Amanda and Jenn discuss LGBTQ comics, books about camping, motherhood, and more in this week’s episode of Get Booked.

This episode is sponsored by the Read Harder Journal, Love, Hate, and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed, and The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict.

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Questions

1. You mentioned books on how food, habits, etc affect the brain. I am focusing on changing habits in 2019, and interested in the link of food/diet and anxiety. Can you give some New Years resolution-type book recommendations for January? There are so many gross lifestyle-y books out there, but I’m more interested in pop-science finds. I’ve personally read “Off the Clock” by Laura Vanderkam, the Brene Brown suite, I just picked up “Rest” and “Bored & Brilliant” (per this episode). I haven’t read Gretchen Rubin, but she’s on my radar.

–New Year New Me

 

2. Hi Ladies!

I LOVE this podcast, and you’ve led to me to so many books that I have loved and otherwise never would’ve found (finishing up Half-Resurrection Blues now, big thumbs up.)

Next year (February 2019) I’m taking a cruise of the Mexican Riviera that leaves out of LA, and I’m spending a week in the city beforehand. I’ve never been to the West Coast, and would love some books to familiarize me with landmarks or history of the area–things that I can walk by and feel like I’m in on some secret, you know the deal.

I’m a genre fiction lover–mystery, SFF, historical fiction (ideally intersecting with the former two) and I’m trying to get into romance right now. LGBT is a huge plus 🙂

Thanks,

–Lauren

 

3. Fantasy YA with queer primary protagonist? I don’t know if it exists but if it does, I know you ladies can find it!

-Kathleen

 

4. Hi ladies! I’m looking for a superhero or sci fi graphic novel to give my dad that includes queer characters. The main character/plot of the story doesn’t need to center around queerness – I am queer myself, and though I came out to my Dad many years ago, we’ve never talked about it since, so I want to sneak some queerness/queer characters into the type of stories he already loves and is familiar with! I considered sharing SAGA with my dad, but while it would otherwise be perfect, there’s just too much nudity/sex *sad trombone* … he is a very prim and proper, old fashioned type of guy, so something more PG/PG-13 please!

–Michelle

 

5. Hey Jenn and Amanda, my aunt recently passed away. She was like my second mom, so it’s been a really difficult time for my family. Recently her only son, my cousin (early 20s) came to me looking for fiction books to help him with grief. As the resident YA librarian of the family, I immediately recommend The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan, but I was wondering if you guys had any other grief related fiction recommendations. My aunt immigrated from Cuba when she was young, and got a degree from NYU in fashion, before moving on to teach high school English to ESL students, so any books with a Hispanic element would be great, but no pressure. Thanks so much! Love the podcast. Best

–Gabriella

 

6. I recently started a job as a content writer for a company that owns and operates campgrounds and RV parks. I love writing and enjoy my job. The only problem is I know nothing about camping. I’ve never even been camping. Could you please recommend some books to give me some insight into camping or RV travel? Please no getting lost in the wilderness or survival type books. Thanks!

–Sarah

 

7. Hi Amanda and Jenn, I’m a new podcast listener and have been enjoying your recommendations! (I just read “Sorcerer to the Crown” – so good.) I recently read “Baby Teeth” by Zoje Stage. I’d like to read more books that explore the tensions of motherhood, whether personal, marital/familial, or cultural. As a busy working mom of a wonderful toddler, I feel the intense range of emotions that motherhood evokes, the challenges of time poverty and the mental load, and the social pressure to be a “good mom” who finds ultimate fulfillment in her child and never has a moment of uncertainty. I’m not looking for social science, but more of a literary exploration of the theme. In general, I love novels, I’m a huge fan of psychological thrillers/suspense, and I also enjoy well-written, compelling memoirs. (However, in the motherhood memoir genre, I read “I’m Happy Just to Be Here” and did not like it too much.) I’d love to hear your ideas! Thank you!

–Illana

 

Books Discussed

Resist: Tales From a Future Worth Fighting Against, edited by Gary Whitta, Christie Yant, and Hugh Howey

The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Salt Sugar Fat by Michael Moss

Gulp by Mary Roach

IQ by Joe Ide

Madonnas of Echo Park by Brando Skyhorse

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova

LGBTQ Fantasy post

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust (tw: abusive parents)

America Vol 1: The Life and Times of America Chavez by Gabby Rivera and Joe Quinones

Black Panther: World of Wakanda by Roxane Gay et al

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez

Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast

Nomadland by Jessica Bruder

The Nature Fix by Florence Williams

Ongoingness by Sarah Manguso

Guidebook to Relative Strangers by Camille T. Dungy

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