Books with Betsy

Episode 66 - Life Reader with Karishma Verma

On this episode, Karishma Verma, an English professor who keeps her reading life outside of school alive, talks about her love for celebrity memoirs, and gives a really great list of places she gets her book recommendations. She also talks about her own podcast, Gilmore Gals, which discusses and recaps all things Gilmore Girls. 
 
Karishma on Instagram 
Gilmore Gals
 
Books mentioned in this episode: 
 
What Betsy’s reading: 
Ask Me Again by Claire Sestanovich
Monkey Grip by Helen Garner
Biography of X by Catherine Lacey
 
Books Highlighted by Karishma:
Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
By The Book by Jasmine Guillory
The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians by James Patterson
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
Yes Please by Amy Poehler
 
All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.  
Other books mentioned in this episode:
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware 
Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park & Denise Brunkus 
The Clique by Lisi Harrison 
A Promised Land by Barack Obama 
Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple
Educated by Tara Westover
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls 
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling 
Why Not Me?  by Mindy Kaling 
The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey

Episode 65 - I'm So Generous with Chloe Waryan

On this episode, Chloe Waryan, a librarian and horror fan, discusses how the job of a librarian affects the reading life, their favorite types of horror books, and the way that an audiobook can work really well for her. You’ll learn a bit more about the Chicago Public Library and we discuss the anticipation for the Booker Prize longlist, which came out after this was recorded. 
 
Chloe on Substack 
Chloe on Instagram 
 
Books mentioned in this episode: 
 
What Betsy’s reading: 
Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind by Molly McGhee 
They Dream in Gold by Mai Sennaar
 
Books Highlighted by Chloe:
Grey Dog by Elliot Gish
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond
Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
Build Your House Around my Body by Violet Kupersmith
The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty 
A Touch of Jen by Beth Morgan 
Uzumaki by Junji Ito 
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
 
All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.  
Other books mentioned in this episode:
Italian Folktales by Italo Calvino 
Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids by Jamie Rix 
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz & Stephen Gammell 
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones 
Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez 
Eynhallow by Tim McGregor 
The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander 
The South Side by Natalie Y. Moore 
Reprieve by James Han Mattson
All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews 
Gossip Girl by Cecily Von Ziegesar 
Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison

Episode 64 - It Takes One Book with Cynthia Chen

On this episode, Cynthia Chen, a fellow Reader & Runner, shares some of her piping hot takes about the reading life. She also discusses how she got back into reading after an eight year hiatus and tips for people who want to get back into reading. She gives a lot of really great book recommendations for Chicago books and we talk about how annoying it is when the geography of Chicago is incorrect. 
 
Books mentioned in this episode: 
 
What Betsy’s reading: 
Mina’s Matchbox by Yoko Ogawa
The Rich People Have Gone Away by Regina Porter
The House on the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune 
 
Books Highlighted by Cynthia:
The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker 
Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah 
Eastbound by Maylis de Kerangal
Three Girls from Bronzeville by Dawn Turner 
Tales from the Cafe by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai 
The Chicago Neighborhood Guidebook by Martha Bayne
Running While Black by Allison Mariella Désir
BFF: A Memoir of Friendship Lost and Found by Christie Tate 
 
All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.  
Other books mentioned in this episode:
Night of the Living Dummy (Goosebumps #1) by R.L. Stine
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky 
The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream by Dean Jobb 
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano 
River East, River West by Aube Rey Lescure 
Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin 
Atomic Habits by James Clear 
The Battle of Lincoln Park by Daniel Kay Hertz
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

Episode 63 - Golden Retriever & Grumpy Cat with Amy Smalley and Carrie Vittitoe of the Perks of Being a Book Lover

On this episode, Amy Smalley and Carrie Vittitoe, co-hosts of the Perks of Being a Book Lover Podcast, discuss their sometimes opposite book preferences, how having a podcast has changed their reading lives, and we laugh a lot. If you enjoy this conversation, definitely check out their show, which has a lot of their fun banter. 
 
