Libro.fm Podcast

By Libro.fmSociety & Culture Arts Books

Libro.fm Podcast episodes

October 28, 2025 Author Silvia Moreno-Garcia on The Bewitching and History as Inspiration
We chat with critically-acclaimed and award-winning author Silvia Moreno-Garcia about the inspiration behind her latest novel, The Bewitching, including the Salem Witch Trials and fall in New England.
Silvia also dives into the process and research behind writing in different time periods and settings, as well as differences in the horror genre across the globe. We also discuss the importance of finding the right narrator, as well as special editions of novels—and the beautiful art Silvia commissions for her books to help bring the characters to life.
Read the full transcript: [TRANSCRIPT] (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XFc3H9owIGCOqRFnrTvkqAEjsy1OAi4V4g8WlQVHxMA/edit?usp=sharing)
Use promo code: SWITCH when signing up for a new Libro.fm membership to get two additional credits to use on any audiobooks—meaning you’ll have three from the start.
About Silvia Moreno-Garcia:
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the author of The Bewitching, The Seventh Veil of Salome, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, Mexican Gothic, and many other books. She has won the Locus, British Fantasy and World Fantasy awards.
Get Silvia’s Books:
The Bewitching
Mexican Gothic
Gods of Jade and Shadow
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau
Silver Nitrate
Books discussed on today’s episode:
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Climate Is Just the Start by Mikaela Loach
Still Life by Sarah Winman
Tin Man by Sarah Winman
32 min
September 30, 2025 Maggie Tokuda-Hall on Free Expression and Fighting Book Bans
In this episode, Maggie Tokuda-Hall speaks about refusing to write to market expectations. She reflects on her experience with censorship and her picture book Love in the Library—which ultimately led to her being a founding member of Authors Against Book Bans.
Maggie also shares what it's like to author graphic novels, including The Worst Ronin and Squad, and to collaborate with artists throughout the process. She also highlights information on how listeners can fight book bans, as well as the most important action they can all take right now. On the topic, Olivia shares an opportunity for individuals to join a Banned Books Week Read-In this October to protest ongoing censorship.
Read the full transcript:
Use promo code: SWITCH when signing up for a new Libro.fm membership to get two additional credits to use on any audiobooks—meaning you’ll have three from the start.
About Maggie Tokuda-Hall:
Maggie Tokuda-Hall has an MFA in creative writing from USF, and BA in art from Scripps College. She’s the author of numerous award winning, best-selling children’s and young adult books including Love in the Library, The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea duology, Squad, and The Worst Ronin. She has been called “... one of the most unflinching voices in contemporary genre literature.” Maggie is a founding member and national leader of Authors Against Book Bans. She is the co-host of the Failure to Adapt podcast. She lives in Oakland, California with her husband, children, and objectively perfect dog.
Get Maggie’s Books:
Love in the Library
The Siren, the Song, and the Spy
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea
Books discussed on today’s episode:
Cantoras by Caro De Robertis
Ne’er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti
Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti
Ladies in Hating by Alexandra Vasti
Banned Books Week resources:
Banned Books Week Read-In near you
Ways to learn more about and fight bans
37 min
August 26, 2025Kennedy Ryan on the Skyland Series and the Power of Romance Books
In this episode, Craig and Olivia sit down with New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kennedy Ryan to talk about the power of romance, the craft of building interconnected worlds, and why representation—on and off the page—matters.
In the wake of her latest novel’s release, Can’t Get Enough, Kennedy shares how her emotionally rich, socially conscious love stories give voice to characters and communities often overlooked, and why she considers rest a form of resistance. The conversation explores the artistry of series writing, the importance of friendships and family relationships in romance, and her passionate advocacy for audiobooks as an equally valid form of reading.
Read the full transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12grqSDcTz7I1wFtZe7mqqPoCY9V9fn4N_Kkomlz22O8/edit?usp=sharing
Use promo code: SWITCH when signing up for a new Libro.fm membership to get two additional credits to use on any audiobooks—meaning you’ll have three from the start.
About Kennedy Ryan:
Kennedy Ryan is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author and one of the most celebrated voices in contemporary romance, praised by Entertainment Weekly as “one of the finest romance writers of our age.” Her award-winning Skyland series—including Before I Let Go, This Could Be Us, and Can’t Get Enough—has earned honors from TIME, Amazon, and Publisher’s Weekly, and is currently in development at Peacock, where she serves as Executive Producer. A two-time Audie Award winner and the first Black author to win the RITA Award for romance, Ryan is also the co-founder of LiFT 4 Autism, which has raised over $500,000 for Kulture City.
