Welcome to Smart Podcast, Trashy Books! Each Friday, I talk with authors, readers, reviewers, bloggers, publishing professionals, editors, and librarians, or combinations thereof, and share the fun and mayhem with you. Frequent topics include romance fiction, the brilliant and interesting people who read, write, and produce it, and issues common among romance readers, along with a hefty side order of silliness. Plus, we always recommend some books we’re reading and really enjoying.
And speaking of recommendations, are you new to the podcast? Welcome!
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, fear not: here are some of our most popular episodes – so far!
Episode 206. Proving Love: An Interview with Dr. Chuck Tingle
Episode 200. The Books That Made Us Romance Readers
Episode 229. Romance, Dating, and Very Real Expectations: An Interview with Alisha Rai
And here are our latest episodes so you can join in the fun!
Amanda and I are back, deep diving into romance and pop culture history with issue 1997 of Romantic Times Magazine. The cover reads Love, Lust, Laugh, and we’ve got some vintage books to talk about. Then we talk about what books we’re most looking forward to right now, and what we’re currently reading. In two weeks we will be back with the ads & features, and you know a magazine from the 90s has the … Continue reading 705. RT Rewind: June 1997 Reviews
My guest this week is Julia Quinn and we are talking about, of course, JQ Editions, a new subscription service creating special limited editions of historical romances. I’ve been writing about this since it was announced, and so I got to ask all my questions – and some of yours. Along the way we talk about the historical romance genre, administrative mayhem, and the practicalities of creating special editions of beloved books. Plus you get … Continue reading 704. JQ Editions with Julia Quinn
Kayleigh Donaldson is back! She is the guest on some of the most popular episodes, and I know what that is: she’s brilliant. We recorded this just before the Oscar nominations were announced, so Kayleigh is making (some pretty accurate!) predictions about Oscar nominations, and explaining what makes this year’s group of films so interesting. Along the way we also talk about vintage Hollywood gossip, character actors who go weird gremlin, and the way actors … Continue reading 703. Oscars and Gossip with Kayleigh Donaldson
Candy recapped Heated Rivalry, and is that enough? No, of course not. We had MANY things we wanted to exclaim at each other about, so why not podcast about it? We’re going to talk about the show, the acting, the adaptation, and the fact that this show could never have been made in the US. Jacob Tierney is a genius, and we have many a rabbit hole of research to explore. If you’ve been thinking … Continue reading 702. Heated Rivalry with Candy Tan
It’s never too late for Holiday Wishes, right? We had such a record number of interviews for the Holiday Wishes episodes this year, and I truly love doing them. Thank you. But many of you asked about Amanda’s recs and wishes, so to wind up our holiday extravaganza, Amanda and I are talking about the books that we loved in 2025, our wishes for everyone in 2026, and of course we talk about a LOT … Continue reading 701. Holiday Wishes with Amanda and Sarah
Happy 700th Episode!! Amanda Matta is a debut author (her book is coming in 2027!), media commentator, royal analyst, and an art historian. I’ve mentioned Amanda, and her podcast Art of History, which I love. In that show, she focuses on one particular piece of art and explains the history, context, symbolism, and even the details of how it was made. I like it. So I thought, why not have Amanda Matta give the Art … Continue reading 700. An Art History Analysis of Romance Covers with Amanda Matta
Happy New Year! This week we are talking with Katie, Kate, and Adam – we’ve got book recs, wishes, spreadsheet discussions, dungeons, and some wishes that don’t violate the Hatch Act. There’s also rather appalling poo adventure immediately after my first interview. Pew pew! Thanks to your Patreon pledges, we have reached our goal with the F’ICE campaign, and all dynamic ads are now turned off permanently for everyone who listens. Thank you so much! … Continue reading 699. Holiday Wishes VII with Katie, Kate and Adam
This week we are talking with Jenna Grinstead, Stephanie Violet, Lisa, and Bull! Yup, we’re visiting Norway this week. Bring a hat. As always we have book recs, including one from the 1500s, wishes, and terrible jokes. Please note: during my conversation with Lisa, we discuss true crime and historical murders. Important Notes I Want to Keep Shouting About! Thanks to your Patreon pledges, we have reached our goal with the F’ICE campaign, and all … Continue reading 698. Holiday Wishes VI with Jenna Grinstead, Stephanie Violet, Lisa, and Bull
This week we are talking with Shana, Sue, and Rhonda about book recs and wishes, plus fantasy and magical bureaucracy, grief in romance, schtupping by volume, and inventions for readers to find even MORE books. Thanks to your Patreon pledges, we have reached our goal with the F’ICE campaign, and all dynamic ads are now turned off permanently for everyone who listens. Thank you so much! You can gift a Patreon membership if you’re so … Continue reading 697. Holiday Wishes V with Shana, Sue, and Rhonda
We’re back with more Holiday Wishes! This week we’re talking with Rae A., Josephine, and Sneezy! This week we are talking romance bookstores and road trips, luxurious bidets, webtoons, and, of course, books. And some ranting about women artists in history. We are traveling as far as Taiwan in this episode – and this should be the last of my laryngitis – hooray for all of us! Updates? Updates! Thanks to your Patreon pledges, we … Continue reading 696. Holiday Wishes IV with Rae A, Josephine, and Sneezy
We’re back with more Holiday Wishes! This week we’re talking with Garlic Knitter, Claudia, Christine, and Jo. A few notes: First, my voice is not great. Some of these were recorded when I had a dreadful cold, so I apologize in advance. Second, if you’re a sympathetic crier like I am, please know that when Christine and I are talking, we both get a little choked up while talking about grief and the infuriating unfairness … Continue reading 695. Holiday Wishes III with Garlic Knitter, Claudia, Christine, and Jo