The Perks of Being a Book Lover 
Follow The Perks of Being a Book Lover on Instagram
 
Books mentioned in this episode: 
 
What Betsy’s reading: 
Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips 
Mina’s Matchbox by Yoko Ogawa
 
Books Highlighted by Amy & Carrie:
The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science by Kate McKinnon
You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith
Gone Girl by Gyllian Flynn
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
What Ben Franklin Would Have Told Me by Donna Gordon
I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
American Ghost: A Family’s Extraordinary History on the Desert Frontier by Hannah Nordhaus
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
Paris Letters by Janice McLeod
 
All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.  
Other books mentioned in this episode:
The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise by Colleen Oakley 
Prophet Song by Paul Lynch 
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
Circe by Madeline Miller 
Ariadne by Jennifer Saint 
My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris
Border Crossings by Emma Fick 
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
American Sniper by Chris Kyle 
Roadside Picnic by Arkady Strugatsky 
It by Stephen King
The Changeling by Victor LaValle 
The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin 
The Marmalade Diaries by Ben Aitken 
Clay’s Quilt by Silas House 
Ulysses by James Joyce 
How to Read Ulysses and Why
Morning Glory Milking Farm by C.M. Nascosta 
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk 
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 
Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Episode 62 - The Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge with Madi Badger

On this episode, Madi Badger, a PhD student, discusses the book series that changed her reading life, the reading challenge that has taken over her reading life, and some amazing bookstore stories. We discuss a shared love of paperbacks and how many different ways there are to use the library, including as a bad bookish habit. 
 
Follow Madi on Instagram 
Follow Madi on TikTok
Queer Liberation Library
 
Books mentioned in this episode: 
 
What Betsy’s reading: 
Skeleton Crew by Stephen King
Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips 
Severance by Ling Ma
 
Books Highlighted by Madi:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins 
Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy
Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin 
Broken Horses by Brandi Carlisle 
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer 
Medicine Wheel for the Planet by Dr. Jennifer Grenz
ADHD for Smart Ass Women by Tracy Otsuka
 
All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.  
Other books mentioned in this episode:
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman 
The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop & Amy Sherman-Palladino 
Rainbow Magic Rainbow Fairies by Daisy Meadows & Georgie Ripper 
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller 
Circe by Madeline Miller 
One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune 
A Monetary History of the United States by Anna Jacobson Schwartz & Milton Friedman
Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Episode 61 - Never as Good as the Book with Katie Blechle

On this episode, Katie Blechle, a mom and educator, talks about her true love of reading over TV, how she incorporates reading into her life as a mom, and the books about strong women that she really loves. We also go down a shared rabbit hole that’s one of my absolute favorite non-book topics. 
 
Follow Katie on Instagram
 
Books mentioned in this episode: 
 
What Betsy’s reading: 
Skeleton Crew by Stephen King
Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki
 
Books Highlighted by Katie:
The Outlaw Noble Salt by Amy Harmon
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman
Someone Else’s Bucket List by Amy T. Matthews
Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver
Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab
The Road Back to You by Suzanne Stabile & Ian Morgan Cron
 
All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.  
Other books mentioned in this episode:
The Women by Kristin Hannah
The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb
She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb
Reckless Girls by Rachel hawkins
The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry 
The Peaceful Parenting Revolution by Kiva Schuler
Good Inside by Dr. Becky Kennedy 
Fly Away by Kristin Hannah 
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas 
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett 

Episode 60 - Pull Your Guts out Through Your Nose with Melissa Joulwan of Strong Sense of Place

On this episode, Melissa Joulwan, author and co-host of the podcast Strong Sense of Place, discusses the way her personal reading life and work for the show overlap. We talk about her deep and varied book preferences, our shared love for diving deep into a backlist, and you get to hear the fabulous way she describes the books she loves.
 
Strong Sense of Place website
https://strongsenseofplace.com
For the podcast, extensive show notes, book lists, and travel tips and photos. 
 
For people new to the show, this is a good place to start:
https://strongsenseofplace.com/welcome
 
Substack
https://strongsenseofplace.substack.com/
Free newsletter with photos and book recommendations, behind-the-scenes stories, secret recipes, inspiring ideas, and (sometimes) silly stuff.
 
