We’re back! With more of your questions! We’re going to talk about tv shows we recommend, book recs, of course, mayonnaise, of course, summer treats, and middle school favorites. Thanks to Laura B, Karelia, Christina B, and Phoebe for the questions! … Music: purple-planet.com

Arielle Zibrak is the author of Guilty Pleasures, a new book in the Avidly Reads series from New York University Press. She’s also a former editor of romance fiction, and a professor of 19th century popular fiction. Her new book – which is terrific – examines the concept of the “guilty pleasures” and seeks to unpack and answer the question, “What is it about ribald romance novels, luxurious interior design, and frothy wedding dresses that … Continue reading 464. Guilty Pleasures with Dr. Arielle Zibrak →

Today, we’re going to talk about food safety law, and the history of women who probably poisoned their husbands. Allegedly. Mikki Kendall, on Twitter as @Karnythia and the author of Hood Feminism, is an eager historian into the mysteries of what women got away with, and so we cover poison clusters, dying of fever, and the poisons hanging out in your back yard. This conversation was inspired by two Twitter threads, and I’ll link to … Continue reading 463. Women and Poison in History with Mikki Kendall →

I asked the Patreon community what they’d like to ask Amanda and I, and howdy damn, I got some really thoughtful and fun questions! In this conversation, we’re talking about astrology, apps, allergies, and all the book recs. If you like hanging out while we chat, this episode is for you. Thanks to everyone in the Patreon community for their questions! … Music: purple-planet.com

Catherine and I chat with Lois McMaster Bujold (!!!) about The Assassins of Thasalon. If you like the Penric & Desdemona books as much as we do (which is a LOT) you’ll love this episode! We cover the origin story of Penric and Desdemona, how her retirement partially rests on self publishing, and how much manga she’s reading and watching – with recommendations. Thank you to our Patreon community for the transcript, and to Laura … Continue reading 461. Gods, Demons, and Retirements with Lois McMaster Bujold →

Author and actor Preslaysa Williams joins me to talk about her new book, A Lowcountry Bride, which she calls “a love letter to Charleston.” We discuss the beauty and pain of complicated history, the process of writing this book over ten years, and the weirdness of seeing your younger self in animated gifs. … Music: Purple-planet.com

Tara and I exclaimed at each other about Dr. Jen Gunter’s latest book, The Menopause Manifesto, so we figured we should exclaim at her, too. In this conversation, we cover the book, the facts and science about menopause, and the history of how predatory patriarchal bullcrap has influenced how we think, talk, and learn about menopause. We also talk about pseudoscience, getting health advice from Facebook and Instagram (bad idea jeans), and curly hair! TW/CW … Continue reading 459. Facts, Feminism, and Menopause with Dr. Jen Gunter →

My guest this week is author Hudson Lin (she/her) whose new book Hard Sell is out 25 May! Hard Sell is a trope-tastic queer romance between Daniel and Tobin, who have a secret affair while working opposite sides of a business deal. Lin and I talk about the writing process and how she portrays Daniel’s professional burnout in the story (no spoilers, I promise). We also discuss why Lin thinks romance is a revolutionary genre, … Continue reading 458. Hard Sell and Revolutionary Romance with Hudson Lin →

Colin Dobson-Fox is the co-host and producer behind one of my favorite YouTube channels, Foxes Afloat, which recently reached over 100k subscribers (a very big deal in YouTube Land). Colin and his husband Shaun live aboard a narrowboat in the UK, and produce weekly vlogs of their travels, and their lives, including Colin’s life with autism and with mental illness. This is a bit afield of my usual interviews, but I was fascinated by Colin’s … Continue reading 457. YouTube Vlogging And a Very Meet Cute With Colin Dobson-Fox of Foxes Afloat →

Sing along with us! Reach into the deep vault of your memory, and sing TV themes as we attempt to stump one another. We also start by talking about cat vomit because of course we do. We cover all the great children’s tv themes, teen crushes, songs that come with instant Pavlovian responses, and more. So if you were craving some bizarre and enjoyable silliness, this is your episode. (We hope you sing along!) We … Continue reading 456. Bananas, Pajamas, Cat Yak, and a TV Theme Sing-Along with Sarah & Amanda →

My guest this week is Vanessa Riley, whose newest book, An Earl, The Girl, and a Toddler is out now! We talk about reframing history, interrogating the fantasy of historical romance, and the overlap between mechanical engineering and writing romance. We also talk about the narrators for her books, including Bahni Turpin and Adjoa Andoh (aka Lady Danbury on Bridgerton!). And we discuss air fryers – you know, all the essentials. … Music: purple-planet.com