Book Friends Forever Podcast

Alvina and Grace
  • 4.9 (236)
  • Books
  • Updated Weekly

Children's book publishing's secrets are revealed as we listen in on fascinating, unguarded, insider discussion from two uniquely qualified best friends: award-winning author/illustrator Grace Lin, and one of NYC's top editors, Alvina Ling. Go behind the scenes of kid lit and catch a glimpse of the lives of the best-selling author and editor, and the relationship between them.

  1. 4d ago

    Our Legacies!

    Apologies, as it sounds like Grace's microphone is still not working properly!  Grace Lin and Alvina Ling catch up with each other's lives, and Alvina gives an update on her search for a new assistant, and Grace talks about attending Jane Yolen's memorial service at the Eric Carle Museum. Because of that, it sparked them to discuss what kind of legacies they would like to leave. Jane had touched so many lives, especially from her mentoring and teaching. Alvina talks about her own mentorship in the industry, while Grace admits that mentorship isn't her strength, and that she hopes that her legacy will be the work she produces. She thinks of her books as a "soft place to land" for her readers.  They share some tips on how to leave a lasting legacy, including "it's a marathon, not a sprint" and "know your mission and vision" and "continue to learn and grow." For the Fortune Cookie segment, they revisit the four type of thinkers topic from the previous week--the worries, the domestics, the bodily thinkers, and the work hard play hard thinkers. They looped in their husbands to participate in this very unscientific study to determine what kind of thinkers they are. Then, Grace asks Alvina to tell her about the book NO ONE LEAVES THE MANOR by Kelly McWilliams, a YA historical horror novel that is perfect for summer reading and spooky "summerween"! And then, they end as always with what they're grateful for. Click here to become a Patreon member: https://www.patreon.com/Bookfriendsforever1 Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Bookfriendsforever_podcast   Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookfriendsforever_podcast/

  2. Aug 7

    2026 Mid-year Check In!

    Grace Lin and Alvina Ling check in on how they're doing with their new year's resolutions at the halfway through the year(ish) point. They remind themselves about their words of the year, and then run through four resolutions each, and talk about their aspirations and what they wanted to get rid of/stop doing this year. For the Fortune Cookie segment, they talk about a recent Guardian article outlining four different types of thinkers: the worriers, the domestics, bodily thinkers, and work hard-play hard. They discuss which ones they think apply to them. And they end as always with what they're grateful for.  Click here to become a Patreon member: https://www.patreon.com/Bookfriendsforever1 Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Bookfriendsforever_podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookfriendsforever_podcast/

  3. Jul 30

    CHOP SUEY: Aging, Hiring, Favorite Teacher, and Book Recs with Alison Morris!

    Apologies for the quality of Grace's audio! We're hoping to fix it for next week's episode. Grace Lin and Alvina Ling talk about several topic, including aging--as they're both in perimenopause, they're dealing with issues like frozen shoulder and brain fog, and Alvina talks about being on hormone replacement therapy. And then, Alvina talks about the process of hiring a new assistant and what some of the things she's looking for. For the next topic, they talk about who their favorite teachers have been over the years. And then children's literature specialist Alison Morris joins to share some book recommendations. They end as always with what they're grateful for. Click here to become a Patreon member: https://www.patreon.com/Bookfriendsforever1 Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Bookfriendsforever_podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookfriendsforever_podcast/

  4. Jul 23

    The End of Reading? And Raising Readers!

    Grace and Alvina discuss a recent article in the Atlantic that bemoaned the end of reading in our society, the so-called "literacy crisis," and they also talk about Hachette Book Group's Raising Readers initiative to help counter that crisis and encourage parents and other adults to read with their children. They touch on social media use, and how so much of social media is photo or video-based rather than text based, and how instead of text messaging, some people are using voice memos instead. They also touch on AI use. They talk about how dire things are, but how there is still hope and things that we can all do to turn this around. For the Fortune Cookie segment they talk about their favorite summer treats, including their favorite popsicle flavor, ice cream flavor, and summer drink. And they end as always with what they're grateful for. Click here to become a Patreon member: https://www.patreon.com/Bookfriendsforever1 Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Bookfriendsforever_podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookfriendsforever_podcast/

  5. Jul 16

    Nature vs Nurture!

