Claim OwnershipThe SSR Podcast
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Each week, freelance writer and lifelong bookworm Alli Hoff Kosik will challenge a guest to reread a literary throwback or to experience for the first time ever a book they may have missed as a kid. After that, they'll be asked to spill all the feels and all the opinions about that book on the air for your podcast-listening pleasure. Every Tuesday, you can find us breaking down an old school read from our tween and teen days on a new episode of the show. We'll cover everything from The Baby-Sitters Club to Holes, Nancy Drew to Harry Potter. This time around, we're a little wiser (yay!), a lot older (ugh.), and of legal age to drink wine... so we'll have a lot to say. Happy Reading!
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SSR is back after Alli’s maternity leave! We’ll be back to discuss a new literary throwback next week, but we’re kicking things off (again!) with a little catch-up session. Chelsey Feder of @chelseyreads and Novel Pairings plays co-host to help bring the SSR community up to speed on what’s been happening since you last tuned into the podcast. Alli and Chelsey discuss two major developments in Alli’s life, as well as what her reading routine has looked like recently. You’ll also hear more about what to expect from this new chapter of SSR.Big thanks to Chelsey for joining as co-host for this special episode… and to all of YOU for your patience and support!
Thanks to all of the listeners who participated in this year’s crowd-sourced episode: Abby, Diane, Julia, Holly, Kat, Shira, and Tracey.Tune in to hear them answer questions about their favorite childhood reading, times when they disagreed with the podcast, book recommendations for 2024, and more!
For the final book episode of 2023, Alli and her guest turn their attention to a real classic: Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. It’s the first time reading the 1943 semi-autobiographical novel for both of them… and there’s a lot to discuss in this hefty volume! Topics of conversation include imperfect adults, the importance of education, pragmatism vs. idealism, the evolution of our language around mental health, financial insecurity, red flags, anti-Semitism, and how they might have experienced a book like this had they read it as children.TW: addiction, death of a parent, infant lossOre Agbaje-Williams is the author of The Three of Us. Follow her on Instagram (@oreawilliams).
At long last, Alli and her guest turn their attention to a book that’s been requested many times by listeners: Margaret Peterson Haddix’s Among the Hidden. The first installment in the Shadow Children series, Among the Hidden explores the consequences of a totalitarian government taking extreme measures to combat (alleged) overpopulation. Episode 273 covers everything from reproductive rights and propaganda to the history of dystopian literature and different types of activism.Claire Ahn is the author of I Guess I Live Here Now. Follow her on Instagram (@cuhlaireahn).
With New Reads November 2023 behind us, we’re back to throwbacks, starting with Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. Alli’s guest recently read the 1970 novel with her own children… and she has thoughts. Episode 272 features conversations about gender representation, fatphobia, the power of illustrations, violence, and the glorification of stealing.Bestselling author Jesse Q. Sutanto is known for a number of books, including Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, Dial A for Aunties, and The Obsession. Her latest YA novel is called Didn’t See That Coming. Follow her on Instagram (@jesseqsutanto) and Twitter (@thewritinghippo).
It’s the grand finale of SSR’s New Reads November 2023… and the perfect time to discuss Talia Hibbert’s YA debut, Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute. With a trio of fantastic guests, Alli gets into the details of the book’s plot and pays special attention to OCD representation, outdoorsy scholarship experiences, romance tropes, and the extent to which there are two sides to every story. Thanks to Brittany (@britsgotbooks), Cait (@whatcaitreads), and Shira (@shira243) for being part of this first-ever Patreon episode of the podcast! Join the Patreon family to get in on the fun HERE.
Week 3 of New Reads November takes a very close, very fun look at Maurene Goo’s Throwback. The book inspires conversations about everything from the complicated nature of mother/daughter relationships and empathy between generations to high school homecoming experiences and the tension between conformity and standing out. Alli and her guest also consider who Throwback is meant for and discuss the book’s origin story.Becca Freeman is the author of The Christmas Orphans Club and co-host of the Bad on Paper podcast. Follow her on Instagram (@beccamfreeman).
Week 2 of New Reads November 2023 is all about Joelle Wellington’s Their Vicious Games. The book feels like a real return to the heyday of YA, with the addition of organic, fresh threads about class, race, and privilege. On Episode 269, Alli and her guest do plenty of fangirling over the book and discuss concepts like performative allyship, white saviorism, satire, and more.Erin La Rosa is the author of For Butter or Worse and Plot Twist. Follow her on Instagram (@erinlarosalit) and Twitter (@erinlarosalit).
New Reads November is BACK for a SIXTH year!This time around, we get things rolling with a conversation about Camryn Garrett’s Friday I’m in Love, which was published in January 2023. The book inspires conversations about “coming out narratives,” casual racism, self-aware narrators, the subversion of tropes about sweet sixteens, and the pressures that many teens experience. Alli’s guest also takes her behind-the-scenes of how he writes for the YA audience!Eliot Schrefer is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of books for young people, including his latest, Charming Young Man. Follow him on Instagram (@schrefer) and Twitter (@EliotSchrefer).
On this special bonus episode, Alli is joined by Sara Hildreth of Fiction Matters and the Novel Pairings podcast! As she prepares to take a brief podcast maternity leave in early 2024, Alli looks to Sara for advice on how to manage a pause in sharing content with her community. They take you behind-the-scenes of the business of podcasting, Patreon, Substack, and more! Follow Sara on Instagram (@fictionmatters).
