...But Make It Books

Join Niccara as she welcomes Baltimore-born columnist, author, and truth teller Leslie Gray Streeter to the pod! We talk about her debut novel Family & Other Calamities — a sharp, funny, and deeply human story about a journalist who returns home to Baltimore to bury her late husband's ashes and discovers that the friend who stole her story 30 years ago is now making it into a movie, and she's the villain. We get into what it costs to leave and how your absence gives some license to tell your story, the danger charm and how that allows others to get away with too much, why being right doesn't mean your hands are clean, and how younger generations can hold us accountable. Plus: our shared Baltimore love, the Ivy Hotel, Marta brunch, and why you need to talk to your elders while you still can.

Perfect for readers who love sharp, character-driven fiction about women reckoning with the truth: about the news, about their families, and about themselves. Make sure you pick up Family & Other Calamities wherever you get your books and then go read Black Widow because she's been doing this, and it shows.

Follow & Find Leslie Gray Streeter: lesliegraystreeter.com | @lesliegraystreeter on Instagram, Threads & Blue Sky | Baltimore Banner

Follow Us: @butmakeitbookspod | @thebookishhottie | bookishlyhealing.com

Shop With Us: Use our Mahogany Books link with code BMIB

Don't forget to rate, subscribe and review!

Keeping healing...but make it books. Peace y'all

Mentioned in this episode:

The Seven Daughters of Dupree Pre-Order Offer

 Nikisha Elise Williams, the host of the Black and Published podcast, is celebrating the release of her forthcoming novel, The Seven Daughters of Dupree. This historical fiction novel is about the secrets kept between mothers and daughters over the course of seven generations and is told backwards in time from 1995 to 1860.

African Ancestry

We are the pioneers of genetic ancestry tracing for Black people globally, reconnecting you to your specific African roots–the country and the people. Our scientists compare your DNA markers to the largest African reference database in the world in order to find your African origin up to 2000 years ago.

African Ancestry

African Ancestry

We are the pioneers of genetic ancestry tracing for Black people globally, reconnecting you to your specific African roots–the country and the people. Our scientists compare your DNA markers to the largest African reference database in the world in order to find your African origin up to 2000 years ago.

African Ancestry

Join Niccara as she welcomes award-winning author, journalist, and two-time Emmy Award-winning television producer Nikesha Elise Williams to the pod! We talk about her sweeping debut with Simon & Schuster, Seven Daughters of Dupree: a multigenerational saga tracing seven generations of Black women from 1860 to the present day, bound together by legacy, love, loss, and a curse that only a daughter can break. We get into the enslaved ancestor whose story sets everything in motion, why hair is both inheritance and survival in this novel, what secrecy truly costs the women of this bloodline, the intimacy Black people have always had to carry about white folks just to stay safe, and the quiet call of the land pulling Black people back to the South. Plus Nikesha reads from the prologue and we spiral beautifully into hot combs, Saturday nights, and every Black girl's sensory memory.

Perfect for readers who love multigenerational Black family sagas, stories rooted in the Black South, and honest reckoning with what we carry, what we keep secret, and what we dare to pass on differently. Make sure you pick up The Seven Daughters of Dupree wherever you get your books, and run it up!

Follow & Find Nikesha Elise Williams: @nikesha_elise | newwrites.com | Black & Publish Podcast

Follow Us: @butmakeitbookspod | @thebookishhottie | bookishlyhealing.com

Shop With Us: Use our Mahogany Books link with code BMIB

The Seven Daughters of Dupree

Don't forget to rate, subscribe and review!

Keeping it real...but make it books. Peace y'all

Mentioned in this episode:

African Ancestry

We are the pioneers of genetic ancestry tracing for Black people globally, reconnecting you to your specific African roots–the country and the people. Our scientists compare your DNA markers to the largest African reference database in the world in order to find your African origin up to 2000 years ago.

African Ancestry

The Seven Daughters of Dupree Pre-Order Offer

 Nikisha Elise Williams, the host of the Black and Published podcast, is celebrating the release of her forthcoming novel, The Seven Daughters of Dupree. This historical fiction novel is about the secrets kept between mothers and daughters over the course of seven generations and is told backwards in time from 1995 to 1860.

African Ancestry

We are the pioneers of genetic ancestry tracing for Black people globally, reconnecting you to your specific African roots–the country and the people. Our scientists compare your DNA markers to the largest African reference database in the world in order to find your African origin up to 2000 years ago.

