Thanks for joining me on a very special solo ep covering and reviewing the (very few) books I read — or, wished I hadn’t read — in Q1 of 2025. Plus a few reflections on DNFing, reading, learning, culture and how I’m staying sane in times of chaos. Enjoy!

Books mentioned: 

Long Island by Colm Toibin

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind 

For Small Creatures Such as We by Sasha Sagan 

Girls With Long Shadows by Tennessee Hill 

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/bsscpod 

NEWSLETTER: https://blottingpapers.substack.com 

SHOP BOOKS OF THE POD:https://bookshop.org/lists/books-of-the-pod

Books, book review, quarterly review, reading recap, fiction, literary fiction, reading, learning, culture, authors, nonfiction, book recommendations

Read this? Read that! Inner Child Edition. Today, Kate of @k8sreads and I pair our favorite children’s books with their adult literary equivalent, as well as go deep on our best loved girlhood stories and the romance plots that took precedent over any kind of meaningful social narrative and critique in teen fiction. 

KATE’s INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/k8tsreads

KATE’S TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@k8tsreads 

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/bsscpod 

NEWSLETTER: https://blottingpapers.substack.com 

SHOP BOOKS OF THE POD:https://bookshop.org/lists/books-of-the-pod

Children’s books, YA books, young adult books, fiction, literary fiction, historical fiction, history, books, book clubs, writing, literary criticism 

There's no better practice for honing your intuition than "getting your hands dirty", says Sam, psychic, reader, friend.

Still, if you're looking to expand your consciousness, clear your shadows, or are just curious to learn more about the world of the mystical, my favorite guide to the spirit realm Spirituality with Sam joins us with her top book recommendations for all things spirituality - plus an insight into what the h*&l is going on right now, energetically!

BOOK A READING WITH SAM: https://www.spiritualitywithsam.com/

SAM'S TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@spiritualitywithsam

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/bsscpod 

NEWSLETTER: https://blottingpapers.substack.com 

SHOP BOOKS OF THE POD:https://bookshop.org/lists/books-of-the-pod

Spirituality, Psychic, Intuition, Spirit Guides, Book Recommendations, Books to Read, Book Club, Books, Self-Development, Manifestation, Consciousness

In honor of St. Patrick and the Land of Saints & Scholars, let’s put down the “Normal People” this year and read one of these incredible - but highly underrated - Irish literature greats. We cover my 5-star reads out of Ireland, the books and Irish authors I always recommend - plus, enjoy the world’s most Spark Notesiest overview of Irish literary history. 

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/bsscpod 

NEWSLETTER: https://blottingpapers.substack.com 

SHOP BOOKS OF THE POD:https://bookshop.org/lists/books-of-the-pod

Book recommendations, books, books to read, Irish literature, Sally Rooney, Normal People, Conversations with Friends, Ireland, Irish history, history, James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, W.B. Yeats, Dorothy Macardle, Maggie O’Farrell, Maeve Brennan, short stories, novels, literature 

Thanks to the likes of BookTok and Sarah J. Maas, there’s never been a better time to be a fantasy reader.

However, if you were an avid reader of Harry Potter or Chronicles of Narnia as a kid and aren’t sure where to start with tapping into the fantasy world, the endless series and expansive world building can be daunting.

Enter, my friend, @kassbookreviews - *the* go-to source for fantasy book reviews and recommendations, who joins me on BSSC today for a little Fantasy 101! 

FOLLOW KASS: https://www.instagram.com/kassbookreviews 

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/bsscpod 

NEWSLETTER: https://blottingpapers.substack.com 

SHOP BOOKS OF THE POD:https://bookshop.org/lists/books-of-the-pod

Books, book club, fantasy, fantasy books, Sarah J. Maas, V.E. Schwab, ACOTAR, Outlander, fantasy genre, high fantasy, magic

It begins with eye-catching hot pink cover art. When Cameron aka @slaggybookclub first encountered Ottessa Moshfegh’s ‘My Year of Rest and Relaxation’, the weird girl lit fic book was just the beginning. Now, Cameron is one of BookTok’s central creators on literary fiction. On today’s episode, Cameron chats with me about creating litfic bookish content and what to do when your hobby becomes your career - in addition to a rapid-fire round of Literary Fiction Smash-or-Pass! 

