If you’ve been looking for a book that clearly and concisely

100 Ways to Change Your Life: The Science of Leveling Up Health, Happiness, Relationships, and Success by Liz Moody

What a powerful episode we have for you today, listeners -- on the program we have former U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas Nicole Avant, whose new book talks about working through grief after the murder of her mother, Jacqueline Avant, in December 2021, and the loss of her father, Clarence Avant, this past August. Grief is certainly not something any of us want to face, but when it's here, it helps to follow the lead of others who have navigated it and are navigating it, too, and the lessons and wisdom in this book are ones I'll keep in my heart forever.

Think You'll Be Happy: Moving Through Grief with Grit, Grace, and Gratitude by Nicole Avant

Talk about feeling seen—when I read Alicia Menendez’s book The Likeability Trap: How to Break Free and Succeed As You Are four years ago, I thought, “Finally. Someone gets me.” And, listeners, I believe you will feel seen too through this conversation, though I wish that wasn’t so. So often women in particular have to choose between being successful and likeable. Why is it so difficult to like a successful woman? And why do we care if we are liked at all? We dig into everything in this Throwback Pick conversation—one of many this season.

What are you most afraid of? Chances are, it's one of the nine fears that personal finance expert Farnoosh Torabi encourages readers to face head on in her latest book, "A Healthy State of Panic." Instead of attempting to become fearless, she encourages us to stare fear in the face and embrace it as a gift. We are used to hearing from Farnoosh sound advice about all things money -- and while that component is in the book, too, the book is so, so much more than that. It destigmatizes fear and, once we confront it, we can conquet it.

A Healthy State of Panic: Follow Your Fears to Build Wealth, Crush Your Career, and Win at Life by Farnoosh Torabi

Cindy Chupack is a multihyphenate -- a screenwriter, a director, an executive producer, a Golden Globe winner, an Emmy winner. She has written for iconic shows like Sex and the City (where I first became aware of her work -- she wrote more episodes of the show than almost anyone), Modern Family, Everybody Loves Raymond, Divorce, and so many more, and, for the past five years, she has been directing, as well. In addition to that -- and serving as an executive producer -- Cindy has written three books and is an advocate for writers emerging and established. I have wanted to go inside the writer's room of Sex and the City for 25 years, and today, we get to have a glimpse inside it. One of my favorite conversations to date!

Here are Cindy's three fantastic books:

The Between Boyfriends Book: A Collection of Cautiously Hopeful Essays

The Longest Date: Life as a Wife

We Waited for You: Now We're a Family

And here is a link to her website, where she is generous with tips for fellow writers:

Cindy Chupack Official Website

We have a fantastic episode for you today! In our first Yesteryear Pick of season eight, we have on the show Brian Stelter, who literally wrote the book on morning television. His 2013 book "Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV" was the basis of Apple TV+'s hit series "The Morning Show" starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. The show's third season premiered this month, and Brian is on the show today to talk about it, why morning television will always be important, and what has changed in the genre in the past decade since his book was released.

"Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV" by Brian Stelter

We're back! Season eight will be a bit of this, a bit of that -- I'm calling it my potpourri season. We'll have some fiction picks, some yesteryear picks, but still keep to our ethos of bringing you the best current nonfiction picks, like today's episode. Marisa Meltzer has just released the book of the season three days ago, and it dives into the rise of the beauty brand Glossier, its mysterious founder Emily Weiss, and the beauty industry as a whole in the U.S. It is a must read, even if you're not historically interested in beauty. It's so good to be back with you for this scattered season, but we're here, and I am so happy! I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I enjoyed having it.

Glossy: Ambition, Beauty, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss' Glossier by Marisa Meltzer

Surprise! Only for Luke Russert would I come back from hiatus -- and what a great chat this was. Luke's book is a New York Times bestseller, and for good reason. It unpacks the grief he felt over losing his father, Tim Russert, at such a young age; traveling the world in search of himself; his relationship with his mother Maureen Orth, also an iconic journalist; nepotism in the workplace; and so much more. This will be our last episode for a while, so I hope you enjoy it -- and pick up this book. You'll love it.

Look for Me There: Grieving My Father, Finding Myself by Luke Russert

For our season seven finale, we're chatting with the wonderful Anna Kloots about rediscovering your magic. Magic, as you'll hear in our conversation, was a central theme in Anna's life -- her ex-husband was a magician. When they divorced, Anna lost her marriage, her home, and her job, and was forced to start over and build a life from the ruins. As you'll hear, she built a life she is proud of -- one that is, well, magic.

As I announced in the last episode, at the close of season seven I'd Rather Be Reading is going on hiatus. Thank you to ALL of my guests, listeners, and especially my beautiful mother, Joy -- the show's unabashed biggest fan -- for supporting this show. It has been an honor reading with you for the past two years.

My Own Magic: A Reappearing Act by Anna Kloots

Two of my favorite topics to study -- sports and the American presidency -- are fused into one in this fascinating book, and I can't wait for you to learn how presidents from Eisenhower to Biden interface with athletics. Some, like Nixon, can quote stats like they're reciting the alphabet. Some, like Johnson, aren't big fans. Some, like Ford, played a sport and played it well. Some, like Biden, could take it or leave it. So interesting -- and the Clinton anecdote had me uncontrollably laughing.

Power Players: Sports, Politics, and the American Presidency by Chris Cillizza