ReadMore

29/12/2023

This was one of our favorite short story collections of 2023. Listen to our latest episode to find out how to win a free copy. Link in comments.

29/12/2023

New show out today featuring Jennifer Maritza McCauley. Her short story collection, When Trying to Return Home, was one of our favorites of 2023.

It features Black and Black Latino characters who are desperately trying to get to a place of safety and to figure out what that place is.

Please listen to find out how to win a copy of this collection, which was on several "best of" 2023 lists.

Jennifer Maritza McCauley discusses her short story collection, When Trying to Return Home, the writers she adores, and how a close family member has influenced her work.

24/11/2023

Looking for a Black Friday deal? Listen to our latest show to find out how to win a free copy of Jonathan Escoffery's If I Survive You.

This linked short story collection is up for the Booker Prize. It tackles some pretty tough topics such as racial identity and father-son relationships with care and humor.

18/11/2023

New special Saturday edition of the ReadMore Podcast out today featuring Jonathan Escoffery. His award-winning, debut short story collection, If I Survive You, is amazing.

We caught up with Jonathan ahead of his appearance at the Miami Book Fair tomorrow.

His linked short story collection is about a couple from Jamaica that immigrated to the US in the 1970s with their first child. They settled in Miami and added another son to their family, Trelawney, who really struggles with his identity. Everyone asks him, "What are you?" due to his light complexion. He doesn't fit in with the Black people in his community, nor is he accepted by the Latinos of any race who live near him.

The book also examines Miami hustle culture and the sometimes complicated relationships between fathers and sons.

Listen to find out how to win a free copy of If I Survive You.

Author Jonathan Escoffery discusses his award-winning, debut, short story collection If I Survive You, the perils of writing about identity, and the question he's so tired of answering.

21/10/2023

This picture book biography of Coretta Scott King is so beautiful. Check out our interview with author Alice Faye Duncan. She explains what led her to write this book and what most surprised her about Coretta Scott King. Listen to find out how to win a free copy. (https://rb.gy/t9wfq)

20/10/2023

I know it has been a minute. But ReadMore friends, we are back.

New show out today featuring Alice Faye Duncan, a noted children's book author. We discuss her latest, Coretta's Journey: The Life and Times of Coretta Scott King. This is Alice Faye's second time on the show, and she is just a pure delight.

Even if you are an adult, you will learn something from this book. Please take a listen and find out to win a free copy.

Children's book author Alice Faye Duncan discusses her latest book, Coretta's Journey: The Life and Times of Coretta Scott King, how King was shaped by her unconventional upbringing, and why she encou

22/04/2023

New show out today featuring one of our favorite guests, Natalia Sylvester. Her award-winning YA novel, Breathe and Count Back from Ten, is about Verónica Renteria a Peruvian American teenager who has hip dysplasia and longs to be a mermaid in a Central Florida tourist attraction. But her strict parents are completely against it, and they aren't telling her the whole truth about her condition. Listen to find out how to win a free copy of this wonderful novel.

Awarding winning author Natalia Sylvester discusses her YA novel, Breathe and Count Back From Ten, what it was like to write a book she's been dreaming about her whole life, and whether she'll be goin

24/03/2023

New show out today! Please check out our latest episode with Jennifer Rosner. We discuss her new novel, Once We Were Home, which is about children in Europe who were stolen during or immediately after WWII. Some were Jewish kids whose parents left them with Christian families or nuns for safekeeping. After the war, the church didn't always want to return these children to surviving family members. Other were snatched by activists who wanted to take them to Palestine. The book also explores a N**i program that took children who looked A***n from occupied countries such as Poland and placed them with German couples.

Jennifer writes beautifully about the trauma these children faced and how they grappled with issues concerning identity.

Take a listen, and find out how to win a free copy.

Author Jennifer Rosner discusses her novel, Once We Were Home, which is about children stolen during or immediately after WWII, what sparked her interest in this topic, and how her work was influenced

22/02/2023

Have you checked out our latest show? It features Lisa Williamson Rosenberg discussing her debut novel, Embers on the Wind. It's about a home in Massachusetts that was a stop on the Underground Railroad. It's now an Airbnb, and it's haunted by two enslaved women who died there. This novel explores freedom and what it means to be free. The ghosts have particularly interesting encounters with the Black women who visit the property.

Please take a listen, and let us know what you think.

One lucky listener from Illinois has already won a free copy of this novel. Thanks for listening, Diane!

Author Lisa Williamson Rosenberg discusses her debut novel, Embers on the Wind, how her job as a psychotherapist influences her work, and why she doesn't matter that much if a book doesn't include Bla

27/01/2023

New ReadMore podcast out today featuring Celeste Mohammed.

