Books with Betsy

On this episode, Brady Parkin, @booksbybrady on Instagram, is a bookseller who enjoys reading broadly but focuses on literary fiction. We talk about the seemingly magical access he has as a bookseller, how awards lists impact reading, and he gives a lot of really great book recommendations. 
 
Books mentioned in this episode: 
 
What Betsy’s reading: 
The Renovation by Kenan Orhan 
Stolen by Ann-Helén Laestadius 
 
Books Highlighted by Brady:
Babel by R.F. Kuang 
The Book of Luke by Lovell Holder 
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver 
A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar 
Things We Lost to the Water by Eric Nguyen 
In Memoriam by Alice Winn 
Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin 
The Magnificent Ruins by Nayantara Roy 
Sisters of a Halved Heart by Nayantara Roy
The End of Drum Time by Hanna Pylväinen
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin 
The Secret History by Donna Tartt 
Kaikeyi by Vishnavi Patel 
Middle Spoon by Alejandro Varela 
The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang 
Orbital by Samantha Harvey 
 
All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.  
Other books mentioned in this episode:
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli 
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee 
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky 
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte 
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke 
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

On this episode, Lydia Plahn, a journalism student in Chicago, who talks about how she incorporates reading into her life as a student, how being a younger sister prompted her to read more as a child, and how important used bookstores are to her. We also talk about one of the classes she took entitled Millenial Fiction so lookout for that!! 
 
Books mentioned in this episode: 
 
What Betsy’s reading: 
Warning Signs by Tracy Sierra 
The Renovation by Kenan Orhan 
 
Books Highlighted by Lydia:
Here in the Dark by Alexis Soloski 
Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell 
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson 
Theater Kid by Jeffrey Seller 
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin 
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert 
Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
Life Would be Perfect if I Lived in that House by Meghan Daum
Golden Hill: A Novel of Old New York by Francis Spufford 
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
 
All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.  
Other books mentioned in this episode:
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery 
A Journey to the New World (Dear America) by Kathryn Lasky 
American Girl by Sydney Hanson 
Flashout by Alexis Soloski 
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell 
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan 
Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James 
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
Verity by Colleen Hoover 
Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert 
Normal People by Sally Rooney 
Luster by Raven Leilani 
Real Life by Brandon Taylor 
Kin by Tayari Jones 
Invisible Child by Andrea Elliott

On this episode, Sam and Maggie from Off Color Book Club join me to discuss the most recent Off Color Book Club book, Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo. 
 
My Book Club Guide
If you’re interested in joining the Off Color Book Club in the future, our next meeting will be on Tuesday, June 16th to discuss A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan. All are welcome!

On this episode, Sirenna Blas, of @sirenbee_readsnthings on instagram, talks about how her life as a stay at home mom affords her amazing reading time. We also talk about how she is not afraid to give a spicy review, who she wants an adaptation from, and how she brings the reading life alive with her kiddos. 
 
Books mentioned in this episode: 
 
What Betsy’s reading: 
Kin by Tayari Jones
A Beast Slinks Toward Beijing by Alice Evelyn Yang 
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo 
 
Books Highlighted by Sirenna:
Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones 
Shark Heart: A Love Story by Emily Habeck
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
Joy is My Middle Name by Sasha Debevec-McKenney
The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
Endling by Maria Reva
Limitarianism: The Case Against Extreme Wealth by Ingrid Robeyns
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due 
Antelope Woman by Louise Erdrich 
Dominion by Addie E. Citchens 
Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad 
 
All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.  
Other books mentioned in this episode:
On the Calculation of Volume by Solvej Balle 
The WIld Robot by Peter Brown 
Laleh and the Language of the Birds by Perin Gurel 
Pete the Cat: I Love my White Shoes by Eric Litwin & James Dean 
Kin by Tayari Jones
Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones 
The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup 
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk 
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte 
Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio 
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones 
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw 
The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman by Deesha Philyaw

On this episode, Vanessa Diaz, managing editor with Book Riot, talks about how her reading life is affected by her job, recommends woman-led mysteries, and talks about her current favorite authors. If you like witchy books, you have a lot of really great recommendations in this episode. 
 
Books mentioned in this episode: 
 
What Betsy’s reading: 
Kin by Tayari Jones
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke 
The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley 
 
Books Highlighted by Vanessa:
Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman 
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Sylvia Moreno Garcia 
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley 
Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel 
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie 
The Scammer by Tiffany D. Jackson 
An Ember in the Ashes by Saba Tahir 
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller 
Liliana’s Invincible Summer by Christina Rivera Garza 
A Tip for the Hangman by Allison Epstein
You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom by Vincent Tirado 
Murder in G Major by Alexia Gordon 
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe
A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas 
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw
We Need No Wings by Ann Dávila Cardinal 
The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller 
 
All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.  
Other books mentioned in this episode:
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe 
London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth by Patrick Radden Keefe 
The Snakehead: An Epic Tale of the Chinatown Underworld and the American Dream by Patrick Radden Keefe 
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell 
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans 
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway 
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt 
The Secret History by Donna Tartt 

On this episode, Jeff Jones, a fan of graphic novels, talks about how he comes to reading through his interest in sci-fi movies. We talk about his favorite weekly read, how he manages his very small TBR, and his discovery of some favorite authors through their work in comics. 
 