African Ancestry

Join Niccara as she links up with Lana and Samra of She Well Read for a conversation that starts with a book and ends up saying everything. We dig into Amy DuBois Barnett's If I Ruled the World — a 90s New York story following a Black editor navigating ambition, power, and survival at the intersection of hip hop and high fashion — and we don't let it go without pulling the thread all the way through. We talk about what it costs Black women to be seen in industries that were never built for them, the misogyny baked into hip hop then and now, how we were raised on shame instead of power, and the quiet ways we make concessions just to stay in the room. Plus: natural hair, predators with platforms, men crashing out, and why Nikki at the end of the book is absolutely who you want to have brunch with.

Perfect for readers who love stories about Black women's ambition and self-discovery, and for anyone reckoning with the 90s: nostalgia, rose-colored glasses and all. Make sure you pick up "If I Ruled the World" from where you get your books and stay tuned because it's becoming a TV show!

Follow & Find She Well Read: @shewellread | TikTok, Instagram & Threads

Follow Us: @butmakeitbookspod | @thebookishhottie | bookishlyhealing.com

Shop With Us: Use our Mahogany Books link with code BMIB

If I Ruled the World

Don't forget to rate, subscribe and review!

Keep healing...but make it books. Peace y'all

Mentioned in this episode:

African Ancestry

We are the pioneers of genetic ancestry tracing for Black people globally, reconnecting you to your specific African roots–the country and the people. Our scientists compare your DNA markers to the largest African reference database in the world in order to find your African origin up to 2000 years ago.

African Ancestry

The Seven Daughters of Dupree Pre-Order Offer

 Nikisha Elise Williams, the host of the Black and Published podcast, is celebrating the release of her forthcoming novel, The Seven Daughters of Dupree. This historical fiction novel is about the secrets kept between mothers and daughters over the course of seven generations and is told backwards in time from 1995 to 1860.

African Ancestry

We are the pioneers of genetic ancestry tracing for Black people globally, reconnecting you to your specific African roots–the country and the people. Our scientists compare your DNA markers to the largest African reference database in the world in order to find your African origin up to 2000 years ago.

African Ancestry

Season 3 is officially HERE, and we are opening the doors with the collab you didn't know you needed. Join Niccara as she welcomes the dynamic duo behind Refined & Ratchet — Charlee and Nisha — to the pod for a conversation that's equal parts unfiltered and essential. We get into what it really means to be a reader in the age of the algorithm, the real difference between community building and networking (because they are NOT the same thing), and why the book community is sometimes harder on itself than it is on anyone else. Plus, hot takes, book recs, and a rapid-fire round that reveals who's a dog-earer and who absolutely is not.

Perfect for readers who are deeply invested in Black book culture, content creation, authentic community, and the love of the game — especially when the algorithm isn't on your side. If you've ever asked yourself why you're in this space, this episode is your mirror.

Follow & Find Refined & Ratchet: @refinedandratchet | YouTube: Refined & Ratchet

Follow Charlee: @ohcharleeplease Follow Nisha: @nextchapternish

Follow Us: @butmakeitbookspod | @thebookishhottie | bookishlyhealing.com

Shop With Us: Use our Mahogany Books link with code BMIB

Don't forget to rate, subscribe and review!

Keeping healing...but make it books. Peace y'all

Mentioned in this episode:

African Ancestry

We are the pioneers of genetic ancestry tracing for Black people globally, reconnecting you to your specific African roots–the country and the people. Our scientists compare your DNA markers to the largest African reference database in the world in order to find your African origin up to 2000 years ago.

African Ancestry

The Seven Daughters of Dupree Pre-Order Offer

 Nikisha Elise Williams, the host of the Black and Published podcast, is celebrating the release of her forthcoming novel, The Seven Daughters of Dupree. This historical fiction novel is about the secrets kept between mothers and daughters over the course of seven generations and is told backwards in time from 1995 to 1860.

African Ancestry

We are the pioneers of genetic ancestry tracing for Black people globally, reconnecting you to your specific African roots–the country and the people. Our scientists compare your DNA markers to the largest African reference database in the world in order to find your African origin up to 2000 years ago.

African Ancestry

She's back. We're back. And this season? We are not playing around.

Welcome to Season 3 of ...But Make It Books — the podcast that makes reading cool, celebrates diverse voices, and brings the culture to the literary world. This trailer gives you a taste of everything we've been cooking up, and the lineup is stacked.

This season we're sitting down with authors, podcasters, and creatives including She Well Read, TL Martin, BNB Book Designer, Sedona Rose, Leslie Street, Kehinde Winful, Nikesha Elise Williams, Dr.Jenn Jackson, Refined & Ratchet, and more — and every single conversation is one you are going to want to share.