Books discussed on today’s episode:
Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale
Indigo by Beverly Jenkins
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
August Lane by Regina Black
Restore Me by J.L. Seegars
Kill Creatures by Rory Power
The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley
47 min
July 29, 2025Cory Doctorow on Divesting from Amazon’s Audible and the Fight for Digital Rights
Cory shares the motivation behind keeping his audiobooks off Audible—even if it means sacrificing a paycheck—and explains how DRM laws allow Amazon to exert control over books they didn’t even create. The conversation covers everything from how monopoly power has shaped the digital marketplace, to the rise of “enshittification,” a term Cory coined to describe the lifecycle of once-useful tech platforms. They also discuss the importance of decentralized social media, the future of authorship in a platform-dominated world, and why it’s time to stop trying to shop your way out of broken systems and start organizing for real change.
Read the full transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bC4FqH1ZzxPlbtH-Vs1-u-oJFnu4WRKHVHszr4VAbtI/edit?tab=t.0
Use promo code: SWITCH when signing up for a new Libro.fm membership to get two additional credits to use on any audiobooks—meaning you’ll have three from the start.
About Cory Doctotow:
Cory Doctorow is a bestselling author of both fiction and nonfiction, a longtime advocate for digital rights, and co-editor of the blog Boing Boing. His recent works include The Bezzle, Picks and Shovels, and the upcoming nonfiction book Enshittification. He also runs the daily newsletter Pluralistic.net.
Get Cory’s Books:
Picks and Shovels
Enshittification
Books discussed on today’s episode:
Little Bosses Everywhere by Bridget Read
Careless People by Lucy Osborne
Original Sin by Alex Thompson and Jake Tapper
I’ll Tell You When I’m Home by Hala Alyan
Disappoint Me by Nikole Dinan
52 min
June 24, 2025Interview With Rick Steves, Author of On the Hippie Trail and Travel as a Political Act
In this episode, Craig and Olivia sit down with legendary travel writer and TV host Rick Steves to celebrate the 50th episode of the Libro.fm Podcast. Rick shares insights from his newest book, On the Hippie Trail, a travel memoir drawn from journals he kept as a 23-year-old backpacking from Istanbul to India in the late 1970s. They discuss the importance of journaling and how travel shaped Rick’s lifelong commitment to teaching, storytelling, and political awareness.He also talks about his other book, Travel as a Political Act, and how travel can challenge ethnocentrism, spark empathy, and inspire deeper civic engagement.
Read the full transcript:
Use promo code: SWITCH when signing up for a new Libro.fm membership to get two additional credits to use on any audiobooks—meaning you’ll have three from the start.
About Rick Steves:
Rick Steves, America's most respected authority on European travel, empowers Americans to have European trips that are fun, affordable, and culturally broadening. In 1976, he started his business, Rick Steves' Europe, headquartered in Edmonds, Washington, near Seattle. There he produces a best-selling guidebook series, a popular public television show, a weekly public radio show, a syndicated travel column, and free travel information available through his travel center and ricksteves.com. Rick Steves' Europe also runs a successful small-group tour program taking 30,000 travelers to Europe annually.
Get Rick’s Books:
On the Hippie Trail
Travel as a Political Act
0 min
May 27, 2025Eve L. Ewing on Original Sins, Audiobooks, and Imagination as Resistance
In this episode, Craig and Olivia sit down with Eve L. Ewing—author, scholar, poet, comic book writer, and professor—to talk about her newest book, Original Sins: The (Mis)Education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism. Eve shares the inspirations behind the book, the emotional toll of writing it, and the active role imagination plays in justice and systemic transformation.
Read the full transcript:
Use promo code: SWITCH when signing up for a new Libro.fm membership to get two additional credits to use on any audiobooks—meaning you’ll have three from the start.
About Eve L. Ewing:
Eve L. Ewing is a writer, scholar, and cultural organizer from Chicago. She is the award-winning author of four books: Electric Arches, 1919, Ghosts in the Schoolyard, and Maya and the Robot. She is the co-author (with Nate Marshall) of the play No Blue Memories: The Life of Gwendolyn Brooks and has written several projects for Marvel Comics.
