What if home isn’t a place you find, but a place you build step by step? 

I sit down with author and family physician, Brittany Penner, to unpack Children Like Us: A Métis Woman's Memoir of Family, Identity and Walking Herself Home, her powerful Métis memoir about identity, adoption, and the radical work of healing. From being carried out of the hospital by a social worker to navigating a white Mennonite upbringing, Brittany traces how the Sixties Scoop shaped her beginnings and how lineage still insists on being seen-- in faces, gestures, and the stories that refuse to disappear.

Brittany shares the artistic leap that changed everything: throwing away a 100,000-word draft(!!!) and rebuilding the book through photographs and VHS tapes. We talk about using images to verify memory, honor body knowledge, and write with precision without losing lyric grace. She opens up about medicine too and reveals how tending to her own pain transformed how she advocates for Indigenous women in clinical settings, why believing someone can be the most clinical act of all, and how she protects joy in her creative life so it doesn’t calcify under the weight of systems.

At the heart of this conversation is a simple practice with a profound arc: walking herself home. After a separation that reawakened old losses, Brittany found steadiness in daily walks, watching seasons turn as grief softened. We explore found family, kinship that ignores the word “half,” and the way motherhood reframes generational trauma with tenderness and resolve. 

If you’re wrestling with where you belong, how to write your truth, or how to hold hope when hope feels heavy, this episode offers a map that is honest and quietly brave.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs it, and leave a quick review. Your words help others find these conversations :) And if you leave a kind review, I might read it at top of show!

Support the show:
Buy us a book
Buy cute merch

Buy Brittany Penner's "Children Like Us"

Transcripts are available through Apple’s podcast app—they may not be perfect, but relying on them allows me to dedicate more time to the show! If you’re interested in being a transcript angel, let me know.
 
 This episode is produced, recorded, and its content edited by me.
 Theme song by Devin Kennedy

Special thanks to my new friend, Brittany!
 Xx, Alex

Connect with us and suggest a great memoir!

Follow us on instagram! @babesinbooklandpod 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What a treat! This month's Bonus Episode: What Lies Beneath is available for all! No subscription required :)

PLEASE if you have not watched the movie, do that first and then listen to this episode!

My friend, Priscilla, stops in for a deep dive into why this psychological thriller still stings: Michelle Pfeiffer’s nerve and nuance, Harrison Ford’s brilliant portrayal, and Robert Zemeckis’s love letter to Hitchcock that uses mirrors, windows, and water to make the ordinary feel unsafe.

We unpack the film’s design from the ground up, including a Nantucket-style lake house built to glow in daylight and brood at dusk, multiple bathroom sets engineered for those impossible angles, and CGI used with restraint: steam that writes, reflections that betray, a ghost that returns for one exquisite moment of justice. The camera starts at eye level and sinks lower as dread rises, and Alan Silvestri’s score threads anxiety through every door creak and bathtub ripple. It’s meticulous craft serving a clean, propulsive plot: seance to possession, repressed memory to reveal, paralytic serum to bathtub suffocation, bridge crash to lakebed truth.

At the heart is a theme that still resonates-- how a woman’s intuition gets minimized when her evidence looks like superstition. Claire’s haunted house becomes a map of gaslighting—neighbors who might be violent, a husband who “cares,” a past smudged by trauma. Step by step, the film tests what we believe and why, until the lake gives up what the living tried to hide. Whether you think the marketing blunted the twist or simply reframed the suspense, the story’s spine holds: nothing stays buried forever.

If you loved the breakdown, check out our Bonus Episodes (available on Patreon or Apple Podcasts) for more smart deep dives! 

Connect with us and suggest a great memoir!

Follow us on instagram! @babesinbooklandpod 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the phrases you hear in a workout could actually carry you through the hardest chapters of your life? 

My friend Suz and I sat down with Emma Lovewell’s memoir, "Live Learn Love Well", and followed the thread from the bike to real-world resilience: family roots on Martha’s Vineyard, the ache of divorce, the shock of loss, and the steady return to self through movement, mindfulness, and self-respect.
 
We talk about why “progress, not perfection” is more than a punchy motto—it’s a practical way to live when goals get heavy and life gets loud. You’ll hear how Emma’s early exposure to meditation and her mother’s fearless body comfort set the tone for emotional tools that actually work. We also dig into gardening as a life practice: patience, compost as “valuable trash,” and the deep peace of tending something you can control when everything else feels uncertain. 
 
