Books and the City

By Core Four

Welcome to your new favorite literary podcast! Books and the City Podcast is hosted by four New York City-dwelling, book-nerd best friends who met for one Bookstagram book club, and the rest was histo... more

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FAQs about Books and the City:

How many episodes does Books and the City have?

The podcast currently has 189 episodes available.

Books and the City episodes:

April 24, 2023 "Thanks, Chynna Philips!"
Today, we're talking Wikipedia rabbit holes, including but not limited to: the Baldwins, skin conditions, & the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Then, of course, the books. Thank you so much for listening! ❤️ Buy BATC merch here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at https://www.bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Check out our website for more information about the fan club, any anything else at https://www.booksandthecitypod.com. You can also subscribe to our newsletter there, and send us a note at [email protected]>
Libby’s pick: Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue (13:36-21:22)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/251547/behold-the-dreamers-by-imbolo-mbue/
On Libby’s TBR: Elektra by Jennifer Saint
Becky’s pick: A Mirror Mended by Alix E. Harrow (21:23-27:32)
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250766649/a-mirror-mended
On Becky’s TBR: Tokyo Dreaming by Amiko Jean
Kayla’s pick: Dragonfly by Leila Meacham (27:33-38:52)
https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/leila-meacham/dragonfly/9781538732229/?_ga=2.184428070.1268511064.1682300888-1971065739.1682300888
On Kayla’s TBR: When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn
Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions are our own.

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41min
April 17, 2023 A Museum of Scandoval?
Today we’re back to book talk with two historical fiction books and one translated sci-fi! Plus we’re discussing what our ideal museum would be! Thank you so much for listening! You can buy BATC merch here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at https://www.bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Check out our website for more information about the fan club, any anything else at https://www.booksandthecitypod.com. You can also subscribe to our newsletter there, and send us a note at [email protected]>
Becky’s pick: Three Words for Goodbye by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb (8:43-17:19)
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/three-words-for-goodbye-hazel-gaynorheather-webb?variant=32952414863394
On Becky’s TBR: The Codebreaker’s Secret by Sara Ackerman
Libby’s pick: The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Lui (17:19-32:30)
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780765382030/the-three-body-problem
On Libby’s TBR: Motherhood by Sheila Heti
Kayla’s pick: The Next Ship Home by Heather Webb (32:30-45:31)
https://bookshop.org/p/books/next-ship-home-a-novel-of-ellis-island-heather-webb/17539964?ean=9781728243146
On Kayla’s TBR: Looking For Jane by Heather Marshall

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47min
April 10, 2023 Pre-London Kayla + Summer Travel
Happy Chaos episode! Today, we’re soaking in the good weather we’ve been having and daydreaming about future travels. Plus Kayla gives us a little peek at her trip to London before she left! If you’ve not been following along, you can see all her London adventures on @kayreadwhat! Thank you so much for listening! You can buy BATC merch here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at https://www.bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Check out our website for more information about the fan club, any anything else at https://www.booksandthecitypod.com. You can also subscribe to our newsletter there, and send us a note at [email protected]>

Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions are our own.
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34min
April 03, 2023 "If you listened to Radio Disney, you heard me."
Today's episode has us reveling in nostalgia, our favorite activity, after the latest American Girl news: there's a new "historical" doll from the '90s. So naturally, we had to get into what our childhood doll's accessories would be. Then we keep that nostalgia train rolling by talking about some childhood favorite rereads ❤️ Thank youuu for listening! You can grab BATC merch here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at https://www.bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Check out our website for more information about the fan club, any anything else at https://www.booksandthecitypod.com. You can also subscribe to our newsletter there, and send us a note at [email protected]>
Becky’s pick: The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot (16:37-36:47)
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-princess-diaries-meg-cabot?variant=32206930444322
On Becky’s TBR: The Codebreaker's Secret by Sara Ackerman

Kayla’s pick: The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney (36:48-48:21)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/31416/the-face-on-the-milk-carton-by-caroline-b-cooney/
On Kayla’s TBR: The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson

Libby’s pick: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (48:22-1:04:00)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/196153/the-book-thief-anniversary-edition-by-markus-zusak/
On Libby’s TBR: The Answers by Catherine Lacey

Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions are our own.
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1h 6min
March 27, 2023 "Emily used to do this all the time"
We kick things off with a controversial fishbowl question, in the vein of "if you could sweat anything" - longtime listeners know. And then, enjoy some fun book talk including a couple of books that the co-hosts may or may not have finished quite yet!!! Hehe thank you so much for listening! You can buy BATC merch here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at https://www.bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Check out our website for more information about the fan club, any anything else at https://www.booksandthecitypod.com. You can also subscribe to our newsletter there, and send us a note at [email protected]>
Kayla’s pick: The Girl from Guernica by Karen Robards (7:14-19:42)
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-girl-from-guernica-karen-robards?variant=39979322081314
On Kayla’s TBR: Capote's Women by Laurence Leamer
Libby’s pick: The Arsonists' City by Hala Alyan (19:43-34:15)
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-arsonists-city-hala-alyan?variant=39936001998882
On Libby’s TBR: The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Becky’s pick: Good Rich People by Eliza Jane Brazier (34:34-43:19)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/634633/good-rich-people-by-eliza-jane-brazier/
On Becky’s TBR: Good Rich People by Eliza Jane Brazier (lol)
Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions are our own.

