S6E3: Settle in for a cozy and long overdue catch up with us! Life has been busy lately and it’s time for the two of us to debrief the start of the fall season, the back-to-school rush, and all the changes that have come with it. From moving countries, starting new jobs, solo trips, and all the little things, we had a lot to chat about. And of course, being us, somehow everything relates back to books and bookish things. What can we say – being a booklover (read, Literary It Girl) is a lifestyle!

If you love books, like really love books, you’ve probably dreamed of opening your own bookstore – we definitely have! Well, in this episode we’re getting ALL THE TEA on running a bookstore from Jamie Fortin, owner of Friends to Lovers, a romance bookstore in Alexandria, VA. From building a community to overcoming challenges (like a fire that almost shut her down before day 1!) and having fun with it all, Jamie has created a thriving business that proves that independent bookstores are here to stay. If you want to know what it takes to open a bookstore, or any business for that matter, this is an episode you must listen to. As Jamie says, if she can do it, you can too!

Season 6 of the Hot Girls Read podcast has officially begun! We are opening the season by chatting with Kailu Yu: author, travel writer, and former pop star. Kaila’s recently released book, Fetishized, is a collection of essays that explore Kaila’s first hand experience of the fetishization of Asian women in the US during the early ‘00s. Not only do we cover everything from ABGs, import modelling, the fetishization of robots, and the current reality of racism towards Asians in the United States, but we also talk about Kaila’s journey from model and pop star to writer. This one is a conversation that touches on a little bit of everything!

Tune in for our interview with software engineer and author, Liz Shipton. With her upcoming release Dot Slash Magic, we cover a multitude of topics: the consequences of AI and its effect on the publishing industry, Liz’s writing inspiration, her journey as an author and viral presence on Booktok, and much more! We end with a debate about the enemies to lovers trope: is it simply a marketing ploy or is it really a key hingepoint of a plot? Listen and find out!

Temperatures are rising on the Hot Girls Read podcast! It’s the middle of summer making it the perfect time to serve up some hot girl summer reading recommendations. Whether you’re on a beachside holiday or trying to stay cool at home, this is a must-listen episode showcasing a variety of reads to keep you company during the heat. Organized by fiction, non-fiction, and fantasy, tune in for everything from steamy scenes and unhinged characters to short, sweltering stories.

Reading List:

• Beach Read by Emily Henry

• Big Fan by Alexandra Romanoff

• Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage

• The Most Famous Girl in the World by Iman Hariri-Kia

• The Dating Plan by Sara Desai

• Praise by Sara Cate

• Stories for Summer and Days by the Pool - British Library Women Writers

• Games at Twilight by Anita Desai

• Crime and Punishment by Dostyvesky

• Weekend Wodehouse by P.G Wodehouse

• By the River, Essays From the Waters Edge

• Women Hollering Creek by Sandra Cisneros

• Tell Me I’m Not on Fire by Nicolette Daskalakis

• Brandy Sour by Constantina Soteriou

• Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton

• Attached by Amir Levine and Rachel S. F. Heller

• Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski

• King Kong Theory by Virginie Despentes

• The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

• Neon Gods by Katee Robert

• Heirs of the Cursed by L.C. Emerson and Denna Selen

We have another exciting author interview, this time with debut sci-fi/fantasy writer Mina Brower! Mina is an author, mother, and lawyer, and not only do we talk about the inspiration behind her book, A God of Moonlight and Stardust, but we also find out how Mina got started as a writer and balances her creative practices with being a partner at her law firm and a new mother. At the end of the conversation, Mina gives us a teaser for her next book, An Heir of Darkness and Ruin, coming out July 30!

TW: Grief, loss, abuse, miscarriage

You can find Mina at @minabrowerauthor on Instagram and minabrowerbooks.com.

This week’s short story is a bit of a longer story that we have broken down into a couple of parts for you guys! In Part I, we talk about our journey starting the very famous creativity course, The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. We discuss where we are in the course, how we’re faring, what we’re liking, what we’re struggling with, and more! If you have ever thought about starting The Artist’s Way, are currently working through it, or have heard about it but aren’t sure what it’s all about, you won’t want to miss this conversation! In Part II, we chat about some fun bookish events we’ve recently attended, the highlight being the Capital Crime literary festival in London.

This week’s short story is a bit of a longer story that we have broken down into a couple of parts for you guys! In Part I, we talk about our journey starting the very famous creativity course, The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. We discuss where we are in the course, how we’re faring, what we’re liking, what we’re struggling with, and more! If you have ever thought about starting The Artist’s Way, are currently working through it, or have heard about it but aren’t sure what it’s all about, you won’t want to miss this conversation! In Part II, we chat about some fun bookish events we’ve recently attended, the highlight being the Capital Crime literary festival in London.