To celebrate the start of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) we’re chatting with Carly Watters , SVP and Senior Literary Agent at P.S Literary and co-host of The Shit No One Tells You About Writing Podcast! We ask Carly about trends in fiction, how to know when a manuscript is ready, how book deals are made, if it actually is harder than ever to sell a book right now, and more! Books about writing Carly recommends On Writing by Stephen King Craft in the Real World by Matthew Salesses Obses...
Nov 01, 2023•59 min•Ep 294•Transcript available on Metacast This week we’re talking about our October Book Club Pick, The Quiet Tenant by Clémence Michallon ! We talk about Becca’s expectations of the book vs what her thoughts were reading, our thoughts on the second person narration, how the book centered the women in this story, if the ending surprised and satisfied us, and more! Trigger warning for sexual assault in this book, so please skip it if you’re not in a place to listen! Obsessions Becca - Jessica Yellin’s newsletter; Under the Desk News Oliv...
Oct 25, 2023•50 min•Ep 293•Transcript available on Metacast This week we’re diving into spooky season with a fellow fall fanatic, Ashley Winstead ! We talk about her newest book Midnight Is the Darkest Hour , our enthusiasm for fall, 12-foot skeletons, and we all share some Halloween-season book recs! Psychological Thriller Book Recs Olivia - None Of This Is True by Lisa Jewell Ashley - If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio , Bad Habits by Amy Gentry Books Too scary to read with the lights out Ashley - Delicate Condition by Danielle Valentine Olivia - Leave T...
Oct 18, 2023•57 min•Ep 292•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we’re answering your questions about Q4 goals, fall checklists, Olivia’s house updates, TCOC tiny tongs enthusiasts, writing advice, Starbucks orders and SO! MUCH! MORE! Our favorite back catalog episodes Our Goals episodes (check out our 2023 goals and our 2023 goals check-in!) Summer Reading Roundups! Olivia’s First Episode Pre Olivia: Elizabeth Gilbert Episode Hidden Gem Books (With Listener Recs!) Obsessions Olivia: Hyperfixation lunch Becca: Champers Social Club on Crosby St in S...
Oct 11, 2023•59 min•Ep 291•Transcript available on Metacast It’s Three Things time! This week we’re talking about the Instagram ads that haunt us, Lauren Groff’s writing process, being a teenage girl, and more! Becca’s 3 Things Instagram ads that haunt us Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts and the grown-up teen girl phenomenon Retellings in fiction Olivia’s 3 Things Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift The New York Times’s profile of Lauren Groff The New York Times’s article about being 13 today Obsessions Olivia: Shit That I Knit Crew Neck Sweater Becca: Love at First Sigh...
Oct 04, 2023•57 min•Ep 290•Transcript available on Metacast It’s time for the September book club and we’re discussing Tom Lake by Ann Patchett . We dive into our opinions on the writing, the mother/daughter dynamics, the reveals that surprised us, and the “Tom Lake” moments in our own lives. Also, Becca’s book is out NOW!!! Obsessions Olivia: Her playlist called ‘Songs for Staring at the Ocean & Feeling emo’ Becca: @nymetroweather on IG What we read this week! Becca: The Nigerwife by Vanessa Walters Olivia: The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michallon , The C...
Sep 27, 2023•55 min•Ep 289•Transcript available on Metacast This week we’re recapping an accomplishment three years in the making: Becca’s book: The Christmas Orphans Club ! To get a full overview of the process, we’re joined by her agent Allison Hunter and her editor Marie Michels. So grab your favorite festive bev and get ready for the behind-the-scenes story! Obsessions Olivia - “All-American Bitch” by Olivia Rodrigo Becca - Gilmore Girls & The Morning Show What we read this week! Becca - Fool Me Once by Ashley Winstead Olivia - None of This is True b...