We discuss her critically acclaimed novel-in-stories, Pleasantview, which takes place in a fictional town by the same name in Trinidad. She says she wanted to dispel some of the myths about Caribbean life that are held by many people in North America.

These stories highlight the racial, ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic diversity found in Trinidad and the conflicts that arise among the various groups. The wealthy businessmen and women of the island prey on the poor, and women face the brunt of the abuse. Her characters are memorable and their stories will stay with you a long time.

Listen to find out how to win a free copy of Pleasantview.

Author Celeste Mohammed discusses her critically acclaimed novel-in-stories, Pleasantview, commonly held myths about Caribbean cultures, and how her former career as an attorney shapes her writing.

16/01/2023

Have you listened to our latest show with Leila Mottley? We enjoyed talking to her about her debut novel, Nightcrawling, and what she likes to read. Check out her take on reading what you want to versus what you "should."

07/01/2023

New show out today featuring Leila Mottley discussing her critically acclaimed debut novel, Nightcrawling. This book will break your heart. It's about Kiara Johnson, a teenage girl who is the victim of sexual exploitation by police in Oakland. The novel was inspired by a true story.

Leila has a remarkable story herself. She wrote the novel when she was 17. It has since gone on to become a New York Times bestseller and an Oprah's Book Club selection.

Listen to find out how to win a free copy.

Author Leila Mottley discusses her critically acclaimed debut novel, Nightcrawling, which she wrote at 17, why she feels like her age was an advantage in telling this story, and why she's not sweating

26/12/2022

What do you do if a book just isn't doing it for you? Our latest guest Rasheed Newson has this advice on the subject:

23/12/2022

New show out today featuring Rasheed Newson! His critically acclaimed debut novel, My Government Means to Kill Me, is about a young, gay, Black man living in New York City just as the AIDS crisis is beginning. Despite that gritty subject matter, this a fun read. Trey is someone you will root for and be amazed by.

Listen to find out how to win a free copy!

Author Rasheed Newson discusses his critically acclaimed debut novel, My Government Means to Kill Me, why he wants it to be a guide of sorts for young people, and why he initially called it "an aggres

09/12/2022

EDITED TO ADD: Earlier today we accidentally shared the raw file of our interview with Ayanna Lloyd Banwo. Please forgive us. I hope you will listen to the corrected file. We really had a great conversation about her novel, When We Were Birds, and the line between Caribbean myths and realities.

It's a ReadMore Friday! New show out today with a new sponsor, Butters & Bars, a Black woman owned and operated skin care company.

This week's show features Ayanna Lloyd Banwo discussing her debut novel, When We Were Birds. It tells the story of Yejide (YAY-gee-day) and Darwin, two classic outsiders living in Trinidad. Yejide comes from a long line of women who are responsible for ushering the dead into the afterlife. Darwin is a reluctant gravedigger. This type of work goes against his Rastafarian faith. The two come together and have an amazing connection.

Listen to find out how to win a free copy of When We Were Birds. And, then go to readmorepodcast.com to find out how to snag a big discount from our sponsor, Butters & Bars.

Author Ayanna Lloyd Banwo discusses her debut novel, When We Were Birds, how her writing was influenced by West African stories about people flying, and why sometimes she has to read "racist fools."

07/12/2022

Loved talking to Mecca Jamilah Sullivan about her coming-of-age novel Big Girl. It tells the story of Malaya Clondon, a girl growing up in Harlem in the 80s and 90s who faces body shaming about her size during a time when most of us didn't have the language to talk about that issue. Listen to the full episode to find out how to win a free copy.

27/11/2022

New show out today with Mecca Jamilah Sullivan. Some tech issues prevented us from getting this show out to you on Friday, but we couldn't let the weekend go by without you hearing from us.

Mecca's critically acclaimed debut novel, Big Girl, is a coming-of-age story about Malaya (Ma-LIE-ya) Clondon, a girl growing up in Harlem in the 80s and 90s.

Malaya is facing all of the typical tribulations of adolescence, but she's doing it in a big body that most of those closest to her scorn.

Their abuse leads to her overeating as she finds comfort in food. Later, she finds solace in hip-hop, particularly the music of Biggie Smalls

I loved Malaya's story. She is a character you will root for. Listen to find out how to win a free copy of Big Girl.

Author Mecca Jamilah Sullivan discusses her debut novel, Big Girl, body shaming in the Black community, and the inspiration of '90s' era hip-hop.