Books mentioned in this episode: 
 
What Betsy’s reading: 
Trad Wife by Saratoga Schaeffer 
Suddenly Light by Nina Dunic 
 
Books Highlighted by Jeff:
Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
The Darkseid War: The Green Lantern by Tom King & Evan “Doc” Shaner
Day After Night by Anita Diamant
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli 
Binti Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor
Mr. Splitfoot by Samantha Hunt 
Exhalation by Ted Chiang 
 
All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.  
Other books mentioned in this episode:
Shonen Jump 
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 
Strange Adventures by Tom King & Evan Shaner 
Vision: The Complete Collection by Tom King 
Monstress by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda 
Far Sector by N.K Jemisin & Jamal Campbell 
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin 
All About Love by Bell Hooks 
Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang

On this episode, Ben from Off Color Book Club joins me to discuss the most recent Off Color Book Club book, True Biz by Sara Novic. 
 
My Book Club Guide
 
If you’re interested in joining the Off Color Book Club in the future, our next meeting will be on Tuesday, May 19th to discuss Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo. All are welcome! 

On this episode, Tess Page, listener of Books with Betsy, talks about her requirement for books grounded in reality, her high/low reading tastes, and tells some wonderful stories of her reading habits in childhood. We talk about a shared favorite author who has a deep backlist and I encourage you to check her out!
 
Books mentioned in this episode: 
 
What Betsy’s reading: 
Milktooth by Jaime Barnett
Casualties of Truth by Lauren Francis-Sharma
 
Books Highlighted by Tess:
Riders by Jilly Cooper 
Rivals by Jilly Cooper 
The Babysitter’s Club Graphic Novel Adaptation by Raina Tagelmeier & Ann M. Martin
In a Blue Velvet Dress by Catherine Sefton
Excellent Women by Barbara Pym  
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles 
Bringing Back the Beaver by Derek Gow
 
All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.  
Other books mentioned in this episode:
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett 
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett 
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell 
This Must Be the Place by Maggie O’Farrell 
Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins 
Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman

On this episode, Eric Siewert, a former colleague of mine at our college bookstore, talks about his favorite authors, the ways recommendations are important to him, and he waxes poetic about his love for hardcover books. We also talk about our individual authors we think should be more of a household name. 
 
Books mentioned in this episode: 
 
What Betsy’s reading: 
The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow
Wild Life by Amanda Leduc
The Sea Gives Up the Dead by Molly Olguín
 
Books Highlighted by Eric:
In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O’Brien
The Overstory by Richard Powers 
Why Fish Don’t Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller
July, July by Tim O’Brien 
The Gunslinger by Stephen King 
The Dog Stars by Peter Heller 
Imagine Me Gone by Adam Haslett
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller 
Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller 
Small Victories: Spotting Improbable Moments of Grace by Anne Lemott 
 
All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.  
Other books mentioned in this episode:
Golden Son by Pierce Brown
The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway 
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman 
Trust by Hernan Diaz 
Devil House by John Darnielle 
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins 
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien 
Going After Cacciato by Tim O’Brien 
If I Die in a Combat Zone by Tim O’Brien 
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro 
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro 
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro 
The River by Peter Heller 
Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

On this episode, I bring back Sam Wilmes from episode 1 to celebrate 100 episodes of Books with Betsy so she can interview me! I am the guest on this episode so if you’ve ever wanted to hear my answers to my interview questions, here it is! We talk about a ton of books and somehow I neglected to talk about Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel which is one of my absolute favorite books. I am sure I will continue to think about more and more books that I didn’t discuss because there are so many amazing books out there! 
 
Books mentioned in this episode: 
 
What Betsy’s reading: 
What We Can Know by Ian McEwan 
Heart the Lover by Lily King 
 
Books Highlighted by Betsy:
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr 
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 
1984 by George Orwell 
Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix 
No Exit by Taylor Adams 
Trust by Hernan Diaz 
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai 
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 
Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin 
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee 
Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah 
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman 
The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death by Daniel Pinkwater 
 
All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.  
Other books mentioned in this episode:
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel 
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski 
Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli 
Redwall by Brian Jacques 
Amelia’s Notebook by Marissa Moss 
Sunny: Diary One, California Diaries by Ann M. Martin 
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh 
Bloomability by Sharon Creech 
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech 
A Winkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle 
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata 
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata 
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah 
Brawler by Lauren Groff 
Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin 
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell 
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis 
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis 
Matilda by Roald Dahl 
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankwiler by E.L. Konigsburg 
The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg 
The Hoboken Chicken Emergency by Daniel Pinkwater