The SSR Podcast

Let’s talk about the eerie world of Ally Condie’s Matched ! In it, main character Cassia Reyes anticipates her Match Banquet, during which Officials from the Society in which she lives will dictate her future husband. The Officials are responsible for just about everything in Cassia and her community’s lives… but the events of the Match Banquet kick off a series of events that leave her wondering...

At long last, the podcast turns its attention back to Mia Thermopolis with a conversation about the second book in Meg Cabot’s beloved Princess Diaries series, Princess in the Spotlight . Alli and her guest cover core reading memories, toxic best friends, secret admirers, the world of AIM, sick days, sex talks, public platforms, and fancy weddings. India Hill Brown is the author of The Forgotten G...

Prepare to swoon, listeners, because Episode 243 is all about sweet summer romance! Alli and her guest gush about Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty , which they both read for the first time for the show. They reflect about the significance of summers in their own lives and cover everything from the male gaze and tankinis to love interests and fraught mother/daughter relationships. Grace Chlos...

Episode 242 is all about L.M. Montgomery’s Emily of New Moon . With the help of her guests, Alli digs into orphan tropes, universalism, atheism, cats as reading buddies, grief, and more. She also auditions to be their friend! Sadie Carpenter and Gavri’el HaCohen are the hosts of the Leaving Eden Podcast . Follow the show on Instagram ( @leavingedenpodcast ) and Twitter ( @LeavingEdenPod ). Hosted...

Is your child talking back? Refusing to bathe? Staying up past their bedtime? Call Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, the star of Betty MacDonald’s 1947 novel Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and a series of other books that followed. Alli’s guest on Episode 241 was a major fan of these books when they were growing up, and they’re here to jump into MacDonald’s wacky world all over again. Tune in for discussions about conformi...

Whether you’re looking for lessons in beating your competition in business, being an advocate for your own health, designing a Kid Kit, or simply being the best babysitter (AKA person) in the game, you can find your answers in The Truth About Stacy . The book covers Stacy McGill’s journey to find her voice as her parents seek more support for her diabetes and the BSC’s war against the competing Ba...

Episode 239 takes a close look at the polarizing 1979 novel by V.C. Andrews, Flowers in the Attic . Alli and her guest work through the complicated nature of the discourse around the book and talk about its triggering content, as well as the author’s quirky behavior and incredible talent. TW: attempted murder, child abuse, child death, incest, poisoning, rape, religion, starvation Carley Fortune i...

There’s never a dull moment in Sweet Valley, California… and there’s never a dull moment on SSR when Alli and her guests dive into the Sweet Valley High series! On Episode 238, book podcasts collide as hosts of Double Love Anna and Karyn join the pod to discuss Dear Sister , the seventh book in Francine Pascal’s series. Tune in to hear conversations about self-awareness (or lack thereof), weird re...

Baby-Sitters Club Super Specials take the standard BSC format and make them even more, well, super… by alternating POVs so readers get takes from all of the club members and taking the gals on bigger and better adventures so they have great stories to tell. Baby-Sitters On Board! was the first installment in this series extension — and it does not disappoint! In it, the Club sets sail on a cruise...

Published in 2013, Catching Fire was the follow-up to Suzanne Collins’s wildly popular The Hunger Games … and on Episode 236, we’re back in the proverbial arena to discuss it! Tune in to hear conversations about love triangles, celebrity culture, trauma bonding, PTSD, movement-building, and more. Alli’s guest is an expert in public policy and economic disparity with a unique take on the world and...

Ann M. Martin has written more than just the 100+ titles in the beloved Baby-Sitters Club series. She’s also authored a range of other books, including 1987’s Just a Summer Romance , a book that inspires lots of juicy conversation on Episode 235 . On this episode, Alli and her guest cover all kinds of ground, including the maturity of teen characters, meet cutes, dating red flags, celebrity love s...

In one word, Episode 234 is ICONIC. It brings together YA superstar Meg Cabot with a book written by our queen Judy Blume, Blubber . Meg shares her love for and personal connection with this complicated book, which offers a unique, real take on bullying. She and Alli talk about queen bees, banned books, fatphobia, diet culture, and more. TW: fatphobia, racism, bullying, abuse Meg Cabot is the auth...