Books mentioned in this episode: 
 
What Betsy’s reading: 
King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby 
The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark
Skeleton Crew by Stephen King
 
Books Highlighted by Melissa:
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
A Room with a View by E.M. Forester
The Inn at Lake Divine by Elinor Lipman  
Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery 
Circe by Madeline Miller 
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia 
Less by Andrew Sean Greer
The Trick by Emanuel Bergman
Spoonbenders by Daryl Gregory 
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles 
Odds Against by Dick Francis
Dietland by Sarai Walker
Piglet by Lottie Hazell
The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson 
 
All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.  
Other books mentioned in this episode:
Well Fed Weeknights by Melissa Joulwan 
Rollergirl by Melissa Joulwan 
The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva 
This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart 
Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver 
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde 
The Madwoman Upstairs by Catherine Lowell 
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher 
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia 
Carmilla by Joseph Sherican Le Fanu
Hungerstone by Kat Dunn 
The Curse of Pietro Houdini by Derek B. Miller 
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel 
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon 
A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn 
A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George
The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley 
The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley 
The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley 
2 A.M. at The Cat’s Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino 
Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino 
The Way Men Act by Elinor Lipman 
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel 
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller 
Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia 
Less is Lost by Andrew Sean Greer 
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh 

Episode 59 - Picked it Up Out of FOMO with Samiksha Gaur

On this episode, Samiksha Gaur, a mom and baker who has found herself enjoying dark romance recently, talks to me about her life engaging with bookish social media. We talk about a bunch of series that she loves, how she got back into reading later in life, and we give a big shoutout to Tanima Kazi for getting us connected!
 
Follow Samiksha on Instagram 
 
Books mentioned in this episode: 
 
What Betsy’s reading: 
Lost Man’s Lane by Scott Carson
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
New People by Danzy Senna 
King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby 
 
Books Highlighted by Samiksha:
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
Broken Bonds (The Bonds that Tie Series #1) by J. Bree
A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR Series #1) by Sarah J. Maas 
The Kat Bunglar by Tanima Kazi 
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid 
Quicksilver by Callie Heart
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros 
Lady Iris’s Lover by Kelsey Painter
Mindf*ck by S.T. Abby 
Butcher and Blackbird by Brynne Weaver
The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni 
 
All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.  
Other books mentioned in this episode:
Famous Five by Beja & Nataël 
Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene
Goosebumps by R.L. Stine 
Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton 
Never Lie by Frieda McFadden 
There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak 
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros 
Caraval by Stephanie Garber 
Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber 

Episode 58 - Challenges My Expectations with Jess Abra Sandy

On this episode, Jess Abra Sandy, a self-described lapsed opera singer and cyber security expert talks about how poetry has provided for her in different ways as her seasons of life change. We also talk about books that make us want to throw them across the room, how her reading life has changed as her kid has grown, and Jess shares a lot of very insightful thoughts about the reading life. 
 
Books mentioned in this episode: 
 
What Betsy’s reading: 
Devil House by John Darnielle
Say Hello to My Little Friend by Jennine Capó Crucet 
Lost Man’s Lane by Scott Carson
 
Books Highlighted by Jess:
What Narcissism Means to Me by Tony Hoagland
Priest, Turned Therapist, Treats Fear of God by Tony Hoagland
Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham
A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor
I Sailed with Magellan by Stuart Dybek
The Ocean in the Next Room by Sarah V. Schweig
Oh the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss 
The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
My World - And Welcome to It by James Thurber 
 
All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.  
Other books mentioned in this episode:
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin 
Nancy Drew #1: The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene
The Wasteland, Prufrock, and Other Poems by T.S. Eliot 
Fox by Joyce Carol Oates 
The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop & Amy Sherman-Palladino 
White Teeth by Zadie Smith 
Midwest Shreds by Mandy Shunnarah 
Good Bones by Maggie Smith 
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson 
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña & Christian Robinson 
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado

Episode 57 - It's Not Cheating with Caroline Pilman

On this episode, Caroline Pilman, a fellow Chicago Public Schools teacher, and I discuss the many ways of reading, all of which are acceptable. We also discuss a shared pet peeve in children’s literature, how a seasonal career can affect the reading life, and how Chicago Public Schools does one thing right. 
 
American Library Association Lists 
CPS Battle of the Books 2025
 
Books mentioned in this episode: 
 
What Betsy’s reading: 
There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak 
Amatka by Karin Tidbeck
Devil House by John Darnielle
 
Books Highlighted by Caroline:
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt 
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
 
All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.  
Other books mentioned in this episode:
Kristy’s Great Idea (The Babysitters Club #1) by Ann M. Martin
The Giver by Lois Lowry 
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle 
Dog Man by Dav Pilkey
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai 
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña & Christian Robinson 
Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña & Christian Robinson