For the last Stacks Book Club episode of the year, we're diving into Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream by H.G. Bissinger with Joel Anderson, senior staff writer at The Ringer and co-host of sports & media podcast The Press Box. This book follows the 1988 season of the Permian Panthers, one of the best high-school football teams in Texas history. We discuss whether this book could exist as is today, how we feel about high school athletes getting special academic treatment, and why Joel wants to untether grades from extracurricular activities.

There are spoilers in this episode.

Be sure to listen to the end of today?s episode to find out what our January book club pick will be.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/12/31/ep-405-friday-night-lights

Connect with Joel: Instagram | Twitter | Bluesky

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It?s finally the episode we?ve all been waiting for: The Stacks' Best Books of 2025! Traci talks with two longtime friends of the show, Greta Johnsen, host of Happy to Be Here, and MJ Franklin, an editor at The New York Times Book Review, to share our top 10 books of the year. We discuss the overall year in books, why we struggled to create this list, and all the books we?re looking forward to reading in 2026.

The Stacks Book Club pick for December is Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream by H.G. Bissinger. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, December 31st, with Joel Anderson.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/12/24/ep-404-best-books-of-2025

Connect with Greta: Instagram | Substack

Connect with MJ: Instagram | TikTok | Threads

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We're at the end of 2025 and this year we're looking back, not at the best of the year, but at the worst, most hatable moments. To break it all down, Traci teamed up with friend of the pod, Nora McInerny, for a crossover bonus episode between The Stacks and Nora's show, Thanks for Asking. From Taylor Swift to AI slop and so much more, get ready for a whole lot of hot takes and disgruntled energy.

This episode is a collaboration with Nora?s podcast Thanks for Asking.

You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks Website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2025/12/19/tsu-54-nora-mcinerny

Connect with Nora: Website | Substack | Instagram | TikTok | Threads | YouTube

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

Today on The Stacks, we are joined by National Book Award finalist Alejandro Varela to talk about his newest novel, Middle Spoon. Humorously exploring unconventional relationships and complexities of polyamory, this novel follows Alejandro?s unnamed narrator, a married man navigating heartbreak after his boyfriend abruptly dumps him. We discuss why he wanted to write about heartbreak, how he brought more of himself to this book, and why it was important to him to depict OCD correctly.

The Stacks Book Club pick for December is Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream by H.G. Bissinger. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, December 31st, with Joel Anderson as our guest.

You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks Website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/12/17/ep-403-alejandro-varela

Connect with Alejandro: Instagram | Website | Bluesky

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

Today on The Stacks, we?re joined by James Beard Award-winning chef, TV host, and author Samin Nosrat to discuss her newest book, Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share with People You Love. In this cookbook, Samin shares over 125 of her favorite go-to recipes, including ricotta custard pancakes, saffron-burnished roast chicken, nostalgia-inducing yellow cake with chocolate frosting, and everything in between. We discuss her return to writing after the success of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking, how she balances technique with improvisation in the kitchen, and the friction between her identities as a writer and a chef.

The Stacks Book Club pick for December is Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream by H.G. Bissinger. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, December 31st, with Joel Anderson.

You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks Website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/12/10/ep-402-samin-nosrat

Connect with Samin: Instagram | Website | Substack

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

Today on The Stacks, we?re joined by Joel Anderson, senior staff writer at The Ringer and co-host of sports & media podcast The Press Box. We discuss his transition from athlete to sports journalist, how his relationship with his audience has changed alongside public perceptions of the media, whether we?re freaking out enough about the state of media, and why he loves books on place.

The Stacks Book Club pick for December is Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream by H.G. Bissinger. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, December 31st, with Joel Anderson returning as our guest.

You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks Website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/12/3/ep-400-joel-anderson

Connect with Joel: Instagram | Twitter | Bluesky

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

It is The Stacks Book Club day, and Page Break founder Mikey Friedman is back to discuss National Book Award-winner Justin Torres's debut novel, We the Animals. Set in rural upstate New York in the 1980s, this coming-of-age novel traces the experiences of three mixed-race brothers bustling through boyhood while navigating the violence and chaos within their household. In our conversation, we chat about what sets this book apart from other coming-of-age stories, how this functions as a sensory novel, and the ways the book explores shame and desire without judgment.