Her care your identity shines through every page as Emma aims to help us all discover our Voice. She shares what it meant to feel caught between cultures as a half Chinese woman, and how a trip to Taiwan reframed belonging as a bridge rather than a gap. Suz and I reflect on forgiving without forgetting and learning to shout out your wins—big and small—so opportunities can find you. If you need a reset that blends therapy-backed tools with sweat-tested wisdom, this conversation meets you where you are and walks beside you, one honest rep at a time.
 
If this resonated, follow and subscribe, share with a friend who loves Peloton or a good memoir, and leave a quick review. Your support helps more curious listeners find the show and build their own best days.

If you leave a kind review, I might read it at top of show!

For the extended discussion of this episode (an additional 7 min), subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Patreon.

Support the show:
Buy us a book
Buy cute merch

Buy “Live Learn Love Well”

Suz and I’s favorite mantras:
Tunde’s “It’s a great day to have a great day!”
“You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only option”
 
Transcripts are available through Apple’s podcast app—they may not be perfect, but relying on them allows me to dedicate more time to the show! If you’re interested in being a transcript angel, let me know.
 
This episode is produced, recorded, and its content edited by me.
 Theme song by Devin Kennedy

Special thanks to my dear friend, Suz!
Xx, Alex

Connect with us and suggest a great memoir!

Follow us on instagram! @babesinbooklandpod 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A crowded waiting room where no one speaks. 

That image frames my conversation with author Amy Gallo Ryan, whose memoir You May Feel a Bit of Pressure captures the invisible weight of infertility. Its medical routines, social silences, and the way hope can both carry and cut. We dig into why she wrote the book she couldn’t find, how ten years of drafting and revising turned chaos into story, and what it means to share the truth when the truth isn’t tidy.

Amy walks us through the physical and emotional toll of treatment (which includes Clomid, IUI, and IVF) and the quieter ruptures few people see: friendships painfully pushed away, a life controlled by injection routines and months of hope lost to blood work results, and a body that starts to feel separate from the self. We talk about identity, shame, and the primal pull to parent that defies tidy logic. We also pull back the curtain on publishing: querying too early, near‑misses, parting with an agent, and ultimately finding the right indie press. 

If this conversation moved you, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs to feel seen, and leave a review telling us what moment stayed with you. It helps others find the stories that help them feel less alone.

Support the show:
Buy us a book
Buy cute merch

Buy Amy's memoir 

Transcripts are available through apple’s podcast app—they may not be perfect, but relying on them allows me to dedicate more time to the show! If you’re interested in being a transcript angel, let me know. 

This episode is produced, recorded, and edited by me.

Theme song by Devin Kennedy

Special thanks to my new friend, Amy. Your book is beautiful and so are you!

Xx, Alex

Connect with us and suggest a great memoir!

Follow us on instagram! @babesinbooklandpod 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it feel like when your voice is taken from you? 

In Britney Spears' groundbreaking memoir "The Woman in Me," we finally hear directly from the pop icon herself after years of silence enforced by a suffocating conservatorship.

Reading this memoir alongside my good friend Lizzie was a profound experience. Britney's story isn't just celebrity gossip; it's a stark warning about how easily a woman's autonomy can be stripped away under the guise of "protection." While she was creating chart-topping albums and performing sold-out Vegas residencies, her father controlled every aspect of her life, even pocketing more of her earnings than she received herself!!!

The book reframes moments we thought we understood through a completely different lens. That head-shaving incident? A desperate act of rebellion from a mother who'd been blocked from seeing her children. Those "erratic" public appearances? Often the result of being drugged without her consent. Throughout it all, Britney clung to performing as her sanctuary (she writes, "When I sing, I own who I am") even as that gift was weaponized against her.

What struck me most was Britney's resilience and grace. Despite everything she endured, from the cruel public scrutiny of her body as a teenager to having her children used as leverage against her, she never completely lost her sense of self or her capacity for joy. Her journey from "passive, people-pleasing girl to strong, confident woman" offers inspiration to anyone who has felt silenced.

