The SSR Podcast

On Episode 110, book lover and bookstagrammer Sarah Coquillat is on the pod to chat about a book she absolutely loved as a teenager, Sarah Dessen’s This Lullaby. Does she still love it just as much after a reread? You’ll have to listen to find out.

Sarah and Alli discuss dreamy (and not-so-dreamy) literary heartthrobs, slut-shaming, the lack of diversity in YA from this era, and the author’s portrayal of sexual assault in This Lullaby. They also talk about several common tropes in teen romance: characters who don’t believe in love, young men ruthlessly pursuing their love interests, and young women needing to be “figured out” by their partners.

(**Trigger warning: sexual assault)

Follow Sarah on Instagram (@bookishandblack).

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It’s time for another Gossip Girl chat! On Episode 109, author (and Gossip Girl expert) Hannah Orenstein joins Alli to discuss the second title in Cecily von Ziegesar’s iconic series, You Know You Love Me. They talk about the many disturbing elements of the book that would likely not land in 2020 (homophobia, chain smoking, blatant body shaming), the complicated relationships (and love triangles) among characters, and the pressures of the college application process. They also explore the possibility that Nate Archibald is the single worst boyfriend in the history of ever and consider whether Dan Humphrey is sweet or stalkerish.

(**Trigger warning: eating disorders, disordered eating)

Hannah Orenstein is the author of Head Over Heels, Playing With Matches, and Love at First Like. Follow her on Instagram (@hannahorens) and Twitter (@hannahorens).

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Author Jen Doll joins Alli on Episode 108 for a conversation about Zilpha Keatley Snyder’s Newbery Honor-winning novel, The Headless Cupid. They discuss blended family dynamics, the importance of mental health resources for kids, and ghost stories! They also address an extremely disturbing, racist scene that would never fly in 2020… and shouldn’t have flown when it was written in 1971, either.

Jen is the author of Unclaimed Baggage and Save the Date: The Occasional Mortifications of a Serial Wedding Guest. Follow her on Instagram (@jendoll) and Twitter (@thisisjendoll).

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On Episode 107, Alli is joined by podcaster and comedian Kelly Anneken to discuss Karen Cushman’s 1995 Newbery Honor winner, Catherine, Called Birdy. They chat about babysitting, Accelerated Reader, and their misguided impressions of the Middle Ages. They take a close look at the way Catherine, Called Birdy depicts heavy issues of childbirth, agency, domestic violence, diversity, consent, and the patriarchy. Alli and Kelly also chat about the unique challenges of adapting a book like this one for film or TV.

Kelly is co-host of the Red All Over and Up Yours, Downstairs podcasts. Follow her on Instagram (@kellyanneken) and Twitter (@kellyanneken).

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On Episode 106, Alli and her guest explore one major question: how good (or not-so-good) does it feel to read a book that feels like a time capsule of an era gone by?

As you’ll hear in the episode, there are plenty of upsides and downsides, all discussed in the context of Louise Rennison’s 1999 YA hit Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging. The conversation jumps from ‘90s movies and bad hair to toxic friendships and teen confidence.

Jessica Goodman is the author of They Wish They Were Us. Follow her on Twitter (@jessgood) and Instagram (@jessicagoodman).

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On Episode 105, Alli sets aside her very real, very intense fear of birds for a conversation about Mr. Popper’s Penguins. Written in 1938 by Richard and Florence Atwater, this Newbery Honor winner is the story of a house painter named Mr. Popper who dreams of traveling to the Arctic and the penguins who come into his life thanks to one of his heroes, explorer Admiral Drake. Alli and her guest Swati chat about the many antics of Popper’s penguins, as well as the extent to which Mr. Popper represents a little bit of all of us! They also talk about how the book would be received by animal rights groups if it were published in 2020, the lack of nuance in Mrs. Popper’s portrayal, and cancel culture, more broadly.

Swati Teerdhala is the author of The Tiger at Midnight and The Archer at Dawn. Follow her on Instagram (@swatiteerdhala) and Twitter (@swatiteerdhala)!

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It’s been well-established that Alli is a superfan of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, but on Episode 104, her guest introduces her to two of the author’s other books — Eight Cousins and Rose in Bloom. On this episode, they chat about how Alcott’s real-life influenced her storytelling and consider the many ways in which these books were highly progressive and feminist when they were written, even if it doesn’t seem that way now.

Mary Kay Andrews is the New York Times-bestselling author of 27 novels. Her latest novel is Hello, Summer. Follow her on Instagram (@marykayandrews).

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It’s become an unofficial tradition to come back for a new year of the podcast with a Sweet Valley episode… and this year is no exception! On Episode 103, Alli’s soon-to-be podcaster friends Jaimie Farris and Abby Tracy join her to chat about Book #62 in the series, Who’s Who?

Check out this episode for conversations about old school “computer dating services,” body image, high school romances, the motivational quotes that inspired us in high school, and about a thousand laughs. Jaimie, Abby, and Alli also discuss the age-old question: Team Jessica or Team Elizabeth?

Jaimie and Abby’s show — the Odd Job Podcast — will launch later this summer.

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Rounding out year TWO of the podcast, it’s time for another round of Q+A!

On this episode, Alli answers questions about everything from her favorite episodes and goals for the show to her personal writing and her recent move to Philadelphia.

Enjoy this bonus episode!

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This is the fourth and final week of Pride Month on the pod. Cheers to many more! Thanks so much to all of the guests who have joined Alli to celebrate Pride on SSR.

On Episode 101, Tim Swenarton guests to chat about the book that made him a reader, Rick Riordan’s The Lightning Thief. The first title in the five-book series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the novel was published in 2005 and shot Riordan to immediate kid lit stardom. Tune in to this episode to hear more about why The Lightning Thief meant so much to Tim as a kid, along with conversations about representation, mythology, empathy, and what it really means to be a hero. Tim and Alli also award the first-ever honorary SSR book award and discuss their wild post-quarantine dream plans.

Tim is a bookstagrammer working in publishing and living in Brooklyn. When he’s not reading, he’s matching his makeup to book covers. Follow along on Instagram (@bookedbytim).

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