Welcome to this special fiction episode of I’d Rather Be Reading—specifically part two in my latest fiction subgenre obsession: royal family fiction. We’ve already had Katharine McGee on the show of the four-part American Royals series, and we will later have the writing duo behind The Royal We and The Heir Affair; today we have the writing duo behind The Royal Game, my latest royal family fiction favorite. (I’d also throw Red, White, and Royal Blue onto this list, as well.) It is a subgenre that is growing and growing in popularity, and not surprisingly, considering how ubiquitous the royal family has become in culture, especially lately. Today you get the chance to meet Linda Keir, a writing duo who has now written four books together and has been writing together since 2016. Linda Keir is a portmanteau of Linda Joffe Hull and Keir Graff, both of whom have successful writing careers on their own and as a team. The Royal Game—which came out on January 30 of this year—is their first foray into royal family fiction, but hopefully not their last. I won’t give too much away, but the loose plot of The Royal Game involves the love story between American pop singer Jennie Jenson and Prince Hugh of England, the heir to the throne. Someone is determined to keep Jennie from becoming a princess, and to have the happy ending to her fairytale, Jennie will have to play “the royal game.” Not everyone is excited about the prospect of an American princess, apparently. Jennie finds parallels between what’s happening to her and Hugh’s mother, Princess Penelope, who died in a mysterious plane crash. (Don’t worry, I ask Linda and Keir if my theories that Jennie and Hugh and Penelope are based on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry and Princess Diana are true.) Jennie wants to know if Penelope is murdered—and worries she might be next. It’s a thrilling mystery, a romantic love story, and really, really good. Today on the show we talk about their process of being a writing team, what they think about the royal family and if they follow it outside of their work on this latest book, why they chose to get into the royal family fiction subgenre, and what, exactly, “the royal game” is, anyway.
The Royal Game by Linda Keir
We also mention On Duty with the Queen by Dickie Arbiter on the show!
When it comes to fashion journalists, the crème de la crème is my guest today, Teri Agins. Today’s episode is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Teri’s book Hijacking the Runway: How Celebrities Are Stealing the Spotlight from Fashion Designers, which speaks to how celebrity interfaces with fashion and how fashion interfaces with celebrity. There used to be a delineation between fashion designers and fashion and supermodels on the one hand, and then celebrities, like actors and actresses and musicians, on the other. On the show today, Teri talks about when those lines started to blur, and when celebrities could no longer be one note—in addition to being, say, an actor, or a musician, or what have you, seemingly every celebrity now has a perfume, or a beauty line, or a fashion collection, or some kind of alcoholic beverage, or some (if not many) entrepreneurial ventures. It’s almost like being an actor is just the launchpad to becoming a multihyphenate and a mogul. It wasn’t always this way, believe it or not. In today’s episode we talk about how so-called “traditional” fashion designers feel about celebrities like Jessica Simpson, Victoria Beckham, and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (of the brand The Row) infiltrating the fashion industry; when celebrities decided to not just endorse products but own them; the magic formula as to why some celebrity fashion brands take off and some flop; how the emergence of reality stars changed the game even further; and how the pendulum swings both ways, as some designers are coming to prominence or deepening their fame on reality television as well (think, in particular, Project Runway). Let me tell you about the powerhouse that is Teri: she worked as a writer for Fairchild Publications in the 1970s, and after she and her former husband moved to Brazil for five years, she worked as a freelance writer for The New York Times and Time. In 1984, she became a reporter at The Wall Street Journal, where she wrote a business column; in 1989, Teri was assigned to develop the fashion beat for The Wall Street Journal, covering fashion from a business perspective. She was named senior special writer in 1995 and retired from The Wall Street Journal in 2009 but continues to freelance for them, including writing the popular fashion column “Ask Teri.” She has also written for Vogue, Town & Country, Essence, Harper’s Bazaar, and more. In addition to Hijacking the Runway, Teri also wrote the book The End of Fashion: How Marketing Changed the Clothing Game Forever. Quick aside—in the middle of our conversation, New York City experienced a 4.8 magnitude earthquake—remember that last Friday?—and, true to the force of nature Teri is, she didn’t even bat an eye. I can’t wait for you to meet this dynamic woman and learn from her expertise.
Hijacking the Runway: How Celebrities Are Stealing the Spotlight from Fashion Designers by Teri Agins
Welcome to season 11 of I’d Rather Be Reading! This season we will, of course, continue to cover the latest and greatest nonfiction books, but we’re also going to focus on many events that gripped the nation past and present—like the O.J. Simpson murders (which happened 30 years ago this June), the Oklahoma City bombing, Columbine (which happened 25 years ago this month), and JFK Jr.’s plane crash, which is marking its twenty-fifth anniversary this year. Today on the show we’re digging into a true crime case that’s much more recent: the quadruple homicide of four University of Idaho students on November 13, 2022. Today on the show we are speaking with J. Reuben Appelman about his book While Idaho Slept: The Hunt for Answers in the Murder of Four College Students, released last October. He is from Idaho and has lived there for 25 years; you’ll hear him talk about how his daughter attended U of I and how unlikely even one murder, let alone four, is in the idyllic town of Moscow. He is a private investigator and his true crime memoir, The Kill Jar, inspired the popular Hulu docuseries Children of the Snow. Stick around after the show for a book pick about the Murdaugh murders, one connected to Nirvana (Kurt Cobain committed suicide 30 years ago on April 8), and two nonfiction picks based off of television shows premiering on Hulu and Apple TV+ in the coming week.
While Idaho Slept: The Hunt for Answers in the Murder of Four College Students by J. Reuben Appleman
Plus two entertainment picks!
Read: Under the Bridge by Rebecca Godfrey | Watch: Under the Bridge on Hulu, out on April 17
Read: A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America by Stacy Schiff | Watch: Franklin on Apple TV+, out on April 12
Welcome to the season 10 finale, friends! What a great season it has been, with so much more in store in the forthcoming season 11. Today on the show we’re talking about a topic close to my heart as I look to undertake this project this year: getting signed to a literary agent and getting signed to a book deal. I realize this is a podcast for readers, but I also realize that many of you are writers, and maybe you’ve been feeling the nudge too to write that book, whether fiction or nonfiction, that you just can’t get out of your head. The process of getting a book deal is totally overwhelming, but thankfully now we have Lucinda Halpern’s Get Signed: Find an Agent, Land a Book Deal, and Become a Published Author, which walks you step-by-step through the cumbersome process in a way that is easy to understand, digestible, and, most importantly, doable! If you have that idea tugging and gnawing at you, listeners, and it just won’t go away, it’s time to write that book, whatever that book is, and here’s your sign. Lucinda’s book walks us all the way through how to do it; this mystifying process isn’t shrouded in complexity anymore, and through her six-step method you’ll close the book able to write a query letter that gets an agent’s attention, build an effective marketing platform, and go on to write the book you’re meant to write. In today’s conversation we talk about whether the process of finding a literary agent is different for fiction and nonfiction writers, red flags to look out for when choosing an agent, whether an agent is absolutely necessary to land a book deal and impart a boost of confidence for all of you, like me, who think maybe you aren’t good enough or ready to do this. Guess what? You are!
Get Signed: Find an Agent, Land a Book Deal, and Become a Published Author by Lucinda Halpern
Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment without Burnout by Cal Newport
There is no better person to close out March and Women’s History Month on I’d Rather Be Reading than Sarah Ditum, author of the new book Toxic: Women, Fame, and the Tabloid 2000s, which came out on January 23. Through the lens of nine of the biggest female celebrities of the 2000s—Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Aaliyah, Janet Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Kim Kardashian, Chyna (the professional wrestler), and Jennifer Aniston, Sarah’s book and this conversation takes a look back at how, well, toxic it was to be a female celebrity in the aughts. As we talk about on the show, with different celebrity magazines picking apart women’s bodies and using women as punching bags, that gave permission for regular people like all of us permission to do the same, and—as Sarah acutely points out—do that not the least of which to ourselves. If you were young and female and coming into your own during this time period as I was, it was not easy, and I’m sure it was the same if you were young and male, too. Celebrity culture in the early aughts was an amalgamation of celebrity sex tapes, tabloids fed by paparazzi willing to do anything to get the shot, Perez Hilton and the internet on its worst behavior, rampant fat-shaming and slut-shaming, and revenge porn. This was the time before all of this was completely unacceptable—sure, it was frowned upon (sometimes), but not unacceptable like it is today, or at least like it is inching towards today. And perhaps no one was treated worse in all of the aforementioned regards than the female celebrity, in a decade where a female celebrity in crisis was the absolute center of attention. Three of the nine women profiled in Sarah’s book—Aaliyah, Amy Winehouse, and Chyna—didn’t survive until present day. This era really was toxic and proof that we can and should always do better in the way we treat women. I’m thankful to Sarah for writing this book and for being here today.
Toxic: Women, Fame, and the Tabloid 2000s by Sarah Ditum
+ check this book out about the power of women working together:
Huddle: How Women Unlock Their Collective Power by Brooke Baldwin
Well, we started our Women in Power series for Women’s History Month with a legendary editor-in-chief and we’re going to end the series with one, too. Today on the show I have Kate Betts, former editor-in-chief at Harper’s Bazaar, a longtime colleague of Anna Wintour’s at Vogue, and the author of one of my all-time favorite memoirs, My Paris Dream: An Education in Style, Slang, and Seduction in the Great City on the Seine. In addition to My Paris Dream, Kate also wrote the book Everyday Icon: Michelle Obama and the Power of Style and reveals in our chat today that she’s working on a third book, which I will devour when it comes out. I first interacted with Kate when I interviewed her for an oral history piece I did in Vanity Fair on Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s wedding dress back in 2021—I love that piece, and I’ll link it below. Of course, I’d known of Kate and her work for 25 years prior to us speaking three years ago. After graduating from Princeton, one of Kate’s first big roles was at Fairchild Publications’ European office in Paris, a period of her career that she calls essential to her development as a fashion journalist. Kate was a features writer for the Paris bureau of Fairchild, overseeing fashion coverage for Women’s Wear Daily, W, and M magazines. In this role, she also helped launch W Europe. After two years, she became the bureau chief, and in 1991, she left Paris and Fairchild for New York City and Conde Nast, where she took over as fashion news director at Vogue. She created Vogue’s Index section, and in 1999 took over as editor-in-chief at Harper’s Bazaar. In a testament to Kate’s ferocity, three days after starting at Bazaar, she gave birth to her first child. Kate was a new mom, and the youngest editor ever at America’s oldest fashion magazine. She hired two writers I adore, Bret Easton Ellis and Lynn Hirschberg, and after leaving Bazaar in 2001, Kate freelanced for The New York Times, specifically its Styles section. In 2004, she became the editor of Time’s Style and Design section, and she remains a contributing editor there still today. In addition to freelancing and writing books (as if that’s not enough!), she reports on fashion for CNN, and today we talk about her formative career experiences, her books, what she’d tell her younger self, and she leaves us with incredible book recommendations to add to our “To Be Read” pile.
By Kate Betts:
My Paris Dream: An Education in Style, Slang, and Seduction in the Great City on the Seine
Everyday Icon: Michelle Obama and the Power of Style
“25 Years Later, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s Wedding Dress Still Stuns,” written by me for Vanity Fair and featuring Kate as a source
+ Kate’s picks
Devotion by Dani Shapiro
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Fierce Attachments by Vivian Gornick
Ideas of Heaven: A Ring of Stories by Joan Silber
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
+ more picks from me!
Women, Food, and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything by Geneen Roth
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
I have with me the remarkable Kaitlin Menza, another contemporary of mine who has just done so much, it’s baffling. Kaitlin is another journalist whose byline has literally been everywhere you can think of: The Cut. InStyle. Conde Nast Traveler. Elle. Town & Country. Vogue. Marie Claire. Esquire. Business of Home. Rolling Stone. The Hollywood Reporter. Architectural Digest. Cosmopolitan. The New York Times. The Guardian. Time. Vanity Fair. Popular Mechanics. Have to say, I wasn’t expecting that last one, but it’s true! Kaitlin prides herself on sharing the stories of women, whether it’s celebrities you’ve heard of like Paris Hilton, or women sharing personal stories about life events they’ve been through, like the plaintiff in the largest-ever revenge porn case or a mom who was addicted to opiates. She’s spoken to politicians, like the youngest Black woman to serve in Congress, Lauren Underwood. Her stories are famously heavy hitting, like how the number of women in prison is up 1,260 percent in a generation. Now a freelance writer, Kaitlin has also edited for T: The New York Times Style Magazine, House Beautiful, Refinery29, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Business of Home, and Publisher’s Weekly, and she has been on staff at Teen Vogue, Glamour, and Seventeen, and while at the latter, wrote the first American cover stories featuring Zendaya, Kylie Jenner, and Harry Styles. Again—just an absolute dynamo. She has multiple columns now that she writes—“How I Travel” and “How We Pulled It Off” for Conde Nast Traveler, a column at Business of Home, as well as writing extensively about weddings for New York Magazine’s The Cut, which you know I am wildly obsessed with. Speaking of obsessed, Kaitlin was one of the first royal family podcasters—of which I am now one—and was one of the two original hosts of the hit show Royally Obsessed, which led to television appearances on Good Morning America, 20/20, and MSNBC, as well as in Argentina, the Philippines, Canada, and the U.K. After 13 years in New York City, Kaitlin relocated to Taipei, Taiwan in 2022, and we talk about that experience on the show, including how she manages doing business in New York City from all the way across the globe, while also being a new mom. This is actually a level of Superwoman that I didn’t know existed. How Kaitlin is able to get it all done, and done so well, is really, truly incredible. I can’t wait for you to get to know her.
“How I Travel” for Conde Nast Traveler
“How We Pulled It Off” for Conde Nast Traveler
“Shop Talk” for Business of Home
“The Wedding Files” for New York Magazine’s The Cut
+ it’s leave you with four today!
Nedra Glover Tawwab collection
Barbie: The World Tour by Margot Robbie and Andrew Mukamal
How often is it that you write an essay so oft-quoted and ubiquitous that you define an entire generation by a single color? Today’s guest, Veronique Hyland, did just that, but what could perhaps be called her signature piece isn’t all that she has to offer—and not even close. She is fashion features director at Elle and is also the author of the fantastic 2022 book Dress Code: Unlocking Fashion from the New Look to Millennial Pink. Dress Code is an essay collection centered around the fashion industry, from its history to its importance, why we wear what we wear, and why it matters. The book covers whether gender differentiated fashion will go out of style forever, the appeal of the “French girl” aesthetic, how social media has warped our sense of self-presentation, and so many more thoughtful and interesting takes and perspectives. In addition to her work with Elle and her book, Veronique has also written for The New York Times, The New Yorker, Conde Nast Traveler, W, New York Magazine, and Harper’s Bazaar, and she was an absolute delight to speak to.
By Véronique Hyland:
“Why Is Millennial Pink Suddenly So Popular?”
Dress Code: Unlocking Fashion from the New Look to Millennial Pink
“Jennifer Lopez Is Standing in Her Power”
“Mariah Carey Is Here to Un-Cancel Christmas”
“Dolly Parton May Look Artificial, But She’s Totally Real”
Véronique also recommends the work of Kennedy Frazer, Holly Brubach, Anne Hollander, Annie Dillard, and Jenny Odell
+ three more incredible books for you to add to your shelf via my recommendation!
The Discomfort Zone: How to Get What You Want By Living Fearlessly by Elle U.K. editor-in-chief Farrah Storr
The Body Book: Feed, Move, Understand, and Love Your Amazing Body by Cameron Diaz
Get the F— Out of the Sun: Routines, Products, Tips and Insider Secrets from 100+ of the World’s Best Skincare Gurus by Lauryn Bosstick
My two main niches in both my life and my work are books (but you already knew that) and the royal family. You may not know this about me—or maybe you do—but my main specialty coverage area in my work is the royals, and boy, has it been one hell of a ride in the British royal family this year, especially with one Kate Middleton as of late. One of the best royal correspondents in the game is our guest today, Vanity Fair’s Erin Vanderhoof, who is deeply talented and someone I consider to be the gold standard in royal reporting. In addition to covering the royal family, she also covers culture, books, and music for Vanity Fair, and she and fellow royal expert Katie Nicholl co-host the podcast “Dynasty” about the royal family, which I love. Yet another podcast I need more episodes from! Erin’s reporting on the royals has been featured on Today, NBC News, BBC’s Newsnight, CBS Sunday Mornings, and CNN, where, randomly, Erin and I appeared together on a 5 a.m. segment the day after the Queen died talking about her passing. I enjoyed hearing about Erin’s entry point into covering the royals, hearing about her favorite royal family books, and, interestingly, about her past jobs as a teacher and a butcher. Royal reporting is a very interesting beat, and Erin is the leader of the pack.