There are spoilers in this episode.

Make sure you listen to the end of the episode to hear what our January book club pick will be!

You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks Website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2025/11/26/ep-400-we-the-animals

Connect with Mikey: Instagram | TikTok

Connect with Page Break: Instagram | Website

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

*This is a teaser for this Patreon and Substack-only bonus episode, click here to listen to the full episode*

Ever wondered who else brings The Stacks to life? Well, lucky for you, you?re about to meet them. For the first time ever, we're bringing you behind the scenes to introduce you to the team that helps make this podcast happen. Join Traci as she chats with Sahara Clement, Cherie Marquez, and Christian Dueñas about who they are, what they do, the biggest surprises and hardest parts of their jobs, and the things she does that annoy them. This podcast wouldn?t be what it is without their hard work, and you can support that by joining The Stacks Pack on Patreon and subscribing to our Substack.

You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks Website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2025/11/21/tsu-53-meet-the-stacks-team

Connect with Sahara: Website | Instagram 

Connect with Cherie: Website | Instagram

Connect with Christian: Instagram

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

Today on The Stacks, we are joined by author and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes to talk about her new novel, The White Hot. This book explores an exhausted young mother?s life-changing, ?white hot? rage-induced decision to abandon her daughter, break her family?s cycle of generational trauma, and discover herself in the process. We chat about why she wanted to write about women leaving home, how she views the audience for her plays versus her books, and how she creates in the face of her own success.

The Stacks Book Club pick for November is We the Animals by Justin Torres. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, November 26th, with Mikey Friedman.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/11/19/ep-399-quiara-alegria-hudes

Connect with Quiara: Instagram | Website

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

Today on The Stacks, we are joined by Sarah Aziza to talk about her debut book, The Hollow Half: A Memoir of Bodies and Borders. In this memoir, Sarah explores her struggle with anorexia through the lens of her family?s history of violent displacement from Gaza, drawing haunting parallels between her personal and ancestral trauma. We talk about why she wanted to trace these connections, how she uses footnotes to complicate the narrative, and how she sees her work in conversation with those of Black feminist scholars. 

The Stacks Book Club pick for November is We the Animals by Justin Torres. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, November 26th, with Mikey Friedman.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/11/12/ep-398-sarah-aziza

Connect with Sarah: Instagram | Threads | Website

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

Today on The Stacks, we are joined by Mikey Friedman, the founder of Page Break, a New York?based, weekend-long retreat centered on community reading. We discuss all things Page Break, including how it came to be, the book selection process, the focus on fiction, and why reading aloud is at the heart of the experience. Plus, tune in for a special announcement.

The Stacks Book Club pick for November is We the Animals by Justin Torres. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, November 26th, with Mikey Friedman.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/11/5/ep-397-mikey-friedman

Connect with Mikey: Instagram | TikTok

Connect with Page Break: Instagram | Website

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

It is The Stacks Book Club day, and author Angela Flournoy is back to discuss Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. First published in 1818 and revised in 1831, this Gothic classic tells the tale of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who brings a monstrous creature to life, triggering a series of disastrous consequences. In our conversation, we explore our perceptions of Frankenstein?s monster, the significance of the nesting doll story structure, the book's ghost-story origins, and the novel's evolution from 1818 to 1831.

There are spoilers in this episode.

Listen to the end of today's episode to find out what our November Book Club pick will be!

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/10/29/ep-396-frankenstein

Connect with Angela: Instagram | Website

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Youtube | Subscribe

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

*This is a teaser for this Patreon and Substack-only bonus episode, click here to listen to the full episode*

In this bonus episode, I chat with author Kiley Reid for the inside scoop on the Booker Prize, an annual literary award given to the best fiction book written in English and published in the UK and Ireland. As a 2025 judge?and the author of a 2020 Booker Prize-longlisted book?Kiley offers insider knowledge on everything from what makes a "Booker book" to the process of narrowing down the list from 153 titles to one winner.

You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks Website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2025/10/24/tsu-52-kiley-reid

Connect with Kiley: Website | Instagram | Twitter

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

Today on The Stacks, we are joined by author and journalist Jade Chang to discuss her newest novel, What a Time to Be Alive. This book follows Lola Treasure Gold, a down-on-her-luck 31-year-old balancing accidental internet fame with enduring grief after her speech at her best friend?s wake goes viral. We discuss the book?s 20-year journey, the ways fame and celebrity culture have evolved in that time, and the unexpected pleasures of grief.

