The Bright Side: A Hello Sunshine Podcast

This week, we’re bringing you inside our recent live recording in NYC, hosted by Apple Books and Reese’s Book Club.  Fresh off a city Story Walk listening to Lucky on Apple Books, host Danielle sits down with bestselling author Marissa Stapley for a conversation about her beloved Reese’s Book Club thriller and its journey to the screen as a limited series on Apple TV, adapted with Hello Sunshine. They dive into the inspiration behind the riveting con woman at the center, why high-stakes heist stories never fail to hook us, and what it takes to write a morally gray antihero you can't help but root for. Plus, Marissa reveals who she'd cast to narrate her memoir (hint: she has over 20 Oscar nominations!). Put your headphones on, take yourself on your own Story Walk, and tune in. BOOKS MENTIONED: Lucky by Marissa Stapley  The Lightning Bottles by Marissa Stapley Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery  Olive Kittredge by Elizabeth Strout  Whistler by Ann Patchett  Les Miserables by Victor Hugo Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid  The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood  Finding Me: A Memoir by Viola Davis Heart The Lover by Lily King  Writers and Lovers by Lily King Educated by Tara Westover -- E-book on Apple Books: (00:02) E-book on Apple Books: (00:18)  E-book on Apple Books: (05:30)  E-book on Apple Books: (13:12)  E-book on Apple Books: (32:26)  E-book on Apple Books: (32:50)  TV Show on Apple TV: (00:33)  TV Show on Apple TV: (1:21)  TV Show on Apple TV: (12:44)  TV Show on Apple TV: (26:58)   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit reesesbookclub.substack.com/subscribe

In the final episode of our miniseries sponsored by cars.com, Danielle sits down with writer, podcast host and online icon Hunter Harris. Hunter talks about those sticky parts of life transitions — outgrowing an old routine, stepping into more responsibility, imagining a different version of your future than what you had planned. Luckily, cars.com is around to be a helpful tool for when a new car is a part of your next chapter.From start to finish, cars.com has everything you need to choose the right car confidently. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit reesesbookclub.substack.com/subscribe

The best adventures often start with a car, a full tank of gas, and the freedom to see where the road leads. That's why this miniseries sponsored by cars.com is all about navigating change and the tools we lean on when life shifts gears. In this episode, Danielle chats with friend of the pod, Raegan Revord. Raegan recently turned 18, and now that they have their driver’s license, they’re ready for the summer adventure of a lifetime.  From start to finish, cars.com has everything you need to choose the right car confidently.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit reesesbookclub.substack.com/subscribe

Hello, our book loving besties! We're taking a break this week to enjoy some time with our friends and family, but to keep your ears entertained we’re re-releasing an episode you loved! Don’t worry -- we’ll be back next week with a new episode. Happy summer!  If you are a fan of audiobooks, you probably know Julia Whelan’s voice, but today on Bookmarked, she is speaking directly to us! The award-winning audiobook narrator, actor, and author joins us to talk about the Netflix adaptation of her novel My Oxford Year. Julia opens up about the behind-the-scenes work that goes into giving voice to other people's stories and why she’s become a powerful advocate for audiobook narrators in an industry that often leaves them underpaid and overworked.  She also shares the mission behind her new audio-first publishing company, Audiobrary, which aims to create fairer, more sustainable opportunities for narrators and authors alike. Like what you heard? Subscribe to the Bookmarked newsletter HERE for more buzzy book talk, and be sure to follow us @reesesbookclub for more.  Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - find it HERE My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan - find it HERE The Women by Kristin Hannah - find it HERE Beach Read by Emily Henry - find it HERE Franny and  Zooey by J.D Salinger - find it HERE Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid - find it HERE Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter - find it HERE The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King - find it HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit reesesbookclub.substack.com/subscribe

June’s Reese’s Book Club Pick, A Pair of Aces, takes two women from different worlds, and brings them together to reveal the truth. The novel’s two authors, Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, are doing the same thing in real life. This week, Danielle, Marie and Victoria get into the nuances of writing historical fiction, finding stories that no one else was willing to tell, and why women have always banded together - and been stronger for it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit reesesbookclub.substack.com/subscribe

