Books Are My People

17/06/2024

This week on Books Are My People, I speak with author Catherine Newman about her novel, Sandwich, out tomorrow. It will make you cry-laugh the entire time. We also chat about summer hair, humor as a survival strategy and Catherine’s previous job working in a sandwich shop.

This is my last episode before I take a summer hiatus, but don’t worry! There are 127 episodes you can catch up on in the meantime. Tell me what book you’re most looking forward to reading this summer!

https://www.buzzsprout.com/486445/15239742

20/05/2024

Picture book enthusiasts rejoice! The delightful Nell Cross Beckerman joins me on episode 126 to discuss her latest book, From Park to Playa: The Trails That Connect Us. We also talk about how authors find illustrators (you may be surprised), some of our favorite picture books and how we have a connected history that goes way back!
Link to listen below.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/486445/15093874

06/05/2024

This week on episode 125 of Books Are My People, author Michelle Tea joins me to talk about S***s: Anthology put forth by Dopamine Press. We speak about what it takes to publish books, her latest anthology and how she began Drag Queen Story Hour in San Francisco. https://www.buzzsprout.com/486445/15005418

23/04/2024

This week, on episode 124 of Books Are My People: a podcast for book lovers, collage artist and printmaker Sarah Z. Short and I discuss how being a reader and English teacher inspired her integration of letters and words in her amazing collages. Link to listen: https://www.buzzsprout.com/486445/14915248
And be sure and follow Sarah on instagram and visit her website at https://sarahzshort.com

08/04/2024

This week, on episode 123 of Books Are My People, I speak with Jo Piazza, author of The Sicilian Inheritance. We talk about writing, Italy and how her wonderful suspense novel made me so hungry! Plus, there’s an accompanying podcast. How fun is that?

Link to listen below.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/486445/14836430

There’s still time to enter my giveaway for Lindsay Starck’s Monsters We Have Made. Visit my Instagram post with books cover to read the official rules.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C5QzSV4PAPL/

26/03/2024

Some podcast interviews feel like speaking with an old friend. Even though I’ve never met Garrard Conley, that’s how I felt when I spoke with him about his forthcoming novel All The World Beside. What a fantastic human! In the latest episode of Books Are My People we talk about Garrard’s new novel, his memoir, Boy Erased and how he helped changed legislation in our country as well as the contents of some spicy letters he discovered while researching his beautiful new work of historical fiction.

Plus, we get a guest book recommendation from Ramona Ausubel, author of The Last Animal, one of my favorite reads from 2023.

Link to listen to episode 122 of Books Are My People below!
https://www.buzzsprout.com/486445/14751385

11/03/2024

This week on Books Are My People episode 121, graphic memoirist, writer, artist and professor Kelcey Ervick visits. She talks about her incredible graphic memoir The Keeper: Soccer, Me and the Law that Changed Women’s Lives as well as her recently published Anthology The Rose Metal Press Field Guide To Graphic Literature: Artist and Writers on Creative Graphic Narratives, Poetry Comics, and Literary Collages. I can’t wait to get my hands on this one! Kelcey shares her creative process, her love of words and art and she recommends a few of her favorite graphic memoirs.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/486445/14658772

26/02/2024

Happy Monday! This week, on episode 120 of Books Are My People, I interview the extraordinary author, Roxana Robinson. We discuss her latest novel, Leaving, as well as other beautifully written novels. We even touch on the French sewage system. Valerie Martin, author of Mrs. Gulliver, recommends a favorite read. Link to listen below.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/486445/14568671

12/02/2024

This week, I speak to my beloved local independent bookstore owner, Diesel Bookstore’s John Evans. He recommends three beautiful books about war and the consequences of war. I recommend two additional books that grapple with their own set of contradictions.
Link to listen: https://www.buzzsprout.com/486445/14475732

29/01/2024

It’s a bonus episode today because of the extra Monday in January. It’s short because it’s just me, and there’s only so long I can talk to myself. But you still get five book recommendations, bookish news and i share how to sign up for my read along that starts in February. I’ll be reading Land of Milk and Honey. By C. Pam Zhang. And Jennifer Belle, author of Swanna in Love (out tomorrow!) recommends a favorite read.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/486445/14389194

23/01/2024

Looking to read in a supportive, inquisitive bookish community?

