The SSR Podcast

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)

You already know that Ramona Quimby is curious, precocious, hilarious, and bold... but now she gets to be brave, too. On Episode 296, Alli and her guest take a close look at the third book in Beverly Cleary's beloved Ramona series, Ramona the Brave. There's classroom enemies, feminism, craft projects, scary new bedrooms, and big moments of self-esteem. What more could you want?Jessie Rosen is a writer, producer, educator, and speaker. Her novel The Heirloom is available wherever books are sold. Follow Jessie on Instagram @jessierosenwriter.CHECK OUT OUR PREVIOUS RAMONA EPISODES:Episode 18: Beezus and Ramona (with Penny Luksic)Episode 253: Ramona the Pest (with Kara Alloway)CHECK OUT JESSIE’S BOOK HERE!CHECK OUT JESSIE’S BOOK RECOMMENDATION:There’s Nothing Wrong With Her by Kate WeinbergMORE READING:“Beverly Cleary Made It OK To Be A Ramona In A World Of Susans” (BuzzFeed News, 2021)“How Ramona Quimby Helps Kids Make Sense of This Unstable World” (Literary Hub, 2019)“Ramona the Brave” (Kirkus, 1975)“Book Review: Ramona the Brave” (A Journey of Words, 2023)Follow SSR on social media!Instagram // Facebook // TwitterSupport SSR on Patreon!**Please note that the Bookshop.org links above are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase through these links. Please do not feel inclined to purchase unless you are excited to add these books to your TBR list!**

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.

Join Alli and her guest for a trip to one of our favorite settings: Stonybrook, Connecticut—home of the Baby-Sitters Club. This time, the discussion focuses on the fourth book in Ann M. Martin's beloved series, Mary Anne Saves the Day, which is a critical text in the BSC cinematic universe. Tune in to Episode 292 to hear us talk about Mary Anne's day-saving efforts, as well as conflict resolution, crisis situations before cell phones, the big Dawn intro, messages about bodies and beauty, found family, and (as always) so much more.Afoma Eme-Umesi is a writer, voracious reader, and the founder of Reading Middle Grade, a website dedicated to sharing books for middle grade readers. Afoma loves contemporary realistic fiction and will never say no to a graphic novel. Follow her on Instagram @whatafomareads, check out Reading Middle Grade's Patreon, and sign up for her newsletter.

At long last, we tackle the final book in the original Hunger Games trilogy: Mockingjay. This is a heavy book, so there's lots to get into in this episode: cycles of violence, the consequences of war, what it means to be a symbol, PTSD, and plenty of moral ambiguity. And it wouldn't be a Hunger Games episode (of course) without a Team Gale vs. Team Peeta debate—and this one gets especially spicy! TW: suicide, PTSD, traumaE.B. Asher is the pen name for the writing trio of Bridget Morrissey, Emily Wibberley, and Austin Siegemund-Broka, all of whom have written many books under their own names. This Will Be Fun is their debut novel under the E.B. Asher pseudonym. Follow their work on Instagram @eb_asher.

Welcome back to SSR: WriTing Friends! This time around, Alli and Abby are digging a little deeper into one of their favorite elements of the writing process: creating characters. They discuss what inspires their characters, how they create nuanced fictional people, and what it's like to find compassion for antagonists. They also consider the challenges that come with being more drawn to characters than plot and how much their characters resemble themselves. Follow Abby on Instagram @shmab and @abookwolfe.