First, I am so excited you’re here, thanks for giving me the time of day. Truly, you could be anywhere on the internet and you’re here with me! I have this hope that Unstacked can be a place where we all are in community around books, pop culture, and whatever else is going on in the world. But to do that, we need to get to know each other, at least a little.
So, to that end, let’s do our own little roll call. I’d love it if folks would share a bit about themselves in the comments.
Where are you from?
What are you currently reading?
What is your go to reading snack and/or beverage?
What are you looking forward to here at Unstacked?
This is a space for all of us, so please connect, talk amongst yourselves, but please, don’t be an asshole.
I'm Traci Thomas (she/her). I live in Los Angeles, and am originally from Oakland. I am currently reading NO NAME IN THE STREETS by James Baldwin and JAMES by Percival Everett. I like a salty sweet snack mix, my fave is what I call a "pescatarian" aka goldfish and Sweedish fish in a bowl together. I am most looking forward to talking about things outside of books but always with books as home base, because duh!
Swedish fish AND goldfish in the SAME bowl. Is my mind blown? I have questions about the different textures, the balance (like are you 60% goldfish and 40% swedish?) and the chewy versus crunchy experience. I LOVE goldfish, so I gotta try this... I think I have both fishes in my pantry.
Mike, I have been doing a pescatarian for least a 20 years. It is my favorite snack. Same bowl perfect balance. Not the same bite tough, the textures don't work but going back and forth between the two yes. I'm about 75% goldfish 25% Swedish, but you can do whatever feels right. Find your joy!
My name is Kathy and i live in Pittsburgh, PA but i was born and grew up in northern NY. I am anxiously waiting for the release of James next week. Meanwhile I am going to start the book A Little Life for a book challenge with a friend. might go to snack when reading is usually drinking coffee and definitely something sweet with it.
Greetings from Seattle, Washington aka stolen Coast Salish land, specifically the ancestral land of the Duwamish, Suquamish, Stillaguamish, and Muckleshoot People.
My name is Madeline (she/her), and I am currently reading BE A REVOLUTION by Ijeoma Oluo and SALVAGE THE BONES by Jesmyn Ward. For snacks, I love fruit. And also Hawaiian style Chex Mix with furikake--the perfect combo of sweet and salty.
I am looking forward to more to more sports and pop culture talk at Unstacked, as well as the usual excellent author interviews and book reviews. Cheers!
Damn, I’m bad at this. I’m most looking forward to getting more book recommendations ( even though my TBR is 500+ books deep), meeting new bookish friends, and hearing more of Traci’s hot takes.
My name is Lori and I took a mental health day from teaching special Ed 5 & 6 year olds in NJ today. Dropped my own girls off at school and didn’t look back. I just finished The Yield, am listening to Martyr!, reading Reader Come Home, and about to jump into Minor Detail on my sunny back deck. Can’t wait for James to come out next week! Probably getting food from our local Mexican restaurant for lunch.
Hi y'all! I'm Emily (she/her) and live in Fredericksburg, VA (about an hour south of DC and an hour north of Richmond). I'm in a bit of a sci-fi bug right now and just finished The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown on audiobook (big Bahni Turpin fan here). Definitely also enjoy a salty/sweet snack moment, current favorite has been mixing buttered popcorn with bunchacrunch. I'm a big fan of Traci's work so I'm most looking forward to reading her thoughts on all kinds of topics!
Sharda from the Toronto area, I’m reading MADNESS, AN EMBER IN THE ASHES, and VIRAL JUSTICE (plus more). My fav snacks are miss vickies spicy dill pickle chips & Cadbury mini eggs. I’m looking forward to all your random life tidbits but mostly the one thing you hate
I’m Christie (she/her) I live in Northern Virginia near DC with my hubs and 2 kids. My oldest (14 yo, they/them) and I have a book club together- they have a taste for fantasy which I am finding I’m quite a fan of the genre! Happy to say my kid has taken after me in the reading department- they recently cataloged ALL the books on my bookshelves! “In case of fire Mom!”
I typically read lit fic, horror, post-apocalypse (as if current events aren’t enough!) and started reading more NF, usually on audio (Libro fm of course!)
I do not snack while reading- The greasy fingers! 😩🤯- but I do like a nice sauv blanc.
Hi from Atlanta! I am (similar to others below) also currently reading Martyr! I just finished Young Mungo before that. I read mostly non-fiction but focusing on new-ish fiction this month, and looking forward to reading James when it arrives (#teampreorder). My favorite snack is a bowl of peanuts with dark chocolate chips mixed in (salty and sweet). I look forward to everything Traci has for us this year, as I get so many amazing recommendations from her. Thanks Traci!
Hi everyone! I'm Casey (she/her) and I live in the DC area. I'm currently reading Where Sleeping Girls Lie, The Fiancee Farce, and The Salvation Gambit (poly readers unite!) It's hard to pick a favorite snack, but I like popcorn or trail mix with lots of chocolate when reading. I'm just looking forward to more shouting about books and other pop culture stuff here!
Do you know about Target's Monster Mix -- it is raisins, peanuts, m&ms, chocolate chips, and peanut butter chips. It is nominally trail mix, it is also perfection.
Hello! I'm from NY and now live in NJ. I'm currently finishing up My Brother, My Land: A Story from Palestine and just started Servants of Allah:African Muslims Enslaved in the Americas by Sylvaine A. Diouf (it's my read for Ramadan). I'm not a big snacker while reading (although I'm a big snacker regularly and am looking for healthy-ish snacks since I just started my get fit journey), but I'm usually drinking a coffee while reading. I'm looking forward to hear more about what your reading or watching, a lot of what you post gets added to my to read. I'm also looking forward to meeting new people.
Hi! It is an academic book. I haven’t gotten far in it (due to work) but I can let you know how it is. I’m not a big academic reader, but it sounded very interesting and a topic I’ve been curious about so I got it.
Hi everyone! My name is Shannon (she/her) and I live in Coeur d Alene, Idaho but born and raised in central North Dakota. I am an occupational therapist so work in the hellscrape of healthcare. Reading is truly my escape and right now I’m reading Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar and Traci and Clint Smith were right - it’s GREAT.
My name is Ann, and I'm from NE Ohio and currently live in Columbus. I'm listening to Hello Beautiful for my local book club and reading The Fraud by Zadie Smith on my kindle. She is so good. I love a nice trail mix, but popcorn (salted, no butter) is my most-consumed reading snack because my husband is a popcorn fiend. I'm just looking forward to more of Traci's thoughts. She is one of my most trusted book recommenders.
I'm from NJ but live in Florida, I'm currently reading Martyr! and listening to Thundersong. I love snacking on chocolate peanut butter cups or drinking a nice chai tea while reading. I'm looking forward to finding more non-fiction to round out my reading!
I like narrative non-fiction, like the Wager or Master Slave Husband Wife- about an aspect of history that "we" don't know a lot about or told in a new way.
I am Grace, I live in Brooklyn but grew up in Lewisham, southeast London, and I think that's the most formative part of my identity. I'm currently reading Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange and Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. I'm training to be a librarian and am taking a teen lit class, so have been reading a lot of that recently, so those will show up - today, I'm starting Stamped by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds (the version for teens).