+ I love leaving you with three!
The Royals by Kitty Kelley
The entire Kate Andersen Brower collection
The News Sorority: Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric, Christiane Amanpour—and the Triumph of Women in TV News by Sheila Weller
I know we are still in the thick of March and Women’s History Month and that our Women in Power series has introduced (or reintroduced) you to some phenomenal female writers, but I wanted to take a moment and pay homage to some of my favorite male writers too, because I have many. You can’t go wrong with any of these picks, and I’ll link them all below. Women are worthy of being celebrated, but so are men—and good books are always worthy of being celebrated. I hope you are enjoying the Women in Power series!
The Call to Serve: The Life of An American President, George Herbert Walker Bush by Jon Meacham
Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush by Jon Meacham
Truman by David McCullough
Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Clear
10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self Help that Actually Works by Dan Harris
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action and Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t by Simon Sinek
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and Death by Meeting by Patrick Lencioni
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us and The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward by Daniel Pink
Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Principles by Ray Dalio
Tribes by Seth Godin
Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier by Arthur Brooks (and Oprah Winfrey)
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard, and Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work by Chip and Dan Heath
The Road to Character, The Second Mountain, and How to Know a Person by David Brooks
Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World by Dr. Vivek Murthy
When InStyle’s cover for “The Confidence Issue” came out, I tore through Mattie Kahn’s cover profile on Sharon Stone. Listeners, this is a fantastic article, but when it comes to Mattie Kahn’s writing, that’s just what one comes to expect when it comes to her. Mattie is one of the most published writers today, and after working full-time at outlets like Elle and Glamour, she’s now a full-time freelance writer and has written for literally every publication you can dream of: Vogue, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Conde Nast Traveler, Time, The Atlantic, Town & Country, New York Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Seventeen, I could go on and on. Today Mattie and I talk about the secrets to a good celebrity interview, what she wishes she knew before going freelance, how telling stories of powerful women and girls is a running theme throughout her work, and about her first book, Young and Restless: The Girls Who Sparked America’s Revolutions, which came out in June 2023. The book is about teenage girls involved in activist work and, as the book description reads, is “the untold story of the people who have helped spark America’s most transformative social movements throughout history: teenage girls.” Mattie is a Harvard graduate and, in addition to all of the publications she writes for and her book, she also has a Substack called “Things I Ask My Mother.” Mattie Kahn is very deservedly one of my Women in Power.
By Mattie Kahn:
Young and Restless: The Girls Who Sparked America’s Revolutions
“Sharon Stone Has Found Her Limit” for InStyle
“Things I Ask My Mother” Substack
+ another day of extra picks by female authors!
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People’s Lives Better, Too) by Gretchen Rubin
Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U.S. History by Maureen Orth
Our Women in Power series for Women’s History Month rolls on—today’s guest is Lesley Jane Seymour, who has been editor-in-chief of four different magazines, something that is just not done. That is legends only stuff right there. I feel extra connected to her because she was editor-in-chief of Marie Claire, the magazine where I now work, from 2001 to 2006. She was also editor-in-chief of Redbook, YM, and More, and before taking on her role as an editor-in-chief worked at Women’s Wear Daily, Vogue, and Glamour, so she has certainly cut a wide swath in this industry. Lesley was another icon of magazines who was very much present for what I call the golden age of magazines, and as we’ll talk about in the show, I think a cornerstone of her story is resilience. In 2016, Meredith Corporation, which owned More, her last editor-in-chief role, announced it was closing the magazine. Lesley went back to school, receiving a master’s degree in sustainability from Columbia. In 2018, she founded Covey Club, an online community for professional women, specifically over 40, that resembled More’s demographic. Lesley calls Covey Club “a meeting place for lifelong learners,” and it continues to thrive today. Lesley maintains it’s never too late to be all that you want to be, and, in addition to all of her work with Covey Club, she hosts the podcast “Reinvent Yourself”; she has really taken what others might wallow in and has turned this into purpose-driven work. She is also the author of two books, On the Edge: 100 Years of Vogue and I Wish My Parents Understood, and she has appeared on every major television news show you can think of from Today to Good Morning America to Hardball to MSNBC and CNN. I can’t wait for you to get to know her.
By Lesley Jane Seymour:
“The Joys of Losing Your Job in the Digital Age”
On the Edge: 100 Years of Vogue
+ Read: Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors by Piers Paul Read | Watch: Society of the Snow on Netflix, out now
+ more great books:
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg
Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant
The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lessons from Extraordinary Lives by Katie Couric
Going There by Katie Couric
I’ve Been Thinking…: Reflections, Prayers, and Meditations for a Meaningful Life by Maria Shriver
Ten Things I Wish I’d Known Before I Went Out into the Real World by Maria Shriver
“The Sunday Paper” by Maria Shriver
We are going to close this week with such a fun conversation with one of my favorite writers and editors, the spectacular Andrea Lavinthal! Andrea is People magazine’s style and beauty director, which is just as wide of a swath as you think it would be. Andrea has 20 years’ experience as a writer, editor, and content creator, and she has been with People specifically since 2012. In her role, she regularly appears on shows like Today, Good Morning America, and Access, as well as podcasts and radio programs; for one beautiful slice of time, she co-hosted one of my personal favorite podcasts, “People in the ‘90s,” which I beg on today’s episode for her to bring back. Prior to her time at People, Andrea worked for Cosmopolitan, Us Weekly, and SiriusXM, and she has also written three books. Consider this your permission to sit back, take a breather, and enjoy this incredibly entertaining conversation with Andrea.
By Andrea Lavinthal:
The Hookup Handbook: A Single Girl’s Guide to Living It Up
Friend or Frenemy?: A Guide to the Friends You Need and the Ones You Don’t
+ our “Leave You with Three” picks for today!
Daring Greatly by Dr. Brene Brown
Three Women by Lisa Taddeo
Continuing our Women in Power series for Women’s History Month, today I’m bringing you the absolutely fabulous Danielle Pergament, whose work as a contributing editor at Allure, as well as with The New York Times, Goop, Conde Nast Traveler, Women’s Wear Daily, and my new obsession, Air Mail, have been some of the best celebrity profiles and travel writing you’ll read. Here is but a sampling of the A-list women Danielle has interviewed and profiled: every Jennifer possible, first of all—Jennifer Lopez! Jennifer Garner! Jennifer Aniston!—Victoria Beckham, Charlize Theron, Kim Kardashian, Alicia Keys, Sharon Stone, Hillary Duff. I could go on and on. Halsey said, when being interviewed by Danielle, “This wasn’t an interview. This was a therapy session.” There is something very disarming and comfortable about Danielle, particularly her unbelievable ability to self-deprecate, which is a quality I absolutely love in people. As someone who has interviewed celebrities myself, though nowhere near as many or as well as Danielle has done it, I have to tell you that it is a art form, especially when you get to the A-listers among A-listers like Jennifer Aniston or Kim Kardashian, people who have been interviewed a bazillion times. It is difficult to get nuggets out of them that haven’t been told before—but Danielle can do it. Wait until she tells you how she was able to help Jennifer Aniston feel comfortable enough to open up about not having children, or with Charlize Theron, where she talked about aging in Hollywood. Danielle is a master at the celebrity profile; she is also a gifted travel writer and beauty writer. In the past, Danielle has served as Allure’s executive editor and editor at large, as well as editor-in-chief at Goop, and she has also been published at Marie Claire, which you know I have to shout out every time a guest has worked for my wonderful employer. I knew I appreciated Danielle as a writer; after this time with her, I couldn’t get enough of her as a person.
“Jennifer Aniston Has Nothing to Hide”
“Victoria Beckham Is in Control”
“The Griselda Creator’s Miami”
“The History of the Bob Haircut and Why It’s Trending Now”
“Charlize Theron Didn’t Get a Facelift, Thanks for Asking”
“Jennifer Garner: I’m Not Good at Being Fake”
My absolute obsession Air Mail, where Danielle writes frequently
Admittedly, I don’t read a ton of fiction, but one fictional character I deeply enjoy is that of Jordan Manning, born from the mind of Tamron Hall, one of my favorite journalists. Tamron dipped her toe into writing novels with the publication of her debut work of fiction, As the Wicked Watch, back in October 2021. Now, today, March 12, book two in the Jordan Manning series is out, and it’s a great sophomore effort: Watch Where They Hide, another delicious hit of crime fiction. By the way, Tamron addresses in our conversation whether there will be a third Jordan Manning book and…I’m just going to let her tell you. As our Women in Power series continues, Tamron is certainly among the most powerful women in journalism. Since September 2019, she has hosted her eponymous talk show, The Tamron Hall Show, to much success including two Daytime Emmy Awards. Prior to hosting her own talk show, Tamron was a national news correspondent for NBC News, a daytime anchor for MSNBC, host of the show MSNBC Live with Tamron Hall, and a co-host of the third hour of the Today Show. Tamron’s new book, Watch Where They Hide, touches on domestic violence—a subject that, through her sister, Tamron knows all too well, unfortunately. In 2004, Tamron’s sister Renate was murdered after experiencing domestic violence. Though police officers originally informed Tamron’s family of their belief that they knew who murdered Renate, that person was never charged, and the case remains unsolved today. Tamron has made domestic violence awareness and ending domestic violence a cornerstone of her life since, and domestic violence is a part of the story of Marla Hancock in Watch Where They Hide. In the book Marla, a stay-at-home mother, disappears not long after leaving her abusive husband and moving to Indiana with her sister, Shelly, who knows Marla would never leave without bringing her kids with her. Shelly fears that Marla’s disappearance won’t get the attention it deserves, or worse, will go unsolved—see the parallels here?—so, a few weeks after filing a missing person’s report, she enlists the help of TV journalist Jordan Manning, and the twist and turns from there will keep you on the edge of your seat. Plus, stick around after our conversation for two more upcoming television shows based on books to look out for, as well as 11 fiction writers I can’t get enough of.
By Tamron Hall:
The entire collections of
+ television picks!
Read: Chasing Hillary by Amy Chozick | Watch: The Girls on the Bus on Max, out March 14
Read: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles | Watch: A Gentleman in Moscow on Paramount+, out March 29
In addition to Friday being International Women’s Day, March is Women’s History Month, and that seemed the perfect time to have this series I’ve been concocting in my brain for a while called Women in Power. I am so proud and happy to share my conversations with you! Also, at the end of each episode in this series, I’ll be sharing three books by three female writers whose collections I love, so stick around after the interview for that. Our first guest in the Women in Power series is a legend in the magazine space: Alexandra Shulman, who was editor-in-chief of British Vogue for 25 years. A full quarter century! She is the longest-serving editor in the position and took the helm in 1992; she has become one of the U.K.’s most respected voices in fashion since. Her 25 years at the top of the masthead included many iconic issues of the magazine, like the December 1999 “Millennium Issue,” which became the highest-selling issue of Vogue. You’ll hear me speak about this with her, but I always respected Alexandra’s stance that the magazine never publish pieces on diets or cosmetic surgery, as she didn’t want to tell women a specific way they should look. While still editor in-chief, she published a novel, Can We Still Be Friends?, in 2012, and in 2016, highlighting British Vogue’s centenary year, she published the book Inside Vogue: My Diary of Vogue’s 100th Year. In January 2017, nearing the quarter-century mark in her role, it was announced that she would leave her role that June, and she was succeeded as editor-in-chief by Edward Enninful. Since then, she has published a memoir I loved called Clothes And Other Things That Matter, which came out in 2021. Today we talk about what she’s up to these days (and it’s a lot!), what she’s reading, and, of course, about her time at Vogue.
By Alexandra Shulman:
Inside Vogue: My Diary of Vogue’s 100th Year
Clothes…And Other Things That Matter
Alexandra’s recommendations:
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
Slow Horses by Mick Herron
My “Leave You with Three” picks today:
Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
Untamed by Glennon Doyle + Together Rising
Have you ever met someone, and you just instantly knew they were someone you wanted to get to know? That’s how I felt when I met today’s guest, Lisa Mayer, the cofounder and CEO of Boss Beauties and the author of Boss Beauty: Inspiration to Be Everything You Want, which is out this upcoming Tuesday, March 12. Boss Beauties is a media and entertainment brand that inspires and elevates the next generation of women and girls, and the book, Boss Beauty, is, first of all, incredibly enjoyable to look at—colorful, and truly a work of art—but also filled with meaningful content, like inspirational quotes, love notes from your future self, advice from your big sis when you feel like giving up, how to reframe our Mondays, and how to make confidence our all-purpose wardrobe. Today, March 8, is International Women’s Day, and inside the pages of this book live the words “Every day is International Women’s Day to me,” so what better day for me to let you get to know Lisa and this book than today? Page after page of the book features wisdom and advice from entertainers, chefs, Olympic athletes, CEOs, an astrophysicist, a Disney legend, a champion NASCAR driver—all of whom teach us how to harness our inner grit, make an impact in the world, learn when to say yes, when to not give up, how to be everything you want, and, of course, be your own Boss Beauty. Lisa was inspired to write this book to bring to the world the business wisdom and mentorship she didn’t have. Ladies, you can be everything you want, and this book will make you believe that and go out and live that truth, once and for all. Core Boss Beauties characteristics include self-love, courage, clarity, grace, and passion, and this book will give you the inspiration and that extra push you may need to take charge and become the CEO of your own life. If you’re looking to be a force in the world and be everything you want to be, this book and this conversation are for you. Plus, stay tuned at the end for by top television (and movie!) picks based off of books for spring 2024.
Boss Beauty: Inspiration to Be Everything You Want by Lisa Mayer
Learn more about Boss Beauties here!
+ my television and movie picks based on books for spring 2024!
Read: Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany by Donald L. Miller | Watch: Masters of the Air on Apple TV+, in progress now
Read: The Expatriates by Janice Y.K. Lee | Watch: Expats on Amazon Prime, out now
Read: One Day by David Nicholls | Watch: One Day on Netflix, out now
Read: Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty | Watch: Apples Never Fall on Peacock, out March 14
Read: Mr. and Mrs. American Pie by Juliet McDaniel | Watch: Palm Royale on Apple TV+, out March 20
Read: The Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn | Watch: Seasons 1 and 2 and Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, out now; season 3 premieres May 16
Read: The Idea of You by Robinne Lee | Watch: The Idea of You on Amazon Prime, out May 2
I’m so pleased to share with you a special bonus episode discussing the Oscars, which are quickly approaching this Sunday, March 10. The Academy Awards are the culmination of awards season, and there’s so much to discuss when it comes to this year’s ceremony. Will Oppenheimer sweep the awards, as is predicted? Why wasn’t Barbie’s star Margot Robbie nominated for Best Actress, or its director, Greta Gerwig, nominated for Best Director? Will Lily Gladstone of Killers of the Flower Moon make history by winning Best Actress, or will the coveted prize go to Emma Stone, star of Poor Things? There’s so much to look forward to, and, in honor of Hollywood’s biggest night, I have with me a gentleman who could easily be called an Oscars guru: Dave Karger, author of the new book 50 Oscar Nights: Iconic Stars and Filmmakers on Their Career Defining Wins, which came out on January 23. The anecdotes in this book are absolutely second to none, and Dave talks to everyone for the book, from Meryl Streep and Steven Spielberg to Julia Roberts and Martin Scorsese to Jane Fonda and Clint Eastwood; the book features never-before-told stories of the crème de la crème of awards shows and is told through a collection of interviews with actors, filmmakers, craftspeople, and those that helped bring the film to life and then won an Oscar for it. All told the winners included in the book span 60 years of Oscar winners and include quite a few that have achieved the elusive EGOT status, signifying that they’ve won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and a Tony. Heretofore, only 19 people have done this, by the way, including Elton John, Whoopi Goldberg, and John Legend, all of whom are profiled in Dave’s book. Dave is a film expert, an award-winning journalist, and a host on Turner Classic Movies. He’s been the Oscars expert on the Today Show for nearly a quarter century and has spent over 15 years writing about the Oscars for Entertainment Weekly. He has cohosted ABC’s Live from the Red Carpet pre-show and has served as the Academy’s official red carpet greeter on Oscar night. So, to put it mildly, Dave knows the Oscars! The stories he was able to get out of some of the most famous people in the world through this book are truly remarkable. In our conversation, Dave reveals if any of the celebrities he interviewed left him starstruck, where most people keep their Oscar statuette, how heavy the statuette is (I was shocked by his answer!), which Oscar moments make his so called Mount Rushmore of iconic moments from the awards show, the relevancy of winning an Oscar today, and, yes, I had to get his Oscar predictions. It’s a can’t miss conversation that I can’t wait for you to tune into.