The Stacks Book Club pick for October is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, October 29th, with our guest Angela Flournoy.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/10/22/ep-395-jade-chang

Connect with Jade: Instagram | Website

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

Today on The Stacks, we are joined by anthropologist and former wildland firefighter Jordan Thomas. He?s here to discuss his first book, When It All Burns: Fighting Fire in a Transformed World, a gripping exploration of his experience battling a brutal, six-month fire season with the Los Padres Hotshots, an elite force of wildland firefighters. We discuss Jordan?s transition from firefighter to author, what the general public gets wrong about wildfires, and the connection between fires, climate change, and Republican politics.

The Stacks Book Club pick for October is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, October 29th, with our guest Angela Flournoy.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/10/15/ep-394-jordan-thomas

Connect with Jordan: Instagram | Website

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

Today on The Stacks, we are joined by journalist and writer John J. Lennon, who?s currently serving 28 years to life for murder at Sing Sing Correctional Facility. He is here to discuss his first book, The Tragedy of True Crime: Four Guilty Men and the Stories That Define Us, which explores society?s fascination with true crime through the personal stories of four convicted murderers, including himself. In our conversation, we dive into how Lennon?s experiences inform his writing, how he maintains focus while in prison, why he doesn?t use prison abolition language in his work, and his anxiety around his new book.

The Stacks Book Club pick for October is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, October 29th, with Angela Flournoy returning as our guest.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/10/8/ep-393-john-j-lennon

Connect with John: Website

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

This week on The Stacks we are joined by Angela Flournoy to discuss her new book, The Wilderness. Longlisted for the 2025 National Book Award and a finalist for the Kirkus Prize, The Wilderness is an expansive novel that covers the friendship of four black women over the course of twenty years. Today, we discuss maximalism in her writing style, how Angela aimed to write an era-defining novel, and what other works The Wilderness is in conversation with.

The Stacks Book Club pick for October is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, October 29th with Angela Flournoy returning as our guest.

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/10/1/ep-392-angela-flournoy 

Connect with Angela: Instagram | Website

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

It is The Stacks Book Club day and we're discussing The Lilac People by Milo Todd. Our guest for today's conversation is editor and author, Denne Michele Norris. The Lilac People follows a trans man and his partner as they attempt to survive Nazi Germany and the aftermath of the Allies? takeover post-war. Together, we discuss the ways Milo Todd uses history to ground the book and its characters, the ever evolving language surrounding gender and identity, plus the ethical questions that arise in times of war.

There are spoilers in this episode.

Listen to the end of today's episode to find out what our October Book Club pick will be!

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/9/24/ep-391-the-lilac-people

Connect with Denne: Instagram | Podcast

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

Today on The Stacks we are joined by former Vice President, Kamala Harris. She is here to discuss her brand new book 107 Days, which chronicles her historic run for the presidency in 2024. In our conversation we cover her biggest regrets from Biden to Gaza, how she balanced her instincts with the political polling, and what she sees as the path forward for America.

The Stacks Book Club pick for September is The Lilac People by Milo Todd. We will discuss the book on this Wednesday, September 24th with Denne Michele Norris.

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/9/23/ep-390-kamala-harris

Connect with Kamala: Instagram | Threads | Twitter | Facebook | Website

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

*Patreon and Substack-only bonus episode teaser, click here for the full episode*

In this bonus episode, we?re heading down south to Jackson, Mississippi to join friends of the pod, Jason Reynolds and Hanif Abdurraqib, at the Mississippi Book Festival! Together, we celebrate each other's work, fight over the greatest band of all time, and then debate the state of music and literary criticism.

You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks Website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2025/9/19/tsu-51-jason-reynolds-hanif-abdurraqib

Connect with Jason: Website | Instagram | Twitter

Connect with Hanif: Website | Twitter | Facebook

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

This week on the Stacks, we?re talking literary suspense with Cleyvis Natera and her newest book, The Grand Paloma Resort, which takes place at a luxury resort in the Dominican Republic. Cleyvis explains what drew her to writing about the tourism industry, why she wanted to include the history of the Dominican Republic in her ?beach read,? and how she explored sex work in its many forms throughout the book.

