Books with Betsy

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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.

  1. 5D AGO

    Episode 102 - Real People with Tess Page

    On this episode, Tess Page, listener of Books with Betsy, talks about her requirement for books grounded in reality, her high/low reading tastes, and tells some wonderful stories of her reading habits in childhood. We talk about a shared favorite author who has a deep backlist and I encourage you to check her out!   Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  Milktooth by Jaime Barnett Casualties of Truth by Lauren Francis-Sharma   Books Highlighted by Tess: Riders by Jilly Cooper  Rivals by Jilly Cooper  The Babysitter’s Club Graphic Novel Adaptation by Raina Tagelmeier & Ann M. Martin In a Blue Velvet Dress by Catherine Sefton Excellent Women by Barbara Pym   A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles  Bringing Back the Beaver by Derek Gow   All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: Tom Lake by Ann Patchett  The Dutch House by Ann Patchett  Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell  This Must Be the Place by Maggie O’Farrell  Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins  Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman

    46 min

  2. APR 13

    Episode 101 - Life is Hard and Then We Die with Eric Siewert

    On this episode, Eric Siewert, a former colleague of mine at our college bookstore, talks about his favorite authors, the ways recommendations are important to him, and he waxes poetic about his love for hardcover books. We also talk about our individual authors we think should be more of a household name.    Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow Wild Life by Amanda Leduc The Sea Gives Up the Dead by Molly Olguín   Books Highlighted by Eric: In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O’Brien The Overstory by Richard Powers  Why Fish Don’t Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller July, July by Tim O’Brien  The Gunslinger by Stephen King  The Dog Stars by Peter Heller  Imagine Me Gone by Adam Haslett Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller  Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller  Small Victories: Spotting Improbable Moments of Grace by Anne Lemott    All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: Golden Son by Pierce Brown The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway  Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman  Trust by Hernan Diaz  Devil House by John Darnielle  Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins  The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien  Going After Cacciato by Tim O’Brien  If I Die in a Combat Zone by Tim O’Brien  The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro  Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro  Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro  The River by Peter Heller  Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

    46 min

  3. APR 6

    Episode 100 - It's Me! with Betsy Tomszak

    On this episode, I bring back Sam Wilmes from episode 1 to celebrate 100 episodes of Books with Betsy so she can interview me! I am the guest on this episode so if you’ve ever wanted to hear my answers to my interview questions, here it is! We talk about a ton of books and somehow I neglected to talk about Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel which is one of my absolute favorite books. I am sure I will continue to think about more and more books that I didn’t discuss because there are so many amazing books out there!    Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  What We Can Know by Ian McEwan  Heart the Lover by Lily King    Books Highlighted by Betsy: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr  The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald  1984 by George Orwell  Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix  No Exit by Taylor Adams  Trust by Hernan Diaz  The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai  Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir  Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin  Pachinko by Min Jin Lee  Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah  Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman  The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death by Daniel Pinkwater    All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel  House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski  Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli  Redwall by Brian Jacques  Amelia’s Notebook by Marissa Moss  Sunny: Diary One, California Diaries by Ann M. Martin  Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh  Bloomability by Sharon Creech  Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech  A Winkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle  Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata  Earthlings by Sayaka Murata  Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah  Brawler by Lauren Groff  Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin  Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell  The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis  The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis  Matilda by Roald Dahl  From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankwiler by E.L. Konigsburg  The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg  The Hoboken Chicken Emergency by Daniel Pinkwater

    1h 6m

  4. MAR 30

    Episode 99 - My Own Library Card with Emily Bogaert

    On this episode, Emily Bogaert, a fellow teacher, talks about how her childhood made her fall in love with the library, the joy she feels when getting the right books into the hands of her students, and we talk about the ups and downs of the reading life when you’re a teacher. She also has a reading habit that is absolutely wild and I didn’t even know was still possible.    Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  Time, Silence, and Yeast: A Song of Appreciation for Trappist Communities and Their Beer by Marty Tomszak  Women Without Men: A Novel of Modern Iran by Shahrnush Parsipur Small Comfort by Ia Genberg   Books Highlighted by Emily: The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi  Trial by Journal by Kate Klise  Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones  The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai My Friends by Frederik Backman  Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett  With Teeth by Kristen Arnett  Woodworking by Emily St. James  Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel  11/22/63 by Stephen King  The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander  True Biz by Sara Nović   All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: North Woods by Daniel Mason  Trust by Hernan Diaz  Little Women by Louisa My Alcott  The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien  Dog Man by Dav Pilkey  Juana & Lucas by Juana Medina  The Institute by Stephen King  There is No Place for Us by Brian Goldstone

    53 min

  5. MAR 23

    Episode 98 - Book Club - Lost Children Archive

    On this episode, Jennifer from Off Color Book Club joins me to discuss the most recent Off Color Book Club book, Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli.    My Book Club Guide   If you’re interested in joining the Off Color Book Club in the future, our next meeting will be on Tuesday, April 21st to discuss True Biz by Sara Novic. All are welcome!

