The SSR Podcast

This week, join Alli and her guest for an exciting voyage to Antarctica… and also for a conversation about Troubling a Star by Madeleine L’Engle. The fifth installment in L’Engle’s beloved Austin Family Chronicles series, the book was published in 1994 and explores subjects of espionage, nuclear waste dumping, drug trafficking, and more. Join the fun as we try to unpack all of it—and don’t be turned off if you’re not familiar with the story. Alli and Elise both read Troubling a Star, and they’re still not sure how much they know about it.Elise Hu is a journalist, podcaster, and entrepreneur. Host of TED Talks Daily and co-host of Forever 35, Elise also recently published Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital. Follow her on Instagram @elisewho.CHECK OUT ELISE’S BOOK HERE!CHECK OUT OUR PREVIOUS MADELEINE L’ENGLE EPISODES:Episode 15: A Wrinkle in TimeEpisode 184: A Ring of Endless LightCHECK OUT ELISE’S BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:What Looks Like Bravery: An Epic Journey Through Loss to Love by Laurel BraitmanToward Eternity by Anton HurYou Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke EmeziThick: And Other Essays by Tressie McMillan CottomMORE READING:“Troubling a Star, by Madeleine L’Engle” (Pickle Me This, 2019)“Troubling a Star by Madeleine L’Engle” (Fill Your Bookshelf, 2020)“Troubling a Star” (Kirkus, 1994)“Book Review: Troubling a Star by Madeleine L’Engle (1994)” (Read-at-Home Mom, 2014)“The Creepy Authoritarianism of Madeleine L’Engle” (The Paris Review, 2019)

Join Alli as she marks the big 3-0-0 with a rare (and unscripted!) solo show. She reflects on why she struggled to plan this special episode, what she’s been thinking about as this milestone approaches, the journey she’s taken with SSR since 2018, and the behind-the-scenes struggles she rarely shares. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Cheers to 300 episodes!

As you wish(ed), listeners, it’s time to unpack The Princess Bride. Alli and her guest focus on the 1973 novel by William Goldman but bring in lots of context from the cult classic movie, as well. Adventures, unreasonable beauty standards, metanarratives, beloved characters, and iconic lines abound!Georgia Clark is an award-winning, six-times published novelist and performer. She’s the author of Island Time, It Had to Be You, The Regulars, The Bucket List, and others. Her latest novel, Most Wonderful, is now out and ready to claim its spot on your holiday season TBR. Follow Georgia on Instagram @georgialouclark.CHECK OUT GEORGIA’S BOOKS:Island TimeIt Had to Be YouThe RegularsThe Bucket ListMost WonderfulCHECK OUT GEORGIA’S BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:All Fours by Miranda JulyWhoever You Are, Honey by Olivia GatwoodThe Prospects by Kt HoffmanFang Fiction by Kate Stayman-LondonMORE READING:“Book Review: The Princess Bride by William Goldman” (Lara’s Wanderings, 2020)“The Princess Bride: We love the book and the film” (Fantasy Literature)“The Princess Bride at 50” (Quillette, 2023)“Book Review — The Princess Bride by William Goldman” (Muse With Me, 2018)“The Princess Bride: The ‘Good Parts’” (Out of the Box, 2017)

Almost seven years into SSR, we’ve covered almost all of Judy Blume’s kid lit masterpieces. On Episode 298, Alli and her guest dive into a Blume novel that feels like something of an outlier: Tiger Eyes, which was published in 1981. In it, Judy takes a darker tone, exploring matters of violence, loss, hypocrisy, and mental health. Tune in to learn more about how Tiger Eyes stands apart from the rest of Blume’s beloved backlist and what makes it special.TW: infertility, gun violence, substance abuse, anxiety, depressionCourtney Preiss is the author of Welcome Home, Caroline Kline. Follow her on Instagram @cocogolightly.CHECK OUT COURTNEY’S BOOK HERE!CHECK OUT COURTNEY’S BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:The Wedding People by Alison EspachSo Thirsty by Rachel HarrisonMORE READING:“Life in Books: Tiger Eyes” (Much Madness is Divinest Sense, 2010)“Judy Blume Hits The Big Screen With Tiger Eyes Adaptation” (NPR, 2013)“Tiger Eyes: Judy Blume’s book and its film adaptation” (American Indians in Children’s Literature, 2012)“Willa Holland Tells Us All About Starring in the Judy Blume Flick Tiger Eyes” (Teen Vogue, 2013)“Judy Blume on the Tiger Eyes Film, What She’s Reading, and Why Moms Can’t Get Their Daughters to Read Her Books” (Vanity Fair, 2013)

At long last, it's John Green time! Episode 297 unpacks Looking for Alaska, the YA superstar's award-winning debut novel. Conversations range from manic pixie dream girls and the male gaze to addiction and the problematic language that made Alli and her guest cringe in 2024.TW: suicide, addiction, parental lossAlissa DeRogatis is the author of Call It What You Want. Subscribe to her Substack newsletterProbably Oversharing and follow her on Instagram @alissaderogatis.CHECK OUT ALISSA’S BOOK HERE!CHECK OUT ALISSA’S BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:Old Enough by Haley JakobsonIt’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned VizziniOTHER BOOK SHOUTOUTS:Prep by Curtis SittenfeldMagnolia Parks by Jessa HastingsMORE READING:“Looking for Alaska” (Kirkus, 2005)“Book Nook: Looking for Alaska” (Shorewood Ripples, 2022)“Book Review: Looking for Alaska by John Green” (Of Whiskey and Words)“Book Review: Looking for Alaska by John Green” (A Paper Arrow, 2019)“Looking for Alaska by John Green — review” (The Guardian, 2013)“Looking for Alaska” (School Library Journal, 2005)“Book Review for Teens: John Green Looking for Alaska” (Your Teen, 2014)“Book Review: Looking for Alaska” (Sara du Jour, 2014)“How Hulu’s Looking for Alaska Updates John Green’s Book for a New Generation” (Time, 2019)

Abby and Alli welcome their first-ever guest to the WriTing Friends series for a conversation about the publishing process, astrology, and everything in between.Carinn Jade is the co-host of Pop Fiction Women and the author of The Astrology House. Follow her on Instagram @carinnjade.

Longtime listeners know that Sarah Dessen books always, always bring the spice and juicy discussion to the podcast. This episode is no exception as Alli and her guest dish about 1998's Someone Like You. The book tackles a lot of issues—and we try to do the same on today's show. Topics include bad boyfriends, intense friendships, losing your virginity, teen pregnancy, and tension between kids and parents.Aurora Palit's debut novel Sunshine and Spice is now available wherever books are sold. Follow her on Instagram @aurorapalit.

Jump aboard Episode 293 for a transatlantic voyage on the gorgeous writing of kid lit GOAT, Sharon Creech. This week, it's all about her 2000 Newbery Honor winner, The Wanderer, and the big thinking it inspires. Alli and her guest dive into discussions of trauma, accidental feminism, real-world fantasy, diary-style writing, and so much more. Charlee Dyroff is the author of Loneliness & Company. Follow her on Instagram @charleedyroff.