Snackwise, I like those giant bags of tostones w/ lime or popcorn - I have it with olive oil and nutritional yeast which I know sounds like a crappy influencer's version of an otherwise delicious snack that they've healthified and ruined but insist is as good as the original when it isn't, but it's surprisingly good. (But I don't blame you if absolutely not your thing). Being English, I drink a LOT of (decaffeinated) black tea. I like a bit of Earl Grey, too, or chai.
And I think posts like this are part of what I'm looking forward to - I love reading through these and seeing the huge range of people - taste wise, geographically, all that good stuff, as well as getting to know a different part of Traci's world. And getting snack ideas!
Hi. I'm Emily in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I'm retired. I'm reading Tom Lake and Dinners with Ruth for 2 of my book clubs. I like hot tea or coffee and carbs such as toast when I read. My daughter wants to restart our mother/daughter book club we had when she was in middle school. We are trying to figure out how to make it work with everyone's busy schedules (she is a nurse on night shifts).
I'm Julie (she/her). If this discussion topic is a reference to The Office, I love it even more than I already did. I live south of Boston, MA which is also where I am from. I'm currently reading, "Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine" by Uche Blackstone, M.D. (as per Traci's recommendation / I read whatever she tells me to, basically). Memoirs are my absolute fav to read, but I honestly read anything and everything. My go-to reading snack is Hasbro Sour Bears or Sweettarts while sipping on Polar seltzer. I am looking forward to expanding my Book Nerd Squad and talking about all things books!
Sweettarts? What a throwback. The Office did do an episode where they played Shabooya but I know it from being a kid on the playground. We played it all the time and they did it on the local radio morning show where folks would come on and do their own.
Sweettarts do the conversation hearts in February and now the Chicks, Ducks & Bunnies for the Easter season--I'm eating them by the bag full. It's a problem.
They do taste the same, but for whatever the reason I prefer the blue, yellow and green. I put them in a jar when I open the bag and by the end it's always pink and purple left, haha!
I'm Bex and live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan very near Canada as in I am looking at it out my window and not in the Sarah Palin way but in the real way. I came here by way of several places including lower Michigan, Freiburg, Germany, Vallejo CA, Chicago, and Charlotte NC. I am most recently reading some essays: Nora Ephron Collected. But I probably have 6 or 7 books going at any time and they run the gamut of intellectual to full on bonkers trash. Tea drinker here with jazzed up popcorn as my most often snack. Looking forward to talking to folks that read a lot. Working on manifesting a book club where I live but it's rural so this might be my best approximation.
So glad you asked-people do not do enough w popcorn. For starters I use flavored olive oil to cook in and then a variety of toppings. You can do a lime flavored oil and pico fruta from Penzeys or garlic oil w parm cheese or butter and street corn seasonings. Or you can go the kettle corn or caramel corn route w some sea salt. The options are endless! And popcorn is cheap y'all
I’m Lynn from Cape May NJ…I’m older (70) and retired so lots of time to read now although it’s a lifelong habit, lucky to have a mom who read to me early so I developed a passion. I’m almost finished The Fraud by Zadie Smith, but my favorite so far this year is The Library Book by Susan Orlean. We’re all readers and it’s a great history of libraries and librarians and arson and book restoration; a really fascinating collection of information.
I love non fiction best and that’s how I connected to you Traci…some of my favorites have been because of your guest authors. Pretzels are my go to snack and I look forward to more podcasts and author interviews. PS I didn’t chime in but I loved your Oscar night chat…next year!!
I really enjoyed THE LIBRARY BOOK when I read it. Next year you better chime in, though I think we'll do more live chats when the opportunities arise. National Book Award night for sure!
Hey y’all ! I’m Ginger (she/her) from Arizona. I’m currently reading “The Rediscovery of America” by Ned Blackhawk and Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler. I’m an espresso girl while I read unless I’m in bed, then it’s bell peppers 🤣. I’m always looking forward to more takes on things from Traci and community. I find that working from home in a rural town, I have a bit of a social bubble that is not super fulfilling. So the online neighborhood fills the gap for me.
Hi, I'm Mike! I have lived in Washington, DC for over a decade, but San Diego will always be home. I am currently reading The Guest By Emma Cline (wow, does that protagonist sure make some interesting choices!). My daytime reading beverage of choice is usually coffee, water or a glass of wine at nighttime. Anytime snacks would be grapes, cashews or almonds, BBQ chips, and goldfish. I'm looking to connect with more readers and to talk about books, pop culture, food, Traci's dispatches from her bookish adventures, and whatever else this community cooks up. I would love to find readers in the DC region who might want to meet up to talk about books/swap books. I'm also hoping to write more, which is why I created a Substack account in the first place.
Hello! Greetings from upstate South Carolina! I am currently reading Shirley Chisolm's Unbought and Unbossed in time for the Netflix special that is coming out soon and Viral Justice. I am listening to The Miracle Equation, and I have started How to Say Bablyon. TBR List: Interior Chinatown - Charles Yu James, by Percival Everett, Some People Need Killing and Master Slave Husband Wife and many others! I love reading narrative nonfiction the best. I like Haribo gummy bears and have the dental work to prove it! LOL I also like potato chips and popcorn. Looking forward to discussing good reads and celebrating authors!
Hi, I lived in Greenville South Carolina about four years. Loved the upstate. Of course, Hilton head was not too shabby either lol. I have lived in several cities throughout my lifetime and it is so interesting to meet people who have lived in the same cities that I’ve lived in.
I'm Amanda and I'm living in WV, originally from Central NY. I just started Grief is for People by Sloane Crosley after finishing up Wandering Stars. I love hot or iced coffee with something salty to snack on! Popcorn, cheez-its, goldfish or the like. I'm a longtime listener of The Stacks and always get excellent non-fiction recommendations, so I'm looking forward to even more general recommendations here!
Hi, I am from Northern New York about one hour north of Syracuse. Assume when you say you’re from Central New York that you’re from around the Syracuse area. So good to see someone from home here. I currently live in Pittsburgh. However, I have lived in several places and I lived in Albany and Waterloo New York for a couple of years each.
I cannot argue with you on the winters in Pittsburgh compared to the winters in New York. I was born and raised around the water to New York area which is famous for lake effect snow off lake Ontario. However, sometimes I find myself missing those blizzards that the Watertown area is famous for. My golden retriever is from West Virginia. The breeder that I purchased him from lives in Chester. I also have a friend in Charleston West Virginia.
I'm from Richmond, VA. I just recently listened to your podcast with Joseph Papa. I know him (and I told him I want to be a guest on your podcast - if you ever do "not so famous" guests, I'm in!). I am currently reading The Soloist which one of your guests listed as a book they loved. I also have a stack of about 15 books that I ordered based on The Stacks (including Columbine, Parkland, Blood in the Water, etc..). I enjoy reading with an iced expresso drink. I'm a voracious reader, and a writer, and I'm looking forward to all things BOOKS.
