The Stacks

*Patreon and Substack-only bonus episode teaser, click here for the full episode*
Y’all know how much I love being a hater and how easily things annoy me, so we’re dedicating a whole episode to the most annoying trends in books these days! I’ve invited Sara Hildreth (Fiction Matters), friend of the pod and one of my favorite book people, to rant with me about secrets, tropes, and the state of literary awards.
You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2026/9/25/tsu-63-sara-hildreth
Connect with Sara: Instagram | Fiction Matters | Novel Pairings | Substack
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Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer, journalist, and author Kai Bird to discuss his new book, American Scoundrel: Roy Cohn's Dark Journey from Joe McCarthy to Donald Trump. This book explores the life of high-powered lawyer and fixer, Roy Cohn, and how his controversial four-decade career directly influenced modern politics. In this episode, we talk about why he chose to cover Roy Cohn’s life now, how biographers shape stories, and the most surprising source for the book.
Our book club pick for September is Brother, I’m Dying by Edwidge Danticat. We will be discussing the book with Natalie Green on Wednesday, September 30th.
You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/9/23/ep-443-kai-bird
Connect with Kai: Website | X/Twitter
Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Youtube
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by Booker Prize–winning novelist Marlon James to talk about his newest book, The Disappearers. This novel follows a brutal attack on eight gay actors in 1980s Jamaica and the ways it impacts each of the victims. We chat about how he infuses his books with pop culture, what he thinks about people calling his work “difficult,” and why 2026 is the year of the revenge novel.
Our book club pick for September is Brother, I’m Dying by Edwidge Danticat. We will be discussing the book with Natalie Green on Wednesday, September 30th.
You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/9/16/ep-442-marlon-james
Connect with Marlon: Instagram | Website | X/Twitter
Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Youtube
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by facilitator, strategic advisor, and best-selling author, Priya Parker to talk about her new book, The Art of Fighting: The Transformative Power of Conflict. In this book, Priya draws on research and her personal experience as a conflict facilitator to explore the ways that building healthy conflict can strengthen our friendships, relationships, and communities. We talk about how to build spaces that can thrive with conflict, , why “renovation” is a powerful model for approaching fights, and why it’s important to prioritize both self-help and group help.
Our book club pick for September is Brother, I’m Dying by Edwidge Danticat. We will be discussing the book with Natalie Green on Wednesday, September 30th.
You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/9/9/ep-441-priya-parker
Connect with Priya: Instagram | Website | Threads | Substack
Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Youtube
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by Natalie Green, the Director of Programs and Partnerships at The National Book Foundation. We talk about what The National Book Foundation does, the details of Natalie’s role, and the NBF programming that’s been resonating most with readers.
Our book club pick for September is Brother, I’m Dying by Edwidge Danticat. We will be discussing the book with Natalie Green on Wednesday, September 30th.
You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/9/2/ep-440-natalie-green
Connect with the National Book Foundation: Instagram | Website
Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Youtube
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.