A Snowflake and a Cinnamon Bun
Amanda and Jenn discuss baby shower books, true crime, short stories on audio, and more in this week’s episode of Get Booked.
This episode is sponsored by The Vale by Brian D. Anderson and A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena.
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The show can also be found on Stitcher here.
Questions
1. Details:
My mom is throwing me a book-themed baby shower which I am very excited about. She wants to give all the guests a book as part of the party favors. The guest list is an interesting mix of people; men and women will be there, but most of the guests will be women over 40 with a handful of people my own age (I’ll be 30 when the shower happens). The men who will be there like Game of Thrones, but some like video games and comic books while others like military stories. I don’t want my mom to spend too much on books, so I’m thinking paperbacks are the way to go.
Question:
Do you have any suggestions for books that can appeal to pretty much anyone? Or something for the men and something else for the women?
Thank you,
–Channell
2. Hey Ladies,
This has been a wonderful week for me because I saw Black Panther TWICE and I just finished my second reading of “The Wedding Date” by Jasmine Guillory . And I’m realizing I’d love your help in finding some new books, especially books that center black characters as joyful and thriving and not always dealing with the “struggle” of being black.
Black Panther showed this amazingly beautiful world where black people are smart and strong. The Wedding Date was a story about a black woman who is desired, loved, and respected in her budding relationship with a white man.
As a black women, I’m realizing that I need more books like “The Wedding Date” because I’m weary of books and movies that center the narrative around the hardships of being black.
I’d love to see if you can suggest some books like “The Wedding Date”. I’d love more chick lit with a black woman protagonist and extra points for multi-racial interracial relationships.
In the past I’ve loved Nana Malone and Theodora Taylor. I’ve also read “Black Rainbow” by J.J. McAvoy I’m open to fantasy with black female protagonists too, just as long as there’s a love story involved, too.
–Whitney
3. I realized after listening to a few podcasts (Serial, Murder on Orchard Street, Dirty John), and watching TV shows (Making a Murderer) that I love True Crime. It is genre that I have never read before. Would love some recommendations. Thank you for this awesome show!
–andrea
4. Hi Get Booked folks! I recently discovered your podcast and love listening to it on my drive. My TBR is getting uber long, which is great since I’ve got an extended holiday coming up in Nov and again in Dec!
I’ve recently discovered dystopian and/or post-apocalyptic novels, and have to say I’m totally in love. Some of my favorites are Oryx and Crake, Brave New World, Wind-Up Girl, Water Knife, Handmaid’s Tale, 1984, and right now I’m reading An Excess Male. I would love some recommendations that fall along those lines.
–Neelam
5. Hi ladies!
In the years since I graduated college, I’ve tried to make a concerted effort to continue educating myself. I’m particularly interested in women’s and gender studies, social justice issues, and using history to inform our current political moment. The problem is I’m finding it very difficult to get through the nonfiction books I’m picking up. I do most of my reading during my commute or lunch break, whenever I can fit it in. But when I’ve tried reading nonfiction in short bursts like this, I’ve found that I don’t retain anything I’ve read. I’ve tried books of essays (most recently Roxane Gay’s Bad Feminist) and had more success, but the segmented nature makes it hard to keep up momentum; I’ll finish an essay, put the book down, and not return to it for weeks. So, I’m looking for suggestions for narrative nonfiction that will keep me more easily engaged. Any help is much appreciated!
–Teresa
6. Hi.
I want to read more books about and/or written by POC. I love fiction, YA, and sometimes non-fiction. No graphic novels please.
I love books about culture and every day day. I also love fantasy and magic. Mostly I just want to expand my library to include POC, different cultures, and life through a different perspective.
–Jessica
7. Thanks for the awesome recommendations on your podcast; I would like to “read” more audiobooks, but they don’t fit well into my current lifestyle. I’m thinking that short story collections on audiobook would be a good way to go. Do you have any recommendations?
–Kristin
Books Discussed
Mem by Bethany C Morrow (May 22 2018)
Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Name That Movie by Paul Rogers
The Awesome Girl’s Guide to Dating Extraordinary Men by Ernessa T Carter (rec’d by Jamie C)
Bingo Love by Tee Franklin and Jenn St. Onge
The Red Parts by Maggie Nelson
I’ll Be Gone In The Dark by Michelle McNamara (recommended by Liberty), trigger warnings: rape and murder
The Power by Naomi Alderman (trigger warning: sexual violence)
Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson
Notorious RBG by Irin Carmon, Shana Knizhnik
In The Country We Love by Diane Guerrero and Michelle Burford (tw: self harm, discussion of suicide)
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco
Back Talk: Stories by Danielle Lazarin (rec from Katie on the Audiobooks newsletter)
Post: Short story audiobooks