I’m Olivia (she/her). I’m an Algebra teacher(happy Pi day!) in the Richmond area but originally from Florida.
I’m in the middle of a few books right now, Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange, White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson, and Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson’s Creek: How Seven Teen Shows Transformed Television by Thea Glassman.
I love a good cup of coffee while I read, ideally a latte. If I’m snacking probably something salty and crunchy like goldfish, cheez-its, or popcorn.
I’m excited to talk books and get recommendations(although my TBR is already too long!)
Sheri from Chicago! Currently reading A Map of Future Ruins per your recommendation. I’m an avid non fiction reader and am so glad I found your podcast and this community. I love pop culture recs - books, tv shows, podcasts, and just generally enjoy hearing about what people are loving lately.
My name is Analise, and I live outside Richmond VA. Here for the hot takes and the snack recommendations! I love popcorn, a good chip situation, or a really good chocolate chip cookie.
Currently reading THE FROZEN RIVER for a book club and LAND OF MILK AND HONEY, have recently loved most things from Erica Bauermeister and THE STATIONARY SHOP. Love getting lost in a novel, but also always on the lookout for a good narrative nonfiction (also loved THE LIBRARY BOOK and THE YELLOW HOUSE)
Hello, Everyone! I'm Andrea (she/her), originally from Puerto Rico but now living in New Orleans. (I have no friends here yet so if you are also in NOLA please be my bookish friend!) I'm currently finishing up an arc of Yamile Saied Méndez's upcoming middle grade, THE BEAUTIFUL GAME, and am planning on starting A MAP OF FUTURE RUINS: ON BORDERS AND BELONGING once I'm done. I like any and all salty reading snacks, and am mostly looking forward to some good convo threads! I love instagram, but there's something about substack that just feels different.
Hello! I'm Ruanda and I live in Kansas City, MO. But, I am an Arkansas native and after almost 10 years away I am starting to seriously consider moving back (Come & Get It being so freaking spot on to the Fayetteville experience did not help with this!). I am currently reading Mother of Invention: How Good Ideas Get Ignored in an Economy Built for Men by Katrine Marcal for my irl book club. I tend to do most of my reading in the evening so an herbal tea is usually featured. I've been on a lemon ginger kick lately. Also have been enjoying the honey mustard Dot's pretzels and pepper jack cheese sticks! And I'm just looking forward to more bookish content, especially more info on new to me books and writers!
I'm Kate! I'm from Milton, MA just outside of Boston. I am currently reading restarting This Other Eden after putting it down a month ago. Hoping for better luck this time! Go to reading snack and beverage is honestly white wine and Cape Cod potato chips, or coffee depending on the time of day. Most looking forward to even more book recs and Traci's hot takes on pop culture! I really enjoyed the Poor Things commentary last week!
Hey ya'll! I'm Jeneen (she/her) from Philly (West Philadelphia, born and raised- literally). In addition to my textbooks (The Speed of Trust and Defining Moments), I am reading (when I can) A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams and I plan to read The Sisterhood by Courtney Thorsson prior to her event at Princetonthis month. I just recently listened to Legacy and Viral Justice, both of which were from #TheStacksMadeMeDoIt reading list and both of which were excellent. My go to activity is attending author events- sometimes solo, most times with my sister. I also love a small venue music performance or an outdoor concert- lawn seats are my fav! Recently I've seen Marsha Ambroius and Tank and the Bangas at City Winery. I have tickets for Corinne Bailey Rae in June, Alanis Morissette in July (by bday month), and Lake Street Dive in September. Also, I'm looking forward to The Dell Summer Series in Philly. So many musical acts come through. Back to books- I can talk all day about books. I traveled to NYC to Jesmyn Ward's book release event for her latest, Let Us Descend, in October 2023 THEN in January 2024 my sister and I traveled to Baltimore to a Books and Brunch event with Jesmyn Ward. She signed my book and I absolutely lost my ability to speak. (The Philly in me will never EVER allow me to fangirl out loud.) We took our mom to the Courtney B. Vance book brunch in Wilmington, DE last month. And we've been to sooo many author events at The Free Library of Philadelphia, at Uncle Bobbie's Coffee and Books and at Harriett's Bookshop. When I'm reading I like to sip hot tea. My go to's are Earl Grey/Lady Grey and Red Zinger (Hibiscus). I like a fun snack so something crunchy depending on how I'm feeling- it could be a chip or a carrot OR a box of Goobers (chocolate covered peanuts). I love to talk books and deep dive into topics, make connections, and point out texts that are or can be in conversation with one another so I hope to do more of that in this community. I also look forward to more of Traci's "non-writer" writing as she likes to remind us that she's not a writer yet does it so well!
I'm Leigh in the Chicago suburbs. Currently reading The Other Significant Others by Rhaina Cohen, The Bright and Breaking Sea by Chloe Neill, and Double Exposure by Rien Grey. Peanuts are my go-to snack right now! I'm always interested in what Traci has to say about whatever topic so that's why I'm here.
Hello! I'm from the suburbs of Milwaukee, WI, but have also called Madison, WI, Washington D.C., Charlottesville, VA, and London home at different points in my life. I'm currently in the middle of INTERIOR CHINATOWN with WHISKEY TENDER on deck. I don't snack much while I read, but more generally enjoy snacking on pretzels, popcorn, cereal, and dark chocolate. I do drink tea while I read - either matcha or earl grey. As a person who reads/listens to podcasts about pop culture more than she actually engages in pop culture herself, I am excited for recommendations and takes that might intrigue me enough to engage. Plus, always here for book talk.
No need to accept the challenge but I often agree with your thoughts on books, so I think I will be naturally more inclined to be interested in the pop culture things you share and more willing to actually engage. :)
Hey everyone! My name is Jasmine she/her and I currently live in Portland, OR with my kiddo, cats, and partner. Right now I'm finishing up Inclusive Transportation by Veronica O. Davis but I'm also reading Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo as well.
Favorite reading beverage is tea because I usually only have time to read for pleasure at night and fav reading snack is definitely pretzels with cream cheese.
Looking forward to getting more book recommendations and also I made my way to The Stacks through 2 Black Girls 1 Rose podcast so definitely excited about pop culture/binge worthy tv convos!!
Completely underrated!! I'm trying to keep up with my kiddo's snack game and have recently started getting into Taki's (Fuego)/ cream cheese combo. Have you tried? So so good and so worth the pain I feel after I eat too many!
TBH, this is my second attempt at it. I started it last summer when it came out and I got like half way done and I put it down. Kinda similar feeling this time around again. I think what trips me up is definitely the multiple characters. I find myself getting confused on how they are connected to each other. Also for me it's very character driven vs plot driven and so the tempo of the book when I'm reading it feels super slow. I did hear that it picks up like 3/4ths of the way. Was thinking maybe trying it on audiobook too... see if that helps at all. I'll keep ya posted!
I read FAMILY LORE this past September, and I agree with Jasmine's assessment. It's a solid read but not very exciting in its resolution. And you have to be fine with a lot of ambiguity.
I just finished listening to Family Lore. It was so good on audiobook. I just read your post below and I thought listening on audio helped me with the multiple POV. Keep us posted on how it goes.
