Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: A Romance Novel Podcast
Sarah Wendell
Each week on Smart Podcast, Trashy Books, Sarah Wendell interviews authors, readers, reviewers, bloggers, publishing professionals, editors, and librarians about romance novels, which are among the most popular genres in fiction worldwide. Popular guests include: Ilona Andrews, Robin Bradford, NPR's Barrie Hardymon, Chuck Tingle, Sarah J. Maas, and Rachel Aaron. Amanda Diehl, co-pilot of the SS Smart Bitches, makes regular appearances with maximum silliness, especially during our Romantic Times Rewind episodes, where we take a look at old issues of Romantic Times Magazine (1981-2018). Frequent topics include romance novels, the way the genre is changing, and the brilliant and interesting people who read, write, and produce it, and issues common among romance readers. Plus, we always recommend some books we're reading and really enjoying. Learn more at SB-TB.com/Podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 7, 2022 • 40min
531. Solving Murder in Space with Mur Lafferty
Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty is the first in the Midsolar Murders series, and is out this week!Amanda and I both really liked Station Eternity, so we were very excited to ask a bunch of questions!We talk about the absence of grief in the aftermath of murder in some mystery series, how aliens in Lafferty’s world perceive humans (spoiler: wet) and how a sentient ship is both creepy and comforting.Worry not, this is a spoiler-free conversation, and I hope it makes you curious about this book, too.So. Would you want to be kidnapped or escorted off the planet by aliens?…Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 30, 2022 • 39min
530. Writing the Book You Want to Read with Kyla Zhao
Kyla Zhao is my guest this week ahead of the release of her debut novel, The Fraud Squad, coming out in January! Kyla’s book was inspired by her time working for high society magazines like Tatler and Vogue in Singapore. We talk about cultural differences, Trader Joe’s, and how her book was her antidote to doom scrolling in 2020....Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 23, 2022 • 37min
529. The Romancelandia Yarn Collection with Nakia from Wild Star Fibers
Reading romance can lead to many things, including…dyeing wool!Today my guest is Nakia of Wild Star Fibers, who created the Romancelandia collection of yarn. Knitters and readers unite! We’re going to talk about what books inspired the Romancelandia collection, and how she translated tropes to color combinations.I will have links to her shop in the show notes and she will be putting some of the extras up for sale very soon.…Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 16, 2022 • 45min
528. A League of Their Own with Tara Scott
Tara Scott joins me to talk about the television show A League of Their Own! You might have seen her review, and maybe you’ve seen folks talking about it online – it’s wonderful. So we’re gonna squee about it, and no worries – no spoilers.Heads up – there is some discussion of the consequences of being arrested for being queer at that time period, and that discussion begins at about 24 minutes in.Thank you to FashionablyEvil for making a surprise appearance in the episode thanks to their comment on Tara’s review!...Music: purple-planet.net Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 9, 2022 • 46min
527. Killers of a Certain Age with Deanna Raybourn
I’ve been talking about this book for weeks, and now I get to talk to the author: Deanna Raybourn joins me to talk about her new thriller, Killers of a Certain Age.We talk about the power of being underestimated, and the painfulness of being expected to disappear as you age.Battles against misogyny! Destroying the patriarchy! Aging is awesome!Join us for a very casual discussion of hypothetical and and actual historical murder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 2, 2022 • 32min
526. Fall Book Wishlists and Trends
This week, we are catching up on what we’re looking forward to, and in particular, what BOOKS we’re looking forward to this fall!Amanda shares trends she’s noticing amid the books that are being heavily promoted for this fall, too. We coverWitchesRevengePowerful scheming womenQueer horrorHeistsRetellings of classic storiesAdventure comedies What’s on your list this fall?Plus, I have the answer to last week's joke! Why does it take 645.5 librarians to change a lightbulb? Listen to find out....Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 26, 2022 • 46min
525. Cover Snark Live!
Romance will never stop bestowing glorious acts of graphic design upon us, so join us for some Cover Snark live! Amanda and I went foraging in the wilds of romance covers and surprised one another with images to discuss.Check out the covers for yourself! Savor the glorious mayhem!So many questions.Which M is the Preg in the MMMPreg?Where IS the Third M?!What is the job market like for alien vampires?If you woke up tomorrow as a wealthy immortal alien vampire, what would YOU do?...Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 19, 2022 • 39min
524. Thank You For Listening, and Also For Romance, With Julia Whelan
Author and award-winning audiobook narrator Julia Whelan visits with me to talk about her new book, Thank You For Listening. Along the way we discuss:Recent press coverage of her bookSelf Aware Book FictionCompetence p0rnMyths about audiobook narrationAnd why Romance Is AmazingPlus, we have book recommendations! (We always do that.)What about you?Do you listen to audiobooks? Do you have favorite books or favorite narrators? Tell me all about them!…Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 12, 2022 • 39min
523. Summer Reading (and Shoe) Recs with Amanda
In the words of a spam comment, we have some nice and valuable content!Amanda and I are catching up. What are we talking about? Shoes we are trying to break in, video games we are playing, and all the books we’ve been reading this summer! Amanda’s into sci-fi mysteries, and I’ve read a whole bunch of different genres. Grab a beverage and come visit with us!What about you?What books have rocked your reading time? Have you broken in Birkenstocks? (Am I doomed to agony for eternity?) What are your most comfortable sandals? What is your preferred Mario Kart course?…Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 5, 2022 • 42min
522. Five Books that Rocked my World with Agatha Andrews from She Wore Black Podcast
Agatha Andrews is the host of the She Wore Black podcast which focuses on gothic and horror, and a former librarian. I was a guest on her show, and now she comes over to visit with me! Horror and romance need to hang out. So we did!We talk about readers advisory, all the ways to connect books to readers, and then we take a deep dive into the books that rocked her world as a reader.Do you have any erotic unicorn horror to recommend to Agatha? Got a favorite gothic or horror you adore? Tell me about it, please!...Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