Sep 20, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Ep 288•Transcript available on Metacast This week we’re talking about our favorite little luxuries: things that are low-cost and low-effort but make a major impact on our happiness! Listen to Becca, Olivia, and our listeners share their little luxuries from afternoon walks, to drive thru Diet Coke, to going to the movies alone, and more! Our little luxuries Becca’s Linkable Little Luxuries - Candy from BonBon , Olivia’s Linkable Little Luxuries - Noto Deep Serum Caller Linkable Little Luxuries - Susan Alexandra Tissue Box Covers Obses...
Sep 13, 2023•57 min•Ep 287•Transcript available on Metacast This week we’re chatting all things cookbooks with our favorite Italian meatball-making-meatballs, Dan Pelosi ! Dan is the mind behind GrossyPelosi , the popular Instagram account for all things comfort and food. Dan’s first cookbook, Let’s Eat , hits bookshelves on September 5, 2023! We talk to Dan about the behind-the-scenes of how cookbooks get made, from recipe development to food styling to how getting a cookbook deal differs from other book deals. Dan’s restaurant recs Bernie’s , Rolo’s , ...
Sep 06, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep 286•Transcript available on Metacast It’s time to discuss our August Book Club Pick, Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo ! We talk about how we interpreted the magical elements, the family dynamics, our thoughts on the concept of a living wake, the ending, and more! Check out this interview with Elizabeth Acevedo if you're interested in learning more about this book! Obsessions O: Handheld fan B: Red, White, and Royal Blue movie on Amazon Prime What we read this week! Becca: You, Again by Kate Goldbeck , The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffe...
Aug 30, 2023•56 min•Ep 285•Transcript available on Metacast What do we have? Things! How many of them do we have? Three! Olivia’s Things What you do on a ‘life catch up’ day The year 2013 (sparked by this article in Glamour ) Everything showers Becca’s Things How do you unwrinkle clothes ( here’s a link to Becca’s travel steamer ) Weeknight dinner recipes (Becca’s current recipes include One Pot Garlic Shrimp and Orzo and Turkey and Ricotta Meatballs From Julia Turshen , and Olivia loves salmon bowls and Basically Spaghetti Pomodoro ) Workout routines Be...
Aug 23, 2023•58 min•Ep 284•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we’re learning all about how libraries work with a BOP listener, Carley! Carley has worked in public libraries for over ten years and has a Master of Library and Information Science and is the host of the Tales from a Bibliophile podcast . We ask Carley about her career journey, a typical day in her job, how books get purchased, how funding works, books bans, and more! Favorite books she re-reads We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinge...
Aug 16, 2023•56 min•Ep 283•Transcript available on Metacast This week we’re talking all about creativity! We talk about creativity’s role in our lives, major misconceptions about creativity, creative people we admire, and share advice for those who don’t know how to start incorporating creativity into their life. Obsessions Olivia: Jocie B ASMR Becca: Wegman’s Cherry Vanilla Seltzer What we read this week Becca: Edie: An American Girl by Jean Stein Olivia: Banyan Moon by Thao Thai , Midnight Is the Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead (out October 3!) This Mo...
Aug 09, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep 282•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we’re chatting with the author of our July Book Club Pick, Annabel Monaghan ! Annabel is the author of Same Time Next Summer and Nora Goes Off Script as well as two young adult novels and Does This Volvo Make My Butt Look Big? , a selection of laugh-out-loud columns that appeared in the Huffington Post, the Week, and the Rye Record. Annabel shares her journey to becoming a published author, the inspiration behind Same Time Next Summer and Nora Goes off Script, the highs and lows of he...
Aug 02, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep 281•Transcript available on Metacast We’re so excited to dive into our July Book Club Pick, Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan ! We discuss our feelings about the book, if we identify with the characters, and how the story surprised us! We also talk about teen vacation flings, play listener voicemails, and speculate about the different flavors of contemporary romances. Obsessions Becca: Recliner PJ sets Olivia: A (nonalcoholic) dinner prep beverage What we read this week! Becca: The Legacies by Jessica Goodman This Month’s B...