Hi! I'm Chelsea-Rae (she/her), I live in Brooklyn with my husband, 2 year old son, and dog, and am a NYC native (originally from the Bronx). I'm currently reading Company by Shannon Sanders, Land of Milk and Honey by C. Pam Zhang, and slogging my way through Dr. Zhivago in an attempt to read more classics. Listening to the stacks podcast has opened my eyes + mind to more narrative non-fiction, so happy to have found this community to expand my reading horizons (ordinary notes, when crack was king, and poverty by america all found their way into my hands because of you!). I'm a popcorn and rose girlie, and though I don't really follow a lot of pop culture, I'm dying to know where tf kate middleton is. Thanks for putting this together Traci, your energy is infectious <3
Hey y'all! I'm originally from North Carolina, but now live in Falls Church, VA (there seem to be lots of DC area people here!). I'm currently reading G-Man by Beverly Gage. For reading snacks, I loved iced tea and Trader Joe's Crispy Crunchy Mochi Rice Nuggets. :) I'm looking forward to backlist recommendations, reviews of new non-fiction, and pop culture talk!
I'm glad to hear it's good. Hearing Beverly Gage talk about G-Man, in conversation with James Kirchick (Secret City), at the National Book Festival last year sparked my interest in the book. I would have to figure out a plan of attack for such a large book. I love that you try to read one doorstop-sized non-fiction book a year.
Hi all! I’m originally from Seattle, but have been living in Germany for almost 16 years. I‘m in the middle of Wandering Stars and can’t wait to listen to The Stacks episode with Tommy Orange. For snacks, I cannot resist a potato chip. Ruffles or a good sour cream and onion are my go tos. I‘m here for bookish and pop culture gossip!
I love a chip. I feel like they have somehow gone out of fashion, like people do not talk about them as much as when I was kid (this makes me sound like I am pushing 100) but they are an all star snack!
Hiya, I'm James Ross from the north east coast of England. I've just finished an Agatha Christie collection, The Thirteen Problems, and I'm about to begin Nancy Mitford's The Pursuit of Love.
Reading goes well with late nights and red wine, whereas writing is best done before 8am, and requires lots of coffee. Snacks are optional but always welcome.
After completing Harm's Way, the third and final book in the Jago trilogy, which was fairly large at around 103k words, I'm looking forward to writing a series of fairly short serial-novels on substack. I've just completed Scallywags of London, a mashup featuring real and fictional characters from Victorian London, and am about to begin All Ye Bully Rooks, about a fourteenth century serial-killer and the pairing of a country squire and a Benedictine friar who are hunting him.
Writing is a compulsion for me, but when I'm not writing I enjoy busking in Durham, and walking my border terrier Angus along the endless beaches of Northumberland - he's the inspiration for a series of children's books I produce.
If you're ever in the area, let me know and I'll buy you a coffee. Or a pot of Early Grey, if you prefer.
Sadly I never got into football, so neither Newcastle United, Sunderland, or Berwick Rangers are on my to-do list. Earl Grey, however, is definitely on the agenda next time you're in England.
I was born in Houston, but have lived several places growing up. I have resided on the east coast for almost 14 years (DC area & Hollywood Florida).
I am currently reading books for my graduate program at GW, but for pleasure when I get time at the end of the semester I will be reading Brother, I’m Dying by Edwidge Danticat, Adios Happy Homeland by Ana Menendez, and Haiti Noir by Edwidge Danticat.
Go to snacks when I am reading and writing (I am first and foremost a writer 💕😊lol) are twizzlers, water, green tea, and more recently plantain chips.
I am looking forward on Unstacked to relishing in the discussions of dislikes of pop culture, books, etc. & seeing the growth of this space from the podcast. I’ve always loved the types of questions that you ask Traci and I feel like this landscape will hopefully expand on how you get to some of those areas that go beyond books but can always be tethered back to them. I am happy to enter this ride! :-)
Hi, I’m Alexis! I’m from Wichita, Kansas. I’m currently listening to House of Sky and Breath by SJMass and reading Discipline Without Damage by Dr. Vanessa LaPointe. I’m not a huge snacker but when I do it’s usually a grown up lunchable. Im most excited to meet new people and have good conversations!
My name is Richie and I am from Flushing, Queens (NY)..I am currently reading Scott Ladati's Play the Devil & Louise Gluck's Poems 1962-2012. I like crunchy savory snacks. I look forward to the Poetry break down as I love the insight that writers give to other's work. 🇵🇷🇮🇹
Hello! My name is Erinn and I am currently in Green Bay, Wisconsin. I am currently reading Hanif Abdurraqib's THERE'S ALWAYS THIS YEAR and trying to savor it by reading in beautiful snapshots. My favorite reading beverage is usually a Diet Coke or occasionally a coffee-infused beer. I'm excited to get some book recommendations outside of my usual genres!
I'm Jacque (she/her). I currently live in Texas. I'm reading ORDINARY GRACE by William Kent Kreuger, THE KAEPERNICK EFFECT: TAKING A KNEE, CHANGING THE WORLD by Dave Zirin (discovered via the Stacks) and THE HEMINGSES of MONTICELLO: AN AMERICAN FAMILY by Annette Gordon-Reed.
My snacks of choice are peanut butter cups or peanut M&Ms. I do keep a large glass of water nearby but balance that with Earl Gray tea with winter spice honey or Dr. Pepper Zero, depending on temperature. I've found some amazing books through The Stacks, so I'm looking forward to more great books and good conversations that make me think or send me on rabbit trails that I never dreamed of following.
Hello! Carrie (she/her) in Lexington, Kentucky. Currently reading MARTYR! and listening to THE WISTERIA SOCIETY OF LADY SCOUNDRELS on audio. I like a salty/sweet combo, so like chocolate and pretzels, or cheese/cracker/jam or apple combo. I like herbal tea when I’m reading at night but my fave reading setup is a carbonated water or beer while reading in my porch swing if it’s at all warm or sunny. I love following Traci on IG and listening to the podcast, so looking forward to more Traci, I guess! :)
Hi everyone! I'm Kendra (she/her), in the SF Bay Area. I'm currently reading the audiobook of LEGACY and it's incredible. I loved both episodes with Dr. Blackstock. I'm a mood reader based a lot on which library holds have come in, so I'm also staring at a stack of about a dozen physical books trying to decide what to pick up next. I like salty snacks first, so pretzels are my go-to. I definitely like sweet snacks too, and chocolate covered pretzels are a big win. Plus water, or tea on a cold day. I'm looking forward to bookish-adjacent content and more bookish-adjacent community!
Hi longtime Patreon, fairly new to Patreon. I'm Megan; I'm a librarian in the SF bay area (Oakland Public!) I just finished Interior Chinatown for Stacks Book Club and currently reading How to ADHD and Shut Up, This is Serious (the latter from a recent Stacks pod guest). Go-to snack/bevs: favs include red wine, diet coke, pretzels, and junior mints from the freezer. I'm looking forward to more book conversations and nerding out on amazing bookish and non-bookish things we love (and hate on).
