The SSR Podcast

Week 2 of New Reads November 2023 is all about Joelle Wellington’s Their Vicious Games. The book feels like a real return to the heyday of YA, with the addition of organic, fresh threads about class, race, and privilege. On Episode 269, Alli and her guest do plenty of fangirling over the book and discuss concepts like performative allyship, white saviorism, satire, and more.

Erin La Rosa is the author of For Butter or Worse and Plot Twist. Follow her on Instagram (@erinlarosalit) and Twitter (@erinlarosalit).

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New Reads November is BACK for a SIXTH year!

This time around, we get things rolling with a conversation about Camryn Garrett’s Friday I’m in Love, which was published in January 2023. The book inspires conversations about “coming out narratives,” casual racism, self-aware narrators, the subversion of tropes about sweet sixteens, and the pressures that many teens experience. Alli’s guest also takes her behind-the-scenes of how he writes for the YA audience!

Eliot Schrefer is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of books for young people, including his latest, Charming Young Man. Follow him on Instagram (@schrefer) and Twitter (@EliotSchrefer).

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On this special bonus episode, Alli is joined by Sara Hildreth of Fiction Matters and the Novel Pairings podcast! As she prepares to take a brief podcast maternity leave in early 2024, Alli looks to Sara for advice on how to manage a pause in sharing content with her community. They take you behind-the-scenes of the business of podcasting, Patreon, Substack, and more!

Follow Sara on Instagram (@fictionmatters).

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Listener favorites Allison and Mary from Dolls of Our Lives are BACK for Episode 267! This time around, they join Alli to discuss Danger at the Zoo: A Kit Mystery, a 2005 installment in the American Girl Mysteries series that was written by Kathleen Ernst. They talk broadly about Kit’s storyline and the AG mysteries as an offshoot of the rest of the American Girl series. In the context of Danger at the Zoo, they also chat about kid journalism, the Depression, the history of the word “hobo,” and more.

Allison Horrocks and Mary Mahoney are the co-hosts of the Dolls of Our Lives podcast and the authors of Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl. Follow the podcast on Instagram (@dollsofourlivespodcast) and Twitter (@DollsLivesPod).

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On this special episode, Alli answers listener questions about…

* How she handles tricky situations with podcast guests
* Whether she would rather deal with a boring book or a boring guest
* The books she’s most excited to share with Baby K
* The best marriage advice she’s ever received
* The books that are still on her podcast wish list
* Her current thoughts on Bethenny Frankel
* How to get started with writing fiction

… and so much more!

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On Episode 265, Alli and her guest explore a new side of all-time kid lit rock star Beverly Cleary — a more ~mature~ side! This week, the focus is one of Cleary’s books for teen readers, Fifteen. The conversation covers everything from awkward first date moments and ‘50s crush etiquette to class undercurrents and the importance of confidence. Alli and her guest also unpack a hard-to-read scene set in a Chinese restaurant.

Alison Rose Greenberg is the author of Bad Luck Bridesmaid and Maybe Once, Maybe Twice. Follow her on Instagram (@alison.greenberg) and Twitter (@alisongreenberg).

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Let’s get back to the Upper East Side, listeners! Episode 264 explores the fourth book in the bestselling Gossip Girl series, Because I’m Worth It. Alli and her guest consider the specific place that Gossip Girl occupies in their shared millennial pop culture history and talk through some especially disturbing parts of the book.

Jamie Lilac is the author of Bellegarde. Follow her on Instagram (@jamie_lilac).

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On Episode 263, Alli’s guest walks her through the first installment of one of her all-time favorite series: Tamora Pierce’s Protector of the Small. They discuss the ins and outs of First Test, as well as why the book has meant so much to the guest over the years. They also talk about toxic masculinity, the importance of quiet good deeds, protagonists who can work through their fears, and the significance of the First Test heroine’s choice to wear a dress during her knight training.

Huda Fahmy’s latest graphic novel Huda F Are You? joins Huda F Cares and That Can Be Arranged on shelves. Follow her on Instagram (@yesimhotinthis) and Twitter (@yesimhotinthis).

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Five years after our first foray into the world of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, SSR finally returns to the Twilight universe. At long last, Alli and her guest take a look at 2006’s New Moon, the book that gave Team Jacob Twihards their moment in the spotlight. Tune in for conversations about mental health, toxic relationships, and more, along with a moment for the Team Edward vs. Team Jacob debate.

Emma Noyes is the author of The Sunken City, The Fallen Witch, and the forthcoming Guy’s Girl. Follow her on Instagram (@emmanoyesmaybe).

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At long last, Episode 261 dives into the oft-requested All-of-a-Kind Family, the 1951 novel by Sydney Taylor that represented an important step for Jewish representation. Conversation topics range from model minorities and fatphobia to Jewish holidays and shocking romantic twists.

Taleen Voskuni is the author of Sorry, Bro. Follow her on Instagram (@taleenauthor) and Twitter (@taleenvoskuni).

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