Pop Fiction Women

On this episode of Debut Discussions, we welcome Raz Tal Schenirer to discuss her novel, Where Love Lies, a story about the longings and lies of falling in love, the slippery slope of controlling relationships, and the strength it takes to find your own voice. Raz shares her journey as a writer and the personal inspiration behind her debut novel; her love for reading and the escapism it provides;...

We’re back with Part 2 of our Sidebar conversation on goals and we’re reflecting on the past while looking ahead to the future. What should our direction or theme be for 2025? What is calling us? We are waiting on some major inspiration here! Will Carinn finally pull Kate to the dark side of reality TV? Stay tuned! The PFW Sidebar is now in session!

We’re back with another Sidebar conversation and since we are closing out another year and looking ahead to 2025 we return to a topic that always gets us talking (debating? disagreeing?)...GOALS. Listen to hear Kate discuss her hesitant feelings about goal setting, but then how she gets led down the dark path by goals-fanatic Carinn by the end!

We’re back with another Sidebar conversation where we let you in on our lives and what we’re obsessing over in pop culture. In this episode, we chat about the world of holiday movies (helllooo Hot Frosty and the resurgence of Chad Michael Murray and Linsday Lohan!), what makes a book “good” or “bad”, how we feel about those year-end “best of” aggregate lists, and a reality TV roundup. The PFW Side...

On this episode of Debut Discussions, we welcome Katie Holt to discuss her novel, Not In My Book, an enemies-to-lovers story that’s described as The Hating Game meets Beach Read!  Katie shares her journey from avid reader to writer. She passionately defends the romance genre against common misconceptions and explores the complexities of the enemies to lovers trope, while also revealing the unique...

On today’s Complicated Conversations, we welcome Catherine Steadman, an author, screenwriter, and actress often recognized for playing Mabel Lane Fox in Downton Abbey. Catherine’s new novel, Look In The Mirror, is a psychological thriller with a propulsive plot that will have you turning pages through every heart-pounding twist and turn.  We chat with Catherine about her exploration of themes of s...

On today’s episode we’re recapping the pilot episode of High Potential, a crime dramedy on ABC starring Kaitlin Olson, about a single mother with three kids who is a cleaning lady for the Los Angeles Police Department and who also happens to be a high potential intellectual the cops realize they need to solve crime. We chat about the ways this feels elevated for network TV, the genre and tone mash...

Sidebar on good books and Goodreads, how we move on from burnout, whether there can ever be nuance in the Trad Wives conversation, and of course, there's a little bit of astrology

Bad Sisters is back! Season Two of this dark comedy hit from the genius brain of Sharon Horgan returns, and while we are so thrilled to have this incredible cast of actresses back on our screens in the beautiful Irish setting, we definitely have some questions about that devastating twist and where the season is going. Listen now to our recap of Episodes 1 & 2!

On our new episode we’re discussing the Apple TV+ limited series, Disclaimer, and specifically, the gut punch twist heard round the world. Based on a book by Renee Knight and created for TV by famed director Alfonso Cuaron, Disclaimer’s multiple perspective storytelling technique is meant to ultimately make audiences confront their own judgements about what is real and what we’ve just assumed to b...

In our latest episode we are chatting about another cultural flashback pilot episode inspired by Nobody Wants This…Gossip Girl. Adam Brody and Kristen Bell have reminded us all that they’re national treasures and their beginnings in 2000s teen dramas were worth coming back to. We’ve covered the pilot episode of The O.C., Veronica Mars, and now Gossip Girl, a show in which wealthy, privileged Upper...

On this episode of Debut Discussions, romance author Alyssa Jarrett shares her journey from a passionate reader to a published writer of a four-part series. She discusses her second installment, Love on the Rocks, an opposites-attract rom-com that proves love is the most exciting adventure of all. Blending Silicon Valley satire with romantic comedy, Love On The Rocks explores themes of anxiety, tr...