Hi Traci! I'm Laurie Munn (she/her). I live in Phoenix AZ. I wish I lived somewhere else. Someday. Anyway, I am reading 3 books currently: Death Valley by Melissa Broder (hardcover), The Shadow Docket by Stephen Vladeck via Libby and Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister on audio. My go to reading snack: popcorn. Also Cheez-Its. With Spindrift sparkling water. Looking forward to all the discoveries and fresh perspectives here on Unstacked!
Hello! I'm Amy (she/her). I live in Oswego, IL - a far suburb of the great city of Chicago. I'm currently reading Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. I'm an elected school board member and a local school district pulled it from its curriculum so I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I love a diet coke and some crackers...nothing too fancy:). Just looking forward to connecting with others who get their book recommendations from The Stacks.
Hi! 👋 I'm Teresa Towle, from Fredericksburg VA. Currently reading The Bone Ships, The Collected Schizophrenias, and Tiny Beautiful Things. Go to reading snacks and beverages are red wine or black tea (Earl Grey or Chai from a bag, and sometimes black but usually with 1/2 and 1/2 and sugar) and cookies of many varieties. My favorites are peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, and black and white cookies. I'm looking forward to your Grown Up Show and Tell!
Hey everyone! I'm Tonya from San Leandro, CA. I'm currently tackling three books at once:
1) Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler
2) Midnight Library by Matt Haig (audiobook)
3) Gouda Friends by Kathy Yardley (rom-com comic relief)
I love either snacking on popcorn or sipping on coffee while reading, depending on the time of day. I hope to connect with other book lovers and get more recommendations for my never ending to-read list!
I can go first!
I'm Traci Thomas (she/her). I live in Los Angeles, and am originally from Oakland. I am currently reading NO NAME IN THE STREETS by James Baldwin and JAMES by Percival Everett. I like a salty sweet snack mix, my fave is what I call a "pescatarian" aka goldfish and Sweedish fish in a bowl together. I am most looking forward to talking about things outside of books but always with books as home base, because duh!
Swedish fish AND goldfish in the SAME bowl. Is my mind blown? I have questions about the different textures, the balance (like are you 60% goldfish and 40% swedish?) and the chewy versus crunchy experience. I LOVE goldfish, so I gotta try this... I think I have both fishes in my pantry.
Mike, I have been doing a pescatarian for least a 20 years. It is my favorite snack. Same bowl perfect balance. Not the same bite tough, the textures don't work but going back and forth between the two yes. I'm about 75% goldfish 25% Swedish, but you can do whatever feels right. Find your joy!
The alternating method to maximize the sweet and the salty, I love it! Will report back on this new snack adventure.
My name is Kathy and i live in Pittsburgh, PA but i was born and grew up in northern NY. I am anxiously waiting for the release of James next week. Meanwhile I am going to start the book A Little Life for a book challenge with a friend. might go to snack when reading is usually drinking coffee and definitely something sweet with it.
Get the tissue ready for A LITTLE LIFE. That is the book I think about most when I think about books that have made me cry. Devastation.
Yes! Me too!!
Agree! I read last year and had to limit myself to reading one day a week because it was so heavy but so good.
Greetings from Seattle, Washington aka stolen Coast Salish land, specifically the ancestral land of the Duwamish, Suquamish, Stillaguamish, and Muckleshoot People.
My name is Madeline (she/her), and I am currently reading BE A REVOLUTION by Ijeoma Oluo and SALVAGE THE BONES by Jesmyn Ward. For snacks, I love fruit. And also Hawaiian style Chex Mix with furikake--the perfect combo of sweet and salty.
I am looking forward to more to more sports and pop culture talk at Unstacked, as well as the usual excellent author interviews and book reviews. Cheers!
Damn, I’m bad at this. I’m most looking forward to getting more book recommendations ( even though my TBR is 500+ books deep), meeting new bookish friends, and hearing more of Traci’s hot takes.
Shannon this cracked me up!
My name is Lori and I took a mental health day from teaching special Ed 5 & 6 year olds in NJ today. Dropped my own girls off at school and didn’t look back. I just finished The Yield, am listening to Martyr!, reading Reader Come Home, and about to jump into Minor Detail on my sunny back deck. Can’t wait for James to come out next week! Probably getting food from our local Mexican restaurant for lunch.
Lori, this sounds like a great day! Enjoy it.
Hi y'all! I'm Emily (she/her) and live in Fredericksburg, VA (about an hour south of DC and an hour north of Richmond). I'm in a bit of a sci-fi bug right now and just finished The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown on audiobook (big Bahni Turpin fan here). Definitely also enjoy a salty/sweet snack moment, current favorite has been mixing buttered popcorn with bunchacrunch. I'm a big fan of Traci's work so I'm most looking forward to reading her thoughts on all kinds of topics!
I'm a Bahni Turpin fan as well! 💕💕💕
Yay Fredericksburg! I went to Mary Wash!
No way, me too! Class of 2016!
Wow, I did too! Such a small world!
Hi! I'm in the Burg too! 👋
Bahni Turpin fans are here. I have found my people.
One of us! One of us!
I love Bahni Turpin! have you listened to Dread Nation? she narrated the series.
I haven't yet but I heard about this book on a separate podcast and was intrigued! I'll have to check it out.
Sharda from the Toronto area, I’m reading MADNESS, AN EMBER IN THE ASHES, and VIRAL JUSTICE (plus more). My fav snacks are miss vickies spicy dill pickle chips & Cadbury mini eggs. I’m looking forward to all your random life tidbits but mostly the one thing you hate
PLUS MORE!!! I am laughing so hard.
I listened to Viral Justice. It was so good!
plus more....I feel a kindred.
Hi Traci!!!!
I’m Christie (she/her) I live in Northern Virginia near DC with my hubs and 2 kids. My oldest (14 yo, they/them) and I have a book club together- they have a taste for fantasy which I am finding I’m quite a fan of the genre! Happy to say my kid has taken after me in the reading department- they recently cataloged ALL the books on my bookshelves! “In case of fire Mom!”
I typically read lit fic, horror, post-apocalypse (as if current events aren’t enough!) and started reading more NF, usually on audio (Libro fm of course!)
I do not snack while reading- The greasy fingers! 😩🤯- but I do like a nice sauv blanc.
I love your kid, my kind of person. Catalog that shit!
Omg the in case of fire catalog is brilliant!!
I live in Northern Virginia too!
Hi from Atlanta! I am (similar to others below) also currently reading Martyr! I just finished Young Mungo before that. I read mostly non-fiction but focusing on new-ish fiction this month, and looking forward to reading James when it arrives (#teampreorder). My favorite snack is a bowl of peanuts with dark chocolate chips mixed in (salty and sweet). I look forward to everything Traci has for us this year, as I get so many amazing recommendations from her. Thanks Traci!
MARYTR! is just such an enjoyable read. I am glad to see so many of you are reading it now!
Hi everyone! I'm Casey (she/her) and I live in the DC area. I'm currently reading Where Sleeping Girls Lie, The Fiancee Farce, and The Salvation Gambit (poly readers unite!) It's hard to pick a favorite snack, but I like popcorn or trail mix with lots of chocolate when reading. I'm just looking forward to more shouting about books and other pop culture stuff here!
