We are kicking off 2025 with leading physician, scientist, speaker, and author Dr. Will Li with his book, EAT TO BEAT YOUR DIET, this week on You Are What You Read. Are you looking for better ways to monitor your health in the new year? Are you experimenting with new recipes to supplement your diet? Dr. Will Li has the tips and tricks for you, and he lays it all out in this episode. Dr. Li is best known for leading the Angiogenesis Foundation. His groundbreaking work has impacted more than seven...
Jan 07, 2025•29 min•Season 2Ep. 12
This New Years Eve we are spotlighting some stand-out titles of 2024 with our dear friend and executive editor of Riverhead Books, Jake Morrissey…and Jake knows books. Jake publishes both fiction and nonfiction in history, science, narrative nonfiction, memoir, and literary and historical fiction. He works with a wide range of bestselling and award-winning authors, including Daniel H. Pink, Anne Lamott, James McBride, Priya Parker, Michele Harper, and Marlon James, with whom he cohosts the podca...
Dec 31, 2024•45 min•Season 2Ep. 11
On this week’s episode of YOU ARE WHAT YOU READ, we are joined by special guest Poppy Harlow with her adorable Christmas story, THE BIGGEST LITTLE BOY, illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki. In the spirit of the holiday season, we wanted to bring you a conversation for the kids too! Poppy Harlow is the former co-anchor of CNN This Morning and also known for her reporting on Forbes.com. Poppy has been nominated for multiple Emmy awards throughout her career. She often reports from the field during brea...
Dec 24, 2024•19 min•Season 2Ep. 10
On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are remembering a dear friend who passed recently, beloved nun Sister Bernadette Kenny. Sister Bernie grew up in Boston and entered the order of the Medical Missionaries of Mary in 1957. For fifteen years, Sister Bernie traveled from Ireland to Tanzania as a midwife, and then moved to Southwest Virginia in 1978 by request of the Richmond Diocese. In 1982, Sister Bernie founded the Health Wagon, a single mobile unit, traveling through small town...
Dec 17, 2024•29 min•Season 2Ep. 9
On this week’s episode, we are delighted to have award-winning writer and New Yorker cartoonist Bob Eckstein with us. Bob’s illustrations are iconic, immediately recognizable and always hilarious. His work has been exhibited in the Cartoon Art Museum of San Francisco, the Smithsonian Institution, The Cartoon Museum of London, among many others. His work has also appeared in MAD, McSweeney’s, National Lampoon, The New York Times, Reader’s Digest, SPY, Wall St. Journal and publications worldwide. ...
Dec 10, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Bestselling novelist and award-winning journalist Jennifer Egan joins us on this week’s episode of You Are What You Read. You know Jennifer's work: Manhattan Beach, A Visit from the Goon Squad, Candy House, and more. A winner of the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, Jennifer’s books are the gold standard. It’s no wonder they have also been included in the New York Times’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century and among P...
Dec 03, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 7
On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by one of the most important and interesting visionaries in media, Josh Sapan. Josh was CEO of AMC Networks for 25 years during which he took the company from a classic movie channel to one of today’s leading entertainment destinations featuring Emmy and Golden Globe-winning shows… Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, The Walking Dead, Portlandia, The Night Manager and Top of the Lake. Under Josh’s leadership, he also owned and o...
Nov 26, 2024•58 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Beloved children's book author, Kate DiCamillo, joins us on this week's episode of You Are What You Read with her latest New York Times bestseller, The Hotel Balzaar. Kate is the author of Because of Winn-Dixie (a Newbery Honor book), The Tiger Rising (a National Book Award finalist), and The Tale of Despereaux (a Newbery Medal Winner). She recently completed a series of early chapter books about a pig named Mercy Watson. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane was the winner of the Boston Globe...
Nov 19, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 5
On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are in conversation with the great American poet Billy Collins with his all-new book of poetry, Water, Water. Billy served as Poet Laureate of the United States from 2001 to 2003 and as New York State Poet from 2004 to 2006. In 2016, he was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Billy is a former distinguished Professor at Lehman College of the City University of New York. We'd like to thank our sponsor, Book of the Month. Head...
Nov 12, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Poet, educator, Emmy-winning producer and #1 New York Times bestselling author of 41 books, Kwame Alexander, joins us this week on You Are What You Read for a conversation about his brilliant children’s book, An American Story. Kwame’s titles include Becoming Muhammad Ali (which he co-authored with James Patterson), Rebound, (which was shortlisted for the prestigious UK Carnegie Medal), and The Undefeated (a National Book Award nominee, recipient of the Newbery Honor, and a Caldecott Medal-winni...