The Stacks Book Club pick for September is The Lilac People by Milo Todd. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, September 24th with Denne Michele Norris.

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/9/17/ep-389-cleyvis-natera

Connect with Cleyvis: Instagram | Twitter | Website

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

Maggie Smith and Saeed Jones join us this week on the Stacks to discuss their anthology, The People?s Project: Poems, Essays, and Art for Looking Forward. With original work from twenty-seven authors exploring hope in times of difficulty, Maggie and Saeed discuss what inspired them to start the book and how they picked contributors for this project. We also spend some time sharing what keeps us from falling into despair before giving superlatives to the different works in The People?s Project.

For the month of September, the Stacks Book Club will be reading The Lilac People by Milo Todd. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, September 24th with Denne Michele Norris returning as our guest.

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/9/10/ep-388-maggie-smith-saeed-jones

Connect with Saeed: Instagram | BlueSky | Website

Connect with Maggie: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Website

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

This week on The Stacks we are joined by Denne Michele Norris, the editor and chief of Electric Literature. She is the first Black, openly trans woman to helm a major literary publication. She is also behind two 2025 books, her debut novel, When the Harvest Comes and the anthology Both/And: Essays by Trans and Gender-Nonconforming Writers of Color. Today, we discuss her path to becoming ?full time literary", and how she's using her seat at the table to bring more trans writers of color into the fold.

For the month of September, the Stacks Book Club will be reading The Lilac People by Milo Todd. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, September 24th with Denne Michele Norris returning as our guest.

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/9/3/ep-387-denne-michele-norris

Connect with Denne: Instagram | Podcast

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

It's The Stacks Book Club Day, and we're talking about the plant world and nature with this month?s pick, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer. The wonderful journalist and author Alexis Madrigal is back for this conversation on this modern nonfiction classic. We discuss the influence this book has had on writers and readers alike, as well as the essays that stuck with us most. We also dig into Kimmerer's relationship with city people and how she pushes the boundaries of what is possible.

There are no spoilers in this episode.

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

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/8/27/ep-386-braiding-sweetgrass

Connect with Alexis: Instagram | Website

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

*Patreon and Substack-only bonus episode teaser, click here for the full episode*

Another bonus episode this month? Heck yes! We're doing a deep dive into oral history with friend of the pod, journalist, and oral historian, Garrett M. Graff. He has written three stellar books of oral history: The Devil Reached Toward the Sky: An Oral History of the Making and Unleashing of the Atomic Bomb, When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day, and The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11. Today we get Garrett's insights into the key characteristics and importance of oral history, and the challenges that come with the form. We also spend some time on the decision to drop the atomic bomb, and workshop future oral history projects for Garrett.

You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' Website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2025/8/22/tsu-50-garrett-graff

Connect with Garrett: Website | Twitter | Facebook

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

Debut novelist, Addie E. Citchens, joins us this week to discuss her book, Dominion?a Black Southern family drama told through the eyes of two women. Addie talks about how growing up in the church in Mississippi inspired her writing, and why she feels like she?s been writing this story her whole life. We also talk about humor, a writing teacher who stifled her style, and how the ending of Dominion clicked into place. 

For the month of August, the Stacks Book Club pick will be reading Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, August 27th with Alexis Madrigal returning as our guest.

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/8/20/ep-385-addie-citchens

Connect with Addie: Instagram

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

This week on The Stacks, essay writer and culture critic, Tre Johnson, joins us to discuss his debut book, Black Genius: Essays on an American Legacy, which examines how black American culture has driven American ingenuity. Tre shares how his grandfather inspired him to write Black Genius and how the book has evolved over the years. We also talk about the struggle of balancing a 9-5 job and making time to write, plus why he decided to leave his job and how that impacted his life as a writer.

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/8/13/ep-384-tre-johnson

Connect with Tre: Website | Instagram | Twitter

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

*Patreon and Substack-only bonus episode teaser, click here for the full episode*

This month you're getting a bonus bonus episode of The Stacks Unabridged. Because we love summer and books, Sara Hildreth of Fiction Matters is here to talk about summer reading guides. We hand out a few literary superlatives like, best book to read on an airplane and most dramatic. Plus we share some books we've read since the guides were dropped that we think you should at to your reading lists. If you haven't gotten The Stacks? Nonfiction Reading Guide or Sara's Paperback Summer Reading Guide, be sure to grab those and get to listening.

