Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: A Romance Novel Podcast

[bookaside slug="a-wicked-conceit"] The latest book in Anna Lee Huber’s Lady Darby series is out, and she’s my guest this week to talk all about it. If you haven’t read this book yet, there are no spoilers, so fear not! And if you haven’t read the series, this might tempt you to try it (it’s great) because we’re going to talk about history. A Wicked Conceit has several relevant parallels to life r...

Victoria Helen Stone has a new book out! The Last One Home is a dual-timeline domestic thriller in the genre of “Earl Had to Die.” In this conversation, we discuss her moving from writing romance as Victoria Dahl to writing domestic suspense and thrillers, growing up in poverty, and the power of nostalgia. Then Victoria figures out a key reason why “Earl Had to Die” books about revenge are so very...

This week I am joined by Shani and Bridget from the Romance at a Glance podcast! We talk about their current season, where they’re focusing on dark romances, and about podcasting. Then, we talk about a book. For this episode, we all read Draekon Mate: Exiled to the Prison Planet. Check this blurb: “Crashed spaceship. Prison planet. Snarling, lethal predators. Two big, hulking, bronzed aliens who t...

As a follow up to last week’s podcast, I share the broadcast of Amanda and I making peanut butter and mayo sandwiches, inspired by folks who have shared strong opinions. Yes, we eat PB and Mayo sandwiches. Live on air. I’m sorry. But we also talk a LOT about cookies so if you’re hungry, maybe have snacks before you press play? We also cover:Good roommate code of behaviorThe culinary roles of the W...

Need a break? How about highlights from another Stereo broadcast with Amanda and me! We started by asking what keeps folks feeling happy (pizza FTW), but when we bring up mayonnaise, things go way off the rails. Way, way off the rails. We are going to cover crucial debates and fundamental food opinions such as: the egg-continuum of quiche to pie whether a food is a soup or a quesadilla is red velv...

[bookaside slug="a-court-of-silver-flames"] Sometimes I’m fortunate enough to do an interview with an author I’ve never met, but with whom there’s an instant connection. That happened for Amanda and me last year when we interviewed Sarah J. Maas in Episode 395..And now, Sarah J. Mass is back, nearly one year later to the date, to talk about her new book, A Court of Silver Flames, and about sexytim...

Caroline Perny, Publicity Manager at Tor, joins us to talk about what books are coming out in 2021. We recorded in mid-November, so we start by talking about carbs, which is a perennial subject, and about genre descriptors, which are perennial as well. But the books? OH we have a LOT to tell you about. If you like sci fi, fantasy, speculative,We talk about books from 2020 that you might have misse...

Every Tuesday night at 730ET, Amanda and I are live on Stereo (download and join us at stereo.com/smartbitches!) and this is one of our broadcasts! This is a live recommendation extravaganza: witches, baking, mysteries, older heroines, and great audiobook suggestions. Plus we daydream about what we’ll do when the world opens up, and I share my theory of the universal expression of human love....Po...

Rose Lerner has a new Audible exclusive audiobook out this week, The Wife in the Attic. It’s a f/f retelling of Jane Eyre (I just heard a whole bunch of you one-click to buy) and fear not, the ebook will be released later this year. In this episode, Rose and I chat about the differences between Gothic and historical romances, and why (and when) Gothics surge in popularity. We also talk about the s...

Amanda and I are back! We’re chatting about dubious coverage of romance around Valentine’s day - and the outstanding article that Amanda was quoted in that appeared on Forbes.com, written by Rachel Kramer Bussel. (Yes, I'll link to it, no worries!).Then we answer a reader recommendation letter from Kate, who is looking for snowed in romances! Plus food, video games, and a typical number of breakth...

Erin Galloway and I are talking about some of the books that are coming out this year from Berkley. We’ve got competency p0rn romances, bodyguards protecting brilliant women, and hilarious mysteries - plus we take a side trip into illustrated cover art and how the appearance of romance changes. We apologize in advance for the damage to your TBR!...Don't miss our new podcast after party with Amanda...

[bookaside slug="toxic-desire"] It’s a special, extended length episode: Amanda and I are joined by Melody and Erin from the incredibly delightful podcast Heaving Bosoms! I guested on their show and they joined us to return the favor. We read Toxic Desire by Robin Lovett, and we had a LOT to talk about. Spoilers abound! But with forked tongued aliens sporting aphrodisiac venom fangs and gold body...