Listener favorites Allison and Mary from Dolls of Our Lives are BACK for Episode 267! This time around, they join Alli to discuss Danger at the Zoo: A Kit Mystery, a 2005 installment in the American Girl Mysteries series that was written by Kathleen Ernst. They talk broadly about Kit’s storyline and the AG mysteries as an offshoot of the rest of the American Girl series. In the context of Danger at the Zoo, they also chat about kid journalism, the Depression, the history of the word “hobo,” and more.Allison Horrocks and Mary Mahoney are the co-hosts of the Dolls of Our Lives podcast and the authors of Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl. Follow the podcast on Instagram (@dollsofourlivespodcast) and Twitter (@DollsLivesPod).
On this special episode, Alli answers listener questions about…* How she handles tricky situations with podcast guests* Whether she would rather deal with a boring book or a boring guest* The books she’s most excited to share with Baby K* The best marriage advice she’s ever received* The books that are still on her podcast wish list* Her current thoughts on Bethenny Frankel* How to get started with writing fiction… and so much more!
On Episode 265, Alli and her guest explore a new side of all-time kid lit rock star Beverly Cleary — a more ~mature~ side! This week, the focus is one of Cleary’s books for teen readers, Fifteen. The conversation covers everything from awkward first date moments and ‘50s crush etiquette to class undercurrents and the importance of confidence. Alli and her guest also unpack a hard-to-read scene set in a Chinese restaurant.Alison Rose Greenberg is the author of Bad Luck Bridesmaid and Maybe Once, Maybe Twice. Follow her on Instagram (@alison.greenberg) and Twitter (@alisongreenberg).
Let’s get back to the Upper East Side, listeners! Episode 264 explores the fourth book in the bestselling Gossip Girl series, Because I’m Worth It. Alli and her guest consider the specific place that Gossip Girl occupies in their shared millennial pop culture history and talk through some especially disturbing parts of the book.Jamie Lilac is the author of Bellegarde. Follow her on Instagram (@jamie_lilac).
On Episode 263, Alli’s guest walks her through the first installment of one of her all-time favorite series: Tamora Pierce’s Protector of the Small. They discuss the ins and outs of First Test, as well as why the book has meant so much to the guest over the years. They also talk about toxic masculinity, the importance of quiet good deeds, protagonists who can work through their fears, and the significance of the First Test heroine’s choice to wear a dress during her knight training.Huda Fahmy’s latest graphic novel Huda F Are You? joins Huda F Cares and That Can Be Arranged on shelves. Follow her on Instagram (@yesimhotinthis) and Twitter (@yesimhotinthis).
Five years after our first foray into the world of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, SSR finally returns to the Twilight universe. At long last, Alli and her guest take a look at 2006’s New Moon, the book that gave Team Jacob Twihards their moment in the spotlight. Tune in for conversations about mental health, toxic relationships, and more, along with a moment for the Team Edward vs. Team Jacob debate.Emma Noyes is the author of The Sunken City, The Fallen Witch, and the forthcoming Guy’s Girl. Follow her on Instagram (@emmanoyesmaybe).
At long last, Episode 261 dives into the oft-requested All-of-a-Kind Family, the 1951 novel by Sydney Taylor that represented an important step for Jewish representation. Conversation topics range from model minorities and fatphobia to Jewish holidays and shocking romantic twists.Taleen Voskuni is the author of Sorry, Bro. Follow her on Instagram (@taleenauthor) and Twitter (@taleenvoskuni).
Let’s have a Judy Blume moment, shall we? Episode 260 takes a close look at the iconic author’s 1972 “divorce book,” It’s Not the End of the World. Alli and her guest discuss the ways in which our conversations with kids about divorce have changed… but also the ways they’ve stayed the same! They also talk about the emotional immaturity of the adults in the book, kid psychology, imperfect parents, and the importance of centering children’s feelings.TW: markers for domestic abuseLaura Taylor Namey is the New York Times and international bestselling author of Reese’s Book Club pick A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow, The Library of Lost Things, When We Were Them, and the forthcoming A British Girl’s Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak. Follow her on Instagram (@laura_namey).
Episode 259 centers around The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett! Originally published in 1911, this is one of the oldest books covered on the podcast yet, making it a unique case for discussion. Alli and her guest talk about the notion of “classics” as a whole, as well as colonialism, disability, manifestation, the supernatural, unlikable kid protagonists, and mind-over-matter approaches to health.Genevieve Wheeler is the author of Adelaide. Follow her on Instagram (@geewheeler).
For the first time in YEARS, SSR once again takes on Gertrude Chandler Warner’s beloved Boxcar Children series. Episode 258 is all about the second installment, Surprise Island… and the biggest surprise of all might just be that it’s a pretty quiet story! All aboard for the discussion about the general appeal of the Boxcar Children, gender roles, what makes a mystery, domestic fantasy, wish fulfillment, and more.Andrea Bartz is an essayist, journalist, and the New York Times-bestselling author of The Lost Night, The Herd, We Were Never Here, and The Spare Room. Follow her on Instagram (@andibartz) and Twitter (@andibartz).
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