Do you know about Target's Monster Mix -- it is raisins, peanuts, m&ms, chocolate chips, and peanut butter chips. It is nominally trail mix, it is also perfection.
Yes! I only buy it occasionally though because when I have a bag I can eat it all in a couple days.
Making a Target order today and adding this!
loving the term poly-reader! this is absolutely me :)
Hello! I'm from NY and now live in NJ. I'm currently finishing up My Brother, My Land: A Story from Palestine and just started Servants of Allah:African Muslims Enslaved in the Americas by Sylvaine A. Diouf (it's my read for Ramadan). I'm not a big snacker while reading (although I'm a big snacker regularly and am looking for healthy-ish snacks since I just started my get fit journey), but I'm usually drinking a coffee while reading. I'm looking forward to hear more about what your reading or watching, a lot of what you post gets added to my to read. I'm also looking forward to meeting new people.
Healthy-ish snacks? Sumo oranges are my jam. Also jumbo blueberries. Also popcorn!
My husband says Sumo oranges are proof there is no G*d because humans made the perfect snack.
Hi, I was curious if the book you mention by Sylvaine Diouf is an academic book or just nonfiction? It sounds really interesting.
Hi! It is an academic book. I haven’t gotten far in it (due to work) but I can let you know how it is. I’m not a big academic reader, but it sounded very interesting and a topic I’ve been curious about so I got it.
Yes please let me know. I appreciate it.
Hi everyone! My name is Shannon (she/her) and I live in Coeur d Alene, Idaho but born and raised in central North Dakota. I am an occupational therapist so work in the hellscrape of healthcare. Reading is truly my escape and right now I’m reading Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar and Traci and Clint Smith were right - it’s GREAT.
My name is Ann, and I'm from NE Ohio and currently live in Columbus. I'm listening to Hello Beautiful for my local book club and reading The Fraud by Zadie Smith on my kindle. She is so good. I love a nice trail mix, but popcorn (salted, no butter) is my most-consumed reading snack because my husband is a popcorn fiend. I'm just looking forward to more of Traci's thoughts. She is one of my most trusted book recommenders.
No butter?!?! Ann!!!!
Some things just aren't worth the tummy ache!
Have you tried using ghee? My spouse has a dairy allergy and that’s been a great butter alternative for him!
Hello to another Columbus book lover!
I'm from NJ but live in Florida, I'm currently reading Martyr! and listening to Thundersong. I love snacking on chocolate peanut butter cups or drinking a nice chai tea while reading. I'm looking forward to finding more non-fiction to round out my reading!
Nonfiction you say? I got you Natalie! Any kind of NF in particular or any topics of interest?
Oh I know you are the NF QUEEN~
I like narrative non-fiction, like the Wager or Master Slave Husband Wife- about an aspect of history that "we" don't know a lot about or told in a new way.
Hi, all!
I am Grace, I live in Brooklyn but grew up in Lewisham, southeast London, and I think that's the most formative part of my identity. I'm currently reading Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange and Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. I'm training to be a librarian and am taking a teen lit class, so have been reading a lot of that recently, so those will show up - today, I'm starting Stamped by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds (the version for teens).
Snackwise, I like those giant bags of tostones w/ lime or popcorn - I have it with olive oil and nutritional yeast which I know sounds like a crappy influencer's version of an otherwise delicious snack that they've healthified and ruined but insist is as good as the original when it isn't, but it's surprisingly good. (But I don't blame you if absolutely not your thing). Being English, I drink a LOT of (decaffeinated) black tea. I like a bit of Earl Grey, too, or chai.
And I think posts like this are part of what I'm looking forward to - I love reading through these and seeing the huge range of people - taste wise, geographically, all that good stuff, as well as getting to know a different part of Traci's world. And getting snack ideas!
I love these threads too, it is amazing to see where and who everyone is. So cool!
Hi. I'm Emily in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I'm retired. I'm reading Tom Lake and Dinners with Ruth for 2 of my book clubs. I like hot tea or coffee and carbs such as toast when I read. My daughter wants to restart our mother/daughter book club we had when she was in middle school. We are trying to figure out how to make it work with everyone's busy schedules (she is a nurse on night shifts).
I love that so much. Mother daughter book club! How sweet!
I'm Julie (she/her). If this discussion topic is a reference to The Office, I love it even more than I already did. I live south of Boston, MA which is also where I am from. I'm currently reading, "Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine" by Uche Blackstone, M.D. (as per Traci's recommendation / I read whatever she tells me to, basically). Memoirs are my absolute fav to read, but I honestly read anything and everything. My go-to reading snack is Hasbro Sour Bears or Sweettarts while sipping on Polar seltzer. I am looking forward to expanding my Book Nerd Squad and talking about all things books!
Sweettarts? What a throwback. The Office did do an episode where they played Shabooya but I know it from being a kid on the playground. We played it all the time and they did it on the local radio morning show where folks would come on and do their own.
Sweettarts do the conversation hearts in February and now the Chicks, Ducks & Bunnies for the Easter season--I'm eating them by the bag full. It's a problem.
I love the Chicks, Ducks, and Bunnies sweettarts! Lol. Of course they taste the same but they seem like more fun. Lol
They do taste the same, but for whatever the reason I prefer the blue, yellow and green. I put them in a jar when I open the bag and by the end it's always pink and purple left, haha!
😁
I listened to Legacy in a day. It was great! Made me cry a few points and angry at others.
I'm Bex and live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan very near Canada as in I am looking at it out my window and not in the Sarah Palin way but in the real way. I came here by way of several places including lower Michigan, Freiburg, Germany, Vallejo CA, Chicago, and Charlotte NC. I am most recently reading some essays: Nora Ephron Collected. But I probably have 6 or 7 books going at any time and they run the gamut of intellectual to full on bonkers trash. Tea drinker here with jazzed up popcorn as my most often snack. Looking forward to talking to folks that read a lot. Working on manifesting a book club where I live but it's rural so this might be my best approximation.
Well The Stacks has a book club and we have a great time. As far as snacks, can you explain how you are jazzing up that popcorn?
So glad you asked-people do not do enough w popcorn. For starters I use flavored olive oil to cook in and then a variety of toppings. You can do a lime flavored oil and pico fruta from Penzeys or garlic oil w parm cheese or butter and street corn seasonings. Or you can go the kettle corn or caramel corn route w some sea salt. The options are endless! And popcorn is cheap y'all
Penzeys does not get enough love for their spice blends. Checking this one out next time in there!
I love the UP! My wife grew up there and we got married in Marquette.
Love Nora Ephron!
I’m Lynn from Cape May NJ…I’m older (70) and retired so lots of time to read now although it’s a lifelong habit, lucky to have a mom who read to me early so I developed a passion. I’m almost finished The Fraud by Zadie Smith, but my favorite so far this year is The Library Book by Susan Orlean. We’re all readers and it’s a great history of libraries and librarians and arson and book restoration; a really fascinating collection of information.