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2025/8/8/tsu-49-sara-hildreth

CConnect with Sara: Instagram | Fiction Matters | Novel Pairings | Substack

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Journalist, Alexis Madrigal, joins the Stacks to discuss his debut book, The Pacific Circuit: A Globalized Account of the Battle for the Soul of an American City?the ?American city? in question being Oakland, CA. Today, Alexis gives us insight into why he wanted to tell the story of Oakland in particular, and why it matters in broader national and global context. He also explains how COVID impacted this book, both his personal writing process and the city of Oakland at large.

For the month of August, the Stacks Book Club pick will be Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, August 27th with Alexis Madrigal returning as our guest.

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/8/6/ep-383-alexis-madrigal

Connect with Alexis: Instagram | Website

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It?s The Stacks Book Club Day, and we're discussing Toni Morrison's God Help the Child with Dana A. Williams, author of Toni at Random. Together, we talk about the themes that show up in God Help the Child that have echoes from Morrison's earlier work?generational trauma and racialized beauty. We also discuss why Toni Morrison wanted to write a contemporary novel, the great names in the book, and who we would cast in the film.

There are spoilers on this episode.

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

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/7/30/ep-382-god-help-the-child

Connect with Dana: Instagram | Bluesky | Website

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Haley Cohen Gillian, the director of the Yale Journalism Initiative, joins us this week to discuss her new book, A Flower Traveled in My Blood: The Incredible True Story of the Grandmothers Who Fought to Find a Stolen Generation of Children, which chronicles the grandmothers who searched for their children and grandchildren who were disappeared by Argentina's brutal dictatorship. In this episode, Haley gives us insight into how she came across this history and how she grappled with the moral complexities throughout. She also talks about the subjectivity of truth and details her research process and organization.

The Stacks Book Club pick for July is God Help the Child by Toni Morrison. We will discuss next Wednesday, July 30th with Dana A. Williams.

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/7/23/ep-381-haley-cohen-gilliland

Connect with Haley: Instagram | Website

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

This week on the Stacks, journalist Megan Greenwell joins to discuss her debut book, Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream. She breaks down the ins and outs of private equity, how it works, why it harms communities, and if there is an ethical path for the industry.

The Stacks Book Club pick for July is God Help the Child by Toni Morrison. We will discuss next Wednesday, July 30th with Dana A. Williams.

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/7/16/ep-378-megan-greenwell

Connect with Megan: Instagram | Website

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

*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser, click here for the full episode*

For this month?s bonus episode, we?re mixing things up a little?this time, Traci is the one being interviewed! The fine folks at LARB Radio Hour, Medaya Ocher and Eric Newman, speak with Traci to discuss the impact of social media on publishing, the content creator life, and the way readers discover books today. At the end of the episode, Medaya, Eric, and Traci offer readers a rundown of recommendations for the books getting us through 2025.

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2025/7/11/tsu-48-larb

Connect with LARB Radio: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube | Podcast

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Mandii B and WeezyWTF, the co-hosts of the Decisions, Decisions podcast, join us today to discuss their New York Times Best-selling book, No Holes Barred: A Dual Manifesto of Sexual Exploration and Power. They talk about the challenges of staying sex positive while writing about their own shame and which parts of the book they were most nervous about having published. We also talk about how the changing political landscape has impacted the kinds of conversations they have around sex.

The Stacks Book Club pick for July is God Help the Child by Toni Morrison. We will discuss on Wednesday, July 30th with Dana A. Williams.

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/7/9/ep-379-mandii-b-weezywtf

Connect with WeezyWTF: Instagram

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

This week on the Stacks, we are joined by author and African-American literature professor, Dana A. Williams. She has written a brand new book called Toni at Random: The Iconic Writer?s Legendary Editorship, which chronicles Morrison's time as an editor at Random House. Dana shares with us the behind the scenes story of how her book title came to be, her favorite Morrison book, and why she chose God Help the Child for our July Book Club Pick.