This memoir serves as both personal catharsis and cultural reckoning. How do we treat women in the spotlight? Why do we place impossible expectations on them? And how did we allow a system to imprison someone in plain sight for thirteen years? 

Britney's powerful declaration that "You have to speak the thing that you're feeling, even if it scares you" isn't just her healing manifesto, it's a call to all of us to examine how we participate in a culture that both elevates and destroys the women we claim to admire.

Join us for this deeply moving conversation about freedom, voice, and the courage to reclaim your narrative against all odds. Share your thoughts with us on Instagram @babesinbooklandpod—we'd love to hear which parts of Britney's story resonated most with you.

If you leave a kind review, I might read it at top of show!

For the extended discussion of this episode (an additional 10 min), subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Patreon.

Support the show:
Buy us a book
Buy cute merch

Buy “The Woman in Me” by Britney Spears

Transcripts are available through Apple’s podcast app—they may not be perfect, but relying on them allows me to dedicate more time to the show! If you’re interested in being a transcript angel, let me know.

This episode is produced, recorded, and its content edited by me.
Theme song by Devin Kennedy

Special thanks to my dear friend, Lizzie!
 Xx, Alex

Connect with us and suggest a great memoir!

Follow us on instagram! @babesinbooklandpod 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when a woman refuses to remain nameless? 

Chanel Miller's extraordinary memoir "Know My Name" transforms her painful journey from sexual assault victim to powerful advocate with unflinching honesty and surprising grace.
 
In this deeply moving discussion, my friend, Becca, and I explore how Chanel reclaimed her identity after being known only as "Emily Doe" in the highly publicized Stanford sexual assault case. Beyond the headlines that focused on her attacker's swimming career, we discover the full impact of trauma on her life. Chanel takes us from the immediate aftermath in a hospital room to the years-long battle through a legal system that so often fails survivors.
 
The conversation delves into the impossible standards placed on victims: the expectation to be the "perfect victim," the scrutiny of every life choice, and the burden of proving their own worth against a society eager to protect perpetrators. We examine how Chanel's victim impact statement, which reached millions when published anonymously, created a watershed moment in how we discuss sexual assault.
 
We reflect on Chanel's ultimate message of hope and resilience. Despite the trauma she endured, she reminds us that "from grief, confidence has grown" and "from anger, stemmed purpose." Her story isn't simply about survival-– it's about transformation, both personal and societal.
 
For parents wondering how to protect their children in an often-dangerous world, for anyone who has experienced trauma, or for those seeking to understand the true cost of sexual violence, this episode offers a profound meditation on justice, healing, and the revolutionary power of speaking truth.

This week's episode is available for free in its entirety. 

Have you read “Know My Name"? Share your thoughts with us! Connect with us @babesinbooklandpod or email [email protected].

If you leave a kind review, I might read it at top of show!

Buy “Know My Name” by Chanel Miller

Other links:
"What Were You Wearing?" art installation
"What Was I Wearing?" Poem by Mary Simmerling
"The She Made Him Do It Theory of Everything" by Rebecca Solnit
RAINN Sexual Violence Statistics
RAINN (National Sexual Assault Hotline) 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)

Transcripts are available through Apple’s podcast app—they may not be perfect, but relying on them allows me to dedicate more time to the show! If you’re interested in being a transcript angel, let me know.
 
This episode is produced, recorded, and its content edited by me.
Technical editing by Brianna Picone
Theme song by Devin Kennedy

Special thanks to my dear friend, Becca!
 Xx, Alex

Connect with us and suggest a great memoir!

Follow us on instagram! @babesinbooklandpod 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when we confront the ways we've perpetuated stereotypes?

Kaila Yu joins me to discuss her raw, unflinching journey from pin up girl and import model to memoirist.

Kaila's memoir "Fetishized" emerged from the aftermath of the Atlanta spa shootings, forcing her to reckon with her own relationship with Asian fetishization. With remarkable candor, she reveals how she initially welcomed the attention that came with being an "exotic" Asian American woman after feeling invisible during her youth. "Getting older and discovering there are people who like us, it's like a compliment at first," she explains, before describing how this validation ultimately became a trap.