I love non fiction best and that’s how I connected to you Traci…some of my favorites have been because of your guest authors. Pretzels are my go to snack and I look forward to more podcasts and author interviews. PS I didn’t chime in but I loved your Oscar night chat…next year!!
I really enjoyed THE LIBRARY BOOK when I read it. Next year you better chime in, though I think we'll do more live chats when the opportunities arise. National Book Award night for sure!
Hey y’all ! I’m Ginger (she/her) from Arizona. I’m currently reading “The Rediscovery of America” by Ned Blackhawk and Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler. I’m an espresso girl while I read unless I’m in bed, then it’s bell peppers 🤣. I’m always looking forward to more takes on things from Traci and community. I find that working from home in a rural town, I have a bit of a social bubble that is not super fulfilling. So the online neighborhood fills the gap for me.
I love the idea of us as an online neighborhood. I am less enthused about the bell peppers 🤣.
Hi, I'm Mike! I have lived in Washington, DC for over a decade, but San Diego will always be home. I am currently reading The Guest By Emma Cline (wow, does that protagonist sure make some interesting choices!). My daytime reading beverage of choice is usually coffee, water or a glass of wine at nighttime. Anytime snacks would be grapes, cashews or almonds, BBQ chips, and goldfish. I'm looking to connect with more readers and to talk about books, pop culture, food, Traci's dispatches from her bookish adventures, and whatever else this community cooks up. I would love to find readers in the DC region who might want to meet up to talk about books/swap books. I'm also hoping to write more, which is why I created a Substack account in the first place.
There are already a lot of DC folks in this thread. I would love if you all met up. Just take pictures so I can live vicariously through you.
Hello! Greetings from upstate South Carolina! I am currently reading Shirley Chisolm's Unbought and Unbossed in time for the Netflix special that is coming out soon and Viral Justice. I am listening to The Miracle Equation, and I have started How to Say Bablyon. TBR List: Interior Chinatown - Charles Yu James, by Percival Everett, Some People Need Killing and Master Slave Husband Wife and many others! I love reading narrative nonfiction the best. I like Haribo gummy bears and have the dental work to prove it! LOL I also like potato chips and popcorn. Looking forward to discussing good reads and celebrating authors!
Hi, I lived in Greenville South Carolina about four years. Loved the upstate. Of course, Hilton head was not too shabby either lol. I have lived in several cities throughout my lifetime and it is so interesting to meet people who have lived in the same cities that I’ve lived in.
Adrienne you have great taste in books!
I just started Interior Chinatown!
I'm Amanda and I'm living in WV, originally from Central NY. I just started Grief is for People by Sloane Crosley after finishing up Wandering Stars. I love hot or iced coffee with something salty to snack on! Popcorn, cheez-its, goldfish or the like. I'm a longtime listener of The Stacks and always get excellent non-fiction recommendations, so I'm looking forward to even more general recommendations here!
The great Rosamond just wrote a piece here about GRIEF IS FOR PEOPLE. Here is the link. https://open.substack.com/pub/rosamondreads/p/on-grief-memoirs?r=12whb4&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Hi, I am from Northern New York about one hour north of Syracuse. Assume when you say you’re from Central New York that you’re from around the Syracuse area. So good to see someone from home here. I currently live in Pittsburgh. However, I have lived in several places and I lived in Albany and Waterloo New York for a couple of years each.
Hi Kathy! Yes, I grew up in Jordan, about 25 west of Syracuse. I miss it, but I like WV winters much better!
I cannot argue with you on the winters in Pittsburgh compared to the winters in New York. I was born and raised around the water to New York area which is famous for lake effect snow off lake Ontario. However, sometimes I find myself missing those blizzards that the Watertown area is famous for. My golden retriever is from West Virginia. The breeder that I purchased him from lives in Chester. I also have a friend in Charleston West Virginia.
Grief is for People is on my list, curious what you think!
I'm from Richmond, VA. I just recently listened to your podcast with Joseph Papa. I know him (and I told him I want to be a guest on your podcast - if you ever do "not so famous" guests, I'm in!). I am currently reading The Soloist which one of your guests listed as a book they loved. I also have a stack of about 15 books that I ordered based on The Stacks (including Columbine, Parkland, Blood in the Water, etc..). I enjoy reading with an iced expresso drink. I'm a voracious reader, and a writer, and I'm looking forward to all things BOOKS.
Love Joseph so much! Small world.
LOVE this!
Forest Hills, NY
Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villaviencio
Matcha chocolate almonds and earl grey tea
Non-social media bookish takes!
You're the BEST.
I’m Olivia (she/her). I’m an Algebra teacher(happy Pi day!) in the Richmond area but originally from Florida.
I’m in the middle of a few books right now, Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange, White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson, and Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson’s Creek: How Seven Teen Shows Transformed Television by Thea Glassman.
I love a good cup of coffee while I read, ideally a latte. If I’m snacking probably something salty and crunchy like goldfish, cheez-its, or popcorn.
I’m excited to talk books and get recommendations(although my TBR is already too long!)
Sheri from Chicago! Currently reading A Map of Future Ruins per your recommendation. I’m an avid non fiction reader and am so glad I found your podcast and this community. I love pop culture recs - books, tv shows, podcasts, and just generally enjoy hearing about what people are loving lately.
Love this! I am excited to share recs always.
My name is Analise, and I live outside Richmond VA. Here for the hot takes and the snack recommendations! I love popcorn, a good chip situation, or a really good chocolate chip cookie.
Currently reading THE FROZEN RIVER for a book club and LAND OF MILK AND HONEY, have recently loved most things from Erica Bauermeister and THE STATIONARY SHOP. Love getting lost in a novel, but also always on the lookout for a good narrative nonfiction (also loved THE LIBRARY BOOK and THE YELLOW HOUSE)
What is your go to chocolate chip cookie?
I’m always looking for the crispy edge/soft middle, high chocolate ratio option, this is the best recipe I’ve found (I’m not GF so I make this with regular flour, leave out the xanthan gum etc): https://mygluten-freekitchen.com/the-best-chewy-gluten-free-chocolate-chip-cookies/
Hello, Everyone! I'm Andrea (she/her), originally from Puerto Rico but now living in New Orleans. (I have no friends here yet so if you are also in NOLA please be my bookish friend!) I'm currently finishing up an arc of Yamile Saied Méndez's upcoming middle grade, THE BEAUTIFUL GAME, and am planning on starting A MAP OF FUTURE RUINS: ON BORDERS AND BELONGING once I'm done. I like any and all salty reading snacks, and am mostly looking forward to some good convo threads! I love instagram, but there's something about substack that just feels different.
Hope you report back on the FUTURE RUINS, it’s on the TBR!
I agree Substack feels different in a really nice way from IG. Hoping to find you some NOLA peeps, asap!
Hi from Jackson, MS! Not New Orleans, but close!