50 Oscar Nights: Iconic Stars and Filmmakers on Their Career Defining Wins by Dave Karger
Today’s conversation, if nothing else, was made just for me—and I hope many of you, as well. Two of my favorite subjects to read about are the British royal family and U.S. presidents, and those two subject matters meet today thanks to David Charter, author of Royal Audience: 70 Years, 13 Presidents, One Queen’s Special Relationship with America, out March 5. In the book David zooms in on one facet of the Special Relationship between the U.K. and the U.S.—the relationship of the late Queen Elizabeth with the 13 U.S. presidents she knew in her record-breaking 70 year reign on the British throne, from 1952 to her death in 2022. This book traces the Queen’s relationship with each president from Eisenhower to Biden—and she was especially close to four presidents during that time period. Do you think you can guess who? You’ll have to listen to the episode to find out. Her late Majesty loved the U.S.; on a visit in 1957, for example, she requested to go to a football game and a supermarket in Maryland—and she did just that. Any viewer of The Crown knows the less-than-great exchange between First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and the Queen, who were roughly the same age; today on the show we unpack that interesting encounter between two of the most famous women in the world. Around the Reagan presidency, the Queen developed such a love affair with the U.S. that, in addition to state visits, she took five private visits to the U.S., mostly centered around horseracing. I was so touched by this anecdote: after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the U.S., the Queen sang “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the first time she had ever sung a national anthem for a foreign country, and the first time she had sung a national anthem, period, as she didn’t sing “God Save the Queen” to herself. This moment is but one example of her class and dignity, in my opinion. Her last state visit to the U.S. was during the George W. Bush administration, in May 2007. From then on out, U.S. presidents came to her. Today on the show David and I talk about subjects like royal protocol and U.S. presidents and how, all told, the Queen visited 15 U.S. states and Washington, D.C.; I love this quote David has in here from The Washington Post from 1991: “Two centuries after George III lost the colonies, Queen Elizabeth is in danger of winning them back.” She was very difficult not to love. I gobbled up this book and wanted more, and I can’t wait for you to hear from David. He became the U.S. editor of The Times in 2018 and is based, perhaps appropriately for this book, in Washington, D.C. Before that, he was the chief political correspondent, Brussels correspondent, and Berlin correspondent at The Times, and is now the assistant U.S. editor of the publication. Get ready for a fascinating conversation!
Royal Audience: 70 Years, 13 Presidents, One Queen’s Special Relationship with America by David Charter
Today on the show, we’re talking about loneliness. Now, before you switch off this episode and head off to what you might consider greener pastures, let me reframe loneliness for you: it can actually have an upside. Today’s guest Charlotte Donlon writes, in her book The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other, “Everyone knows loneliness. Some may experience it more often. Some may find relief from it more quickly. Some may deny or avoid it. But I don’t think any of us escapes its company entirely, and I’m no longer sure we should.” She adds in the book that “Being human requires a touch of loneliness.” Loneliness has reached epidemic proportions since the pandemic, and, as many of you will relate to, you can be lonely even if you are surrounded by people. On the other side of loneliness is belonging, and that’s what Charlotte’s book centers around. She writes “We can deny our loneliness, or we can embrace it and step into the great belonging.” What is the great belonging? Well, take a listen to our conversation and read Charlotte’s book to find out. Charlotte is fantastic, and was actually introduced to me by Carla Jean Whitley, a dear friend of the podcast and of mine. In her book, Charlotte asks “What if loneliness is a necessary part of the human condition? What if it is a current that leads us deeper into belonging—to ourselves, to each other, and to God?” Now, I have self-disclosed many times that I am a Christian on the show; we talk about faith, specifically our shared Christian faith, in this episode, but this book and this conversation is for all faiths, including those of you who may not have one. In this book, Charlotte encourages us to, instead of turning away from the waters of loneliness for fear they will engulf us, wade in and see what we find there. In the book, Charlotte offers tools, resources, and practices for transforming loneliness into true belonging, and I can’t wait for you to hear from her.
The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other by Charlotte Donlon
One of my personal favorite subjects to study is First Ladies—I am completely compelled by these women, regardless of party affiliation, and I’ve read just about every book on them as a group, as well as many individual biographies of these dynamic women. Today on the show I have with me Katie Rogers, White House correspondent for The New York Times, to discuss her first book, the fantastic American Woman: The Transformation of the Modern First Lady, from Hillary Clinton to Jill Biden, which is out February 27. In the book, Katie delves into the transformation of the modern First Lady. The role of First Lady has definitely changed from Martha Washington to Dr. Jill Biden, but even more granularly, it has changed so much from the 1990s and Barbara Bush and Hillary Clinton to the present day, in particular Dr. Biden’s refusal to give up her role as an educator in favor of being First Lady full-time, as all of her predecessors have done. In the book and in our conversation today, Katie gets into how we ask so much of our First Ladies yet give them no proper blueprint on how to do their job. (We also don’t pay them, and there’s no barometer of what a successful First Lady is or does.) We talk about what will happen when the U.S. finally elects a female president, and what the role of First Gentleman, if that is what he is called, will look like. There is so much depth to this conversation—I can all but promise you that you won’t look at the role of the First Lady the same ever again. Katie has worked at The Times since 2014 and has been a White House correspondent since 2018, covering two presidential administrations and writing extensively about domestic policy, foreign policy, and, perhaps most interestingly to me, the complicated dynamics of First Families. Before writing for The Times, Katie was a reporter at The Guardian and The Washington Post. I am excited for you to meet her and learn from her in this episode.
American Woman: The Transformation of the Modern First Lady, from Hillary Clinton to Jill Biden by Katie Rogers
We’ve got yet another first on the show today—our very first cookbook author! Yes, this is a cookbook, filled with delicious recipes and mouthwatering food photos, but this is a cookbook with a twist. It is part cookbook and part memoir of its author, renowned chef Missy Robbins. It really is as much about self discovery as it is about food, and that’s what makes it extra compelling. Missy actually has two books, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner…Life: Recipes and Adventures from My Home Kitchen, and Pasta: The Spirit and Craft of Italy’s Greatest Food, both of which are out now (and are linked below). In this episode, we specifically talk about Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner…Life, and in our conversation Missy and I talk about The Bear, which is a show I totally binged—and you should too if you haven’t yet. Missy introduced me to the term “kitchen culture” and said that, probably very much for the best, the type of kitchen culture on display in The Bear would not be acceptable at her restaurants. Speaking of, Missy has two restaurants, Lilia, which opened in 2016, and Misi, which opened in 2018. She takes us into the busy and nonstop life of a chef, gives us her best cooking tips, and gives us a peek behind the curtain of the restaurant industry, including winning a Michelin star, which Missy has done at two different restaurants, actually. She is actually only one of 10 women to have a Michelin star, which of course is incredibly imbalanced. Missy’s specialty is Italian food, and both Lilia and Misi are of that food genre. Missy also introduced me through this book to the concept of being a food tourist, which is something I’m adopting immediately. In addition to being a Michelin star chef, Missy appeared on season four of Top Chef Masters, and has worked at many restaurants you’ve heard of, including Spiaggia in Chicago, where she frequently cooked for Barack and Michelle Obama. No pressure, right? She then became executive chef at A Voce, changing the menu completely with the exception of two dishes, and oversaw the opening of its second location. In addition to all of this, she is in such a balanced, healthy place in her life, and I know you’ll enjoy getting to know her through our conversation.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner…Life: Recipes and Adventures from My Home Kitchen by Missy Robbins
Pasta: The Spirit and Craft of Italy’s Greatest Food by Missy Robbins
Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead by Jenny Hollander, the February pick of Marie Claire’s book club—some of the best fiction I’ve read lately!
Yet another pinch me moment this week—today on the show we have Audrey Hepburn’s son, Luca Dotti, and Meghan Friedlander, who together wrote the beautiful and compelling book Audrey Hepburn in Paris. Meghan is the curator of the popular Audrey fan site Rare Audrey Hepburn, and Luca? Well, he knew Audrey better than almost any human being can say. I am a huge Audrey Hepburn fan, so the thought of spending time with one of her two sons is unbelievable to me. The book also includes a foreward by Giambattista Valli, and the book explores and celebrates Audrey’s lifelong connection to Paris, featuring all of the places in the City of Light she loved the most and telling her story there. The book has never-before-published anecdotes and photographs and digs into her family, friendships, films, photoshoots, and fashions, especially her soul mate relationship with friend and fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy. You will be left breathless and speechless, both by the book itself and the stories and photos within it, and by this conversation. In this book we get a glimpse of the iconic actress’ beautiful life there, and each chapter of the book focuses on a different aspect of Paris that made it so precious to Audrey. Audrey never actually lived in Paris, but she was an honorary Parisienne. Towards the end of the book, it reads that “She would form some of her happiest memories in the life-altering city.” It was endlessly enjoyable reading about them. Plus, stick around to hear about what writers I’d love to invite to my dinner party or interview, but won’t be able to, at least not on this side of heaven. Imagine: Nora Ephron. Maya Angelou. Dominick Dunne. Julia Reed. And little old me. I may not ever be able to have them on the show (they’ve all left us for a better place), but I can at least have the honor of talking to you about them.
Audrey Hepburn in Paris by Luca Dotti and Meghan Friedlander
Surprise! Today is a special fiction pick day, and I have one of the most popular writers of fiction on the market today: New York Times bestselling author Katharine McGee, author of the wildly beloved American Royals series. The four-part series debuted in 2019 and wrapped in 2023, and asks the compelling question “What if America had a royal family? What if, instead of becoming president, George Washington became king instead?” As a royals editor, royal podcast co-host, and general royal obsessive, I couldn’t get enough of this series. (Katharine is also the author of the popular Thousandth Floor trilogy, but today we’re talking about American Royals.) In addition to talking about the royals (come on, we had to!), we also talk about Katharine’s process in writing fiction and what we can expect from her in 2024.
All by Katharine McGee:
Katherine’s fiction picks to keep you satisfied until our next fiction episode:
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
The Buccaneers, The House of Mirth, and The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper
Life is full of pinch me moments, and this certainly is one: talking to the Savannah Guthrie about our shared faith in God. All glory to God for this conversation! The public facing Savannah is the co-anchor of Today on NBC, a position she’s held for nearly 12 years, since July 2012. She’s a former attorney turned NBC News professional who, in addition to her Today responsibilities, is an NBC News anchor, a substitute anchor on NBC Nightly News, and, since 2012, she’s hosted the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and the annual Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting. In her personal life, she’s married to Michael Feldman, and they have two children. But here’s the more private side of Savannah that you might not be as familiar with: a woman of deep, deep faith whose faith is imperfect (just like the rest of us) but whose faith is firmly rooted in the belief that mostly what God does is love us. In her new book, Mostly What God Does: Reflections on Seeking and Finding His Love Everywhere, Savannah is extraordinarily candid about her faith, sharing how it has impacted her and how it can impact us all, if we’d be open to receiving it. It is a beautiful book written by a beautiful soul, one who I can’t wait for you to get to know a little more through this conversation.
Mostly What God Does: Reflections on Seeking and Finding His Love Everywhere by Savannah Guthrie
Today’s episode is a tough one—but it is also such a beautiful one. I want to insert a trigger warning here: my guest and I will be discussing the loss of a child to stillbirth today, so if you are grieving any type of pregnancy loss (or any type of loss, period) this conversation may be upsetting to you. Please take care of yourself and return to the conversation when you can. This is an absolutely beautiful, powerful conversation with a dear friend of mine, Vera Chapman, who is also the first children’s book author we’ve ever had on the show. Vera’s book, Our Baby In Our Hearts, focuses on the real life experience that her two living children, Grayson and Ivey, faced when confronted with the loss of their baby brother, Hayes, on February 15, 2021. (Yes, this episode is being released on Hayes’ third birthday.) Our Baby In Our Hearts offers practical mindfulness exercises to help young hearts cope with big feelings. It is also stunningly illustrated and will truly be so moving to anyone, but especially anyone who has experienced pregnancy loss. After losing Hayes in 2021, Vera has turned her pain into purpose, not only writing this book but also creating the “Light in Loss” daily healing affirmation cards series for women. She is the founder of the wellness coaching practice Resonating Soul Wellness and has over a decade of experience supporting women through coaching and counseling. I am so proud to call her my friend, and today’s esteemed guest.
Our Baby In Our Hearts: A Mindful Story of Grief and Healing by Vera V. Chapman
Daily affirmation cards for grieving mothers and women
More affirmations for both women and children
Follow Vera on Instagram @veravchapman!
I first became familiar with the dynamic Jennie Allen in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when my Bible study group did a study on Jennie’s book Get Out of Your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts, which is a book worth reading anytime, but especially in the summer of 2020. Now she’s back with a new book called Untangle Your Emotions: Naming What You Feel and Knowing What to Do About It, which is out February 13. As you’ll hear Jennie and I discuss, Untangle Your Emotions is a perfect companion piece to Get Out of Your Head which, by the way, was a New York Times bestseller. Untangle Your Emotions dives deep into understanding where our emotions come from, what to do with them, and how to honor God in processing all that we feel. Jennie admits that this is the most difficult book she’s ever written, and the subject matter is tough—but through this book and this conversation, if we take it all to heart, we can walk away so much the better for it. Jennie—thank you for writing a difficult book. It will touch so many lives, and it has already touched mine.
Untangle Your Emotions: Naming What You Feel and Knowing What to Do About It by Jennie Allen
Today on the show we have the remarkable Patti Davis, daughter of U.S. President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan. Patti’s new book, Dear Mom and Dad: A Letter About Family, Memory, and the America We Once Knew is a book, in Patti’s own words, about acceptance, forgiveness, and moving on from the past, a book that—though Patti’s parents were much more famous than most, even before her father entered politics—anyone can relate to. There’s not a person among us who hasn’t at one point or another struggled with their parents, as the parent-child relationship is so complicated; this is Patti’s story, and it’s a powerful one. When her father became president, Patti became Ribbon, her Secret Service code name. The complexities that go along with being the child of a president are daunting, and we talk about that in today’s episode, as well as family secrets, living life as the world watched, and what she’d like to say to her father and mother after their deaths in 2004 and 2016, respectively.
Dear Mom and Dad: A Letter About Family, Memory, and the America We Once Knew by Patti Davis
The Long Goodbye: Memories of My Father by Patti Davis
I am so pleased to have Dr. Caroline Leaf on the show today to impart knowledge from her 30-year career as an applied neuroscientist. I originally intended to do a career retrospective on Dr. Leaf’s many books, but quickly realized that if I did that, this would become an hours and hours long episode. So I decided to choose one of her books, Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess: 5 Simple, Scientifically Proven Steps to Reduce Anxiety, Stress, and Toxic Thinking, to zoom in on for our conversation today—but I highly recommend all of her books. In this book (and in this conversation), she teaches us what mental mess is, how to practice mind management, what neuroplasticity is, and about the neurocycle, which she formulated. The neurocycle has, amazingly, statistically reduced depression and anxiety by a staggering 81 percent! I guarantee you’ll learn something in this episode, and for this episode in particular, I’d recommend listening when you can really absorb what Dr. Leaf is saying. Some episodes on the show are light and frothy and can be listened to while multitasking; I’d say this episode is not one of those. To get maximum impact from what Dr. Leaf is teaching us, set aside some time for yourself to truly take all of this in, because you know what? You deserve it. Dr. Leaf is also a podcaster, and in addition to her own show, “Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess,” she is an extremely frequent guest on other podcasts. That’s actually how I found Dr. Leaf—from hearing her on other podcasts and then discovering her work. She has spent three decades researching the mind-brain connection, the nature of mental health, and the formation of memory, and her work centers around helping people learn how to use their mind to detox and grow their brain to succeed in every area of their lives—talk about work that truly matters!
Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess: 5 Simple, Scientifically Proven Steps to Reduce Anxiety, Stress, and Toxic Thinking by Dr. Caroline Leaf
Welcome one, welcome all to season 10 of I’d Rather Be Reading! As ever, I’m so happy to have you here and a part of this community—don’t forget to reach out if you ever want to chat books at helloidratherbereading@gmail.com. For our season opener today, we have the fantastic Julie Menanno, who is a licensed marriage and family therapist, an expert couple’s therapist, and the person behind the popular Instagram account @TheSecureRelationship, which has over 1 million followers. I have long been interested in attachment theory and attachment styles, and there is secure attachment (the ideal which we should all strive for) and three different insecure attachments—anxious, avoidant, and disorganized. Julie will explain what all of that means in the episode, and how we can work towards bringing a secure attachment to our relationships. Beyond just attachment styles, Julie brings so much wisdom and insight into how we navigate romantic relationships, and how we can create a healthy relationship that will, as the subtitle suggests, last a lifetime.
Secure Love: Create a Relationship That Lasts a Lifetime by Julie Menanno
For our season nine finale I have a legendary journalist, Laurence Leamer, here to talk about his book Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era, which is the basis for the new Ryan Murphy show on FX, Feud: Capote vs. the Swans. (I loved the first iteration of Feud—about Bette Davis and Joan Crawford—and I love everything Ryan Murphy does.) The show has a cast as deep as any ocean: Naomi Watts. Diane Lane. Demi Moore. Calista Flockhart. Chloe Sevigny. Molly Ringwald. And Tom Hollander as Truman Capote. It premieres on FX on January 31 (and the next day on Hulu) and it will be appointment television for me. Through this book, this series, and this conversation, we dip our toe into New York City high society, into the world of Truman Capote and his “Swans”—glamorous women who were Capote’s closest confidantes. Babe Paley, Slim Keith, CZ Guest, Gloria Guinness, Pamela Harriman, Lee Radziwell, and Marella Agnelli were not just beautiful and wealthy, but intelligent and interesting. Then, enter the “feud” portion of the program: Capote wrote a piece for Esquire called “La Cote Basque 1965,” in which he puts the Swans’ dirty secrets in black and white, and in print for the entire world to read. The women cut Capote off totally; it was social suicide, and it led to Capote’s downfall that ultimately resulted in his death. Why did he do this? He thought they’d be too dumb to know the piece was about them. It was one of the worst decisions he could have ever made. Here to tell us all about it is the legendary Laurence Leamer, who is regarded as an expert on the Kennedy family and who has written biographies of not just the Kennedys but also the Reagans, Johnny Carson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ingrid Bergman, and Donald Trump’s resort, Mar-a-Lago. By the way, I have to throw this detail in here—his book about Mar-a-Lago was controversial and banned him from the resort for life. Not unlike that detail, this book and this conversation are as compelling as it comes.
Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era by Laurence Leamer
“La Cote Basque” by Truman Capote for Esquire
No matter if you are a parent or not, this conversation is for you—after all, we all have parents, right? Today’s guest is Dr. Aliza Pressman, a Dartmouth and Columbia-educated developmental psychologist whose new book The 5 Principles of Parenting: Your Essential Guide to Raising Good Humans is out January 23. In today’s conversation we discuss her five principles, all of which begin with R: relationships, reflection, regulation, rules, and repair, all leading to the sixth R, which is resilience. We talk today about the science and art of parenting—how there is no right way to parent, reparenting ourselves, how it feels harder than ever to be a parent. Parenting is, simply put, the hardest work anyone will ever do—I can’t wait for all of you parents to hear what Dr. Pressman has to say in this episode, and I hope that it absolves you of your mom guilt or dad guilt. I hope her words will give you the permission you need to let that guilt go, once and for all. It is such an enriching conversation. Dr. Pressman has an extremely popular podcast of her own, “Raising Good Humans," and she herself is the mother of two teenagers and has a lot of wisdom to impart to us.
The 5 Principles of Parenting: Your Essential Guide to Raising Good Humans by Dr. Aliza Pressman
Hi friends! If you didn’t know, I am the Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor at Marie Claire magazine, and as of this month I am in charge of our monthly virtual book club, #ReadwithMC. Seeing as though we already read together here on I’d Rather Be Reading, why not read on #ReadwithMC, too? It is my hope to grow this book club on par with some of my favorite book clubs, like those from Jenna Bush Hager, Reese Witherspoon, Queen Camilla, and Oprah Winfrey. (Now, look. I’m never going to be Oprah. But a girl can try.) If you’re listening to this show I hope you like my taste in books, and you know that just how I only bring you the best of the best on I’d Rather Be Reading, I plan to do the same with #ReadwithMC.
I am so excited to tell you about my very first #ReadwithMC book pick, and that is One in a Millennial: On Friendships, Feelings, Fangirls, and Fitting In by Kate Kennedy, which is out January 23, this Tuesday. Kate is a podcaster so many know and love; she hosts “Be There in Five” and is a dynamic pop culture commentator. When I read One in a Millennial, I felt so seen. Kate is a year younger than me. I was born in 1986 and I believe Kate was born in 1987. In this book, Kate wrote everything I wish I could have written about being a millennial but I probably wouldn’t be able to articulate as concisely and perfectly as she did. I laughed, I cried, I found in Kate the voice of a generation. This book essentially nails down the millennial experience into a 336-page book. I could wax on and on, but this book encapsulates the experience of being a millennial largely through the lens of pop culture—an exploration of the millennial zeitgeist and the life lessons learned (for better and for worse) from being a member of this generation.
Below you’ll find some useful links:
Learn more about #ReadwithMC on the whole
Join us for Kate’s Instagram takeover on Marie Claire’s page on January 25
Leave a review of the book on Instagram or Twitter (or X, whatever) by January 28 using the hashtag #Readwith MC (keep in mind your profile needs to be set to public for me to see it)
Then join us in the first week of February for our next pick!
I can’t wait to be in a book club with you!
To say that having Kate Bowler here today is an honor is something I don’t say lightly. Kate is so gentle, soothing, and easy to open up to that I cry at the end of this episode; her new book of daily devotions, Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day!: Daily Meditations for the Ups, Downs, and In Betweens, will bring out emotions in you, as well. I appreciate everything about this conversation, but especially Kate confirming that faith and fear can and do coexist, and that it is okay. Kate is a three-time New York Times bestselling author, a graduate of Yale and Duke, a wildly popular podcaster, a professor at Duke, and, perhaps most blessedly, a cancer survivor. She’s also a truly wonderful person who is just as lovely off mic as she is on. Prepare to fall in love with her!
Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day!: Daily Meditations for the Ups, Downs, and In Betweens by Kate Bowler
For episode two of two of our bonus Mean Girls content, we’ve got Rosalind Wiseman on the show today, whose 2002 book Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and the New Realities of Girl World was the basis for Tina Fey’s screenplay for the original 2004 Mean Girls film. This book—which is currently undergoing its third revision—is the go-to manual for being a teenage girl and raising a teenage girl. This isn’t Rosalind’s only book—she has written nine and has multiple New York Times bestsellers—but it’s likely her most well-known book, and Rosalind is a subject matter expert when it comes to girls and the complex social issues they face, like cliques, gossip, bullying, self-image, social hierarchy, and (of course) boys.
Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and the New Realities of Girl World by Rosalind Wiseman
The godfather of emotional intelligence is on the show today! Dr. Daniel Goleman’s groundbreaking bestseller Emotional Intelligence was released nearly 30 years ago; I studied Dr. Goleman’s work in college (and I have been out of college for, unfortunately, many, many years). Emotional intelligence is the key to success in leadership and life, and in his latest book Optimal: How to Sustain Personal and Organizational Excellence Every Day, Dr. Goleman teaches us how to reach peak performance through emotional intelligence while avoiding burnout and maintaining balance. Sound too good to be true? It’s not! It’s totally attainable. If you’re looking to achieve results in your life and your work—plus fulfillment and satisfaction—let Dr. Goleman teach you how to get to your optimal level.
Optimal: How to Sustain Personal and Organizational Excellence Every Day by Dr. Daniel Goleman
Surprise! I’m here with a bonus episode today celebrating the pop culture juggernaut that is Mean Girls, in honor of the release of the musical film yesterday. To talk about Mean Girls—yes, the 2024 film, but also the 2004 original film and the Broadway musical, which debuted in 2018—I have Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, who has actually been on the show before. She joined me in late 2021 to chat about Sex and the City and she’s back today to talk about another pop culture phenomenon we both love. Jennifer is a New York Times bestselling author and a pop culture historian, and her latest book, So Fetch: The Making of Mean Girls (and Why We’re Still So Obsessed with It) comes out January 16. Interestingly enough, Jennifer and her publisher did not time the book’s release four days after the new Mean Girls movie on purpose—it just worked out that way. Talk about happenstance! As we approach the 20-year anniversary of the 2004 original in April, I’m wondering: will we ever see a proper Mean Girls 2 featuring Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, and Lacey Chabert? After all, three of the four original Plastics did do a commercial together late last year. What is the Broadway musical like, and is the new movie worth seeing? Do younger generations relate to the original film like my generation did? (After all, we were in high school at the time and the movie’s target audience.) What are some behind-the-scenes details about the filming of the movie we might not know? I have questions, and Jennifer has all the answers.
So Fetch: The Making of Mean Girls (and Why We’re Still So Obsessed with It) by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong
If I told you that today’s episode—the eighth and final in our January Wellness Series—could help you stop anxiety, burnout, and fatigue before they even start, I know your ears would perk up. Dr. Linnea Passaler is working to do just that—shift from reactive treatment to proactive healing—for nervous system dysregulation, which is so often not spoken about but can contribute to a number of problems both mentally and physically. She has written a five-stage plan in her new book Heal Your Nervous System: The 5-Stage Plan to Reverse Nervous System Dysregulation, and we discuss the five stages of awareness, regulation, restoration, connection, and expansion on the show today. We talk about so much today, including how stress and fear affects everyone differently; as ever, I learned so much, and I am confident that you will, too.
Heal Your Nervous System: The 5-Stage Plan to Reverse Nervous System Dysregulation by Dr. Linnea Passaler
For the only throwback pick of the January Wellness Series, I present to you the fabulous Dr. Samantha Boardman, who is talking to us today about vitality. Let’s be honest: do you ever think about vitality, let alone in your day-to-day life? If I put you on the spot and quizzed you, could you even totally define what vitality means? Today we not only define it but help you understand that vitality is a verb and have practical steps for how to implement it in your daily life. We also talk about building resilience, countering stress, and how it’s time to eliminate the phrase “When things calm down…” from our lexicon. I guarantee you’ll look at life just a bit differently after listening to this episode.
Everyday Vitality: Turning Stress into Strength by Dr. Samantha Boardman
This might shock you (or maybe it won’t) but 75 percent of Americans don’t get the federally recommended weekly minimum of 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise (or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise), let alone the recommended two days of full body strength training. When we think about getting healthier, we often think about nutrition, as we should—but exercise is a critical part of the equation, too. Our guest today, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, puts forth in her new book Forever Strong: A New Science Based Strategy for Aging Well that, instead of focusing so closely on decreasing fat on and in our bodies, we should focus instead on increasing muscle. Muscles, Dr. Lyon says, are the key to aging well; she even calls muscles the fountain of youth, says healthy muscle is imperative to a body’s function, and writes that muscle is the organ of longevity. She is a practitioner of muscle-centric medicine, and after listening to this episode, you might be, too.
Forever Strong: A New Science Based Strategy for Aging Well by Dr. Gabrielle Lyon
As our January Wellness Series continues, today we are speaking to the dynamic Neal Allen about taming our inner critic. We all have one, and it’s called the superego; the superego was developed in our respective childhoods as a survival mechanism, but as adults, we no longer need it for protection—but for so many of us, its presence in our lives is cumbersome at best and extremely damaging at its worst. The good news? Our inner critic can be quieted, allowing us to live our best lives. Neal teaches us how through his book and this conversation, finally examining a critical aspect of the human psyche—the superego—that often gets ignored. Listeners, you also might be interested to know that Neal is married to the writer Anne Lamott, and often refers to himself as Mr. Anne Lamott (which I love him for).
Better Days: Tame Your Inner Critic by Neal Allen
What if I told you that it was possible to control anxiety, ADHD, OCD, depression, and more by what you eat (or don’t eat)? That it was completely possible to calm your mind with food? That’s what today’s episode is all about, and we’re talking to Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo about the “powerful medicine of food,” looking at a groundbreaking, full-body approach to mental health, how we can enhance our overall mental wellbeing through what we eat, and how our daily food choices can help treat and prevent a wide range of cognitive and psychological health issues. So fascinating—and proof that we have more control over our health than maybe we even realized heretofore.
Calm Your Mind with Food: A Revolutionary Guide to Controlling Your Anxiety by Dr. Uma Naidoo
For today’s January Wellness Series conversation, we’re back to mental and emotional wellness, specifically this relatable topic: caring too much about what others think of you. Our guest today, Dr. Michael Gervais, calls caring too much about other people’s opinions “the single greatest constrictor of human potential,” and introduces the concept of “FOPO” (fear of other people’s opinions), assessing that it is a human epidemic in our society. (I know it has impacted my life personally in spades over the years.) We all have a basic human need to belong, but it’s when we let others’ opinions of us control our lives that we know we need to make a change—and I hope for all of us that 2024 is the year we begin to or continue to live our authentic lives, not chained to what others think of us. Michael has taught companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and AT&T to perform to the highest level, as well as Olympians, Fortune 100 leaders and teams, and world renowned artists and musicians—and now it’s our turn for a one on-one coaching session. There is a huge connection between the mind and human performance, and we’re delving into it today.
The First Rule of Mastery: Stop Worrying About What Other People Think of You by Dr. Michael Gervais
As our January Wellness Series rolls on, today we switch from mental and emotional wellness to physical wellness. Aging is a good thing—hey, it certainly beats the alternative, right?—but I’d venture to guess that all of us want to continue to grow older without looking or feeling older. Today’s guest, Dr. Anthony Youn, teaches us how to do just that, looking at environmental and lifestyle factors to turn back and freeze the clock. What we eat, how much we sleep, and our skincare routines allow us to have an ample amount of control on aging, and we cover the gamut in today’s episode—this might be one of the most jam-packed informational episodes we’ve ever done on the show and I know you’ll walk away having learned so much about how to look and feel younger as we enter 2024 and, interestingly, though Dr. Youn is one of the most well-known plastic surgeons in the country (his social media following tops 14 million!), we don’t mention plastic surgery at all in this episode—it’s all natural methods to staying, as he puts it, “younger for life.”
Younger for Life: Feel Great and Look Your Best with the New Science of Autojuvenation by Dr. Anthony Youn
Welcome to 2024, and welcome to our January Wellness Series! We are alternating episodes about mental and emotional wellness (like this one) and physical wellness, and I am thrilled to kickstart this series with perhaps my favorite book of 2023: How to Be the Love You Seek: Break Cycles, Find Peace, and Heal Your Relationships by Dr. Nicole LePera. In the book, Dr. LePera gives the simple but profound advice “You already are the love you seek.” Before we go seeking love (many of us in all the wrong places), let’s begin this year by realizing we already have an abundance of love within us, and, once we harness our self-love and self-worth, we will truly be able to attract what we have deserved all along. This is truly one of the most revelatory, powerful books I have ever read.
How to Be the Love You Seek: Break Cycles, Find Peace, and Heal Your Relationships by Dr. Nicole LePera
My annual best books episode with the dynamic Carla Jean Whitley never disappoints! Below are her picks, in order. Happy reading!
The Best Books She’s Read This Year:
I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai (Fiction)
Arrangements in Blue: Notes on Loving and Living Alone by Amy Key (Nonfiction)
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano (Fiction)
The Quickening: Creation and Community at the Ends of the Earth by Elizabeth Rush (Nonfiction, and her No. 1 pick of 2023!)
