventually earned a PhD from Cambridge University, but the path deman...

What makes you laugh? Michelle Buteau's memoir "Survival of the Thickest" feels like having a heart-to-heart with your boldest, most authentic friend – the one who makes you laugh until it hurts while dropping profound truth bombs that stick with you for days. From the moment my friend, Page, and I dive into her world, Buteau's voice leaps off the page with unfiltered honesty a...

Can you break through the fear to find the hope and the light? Dr. Edith Eger's memoir "The Choice" is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit that will leave you forever changed. My friend, Colette, and I dive deep into this transformative story of a teenage Hungarian ballerina who survived Auschwitz, lost her parents to the gas chambers, and eventually became a renowned...

Where do your beliefs about yourself and your worth come from? (And how do we change them!?) Crying in the Bathroom by Erika L. Sánchez is more than just a memoir—it's a roadmap for anyone navigating the complex terrain of identity, self-worth, and finding joy amid life's challenges. As we dive into part two of our discussion, my friend, Diliana, and I explore how Erika's romantic r...

How do you thrive instead of just survive ? In her thought-provoking and vulnerable memoir, Erika L. Sánchez bares all. My friend Diliana and I gain perspective and reflect on our own lives, including Diliana’s experience as a teenage immigrant, the pressure of being extraordinary, and reflect on Erika’s inspiring journey to the incredible woman she is today.  "A wounded deer leaps highest.&q...

Where will your ambition lead you? Meet Rana el Kaliouby, the scientist who taught computers to feel in a world that taught her to hide her emotions. Her remarkable journey from Egypt to becoming a pioneering tech CEO reveals the profound connection between emotional intelligence and our increasingly digital lives. Growing up as an Egyptian Muslim woman, Rana navigated cultural expectations while...

How do your ancestors guide you? In her memoir, Crazy Brave, United States Poet Laureate, Joy Harjo, takes us on her journey of discovery with beautiful prose. My friend, Priscilla, and I discuss the interesting way she weaves poetry, her familial history, her spiritual intuition, and art into her unique and inspirational story. We reflect on the way our own relationships have shaped us, the expec...

How do we choose grace and compassion?   Viola Davis begins her memoir with a startling opening—"c***sucker, motherf*****r"—immediately signaling to my friend, Ngoc Anh and me that this won't be a sanitized Hollywood autobiography!!! What follows is a soul-baring journey that traces her path from extreme poverty to becoming one of the most celebrated actresses of our time. The raw h...

How high can you leap?   Misty Copeland’s memoir, Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina , is as full of as much grace as she has on the stage.  My friend, Brett, and I discuss her surprising journey to becoming a principal dancer for the prestigious American Ballet Theatre. Her story is packed with  adversity, compassion, but most important of all, hope. She’s an inspiration for dancers (and non-d...

What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?   In Undaunted : Surviving Jonestown, Summoning Courage, and Fighting Back, this is the creed Jackie Speier lives her life by. After narrowly surviving a massacre while visiting the Jonestown commune in Guyana, Jackie is more determined than ever to be a change for good in the world. In this episode, my friend, Lizzie, and I will dive in...

What happens when a woman decides her value isn't up for debate?  Lindy West's "Shrill: Notes From a Loud Woman" opens doorways to conversations we desperately need but often avoid. In this episode, we dive deep into West's unflinching memoir that challenges society's treatment of women's bodies and voices. Lindy's journey from self-doubt to powerful self-ac...

Who could you be if you didn’t label yourself? Self-described shintrovert (that’s shy + introvert), Jessica Pan 's, memoir "Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come" follows her journey as a shy introvert who challenges herself to live like an extrovert for a year by saying yes to experiences that scare her. In this candid conversation with my first friend Misty, we discuss t...