In today’s Complicated Conversations we welcome New York Times bestselling author, Sarah Jio, to discuss her latest novel, Insignificant Others, an escapist story following a young woman stuck in a “time loop” of one-day relationships with romantic partners from her past.

We chat with Sarah about the very relatable journey of self-discovery for her protagonist, Lena; why she wanted to explore the theme of what if’s and roads not taken; the importance of female friendship; how her titles always come to her before the story; and what advice she has for aspiring authors!

Insignificant Others is out now!

Alternate title: If you go down, I'm going down too.

In this episode of Complicated Conversations, we welcome back Kirthana Ramisetti to discuss her third novel, The Other Lata, which explores themes of identity, self-discovery, and belonging through the story of Lata Murthy, an aspiring writer in New York City. 

We chat with Kirthana about the complexities of Lata's character, her journey of taking on another person's identity, and the dynamics of her relationships with family and friends. Kirthana reveals the personal inspiration behind the novel, the challenges of navigating adulthood, and what it was like to write the romantic elements of the novel. We loved hearing about how her writing is inspired by the rhythm of reality TV shows, particularly during the revision process.

The Other Lata is out now!

White Lotus S3, Episode 7: the ending is revealed, or is it? Lots of answers, but more questions.

On this episode of Complicated Conversations we welcome New York Times bestselling author, Katy Hays, to discuss her latest novel, Saltwater, an electrifying thriller about an opulent family retreat to Italy that’s shattered by the resurfacing of a decades-old crime. 

For fans of The White Lotus and the great Patricia Highsmith, Saltwater is a multigenerational story told from multiple points of view that explores themes of family dynamics, identity, and wealth. We chat with Katy about her writing process, character development, the importance of atmosphere and setting, and the symbolism of snakes (the original title for the novel, and still the UK one, is The Vipers!).

Saltwater is out now!

Episode 6 in White Lotus Season 3 is called “Denials” and there is surprising depth and breadth to the denials in this episode. On our recap we dive into “the ick” of incest and what it all means for the Ratliff brothers, as well as Mike White’s push-the-envelope storytelling; what lessons the Ratliff patriarch has taken away from his chat with the Buddhist monk; the so very high school dynamics of Jacklyn, Kate and Laurie (shocker - we see this all very differently!); why we’re afraid for Belinda; and of course, some predictions about which guests will end up dead or alive.

On this episode we ask how is TV getting even BETTER?

White Lotus S3, Ep5: Mirrors, Full Moon, and The Many Sides of Everyone (Full Moon Party)

On today’s episode we are thrilled to be joined by Traci Thomas, the creator and host of the critically acclaimed literary podcast, The Stacks, to discuss one of the most iconic movies of our time…A League Of Their Own. Directed by Penny Marshall, and starring a who’s who of an all-star cast of badass women, A League Of Their Own not only holds up today, it still shines!

We chat with Traci, a self-proclaimed Dottie stan, about why this movie means so much to her; its examination of sisterhood; some of our favorite iconic scenes and lines (who could forget “there is no crying in baseball” or “the hard is what makes it great”); Tom Hanks endearing performance as Jimmy; the joy of watching famous women like Geena Davis, Madonna and Rosie O’Donnell really play baseball (well!); and of course we debate THAT scene in Game 7 of the World Series…did Dottie drop the ball on purpose or did Kit’s slide tackle knock it loose?!

Come play ball with us and relive this classic - listen wherever you get your podcasts!

Follow/subscribe to Traci’s podcast, The Stacks, and check out her substack, Unstacked, where she dives deeper into books, and also discusses topics outside the literary world like pop culture, sports, politics, and more.

White Lotus S3, Episode 4: full-frontal (again!), a mother-daughter face-off, and the gun becomes a farce?