Join podcaster and debut author Alli Hoff Kosik as she traces the lifelong origin story of her first novel in this six-part miniseries.

From playing guest at over-the-top bat mitzvahs and experiencing youth group retreat envy to falling down the online rabbit hole of Christian influencers during the pandemic lockdown, she'll go allllll the way back to the beginning in her quest to answer one question: how does a cultural Jew from a mixed-faith background find herself writing a book set in hardcore megachurch culture?

Pre-order Too Blessed to Stress HERE!

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In the first episode of a special mini-series leading up to the release of her debut novel, Too Blessed to Stress, Alli Hoff Kosik pulls back the curtain on how this book came to be... and why it’s the last subject she ever expected to write about.

With pub day just weeks away (March 3, 2026), Alli sets aside the logistics of publishing to explore the deeper story: how a culturally Jewish, largely agnostic kid became fascinated by the spectacle, power, and contradictions of white evangelical megachurch culture. Through vivid childhood memories—first Holy Communions she didn’t attend, Christmas pageantry she was meant to observe from a distance, and an unforgettable Rockettes nativity scene—Alli traces how early experiences with religion taught her to watch closely without choosing sides.

As Alli begins connecting the dots between her upbringing, pop culture, and the story she couldn’t not write, this episode sets the stage for the series to come—and the book she hopes you'll pick up in just a few weeks!

• Too Blessed to Stress — available for pre-order now
• Events for Too Blessed to Stress
• Follow Alli on Instagram: @allihoffkosik
• Follow Alli on Substack: Getting It Alli Together

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Episode 2 of BTS: TBTS, Alli moves from elementary school into the emotional chaos of middle school—and deeper into her role as an observer of religion, tradition, and belonging.

As a new kid in a new town, she reflects on extravagant bar and bat mitzvahs, standing on the edge of dance floors, and what it felt like to be close to faith communities without ever fully feeling inside them. The episode then fast-forwards to high school, where a confident, faith-rooted best friend and a sweet first boyfriend offer new glimpses of belief, love, and community—still appealing, still not quite hers.

These experiences continue laying the groundwork for Alli’s debut novel, Too Blessed to Stress.

In this episode:

• Middle school moves, culture shock, and tween awkwardness
• Bar and bat mitzvahs as a window into belonging
• Faith, friendship, and first love in high school
• Longing, observation, and the universal desire to fit in

Next up: pop culture, televangelism, and a shift in perspective.

• Too Blessed to Stress — available for pre-order now
• Events for Too Blessed to Stress
• Follow Alli on Instagram: @allihoffkosik
• Follow Alli on Substack: Getting It Alli Together

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.