Photo credit: Jaclyn Rivas
Get Eve’s Book:
Original Sins
1919
Maya and the Robot
Ghosts in the Schoolyard
Books discussed on today’s episode:
The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
Codename: Pale Horse by Scott Payne
41 min
April 22, 2025An Interview With Annie B. Jones, Podcast Host, Bookstore Owner, and Author of Ordinary Time
In this episode of the Libro.fm podcast, Craig and Olivia sit down with Annie B. Jones—author of Ordinary Time: Lessons Learned While Staying Put, owner of The Bookshelf in Thomasville, Georgia, and host of the beloved From the Front Porch podcast. Annie shares the inspiration behind her essay collection, how running an indie bookstore shaped her view of third places, and why books aren’t just escape, but flashlights guiding us back into connection with the world. Plus, see how Libro.fm is celebrating Independent Bookstore Day on April 26!
Celebrate Indie Bookstore Day: https://2ly.link/2608h
Read the full transcript:
Use promo code: SWITCH when signing up for a new Libro.fm membership to get two additional credits to use on any audiobooks—meaning you’ll have three from the start.
About Annie B. Jones:
Annie B. Jones is a writer, podcaster, and the owner of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in Thomasville, Georgia. Jones hosts From the Front Porch, a weekly podcast about books, small business, and life in the South, and her work has been featured in Southern Living magazine. A native of Tallahassee, Florida, she lives in Thomasville with her husband, Jordan, and their dog, Sam Malone.
Get Annie’s Book:
Ordinary Time
Books discussed on today's episode:
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito
Woodworking by Emily St. James
39 min
March 25, 2025Amanda Jones on Libraries, Censorship, and Community
This episode of the Libro.fm podcast features an interview with Amanda Jones, a school librarian and anti-censorship advocate whose book "That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America" became a national bestseller. Amanda discusses her decision to write the book, the process of narrating the audiobook version, and the importance of combating book bans and censorship in libraries and schools. She provides advice for starting grassroots organizations to fight book bans and shares insights on navigating the complex issues around representation and censorship in literary collections.
Read the full transcript:
Use promo code: SWITCH when signing up for a new Libro.fm membership to get two additional credits to use on any audiobooks—meaning you’ll have three from the start.
Get Amanda’s Book:
That Librarian
Books discussed on today's episode:
Banned Together (Our Fight for Readers' Rights) by Ashley Hope Pérez
Creep by Emma van Straaten
All Friends Are Necessary by Tomas Moniz
Big Familia by Tomas Moniz
The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander
40 min
February 25, 2025Interview with Aaliyah Bilal, author of National Book Award Finalist "Temple Folk"
In this episode of the Libro.fm podcast, hosts Craig and Karen interview Aaliyah Bilal, author of the 2023 National Book Award finalist "Temple Folk." Aaliyah discusses her creative process and journey to becoming a writer, why she prefers to write short stories and the inspiration behind her collection, and book recommendations for those interested in exploring Islam in Ghana and Sudan.
Read the full transcript:
Use promo code: SWITCH when signing up for a new Libro.fm membership to get two additional credits to use on any audiobooks—meaning you’ll have three from the start.
About Aaliyah:
Aaliyah Bilal is an American writer acclaimed for her debut short story collection, Temple Folk, which explores the lives of Black Muslims in 1970s America. The collection was a finalist for the 2023 National Book Award for Fiction and the 2024 Aspen Words Literary Prize. Bilal received the 2024 Whiting Award and the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence.
Get Aaliyah's books:
Temple Folk
Books discussed on today's episode:
The Prophet of Zongo Street by Mohammed Naseehu Ali
Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih
18 min
January 28, 2025Amanda Montell (Cultish) and Karla Cornejo Villavicencio (Catalina) LIVE panel @ The Texas Book Festival
Recorded live at the 2024 Texas Book Festival in Austin, this episode features authors Karla Cornejo Villavicencio (The Undocumented Americans, Catalina) and Amanda Montell (Cultish, The Age of Magical Overthinking). The authors discuss narrating their own audiobooks, touching on everything from incorporating humor and emotion to the challenges of audiobook production. They also offer advice for first-time narrators, discuss the nuances of audiobooks compared to print, and reflect on how their distinct styles shape the listening experience.
Watch the live video recording here
Read the full transcript:
Use promo code: SWITCH when signing up for a new Libro.fm membership to get two additional credits to use on any audiobooks—meaning you’ll have three from the start.
About Karla:
Karla Cornejo Villavicencio is an Ecuadorian-American writer and the author of The Undocumented Americans and Catalina. Her work, which focuses on race, culture, and immigration, has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vogue, Elle, Interview, and on NPR.
About Amanda:
Amanda Montell is an American writer and the author of Wordslut and Cultish. Her work, which focuses on language, linguistics, and pop culture, has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Wired, and on NPR.
Get Karla's books:
Catalina
The Undocumented Americans
Get Amanda’s books:
Cultish
Wordslut
The Age of Magical Overthinking
27 min