Nov 05, 2024•58 min•Season 2Ep. 3
The Master Craftsman Alice Hoffman invents the world of Anne Frank before the war. On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by the great Alice Hoffman for a conversation about her new book, When We Flew Away, a story exploring the details of Anne Frank’s life before the worst happened to her. Alice is also the author of over thirty novels including The Dovekeepers, Magic Lessons, The Book of Magic, and Practical Magic, which was adapted to the blockbuster film starring Sand...
Oct 29, 2024•51 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Maggie dives into her process in writing the global bestseller, Hamnet, the story of William Shakespeare's son in the times in which they lived. In illuminating prose and superb storytelling, she takes us into the world of a centuries-old story that has impact today. O'Farrell is an international superstar who makes the most historical of stories come alive in the moment. Hamnet was the winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award Winner. We'd like to thank ...
Oct 22, 2024•29 min•Season 2Ep. 1
On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by one of the most celebrated guitarists in rock history, Peter Frampton, for a conversation about his memoir, Do You Feel Like I Do? Peter’s 1976 album, Frampton Comes Alive!, remains one of the top-selling live records of all time. He co-founded one of the first supergroups, the seminal rock act Humble Pie, and he has collaborated with legends… George Harrison, David Bowie, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bill Wyman, Ringo Starr, and most recentl...
Oct 15, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 55
Julianna Margulies joins us for a bonus conversation this week on You Are What You Read to talk about her memoir, Sunshine Girl. You can see Julianna now as Delia Ephron in Left on Tenth on Broadway, based on Delia's bestselling memoir. Julianna is an Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild award winner. She starred as Alicia Florrick on the long-running hit CBS show The Good Wife, which she also produced, and is also well known for her role as one of the original cast members of ER. In this...
Oct 12, 2024•29 min
This week on You Are What You Read, we have the talk of the town with us… Delia Ephron’s bestselling memoir, Left on Tenth, is now on Broadway starring Julianna Margulies and Peter Gallagher and directed by Susan Stroman. Delia Ephron is a bestselling author, screenwriter, essayist, and playwright. Her novels include Siracusa and The Lion Is In, and her movie credits…You’ve Got Mail, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, This is My Life, Michael, and Hanging Up (based on her novel). Her play, “...
Oct 08, 2024•43 min•Season 1Ep. 54
On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by beloved wife, mother, friend and bestselling author of the Shopaholic series, Sophie Kinsella, for a conversation about her most personal books yet, What Does It Feel Like? At the end of 2022, Sophie was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a form of aggressive brain cancer, and being the masterful writer she is, Sophie turned her own life into a narrative. In What Does It Feel Like?, we meet Eve, a successful novelist who wakes up one da...
Oct 03, 2024•48 min•Season 1Ep. 53
On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by one of the world’s most beloved storytellers and author of 23 New York Times bestsellers, Nicholas Sparks. Nicholas’ books have been adapted into some of the most iconic films of our time… The Notebook, The Choice, The Longest Ride, The Best of Me, Safe Haven, The Lucky One, Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John and The Last Song. In this conversation, we discuss his blockbuster best seller, Dreaml...
Sep 24, 2024•27 min•Season 1Ep. 52
On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by Moon Unit Zappa, daughter of the businesswoman, Gail Zappa, and world-famous musician and entertainer, Frank Zappa. Moon Zappa gave her father the biggest commercial hit of his career, “Valley Girl” when she was just 14. Since then, Moon has firmly established herself as a writer, actress, comedian, artist, podcaster, tea merchant, and now, author of her brilliant memoir, EARTH TO MOON, the story of Moon's upbringing in the shadow...
Sep 17, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 51
On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by Academy Award®, Golden Globe Award and Emmy Award winning writer and director, Susanne Bier. Susanne’s new Netflix limited series THE PERFECT COUPLE, adapted from Elin Hilderbrand's global bestselling murder-mystery book, stars Nicole Kidman, Dakota Fanning, Liev Schreiber and Eve Hewson. Susanne is also known for directing Netflix’s 2018 hit film BIRD BOX starring Sandra Bullock (which went on to become the most-watched film in N...
Sep 10, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 50
On this week's episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by one of the most highly acclaimed signers of our time, Renée Fleming, Renée is a musical treasure- a 2023 Kennedy Center Honoree, a winner of five Grammy awards and the US National Medal of Arts. She has sung for momentous occasions from the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony to the Diamond Jubilee for Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. In 2014 she became the first classical artist ever to sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. ...