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett (Fiction)
Happily: A Personal History—With Fairy Tales by Sabrina Orah Mark (Nonfiction)
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (Fiction)
You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith (Nonfiction)
The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl (Nonfiction)
The Best Books She’s Reread This Year:
Frindle by Andrew Clements (Fiction)
The Giver by Lois Lowry (Fiction)
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott (Nonfiction)
This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett (Nonfiction)
This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub (Fiction)
Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro (Fiction)
The Books She Is Anticipating for 2024:
Sandwich by Catherine Newman (Fiction)
After Annie by Anna Quindlen (Fiction)
Grief Is for People by Sloane Crosley (Nonfiction)
The Last Fire Season by Manjula Martin (Nonfiction)
Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story by Leslie Jamison (Nonfiction)
If You Can't Take the Heat: Tales of Food, Feminism, and Fury by Geraldine DeRuiter (Nonfiction)
Twelve Trees: The Deep Roots of Our Future by Daniel Lewis (Nonfiction)
Anita De Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez (Fiction)
The Books I Am Anticipating for 2024:
The Summer Pact by Emily Giffin (Fiction)
Closer Together: Knowing Ourselves, Loving Each Other by Sophie Grégoire Trudeau (Nonfiction)
Today on the show we have a career retrospective episode with journalist Nancy Jo Sales, who walks us through her career writing for the likes of Vanity Fair, New York Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, and more. Nancy Jo is a New York Times bestselling author, and we also discuss her three books: The Bling Ring: How a Gang of Fame-Obsessed Teens Ripped Off Hollywood and Shocked the World (which was made into a movie directed by Sofia Coppola), American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers, and Nothing Personal: My Secret Life in the Dating App Inferno; she is also behind a documentary film called Swiped: Hooking Up in the Digital Age, which aired on HBO. I know you’ll find Nancy Jo real and raw and transparent, and her career as a journalist has long inspired my own.
Books by Nancy Jo Sales:
The Bling Ring: How a Gang of Fame-Obsessed Teens Ripped Off Hollywood and Shocked the World
American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers
Nothing Personal: My Secret Life in the Dating App Inferno
Her HBO Documentary:
Swiped: Hooking Up in the Digital Age
Other Works Mentioned:
“The Suspects Wore Louboutins” by Nancy Jo Sales for Vanity Fair
Picture by Lillian Ross
Simply put? Today’s guest, Aurora James, is a force. I have no idea what hidden stash of hours she has to do all that she does in a day, a week, a month, a year—but she is changing the world. One of my favorite books of 2023 was her memoir, Wildflower, and I’m not alone—it was praised globally for its vulnerability and candidness. Aurora contains multitudes: in addition to being an author, she is the founder and designer behind Brother Vellies, a Black-owned and female-led lifestyle and accessories brand that is, in its own words, redefining luxury. Beyoncé, Solange Knowles, Elaine Welteroth, and Nicki Minaj have worn her items, and in 2015 Aurora made history as the first Black designer to win the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund prize; in 2020, she was on the cover of the September issue of Vogue. Also in 2020, after the senseless murder of George Floyd, Aurora founded the 15 Percent Pledge, a nonprofit that urges major retailers to commit 15 percent of shelf space to Black-owned businesses. Within two weeks of Aurora announcing the pledge on May 29, 2020, Sephora signed the pledge; companies like Macy’s, Rent the Runway, Yelp, and West Elm have followed. This is an impressive person who has left her mark in so many spaces, and I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this conversation.
Wildflower by Aurora James
The one, the only Candace Bushnell is on the show today! *insert fangirl screaming here* As Sex and the City is my favorite show of all time—and Candace, you know, created the whole franchise back in 1994—this is a dream come true. I actually met Candace in person in 2019, when she was on her book tour for Is There Still Sex and the City?, and I found her to be as lovely as I hoped she would be. Most people probably know Candace best from penning The New York Observer column “Sex and the City” from 1994 to 1996, which later became an anthology of the same name in 1996 and, of course, an HBO show of the same name in 1998. But actually, Candace is one of those unicorn writers that can tackle both fiction and nonfiction writing and do both well. My favorite works from Candace are actually her novels, of which there are many: 4 Blondes, Trading Up, Lipstick Jungle (also made into a television show), One Fifth Avenue, and Killing Monica. She’s also written young adult fiction like The Carrie Diaries (also made into a television show), Summer and the City, and Rules for Being a Girl. Candace continues to evolve and pivot, and is now on tour with her one-woman show, “True Tales of Sex, Success, and Sex and the City” (go to candacebushnell.com for more information!) and is also helming a reality dating show for women over 50 that is generating tons of buzz. It was an honor to do this career retrospective with not just a talented writer, but a really cool person.
Sex and the City (1996)
4 Blondes (2000)
Trading Up (2003)
Lipstick Jungle (2005)
One Fifth Avenue (2008)
The Carrie Diaries (2010)
Summer and the City (2011)
Killing Monica (2015)
Is There Still Sex and the City? (2019)
Rules for Being a Girl (2020)
For Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino—star of MTV’s Jersey Shore and a career reality show talent with other appearances on shows like Dancing with the Stars and Celebrity Big Brother—the highs have been very high, and the lows have been very low. At his highest point (or at least what he thought was his highest point at the time), Mike was a multimillionaire, the second highest-paid reality star of 2010—second only to Kim Kardashian. Drugs, partying, and women came easily, and he was living seemingly every twentysomething man’s dream. But the lows were so low: a crippling drug addiction that could have taken his life, prison time for tax evasion, and nearly losing a child. In today’s conversation, we talk about it all, and Mike is candid, vulnerable, and real about every part of it. Today, Mike is a husband and a father to soon-to be three children (what he now realizes is truly what the dream life consists of), and truly believes this book will save lives—and I agree. A conversation my 25-year-old self could never dreamed of having, but one I am so glad I got to take part in.
Reality Check: Making the Best of the Situation by Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino
There will literally never be another "I'd Rather Be Reading" episode this short again. Enjoy it, and support your local booksellers this holiday season. That's all!
Today on the show we have one-half of one of my favorite writing duos: BBC’s Katty Kay who, along with fellow journalist Claire Shipman, has authored five books that are all about advancing womanhood. The bulk of our conversation today centers around The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance— What Women Should Know, addressing specifically the confidence gap between men and women, which is keeping women from achieving their full potential. Confidence is something that matters so much but is so rarely spoken about like this—and conversations like this will hopefully move the needle forward. We also talk about the duo’s books Womenomics: Work Less, Achieve More, Live Better and their latest, The Power Code: More Joy, Less Ego, Maximum Impact for Women (and Everyone), which came out this summer. (They’ve also written two books geared towards a younger audience, The Confidence Code for Girls and Living the Confidence Code.) It’ll be impossible for you to not leave feeling empowered.
All by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman:
Womenomics: Work Less, Achieve More, Live Better
The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance—What Women Should Know
The Power Code: More Joy, Less Ego, Maximum Impact for Women (and Everyone)
There are so many details when it comes to planning a wedding: what dress code will your guests wear? How about the flowers? Should you get a photographer, a videographer, or both? What do you want your wedding theme to be? (I honestly didn’t even know there was such a thing.) There are so many details to planning a wedding that it can be enormously overwhelming, but it will be decidedly less so with my guest today’s new book. Terri Pous had only been on one date with her now fiancé when she started writing How to Plan a Wedding: A Month-by-Month Guide for Modern Weddings, and now, of course, they’re deep in planning a wedding of their own—and through this book, Terri wrote her own guide to making wedding planning easier, she just didn’t know it at the time. Isn’t life beautiful? Terri’s book covers everything you can think of about wedding planning and some aspects of it that you wouldn’t even know to think of, and our conversation covers a pretty wide swath as well. Some of you know you will be planning a 2024 wedding; some of you are about to get engaged over the holidays and start wedding planning yourself, you just don’t know it yet! I know you will really enjoy this conversation, and I promise you will learn something.
How to Plan a Wedding: A Month-by-Month Guide for Modern Weddings by Terri Pous
Some episodes of this show are more niche, and some apply to us all—and this is an example of the latter. No matter where you’re at in your personal finance journey—whether you’re debt free and have it all figured out or are in a rock bottom moment financially—my guest today is here to teach you something. I am so excited to introduce you to my personal finance heroine Tiffany Aliche, also known as “The Budgetnista,” whose new book, Made Whole: The Practical Guide to Reaching Your Financial Goals, follows her New York Times-bestselling book Get Good with Money. Tiffany and I have a candid conversation about everything from budgets to savings to living wills, 401Ks, how a credit score is calculated, and more. If you’re intimidated by personal finance, you’re certainly not alone—but through this episode and reading her 10-step book, I promise you will emerge more confident and ready to tackle your personal finance goals as we walk into 2024. Don’t forget to visit madewholeworkbook.com (also linked below) to grab your copy!
Made Whole: The Practical Guide to Reaching Your Financial Goals by Tiffany Aliche
Today’s season nine opener is so fun—I could have talked to Rob Harvilla forever! We are going back to our mutual favorite decade, the 1990s, specifically to talk the decade’s music. And what a random grab bag assortment that decade was in terms of music: grunge. Ska. Swing. The Latin explosion. Bubblegum pop. Hip-hop—perhaps some of the best of the genre, ever. MTV still played music videos (!), and played them all the time. We all knew every song on the Top 40. The 1990s were magic, as Rob writes in his book 60 Songs That Explain the 90s, and we are tapping into that magic today. So many trends from the 1990s are coming back around in present day—and oh, to return to the days when our biggest worries were if we’d make it home in time to watch that day’s episode of TRL. If you know, you know.
60 Songs That Explain the 90s by Rob Harvilla
For our season eight finale, I had the honor of speaking to the editor-in-chief of Guideposts, a faith-based magazine I grew up reading, as my grandparents were subscribers. If you’ve listened to past episodes, you know that Alzheimer’s disease has profoundly affected my family, my grandparents, in particular—and that is the topic of conversation today, as I speak with Edward Grinnan about his mother’s battle with the disease and his fear of one day falling victim to it, too. This beautiful conversation has ugly facts embedded into it, like that, in the absence of a cure, Alzheimer’s will have a $355 billion economic impact by 2050. I was not given a brain for science to help cure this—but I am able to do my part to spread awareness of it. I am proud to use any platform I have to advocate for a cure for this terrible disease—and I want to dedicate this season eight finale (and all of my work) to my grandparents, who I miss every day of my life.
A Journey of Faith: A Mother’s Alzheimer’s, a Son’s Love, and His Search for Answers by Edward Grinnan
Samantha Harris—a broadcaster who you know from co-hosting Dancing with the Stars alongside Tom Bergeron for seven seasons and hosting shows like E! News, Entertainment Tonight, and so many more—is the picture of health, and even wrote the book on it back in 2018. She’s also a breast cancer survivor and learned firsthand that, at the end of the day, if your health is compromised, not much else matters. Today we have a wide ranging conversation about diet, exercise, and getting to our healthiest healthy—and don’t forget to reach out to her via Instagram or Facebook for her clean beauty products PDF, which she has graciously offered to all of you listeners. Just DM her @samanthaharristv for this great resource.
Your Healthiest Healthy: 8 Easy Steps to Take Control, Help Prevent and Fight Cancer, and Live a Longer, Cleaner, Happier Life by Samantha Harris
Who knew that a text about blueberries could nearly end a marriage? Eve Rodsky received a text from her husband, Seth, asking why she didn’t pick up blueberries at the store—and it sparked a movement that has saved countless marriages and made women’s time and the value of it a topic in the forefront of conversation. A Harvard-educated lawyer, Eve is the author of two of my favorite books: Fair Play: A Game Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live) and Find Your Unicorn Space: Reclaim Your Creative Life in a Too Busy World. Both books, at their core, are about time: in Fair Play, how to create a more equitable division of labor within a household, and in Find Your Unicorn Space, how to create—period. Creativity, as Eve argues, is not optional—it is essential, and makes us more interested and interesting. This is an interview I’ve wanted to have for years and am so thankful to have made it happen, hence its release on Thanksgiving. Both books are essential to modern womanhood (and personhood, really), and are groundbreaking in their respective approaches. Two must reads, and a must listen.
Fair Play: A Game Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live) by Eve Rodsky
Find Your Unicorn Space: Reclaim Your Creative Life In a Too Busy World by Eve Rodsky
This conversation lit a fire in me, and I knew I’d Rather Be Reading was nowhere near finished. Mitch is the author of my favorite work of fiction of all time, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, and his latest, The Little Liar, is just as powerful. It takes us back to the Holocaust, a beautiful tale during an awful time told masterfully by the well-researched and thoughtful Mitch Albom. This show is about nonfiction books, so you know if we have a fiction pick on the show, it’s special. That’s what this book is, in a nutshell—special, and worthy of a spot on your bookshelf.
The Little Liar by Mitch Albom
The Murdaugh saga (there is no better word I can find for it than that) gripped the nation earlier this year, as patriarch Alex Murdaugh was sentenced to two life sentences for the brutal murders of his wife, Maggie, and younger son, Paul. As horrific as that crime alone is, that’s nowhere near where the Murdaugh saga begins or ends. In 2019, a boat driven by Paul crashed and killed friend Mallory Beach; an upcoming hearing about the Murdaugh finances is what I believe killed Paul and Maggie just three days prior. There’s also the 2015 murder of Stephen Smith on a rural road in Hampton County, South Carolina, and the 2018 alleged “accidental” death of the Murdaugh housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield. Three months after Paul and Maggie were murdered in June 2021, Alex was shot in the head in a failed assisted suicide that September. He was eventually arrested for Paul and Maggie’s murders and convicted on March 2, 2023. Alex is also believed to have embezzled up to $20 million, mostly from his clients he was paid to help, all in support of a rampant opioid addiction. Today on the show we have the reporter who covered the Murdaughs from the 2019 boat crash forward, Mandy Matney. In addition to covering the case, she also hosts the extremely popular Murdaugh Murders podcast, and if you know anything about the Murdaugh saga, you’ve likely heard of her or her podcast. Her new book about the Murdaugh trial comes out November 14, and it’s a must read if you’re even 1 percent interested in this wild “truth is stranger than fiction” saga.
Blood on Their Hands: Murder, Corruption, and the Fall of the Murdaugh Dynasty by Mandy Matney
It’s very rare I know my guests on the show personally, but for today’s episode, I do. I have been proud to know Mark Dent and Rustin Dodd since our days as students at the University of Kansas, where we all graduated from journalism school in the same class—the class of 2009. (As the senior class president of the class of 2009 back in my glory days, to that I say a heartfelt Rock Chalk.) Mark and Rustin have gone on to have extremely successful careers, both in sportswriting; Mark is now working in the business and tech sector. (You’ll hear all about what they’ve done with the past 14 years on the show.) These longtime friends just wrote a book together, Kingdom Quarterback: Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs, and How a Once Swingin’ Cow Town Chased the Ultimate Comeback, which zooms in on the quarterback of a generation, Patrick Mahomes, and how the Kansas City Chiefs have gone from struggling to winning their first Super Bowl in 50 years in 2020, made another Super Bowl appearance in 2021, and won this year’s Super Bowl, as well. (And more to come.) In addition to being about Mahomes and the Chiefs, the book is just as much about Kansas City—a love letter of sorts to the place where Mark and Rustin grew up. And if you’re wondering about the Kansas City Chiefs elephant in the room—Taylor Swift—yes, we do talk about her, and her connection to the so-called “greater Kansas City area” goes even deeper than you think.
Kingdom Quarterback: Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs, and How a Once Swingin’ Cow Town Chased the Ultimate Comeback by Mark Dent and Rustin Dodd
It's January 15, 1978. Kathy Kleiner is a student at Florida State University and is asleep in her room at the Chi Omega sorority house. Unbeknownst to her, a serial killer named Ted Bundy has discovered the sorority house’s back door is accessible—the lock is broken. That night, he broke into the house, murdered two of her sorority sisters, savagely injured Kathy and her roommate, and changed so many lives forever. Today, Kathy gets to tell her story. It is harrowing and terrifying, and please be forewarned that this conversation contains graphic descriptions of violence that is very difficult to listen to. Bundy was ultimately convicted of murder in Florida and executed by electrocution on January 24, 1989; his total victim count is unknown, but it numbers over 30 women across seven states from 1974 to 1978. Kathy is the first confirmed survivor of his to write a book, and it is a beautiful one, though the subject matter is ugly. As Kathy put it, she didn’t just want to survive—she wanted to live. And that she has. This book is her offering to honor Bundy’s victims who never got the chance to tell their story. One of the most, if not the most, powerful conversations I’ve ever had.