Jessica Knoll has built a career writing women who refuse to stay silent. In this episode, she and Danielle explore female rage in fiction, why women's anger still makes people uncomfortable, and what makes revenge stories so satisfying. Jessica also discusses her new thriller Helpless, which releases on July 7th, the enduring influence of Gillian Flynn, and the writing lessons that shaped her career.   BOOKS MENTIONED: Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll Helpless by Jessica Knoll First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll Whidbey by T Kira Madden Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver Dark Places by Gillian Flynn Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn  I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This by Chelsea Devantez The Secret History by Donna Tartt A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid  Carrie by Stephen King  The Color Purple by Alice WalkerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit reesesbookclub.substack.com/subscribe

Let us say this: this week’s conversation is a real literary kiki. We’re in the studio with Hunter Harris and Peyton Dix, two of our favorite girlies with taste - taste in movies, in fashion, and of course, books. Fresh off the launch of the latest season of their podcast, Lemme Say This, Peyton, Hunter and Danielle are going down all our favorite rabbit holes. Illicit Gossip Girl book clubs, Barnes & Noble crushes, the art of The Artist’s Way, and why notes in the margins are a love language.   BOOKS MENTIONED: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens Odyssey by Homer A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar The It Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar The Clique by Lisi Harrison Meet Samantha: An American Girl by Susan S. Adler To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han  What My Mother Doesn’t Know by Sonya Sones You, Maybe by Rachel Vail The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot The Mediator by Meg Cabot Pretties by Scott Westerfeld Uglies by Scott Westerfeld Specials by Scott Westerfeld The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin Goosebumps by R.L. Stine The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Twilight by Stephenie Meyer Anamorphs by Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling The Sisters by Jonas Hassen Khemiri Strangers by Belle Burden Famesick by Lena Dunham The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron  Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James Adult Braces by Lindy West Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell  Martyr! By Kaveh Akba Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth Homebodies by Tembe Denton-Hurst Untamed by Glennon Doyle Luster by Raven Leilan Heartburn by Nora Ephron Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates by Dave Stangle and Mike Stangle Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul by Jack Canfield, Kimberly Kirberger, and Mark Victor Hansen Mating in Captivity by Esther Perel Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay Gibson Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab Enter the Villa by Anna Peele The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden The Half of It by Madison Beer  Platonic by Marisa G. Franco Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit reesesbookclub.substack.com/subscribe

Ann Patchett is an author, bookstore owner, two-time Reese’s Book Club pick author, and overall icon on everybody’s bookshelf. Her newest novel, “Whistler,” is out today. In it, a woman reunites with her long-lost stepfather on a fateful day in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. What follows is a story of family, loss, and the brief connections that change our lives forever. Ann joins the podcast to talk about her unique writing process, working through grief and love in her latest novel, and her favorite books hitting the shelves at Parnassus Books in Nashville.  BOOKS MENTIONED: Bel Canto by Ann Patchett Run by Ann Patchett Commonwealth by Ann Patchett  State of Wonder by Ann Patchett Whistler by Ann Patchett This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett Tom Lake by Ann Patchett Swing Time by Zadie Smith Python’s Kiss by Louise Erdrich John of John by Douglas Stuart The Death of the Heart by Elizabeth Bowen  The Color of Water by James McBride  Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead  Charlotte's Web by E. B. White This is Happiness by Niall WilliamsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit reesesbookclub.substack.com/subscribe

A great book is like a great pair of shoes — it can take you somewhere you never expected. But it’s also like that new car feeling — full of possibility, a little thrilling, and totally transformative. In the first episode of this special miniseries sponsored by cars.com, Danielle sits down with booktuber and author Cindy Pham to talk about the tools that have helped her navigate change in her life.    From start to finish, cars.com has everything you need to choose the right car confidently. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit reesesbookclub.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club, Danielle Robay sits down with bestselling author Alexandra Andrews to discuss May’s Reese’s Book Club pick, The Fine Art of Lying. Alexandra unpacks why stories about wealthy people behaving badly are so irresistible and how female desire gets tangled up with wonder and meaning. She also shares her unconventional writing process, the pressure of following up a hit debut, and the surprising advice that finally helped her finish a novel.   BOOKS MENTIONED: The Fine Art of Lying by Alexandra Andrews  Ninth Street Women by Mary Gabriel All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley Transcription: A Novel by Ben Lerner Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar Who Is Maude Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews  The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion  Why I’m Not an Atheist by Christopher Beha All Fours by Miranda July Normal People by Sally Rooney  Mating in Captivity by Esther Perel  Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo  The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave The Woman in Cabin 10 Ruth Ware Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit reesesbookclub.substack.com/subscribe