695. Holiday Wishes III with Garlic Knitter, Claudia, Christine, and Jo

695. Holiday Wishes III with Garlic Knitter, Claudia, Christine, and Jo

Author: Sarah Wendell December 5, 2025 Duration: 59:07

We’re back with more Holiday Wishes! This week we’re talking with Garlic Knitter, Claudia, Christine, and Jo.


A few notes:


First, my voice is not great. Some of these were recorded when I had a dreadful cold, so I apologize in advance.


Second, if you’re a sympathetic crier like I am, please know that when Christine and I are talking, we both get a little choked up while talking about grief and the infuriating unfairness of American healthcare. It’s an emotional conversation and a beautiful one – thank you for sharing so much of yourself, Christine.


Updates? Updates!


Thanks to your Patreon pledges, we have reached our goal with the F’ICE campaign, and all dynamic ads will be turned off permanently for everyone who listens. Thank you so much! You can gift a Patreon membership if you'd like! It's easy and very flexible.


AND! The Smart Bitches Candle Collection is LIVE! I partnered with Wax Cabin Candle Company, an independent small chandlery, to offer two limited edition candles just for the holiday season!


They are on sale now through early January, and you can buy one or both in a gift set! And they are going very fast! 

The Smart Bitches 20th Anniversary candle is an 11 ounce hand poured soy candle with notes of sea salt, book pages, sandalwood and jasmine.

The Bad Decisions Book Club candle, also 11 ounces, is designed to be the perfect pairing for late night reading, with scents of sweet tobacco, book pages, leather, rose, and sandalwood. I had a marvelous time picking out the scents.


So if you’re looking for the perfect gift for yourself or the book lovers in your life, check out the 2025 Smart Bitches Candle collection. You can shop small, support the site, and spread light and warmth this year.

 


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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
674. Enchanted Romantasy Feasts with Gaby Leon, HappyGabyCooks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:33
You may know Gaby Leon as HappyGabyCooking on TikTok and Instagram. She’s also the author of a new cookbook! The Enchanted Feast is a gorgeous book filled with recipes inspired by Gaby’s favorite Rrrrrromantasy titles. T…
673. RT Rewind: May 1995 Ads & Features [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:34
This is a delightfully unhinged issue. We’ve got a plethora of old-skool covers, weird language about China and Taiwan, Poconos hot tubs, and Elizabeth Lowell is thrown under the bus – twice?Are you one of the most privi…
672. Part III of A Soul to Keep with Heaving Bosoms [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:39
Every now and again, I get to do a crossover episode with the Heaving Bosoms podcast. We pick a truly bonkers sexy book, and recap it across two shows. In this case – it’s three shows.Hi Heaving Bosoms listeners! I’m so…
671. RT Rewind: May 1995 Reviews [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:15
Amanda and I are traveling back to May 1995 – yes, thirty years ago.I know, me too.We’ve got weird reviews, outstanding side character names, a debut of a much-loved historical romance author, and a few side trips into p…
669. RT Rewind - February 2015 Ads & Features Part II [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:14
At the suggestion of some listeners, I split the Ads & Features into two parts, in part because it was very long, and also because there are 5 Fridays in May. Woot!You can find Part I here (or in your favorite podcast ap…
668. Hot Takes with Sarah & Amanda [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:52
Inspired by a recent episode of The Sam Sanders Show, Amanda and I are sharing our own hot takes and possibly controversial opinions about romance.We’re talking:Third act bleak moments!Transcending the genre!Rom coms!Coz…
667. RT Rewind - February 2015 Ads & Features Part I [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:33
We are back in the time machine with HelenKay Dimon and Darby Kane, who are thankfully one person so we have extra room in the cabin for snacks. And we are headed back to February 2015 to take a look at the ads and featu…
666. HelenKay Dimon and Darby Kane are Really Interesting [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:35
We were supposed to record an episode, but we started talking about romantic suspense instead. We talk about what inspired me to start the RT Rewind series, and start talking about the cover…and then we talked about chan…
665. RT Rewind - February 2015 Reviews [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:57:04
We are traveling back to February 2015 to take a look at the new releases in RT magazine, and my guest is the cover author, HelenKay Dimon, who also writes thrillers as Darby Kane.This was VERY fun because HelenKay is an…