New episodes drop biweekly on Thursdays starting April 16th.

Follow the show so you never miss an episode, and tag us when you're listening — we love to see it.

📖 Follow us:

Instagram: @butmakeitbookspod

Website: bookishlyhealing.com

Mentioned in this episode:

The Seven Daughters of Dupree Pre-Order Offer

 Nikisha Elise Williams, the host of the Black and Published podcast, is celebrating the release of her forthcoming novel, The Seven Daughters of Dupree. This historical fiction novel is about the secrets kept between mothers and daughters over the course of seven generations and is told backwards in time from 1995 to 1860.

African Ancestry

We are the pioneers of genetic ancestry tracing for Black people globally, reconnecting you to your specific African roots–the country and the people. Our scientists compare your DNA markers to the largest African reference database in the world in order to find your African origin up to 2000 years ago.

African Ancestry

African Ancestry

We are the pioneers of genetic ancestry tracing for Black people globally, reconnecting you to your specific African roots–the country and the people. Our scientists compare your DNA markers to the largest African reference database in the world in order to find your African origin up to 2000 years ago.

African Ancestry

Join Niccara as she welcomes Paula Chase, co-founder of The Brown Bookshelf and author of the Heights series, to the pod! We talk about her novel The Balancing Act, the power of reclaiming language around grief, and how young people navigate invisibility within communities fighting over scarce resources in their own neighborhoods.

Perfect for readers who appreciate stories centered on Black youth, community resilience, grief and healing, institutional critique, and the courage it takes to be truly seen. Make sure you pick up The Balancing Act from where you get your books!

Follow Us:

@butmakeitbookspod | @thebookishhottie | bookishlyhealing.com

Follow & Find Paula Chase:

paulachasewrites.com | @paulachaseauthor

Shop With Us:

Use our Mahogany Books link with code BMIB

Don't forget to rate, subscribe and review!

Keeping it real...but make it books. Peace y'all

Mentioned in this episode:

African Ancestry

We are the pioneers of genetic ancestry tracing for Black people globally, reconnecting you to your specific African roots–the country and the people. Our scientists compare your DNA markers to the largest African reference database in the world in order to find your African origin up to 2000 years ago.

African Ancestry

The Seven Daughters of Dupree Pre-Order Offer

 Nikisha Elise Williams, the host of the Black and Published podcast, is celebrating the release of her forthcoming novel, The Seven Daughters of Dupree. This historical fiction novel is about the secrets kept between mothers and daughters over the course of seven generations and is told backwards in time from 1995 to 1860.

African Ancestry

We are the pioneers of genetic ancestry tracing for Black people globally, reconnecting you to your specific African roots–the country and the people. Our scientists compare your DNA markers to the largest African reference database in the world in order to find your African origin up to 2000 years ago.

African Ancestry

Join Niccara as she welcomes Sunday Times Bestselling author Analeigh Sbrana to the pod!

We talk about her duology "Lore of the Wilds" and "Lore of the Tides", the power of Black heroines discovering their own magic, and how courage, stewardship of the land, and community create opportunities for freedom and belonging.

Fantasy and romantasy lovers, especially those who appreciate stories centered on Black girlhood, identity, and representation, this episode is for you!

Lore of the Wilds

Lore of the Tides

Make sure you pick up the Lore duology from where you get your books!

Follow Us:

@butmakeitbookspod | @thebookishhottie | bookishlyhealing.com

Follow & Find Analeigh Sbrana:

analeighsbrana.com | @analeighsbrana

Shop With Us:

Use our Mahogany Books link with code BMIB

Don't forget to rate, subscribe and review!

Mentioned in this episode:

African Ancestry

We are the pioneers of genetic ancestry tracing for Black people globally, reconnecting you to your specific African roots–the country and the people. Our scientists compare your DNA markers to the largest African reference database in the world in order to find your African origin up to 2000 years ago.

African Ancestry

The Seven Daughters of Dupree Pre-Order Offer

 Nikisha Elise Williams, the host of the Black and Published podcast, is celebrating the release of her forthcoming novel, The Seven Daughters of Dupree. This historical fiction novel is about the secrets kept between mothers and daughters over the course of seven generations and is told backwards in time from 1995 to 1860.

African Ancestry

We are the pioneers of genetic ancestry tracing for Black people globally, reconnecting you to your specific African roots–the country and the people. Our scientists compare your DNA markers to the largest African reference database in the world in order to find your African origin up to 2000 years ago.

