Happy week-of-Halloween, pleasure readers! Today I'm here to share what I've been reading lately and to introduce you to the movie Carrie with my new friends Paul & Erika from That Aged Well podcast. Tune in for a quick clip, then head to thatagedwell.com for more. And subscribe to their show on Apple, Spotify, or your fave pod player.
Happy Spooky Season, pleasure reading fans! Today I'm popping in to introduce you to The Witches of Eastwick with my new friends Paul & Erika from That Aged Well podcast. Tune in for a quick clip, then head to thatagedwell.com for more. And subscribe to their show on Apple, Spotify, or your fave pod player.
Summer is for sports romance! And let’s make it sapphic, shall we? This season, I’m reading queer romances about softball, volleyball, basketball, hockey, tennis, F1, and more. Tune in as I recommend: Running Home to You by Samantha Saldivar Hot Girls with Balls by Benedict Nguyen Rooting Interest by Cat Disabato Stick Around by Eliza Lentzski Set Point by Meg Jones Make Your Move by Melissa Brayden Find all the books (& more sapphic sports romances) at: https://bookshop.org/lists/sapphic-sports-romance Also, I'm taking a break from the pod until EOY! So I'll see you in December for my best books of 2026.
It’s “swimsuit season,” and I’m popping in as your resident fat-girl-in-a-bikini to share 5 books to help you break up with diet culture. Tune in as I recommend: You Have the Right to Remain Fat by Virgie Tovar What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon The Body is Not an Apology (& accompanying workbook) by Sonya Renee Taylor The Body Liberation Project by Chrissy King Find all the books (& more anti-diet-culture recs) at: bookshop.org/lists/books-to-help-you-break-up-with-diet-culture
You may not know this about me… but I love tarot. I’ve been working with the cards for a decade, and I have another podcast all about it, called my tiny tarot practice. I’ve read a ton of tarot books (and bought even more tarot decks), and in this episode I’m sharing my four favorites — the books I return to over and over again as I connect with myself and the cards. Tune in as I recommend: Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack Tarot for the Wild Soul by Lindsay Mack (& the Soul Tarot deck) Tarot for the Hard Work by Maria Minnis Tarot for Change by Jessica Dore Find all these books (and more tarot recs & decks) at: bookshop.org/lists/my-tiny-tarot-practice
This spring on my podcast Off the Grid we did a whole series on AI. Part of that series included a reading list... which felt perfect to bring over to Pleasure Reading! So today I'm sharing the 7 books that shaped my perspective on AI and helped me reclaim my creative attention in the process: Supremacy by Parmy Olson Unmasking AI by Dr. Joy Buolamwini The Practice of Attention by Cody Cook-Parrott Making Time by Maria Bowler The Listening Path by Julia Cameron I also (finally!) tell you about my own book — Your Attention is Sacred Except on Social Media — which is all about attention, creativity, and technology.