The Stacks Book Club pick for July is God Help the Child by Toni Morrison. We will discuss on Wednesday, July 30th with Dana A. Williams returning as our guest.

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/7/2/ep-378-dana-williams

Connect with Dana: Instagram | Bluesky | Website

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

It?s The Stacks' Book Club Day, and we are joined once again by Ceara O?Sullivan to discuss The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel. The book explores the ethos of Stéphane Bréitwieser?the titular art thief in question?who stole and kept over two billion dollars worth of art. Together, we discuss Finkel's portrayal of Bréitwieser, the myriad of twists throughout this story, and what this book has to say about crime, ownership, and punishment.

There are spoilers on this episode.

Be sure to listen to the end of today?s episode to find out what our July book club pick will be.

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/6/25/ep-377-art-thief

Connect with Ceara: Instagram | Tiktok | Petty Crimes Podcast

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

*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser, click here for the full episode*

We?re halfway through 2025 so this month on The Stacks Unabridged, we've got a literary check-in with friends of the pod, Sara Hildreth and Cree Myles! Together, we discuss the books that blew us away during the first half of the year, the titles we're most looking forward to for the second half of 2025. Plus we share the best backlist we've read and a few award season predictions. 

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2025/6/20/tsu-47-sara-hildreth-cree-myles

Connect with Cree: Instagram | Twitter | All Ways Black | Substack

Connect with Sara: Instagram | Fiction Matters | Novel Pairings | Substack

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

Mia McKenzie is on the show this week discussing her newest book, These Heathens, a coming of age story set in 1960s Georgia. She talks about how she approached fictionalizing real figures from the civil rights movement, the importance of queer representation in her work, and how her grandmother inspired the protagonist in the novel.

The Stacks Book Club pick for June is The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel. We will discuss on Wednesday, June 25th with Ceara O?Sullivan returning as our guest.

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/6/18/ep-376-mia-mckenzie

Connect with Mia: Instagram | Website | BGD Blog

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This week on the Stacks, we are joined by New York Times bestselling crime fiction author, S.A. Cosby, to talk about his brand new book, King of Ashes. Cosby gives us insights into being a self-proclaimed lazy writer, and his approach to violence on the page. We also talk about why he considers reading an integral part of his writing process, and what the genre of ?Southern noir? means to him. 

The Stacks Book Club pick for June is The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel. We will discuss on Wednesday, June 25th with Ceara O?Sullivan returning as our guest.

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/6/11/ep-375-sa-cosby

Connect with S.A. Cosby: Instagram

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This week on the Stacks, we are joined by Saturday Night Live writer, actor, and host of the Petty Crimes podcast, Ceara O?Sullivan. Ceara talks about how writing for TV has impacted her TV watching life, the importance of editing in storytelling, and what it?s like to read a memoir by a person you know. 

The Stacks Book Club pick for June is The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel. We will discuss on Wednesday, June 25th with Ceara O?Sullivan returning as our guest.

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/6/4/ep-374-ceara-osullivan

Connect with Ceara: Instagram | Tiktok

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It?s the Stacks? Book Club Day, and we?re discussing Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley with returning guest, Kara Brown. We share our thoughts on the story?s twists and turns, especially the big reveal. Then we dive deeper to discuss the significance of this book on the literary landscape, and what about the novel does and doesn?t hold up when viewed through a modern-day lens.

There are spoilers on this episode.

Be sure to listen to the end of today?s episode to find out what our June book club pick will be.

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/5/28/ep-373-devil-in-a-blue-dress

Connect with Kara: Instagram | Website

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This week on the Stacks, we are joined by author and essayist, Frederick Joseph, to discuss his newest book (and his first foray into YA fiction), This Thing of Ours. He shares with us about how he?s able to write every day without writer?s block, and why he decided not to sell his books in Target. We also spend time exploring Frederick?s favorite and least favorite book classics.

The Stacks Book Club pick for May is Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley. We will discuss on Wednesday, May 28th with Kara Brown returning as our guest.

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/5/21/ep-372-frederick-joseph

Connect with Frederick: Instagram | Website

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

*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser, click here for the full episode*

It's Cowboy Carter SZN and we're breaking down Beyoncé's latest tour with friend of the pod and podcast host extraordinaire Sam Sanders. We talk about Queen Bey's latest tour, the good and the not so good, plus our thoughts on Blue Ivy's exposure and the future of stadium tours. We also quickly gab about the Pulitzer drama, Gwenyth Paltrow, and Lionel Richie.