Join the Books Are My People Read with Me Series beginning in February. We will be reading C. Pam Zhang’s novel, Land of Milk and Honey, a 232-page novel about pleasure, food and power.

Each week starting February 5th, I will release a short video highlighting an aspect of the novel and participants are free to join online discussions, answer prompts, ask questions, etc. at their leisure. Topics will include pleasure-seeking and utopias / dystopias. You will learn to read like a writer and join this wonderful community full of people who care about books.

Feeling unsure about joining? Use my referral program to receive a free month so you can check it out! Click here:
https://jennifercaloyeras.substack.com/p/february-read-with-me-land-of-milk

16/01/2024

On episode 117 of Books Are My People, I welcomed my friend, librarian and instructor H. Maria Armijo to the show. We chatted about how Maria boosts community literacy and the importance of information literacy. In addition to everything else she does, she is also an incredibly talented artist. Angela Brown, author of Olivia Strauss is Running Out of Time, offered a book recommendation as well!

Link to listen: https://www.buzzsprout.com/486445/14304593

18/12/2023

A little audio teaser of my latest episode of Books Are My People. My 90-year-old dad and I talk about movies, music and I share some of my favorite reads from 2023. Plus, Betsy Marro of the Substack Spark shares a favorite read.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/486445/14155520

21/11/2023

On episode 113 of Books Are My People, I speak with Michelle Porter, author of A Grandmother Begins The Story. We talk about Metis identity, polyvocal literature and animal representation in books. Click below to listen! Holly M. Wendt, author of Heading North, also shares a guest author book recommendation.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/486445/13996303

07/11/2023

Books Are My People is live! What an absolute treat having Edward Carey on the show. We talk about his recently published novel, Edith Holler, set in 1901, what it’s like as part of a literary duo (his wife is the incredible author Elizabeth McCracken) and he has the most delightful giggle around. Click the link below to listen. https://www.buzzsprout.com/486445/13920925

09/10/2023

On episode 110 of Books Are My People, Kerri Maher, Writer and I talk reproductive rights, historical fiction and books we love! Plus, we get a swashbuckling guest recommendation from Stephanie Oaks, author of The Meadows.

25/09/2023

Today, I speak with Kayvion Lewis , author of the recently published Thieves’ Gambit. We talk about her writing process and her adventurous spirit is so infectious! We also get a recommendation from Emily Brightwell, author of Mrs. Jeffries Aims to Win.

Listen here:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/486445/13644870

If you are a listener but haven’t yet rated Books Are My People, I’d be so grateful if you took a minute to do so wherever you listen. It helps other people find out about the podcast. Thank you!

11/09/2023

Calling all history buffs and fashionistas! This week, on episode 108 of Books Are My People, I speak with Hannah Carlson. She holds a PHD in material culture and we talk about her riveting new book, Pockets: An Intimate History of How We Keep Things Close. We discuss how a specific scene in Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe inspired this book and I learn what the word "gimp" means in relation to furniture.

And Laura Zimmerman, author of Just Do This One Thing For Me stops by with a fantastic book recommendation.

Have a listen!

https://www.buzzsprout.com/486445/13561192-108-books-are-my-people-with-hannah-carlson.mp3?download=true

28/08/2023

https://www.buzzsprout.com/486445/13475507-107-books-are-my-people-with-denene-millner.mp3?download=true

On today’s episode of Books Are My People, I speak with Denene Millner about her latest novel, One Blood, out September 5th. We talk about what inspired the book, mentors who have championed her over the course of her incredible career as well as her own family discoveries made while working on this novel.

While I had not yet received this novel at the time of this recording, I am happy to say I now have it and am compulsively reading it. It is beautiful and bold and will make your heart break and burst.

Genevieve Gornichec, author of The Weaver and the Witch Queen stops by and recommends a recent favorite read.

I am giving away a copy of The Weaver and the Witch Queen. Visit my giveaway page in instagram from Sunday, August 27th to enter!

