Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: A Romance Novel Podcast

A few months ago, Kayleigh Donaldson joined me to discuss Oscar predictions and other pop culture stories, and we decided to connect quarterly to discuss popular culture.We discuss the misogyny attached to Timothy Chalamet hate, a deep dive into the public post history of Club Chalamet as indicative of larger issues in fandom behavior, Madonna’s new album, Lizzo’s new album, and the Tartan Army.The through-line of our conversation is really fandoms, specifically changing fan and audience behavior for better or for worse, what it means, why it’s happening, and maybe, how can it stop already.When two book bloggers who have been on the internet for a good while discuss pop culture, it’s a very good time.You can find Kayleigh Donaldson at her website, KayleighDonaldson.com, on Bluesky, and on Pajiba.com. You can also sign up for her (excellent) newsletter, Gossip Reading Club.You can find Kayleigh on the following episodes:576. BookTok, Hockey Romance, and People as Products with Kayleigh Donaldson678. The Osmanification of Fiction Covers with Kayleigh Donaldson703. Oscars and Gossip with Kayleigh DonaldsonWe also mentioned:IG: footage of Madonna and Connor Storrie at Paris Fashion WeekWidow’s BayBitch by LizzoConfessions 2 by MadonnaMy Lady JaneDo you like to listen to your favorite podcasts on YouTube?https://www.youtube.com/@SmartPodcastTrashyBooks

My guest this week is Kirsty Greenwood, whose new book Romantic Hero is out now everywhere, all over the world.Kirsty writes what she calls “speculative romantic comedy,” and I really loved her first book, Love of my Afterlife.We discuss SHOCKING topics like deleting the first book she tried to write, the character journeys in Romantic Hero, dealing with writer’s block, and punching people in the face.Want to watch this episode? Find us on YouTube!New! I’m posting clips from Romantic Times Rewind on TikTok! ...You can find Kirsty Greenwood at her website, KirstyGreenwood.com, and sign up for her newsletter. You can also find her on Instagram and on Facebook at KirstyGreenwoodBooks.You can also listen to us discussing Love of my Afterlife in Episode 622. The Love of My Afterlife with Kirsty Greenwood.

The time machine is all charged up, and we’re headed back to May 1996 to take a look at the ads & features from Romantic Times magazine. It’s the late 90s, so you know that means Incredible Cover Art.We also discover just how much creepy stuff Amanda owns currently, debates about babies in romance, cheap conference hotel rooms, woman flamingos, and incredible women heroines.I don’t know if you’re a video watcher, but the video for this episode has ALL the visuals on screen. But if you’re NOT a video watcher, the visual aids were so bountiful I needed to give them their own post. 

My guest today is bestselling author Ashley Poston, whose new book, The Someday Garden, is out this week.The Someday Garden was inspired by The Secret Garden, so we’re going to talk about inspiration, gardening, fandoms, changing genres and having your readers grow up with you as a writer.TW/CW – discussion of grief, and of suicide at almost exactly 1 hour into our conversation.You can find Ashley Poston on her website, AshPoston.com, on IG as @HeyAshPoston, and on Threads @HeyAshPoston.We also mentioned:Diary X (RIP)Cheerful Plants app (when to water your succulents!)AppleAndroidHeated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Parody Musical Boothbay Garden, MaineJardin de Quatre-Vents, Quebec, CanadaThe Butchart Garden, British Columbia, CanadaDo you like to listen to your favorite podcasts on YouTube? We’re there, too! Come on over!

We love the 90s, and that’s where we’re headed this month, gazing at the impossible mullets from Romantic Times magazine.We’re talking about the newest books from May 1996, including the second book in what is now a 15-book much-loved series, and some truly memorable character names.We’ll investigate, “What’s wrong with this man?” We’ll have “lashings of good fun.” Plus we learn a SHOCKING TRUTH about Amanda’s reading history.Want to watch on YouTube?We also mentioned:Movie PooperClassic Romance: Which One First? Nora Roberts EditionMy Reddit post about the centerfoldMusic: Purple-planet.com  

Martha Wells is back, and we are taking a deep spoilery dive into Platform Decay.I want to be clear here: if you haven’t read Platform Decay, we are about to spoil the dickens out of it. Yes, Charles Dickens is in Platform Decay, you heard it here first. We’re going to discuss infrastructure fury, trains in Japan, Honor Princess Detective, and more – and when I say we are spoiling, we are spoiling.In other words, if you haven’t read Platform Decay, and you don’t want to know much about the story, skip this episode until after you’ve read it. This is a very book club kind of conversation.You can find Martha Wells on her website, MarthaWells.com, and she's on Bluesky, Goodreads, and Instagram.Please note: Martha Wells is NOT on Threads or Facebook. If someone contacts you on there, it is not really her! We also mentioned:Legend of Zeng HaiUnveil: Jadewind