Books with Betsy
Books with Betsy is a podcast that celebrates the reading life of all readers. Each week, Betsy interviews a different person about their reading life. Listen for book recommendations, reading tips, and to join in the joy that reading brings. And remember, anyone who reads is a reader.
Episodes
On this episode, past guests of Books with Betsy and I share our favorite books of 2025! Listen to hear about lots of great 2025 books and the excellent backlist we got to this year.
Books mentioned in this episode:
Betsy’s Best Categorically (books that…):
Shocked me:
It’s Not the End of the World by Jonathan Parks-Ramage
Sky Full of Elephants by Cebo Campbell
Made me Cry:
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
On this episode, Madeline Blair, founder and editor of the literary magazine Sabr Tooth Tiger, talks about her development as a lover and writer of poetry, how balancing reading online publications can run up against her day job, and how she discovers new pieces to read. You also get to hear me have a bit of an existential crisis in real time which happens every time I think about how much content there is out there to read.
On this episode, Francisco Rafael Peralta-Cerda, a fellow Read & Runner, talks about his work building a love for reading as a high school teacher, how his mom encouraged him to read when he was little, and a possibly surprising genre that he has fallen in love with this year. We also discuss his hesitation to read in public but also the attempt to dispel the myth of the performative male.
Books mentioned in this episode:
...
On this episode, Deirdre Harrison, Executive Director of SitStayRead in Chicago talks about how her understanding of relationships affects her reading life, the joys of being a little free library steward, and shares deep thoughts about how her organization fits into the literary lives of everyone she interacts with. She also tells some really incredible stories about her experiences with SitStayRead that will emphasize the importa...
On this episode, Antonio Michael Downing, author and host of CBC’s Next Chapter, talks about his early reading life with his grandmother in Trinidad, how his work affects his reading life, and the types of authors that are speaking to him now. We talk about his two books, Saga Boy, a memoir, and Black Cherokee, his first novel.
Books mentioned in this episode:
What Betsy’s readin...
On this episode, Jesus, Emily, and Brian from Off Color Book Club join me to discuss the most recent Off Color Book Club book, Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar.
If you’re interested in joining the Off Color Book Club in the future, we will not be meeting in December but will meet on Tuesday, January 20th to discuss Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. All are welcome!
On this episode, Julie Palazzolo, a mom who is finding her reading life to look differently than it has in the past, talks about how audiobooks have been a huge part of her reading life, the ways she brings reading to life with her kiddos, and how important and amazing children’s books are. Julie also gives a lot of great children’s book recommendations for many difficult topics.
Books mentioned in this episode:
What Betsy’s r...
On this episode, Jen Price, of Travel Books and Movies, discusses her life that involves a great deal of travel, how she incorporates reading into travelling, and her book club that has a brilliant idea about how to choose books. We also get into some of the shared perils of being feral readers.
Travel Books and Movies Facebook Group
On this episode, Taylor Thornburg, multi-media creator and fan talks about how to plug in to the local literary scene, his connection to physical media, and how he loves authors that are just entirely out of the box. We also talk about a lot of the great benefits of the Chicago reading life.
Books mentioned in this episode:
What Betsy’s reading:
Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
Flashlight by Susan Choi
...
On this episode, Lorna Sherry and Cara Sandlass join me to discuss the most recent Off Color Book Club book, Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin.
If you’re interested in joining the Off Color Book Club in November, we will be meeting on Tuesday, November 18th to discuss Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar. All are welcome!
On this episode, Tina of TBR, etc., talks about how being an active book person in multiple internet formats affects her reading life, her favorite genre acronym, and we go deep into the world of reading trackers. We also talk about her viral moment this past summer when she broke an AI-related book story.
Books to Read if You Liked Unknown Caller
Books With Covers We Hate and Why We Read Them Anyway
On this episode, Rebecca Tucker, who is working on writing her own fantasy novel, talks about how reading was incentivized for her at an early age but had ups and downs in her reading later in life. We also talk about some great fantasy novels and I make a claim about a book I believe will be considered one of the great memoirs.
Books mentioned in this episode:
What Betsy’s reading:
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graha...
On this episode, Eirien, author of The Riven War, discusses her love of fantasy, including a classic series that I really believe is underrated. She also talks about her first moment understanding the power of a book, how she looks for books that speak to her more than popularity, and how being a slower reader can actually be a benefit.
Books mentioned in this episode:
What Betsy’s reading:
On this episode, Marla Taviano, writer and poet, who has a very fun project she’s attempting to complete before her 50th birthday talks about her love for annotating books, why she loves to read writers on writing, and her bookstagram project that greatly influenced her reading life.
Books mentioned in this episode:
What Betsy’s reading:
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
On this episode, Laura Ustick and Emily Bogaert join me to discuss the most recent Off Color Book Club book, North Woods by Danel Mason.
If you’re interested in joining the Off Color Book Club in October, we will be meeting on Tuesday, October 21st to discuss Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin. All are welcome!
On this episode, Liv Hoselton, an indie bookseller in Chicago, talks about their impulse to dive deep into the horrors of the world to better understand them, how their teachers and librarians were so impactful for their reading life, and one of our shared favorites that kids just aren’t interested in (much to our chagrin). I anticipate you’ll also be surprised at how engrossing Liv’s description of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzge...
On this episode, Lauren Oliver, author of many books, comes on to talk about her new book that was just released, What Happened to Lucy Vale. We also have a great conversation about mysteries, the magic of Agatha Christie, and how even when you’re plugged-in to the book world it can be hard to decide what to read.
Get a copy of What Happened to Lucy Vale
Lauren’s Substack Follow Lauren on Instagram
Books m...
On this episode, Blake Chastain, author and podcaster, talks about how reading has helped him slow down through the difficult times we live in now, how technology helps and hurts his reading life, and some really excellent book recommendations. He will likely make you want to read comics and if that’s new for you, go for it!!
On this episode, Cynthia Chen (Episode 64) and Maggie Brennan (Episode 46) join me to discuss the most recent Off Color Book Club book, Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado.
If you’re interested in joining the Off Color Book Club in September, we will be meeting on Tuesday, September 16th to discuss North Woods by Daniel Mason. All are welcome!
On this episode, Dan Dzurak, a physical media fan, discusses his love for books that are “out there,” how his dad’s reading life informed his early reading memories, and why being compared to a character is one of his standout memories. We also get into the ups and downs of being feral readers when you know so many people in the hospitality industry.
Books mentioned in this episode:
What Betsy’s reading:
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