    51 min

  6. MAR 16

    Episode 97 - Tragically Beautiful with Stephanie Bailey

    On this episode, Stephanie Bailey, a fellow Read & Runner, talks about her love of audiobooks, especially a favorite narrator, how much she enjoys graphic novels, and we discuss our shared love of sad books. She also has a surprising way that school helped her fall in love with reading.    Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  This Here is Love by Princess Joy L. Perry Brawler by Lauren Groff  Our Last Resort by Clémence Michallon   Books Highlighted by Stephanie: We Are Okay by Nina LaCour The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck It’s Okay to Laugh (Crying is Cool too) by Nora McInerny Purmort Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant by Roz Chast The Trees by Percival Everett  Dream City by Brendan Short  Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World by Naomi Klein  The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: A Memoir of Life in Death by Jean-Dominique Bauby   All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: Stones for Ibarra by Harriet Doerr  Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great by Judy Blume Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger  The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald  The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas  The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead  If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin  Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon  The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix  The World According to Garp by John Irving  The Water-Method Man by John Irving  Setting Free the Bears by John Irving  A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo  Intermezzo by Sally Rooney  Angel Down by Daniel Kraus  The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai  East of Eden by John Steinbeck  Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck  No Happy Endings by Nora McInerny You by Caroline Kepnes  Shopgirl by Steve Martin  Erasure by Percival Everett  James by Percival Everett  Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir  Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

    53 min

  7. MAR 9

    Episode 96 - A Complete Package with Arionne Nettles

    On this episode, Arionne Nettles, author, journalist, and professor, talks about how she finds romance to be a comfort, audiobook preferences that she loves, and why she likes talking about books in person but has a harder time with the bookish internet. We also get to talk about her book that I would absolutely recommend widely!   We Are the Culture: Black Chicago’s Influence on Everything   Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  Intemperance by Sonora Jha  These Heathens by Mia McKenzie  Brawler by Lauren Groff    Books Highlighted by Arionne: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston Matriarch by Tina Knowles  Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid  How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith  The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee  Happiness Falls by Angie Kim    All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: Addy: Finding Freedom by Connie Porter  The Care and Keeping of You by Valorie Schaefer & Cara Netterson  Can’t Get Enough by Kennedy Ryan  Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen  Born a Crime by Trevor Noah  The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey  Come & Get It by Kiley Reid  Poverty, By America by Matthew Desmond  Evicted by Matthew Desmond

    1h 1m

  8. MAR 2

    Episode 95 - Who Reads Books Anymore with Will Pass

    On this episode, Will Pass, author and creator of Who Reads Books Anymore, talks about the joy of the library with his kids, how much he learns about books when talking to strangers, and the book that hooked him as a young reader. We also talk a lot about how people develop a rich reading life and I hope this inspires listeners to encourage a non-reader in their life!   Will’s Author Site  Who Reads Books Anymore The Second Smartest Dog That Ever Lived  Pre-Order The Whirlpool of Lebanon    Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  Culpability by Bruce Holsinger  Code Noir by Canisia Lubrin The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy    Books Highlighted by Will: Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki  Nest by Terry Goodkind A Little Like Magic by Sarah Kurpiel  Merle’s Door: Lessons From a Free-Thinking Dog by Ted Kerasote  Closely Watched Trains by Bohumil Hrabal  Too Loud a Solitude by Bohumil Hrabal Train Dreams by Denis Johnson  The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World by Iain McGilchrist  The Stranger by Albert Camus   All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: The Coin by Yasmin Zaher  The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien  Corner by Zo-O We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins  Baby Talk by Stella Blackstone Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain by Maryanne Wolf The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt  The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt French Exit by Patrick deWitt  The Stand by Stephen King  Crypt of the Moon Spider by Nathan Ballingrud  Heidi by Johanna Spyri  Angels by Denis Johnson  Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson  Death With Interruptions by José Saramago  Wizard’s First Rule by Terry Goodkind  The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein  I Served the King of England by Bohumil Hrabal  Jesus’ Son by Denis Johnson

    1h 4m
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4.8
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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    bookswithbetsy
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    102
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Books with Betsy

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