In today’s episode we’re discussing the Netflix documentary on Martha Stewart, a model turned stockbroker turned domestic goddess and CEO, the “original influencer,” the first self-made female billionaire, and an expert at reinventing her brand and doing it on her own terms. The Martha documentary explores the price of her quest for perfection, but it’s her imperfections — including her inability...

We’re back with another Sidebar conversation where we let you in on our lives and what we’re obsessing over in pop culture. In this episode, we chat about what we’re watching (and why) - Anatomy of Lies and Disclaimer; the smoldering flirtationship between Amelia Dimoldenberg, comedian and host of Chicken Shop Date, and Andrew Garfield (listen to this clip!); book recommendations; and celebrating...

We’re continuing our theme of cultural flashback TV pilots inspired by Nobody Wants This … delving into Veronica Mars, Kristen Bell’s cult classic series in which she plays a seventeen-year-old anti-establishment high school student and private detective. We were surprised by the complexities of the show, its dark themes, character motivations, and intricate storytelling. The show is a unique blen...

On this episode of Complicated Conversations we welcome New York Times bestselling author, Alison Espach, to discuss her Read With Jenna Book Club pick, The Wedding People, a propulsive and uncommonly wise novel about one unexpected wedding guest and the surprising people who help us start anew. We chat with Alison about her development of the two complex women at the heart of this novel, Phoebe a...

On today’s episode we’re discussing Woman Of The Hour, a new Netflix movie based on the true story of a serial killer who appeared on the popular 70s TV show, The Dating Game. Directed by and starring Anna Kendrick, the movie is a true crime drama that - thankfully - isn’t focused on the killer. This subtly subversive film is a story about women’s violence that has so much space for women’s emotio...

We’re back with another Sidebar conversation where we let you in on our lives and what we’re obsessing over in pop culture. In this episode, we talk about being stuck in the middle, early aughts stripped down covers, Kelsea Ballerini's patterns and some of our own. On this clip we invite you into our very own therapy session, complete with muddled guidance from the tarot about navigating the messy...

Tell Me Lies Season 2 Finale (and Eps 6&7). Another incredible season of @tellmelieshulu comes to end and we are yet again going out with Mr. Brightside by The Killers (this one an incredible cover by Cat Missal, the actress who plays Bree!). We recap episodes 6-8, marveling at how these writers can create consistently complicated, three-dimensional characters, ramp up the tension and toxicity...

The O.C.: Cultural Flashback Moments from TV, inspired by Nobody Wants This We just can’t ignore the resurgence of early 2000s heartthrobs like Joshua Jackson and Adam Brody so we’re taking it back to 2003 and doing a recap of the pilot episode of The O.C.! We chat about the nostalgia surrounding the show, its influence and impact on subsequent teen dramas, the significance of its soundtrack, and...

On this episode of Debut Discussions Asha Elias discusses her debut novel, Pink Glass Houses, a seductive social satire about the wealthy PTA moms of an elite elementary school in Miami Beach.  Asha chats with Carinn about the unexpected joys of launching a book; her journey to becoming a writer; the themes explored in her novel; character development; the writing process; and how her column for t...

In today’s episode we’re discussing Nobody Wants This on Netflix, which based on our feelings and the general reception, should actually be called EVERYBODY Wants This! This utterly bingeable romcom starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody has all the hallmarks of a great romcom…undeniable chemistry between the two leads, a stellar ensemble cast, high stakes tension, characters working through their d...

Sidebar about being "too much", today's astrology, Nobody Wants This, The Wedding People, and Sally Rooney

On this episode of Debut Discussions, Jamie Harrow shares her journey from a sports-loving child to a lawyer and finally to a debut novelist with her book 'One on One'. The conversation explores her reading and writing evolution, the development of her characters, and the themes of trust and connection in her work. Jamie discusses the impact of sports on personal relationships, her experiences wit...

In this conversation, Carinn and Kate delve into the intricacies of the show 'Tell Me Lies', exploring character dynamics, relationship complexities, and the impact of past traumas. The conversation highlights the importance of friendship, loyalty, and the consequences of accusations, while also making predictions about the future of the characters. They discuss the thrill of forming theor...