A Light in the Dark: Surviving More Than Ted Bundy by Kathy Kleiner Rubin
From beauty in our last throwback pick episode to fashion in this one, I have another of my heroes, Robin Givhan, on the program today. Robin is a fashion critic at The Washington Post and is a Pulitzer Prize winner, having won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 2006—the first time that award was given to a fashion writer. Just as she herself has made history, her 2015 book The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled into the Spotlight and Made History talks about a night that was so culturally impactful it forever changed the history of fashion, specifically American fashion. The Battle of Versailles took place 50 years ago this month, and saw five French designers (Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Cardin, Emanuel Ungaro, Marc Bohan, and Hubert de Givenchy) pitted against five American designers (Oscar de la Renta, Stephen Burrows, Halston, Bill Blass, and Anne Klein) in a competition concocted to raise money for the restoration of the Palace of Versailles. The deck was more than stacked against the American fashion designers—it was all but assured that victory would go to the French. But then, lo and behold, the Americans stole the show, and not just the American fashion industry but the global fashion industry changed forever. It is a fantastic conversation about a game-changing moment in history with one of the most respected journalists in the fashion stratosphere. I can’t wait for you to listen.
The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled Into the Spotlight and Made History by Robin Givhan
Today’s episode is truly a dream come true—I get to chat with one of my heroes in the magazine industry, Jean Godfrey-June, current beauty editor at Goop, former beauty editor at Lucky, a writer for Elle and Vanity Fair, and the author of today’s throwback pick, 2006’s Free Gift with Purchase: My Improbable Career in Magazines and Makeup—her memoir. I am happy to tell you that, even though she’s interviewed everyone and seen everything, she is so down to earth and relatable—the ultimate cool girl. A legend in the beauty space and in the magazine industry (and she is currently cringing as she reads this), Jean takes us inside the golden era of magazines, what its like to be inside the beauty closet at one of the world’s biggest fashion magazines, and we pay very much due homage to the dearly departed Lucky magazine. This is a conversation not to be missed, my friends.
Free Gift with Purchase: My Improbable Career in Magazines and Makeup by Jean Godfrey-June
When we think of famous pairs, we’ve got Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Thelma and Louise, Bonnie and Clyde, and, per the topic of today’s discussion, Siskel and Ebert. These two film critics were fierce rivals working for competing newspapers in Chicago and never envisioned working together—when I say they were bitter rivals, put some emphasis on the bitter—but ended up uniting to form a partnership that changed the way we see movies forever. Here to talk about it all is Matt Singer, whose new book explores the team of Siskel and Ebert, how they changed the game, and what their legacy is, 25 years after Gene Siskel unexpectedly passed away in early 1999.
Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever by Matt Singer
Here’s the thing: whether we claim it or not, we all have a personal style. So why not take control of it and leverage it for the good? Our guest today, Allison Bornstein, will teach you how to do just that. There are so many quantifiable tips on this episode -- The AB Closet Editing System! The Three Word Method! The Nine Universal Pieces! -- that the only way you won’t learn something is if you don’t listen. When you look good, you feel good, and, as Allison will teach us, fashion is a tool for self-expression and overall wellness. Let’s lean into it!
Wear it Well: Reclaim Your Closet and Rediscover the Joy of Getting Dressed by Allison Bornstein
The 1970s was a pivotal decade in the wide world of sports: Title IX and women and sports; widespread racial integration across athletics; athletes taking their power back and taking ownership of their careers; sports shifting to primetime television; and so much more. I don’t think any of us realize until author Michael MacCambridge put it all in writing just how much the 1970s changed sports forever. He is here to talk about it all with me today—and stick around until the end of the episode, where two Kansas City Chiefs aficionados shoot the breeze about the infiltration of Taylor Swift into our city. It’s a great listen.
The Big Time: How the 1970s Transformed Sports in America by Michael MacCambridge
Just when you think you know everything there is to know about the Beatles, the most famous group in history—you’re wrong. Today on the show we have the Beatles expert himself, Philip Norman, here to break down George Harrison, as complex and complicated a character as they come. Just about as antithetical to fame as it gets, George never saw his talent like the rest of the world did, and his contributions to music are vast: “Something.” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” “Here Comes the Sun.” “My Sweet Lord.” In addition to his professional life, his personal life is compelling too. (Four words—Pattie Boyd. Eric Clapton.) He left us far too soon nearly 22 years ago, and I am excited to bring you part of his story through this conversation.
As ever in Hollywood, there are so many movies set to be released by the end of the year that are based on books, both nonfiction and fiction. Take a listen to what to expect when it comes to movie adaptations of fantastic memoirs, biographies, works of nonfiction, novels, and more -- and see which ones sound appealing to you.
If you’ve been looking for a book that clearly and concisely lays out how to live your best life—your happiest, healthiest life—you’re in luck, because this episode is about just that! Liz Moody’s latest book, 100 Ways to Change Your Life: The Science of Leveling Up Health, Happiness, Relationships, and Success, came out this week and offers up 100 easily implementable tips to live a full life. As I start to implement some of the 100 tips into my own life, I am already noticing a difference, and I know you will, too. My favorite part about this show is, ultimately, improving our lives together, so take a listen to but a sampling of how to do just that through our conversation.
100 Ways to Change Your Life: The Science of Leveling Up Health, Happiness, Relationships, and Success by Liz Moody
What a powerful episode we have for you today, listeners -- on the program we have former U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas Nicole Avant, whose new book talks about working through grief after the murder of her mother, Jacqueline Avant, in December 2021, and the loss of her father, Clarence Avant, this past August. Grief is certainly not something any of us want to face, but when it's here, it helps to follow the lead of others who have navigated it and are navigating it, too, and the lessons and wisdom in this book are ones I'll keep in my heart forever.
Think You'll Be Happy: Moving Through Grief with Grit, Grace, and Gratitude by Nicole Avant
Talk about feeling seen—when I read Alicia Menendez’s book The Likeability Trap: How to Break Free and Succeed As You Are four years ago, I thought, “Finally. Someone gets me.” And, listeners, I believe you will feel seen too through this conversation, though I wish that wasn’t so. So often women in particular have to choose between being successful and likeable. Why is it so difficult to like a successful woman? And why do we care if we are liked at all? We dig into everything in this Throwback Pick conversation—one of many this season.
The Likeability Trap: How to Break Free and Succeed As You Are by Alicia Menendez
What are you most afraid of? Chances are, it's one of the nine fears that personal finance expert Farnoosh Torabi encourages readers to face head on in her latest book, "A Healthy State of Panic." Instead of attempting to become fearless, she encourages us to stare fear in the face and embrace it as a gift. We are used to hearing from Farnoosh sound advice about all things money -- and while that component is in the book, too, the book is so, so much more than that. It destigmatizes fear and, once we confront it, we can conquet it.
A Healthy State of Panic: Follow Your Fears to Build Wealth, Crush Your Career, and Win at Life by Farnoosh Torabi
Cindy Chupack is a multihyphenate -- a screenwriter, a director, an executive producer, a Golden Globe winner, an Emmy winner. She has written for iconic shows like Sex and the City (where I first became aware of her work -- she wrote more episodes of the show than almost anyone), Modern Family, Everybody Loves Raymond, Divorce, and so many more, and, for the past five years, she has been directing, as well. In addition to that -- and serving as an executive producer -- Cindy has written three books and is an advocate for writers emerging and established. I have wanted to go inside the writer's room of Sex and the City for 25 years, and today, we get to have a glimpse inside it. One of my favorite conversations to date!
Here are Cindy's three fantastic books:
The Between Boyfriends Book: A Collection of Cautiously Hopeful Essays
The Longest Date: Life as a Wife
We Waited for You: Now We're a Family
And here is a link to her website, where she is generous with tips for fellow writers:
We have a fantastic episode for you today! In our first Yesteryear Pick of season eight, we have on the show Brian Stelter, who literally wrote the book on morning television. His 2013 book "Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV" was the basis of Apple TV+'s hit series "The Morning Show" starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. The show's third season premiered this month, and Brian is on the show today to talk about it, why morning television will always be important, and what has changed in the genre in the past decade since his book was released.
"Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV" by Brian Stelter
We're back! Season eight will be a bit of this, a bit of that -- I'm calling it my potpourri season. We'll have some fiction picks, some yesteryear picks, but still keep to our ethos of bringing you the best current nonfiction picks, like today's episode. Marisa Meltzer has just released the book of the season three days ago, and it dives into the rise of the beauty brand Glossier, its mysterious founder Emily Weiss, and the beauty industry as a whole in the U.S. It is a must read, even if you're not historically interested in beauty. It's so good to be back with you for this scattered season, but we're here, and I am so happy! I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I enjoyed having it.
Glossy: Ambition, Beauty, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss' Glossier by Marisa Meltzer
Surprise! Only for Luke Russert would I come back from hiatus -- and what a great chat this was. Luke's book is a New York Times bestseller, and for good reason. It unpacks the grief he felt over losing his father, Tim Russert, at such a young age; traveling the world in search of himself; his relationship with his mother Maureen Orth, also an iconic journalist; nepotism in the workplace; and so much more. This will be our last episode for a while, so I hope you enjoy it -- and pick up this book. You'll love it.
Look for Me There: Grieving My Father, Finding Myself by Luke Russert
For our season seven finale, we're chatting with the wonderful Anna Kloots about rediscovering your magic. Magic, as you'll hear in our conversation, was a central theme in Anna's life -- her ex-husband was a magician. When they divorced, Anna lost her marriage, her home, and her job, and was forced to start over and build a life from the ruins. As you'll hear, she built a life she is proud of -- one that is, well, magic.
As I announced in the last episode, at the close of season seven I'd Rather Be Reading is going on hiatus. Thank you to ALL of my guests, listeners, and especially my beautiful mother, Joy -- the show's unabashed biggest fan -- for supporting this show. It has been an honor reading with you for the past two years.
My Own Magic: A Reappearing Act by Anna Kloots
Two of my favorite topics to study -- sports and the American presidency -- are fused into one in this fascinating book, and I can't wait for you to learn how presidents from Eisenhower to Biden interface with athletics. Some, like Nixon, can quote stats like they're reciting the alphabet. Some, like Johnson, aren't big fans. Some, like Ford, played a sport and played it well. Some, like Biden, could take it or leave it. So interesting -- and the Clinton anecdote had me uncontrollably laughing.
Power Players: Sports, Politics, and the American Presidency by Chris Cillizza
If you remember an episode from last summer I put out about the team, you know that I am a passionate, albeit new, fan of the New York Yankees. That fandom continues, and our conversation today about the 1998 Yankees -- one of the best Major League Baseball teams ever -- far predates my becoming a fan. But our guest today, Jack Curry, was very much there and covering it, and he's written a beautiful book about it. You don't have to be a Yankees fan to appreciate this episode. If you love the game of baseball, or even if you're just mildly interested, you'll enjoy this conversation.
The 1998 Yankees: The Inside Story of the Greatest Baseball Team Ever by Jack Curry
We certainly have read much about Jacqueline Kennedy (and have even done a couple of episodes about her on this show). We also know much about Jacqueline Onassis. But what about Jacqueline Bouvier, the woman before marriage, pursuing a career in Washington, D.C., falling in love with Paris, and attending Queen Elizabeth's Coronation as her last hoorah as a single woman during the late spring days of 1953? This book zooms in on Jackie from 1949 to 1953, during her early twenties, in a formative time of her life that we don't often discuss. To talk about it is perhaps the leading expert on First Ladies in the entire world -- Carl Sferrazza Anthony. I can't wait for you to hear this episode!
Camera Girl: The Coming of Age of Jackie Bouvier Kennedy by Carl Sferrazza Anthony
Who knew that the generation you were born into -- obviously through no choice of your own -- could shape SO much of who you are? Today we're talking about a really interesting topic: The six currently living generations, spanning the Silents (the oldest of whom were born in 1925) to the Polars (who are being born even as you read this). Why does our generation have so much influence over us? And what are each of the generations like? This and so much more are covered in today's episode.
Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents -- and What They Mean for America's Future by Dr. Jean M. Twenge
Charlotte Fox Weber is a therapist, and from her practice, she's uncovered the 12 most common human desires and has written a book about all of them. Each desire gets its own chapter -- and I'll bet you share these desires, too. (No, we're not talking explicit sexual desires, although that certainly can be a part of it.) Listen in for a therapist's insight and one of the most brilliant metaphors I've ever heard -- still can't get over it.
Tell Me What You Want: A Therapist and Her Clients Explore Our 12 Deepest Desires by Charlotte Fox Weber
Not just some of us, but ALL of us need a strong, effective personal brand. The good news is? My guest today can help you build just that. Not only is this book fantastic, but so is our guest, Aliza Licht -- she has enough experience to take a personal branding novice or a personal branding professional to the next level. Listen and prepare to learn!
On Brand: Shape Your Narrative, Share Your Vision, Shift Their Perception by Aliza Licht
We have another memoirist on the show today! As you'll hear me say in the introduction, after reading Maggie Smith's book, I was flummoxed as to how I would ask her MORE questions about her life after she wrote such a candid, raw, vulnerable memoir. Hadn't she already given me enough on the page? But off the page, Maggie is just as dazzling, as you'll no doubt hear for yourself. A poet and a memoirist, Maggie doesn't shy away from honesty and transparency about some difficult topics she has faced. It's how we all should be -- brave, courageous, bold.
You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith
What we think of as self-care might not be self-care at all. In fact, what we've come to know as "self-care" -- think expensive wellness retreats and fad diets and juice cleanses and creams and serums and the like -- is part of a gigantic self-care industry that makes its profit on making people, and especially women, feel terrible about themselves. That is not self-care. In fact, REAL self-care, as our guest today tells us, does the opposite of making ourselves feel terrible: It honors ourselves, uplifts ourselves, and celebrates ourselves. Not only that, but it's an inside job -- not something we can attend or purchase or obtain. Such a meaningful conversation that I hope you enjoy and get something out of.
Real Self-Care: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness (Crystals, Cleanses, and Bubble Baths Not Included) by Dr. Pooja Lakshmin
Resiliency has become a problem in our society. If something gets too hard, we abandon it -- after all, there are many, MANY other options we can choose from that maybe won't be so difficult. The "swiping" culture -- think shopping online and dating apps -- has become habitual online but offline, too, meaning we continually disengage and never finish what we start. This has a human cost, and we're talking about it today.
Swipe: The Science Behind Why We Don’t Finish What We Start by Tracy Maylett and Tim Vandehey
The title of Dr. Henry Cloud's latest book is simple: Trust. But its subtitle (and the concept itself) is much more complex -- Knowing When to Give It, When to Withhold It, How to Earn It, and How to Fix It When It Gets Broken. Whew! Trust is vitally important in all of our lives, and Dr. Cloud gives a masterclass on it in today's episode. It's truly a must listen episode and a must read book for everyone.
Trust: Knowing When to Give It, When to Withhold It, How to Earn It, and How to Fix It When It Gets Broken by Dr. Henry Cloud
I never planned for it to be this way, but we finally have our first male guest of season seven! It has been girl power thus far. And Dr. William Li comes with the masterclass in health and wellness today, specifically about metabolism -- get ready to learn so much. We cover the gamut, from metabolism to intermittent fasting to one takeaway we can do today to start righting our metabolism and getting to a healthier us. Listeners, you know health and wellness episodes are some of my favorites these days, and this one does NOT disappoint!
Eat to Beat Your Diet: Burn Fat, Heal Your Metabolism, and Live Longer by Dr. William Li
Sensitive people often get a bad rap, especially sensitive men. But today I talk to an author who says sensitivity is a superpower, and that sensitive people are filled with gifts that bring so much to the world. Plus, we reveal the legendary rock star that self-identifies as a sensitive person -- and who it is might surprise you.
