644. Fanfic, Generosity, and Really Long Books: Holiday Wishes from Anne, Sandra, Miriam, Carrie A, and Lisa

644. Fanfic, Generosity, and Really Long Books: Holiday Wishes from Anne, Sandra, Miriam, Carrie A, and Lisa

Author: Sarah Wendell December 6, 2024 Duration: 50:50

My guests this week are, in the words of my home vernacular, yinz n’at.


We’re traveling all over the country this week and we’re talking about fanfic, finding an unending treasure trove of books to read from a new favorite author, and taking time for restorative actions.


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We have SO many VERY important links this week.



Thank you to our sponsor for this week's episode: Lume! Use code SARAH15 for 15% off your first purchase at LumeDeodorant.com.


And don't miss Designs on You by Jaci Burton, out now!


Music: purple-planet.com


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If you’ve ever felt a little defensive about loving romance novels, or just want to dive deeper into the books you can’t put down, Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: A Romance Novel Podcast is your perfect companion. Host Sarah Wendell approaches the genre with a critic’s sharp mind and a fan’s enthusiastic heart, creating conversations that are as thoughtful as they are joyful. This isn’t just author interviews, though you’ll hear brilliant voices like Ilona Andrews, Sarah J. Maas, and the wonderfully unique Chuck Tingle. The scope of the podcast is deliberately wide, bringing in reviewers, librarians, editors, and publishing professionals to examine every facet of the romance world. You’ll get honest talk about tropes and trends, the business behind the books, and why these stories resonate so powerfully with millions of readers. Regular appearances from Amanda Diehl add another layer of camaraderie and insight. Listening feels like being part of a smart, welcoming book club where no opinion is dismissed and passion is a given. It’s a celebration of a genre that dominates fiction, explored with humor, intelligence, and genuine curiosity. Whether you’re a longtime devotee or a curious newcomer, this podcast offers a rich, engaging, and deeply human look at the stories we love.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: A Romance Novel Podcast
Podcast Episodes
705. RT Rewind: June 1997 Reviews [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:00
Amanda and I are back, deep diving into romance and pop culture history with issue 1997 of Romantic Times Magazine. The cover reads Love, Lust, Laugh, and we’ve got some vintage books to talk about. Then we talk about wh…
704. JQ Editions with Julia Quinn [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:47
My guest this week is Julia Quinn and we are talking about, of course, JQ Editions, a new subscription service creating special limited editions of historical romances. I’ve been writing about this since it was announced…
703. Oscars and Gossip with Kayleigh Donaldson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:37
Kayleigh Donaldson is back! She is the guest on some of the most popular episodes, and I know what that is: she’s brilliant. We recorded this just before the Oscar nominations were announced, so Kayleigh is making (some…
702. Heated Rivalry with Candy Tan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:24:02
Candy recapped Heated Rivalry, and is that enough? No, of course not. We had MANY things we wanted to exclaim at each other about, so why not podcast about it?We’re going to talk about the show, the acting, the adaptatio…
701. Holiday Wishes with Amanda and Sarah [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:05
It’s never too late for Holiday Wishes, right? We had such a record number of interviews for the Holiday Wishes episodes this year, and I truly love doing them. Thank you.But many of you asked about Amanda’s recs and wis…
700. An Art History Analysis of Romance Covers with Amanda Matta [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:00:50
Happy 700th Episode!! Amanda Matta is a debut author (her book is coming in 2027!), media commentator, royal analyst, and an art historian. I’ve mentioned Amanda, and her podcast Art of History, which I love. In that sho…
699. Holiday Wishes VII with Katie, Kate and Adam [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:55
Happy New Year!This week we are talking with Katie, Kate, and Adam – we’ve got book recs, wishes, spreadsheet discussions, dungeons, and some wishes that don’t violate the Hatch Act.There’s also rather appalling poo adve…
697. Holiday Wishes V with Shana, Sue, and Rhonda [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:07
This week we are talking with Shana, Sue, and Rhonda about book recs and wishes, plus fantasy and magical bureaucracy, grief in romance, schtupping by volume, and inventions for readers to find even MORE books.We also me…
696. Holiday Wishes IV with Rae A, Josephine, and Sneezy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:20
We’re back with more Holiday Wishes! This week we’re talking with Rae A., Josephine, and Sneezy!This week we are talking romance bookstores and road trips, luxurious bidets, webtoons, and, of course, books. And some rant…