14/08/2023

After a summer hiatus, my book recommendation podcast is back with episode #106! No one makes me laugh harder than my dad. We laugh until it hurts. Here, I was very pregnant with my second child. Who knows what set us off? My dad is a screenwriter and a playwright. We talk about the writer’s strike, his secret fear, Stephen Sondheim and, we hum. And we get a special guest author recommendation from Eva Silverfine!
I’m so happy to be back with my bookies!!

https://www.buzzsprout.com/486445/13394746-106-books-are-my-people-with-screenwriter-ron-clark.mp3?download=true

27/07/2023

Check out some upcoming book to film/ TV adaptations. Click on image below!

19/07/2023

Happening tonight at 7 pm in Los Angeles! Come say hi!

08/07/2023

https://jennifercaloyeras.substack.com/p/let-me-introduce-myself?sd=pf

I didn't join threads, but I did join Substack! Click the link above to find me over there. I will still be here as well, but I'll be posting different content over there. And, what are you reading? I'm about to begin The Rachel Incident.

(a little bit about me)

19/06/2023

This week, on episode 105 of Books Are My People, historical fiction author Nicola Harrison visits and chats about her new novel, Hotel Laguna, out tomorrow. We discuss Laguna, California, the aerospace industry and why she’s drawn to writing historical fiction. You can see Nicola interviewed by author, Julie Clark, at Zibby’s this Friday in Santa Monica at 6 pm.

On this episode, you’ll also find out how your name can accompany a poem to space!

We also get a guest book recommendation from Daisy Florin, author of My Last Innocent Year, which I recommended on my last episode.

And find out how you can win a copy of May Cobb’s forthcoming novel, A Likeable Woman!

Don’t forget, this is the last episode I will air until August. I will keep sending out my weekly newsletter all summer long with book recommendations (link to sign up in bio.)

Wishing everyone a wonderful summer, full of great reads!

05/06/2023

On this week's episode, A Likable Woman author, the delightful May Cobb and I talk about how we unknowingly used to be neighbors, what it means to be an unlikable woman and what inspired her latest novel out July 11th.

click here to listen. https://www.buzzsprout.com/486445/12972185

22/05/2023

This week, on episode #103 of Books Are My People, I’m visited by Savanna Walker, the genre editor for . You won’t believe how many books she looks at each month! We talk about the suspense genre, who would play her in the movie version of her life, why I felt like I was in the Blair Witch Project while we were recording, and Savanna is officially the first person to sell me on a romance novel that I’m actually excited to read. (hint: it involves historical fiction.) Plus, she recommends some of her favorite mysteries.

And don’t forget about my book giveaway for Emma Cline’s The Guest! Head over to my Instagram Page to enter.

Link to listen: https://www.jennifercaloyeras.com/podcast

08/05/2023

Out today on Episode #102 of Books Are My People: a podcast for book lovers, listen and learn about Katie Mouallek’s life as an editor living in Amsterdam, her love of Southern storytelling and her number one tip for writers revising their own work. Link to listen in bio. The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Beamer is a novel that Katie helped edit, and it comes out tomorrow!

https://www.buzzsprout.com/486445/episodes/12793923

08/05/2023

On episode 101 I speak with lawyer by day and Bookstagrammer all other hours, Caroline Dreyfus of . She shares three books that make her happy, including one that she wants to hug for the rest of her life. How’s that for an endorsement? Learn how she fits so much reading into her very busy life.

Also, we get a guest book recommendation from Chanel Cleeton, author of the recently published (and highly entertaining) The Cuban Heiress.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/486445/episodes/12698414

27/03/2023

What do the novels Crazy Rich Asians, Station Eleven, The Flight Attendant and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow all have in common? Aside from being wildly successful, they were all edited by Jenny Jackson who is this week’s guest on Books Are My People. We discuss Jenny’s new novel, Pineapple Street, her inspiration for writing the novel as well as what it’s like to influence the cultural zeitgeist. Listen to find out how you can win your very own copy of this wonderfully entertaining novel. Visit https://www.buzzsprout.com/486445/12515613 to listen

13/03/2023

https://www.jennifercaloyeras.com/blog/episode-98-with-rebecca-makkai

Today, on episode 98 of Books Are My People, I’m joined by the brilliant Rebecca Makkai. A Guggenheim fellow, Rebecca and I talk about her latest novel, I Have Some Questions For You, as well as audience culpability, the fetishization of young dead women and she recommends her favorite boarding school book. (Hint: it’s not The Secret History.)