I have been so excited to share this interview. Devon Price is the author of Laziness Does Not Exist, which outlines the three main ways in which “the Laziness Lie” deceives us into denying ourselves rest and care. As I said in my review, this is a book with something for everyone: it addresses historical roots of laziness lie in colonialism and capitalism, and looks at productivity myths, diet cu...

Shana, Claudia, and Carrie, gather to talk books, re-reading, knitting, comfort reading, switching genres, books set in California, figuring out what books are five star reads, and the different ways to be kickass. Happy New Year, and thanks for listening! Find all the books we mention in the shownotes at: https://www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com/podcast/439-later-2020-with-shana-claudia-and-carrie...

We are still gathering in groups across many time zones to say goodbye to 2020, and to look back at the books, shows, and other essentials that got us through 2020. Bad internet in South Africa got in the way of Lara joining us, but she sent a question for Amanda, Kiki, and me to answer. We talk about nonfiction that made us cry-laugh, audiobooks, TikTok, puzzles, and Cyberpunk clothing glitches....

The SBTB team is still gathering in groups across many time zones to say goodbye to 2020, and to look back at the books, shows, and other essentials that got us through 2020. In this episode, Catherine Heloise joins us from Melbourne Australia, Sneezy is in Taiwan, and Maya is in California, and we’re going to cover books, movies, and manga we loved, our favorite tropes, a little bit of discussion...

The SBTB team is gathering in groups across many time zones to look back at the books, shows, and other essentials that got us through 2020, and to look ahead to 2021. Everyone brings a question to ask, so in this episode, Ellen, Elyse, Tara, and I talk books, Quarantimes, zoom exhaustion, and coping methods - and I stumble upon a potential new, unexplored fanfic.…Looking for a new podcast to try?...

[bookaside slug="the-way-we-wed"] We are talking fashion today! My guest today is Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell, fashion historian, person behind the @WornOnThisDay Twitter account, and author of the new book The Way We Wed. In her book, she looks at the history of wedding fashion, and at the clothing history of the people surrounding marrying couple. We also talk about why some clothing and the fasc...

[bookaside slug="second-chance-on-cypress-lane"] My guest today is Reese Ryan, YouTube host and author of the new book, Second Chance on Cypress Lane. We talk about her book, the levels of food p0rn found inside, and about her career - she released four books in 2020! FOUR! Her books for Harlequin Desire have some gorgeous covers (check them out in the show notes!) and her stories have delicious t...

Amanda and I are talking with VE Schwab, author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, a book we both enjoyed tremendously. We talk about the 10-year process of writing it and the power of telling an immortality tale about a person who walks through history as a woman. We touch on queerness, achievement, erasure, representation, and also discuss death, loneliness, grief and immortality. About halfw...

Michelle Hazen is a romance author and a wildlife tortoise biologist, a semi-nomadic career (the biologist part) (and also the author part) that informs much of her writing. We talk about saving baby animals, writing about trauma, life in the desert doing biologist work, and romance tropes that work really well in the desert....Music: purple-planet.com...Looking for a podcast to try? Have you chec...

We’re back with more questions from our Patreon community! We have questions about books, romance covers, and of course, food. Strong opinions? Yes! Silliness! Also yes! Thank you again to the Patreon community for providing the very silly, very much needed questions....Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the help of the Podcast Patreon community, Amanda and I are answering silly questions to help get us all through Hellweek. If you're like me, and a little stressed/overwhelmed/chin-deep-in-existential-dread, a little silliness goes a long way. So Amanda and I are bringing you a temporary respite with an extremely silly Q&A with half the Patreon’s incredible questions - the other half will be...

My guest today is Dr. Hilary Levey Friedman, Brown University professor and author of the new book Here She Is: The Complicated Reign of the Beauty Pageant in America. I had a chance to read the book and was so eager to discuss it, in particular because of the ways in which public conceptions of beauty pageants overlap substantially with public conceptions of romance. We talk about pageants, histo...

Today Amanda and I are talking with Gretchen McCulloch, author of Because Internet and host of the podcast “Lingthusiasm.” If you like listening to a really smart person with intricate knowledge of what’s going on beneath the mundane, this is an episode for you. We start by fangirling about Courtney Milan and creative use of language in some of her favorite novels, and then we talk about internet...