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2025/5/16/tsu-46-sam-sanders

Connect with Sam: Twitter | Instagram

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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.

Today we are joined by Daria Burke, an award-winning business leader, investor, speaker, and now author. She is here to discuss her memoir, Of My Own Making, which is about how she healed from childhood trauma to build her life. Daria talks about how systemic and personal harms are intertwined, how she engaged with leading experts in the fields of trauma work, and her shift from survival to success.

The Stacks Book Club pick for May is Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley. We will discuss on Wednesday, May 28th with Kara Brown returning as our guest.

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/5/14/ep-371-daria-burke

Connect with Daria: Instagram | Website

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Today on The Stacks, we?re talking with screenwriter and producer, Kara Brown. She shares what she looks for when adapting a book to the screen, and the key to making sure an adaptation is a success. We also discuss Kara?s love of massive tomes, the three writers that inspired her career, and her problematic fave.

The Stacks Book Club pick for May is Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley. We will discuss on Wednesday, May 28th with Kara Brown returning as our guest.

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/5/7/ep-370-kara-brown

Connect with Kara: Instagram | Website

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

It?s the Stacks? Book Club Day, and we?re discussing Blessing the Boats by Lucille Clifton with returning guest, Tiana Clark. We discuss how Clifton welcomes audiences usually excluded from poetry and how her work still manages to have urgency 25+ years later. We also work through some of the poems that were challenging for us, and uncover some hidden meanings.

Be sure to listen to the end of today?s episode to find out what our May book club pick will be.

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

https://thestackspodcast.com/2025/4/30/ep-369-blessing-the-boats

Connect with Tiana: Instagram | Website | Twitter

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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.

Today on The Stacks, Brian Goldstone is here to talk about his book, There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America. The book examines the growing phenomenon of the "working homeless"?people who work full time and still remain unhoused?by following five families in Atlanta over the course of a few years. Goldstone explains how he connected with the families he followed in the book, who officially is counted as homeless, and why he decided to center his book in Atlanta.

The Stacks Book Club pick for April is Blessing the Boats: New and Selected Poems 1988?2000 by Lucille Clifton. We will discuss on Wednesday, April 30 with Tiana Clark returning as our guest.

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/4/23/ep-368-brian-goldstone

Connect with Brian: Twitter | Website

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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.

*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser, click here for the full episode*

In this episode of The Stacks Unabridged, we are joined once again by author Kiese Laymon, to discuss his first children?s book, City Summer, Country Summer, and the emotional resonance of sports narratives. We also share how we?re staying human in the midst of so much inhumanity.

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2025/4/18/tsu-45-kiese-laymon

Connect with Kiese: Twitter | Instagram | Website

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

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.

This week, food and culture writer, Giaae Kwon joins us to discuss her debut book, a collection of essays, I'll Love You Forever: Notes from a K-Pop Fan. We talk about what defines K-pop and the aspects of its fandom: from parasocial relationships to the exoticization of K-pop and its "idols."

The Stacks Book Club pick for April is Blessing the Boats: New and Selected Poems 1988?2000 by Lucille Clifton. We will discuss the book on April 30th with Tiana Clark returning as our guest.

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/4/16/ep-367-giaae-kwon

Connect with Giaee: Instagram | Twitter | Website

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | 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.

This week, we?re joined by Geri Halliwell-Horner, also known as Ginger Spice from the Spice Girls. She discusses her second installment in the Rosie Frost series, Rosie Frost: Ice on Fire. Determined to learn her family history with Bloodstone, Rosie must discover what she?s really made of as a new danger puts her new home and all she that she loves at risk. Halliwell-Horner also shares her journey from pop music sensation to middle grade novelist, and how her relationship with the phrase, ?girl power,? has changed over the years.

The Stacks Book Club pick for April is Blessing the Boats: New and Selected Poems 1988?2000 by Lucille Clifton. We will discuss the book on April 30th with Tiana Clark returning as our guest.

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

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/4/9/ep-366-geri-halliwell-horner

Connect with Geri: Instagram | Tiktok | Facebook

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | 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.