Wanna go down a sunken book rabbit hole with me? 🤿 In this episode, I tell you the story of why I spent the past four months reading underwater books... including my fave shipwreck, cave-diving, and sea creature reads that I now highly recommend. For the first time in pleasure reading history, I also include movie, tv, and podcast recommendations! Because this underwater theme truly took over my entire media landscape. 🪸 Find all the books here: https://bookshop.org/lists/underwater-horror-thriller-sci-fi-recs Find all the movies here: https://letterboxd.com/ameliaaaaaaaphd/list/underwater-freaks-like-me/
Today I welcome a dear friend and fellow podcaster to the show — Caro Griffin! Caro is the host of Between Drinks podcast and newsletter — where she shares her international travels and recounts the history of different beverages. You should definitely subscribe to her newsletter and tune in on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you listen. In this conversation, Caro shares her five favorite books about alcoholic & non-alcoholic beverages. We also explore the story of the woman behind champagne, why coffee was almost illegal, the global impact of Coca-Cola, and the many reasons we love cocktail bars. Here are the books we discuss: Girly Drinks by Mallory O'Meara The Widow Cliquot by Tilar Mazzeo A History of the World in Six Glasses by Tom Standage And a Bottle of Rum by Wayne Curtis The Way of the Cocktail: Japanese Traditions, Techniques, and Recipes by Julia Momosé Find all of them here: https://bookshop.org/lists/5-spirited-non-fiction-reads-with-caro-of-between-drinks (affiliate link)
Spring has sprung, and I'm getting ready to plant my garden! I love growing food in my backyard, but it can be expensive to invest in seeds, beds, dirt and more. So over the past few months, I've been researching low-cost gardening methods. Here are my four fave books I've found so far (affiliate links): Grow Your Groceries by Simon Akeroyd Home Sweet Home Grown by Robyn Jasko Grow Food for Free by Huw Richards The Preserver's Garden by Staci & Jeremi Hill
Happy Galentine's Day, pleasure readers! Today I'm sharing 10 brand new romance releases just in time for your weekend reading. We've got sports romance, sapphic romance, celebrity romance, enemies-to-lovers, chronic pain cuties, and more — set across the US, Europe and Latin America. Find all the books here, and have a romantic weekend! xoxo
It's almost Valentine's Day! And my sweetheart reading is in full swing to celebrate. In this episode, I'm sharing my five fave romance writers — who I think are woefully underrated. Tune in to hear me rave about Lizzy Dent, TJ Alexander, Talia Hibbert, Naina Kumar, and Falon Ballard. I'll talk about my fave books, upcoming releases, and more. Find all the books here, and have a romantic week! xoxo
Happy 2026, readers! Last year, I made some biggggg reading plans and proceeded to accomplish... none of them. (I'm looking at you 2025 5-star TBR. 👀) So this year, I'm lowering the bar, embracing my inner mood reader, and thinking about books differently. Tune in to this quick episode, where I share my 2026 reading plans and the process I'm using to build themed TBRs for the year ahead. I also build a few TBRs for us! On the themes of Palestinian liberation, the astrophysics of time loops, and reasons to hate Big Tech. Find all the books right here, and enjoy!
Happy New Years Eve, readers! In this comeback episode, I'm sharing quick-hit reviews of all the books I've read since September. Tune in for Parisian magicians, murderous influencers, werewolf romantics, gay hockey players (yes, I got into Heated Rivalry...), and more! I also talk a bit about my TBR failures, how many books I read this year (123!), and my reading goals for 2026. Find all the books right here: https://bookshop.org/lists/pleasure-reading-fall-2025
Fall is my favorite season for reading, because I love cozy blankets, warm lattes, and books that make me feel some kind of way. In this episode, I’m sharing books for my 3 fave fall feelings: cozy, sexy, and spooky. 🧶💄👹 It’s a Libra & Scorpio season adventure, full of amazing reads that just came out this year! ALSO! I just published a new book of my own. It’s called Your Attention is Sacred Except on Social Media, and you can pick up a paperback or an ebook right here. Recommended Books (with affiliate links): A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna Dragon Fires Everywhere by Hazel Beck Ghost Business by Jen DeLuca ZomRomCom by Olivia Dade Arcane Academy by Elise Kova Play Nice by Rachel Harrison Katabasis by R.F. Kuang The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia The Whistler by Nick Medina
OK it's been a minute since I made an episode... but I promise I've been reading! In fact, I've read 47 books since the end of March, and I have plenty to say about them. So get cozy, press play, and tune in to let these 60-second reviews wash over you. There's everything from age-gap romance to cerebral mysteries to weirdo body horror. Plus I found three 5-star reads this summer! Find all the books here: https://bookshop.org/lists/pleasure-reading-spring-summer-2025
Let’s get spicy this summer! This month on the pod, I’m sharing my current TBR that’s full of sweet and sexy queer romance novels. Tune in to hear me rave about Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and then to share how these 10 other romances landed on my bedside book stack. Recommended Books (with affiliate links): Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid Triple Sec by TJ Alexander For Her Consideration by Amy Spalding Because Fat Girl by Lauren Marie-Fleming Brewed with Love by Shelly Page Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory My Best Friend’s Honeymoon by Meryl Wilsner Girl Crushed by Katie Heaney They Both Die at the End & The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera Heartwaves by Anita Kelly Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail & Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date by Ashley Herring Blake And if you find yourself in Portland, I highly recommend checking out Grand Gesture Books!