11/11/2022

It's a ReadMore Friday! New show out today featuring Dionne Irving. We discuss her new short story collection, The Islands, which was published earlier this month. All of the characters in the collection are either Jamaican immigrants or the children of Jamaican immigrants. Dionne grew up in Toronto, the child of Jamaican immigrants.

We talk about how her upbringing influenced her career as a writer, the loneliness inherent in immigration, and the pressures women face when it comes to balancing work and motherhood.

Please take a listen and find out how to win a free copy!

Author Dionne Irving discusses her short story collection, The Islands, how immigration can be so lonely and isolating, and how women are affected by the notion that they can have it all.

01/11/2022

This week's guest, Meng Jin, explores our strong desire for connection in her short story collection, Self-Portrait with Ghost, which was written during the first year of the pandemic. Listen to find out how to win a free copy.

28/10/2022

New show out today featuring Meng Jin. Her short story collection, Self-Portrait with Ghost, was written during the first year of the pandemic, and it's about the effect of isolation and the desire for connection. Many of the 10 stories in the collection feature speculative elements and will definitely keep you guessing from the first page to the last.

Listen to find how to win a free copy.

Author Meng Jin discusses her short story collection, Self-Portrait with Ghost, why she's interested in death, and the book she finds "infinitely tedious."

14/10/2022

It's a ReadMore Friday! New show out today featuring Toni Ann Johnson. We discuss her award-winning, linked short story collection, Light Skin Gone to Waste. These stories are based on Toni's childhood in a small, nearly all-white community just north of New York City during the 60s and 70s.

We chat about the perils of writing about your family, why she did it anyway, and why she was at a low point before submitting this collection.

Listen to find out how to win a free, signed copy.

Author Toni Ann Johnson discusses her award-winning, linked short story collection, Light Skin Gone to Waste, which is based on her childhood, why she was in a dark place before submitting it, and how

24/03/2022

Talked to Nikesha Elise Williams about her latest novel, Beyond Bourbon Street, which features a couple trying to overcome past trauma to save their marriage. They repeatedly make the same mistakes as they try to find their way. I asked her if it was harder to write unlikable characters.

18/03/2022

New show out today featuring Nikesha Elise Williams! We discuss her novel, Beyond Bourbon Street, which is about a couple trying to make it in New Orleans post Katrina. They're expecting their first child, but past trauma threatens their future together. Listen to find out how to win a free copy of this award-winning novel!

Awarding-winning author Nikesha Elise Williams discusses her latest novel, Beyond Bourbon Street, why she doesn't give much thought to whether her characters are likable or not, and why New Orleans wi

05/02/2022

New show out this weekend featuring children's author Alice Faye Duncan! We discussed the two books she published in January: Evicted: The Struggle for the Right to Vote, and Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free, The True Story of the Grandmother of Juneteenth. Both are great for anyone looking to start a conversation with their kids about Black history. Evicted is a middle grade book, and the book about Opal Lee is a picture book. Listen to find out how to win free copies of both books.

Children's author Alice Faye Duncan discusses her two most recent books, Evicted: The Struggle for the Right to Vote, and Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free, writing about tough subjects for young

21/01/2022

New QuickRead version of the show out today with Natalia Sylvester. We discuss her forthcoming YA novel, Breathe and Count Back From 10, and what she's been reading lately. Check it out to find out how to win one of her other novels, Everyone Knows You Go Home or Running.

In this ReadMore Quick Read episode, author Natalia Sylvester discusses her upcoming YA novel, Breathe and Count Back From 10 and how the pandemic has affected her reading habits.

13/01/2022

On this date 12 years ago, a massive earthquake struck Haiti, killing between 250-300,000 thousand people

Myriam J.A. Chancy's novel, What Storm, What Thunder, is about that tragedy. It's a beautiful book about a devastating disaster and the equally disastrous aftermath.

Myriam was born in Port-au-Prince but now lives in the US. On our latest episode, we discussed what it was like for her to watch the tragedy from afar and why it took her 7 years to write the novel.

08/01/2022

It’s a ReadMore Friday! New show out today featuring Myriam Chancy discussing her novel, What Storm, What Thunder, why it took her so long to write, and how a visual artist started her on the journey to completing it.

What Storm, What Thunder is about the 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti. It doesn’t pull any punches about what happened, but it’s so beautifully written that it draws you in and doesn’t let you go.

Listen to find out how to win a free copy.

Author Myriam J.A. Chancy discusses her critically acclaimed novel, What Storm, What Thunder, which is about the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, why it took her so long to write, and how a visual artist was

27/12/2021

Had a blast interviewing Zaina Arafat. about her debut novel, You Exist Too Much. That line is spoken to the q***r Palestinian American protagonist by her mother. Zaina explained why she chose not to name her main character.