The Stacks

*Patreon and Substack-only bonus episode teaser, click here for the full episode*

On today’s bonus episode, we’re joined by writer, editor, and voice actor Tajja Isen to talk about the decline in nonfiction. Tajja wrote the recent piece, “Nonfiction Is Struggling. Publishers Are Making It Worse,” for The Walrus about why the publishing industry might be to blame for the downturn in nonfiction sales. We go into this more deeply in this episode, exploring all the reasons why we’re seeing a shift in the nonfiction publishing landscape, from memoirs to private equity and beyond.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2026/10/23/tsu-64-tajja-isen

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Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by author, speaker, and National Book Award finalist Deesha Philyaw to talk about her newest book, The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman. This novel follows Scharisse Freeman, the successful wife of a megachurch pastor, whose carefully curated life begins to unravel when her secret past comes to light. In this episode, we chat about Deesha’s 20-year journey of writing this novel, how she defines success, and why she wanted to write about hypocrisy in the church.

Our book club pick for October is Last Chance Live! by Helena Haywoode Henry. We will discuss the book with Jess Lee on Wednesday, October 28th.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/10/21/ep-447-deesha-philyaw

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Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by National Book Award finalist, New York State Author Laureate, and best-selling author, Min Jin Lee, to talk about her newest book, American Hagwon. In this sweeping novel, a Korean family is forced to relocate and rebuild after their middle-class life is upended by the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Lee shares how she uses real-life interviews in her fiction, her thoughts on the importance of education, and her approach to remaining hopeful in moments of despair.

Our book club pick for October is Last Chance Live! by Helena Haywoode Henry. We will discuss the book with Jess Lee on Wednesday, October 28th.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/10/14/ep-446-min-jin-lee

Connect with Min Jin Lee: Website | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | X/Twitter 

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Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by Jess Lee, DEI consultant, friend of the pod, and the reader behind the Instagram, Literary Intersections. We chat about the popularity of romantasy, the meaning of tropes like Shadow Daddies and fae, and why Jess thinks the genre might be making people dumber.

Our book club pick for October is Last Chance Live! by Helena Haywoode Henry. We will discuss the book with Jess Lee on Wednesday, October 28th.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/10/7/ep-445-jess-lee

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It’s The Stacks Book Club day, and Natalie Green, Director of Programs and Partnerships at The National Book Foundation, is back to discuss Edwidge Danticat’s critically acclaimed memoir, Brother, I’m Dying. This National Book Award finalist explores Danticat’s relationship with her two father figures—her uncle Joseph, who raised her as a child in Haiti, and her father, Mira, whom she reunited with in the U.S. when she was 12—and the impact of their deaths. Natalie and I discuss why we think this is a successful memoir, the moments that stuck with us most, and the many ways that politics and policies affect our lives.

There are spoilers in this episode.

Listen to the end of the episode to find out what our October book club pick is!

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/9/30/ep-444-brother-im-dying

Connect with the National Book Foundation: Instagram | Website 

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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

*Patreon and Substack-only bonus episode teaser, click here for the full episode*

Y’all know how much I love being a hater and how easily things annoy me, so we’re dedicating a whole episode to the most annoying trends in books these days! I’ve invited Sara Hildreth (Fiction Matters), friend of the pod and one of my favorite book people, to rant with me about secrets, tropes, and the state of literary awards. 

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2026/9/25/tsu-63-sara-hildreth

Connect with Sara: Instagram | Fiction Matters | Novel Pairings | Substack 

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Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer, journalist, and author Kai Bird to discuss his new book, American Scoundrel: Roy Cohn's Dark Journey from Joe McCarthy to Donald Trump. This book explores the life of high-powered lawyer and fixer, Roy Cohn, and how his controversial four-decade career directly influenced modern politics. In this episode, we talk about why he chose to cover Roy Cohn’s life now, how biographers shape stories, and the most surprising source for the book. 

Our book club pick for September is Brother, I’m Dying by Edwidge Danticat. We will be discussing the book with Natalie Green on Wednesday, September 30th.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/9/23/ep-443-kai-bird

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Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by Booker Prize–winning novelist Marlon James to talk about his newest book, The Disappearers. This novel follows a brutal attack on eight gay actors in 1980s Jamaica and the ways it impacts each of the victims. We chat about how he infuses his books with pop culture, what he thinks about people calling his work “difficult,” and why 2026 is the year of the revenge novel. 

Our book club pick for September is Brother, I’m Dying by Edwidge Danticat. We will be discussing the book with Natalie Green on Wednesday, September 30th.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/9/16/ep-442-marlon-james

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Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by facilitator, strategic advisor, and best-selling author, Priya Parker to talk about her new book, The Art of Fighting: The Transformative Power of Conflict. In this book, Priya draws on research and her personal experience as a conflict facilitator to explore the ways that building healthy conflict can strengthen our friendships, relationships, and communities. We talk about how to build spaces that can thrive with conflict, , why “renovation” is a powerful model for approaching fights, and why it’s important to prioritize both self-help and group help.

Our book club pick for September is Brother, I’m Dying by Edwidge Danticat. We will be discussing the book with Natalie Green on Wednesday, September 30th.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/9/9/ep-441-priya-parker 

Connect with Priya: Instagram | Website | Threads | Substack

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Youtube

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by Natalie Green, the Director of Programs and Partnerships at The National Book Foundation. We talk about what The National Book Foundation does, the details of Natalie’s role, and the NBF programming that’s been resonating most with readers.

Our book club pick for September is Brother, I’m Dying by Edwidge Danticat. We will be discussing the book with Natalie Green on Wednesday, September 30th.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/9/2/ep-440-natalie-green

Connect with the National Book Foundation: Instagram | Website

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Youtube

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.