FOLLOW SLAGGY BOOK CLUB: https://www.instagram.com/slaggybookclub 

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/bsscpod 

NEWSLETTER: https://blottingpapers.substack.com 

SHOP BOOKS OF THE POD:https://bookshop.org/lists/books-of-the-pod

Literary fiction, books, literature, book club, book lovers, Ottessa Moshfegh, Sally Rooney, Donna Tartt, A Little Life, reading, publishing, writing

Need the kind of friend who is always going to bat 100 for movie / book / TV show reccs? You need Tori aka @druzyveins. Tori is a cultural connoisseur for the new millennium and a true master of media. Today, Tori and I sit down to discuss what art is in the scope of short-form and social media, as well as give you some actionable tips when it comes to breaking out of the all-too-familiar “comfort consumption” and expanding your media palette. 

🎧 to Broken Spine Social Club podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast fix 

FOLLOW TORI: https://www.instagram.com/druzyveins 

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/bsscpod 

NEWSLETTER: https://blottingpapers.substack.com 

SHOP BOOKS OF THE POD:https://bookshop.org/lists/books-of-the-pod

Media, movies, best movies to watch, books, book recommendations, social media, short form, culture, cultural analysis, movie reviews, mindset, motivation, lifestyle, book clubs

It could be said that all writing has to do with matters of the heart, and that is certainly the case for three of literary history’s best known creative couples: Truman Capote and Perry Smith, Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes, and Mary Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelley. Today, in honor of Valentine’s Day, we’ll explore the trysts, triangles, and tragedies of these literary couples, whose passionate love affairs and heartaches have become perhaps more infamous than the words they wrote. 

TIME STAMPS

4:06: Truman Capote and Perry Smith

12:38: Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes

21:55: Mary Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelley

🎧 to Broken Spine Social Club podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast fix 

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/bsscpod 

NEWSLETTER: https://blottingpapers.substack.com 

SHOP BOOKS OF THE POD:https://bookshop.org/lists/books-of-the-pod

Literature, literary history, writers, writing life, In Cold Blood, True Crime, Truman Capote, poetry, Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar, Mary Shelley, gothic literature, Frankenstein, Romantic poets, books, book club, history 

There’s no doubt about the appetite readers have for narratives exploring the messy, courageous, and devouring experience of woman-and-girlhood, and author Lucy Rose serves it up on a plate in her debut novel, The Lamb. Today, we sit down and get to the meat (no pun intended) of what it takes to capture the plurality of feminine experience through the written word, Lucy’s writing process, and all things cannibalistic mother-daughter folk horror in this special author interview with debut writer and friend of the pod, Lucy Rose.

BUY THE LAMB: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-lamb-lucy-rose/21679928?aid=106686&ean=9780063374607&listref=books-of-the-pod 

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/bsscpod 

NEWSLETTER: https://blottingpapers.substack.com 

SHOP BOOKS OF THE POD:https://bookshop.org/lists/books-of-the-pod

Author interview, BookTok, book clubs, book recommendations, writing, writing advice, book review, novel, literary fiction, literature, authors

In the dark depths of bitter late January, we’re all ready to break out the Birkenstock Arizonas and stretch out in the sun. But what if embracing the winter blues is the happiest, healthiest choice for a more grounded, enjoyable cold snap? Taking a page (literally) from Aldo Leopold, today I recommend my favorite seasonal eats, wears, and practices - along with a few wintery book recommendations to help you make the most of the season.

MY SUBSTACK: https://blottingpapers.substack.com

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/bsscpod 

SHOP BOOKS OF THE POD:https://bookshop.org/lists/books-of-the-pod

Books, literature, lifestyle, seasonal living, winter, recipes, fashion, book recommendations, book club, literary fiction, thrillers, winter books