All Episodes

February 10, 2025 55 mins

On this episode, bookstagrammer and journalist Jocelyn Aspa and I discuss books with extensive character development, how everything makes us cry, and why we gravitate towards books with low ratings on Goodreads. We also discuss how we determine books to pack on a trip which can be a little extra. 

 

Follow Jocelyn on Instagram

 

Books mentioned in this episode: 

 

What Betsy’s reading: 

Devil is Fine by John Vercher 

Original Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism by Eve L. Ewing 

 

Books Highlighted by Jocelyn:

4 3 2 1 by Paul Auster 

Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica, trans. Sarah Moses

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara 

Same as it Ever Was by Clarie Lombardo 

The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickels 

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall

 

All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.  

Other books mentioned in this episode:

There’s a Nightmare in my Closet by Mercer Mayer 

Normal People by Sally Rooney 

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

The Secret History by Donna Tartt 

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh 

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt 

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler 

The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo 

The Wedding People by Alison Espach 

Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach 

The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai 

Fire Exit by Morgan Talty 

Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty 

Orbital by Samantha Harvey 

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

Maeve Fly by C.J. Leede

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

24/7 News: The Latest
Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.