On this episode, Dan Santaromita, sports journalist with the Athletic, talks about his love for autobiographies, how reading for work affects recreational reading, and his birthday tradition centered on his ideal reading scenario. We also talk about his favorite writer, Wright Thompson. 

Books mentioned in this episode: 

What Betsy’s reading: 

The Great Mann by Kyra Davis Lurie 

The Names by Florence Knapp 

John of John by Douglas Stuart 

Books Highlighted by Dan: 

Open by Andre Agassi 

I Think Therefore I Play by Andrea Pirlo

The 100-Yard Journey by Gary Pinkel 

The Miracle of Castel di Sangro by Joe McGinniss

Wright Thompson’s Caitlyn Clark Profile 

The Cost of These Dreams by Wright Thompson 

The Barn by Wright Thompson

Football Against the Enemy by Simon Kuper

All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.  

Other books mentioned in this episode:

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 

Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis 

Acid for the Children by Flea

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Pappyland by Wright Thompson 

The Miracle of Castel di Sangro by Joe McGinniss

The Messi Effect by Paul Tenorio 

One Jump at a Time by Nathan Chen 

The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey & Pete Carroll 

Alex Ferguson by Sir Alex Ferguson

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin 

Blood, Sweat, and Pixels by Jason Schreier 

Good Game, No Rematch by Mike Drucker 

Among the Thugs by Bill Buford 

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell 

Moneyball by Michael Lewis 

London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe 

Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe 

Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe

On this episode, Sam Ali, @readwithsama on instagram, talks about how she is developing a love of reading in her daughter, recommends some amazing Canadian books, and we gush about our shared love of awards. We talk about how it can be hard to be readers with wide interests when you have so many great books available to you!

Sam on Instagram 

Books mentioned in this episode: 

What Betsy’s reading: 

The Möbius Book by Catherine Lacey 

The Catch by Yrsa Daley-Ward

Books Highlighted by Sam: 

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte 

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee 

We Measure the Earth with our Bodies by Tsering Yangzom Lama

Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy 

Astra by Cedar Bowers

A History of Burning by Janika Oza

The Beauty of Your Face by Sahar Mustafah

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

Almond by Won-pyung Sohn

All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.  

Other books mentioned in this episode:

Salt Houses by Hala Alyan 

The Arsonists’ City by Hala Alyan 

Whistler by Ann Patchett 

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin 

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy 

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy 

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas 

Pick a Color by Souvankham Thammavongsa 

How to Pronounce Knife by Souvankham Thammavongsa

On this episode, David Nilsen & Emily Swank, hosts of the HopLit podcast, talk about their work combining their love for beer and books. We also talk a lot about awards, get a little spicy making a literary and beer comparison, and they share some great reading habits you might connect with! 

HopLit Podcast 

David Nilsen Beer

Bean to Barstool

Final Gravity, a Beer Zine 

David on Instagram 

Emily on Instagram 

Books mentioned in this episode: 

What Betsy’s reading: 

Land by Maggie O’Farrell 

All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

Books Highlighted by Emily: 

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides 

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis 

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

The Devil and Mrs. Davenport by Paulette Kennedy

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich

Adjustment Day by Chuck Palahniuk  

One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad 

Books Highlighted by David:

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

Watership Down by Richard Adams 

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden 

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden 

The Summer is Ended and We are Not Yet Saved by Joey Comeau

They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib 

All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.  

Other books mentioned in this episode:

The Copywriter by Daniel Poppick 

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo 

Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez

Somebody is Walking on Your Grave by Mariana Enriquez

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones 

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry 

Tom’s Crossing by Mark Z. Danielewski 

The Odyssey by Homer 

Angel Down by Daniel Kraus 

A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

Less by Andrew Sean Greer 

Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips 

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur 

The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich 

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood 

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo 

On this episode, Tatiana, a recent graduate, talks about how she’s renewing her love of reading after finishing school, her blog focusing on making scientific research accessible, and the ways that books have met her in exactly the right time. 

Tatiana’s Blog 

Tatiana on Instagram 

Books mentioned in this episode: 

What Betsy’s reading: 

The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig 

Super Castle Fun Park by Daniel Zomparelli

Books Highlighted by Tatiana:

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Butter by Asako Yuzuki 

The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King 

Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson

All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.  

Other books mentioned in this episode:

The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner 

Pet Sematary by Stephen King

On this episode, Kate Sutton, owner of the Lit Wagon in the Chicago area, talks about how she brings books to people all over the city, how her work as a therapist influences her book choices, and the kinds of emotional wreckage she expects from a read. She also gives tips on how to be a good customer of the Lit Wagon! 

Follow the Lit Wagon

Books mentioned in this episode: 

What Betsy’s reading: 

Kingfisher by Rozie Kelly 

Books Highlighted by Kate:

The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer

The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin 

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman 

All Fours by Mrianda July 

Fractured by C.S. Dodds

Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy 

Birdie and Harlow by Taylor Wolfe

The Best Dog in the World by Alice Hoffman 

Eddie Winston is Looking for Love by Marianne Cronin 

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

What Happened to You? by Oprah Winfrey & Bruce Perry 

The Days I Loved You Most by Amy Neff 

Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green 

While You Were Out by Meg Kissinger

All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.  

Other books mentioned in this episode:

The Rainbabies by Laura Krauss Melmed

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney 

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke 

On this episode, Grace Hughes, author and avid fantasy reader, discusses her specific criteria for naming genres, how her work as a writer affects her reading life, and we talk about a lot of fantasy series. If you’re ready to pick up a fantastical tome, this episode has a lot of recommendations. 

Books mentioned in this episode: 

What Betsy’s reading: 

Canon by Paige Lewis 

Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe

Books Highlighted by Grace:

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

Vinyl Cafe Unplugged by Stuart McLean

Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig 

When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

Your Knife, My Heart by K.M. Moronova 

Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari 

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig 

All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.  

Other books mentioned in this episode:

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine 

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros 

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin 

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon 

Alchemisd by SenLinYu 

Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas 

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 

Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig 

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien 

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas 

The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski 

American Gods by Neil Gaiman 

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones 

On this episode, Nicole from Off Color Book Club joins me to discuss the most recent Off Color Book Club book,  A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan. 

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, July 21st to discuss Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. All are welcome! 

On this episode, Molly Page, @mollypg on instagram, talks about her project visiting all of the branches of the Chicago Public Library, how her writing is how she first fell in love with words, and how adaptations drive most of her reading decisions. We also talk a lot about Chicago and how amazing it is to be a reader in the city! 

100 Things to Do in Chicago Before You Die

Books mentioned in this episode: 

What Betsy’s reading: 

Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash 

Rental House by Weike Wang 

Books Highlighted by Molly:

Trust by Hernan Diaz 

The Need by Helen Phillips 

Don’t Go: Stories of Segregation and How to Disrupt It by Tonika Lewis Johnson and Maria Krysan 

Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore

Lilian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney

Starter Villain by John Scalzi 

Yearbook by Seth Rogan 

Who is This City For?: Architecture, Equity, and the Public Realm in Chicago by Blair Kamin & Lee Bey

All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.  

Other books mentioned in this episode:

The Odyssey by Homer, trans. Emily Wilson 

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan 

Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman 

All This and More by Peng Shepherd 

Hum by Helen Phillips

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