Jul 26, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep 280•Transcript available on Metacast This week we’re talking about things, and guess what!? We’ve each got three of ‘em! Becca’s things Summer Bucket List Definitions of Success Bringing Author Interviews Back to BOP Olivia’s things Grocery Shopping Habits Things we’ve changed our minds about completely What we subscribe to Obsessions Becca: Birthday Cake Oreos Olivia: Men’s beard dye What we read this week! Olivia: The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See Becca: Hello Stranger by Katherine Center This Month’s Book Club Pick - Same Time...
Jul 19, 2023•55 min•Ep 279•Transcript available on Metacast It’s time for part 2 of our Listener Q&A! This week we’re covering all things shopping, books, and more! Olivia’s Holy Grail Makeup Items It Cosmetics CC Cream Thrive Causemetics Mascara Caliray Waterproof Mascara Becca’s Holy Grail Makeup Items Anastasia Perfect Brow Pencil Rare Beauty Liquid Blush For some finance-oriented podcasts, we’ve heard good things about The Financial Confessions Podcast On Purpose with Jay Shetty’s Obsessions Becca: Pickleball Olivia: Silo on Apple TV What we read thi...
Jul 12, 2023•53 min•Ep 278•Transcript available on Metacast It’s time for a listener Q&A! We’ve gathered questions from you via voicemail, emails, and Instagram, answering a variety of questions spanning from how to start a virtual book club to our favorite summer jams! Our Summer Jams Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift Master Blaster by Stevie Wonder Obsessions Becca: The Other Two Olivia: Black Mirror What we read this week! Olivia: Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano Becca: Book Lovers by Emily Henry This Month’s Book Club Pick - Same Time Next Summer by Anna...
Jul 05, 2023•58 min•Ep 277•Transcript available on Metacast Buckle up dragon riders! It's finally time to talk about our June Book Club Pick, Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros . We share our thoughts on the book, why we think it went so viral, what quadrant we’d pick if we were in this world, and share our love for the dragons. We also discuss how Fourth Wing compares to other fantasy books like ACOTAR , Throne of Glass , Crescent City , and Zodiac Academy . Editor's Note: A previous version of this episode did not acknowledge the main character's implied ex...
Jun 28, 2023•58 min•Ep 276•Transcript available on Metacast It’s time for our June edition of Three Things! We have some fun ones, some thoughtful ones, and even one about hot aliens! Fun times ahead! Becca’s Three Things Celebrity Doppelgangers Lobster roll cookoff planning TV Series Finales Olivia’s Three Things The delay in the release of Elizabeth Gilbert’s new book - Read some articles about this topic from Slate , The Atlantic , and BBC . 3 thought-provoking questions about life: 1. What is the lie you tell yourself most often? 2. if there was a wa...
Jun 21, 2023•58 min•Ep 275•Transcript available on Metacast Sorry to your TBR pile, it's time for another reading preview! We brought a few of our favorite book lovers on the pod to share the upcoming releases they’re excited about! And, of course, we ask THE question: If you could take a fictional character to a chain restaurant, who would you take and where would you take them? Olivia’s Recs The Whispers by Ashley Audrain Midnight is the Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead (Out October 3) Katie of Beach Reads & Bubbly’s Recs (follow Katie at @beachreadsand...
Jun 14, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep 274•Transcript available on Metacast How is it halfway through 2023 already!?! In this episode, we revisit the personal and professional goals we made in January and discuss the progress we’re excited about, the goals we’re changing, and the ones that need a little more attention! Obsessions Becca - You’re Losing Me by Taylor Swift, Always Authors podcast Olivia - Merpeople on Netflix What we read this week! Becca - When in Rome by Sarah Adams This Month’s Book Club Pick - Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (have thoughts about this boo...
