The SSR Podcast

For the last-ever guest episode of SSR, Alli is thrilled to revisit a book by one of her personal favorites, Sharon Creech. The book is Absolutely Normal Chaos, a diary-style read from the '90s that serves as a fascinating entry point to grief and loss for young readers. Tune in for a discussion about the emotional roller coaster of the book, but also for some comparing and contrasting with Creech's other work, reflections on friendship and early relationships, and more.Rebecca Fishbein is the author of Good Things Happen to People You Hate and Floral Estrangements. Follow her on Instagram @bfishbfish.CHECK OUT REBECCA'S PREVIOUS APPEARANCE ON SSR HERE!CHECK OUT REBECCA'S BOOKS: Floral EstrangementsGood Things Happen to People You HateCHECK OUT REBECCA'S BOOK RECOMMENDATION: Good Material by Dolly AldertonMORE READING: "Absolutely Normal Chaos" (Kirkus, 1995)

Add this to the list of Alli's favorite SSR reads of all-time—and just in time for the show to say goodbye in a couple of weeks! Nearly 20 years after it was published and won a Newbery Honor, Shannon Hale's Princess Academy was a delight to read and discuss. The book inspires conversations on Episode 316 about everything from hometown pride and tropes about female bodies to the value of education and lame princes. Alli's guest also blows her mind with some facts about 2025 slang.London Sperry's debut novel Passion Project hits shelves on 4/8/25. Follow her on Instagram @londonsperrywrites.CHECK OUT LONDON'S BOOK HERE! CHECK OUT LONDON'S BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: Wedding Dashers by Heather McBreenLet's Call a Truce by Amy BuchananUnromance by Erin ConnorYou Between the Lines by Katie NaymonBut How Are You, Really by Ella DawsonMORE READING: "Book Review: Princess Academy by Shannon Hale" (Books: A True Story, 2013)"Review: Princess Academy" (The Princess Blog, 2018)"Book Review: Princess Academy by Shannon Hale" (Turn the Page, 2012)"Shannon Hale Says Her Novels Are Not 'Girl Books'" (Bustle, 2015)"Q&A with Shannon Hale" (Publishers Weekly, 2015)"One Things Leads to Another: An Interview with Shannon Hale" (The Hub, 2014)

On this last installment of our monthly SSR: WTF (WriTing Friends) series, Alli and Abby look to the future!In anticipation of the 2026 publication of Alli's debut novel, they discuss all things book promotion: book events, PR boxes, social media icks, supporting authors online and IRL, newsletters, pre-orders, and more. They also chat more about the decision to end SSR and give you a preview of their future (potential) collaborations!CHECK OUT AND SUBSCRIBE TO ABBY'S SUBSTACK NEWSLETTER HERE! BOOK SHOUTOUTS: Written: How to Keep Writing and Build a Habit That Lasts by Bec Evans and Chris Smith

Bad news: this is the last Baby-Sitters Club-centric episode of SSR.Good news: this is an amazing Baby-Sitters Club-centric episode of SSR!This week, former BSC superfan Saumya Dave joins Alli for one final trip to Stoneybrook to hang with everyone's favorite young entrepreneurs. They discuss the sixty-fifth book in the series, Stacey's Big Crush, along with hot teachers, women in STEM, all-consuming crushes, long school days, portrayals of divorce in books, goat sitting, and how the baby-sitters have helped us understand ourselves over the years.Saumya Dave is the author of Well-Behaved Indian Women, What a Happy Family, and—most recently—The Guilt Pill, which was inspired by her work as a pyschiatrist. Follow her on Instagram @saumyajdave.CHECK OUT SAUMYA'S BOOKS:Well-Behaved Indian WomenWhat a Happy FamilyThe Guilt Pill CHECK OUT ASHA'S BOOK RECOMMENDATION: Yellowface by R.F. KuangThe Push by Ashley AudrainThe Other Lata by Kirthana RamisettiMORE READING: "Stacey's Big Crush" (The Baby-Sitters Club Wiki)"#65: Stacey's Big Crush" (Live the Movies)"Stacey's Big Crush" (Baby-Sitters Club Snark-fest!)

Beyond the ivy-covered walls of the Constance Billard School and the moneyed Upper East Side is upstate New York and the equally moneyed Waverly Academy—and Jenny Humphrey is bound for them as we meet her at the start of Gossip Girl spin-off, The It Girl! Episode 313 is a juicy deep dive into all things Boarding School Jenny: rich kids, nuanced mean girls, problematic love affairs, hedonism, and the deliciously nostalgic aesthetic of the Gossip Girl extended universe.Asha Elias is the author of Pink Glass Houses and the forthcoming The Namaste Club. Follow her on Instagram @asha.sue.elias.CHECK OUT ASHA'S BOOKS: Pink Glass Houses The Namaste ClubCHECK OUT ASHA'S BOOK RECOMMENDATION: Don't Be a Stranger by Susan MinotMORE READING: "The It Girl (Novel Series)" (Gossip Girl Wiki)"The It Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar Review" (Courtney Shek, 2024)"Review: It Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar" (Grown Up Book Reports, 2017)

This week, Alli and her guest revisit some required reading from their school days in Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. Picking up this 1966 novel was just as emotional and thought-provoking as picking up the 1959 short story was years ago, and this time around, they unpack the experience together on the podcast. Tune in for conversations about their fuzzy memories of reading Flowers for Algernon as kids, the book's classification in the science fiction genre, the differences between intelligence and life experience and kindness, icky depictions of women, animal testing, the linguistic challenges of dissecting a book like this, and so much more.TW: sexual shameEmma R. Alban is a screenwriter and a USA Today bestselling queer historical romance author. Her books include Don't Want You Like a Best Friend and You're the Problem, It's You. Follow her on Instagram @eraofemma.CHECK OUT EMMA'S BOOKS: Don't Want You Like a Best FriendYou're the Problem, It's YouCHECK OUT EMMA'S BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: The In-Between Bookstore by Edward UnderhillA Rival Most Vile by R.K. AshwickA Captured Cauldron by R.K. AshwickMORE READING: "Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes—review" (The Guardian, 2016)"Book Review: Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes" (David Bruns, 2014)"Book Review: Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes" (Frappes and Fiction, 2020)"Flowers for Algernon: Book Review" (Threefold Advocate, 2023)"Flowers for Algernon" (Kirkus, 1966)"Review of Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes" (Rhapsody in Books, 2018)