African Ancestry

Join Niccara as she welcomes Addie E. Citchens, inaugural recipient of the Farrar, Straus and Giroux Writer's Fellowship and debut author, to the pod! We talk about her novel Dominion, the cost of maintaining false narratives, and how women become the custodians of family reputation and community silence in the Black church.

Perfect for readers who appreciate stories centered on Black womanhood, Southern life, faith, complicity, and the courage it takes to choose yourself. Make sure you pick up Dominion from where you get your books!

Follow Us:

@butmakeitbookspod | @thebookishhottie | bookishlyhealing.com

Follow & Find Addie E. Citchens:

addiecitchens.com | @addiecitchens

Shop With Us:

Use our Mahogany Books link with code BMIB

Don't forget to rate, subscribe and review!

Keeping healing...but make it books. Peace y'all

Mentioned in this episode:

African Ancestry

We are the pioneers of genetic ancestry tracing for Black people globally, reconnecting you to your specific African roots–the country and the people. Our scientists compare your DNA markers to the largest African reference database in the world in order to find your African origin up to 2000 years ago.

African Ancestry

African Ancestry

We are the pioneers of genetic ancestry tracing for Black people globally, reconnecting you to your specific African roots–the country and the people. Our scientists compare your DNA markers to the largest African reference database in the world in order to find your African origin up to 2000 years ago.

African Ancestry

The Seven Daughters of Dupree Pre-Order Offer

 Nikisha Elise Williams, the host of the Black and Published podcast, is celebrating the release of her forthcoming novel, The Seven Daughters of Dupree. This historical fiction novel is about the secrets kept between mothers and daughters over the course of seven generations and is told backwards in time from 1995 to 1860.

Join Niccara as she welcomes Arriel Vinson, Reese's Book Club LitUp Fellow and debut author, to the pod! We talk about her novel-in-verse, "Under the Neon Lights", the power of Black girls with big names, and how change—whether it's gentrification, divorce, or growing up—creates opportunities for freedom and belonging.

YA lovers, especially those who appreciate stories centered on Black girlhood, identity, and community, this episode is for you! Make sure you pick up "Under the Neon Lights" from where you get your books!

Follow us at: @butmakeitbookspod @thebookishhottie

Follow & Find Arriel Vinson: arriwrites.com & @arriwrites

Use my Mahogany Books link here using code BMIB.

Don't forget to rate, subscribe and review!

Mentioned in this episode:

African Ancestry

We are the pioneers of genetic ancestry tracing for Black people globally, reconnecting you to your specific African roots–the country and the people. Our scientists compare your DNA markers to the largest African reference database in the world in order to find your African origin up to 2000 years ago.

African Ancestry

The Seven Daughters of Dupree Pre-Order Offer

 Nikisha Elise Williams, the host of the Black and Published podcast, is celebrating the release of her forthcoming novel, The Seven Daughters of Dupree. This historical fiction novel is about the secrets kept between mothers and daughters over the course of seven generations and is told backwards in time from 1995 to 1860.

African Ancestry

We are the pioneers of genetic ancestry tracing for Black people globally, reconnecting you to your specific African roots–the country and the people. Our scientists compare your DNA markers to the largest African reference database in the world in order to find your African origin up to 2000 years ago.

African Ancestry

Join Niccara as she welcomes Aricka Alexander, Young Adult Romance & Queer Adult Romance writer, to the pod! We talk about her newest release, "Where There's Smoke", growing up in the South, and how love is driving force for what we do and inspiration that we find right in front of us.

Romance lovers, especially my sapphic romance lovers, this episode is for you! Make sure you pick up "Where There's Smoke" from where you get your books!

Follow us at: @butmakeitbookspod @thebookishhottie

Follow & Find Aricka Alexander: instagram & website

Use my Mahogany Books link here using code BMIB.

Don't forget to rate, subscribe and review!

Mentioned in this episode:

African Ancestry

We are the pioneers of genetic ancestry tracing for Black people globally, reconnecting you to your specific African roots–the country and the people. Our scientists compare your DNA markers to the largest African reference database in the world in order to find your African origin up to 2000 years ago.

African Ancestry

African Ancestry

We are the pioneers of genetic ancestry tracing for Black people globally, reconnecting you to your specific African roots–the country and the people. Our scientists compare your DNA markers to the largest African reference database in the world in order to find your African origin up to 2000 years ago.

African Ancestry

The Seven Daughters of Dupree Pre-Order Offer

 Nikisha Elise Williams, the host of the Black and Published podcast, is celebrating the release of her forthcoming novel, The Seven Daughters of Dupree. This historical fiction novel is about the secrets kept between mothers and daughters over the course of seven generations and is told backwards in time from 1995 to 1860.