Sensitive: The Hidden Power of the Highly Sensitive Person in a Loud, Fast, Too Much World by Jenn Granneman and Andre Solo
The United States may well have had its first female president already. The problem? Nobody knew it. After President Woodrow Wilson suffered a devastating stroke in October 1919, his wife, First Lady Edith Wilson, became acting president until his second term ended on March 4, 1921. Today we talk about that decision and the woman who was Edith Wilson, who was acting president before women even had the right to vote.
Untold Power: The Fascinating Rise and Complex Legacy of First Lady Edith Wilson by Rebecca Boggs Roberts
We have made it to our 100th episode! I could not be happier to reach this milestone, and to reach it with all of you, talking about nonfiction books. I have an extra special guest on the show today, Cyndie Spiegel, and we are talking about how to find joy no matter what you're facing in life right now. I realize that some of my episodes apply to only certain people -- but I chose this book for our centennial because this topic applies to ALL of us. Sit back and prepare to be enriched by this meaningful conversation. And THANK YOU, listeners, for helping us reach this special day!
Microjoys: Finding Hope (Especially) When Life Is Not Okay by Cyndie Spiegel
I love a good fashion episode, and this is definitely a good fashion episode! Today on the show I've got Maggie Bullock -- a writer for Vogue, Elle, Vanity Fair, The Cut, and more -- and we're talking about J. Crew, the original lifestyle brand. From its founding 40 years ago to now has seen the company go from the highest of highs to filing for bankruptcy in 2020. How did this happen? And how is J. Crew doing today? We dig into it all in a book Vogue calls one of its most anticipated books of 2023.
The Kingdom of Prep: The Inside Story of the Rise and (Near) Fall of J. Crew by Maggie Bullock
Working moms have the deck stacked against them: They constantly feel like they are failing -- at work, at home, and everywhere in between. Today I sit down with Paula Faris -- who now runs her own company, CARRY Media, after a successful career as an Emmy Award-winning journalist and television personality. (You might know her from her days at ABC, where she was co-anchor of Good Morning America Weekend and a cohost of The View.) Now, she says, she's reporting on her most important assignment -- the life of an American working mom, which, as you'll hear in our conversation, is one rife with challenges.
You Don't Have to Carry It All: Ditch the Mom Guilt and Find a Better Way Forward by Paula Faris
As I told Dr. Amy Shah on today's episode, I wish I'd had this book YEARS ago. We talk about why we crave what we crave, what we can do about it, how to tell whether we are hungry or thirsty (or bored), and so much surrounding the topic of food and the complexities it carries. I learned so much from this book and this conversation, including a confirmation of my long held belief that there's something about a Coke from McDonald's that just tastes better. There's a lot to get into here, and we tackle all of it.
I'm So Effing Hungry: Why We Crave What We Crave -- And What To Do About It by Dr. Amy Shah
We are kicking off season SEVEN -- seven! -- today with a guest I know you'll love as much as I did: Mallory Ervin. Hailing from Kentucky (and a former Miss Kentucky, at that!), Mallory has had a full life, no doubt: from finishing fourth runner up at Miss America, Mallory went on to appear on "The Amazing Race" and launch her own lifestyle brand seven years ago. The road to the content place she is at now wasn't without bumps, and Mallory is candid about those. She can now confidently say she's living the life she dreamed of, and her latest book can help YOU see what the life you dream of looks like, too. A great way to usher in our seventh season!
All In: A Vision for Living Fully Every Day by Mallory Ervin
For our season six finale, we're talking to the brilliant Katherine May about finding enchantment again. When did we stop seeing the wonder of our everyday lives? And how can we get back to that childlike sense of amazement on a daily basis? This is a beautiful conversation with a talented writer and truly fantastic person.
Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in An Anxious Age by Katherine May
So many of us feel stuck in our lives from time to time. So few of us actually DO something about it. In this book, Alisha Fernandez Miranda takes us along for her "what if year" -- prepare to be inspired to do the same for yourselves and live the life you've dreamed about.
My What If Year by Alisha Fernandez Miranda
Did you know that The Beatles and James Bond were both launched on the very same Friday? October 5, 1962 -- a day that will forever live on in pop culture history. Today on the show we talk about what both mean to the U.K. and the world.
Love and Let Die: James Bond, The Beatles, and the British Psyche by John Higgs
The term status is undergoing a revolution, writer Chuck Thompson says -- with status available to the masses now and so easily attainable, has it become irrelevant? An incredibly cerebral discussion that will no doubt leave you thinking about status' place in 2023 -- if it has one at all.
The Status Revolution: The Improbable Story of How the Lowbrow Became the Highbrow by Chuck Thompson
If you want to feel better, stronger, and more resilient this year, this is the episode for you. Join me as I chat with Dr. Molly Maloof about all things health and wellness -- most especially about how to get our spark back. Let's do this!
The Spark Factor: The Secret to Supercharging Energy, Becoming Resilient, and Feeling Better Than Ever by Dr. Molly Maloof
It's a new way of looking at the concept of leadership: One where the door is open to everyone, where everyone is encouraged to lead, and where leadership is seen as an activity, not a person or a position. This inspiring conversation will help you find a way where you can contribute -- because we need your leadership.
When Everyone Leads: How the Toughest Challenges Get Seen and Solved by Julia Fabris McBride and Ed O'Malley
Even our toughest decisions can be made with Trey Gowdy's three-pronged decision making framework, which asks three simple yet profound questions: Should I start? Should I stay? Or should I leave?
Start, Stay, or Leave: The Art of Decision Making by Trey Gowdy
Continuing our "Relationships Week" here on the show, we're chatting today about dating. Why do we hate it so much, rather than embracing this season? And how can we have a better experience -- including on first dates? Michelle Elman's got the answers.
The Selfish Romantic: How to Date Without Feeling Bad About Yourself by Michelle Elman
Who among us DOESN'T want improved relationships, both with ourselves and with others? This week is what I'm calling "Relationships Week" on the show, where we talk to two great authors about how to do just that. If you're looking for healthy, fulfilling relationships in your life, take a listen to this important episode.
Making Great Relationships: Simple Practices for Solving Conflicts, Building Connection, and Fostering Love by Dr. Rick Hanson
Stephen A. Smith brings his trademarked authenticity to the show today -- you may think you know Stephen A. Smith, but I guarantee you'll learn more about this fascinating person after listening (and reading his book!).
Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes by Stephen A. Smith
You know that line from "Already Gone" by The Eagles that says "So oftentimes it happens that we live our lives in chains and we never even know we have the key"? Well, this episode is about just that: Getting unstuck, and realizing you have the key to live the life of your dreams, if we'd all only just realize it.
You Are Not Stuck: How Soul-Guided Choices Transform Fear into Freedom by Becky Vollmer
The Vietnam War is perhaps America's most misunderstood war, a conflict left largely in the shadows. Today we unpack the pivotal years of 1965 to 1968 in Vietnam with a true expert on the subject. Whether you love history or not, it's a conversation not to be missed.
Triumph Regained: The Vietnam War 1965-1968 by Mark Moyar
Who among us wouldn't benefit from adding more fun to their lives in 2023? We've got an expert here to help you do just that!
The Fun Habit: How the Pursuit of Joy and Wonder Can Change Your Life by Dr. Mike Rucker
In our second annual “best books” episode, I invite my dear friend Carla Jean back to run down the best books of 2022, nonfiction and fiction—and what we’re both looking forward to reading in 2023.
Here are the books mentioned in the episode (there are a LOT of them!):
Books Carla Jean Wrote:
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio: How the Swampers Changed American Music by Carla Jean Whitley
Birmingham Beer: A Heady History of Brewing in the Magic City by Carla Jean Whitley
Balancing Act: Yoga Essays by Carla Jean Whitley
Carla Jean’s Best Nonfiction Books of 2022:
Lost & Found by Kathryn Schulz (also mentioned—Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep)
The Crane Wife by CJ Hauser (also mentioned by me—Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed and by Carla Jean—Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss by Margaret Renkl)
In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss by Amy Bloom
A late add Carla Jean forgot to mention on the show—Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives by Mary Laura Philpott
Carla Jean’s Best Fiction Books of 2022:
We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman
This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub
Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro (also mentioned—Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love by the same author)
My Fiction Pick of 2022:
Meant to Be by Emily Giffin
Books Carla Jean is Looking Forward to Reading in 2023 (Or Already Has Read and Recommends):
The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li (fiction)
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (fiction)
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler (fiction)
The Urgent Life: My Story of Love, Loss, and Survival by Bozoma Saint John (nonfiction)
Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age by Katherine May (I cosign this, and also another book by the same author, Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times—both nonfiction)
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano (fiction, and also Dear Edward by the same author)
You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith (nonfiction)
Midwest Shreds by Mandy Shunnarah (nonfiction)
Losing Music by John Cotter (nonfiction)
Books I Am Looking Forward to Reading in 2023 (Or Already Have Read and Recommend, All Nonfiction Naturally):
And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle by Jon Meacham
The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama
Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit and Glamour of an Icon by Kate Andersen Brower
Spare by Prince Harry and J.R. Moehringer
8 Rules of Love: How to Find It, Keep It, and Let It Go by Jay Shetty
Whew! Happy reading! And happy new year!
What an honor it was to chat with one of my teenage heroines about THE most important of topics -- total body health and wellness. This is a conversation you won't want to miss. Come for the valuable information, and stay for Lo's passion about health and wellness. It's impossible to not be motivated for a healthier 2023 after listening to this conversation.
Love Yourself Well: An Empowering Wellness Guide to Supporting Your Gut, Brain, and Vagina by Lo Bosworth
It only took us 80 episodes, but finally -- we're exploring true crime!
Deliberate Cruelty: Truman Capote, the Millionaire's Wife, and the Murder of the Century by Roseanne Montillo
We are all about to enter the holiday season, a chance to spend ample time with family. This is great -- unless it's not. Today I chat with renowned psychotherapist Julia Samuel -- who many of you may know as a dear friend of the late Princess of Wales -- about navigating family dynamics, grief, and so much more. For my U.S. listeners, it's truly a conversation worth listening to on your way to Thanksgiving this year!
Every Family Has a Story: How We Inherit Love and Loss by Julia Samuel
Alzheimer's disease is devastating across the board -- to the one diagnosed, and to his or her loved ones and caretakers. Today, for our season five finale, we tackle a tough topic, but one that matters: Alzheimer's disease, sometimes referred to as "The Longest Goodbye."
The Longest Goodbye: A Family's Hope-Filled Journey Through Alzheimer's by Shelly Calcagno
I promise this isn't slowly morphing into a music podcast, but this book was too good to not share with you! What does the Billboard Hot 100 chart mean not just to American music, but to American culture? We dig in!
The Number Ones: Twenty Chart-Topping Hits That Reveal the History of Pop Music by Tom Breihan
Also, check out "The Number Ones" column on Stereogum!
This one is a BIG DEAL for me -- it's Melody Beattie! The author of perhaps the most well-known self-help and relationship book of all time, Codependent No More, on MY show! Unbelievably cool. Melody has rereleased the book 30 years after its 1992 revision, and 36 years after its original publication. If you've read it, it likely changed your life -- and if you haven't, grab a copy and prepare to close the book changed for the better.
Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself by Melody Beattie
What an absolute delight it was to talk to an American hero -- a former U.S. Secret Service agent who served five presidential administrations, from Eisenhower to Ford. You won't want to miss Agent Clint Hill's stories about traveling around the world with First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, chronicled in his new book.
My Travels with Mrs. Kennedy by Clint Hill and Lisa McCubbin Hill
We are on a music kick over here -- and today we're chatting about Stevie Nicks.
Mirror in the Sky: The Life and Music of Stevie Nicks by Simon Morrison
Brian Wilson is one of the most influential and iconic artists of the 20th century. What impact has he had on music and on culture, and who is he as a man, not just a musician?
God Only Knows: The Story of Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys, and the California Myth by David Leaf
Friendships are a force -- but why are friendships harder to come by as adults? And why do we not find them as important as, say, romance? We delve deep into the power of friendship in today's episode.
Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make--and Keep--Friends by Dr. Marisa Franco
Today, we unpack the impact belonging -- or not belonging -- has on our lives. It's a crucial and critical part of the human experience, and Rachel is lucky to have THE belonging expert, Geoffrey Cohen, on the show to discuss.
Belonging: The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides by Geoffrey L. Cohen
Also check out The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories by a talent we lost far too soon, Marina Keegan
Boundaries are essential to living your best life and feeling empowered -- but, when it comes to enforcing them, the deck seems to be stacked against us, especially if you're a woman.
Brave Boundaries: Strategies to Say No, Stand Strong, and Take Control of Your Time by Dr. Sasha Shillcutt
The twenty-first anniversary of September 11, 2001 is this week -- may we never forget the sacrifices made.
Five Floors Up: The Heroic Family Story of Four Generations in the FDNY by Brian McDonald
Someday, that glass ceiling will shatter -- and we may be closer than we think.
Electable: Why America Hasn't Put a Woman in the White House...Yet by Ali Vitali
This week, Rachel would rather be delving into a time capsule of life in Los Angeles in the 1960s alongside then-married couple Dennis Hopper and Brooke Hayward.
Everybody Thought We Were Crazy: Dennis Hopper, Brooke Hayward, and 1960s Los Angeles by Mark Rozzo
Also check out An Unexpected Appearance by 13-year-old Isabelle Addo-Yobo!
This week, Rachel would rather be reading about how to get to the life she wants -- one day and one very important question at a time.
How Are You, Really?: Living Your Truth One Answer at a Time by Jenna Kutcher
Jenna is a podcaster, herself -- her Goal Digger podcast is a must listen.
This week, Rachel would rather be reading about liking herself rather than depending on others to do so. This is such a powerful book and conversation!
Liking Myself Back: An Influencer's Journey from Self-Doubt to Self-Acceptance by Jacey Duprie
This week, right in the heart of baseball season, Rachel would rather be reading about the Bronx Bombers. Love 'em or hate 'em, you can't deny their power.
The Franchise: New York Yankees: A Curated History of the Bronx Bombers by Mark Feinsand
This week, Rachel would rather be reading about her writing inspiration -- the one and only Nora Ephron.
Nora Ephron: A Biography by Kristin Marguerite Doidge
This week, Rachel would rather be reading about one of the most influential forces in both fashion and culture, the one and only Anna Wintour.
Anna: The Biography by Amy Odell
Tonight on Showtime, a brand new and FANTASTIC anthology series premieres: "The First Lady." It zooms in on three First Ladies in particular -- Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford, and Michelle Obama. (All of whom have written memoirs, by the way!)
To break it down, Rachel invited C-SPAN's Susan Swain to chat about these three women and the Office of First Lady.
Check out C-SPAN's phenomenal First Lady coverage here, then add the accompanying book (below) to your list.
First Ladies: Presidential Historians on the Lives of 45 Iconic American Women by Susan Swain
In 2016, Ian Halperin wrote a book about the Kardashian family -- and my oh my, SO MUCH has happened since then!
The next chapter for the world's most famous family begins tomorrow, with their new show, "The Kardashians," set to premiere on Hulu. So Rachel sat down with Ian to talk to him about it, and we got an exclusive we weren't expecting! (But were more than happy to receive.)
Heads up: There are a few choice words used in here, so we're putting the "E" tag on this episode and advising you not to listen around sensitive ears.
Kardashian Dynasty: The Controversial Rise of America's Royal Family by Ian Halperin
First of all, in case you didn't know this already, Rachel is a graduate of Kansas -- so ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK!
But, even though her team won the NCAA college basketball championship this week, she was still torn up over Coach Mike Krzyzewski's final game being a loss to, of all teams, North Carolina in the Final Four. So she rung up the guy who literally wrote the book on Coach K, Ian O'Connor, to hash it out.
Coach K: The Rise and Reign of Mike Krzyzewski by Ian O'Connor
For the season four finale, Rachel would rather be reading about a paradigm shift in our understanding of anxiety and mental health. This book is an absolute game-changer and a must read.
The Anatomy of Anxiety: Understanding and Overcoming the Body's Fear Response by Dr. Ellen Vora
We'll be on hiatus for a while -- never hesitate to reach out at helloidratherbereading@gmail.com! So proud to be part of this community with you.