Sep 03, 2024•44 min•Season 1Ep. 49
In the history of American literature, there is only one John Grisham. On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by the "master of the legal thriller" and author of fifty consecutive #1 bestsellers that have been translated into 50 languages. You know his blockbuster bestsellers… A Time to Kill, The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Rainmaker, and so many more. In his latest novel John Grisham takes us back to paradise for the third book in his Camino series with Camino Ghosts. (...
Aug 27, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 48
On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by literary sensation and incomparable storyteller, Margaret Atwood. Margaret is the author of more than fifty books of fiction, poetry, and critical essays, including the award-winning, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Testaments, Cat’s Eye, Alias Grace, The Blind Assassin, and more. Margaret has won the Booker Prize, the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Imagination in Service to Society, the Franz Kafka Prize, the Peace Prize of the German Book ...
Aug 20, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 47
On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by award-winning television and film actor, bestselling author, and champion of Parkinson’s Research, Michael J. Fox. You know Michael from his notable roles as Alex P. Keaton on the sitcom Family Ties, Marty McFly in Back to the Future, and more… The Secret of My Success, Doc Hollywood, Casualties of War, and The American President. Michael returned to television in his award-winning lead role in Spin City, and also appeared in Resc...
Aug 13, 2024•51 min•Season 1Ep. 46
On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by author Gabrielle Zevin for a conversation about her blockbuster bestselling novel, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. Gabrielle’s novel was an instant New York Times best seller, one of the New York Times’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century, and Book of the Month’s Book of the Year. Gabrielle’s other novels include The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, Young Jane Young, and Elsewhere. Her books have been translated into over forty l...
Aug 06, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 45
On this week's episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by Academy Award winning actor and New York Times bestselling author Matthew McConaughey for a conversation about his memoir, Greenlights. You know Matthew from his iconic roles in films like Dallas Buyers Club, A Time to Kill, Dazed and Confused, countless rom coms, and more. In 2009, Matthew and his wife, Camila, founded the just keep livin Foundation, which helps at-risk high school students make healthier mind, body, and spirit c...
Jul 30, 2024•50 min•Season 1Ep. 44
On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey… otherwise known as Pam Beesly and Angela Martin from The Office. Beloved for their roles as a receptionist and an accountant at Scranton’s ‘Dunder Mifflin Paper Company’, Jenna and Angela have garnered Emmy nominations, Screen Actors Guild Awards and more. In this conversation, Jenna and Angela take us through their nine seasons filming The Office and the friendship they built beyond the show. Now ...
Jul 23, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 43
On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, five-time Grammy Award winner, and platinum selling singer-songwriter, Michael McDonald. Michael was an essential member of Steely Dan and was then invited to join the Doobie Brothers. You know Michael as their trademark singer, keyboardist, and songwriter on numerous Top 40 singles… “Listen to the Music”, “What a Fool Believes”, “Takin’ It to the Streets”, “I Keep Forgettin’”, “Peg”, “It Keeps You R...
Jul 16, 2024•54 min•Season 1Ep. 42
On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by literary wonder woman, Joyce Carol Oates. Joyce is a recipient of the National Humanities Medal, the National Book Award, and the Jerusalem Prize for Lifetime Achievement, among others, and has been nominated several times for the Pulitzer Prize. Joyce has written some of the most enduring fiction of our time, including the national best sellers We Were the Mulvaneys, Blonde, and The Falls. She is the Roger S. Berlind ’52 Distingu...
Jul 09, 2024•56 min•Season 1Ep. 41
On this week's episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by actor, travel writer and director, Andrew McCarthy. Andrew McCarthy is the bestselling author of Brat: An 80's Story, Just Fly Away, The Longest Way Home, and Walking with Sam, and he is an award-winning travel writer as an editor-at-large at National Geographic Traveler magazine. Best known as an actor the past four decades, Andrew has appeared in such iconic films as Pretty in Pink and Less Than Zero. Inspired by his acting care...
Jul 02, 2024•49 min•Season 1Ep. 40
On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by Steven Van Zandt, with his memoir, Unrequited Infatuations. From his time spent as a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and Artists Against Apartheid, to his television roles as Silvio Dante in The Sopranos and as Frank Tagliano in Lilyhammer, we discuss Steven’s long, successful career in the arts. He is the founder of TeachRock, a nonprofit dedicated to providing a rich arts-driven curriculum to bolster students' unders...
Jun 25, 2024•59 min•Season 1Ep. 39
