Hala and I discuss The Arsonists’ City, the character she enjoyed writing the most, wanting to provide a deeper understanding of Lebanon to her readers, how and why intergenerational conflict and secrets provide great fodder for writers, wanting to incorporate the recent political events in Lebanon into her story, and more. The Arsonists’ City can be purchas ... Show More
Jul 2025
Ep 486: Setting-driven stories, accidental reading themes, and winning characters
Ellen Heath, a reader from the Atlanta area, shares Anne's passion for urban planning, but that's not all they talk about today. Ellen is looking for immersive settings, characters she can connect with, and books that might even teach her something, and Anne has ideas! Ellen and ... Show More
1 h
Dec 2023
Ep 409: Stories you can't stop thinking about
Our guest today may be familiar to many of you: Ariel Lawhon was one of Anne's early guests, back in Episode 15, and Anne recently recommended Ariel's new book The Frozen River in Episode 393. Today, Ariel is joining Anne to talk about books and publishing, from Ariel's new relea ... Show More
51m 39s
Aug 2021
Ep 296: Backlist and brunch
Readers, today’s guest knows that she’s overlooked some amazing books over the last ten years, but she needs a little help to figure out which ones to pick up now. Amber Burns loves discovering something new in the books she reads, and she's also a mood reader. She's looking for ... Show More
49m 4s
Mar 2021
Ep 276: Exquisite, evocative novels
Podcast producer and PhD student Sara Aeder always finds time for reading, thanks to audiobooks and a passion for turning the pages. She has a special fondness for books that explore the “exquisite pain of a teenage crush” and let her live vicariously through fictional drama, but ... Show More
48m 29s
Jul 2020
Ep 243: Predicting the next great American classic
Charlandra Jenkins is a Florida reader on the hunt for stories that reflect her life, love, grief, and humanity back to her. For Charlandra, new book releases and recent bestsellers by Black authors are a joy, but she’s also yearning for some history… backlist titles by women of ... Show More
50m 6s
Jan 2019
Ep 169: Books that mess you up in all the right ways
Meet Phimy Truong and Erika Thi Benjamin, best friends who share both a passion for work that creates positive change in the world AND practically identical reading taste (as you’ll hear, one of their favorites is shared). Today Anne, Phimy, and Erika chat about the book that tau ... Show More
54m 21s