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45min
March 20, 2023 "Listen to this $#!+"
Today, we're talking about what the book about our lives would be called. Hint: someone's book title may or may not be today's episode title 😏 and then we have some fantastic books lined up, so get your TBRs ready. Thank you so so much for listening! You can buy your BATC merch here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at https://www.bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Check out our website for more information about the fan club, any anything else at https://www.booksandthecitypod.com. You can also subscribe to our newsletter there, and send us a note at [email protected]>
Becky’s pick: The Mad Women’s Ball by Victoria Mas (8:02-17:08)
https://www.abramsbooks.com/product/mad-womens-ball_9781419757594/
On Becky’s TBR: A Mirror Mended by Alix E Harrow
Kayla’s pick: The Mitford Affair by Marie Benedict (17:09-31:49)
https://read.sourcebooks.com/fiction/9781728229362-the-mitford-affair-hc.html
On Kayla’s TBR: Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson
Libby’s pick: Girls Can Kiss Now by Jill Gutowitz (31:50-46:55)
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Girls-Can-Kiss-Now/Jill-Gutowitz/9781982158507
On Libby’s TBR: The Fire This Time edited by Jesmyn Ward

Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions are our own.
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54min
March 13, 2023 Anticipation Ice Cream
Good morning, hello, today we’re talking about ice cream flavored like a feeling. Not to brag, but I think you’re going to want to stop by our ice cream shop… And then, the books! Today, we’ve got a prize-winning King Lear reimagining, a twisty suspenseful heist story, and a scammer book that Kayla was obsessed with. Thank you so much for listening! You can buy your BATC merch here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at https://www.bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Check out our website for more information about the fan club, any anything else at https://www.booksandthecitypod.com. You can also subscribe to our newsletter there, and send us a note at [email protected]>
Libby’s pick: A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley (10:40-21:22)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/168687/a-thousand-acres-by-jane-smiley-introduction-by-lucy-hughes-hallett/
On Libby’s TBR: Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Becky’s pick: Queen of Thieves by Beezy Marsh (21:23-27:29)
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/queen-of-thieves-beezy-marsh?variant=40828468658210
On Becky’s TBR: The Sweet Spot by Amy Poeppel
Kayla’s pick: Stone Cold Fox by Rachel Koller Croft (27:30-36:20)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/711068/stone-cold-fox-by-rachel-koller-croft/
On Kayla’s TBR: River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer
Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions are our own.
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38min
March 06, 2023 Daisy Jones & Other Adaptation Chaos
Hello friends, today we're getting RILED UP about movie and TV adaptatios of books! This episode is inspired by the recent Daisy Jones & the Six adaptation, but also fueled by our various strong feelings about Twilight, HP, His Dark Materials, and all the screen adaptations that never were… (pour one out for that series Becky loved that sent us down a rabbit hole way back). Also please weigh in: did you read The Outsiders in high school? Thanks for listening! ❤️ Buy your BATC merch here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at https://www.bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Check out our website for more information about the fan club, any anything else at https://www.booksandthecitypod.com. You can also subscribe to our newsletter there, and send us a note at [email protected]>
Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions are our own.
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37min
February 27, 2023 Debutante Ball > Dating
Hello, and happy almost-Spring! Today, before we get into our books, we’re talking about historical figures. Specifically, which historical figures we’d bring back from the dead and what we would do with them during our day of hanging out. This question was harder than we thought! And for books today, we’ve got a family saga, and a couple of royal historical fiction novels. Thanks so much for listening! You can buy your BATC merch here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at https://www.bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Check out our website for more information about the fan club, any anything else at https://www.booksandthecitypod.com. You can also subscribe to our newsletter there, and send us a note at [email protected]>
Kayla’s pick: The Last Grand Duchess: A Novel of Olga Romanov, Imperial Russia, and Revolution by Bryn Turnbull (4:28-14:11)
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-last-grand-duchess-bryn-turnbull?variant=39391758254114
On Kayla’s TBR: Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor
Libby’s pick: More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera (15:40-26:41)
https://sohopress.com/books/more-happy-than-not/
On Libby’s TBR: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
Becky’s pick: The Last Dance of the Debutante by Julia Kelly (26:42-37:18)
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Last-Dance-of-the-Debutante/Julia-Kelly/9781982171636
On Becky’s TBR: Hotel Laguna by Nicola Harrison
Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions are our own.
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39min
February 20, 2023 Lotion, Lemons, & TP
We know you've been dying to know: what would we all want a lifetime supply of? Tune in to find out. Then keep listening for some bookish recs, including a wild religious cult thriller and some historical fiction. Thank youuu for listening! You can buy your BATC merch here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at https://www.bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Check out our website for more information about the fan club, any anything else at https://www.booksandthecitypod.com. You can also subscribe to our newsletter there, and send us a note at [email protected]>
Becky’s pick: The Social Climber by Amanda Pellegrino (9:58-21:56) https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-social-climber-amanda-pellegrino/18413257?ean=9780778387022 On Becky’s TBR: A Promised Land by Barack Obama by Brianna Labuskes (21:57-32:26)
Kayla's pick: The Librarian of Burned Books by Brianna Labuskes https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-librarian-of-burned-books-brianna-labuskes/18553228?ean=9780063297128 On Kayla’s TBR: Next Ship Home by Heather Webb
Libby’s pick: Abigail by Magda Szabó (32:27-44:47) https://bookshop.org/p/books/abigail-magda-szabo/6394238?ean=9781681374031 On Libby’s TBR: The Door by Magda Szabó
Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions are our own.
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48min

FAQs about Books and the City:

How many episodes does Books and the City have?

The podcast currently has 189 episodes available.