Ep. 121 Reading with Mr. & Mrs. Stacks

Our guest today is Traci Thomas. Thats right, Traci, the host of The Stacks, is finally spilling her answers to all The Stacks questions. She is talking about what she’s reading, what books make her angry, and pretty much all things books. The best part is, her guest host is none other than her husband, Mr. Stacks. It’s an episode unlike any other, but still has all the book recommendations you could possibly need.

The Stacks Book Club selection for July is Breathe by Imani Perry, we will discuss the book with Kiese Laymon on July 29th.

LISTEN NOW

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Everything we talk about on today’s episode can be found below in the show notes and on Bookshop.org and Amazon.

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Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe

To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page. We are beyond grateful for anything you’re able to give to support the production of this show. If you prefer to do a one time contribution go to paypal.me/thestackspod.


The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website, and this comes at no cost to you. This in no way effects opinions on books and products reviewed here. For more information click here.

Ask the Stacks

I constantly find myself getting asked by family, friends, and listeners, what book should I read? It is one of my favorite questions. I love giving book recommendations and learning about what other people like to read, but my own reading is limited to my tastes and the things I’ve been exposed to. So in order to diversify my recommendations, we’re taking it to podcast.

Starting now, you can email askingthestacks@gmail.com and we’ll reply on air with a book recommendation (or two) from both me, Traci, and my guest. Tell us what you like, what you don’t, what you’re hoping to read more or less of, and we’ll tell you what we think you should check out.

Make sure to include in your email:

  • Your name (and social media handle if you’re so inclined) and where you’re from.
  • What you’re looking for (think: genre, subject, author identity, publication year)
  • What are some books you’ve really enjoyed
  • What are some books that didn’t work for you

We will do the rest!

Want to make sure your email is read on the air? Join The Stacks Pack over on Patreon, and get the perk of having your request bumped to the top of the list.

You can also use askingthestacks@gmail.com to send over questions or topics you’d like us to discuss on the podcast. Questions about your To Be Read list, diversity in publishing, setting up your own book club, or anything else thats on your mind.

Send over your questions to askingthestacks@gmail.com, and lets get to reading.


To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page. We are beyond grateful for anything you’re able to give to support the production of this show. If you prefer to do a one time contribution go to paypal.me/thestackspod.

My Family’s Gift Exchange Book Tradition

I am so lucky to come from a family of activists and serious readers. A few years ago we decided to start doing a Secret Santa style gift exchange, but instead of giving any kind of gift, we donate $50 to our recipients favorite charity, and give them a book to open on Christmas. Aside from that, there are no other rules. Then when we all get together on Christmas night, we go around and discuss the charities we donated to and the books we selected. Its a dream.

I wanted to share with you the books we exchanged this year. There were a bunch I knew and even more I’d never heard of. All on a variety of topics and from writers of all sorts of backgrounds, from novels about travel to histories of America, from translated Russian works to children’s books on US politicians. The list is awesome and you can find all the books below.

Here is the Christmas Gift Exchange Book Haul

Age of Ambition: Chasing Fourtune, Truth, and Faith in the New China by Evan Osnos
An African American and Latinx History of the United States by Paul Ortiz
Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking
Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins
Elizabeth Warren: Nevertheless, She Persisted by Susan Wood and Sarah Green
Gmorning, Gnight!: Little Pep Talks for Me & You by Lin-Manuel Miranda
Heartland:A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth by Sarah Smarsh
Less by Andrew Sean Greer
Looking at Mindfulness: Twenty-five Paintings to Change the Way You Live by Christophe Andre
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
The Berlin Stories by Christopher Isherwood
The Catcher was a Spy: The Mysterious Life of Moe Berg by Nicholas Dawidoff
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America (The Book) Teacher’s Edition: A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction by Jon Stewart and The Writers of the Daily Show
The Funeral Party by Ludmila Ulitskaya
The Little Blue Book: The Essential Guide to Thinking and Talking Democratic by George Lakoff and Elisabeth Wehling
The Map of Salt and Stars by Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy
Whiskey Words and a Shovel by r.h. Sin
You are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero

I am looking forward to borrowing a whole bunch of these books in 2019.

If you’re interested to know which charities we donated to, look no further, here is that list as well.


To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page. We are beyond grateful for anything you’re able to give to support the production of this show. If you prefer to do a one time contribution go to paypal.me/thestackspod.

The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website, and this comes at no cost to you. Shopping through these links helps support the show, but does not effect my opinions on books and products. For more information click here

Ep. 35 Prodigies, Time Machines, and Beautiful Writing with Aja Gabel

This week on The Stacks our guest is author Aja Gabel. Aja’s debut novel, The Ensemble, came out in 2018, and she talks with us about writing her book, cover design, which writers inspire her, and why she got a PhD in creative writing. We also talk music prodigies and time machines, which is to say, we talk about a little of everything.

LISTEN NOW

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Overcast | Stitcher

Everything we talk about on today’s episode can be found below in the show notes and on Bookshop.org and Amazon.

BOOKS

EVERYTHING ELSE

Connect with Aja: Website | Instagram | Twitter
Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe

To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page. We are beyond grateful for anything you’re able to give to support the production of this show. If you prefer to do a one time contribution go to paypal.me/thestackspod.


The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website, and this comes at no cost to you. Shopping through these links helps support the show, but does not effect my opinions on books and products. For more information click here.

Ep. 31 All the Book Recommendations with Heather John Fogarty

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Our guest this week is journalist Heather John Fogarty, whose work has been featured in The Los Angeles Times, Marie Claire Magazine, Playboy, and more. Heather previously worked as the wine and spirits editor at Bon Appétit. In today’s conversation we talk about Heather’s James Beard vote, how finding a editor for a novel is like dating, and a book that made both of us very angry. Get ready, Heather is a prolific reader, your TBR will never be the same.

LISTEN NOW

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Overcast | Stitcher

Everything we talk about on today’s episode can be found below in the show notes and on Bookshop.org and Amazon.

BOOKS

EVERYTHING ELSE

Connect with Heather: Website | Instagram
Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe

To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page. We are beyond grateful for anything you’re able to give to support the production of this show. If you prefer to do a one time contribution go to paypal.me/thestackspod.


The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website. Shopping through these links helps support the show, but does not effect my opinions on books and products. For more information click here.