Episode 40 - Character Studies with Jocelyn Aspa
On this episode, bookstagrammer and journalist Jocelyn Aspa and I discuss books with extensive character development, how everything makes us cry, and why we gravitate towards books with low ratings on Goodreads. We also discuss how we determine books to pack on a trip which can be a little extra.
Books mentioned in this episode:
What Betsy’s reading:
Devil is Fine by John Vercher
Original Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism by Eve L. Ewing
Books Highlighted by Jocelyn:
4 3 2 1 by Paul Auster
Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica, trans. Sarah Moses
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Same as it Ever Was by Clarie Lombardo
The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickels
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood
Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall
All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.
Other books mentioned in this episode:
There’s a Nightmare in my Closet by Mercer Mayer
Normal People by Sally Rooney
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
Fire Exit by Morgan Talty
Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
Maeve Fly by C.J. Leede
Books with Betsy
Books with Betsy is a podcast that celebrates the reading life of all readers. Each week, Betsy interviews a different person about their reading life. Listen for book recommendations, reading tips, and to join in the joy that reading brings. And remember, anyone who reads is a reader.
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