The Stacks

Podcaster and journalist Sam Sanders returns to discuss You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi for The Stacks Book Club. In our conversation of this romance novel, we wonder if the book actually qualifies as such under the rules of romance novels. We also discuss how the story feels like real life because it mirrors the messiness of actual love stories, who we are rooting for, and we brainstorm casts for the upcoming screen adaptation.

There are spoilers on today's episode.

Be sure to listen to the end of today’s episode to find out what our book club pick will be for September 2023.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:

https://thestackspodcast.com/2023/08/30/ep-282-you-made-a-fool-of-death

Connect with Sam: Instagram | Twitter | Into It | Vibe Check

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe

SUPPORT THE STACKS

Join The Stacks Pack on Patreon

To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

Purchasing books through Bookshop.org or Amazon earns The Stacks a small commission.

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

*patron-only bonus episode teaser*

This Unabridged features audio from our first stop on The Stacks tour in Oakland with Leila Mottley. We talk about her book Nightcrawling and share our reality TV hot takes. We also give audience book recommendations with a special guest. This is an edited version of the live show, so if you want more, come join us on tour! Get your tickets here.

*This episode is exclusive to members of The Stacks Pack on Patreon. To join this community, get inside access to the show, and listen now, click the link below.

JOIN THE STACKS PACK TO LISTEN

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:

https://thestackspodcast.com/2023/08/25/tsu-24-oakland-tour

Connect with Leila: Instagram | Twitter | Website

Connect with Deesha: Twitter | Instagram | Website

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe

SUPPORT THE STACKS

Join The Stacks Pack on Patreon

Purchasing books through Bookshop.org or Amazon earns The Stacks a small commission.

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

Podcaster and author Jennifer Baker discusses her YA novel Forgive Me Not, how she created its alternate juvenile justice system and what she wanted to teach young people about incarceration and grief. Plus, we hear about how Jennifer and her editor worked together to edit the book, the many ways in which publishing has changed and stayed the same, and who decides who the villain is.

The Stacks Book Club selection for August is You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi. We will discuss the book on August 30th with Sam Sanders.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:

https://thestackspodcast.com/2023/08/23/ep-281-jennifer-baker

Connect with Jennifer: Instagram | Twitter | Website | Minorities in Publishing

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe

SUPPORT THE STACKS

Join The Stacks Pack on Patreon

To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

Purchasing books through Bookshop.org or Amazon earns The Stacks a small commission.

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

After living with the retinitis pigmentosa for decades, Andrew Leland; writer, audio producer, and teacher, decided to write about blindness in his debut book, The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight. We discuss how he thought about specificity while addressing a broad audience and why writing about ableism felt so risky to him. We also talk about the concept of "blind thought" and the ongoing debate around blindness being a neutral characteristic.

The Stacks Book Club selection for August is You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi. We will discuss the book on August 30th with Sam Sanders.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:

https://thestackspodcast.com/2023/08/16/ep-280-andrew-leland

Connect with Andrew: Instagram | Twitter | Website

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe

SUPPORT THE STACKS

Join The Stacks Pack on Patreon

To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

Purchasing books through Bookshop.org or Amazon earns The Stacks a small commission.

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

Emmy-nominated journalist Nora Neus is here to discuss her illuminating new book 24 Hours in Charlottesville: An Oral History of the Stand Against White Supremacy. The book chronicles the events of 2017, where armed neo-Nazi demonstrators descended on the University of Virginia campus and downtown Charlottesville. Nora explains why she didn't interview white nationalists for the book, how she found her subjects and sources, and how she navigated objective versus subjective truth while telling this story.

The Stacks Book Club selection for August is You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi. We will discuss the book on August 30th with Sam Sanders.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:

https://thestackspodcast.com/2023/08/09/ep-279-nora-neus

Connect with Nora: Instagram | Twitter | Website

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe

SUPPORT THE STACKS

Join The Stacks Pack on Patreon

To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

Purchasing books through Bookshop.org or Amazon earns The Stacks a small commission.

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

Sam Sanders, host of the Into It and Vibe Check podcasts, joins us to discuss the history of objectivity in journalism, what identity is and how people wield it, and what it's like having co-hosts and working with friends. We also hear how Sam decides which books to feature on his podcasts and how much he should share with his audience.

The Stacks Book Club selection for August is You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi. We will discuss the book on August 30th with Sam Sanders.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:

https://thestackspodcast.com/2023/08/02/ep-278-sam-sanders

Connect with Sam: Instagram | Twitter | Into It | Vibe Check

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe

SUPPORT THE STACKS

Join The Stacks Pack on Patreon

To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

Purchasing books through Bookshop.org or Amazon earns The Stacks a small commission.

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

*patron-only bonus episode teaser*

Friend of The Stacks David Dennis Jr. is back to help us break down the 2019 HBO limited series Watchmen, in honor of our July book club episode about Alan Moore's iconic graphic novel. We discuss David's obsession with the show, its pivotal race moments and one special ingredient that the series added to its source material.

*This episode is exclusive to members of The Stacks Pack on Patreon. To join this community, get inside access to the show, and listen now, click the link below.

JOIN THE STACKS PACK TO LISTEN

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:

https://thestackspodcast.com/2023/07/28/tsu-23-david-dennis-jr

Connect with David: Instagram | Twitter

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe

SUPPORT THE STACKS

Join The Stacks Pack on Patreon

Purchasing books through Bookshop.org or Amazon earns The Stacks a small commission.

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

Cartoonist and author Joel Christian Gill returns for book club day to discuss the graphic novel Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. We dissect this 12 part comic and learn about the thematic and formal elements in play. We also talk about the role of God, Batman, and women in the book, and finally Joel shares why Watchmen is considered to be the greatest comic of all time? 

There are spoilers in this episode.

Be sure to listen to the end of today’s episode to find out what our book club pick will be for August 2023.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:

https://thestackspodcast.com/2023/07/26/ep-277-watchmen

Connect with Joel: Instagram | Website

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe

SUPPORT THE STACKS

Join The Stacks Pack on Patreon

To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

Purchasing books through Bookshop.org or Amazon earns The Stacks a small commission.

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

Journalist Donovan X. Ramsey joins us to talk about his illuminating narrative nonfiction book When Crack Was King: A People's History of a Misunderstood Era. Donovan explains exactly what crack is, talks about the disparities in crack sentencing, and the ways the media and rap music influenced the era.

The Stacks Book Club selection for July is Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. We will discuss the book on July 26th with Joel Christian Gill.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:

https://thestackspodcast.com/2023/07/19/ep-276-donovan-x-ramsey

Connect with Donovan: Instagram | Twitter | Website

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe

SUPPORT THE STACKS

Join The Stacks Pack on Patreon

To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

Purchasing books through Bookshop.org or Amazon earns The Stacks a small commission.

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

Physician and writer Ricardo Nuila joins The Stacks to discuss The People's Hospital: Hope and Peril in American Medicine, about Ben Taub county hospital in Houston, TX. Dr. Nuila breaks down the difference between public and private hospitals, how medical costs are calculated, and what individuals can do to help change the healthcare system. He also shares why he thinks we need both public and private care options. 

The Stacks Book Club selection for July is Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. We will discuss the book on July 26th with Joel Christian Gill.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:

https://thestackspodcast.com/2023/07/12/ep-275-ricardo-nuila

Connect with Ricardo: Instagram | Twitter | Website

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe

SUPPORT THE STACKS

Join The Stacks Pack on Patreon

To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

Purchasing books through Bookshop.org or Amazon earns The Stacks a small commission.

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