Jun 07, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep 273•Transcript available on Metacast It’s time to discuss our May Book Club Pick: Happy Place by Emily Henry ! We had so much listener participation for this book (and some unexpected mixed reviews!) and we can’t wait to dive in. In addition to discussing Happy Place, we cover the Emily Henry cannon, play listener questions and comments, do some fan casting, and rank our favorite Emily Henry Books! Obsessions Olivia: Jewish Matchmaking on Netflix Becca: Joe & The Juice Joe’s Green Mile What we read this week! Becca: Fourth Wing by ...
May 31, 2023•58 min•Ep 272•Transcript available on Metacast This week we’re speaking with friend of the pod (and previous guest!) Ayana Lage ! Ayana is a lifestyle blogger and freelance writer based in Tampa, Florida. She writes about motherhood, mental health, social justice, and everyday life, and she published a story titled, “ Postpartum Psychosis Landed Me in a Psychiatric Ward for 17 Days. Now, I’m Ready to Share My Story .” for Cosmo in April 2023, and we’re excited to talk about her experience with her today! Content warning: we talk about postpa...
May 24, 2023•53 min•Ep 271•Transcript available on Metacast Summer is on our mind and we are ready to break out the beach reads! This week we talk about what characteristics make up a perfect beach read, share some books we loved reading at the beach and pool, and play listener voicemails about YOUR favorites! Olivia’s favorite beach reads Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shel...
May 17, 2023•56 min•Ep 270•Transcript available on Metacast We’re back with more things!!! This time we’re talking about A.I., time management, Nicolas Cage, our Barbie selves, NYC real estate, and our current hyperfixations! Olivia’s things Thoughts on A.I. Hyperfixations Nicolas Cage Becca’s things Time management You personal Barbie accessories NYC Real Estate Gawking Our Hyperfixations: Becca’s Music Hyperfixations: Stick Season by Noah Kahan , All Of The Girls You Loved Before by Taylor Swift , Eat your Young by Hozier Olivia’s Current Podcast Hyper...
May 10, 2023•56 min•Ep 269•Transcript available on Metacast This week we brought on our friend (and past podcast guest) Amber Burns to talk all about journaling. We ask Amber about how she got into journaling, why bullet journaling doesn’t have to be fussy, her adult school supplies, tips for new journalers, and more! We also do a live reading from our most recent journal entries! You can follow Amber at @byamberburns on Instagram. Amber’s favorite journaling supplies include Stalogy notebooks in the b6 size , Midori notebooks , and Pentel EnerGel Pens ....
May 03, 2023•55 min•Ep 268•Transcript available on Metacast We’re so excited to discuss Before We Were Innocent by Ella Berman, a 2 time BOP book club author! This book fits right in the venn diagram of Becca and Olivia’s differing book tastes. We discuss how we felt about the friendship between the characters in the past vs present timeline (and between teenage girls in general), if we saw the twists coming, the Amanda Knox parallels, thoughts on the ending, and ask ourselves the question ‘who would you go to if you were suspected of murder?’ If you lik...
Apr 26, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep 267•Transcript available on Metacast Time for another episode of Three Things! Featuring Succession, living closer to friends, the romantic allure of Pete Davidson, our spring mood board, and a mystery guest! Becca’s 3 things The ‘Article Live Closer to Your Friends’ by Adrienne Matei in The Atlantic Response piece by Anne Helen Petersen: You'd Be Happier Living Closer to Friends. Why Don't You? The allure of Pete Davidson A Thing from a ~Mystery~ guest - the article ‘Is There Life After Influencing?’ in the NYT Olivia’s 3 things S...
Apr 19, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep 266•Transcript available on Metacast This week we interview Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry and overall delight! We talk about her path to publication, what inspired her to write Lessons in Chemistry, how it feels to have this instant success after years of struggling through the publishing process, and more! She also shares more about the Apple TV+ adaptation of Lessons in Chemistry starring Brie Larson. You can find Bonnie at bonniegarmus.com and @bonnie_garmus_author on Instagram. Obsessions Olivia: Olipop Root Bee...
Apr 12, 2023•44 min•Ep 265•Transcript available on Metacast 