On this episode, author Carlyn Greenwald joins Alli to discuss one of the weirdest books they’ve ever read: Libba Bray’s Going Bovine . They talk about the novel as a 2009 time capsule and consider why bizarre stories like this one are so captivating for readers. Other discussion topics include road trip narratives, existentialism, OCD representation, unlikable characters, drug use, and toxic posi...

On Episode 232, Alli and her guest attempt to analyze her bizarrely vivid memory of Jan Slepian’s The Broccoli Tapes . They discuss loneliness, death, different kinds of grief, the main character’s sexual awakening, and the book’s bizarre racial undertones. They compare and contrast the multiple covers of The Broccoli Tapes and consider the deeper questions Slepian explores about love and loss. TW...

If you thought we’d made it through all of Judy Blume’s iconic kid lit, you thought wrong! As you’ll discover in Episode 231, Alli and her guests still have plenty of gems to enjoy, including Here’s to You, Rachel Robinson , the 1993 follow-up to Just As Long As We’re Together . Like all of Judy’s work for tweens, the novel takes seriously the seemingly silly concerns of tweens and teens: acne, fr...

Join Alli and her guest Jo Piazza for a journey back to the Little House in the Big Woods and for a conversation about all things Laura Ingalls! Their discussion centers around the first book in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved series, in which very little happens… but that might just be the point. They consider that possibility, along with the depiction of parenting, corporal punishment, prayer, an...

It’s been nearly four years since our episode about The Face on the Milk Carton … but we’re finally ready to jump into the next chapter of Janie Johnson’s story! Episode 229 focuses on the second book in Caroline B. Cooney’s beloved series, Whatever Happened to Janie ? Conversation topics range from sibling rivalry and victim blaming to the evolution of our collective language around trauma and de...

On Episode 228, join us for another journey to the Land of Oz! This time, our focus is on the seventh book in L. Frank Baum’s series, The Emerald City of Oz . Alli’s guest is a self-professed Oz superfan, so they discuss her special connection to this fictional universe, as well as the unique publishing history associated with this particular book. They swap notes on their favorite scenes, talk ab...

On Episode 227, guest Iman Hariri-Kia makes a strong case for Lisi Harrison’s Clique series as social commentary and tween empowerment narrative. She and Alli focus on Book #3 — Revenge of the Wannabes — but also talk about the world of Massie Block and Octavia Country Day more broadly, touching on matters of insecurity, tenderness, and empathy. They also have frank conversations about portrayals...

It’s a new year of throwback reads with SSR! This week, Alli and her guests get things started with a cozy conversation about E.B. White’s The Trumpet of the Swan . They discuss what the book has to say about love, ableism, capitalism, difference, the animal kingdom, and more. They also share their very personal connections to the novel! Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka are the authors o...

It’s the FOURTH annual SSR Listenersode, featuring bookish and nostalgic insights from our friends Tracey, Rachel, Margaret, and Julia. What a way to wrap up another year of the show! Thanks to each and every listener for another fantastic year. Wishing you all the health and happiness in 2023 : ) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For our final book episode of 2022, we strap on our walking shoes, grab our dog treats, and take a real stroll down memory lane with everyone’s favorite literary canine: Wishbone! Alli and her guests tackle all things Wishbone on-screen and on the page and share their experiences revisiting specific classics as told by this storytelling pup. Kiley Reid is the author of Such a Fun Age , as well as...

Karen Cushman’s The Midwife’s Apprentice was published in 1995 and won the Newbery Medal in 1996… which makes it a pretty big deal! The book presents young readers with the grim reality of a lonely, nameless girl living in the Middle Ages who finds some community with a tough local midwife named Jane. It also offers lots of food for thought, even all these years after it hit shelves. On Episode 22...

New Reads November is over… and we’re back to our usual throwback reads! This week, the focus is Paula Danziger’s The Cat Ate My Gymsuit , a 1974 novel that explores themes of patriotism, feminism, self-esteem, and body confidence. Tune in to find out what makes it so timeless! Jasmine Guillory is a New York Times best-selling author. Her novels include The Wedding Date , the Reese’s Book Club sel...

It’s the final episode of New Reads November 2022… and we’re making it a grand finale! Alli and her guest discuss Rachel Lynn Solomon’s See You Yesterday , a time loop that explores trauma, reinvention, the college experience, new love, and more. On Episode 221, you’ll hear conversations about everything from time travel and body insecurity to representation and consent. Morgan Baden is a YA autho...