    Grace and Alvina talk about that age-old question of nature vs nurture and how much people's genes versus upbringing and environment affect their personalities and lives. Alvina has been particularly thinking about this topic because of all of the different children in her life that she's been interacting with recently, including the "bio-kids" of her husband, who is an identical twin, compared to their niece and nephews (the children of her husband's twin brother). There have been a lot of twin studies done for this debate, and they discuss some of these studies and what they reveal, including how aspects like one's religiosity are proven to be related to "nature". They talk about how talent is affected, as well as intelligence and personality. And, they also talk about parenting styles. For the Fortune Cookie segment they talk about the silliest things they've seen online recently that has made them laugh. And they end as always with what they're grateful for. Click here to become a Patreon member: https://www.patreon.com/Bookfriendsforever1. Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Bookfriendsforever_podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookfriendsforever_podcast/

  6. Jul 9

    Teen Book Reviews with Quade Kelley!

    Grace and Alvina welcome special guest Quade Kelley, who is a teenager, still in high school, and is also a very active book reviewer (and much more!). Quade and Alvina both share about their experience at ALA, and then they discuss Quade's journey as a reader and a book reviewer, as well as his many projects, including the Robie Harris Youth Choice Award, the Reading Athlete, and his participation with Bank Street, School Library Journal's Heavy Medal Mock Newbery blog, and the Children's Book Committee. They talk about his relationship with author Lois Lowry, how he approaches reviewing books, and what his career goals are. And, they also talk about Quade's time management and how he juggles his school work, athletics, and his extra-curricular activities. For the Fortune Cookie segment they discuss what they're all working on right now--Quade talks about co-writing a book with author Emily Barth Isler, Grace talks about working on her new middle grade project, and Alvina talks about the upcoming picture book THE PROMISE OF AMERICA by John Rocco. And they end as always with what they're grateful for.   Click here to become a Patreon member: https://www.patreon.com/Bookfriendsforever1.   Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Bookfriendsforever_podcast   Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookfriendsforever_podcast/ Find Quade here: https://whoisquade.com/

  7. Jul 2

    Vocation vs job and revisiting Old Worlds with guest co-host Laurel Snyder

    While Alvina is on vacation, Grace welcomes guest co-host, author and poet Laurel Snyder to discuss the differences between a vocation and a job. They talk about some of the challenges of the idea of earning money from writing, and what retirement might look like as a creative. They discuss the definition of "vocation" and how they feel called to writing, and how that differs from writing to earn a living. They also discuss revisiting the world of their previous books and how they set about writing new books in the same world. Laurel is revisiting the world of her book ORPHAN ISLAND, and Grace is revising the world of WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON. And they end as always with what they're grateful for.  Click here to become a Patreon member: https://www.patreon.com/Bookfriendsforever1. Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Bookfriendsforever_podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookfriendsforever_podcast/ Follow Laurel Snyder on her Substack: https://laurelsnyder.substack.com/

  8. Jun 26

    Book Friends Forever 337: WRITING TIPS!

    Writing Tips! In honor of author Jane Yolen who has recently passed away, Grace and Alvina share writing tips on how to get unstuck. The advice comes from many different authors, including Jane's daughter Heidi Stemple, as well as Shannon Hale, Renee Watson, Linda Sue Park, Lisa Yee, Jonathan Auxier, and more. Who suggested lying on the floor staring at the ceiling? And who suggested walking for 6 miles? And they share Jane Yolen's famous advice, BIC: Butt In Chair. Just sit down and write. For the Fortune Cookie segment, in honor of the 250-year anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Grace and Alvina share their thoughts on what being Americans mean to them, and their thoughts on the U.S.A. in general. And they end as always with what they're grateful for. Click here to become a Patreon member: https://www.patreon.com/Bookfriendsforever1. Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Bookfriendsforever_podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookfriendsforever_podcast/

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4.9
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About

Children's book publishing's secrets are revealed as we listen in on fascinating, unguarded, insider discussion from two uniquely qualified best friends: award-winning author/illustrator Grace Lin, and one of NYC's top editors, Alvina Ling. Go behind the scenes of kid lit and catch a glimpse of the lives of the best-selling author and editor, and the relationship between them.

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