Her memoir weaves in fascinating historical context, exposing how military occupation and media stereotypes created the dual images of Asian women as both submissive geishas and dangerous dragon ladies. And Kaila doesn't shy away from difficult subjects, including her experiences with substance abuse, cosmetic surgery, and sexual assault. Her reflections on changing her name from Elaine to Kyla reveal a poignant attempt to escape feelings of inadequacy—creating a character she thought the world would find more valuable than her authentic self.

What makes this discussion particularly powerful is Kaila's willingness to examine her own complicity in these systems before finding a path toward healing. Through therapy and self-reflection, she's learned to embrace her authentic identity while using her experiences to educate others and articulating how fetishization disguises objectification as appreciation.

Have you considered how stereotypes might be shaping your own perceptions? Listen to this episode for an enlightening conversation that will challenge assumptions and expand your understanding of how race, gender, and media intersect in today's world.

Support the show:
On Patreon
Buy us a book
Buy cute merch

Have you read “Fetishized"? Share your thoughts with us! Connect with us @babesinbooklandpod or email [email protected].

If you leave a kind review, I might read it at top of show!

Buy "Fetishized" by Kaila Yu

Transcripts are available through Apple’s podcast app—they may not be perfect, but relying on them allows me to dedicate more time to the show! If you’re interested in being a transcript angel, let me know.

This episode is produced, recorded, and edited by me.
  Theme song by Devin Kennedy

Special thanks to Kaila and Lisa!
 Xx, Alex

Connect with us and suggest a great memoir!

Follow us on instagram! @babesinbooklandpod 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What defines beauty, and who decides if we're worthy of love? 

In this deeply personal conversation about Alison Landa's memoir "Bearded Lady," my friend, Misty, and I explore the profound struggle of living with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), condition that causes excessive body hair growth, and the lifelong journey toward self-acceptance.

Allison's story begins in childhood when her mother, rather than filling a prescription that could help manage her condition, simply teaches her to shave. This moment sets the stage for years of struggle with both her physical appearance and her self-worth. Through bullying, failed treatments, and romantic disappointments, Allison questions whether she'll ever find acceptance... from others or herself.

As we unpack this powerful memoir, we weave in their own experiences with body image, parenting, and the search for self-acceptance. Misty, pregnant during recording, shares candid reflections about her changing body and her fears about motherhood while I talk about my own experience with bullying due to body hair. We hope our conversation creates a safe space to discuss the vulnerability we all face in our bodies.

The episode culminates with Allison's discovery that wanting to change something about yourself isn't always about conforming to society's standards—sometimes it's simply about honoring your own desires. Her eventual finding of love with someone who accepts her completely while supporting her choices provides a beautiful resolution to her journey.

This conversation will resonate with anyone who has ever felt defined by something they wish to change about themselves, or who has questioned where the line between self-acceptance and self-improvement truly lies. Join us for this thoughtful exploration of the burden—and beauty—of being human.

Subscribe now to hear more thought-provoking discussions about books that explore women's diverse experiences and the courage to live authentically.

For the extended discussion of this episode (an additional 43 min), subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Patreon.

Support the show:
On Patreon
Buy us a book
Buy cute merch

Have you read “Bearded Lady"? Share your thoughts with us! Connect with us @babesinbooklandpod or email [email protected].

If you leave a kind review, I might read it at top of show!

Buy “Bearded Lady” by Allison Landa

Transcripts are available through Apple’s podcast app—they may not be perfect, but relying on them allows me to dedicate more time to the show! If you’re interested in being a transcript angel, let me know.

This episode is produced, recorded, and its content edited by me.
Technical editing by Brianna Picone
Theme song by Devin Kennedy

Special thanks to my dear friend, Misty!
 Xx, Alex

Connect with us and suggest a great memoir!

Follow us on instagram! @babesinbooklandpod 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do our pets make us better people?

My friend, Priscilla, and I think so! We chat about this idea and more as we discuss Dr. Amy Attas’ memoir "Pets and the City: True Tales of a Manhattan House Call Veterinarian."

When Dr. Amy Attas found herself unexpectedly fired from a prestigious Manhattan veterinary clinic, she did something revolutionary—she launched the city's first full-time veterinary house call practice. What began as a professional setback blossomed into a groundbreaking career that has touched the lives of over 14,000 pets and their devoted owners.
 