Pull out your mood rings, because this week we're reading by vibes! Today I'm returning to the pod with an extra special guest, Rachel Ropeik. Rachel is a cultural catalyst and pirate who works with equal parts wisdom and whimsy. From navigating the halls of the Guggenheim, the Brooklyn Museum, and MoMA to setting sail as a consultant changemaker, she blends thoughtful disruption and playful innovation in work with both cultural organizations and individuals. Rachel reached out to me this spring to ask if we could chat about our different reading styles. And even though I was deep in a reading slump... I still said YES PLEASE! In this conversation, Rachel and I unpack the concept of "mood reading" and share a few of the moods that inspired our recent reads. Tune in for over a dozen vibe-specific recs, including: From Rachel: The Antidote by Karen Russell The Hymn to Dionysus by Natasha Pulley We Will Rest!: The Art of Escape by Tricia Hersey Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey The Nap Ministry's Rest Deck by Tricia Hersey Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer The Mars House by Natasha Pulley The Giver by Lois Lowry From Amelia: Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes The Deep by Rivers Solomon The Idea of You by Robinne Lee Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller Circe by Madeline Miller Neon Gods by Katee Robert More links from Rachel: NPR's Book of the Day, NYTimes Read Like the Wind, What To Read If from Elizabeth Held
Today we've got our second ever nonfiction list, and it's all about TIME! Tune in to hear how I've been reimagining the clock with the help of these four books. Then find the (affiliate) links below to purchase them for yourself. 🕰️ Recommended Books Saving Time by Jenny Odell Making Time by Maria Bowler (sponsored) Dismantling the Master's Clock by Rasheedah Phillips World Enough & Time: On Creativity and Slowing Down by Christian McEwen
I read 13 books in February and 15 books in March. So we're gonna do another monthly reading recap! In this episode, I'm sharing 60 second reviews of everything I read in late winter — from dark academia to light romance to my first non-fiction reads of 2025. You can expect podcasters falling in love, goddesses rising from the dead, and sexy sacrilegious smut. I hope you enjoy! Books mentioned in this episode: Their Vicious Games by Joelle Washington Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavasky A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee How We Fall Apart by Katie Zhao Know Your Newlywed (audio only) Just My Type by Falon Ballard Priest by Sierra Simone We All Rot Eventually by Mia Ballard Elegy for the Undead by Matthew Vesely Goddess of Filth by V. Castro The Inheritance by Trisha Sakhlecha Lo Fi by Liz Riggs Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley Perfume & Pain by Anna Dorn Back After This by Linda Holmes To the Gorge by Emily Halnon (I forgot to talk about this one but it's amazing!) Must Love Silence by Lucy Bexley The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi Goddess Complex by Sanjena Sathian The Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning Everybody is a Liar by Liv Constantine (audio only) Fat Girls Hiking by Summer Michaud-Skog Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli
This one goes out to all my cooler-than-thou millennials tuning in — because this week I’m sharing books set in the indie sleaze scene! If you’re not familiar with indie sleaze, think skinny jeans, sweaty clubs, early aughts attitude and bands like The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The scene was dominate by boys-in-bands, but in my personal (admittedly nostalgic) experience the music venues were full of women! So I wanted to find books by all the girls in the crowds like me, who loved this music but maybe weren’t well-represented there. Tune in for three books that are also playlists. I hope you enjoy! 🎸Indie Sleaze Reads I Recommend: 06:15 — Lo Fi by Liz Riggs + the playlist 13:15 — Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley + the playlist 19:00 — I Love You So Much It’s Killing Us Both by Mariah Stovall + the playlist And if you love this episode, you might also love the documentary Meet Me in the Bathroom!