This week Rachel would rather be reading about how to become a better leader through digging into community.
Mastering Community: The Surprising Ways Coming Together Moves Us from Surviving to Thriving by Christine Porath
This week Rachel would rather be talking to her new friend Madeleine about letting yourself off the hook and shelving today's to do list -- and learning how to NOT do the thing today.
I Didn't Do the Thing Today: Letting Go of Productivity Guilt by Madeleine Dore
This week Rachel would rather be reading about life as an heiress -- one can dream, right?
Heiresses: The Lives of the Million Dollar Babies by Laura Thompson
Stay tuned after the chat for some spring book picks, everything from fashion to beauty to memoirs to social change and more!
This week Rachel would rather be reading about the three women who married a generation of Kennedy men -- Jackie, Ethel, and Joan. What were their lives like as the women of Camelot?
Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot by J. Randy Taraborrelli
This week, Rachel would rather be reading about how to take her life to the next level and usher in her own version of The Big Life.
Visit Ann's website to find out about the community she is building!
This week, Rachel would rather be reading about how ubiquitous social media has become -- and how being seen isn't necessarily being known. There is so much good in this discussion!
Who Are You Following? Pursuing Jesus in a Social Media Obsessed World by Sadie Robertson Huff
This week, Rachel would rather be reading about personal finance, investing, and growing her money, honey.
Miss Independent: A Simple 12-Step Plan to Start Investing and Grow Your Own Wealth by Nicole Lapin
This week Rachel would rather be reading about the American criminal justice system by someone who knows it well.
American Injustice: Inside Stories from the Underbelly of the Criminal Justice System by David S. Rudolf
This week Rachel would rather be reading about how to eat healthier! Thankfully Michele Promaulayko, former editor-in-chief of both Cosmopolitan and Women's Health, is here to help.
Sugar Free 3: The Simple 3-Week Plan for More Energy, Better Sleep, and Surprisingly Easy Weight Loss by Michele Promaulayko
This week Rachel would rather be reading one of the greatest fiction works of all time ahead of its film adaptation's release on Friday!
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
This week Rachel would rather be reading Atoosa Rubenstein's thoughts on life and love from her Substack newsletter, Atoosa Unedited.
Atoosa Unedited by Atoosa Rubenstein
This week Rachel would rather be reading about how to apologize more effectively.
The 5 Apology Languages: The Secret to Healthy Relationships by Dr. Gary Chapman and Dr. Jennifer Thomas
This week Rachel would rather be reading lessons on life and leadership from THE QUEEN -- Coach Monica Aldama of Netflix's Cheer!
Full Out: Lessons in Life and Leadership from America's Favorite Coach by Monica Aldama
After you grab a copy of her book, set your Netflix queue for season two of Cheer, dropping January 12!
This week Rachel would rather be reading about how to avoid toxic positivity.
Toxic Positivity: Keeping It Real in a World Obsessed With Being Happy by Whitney Goodman
Stay tuned at the end of the episode for four motivational titles to jumpstart this year.
If you guessed that all four have their own book club, you're exactly right.
Here in this special mini-episode between seasons three and four, Rachel discusses four celebrity book clubs:
The Duchess of Cornwall's Reading Room
Book clubs -- whether locally or internationally, like these four -- are a fantastic way to build community around our favorite topic: Good books.
We'll be back soon with a jam-packed season four in 2022!
This week Rachel would rather be reading about life's lessons -- including "the beautiful no" -- from the inspiring Sheri Salata.
The Beautiful No: And Other Tales of Trial, Transcendence, and Transformation by Sheri Salata
Join Sheri (and Rachel!) for “Write Your New Story 2022” from January 3-7. Visit www.sherisalata.com/challenge for more information.
The end of 2021 is near, so Rachel sits down with dear friend Carla Jean Whitley to discuss the best books they read all year -- and what they're most looking forward to reading in 2022.
This week Rachel is making a conscious choice to live life to the fullest and never settle thanks to the wise words of Bonnie Fuller, current editor-in-chief of Hollywood Life and former EIC at titles like Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, YM, and Us Weekly. (Yes, if you can't tell, Rachel's heroes are magazine editors-in-chief.)
Remember, friends -- this isn't a dress rehearsal -- we're living the only life we've got. Go for every last dream you have. We only get one shot!
The Joys of Much Too Much by Bonnie Fuller
This week Rachel would rather be reading about -- and taking in stunning photos of -- some of Hollywood's most influential Black actresses.
Supreme Actresses: Iconic Black Women Who Revolutionized Hollywood by Marcellas Reynolds
This week, Rachel would rather be reading about getting organized so she can live the life she was meant to live and make space for what matters most.
Life in Jeneral: A Joyful Guide to Organizing Your Home and Creating the Space for What Matters Most by Jen Robin
The Sex and the City reboot, And Just Like That..., hits HBO in less than two weeks, so Rachel would rather be reading Sex and the City and Us, the first book chosen for her new Throwback series! This 2018 book takes a behind the curtain look at the greatest television show of all time -- in Rachel's opinion, anyway.
Sex and the City and Us: How Four Single Women Changed the Way We Think, Live, and Love by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong
This week Rachel would rather be reading about a little sister's lifelong love and devotion to her big sister, the legendary actress Natalie Wood -- who died 40 years ago this week.
Little Sister: My Investigation Into the Mysterious Death of Natalie Wood by Lana Wood
This week Rachel would rather be reading about COLLEGE BASKETBALL, baby! (Said in her best Dick Vitale voice.)
The Big East: Inside the Most Entertaining and Influential Conference in College Basketball History by Dana O'Neil
This week, Rachel would rather be reading about the childhoods of Vice President Kamala Harris and her best friend, Stacey Johnson-Batiste!
Friends from the Beginning: The Berkeley Village That Raised Kamala and Me by Stacey Johnson-Batiste
This week, Rachel would rather be reading about science -- specifically the COVID-19 vaccine and the race between Pfizer and Moderna to get shots in arms.
The First Shots: The Epic Rivalries and Heroic Science Behind the Race to the Coronavirus Vaccine by Brendan Borrell
To kickstart season three, Rachel would rather be reading about Alabama football. It is football season, after all!
We Want Bama: A Season of Hope and the Making of Nick Saban's Ultimate Team by Joseph Goodman
This week Rachel would rather be reading about the American South.
Graceland, At Last by Margaret Renkl
This episode concludes season two. We'll see you very soon with more episodes!
This week Rachel would rather be reading about Calabasas and its most famous residents -- the Kardashians.
If You Lived Here You'd Be Famous By Now: True Stories from Calabasas by Via Bleidner
Also check out
Set the Night on Fire: Living, Dying, and Playing Guitar with The Doors by Robby Krieger
This week, Rachel would rather be reading fiction for a change!
The Fianceé by Kate White
Also make sure to check out
The Wish by Nicholas Sparks
The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom
This week Rachel would rather be reading about the wonderdog Piglet.
Piglet: The Unexpected Story of a Deaf, Blind, Pink Puppy and His Family by Dr. Melissa Shapiro
Click here to learn more about Piglet's important work!
This week Rachel would rather be reading about the Kennedy dynasty.
The Ambassador: Joseph P. Kennedy at the Court of St. James's 1938-1940 by Susan Ronald
This week Rachel would rather be reading about how to have successful mornings!
Own Your Morning: Reset Your A.M. Routine To Unlock Your Potential by Liz Baker Plosser
This week Rachel would rather be reading about presidential friendships.
Check out:
First Friends: The Powerful, Unsung (And Unelected) People Who Shaped Our Presidents by Gary Ginsberg
This week Rachel would rather be reading about Aaliyah.
Baby Girl: Better Known as Aaliyah by Kathy Iandoli
This week Rachel would rather be reading Out of the Pocket by Kirk Herbstreit.
This week Rachel would rather be reading about Miss America.
There She Was: The Secret History of Miss America by Amy Argetsinger
This week Rachel would rather be reading Leave No Man Behind by Dr. Tony Brooks.
Leave No Man Behind: The Untold Story of the Rangers’ Unrelenting Search for Marcus Luttrell, the Navy SEAL Lone Survivor in Afghanistan by Dr. Tony Brooks
You should also check out Dr. Tony Brooks' website HERE.
We were going to take a longer break, but this book was too poignant not to discuss given current events.
This week Rachel would rather be reading literally anything written by Michelle Williams. Seriously, who doesn't want to read this?
Michelle Williams really doesn't need an introduction (she has a nice long wikipedia article if you're interested).
Checking In: How Getting Real about Depression Saved My Life---and Can Save Yours by Michelle Williams
If you are struggling, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
If you're looking to find a therapist, Michelle references Psychology Today (www.psychologytoday.com) in the episode. Better Help (www.betterhelp.com) or Talkspace (www.talkspace.com) are also good resources.
I'd Rather Be Reading will be back after a short break with season two!
This week Rachel would rather be reading Worthy of Wearing.
Worthy of Wearing: How Personal Style Expresses Our Feminine Genius by Nicole Caruso
You are #worthyofwearing
This week Rachel would rather be reading Style Therapy.
Style Therapy: 30 Days to Your Signature Style by Lauren Messiah
Producer's note: I need style. Rachel has great style.
This week Rachel would rather be reading Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be A-holes!
This is relatable and poignant. Make sure you listen to the whole thing because every second of this interview is good.
Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be A-holes: Unfiltered Advice on How to Raise Awesome Kids by Karen Alpert
This week Rachel would rather be reading This Beautiful Mess.
Shelly Bartholomew is a former Miss Teen USA and a fantastic writer.
This Beautiful Mess: Let Go of Perfection, Embrace Your Mess and Find Beauty In Your Story by Shelly Bartholomew
This week Rachel would rather be reading Fierce Self-Compassion.
Dr. Kristin Neff has a great website!
Fierce Self-Compassion: How Women Can Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Their Power, and Thrive by Dr. Kristin Neff
Rachel also suggests:
You Are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and the Black Experience by Tarana Burke and Dr. Brene Brown
This week Rachel would rather be reading something to help her be great, and it sounds like she found it! Rachel welcomes Ron Friedman to talk about his fantastic book.
Decoding Greatness: How the Best in the World Reverse Engineer Success by Ron Friedman
Rachel has some companion books that she think would be good reads, too:
Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire by Brad Stone
CenterStage: My Most Fascinating Interviews―from A-Rod to Jay-Z by Michael Kay
Will you accept this rose?
Rachel would rather be reading this book on the beach this week.
The Road to Roses: Heartbreak, Hope, and Finding Strength When Life Doesn't Go as Planned by Autumn Krauss and Desiree Hartsock Siegfried
In true Thursday Three fashion, though, Rachel doesn't want to leave you without a companion pick:
Thanks for Waiting: The Joy (& Weirdness) of Being a Late Bloomer by Doree Shafrir
If you're an American who survived the start of the pandemic thanks to Netflix, these guests need no introduction. This week, Rachel would rather be reading Leap of Faith by Cameron Hamilton and Lauren Speed.
Leap of Faith: Finding Love the Modern Way by Cameron Hamilton and Lauren Speed
Rachel also has some books to suggest:
Nothing Personal: My Secret Life in the Dating App Inferno by Nancy Jo Sales
Mergers and Acquisitions: Or, Everything I Know About Love I Learned on the Wedding Pages by Cate Doty
This week's Thursday Three has a special guest -- C.J. Wade.
You can find C.J. Wade's musings and a link to all of her most important writings on her site thewritewade.com. You may also enjoy her podcast Queens be Like.
C.J. Wade's Picks:
I Am Restored: How I Lost My Religion but Found My Faith by Lecrae
Rita Moreno: A Memoir by Rita Moreno
Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend
Rachel's Picks (actually three this week!):
Dream First, Details Later: How to Quit Overthinking & Make It Happen! by Ellen Marie Bennett
Growing Boldly: Dare to Build a Life You Love by Emily Ley
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
Check out the book mentioned in the show:
Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded, and Thriving by Scott O'Neil
Calling this a Thursday Three would just be lying to you. It is 38 minutes of pure book loving bliss. If you can't find a book you enjoy reading from this list of picks from these two, well, you shouldn't be listening to a podcast about books. So, for this week's "Thursday 33" we have the incomparable Sparky Reardon, a legend from the Ole Miss family and as voracious a reader as our inimitable host.
Without further ado, here are the picks listed for your convenience:
Rachel's Picks:
Seeing Serena by Gerald Marzorati
Brat: An '80s Story by Andrew McCarthy
Fearless: The New Rules for Unlocking Creativity, Courage, and Success by Rebecca Minkoff
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood: A Novel by Rebecca Wells
Sparky's Picks:
All the Light We Cannot See: A Novel by Anthony Doerr
When Evil Lived in Laurel: The "White Knights" and the Murder of Vernon Dahmer by Curtis Wilkie
The Inspector Montalbano Series by Andrea Camilleri (Producer's note: There are 28 books in the series and a BBC television series.)
Seeds Of Greatness by Denis Waitley
Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson by Mitch Albom
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Watership Down: A Novel by Richard Adams
Beach Music: A Novel by Pat Conroy
Red Dragon by Thomas Harris
The Promised Land: The Great Black Migration and How It Changed America by Nicholas Lemann
Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How it Changed America by John Barry
Dispatches from Pluto: Lost and Found in the Mississippi Delta by Richard Grant
Also, we would be remiss if we didn't share with our readers a bookstore that both host and guest recommend if you are visiting Oxford, Mississippi: Square Books
Enjoy!
This week Rachel would rather be reading Body Talk by Katie Sturino.
Body Talk: How to Embrace Your Body and Start Living Your Best Life by Katie Sturino
Rachel suggests the following four books as companions to Katie's book:
The Wreckage of My Presence: Essays by Casey Wilson
Women Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything by Geneen Roth
Comparisonitis: How to Stop Comparing Yourself To Others and Be Genuinely Happy by Melissa Ambrosini
Breaking Free from Body Shame: Dare to Reclaim What God Has Named Good by Jess Connolly
Editor's Note: If you are having issues with an eating disorder, please call the National Eating Disorder Association at 1-800-931-2237.
We love feedback -- send it to helloidratherbereading@gmail.com!
This week for our Thursday Three, Rachel is joined by fellow voracious reader and writer Carla Jean Whitley.
First, check out the three books that Carla Jean has written:
Birmingham Beer: A Heady History of Brewing in the Magic City by Carla Jean Whitley
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio: How the Swampers Changed American Music by Carla Jean Whitley
Balancing Act: Yoga Essays by Carla Jean Whitley
Carla Jean has some excellent suggestions for your reading pleasure:
Writers & Lovers: A Novel by Lily King
Sparrow Envy by J. Drew Lanham
Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss by Margaret Renkl
Letters from Max: A Poet, a Teacher, a Friendship by Sarah Ruhl
And Rachel has her usual fantastic lineup of books for Thursday:
Kennedy's Avenger: Assassination, Conspiracy, and the Forgotten Trial of Jack Ruby by Dan Abrams
The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War by Malcolm Gladwell
The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lessons from Extraordinary Lives by Katie Couric
Feel free to let us know what you're reading at helloidratherbereading@gmail.com.
See you back on Monday!
Check out the books mentioned in the show:
The Man I Knew: The Amazing Story of George H. W. Bush's Post-Presidency by Jean Becker
Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush by Jon Meacham
And here is a link to our People magazine piece -- such a delight!
Check out the books mentioned in the show:
Best Seat in the House: 18 Golden Lessons from a Father to His Son by Jack Nicklaus II
The Bench by Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex
Stronger: Courage, Hope, and Humor in My Life with John McCain by Cindy McCain
Where the Grass Is Green and the Girls Are Pretty: A Novel by Lauren Weisberger
That Summer: A Novel by Jennifer Weiner
Check out the books mentioned in the show:
The Housewives: The Real Story Behind the Real Housewives by Brian Moylan
Sign up for Brian's Housewives newsletter at vulture.com/housewives
Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo
Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
Check out the books mentioned in the show:
How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Katy Milkman
What Happened to You? by Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce Perry
Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed
Check out the books mentioned in the show:
Susan, Linda, Nina, and Cokie by Lisa Napoli
The Girls in the Balcony: Women, Men, and The New York Times by Nan Robertson
What is in store for us in Season 1 of I'd Rather Be Reading? Take a listen!