 Through her memoir, Dr. Amy opens the door to the intimate world of in-home veterinary care, where examining rooms are luxury penthouses, celebrity apartments, and modest walk-ups alike. With compassion and wit, she recounts unforgettable encounters with clients ranging from Joan Rivers (who became both patient and cherished friend) to Billy Joel and even Cher, whose impromptu plane examination led to an unexpected naked consultation. Beyond the glitz, Dr. Amy masterfully captures the profound emotional landscape of caring for beloved animals in their own territories.
 
The heart of this memoir lies in the sacred human-animal bond that transcends social status and circumstance. Dr. Amy doesn't shy away from difficult topics, like the ethical dilemmas when owners refuse life-saving treatments, the heartbreaking decisions around end-of-life care, and the remarkable resilience of animals with disabilities. Her stories remind us that our pets see us at our most authentic selves, bearing witness to our vulnerabilities while offering unconditional love in return. Through her own journey of pet loss and renewal, she offers gentle wisdom about grief and the courage to love again.
 
Whether you're a devoted pet parent, considering adoption, or simply fascinated by the extraordinary connections between humans and animals, these true tales from Manhattan's pioneering house call veterinarian will transform how you understand the furry companions who make our worlds infinitely richer. Dr. Amy's remarkable journey proves that sometimes the most healing medicine comes with four paws, a wagging tail, and the ability to make any apartment feel like home.
 
Subscribe now to hear more thought-provoking discussions about books that explore women's diverse experiences and the courage to live authentically.

For the extended discussion of this episode (an additional 23 min), subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Patreon.

Support the show:
Buy us a book
Buy cute merch

Have you read “Pets and the City"? Share your thoughts with us! Connect with us @babesinbooklandpod or email [email protected].

If you leave a kind review, I might read it at top of show!

Buy “Pets and the City” by Dr. Amy Attas

Other links:
volunteer.org
https://www.wcs.org/96-elephants
Heather’s Custom Pets

This episode is produced, recorded, and its content edited by me.
Technical editing by Brianna Picone
Theme song by Devon Kennedy
 
Special thanks to my dear fr

Connect with us and suggest a great memoir!

Follow us on instagram! @babesinbooklandpod 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when you choose a life without children in a world that expects motherhood?
 
Maria Coffey's memoir "Instead: Navigating Adventures of a Childfree Life" explores this question through her extraordinary journey from near-death experiences to global adventures. My friend, Jaime, and I discuss her inspiring conviction to live her life on her own terms.
 
Through vivid storytelling, we travel alongside Maria from her 1950s Catholic upbringing to her daring escape from traditional expectations. Her near-drowning experience at 21 became a pivotal moment, giving her clarity about life's fragility and the courage to chase her dreams despite her mother's disapproval. "I had to make my own life," Maria declares, words that become her north star as she builds an adventurous existence with her husband.
 
What makes this memoir extraordinary isn't just Maria's global kayaking expeditions or her successful travel business, but how she finds meaningful connections with children despite her choice not to have her own. Her relationships with Bok in Vietnam and Agnes in Kenya reveal that motherhood comes in many forms and our opportunities to have a positive effect on another are endless. 
 
"Instead" challenges us to consider what makes a fulfilling life and reminds us that our choices don't require justification, even when they break tradition. Have you ever felt pressured to follow someone else's dream for your life? Maria's story might just give you the courage to follow your own.
 
Subscribe now to hear more thought-provoking discussions about books that explore women's diverse experiences and the courage to live authentically.

For the extended discussion of this episode (an additional 8 min), subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Patreon.

Support the show:
Buy us a book
Buy cute merch

Have you read “Instead"? Share your thoughts with us! Connect with us @babesinbooklandpod or email [email protected].

If you leave a kind review, I might read it at top of show!

Buy “Instead” By Maria Coffey
Learn more about SOS Children’s Villages

Transcripts are available through Apple’s podcast app—they may not be perfect, but relying on them allows me to dedicate more time to the show! If you’re interested in being a transcript angel, let me know.

This episode is produced, recorded, and its content edited by me.
Technical editing by Brianna Picone
Theme song by Devin Kennedy

Special thanks to my dear friend, Jaime. Xx, Alex

Connect with us and suggest a great memoir!

Follow us on instagram! @babesinbooklandpod 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.