Hello!! 😊
Hello! I'm Ruanda and I live in Kansas City, MO. But, I am an Arkansas native and after almost 10 years away I am starting to seriously consider moving back (Come & Get It being so freaking spot on to the Fayetteville experience did not help with this!). I am currently reading Mother of Invention: How Good Ideas Get Ignored in an Economy Built for Men by Katrine Marcal for my irl book club. I tend to do most of my reading in the evening so an herbal tea is usually featured. I've been on a lemon ginger kick lately. Also have been enjoying the honey mustard Dot's pretzels and pepper jack cheese sticks! And I'm just looking forward to more bookish content, especially more info on new to me books and writers!
I hope to feature more new/new to me writers here for sure!
I'm Kate! I'm from Milton, MA just outside of Boston. I am currently reading restarting This Other Eden after putting it down a month ago. Hoping for better luck this time! Go to reading snack and beverage is honestly white wine and Cape Cod potato chips, or coffee depending on the time of day. Most looking forward to even more book recs and Traci's hot takes on pop culture! I really enjoyed the Poor Things commentary last week!
Yes to Cape Cod chips, I am personally a Kettle Chips girlie, but salty crispy is king!
Hey ya'll! I'm Jeneen (she/her) from Philly (West Philadelphia, born and raised- literally). In addition to my textbooks (The Speed of Trust and Defining Moments), I am reading (when I can) A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams and I plan to read The Sisterhood by Courtney Thorsson prior to her event at Princetonthis month. I just recently listened to Legacy and Viral Justice, both of which were from #TheStacksMadeMeDoIt reading list and both of which were excellent. My go to activity is attending author events- sometimes solo, most times with my sister. I also love a small venue music performance or an outdoor concert- lawn seats are my fav! Recently I've seen Marsha Ambroius and Tank and the Bangas at City Winery. I have tickets for Corinne Bailey Rae in June, Alanis Morissette in July (by bday month), and Lake Street Dive in September. Also, I'm looking forward to The Dell Summer Series in Philly. So many musical acts come through. Back to books- I can talk all day about books. I traveled to NYC to Jesmyn Ward's book release event for her latest, Let Us Descend, in October 2023 THEN in January 2024 my sister and I traveled to Baltimore to a Books and Brunch event with Jesmyn Ward. She signed my book and I absolutely lost my ability to speak. (The Philly in me will never EVER allow me to fangirl out loud.) We took our mom to the Courtney B. Vance book brunch in Wilmington, DE last month. And we've been to sooo many author events at The Free Library of Philadelphia, at Uncle Bobbie's Coffee and Books and at Harriett's Bookshop. When I'm reading I like to sip hot tea. My go to's are Earl Grey/Lady Grey and Red Zinger (Hibiscus). I like a fun snack so something crunchy depending on how I'm feeling- it could be a chip or a carrot OR a box of Goobers (chocolate covered peanuts). I love to talk books and deep dive into topics, make connections, and point out texts that are or can be in conversation with one another so I hope to do more of that in this community. I also look forward to more of Traci's "non-writer" writing as she likes to remind us that she's not a writer yet does it so well!
I am not a writer I swear, I have all the typos and grammar errors to prove it!
😊
Jealous of the Lake Street Dive tix!
Come on over to see the show. Philly is beautiful in the fall
I'm Leigh in the Chicago suburbs. Currently reading The Other Significant Others by Rhaina Cohen, The Bright and Breaking Sea by Chloe Neill, and Double Exposure by Rien Grey. Peanuts are my go-to snack right now! I'm always interested in what Traci has to say about whatever topic so that's why I'm here.
How do you take your peanuts? Dry roasted? Honey roasted? Salted? In a shell? Set the scene!
I should have known you wanted more specifics! I get Good & Gather Sea Salt Dry Roasted Peanuts from Target.
Just started The Other Significant Others this week - how are you liking it?
It's really good! Seems timely for this season of my life too.
Hello! I'm from the suburbs of Milwaukee, WI, but have also called Madison, WI, Washington D.C., Charlottesville, VA, and London home at different points in my life. I'm currently in the middle of INTERIOR CHINATOWN with WHISKEY TENDER on deck. I don't snack much while I read, but more generally enjoy snacking on pretzels, popcorn, cereal, and dark chocolate. I do drink tea while I read - either matcha or earl grey. As a person who reads/listens to podcasts about pop culture more than she actually engages in pop culture herself, I am excited for recommendations and takes that might intrigue me enough to engage. Plus, always here for book talk.
I feel like you are challenging me into make you a pop culture girlie, I do not know if I am up to this task.
No need to accept the challenge but I often agree with your thoughts on books, so I think I will be naturally more inclined to be interested in the pop culture things you share and more willing to actually engage. :)
Earl is my go to tea or Lady Grey when I want something a tiny bit lighter
Hey everyone! My name is Jasmine she/her and I currently live in Portland, OR with my kiddo, cats, and partner. Right now I'm finishing up Inclusive Transportation by Veronica O. Davis but I'm also reading Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo as well.
Favorite reading beverage is tea because I usually only have time to read for pleasure at night and fav reading snack is definitely pretzels with cream cheese.
Looking forward to getting more book recommendations and also I made my way to The Stacks through 2 Black Girls 1 Rose podcast so definitely excited about pop culture/binge worthy tv convos!!
I love a pretzel and cream cheese combo. So good. So underrated.
Wheats thins & cream cheese--also delightful.
Completely underrated!! I'm trying to keep up with my kiddo's snack game and have recently started getting into Taki's (Fuego)/ cream cheese combo. Have you tried? So so good and so worth the pain I feel after I eat too many!
I'd like your take on Family Lore. I've heard mixed reviews mainly about the multiple POVs.
TBH, this is my second attempt at it. I started it last summer when it came out and I got like half way done and I put it down. Kinda similar feeling this time around again. I think what trips me up is definitely the multiple characters. I find myself getting confused on how they are connected to each other. Also for me it's very character driven vs plot driven and so the tempo of the book when I'm reading it feels super slow. I did hear that it picks up like 3/4ths of the way. Was thinking maybe trying it on audiobook too... see if that helps at all. I'll keep ya posted!
I read FAMILY LORE this past September, and I agree with Jasmine's assessment. It's a solid read but not very exciting in its resolution. And you have to be fine with a lot of ambiguity.
I just finished listening to Family Lore. It was so good on audiobook. I just read your post below and I thought listening on audio helped me with the multiple POV. Keep us posted on how it goes.
Hi! I'm Chelsea-Rae (she/her), I live in Brooklyn with my husband, 2 year old son, and dog, and am a NYC native (originally from the Bronx). I'm currently reading Company by Shannon Sanders, Land of Milk and Honey by C. Pam Zhang, and slogging my way through Dr. Zhivago in an attempt to read more classics. Listening to the stacks podcast has opened my eyes + mind to more narrative non-fiction, so happy to have found this community to expand my reading horizons (ordinary notes, when crack was king, and poverty by america all found their way into my hands because of you!). I'm a popcorn and rose girlie, and though I don't really follow a lot of pop culture, I'm dying to know where tf kate middleton is. Thanks for putting this together Traci, your energy is infectious <3
Kate is my number one priority these days. What is going on in England?
Hey y'all! I'm originally from North Carolina, but now live in Falls Church, VA (there seem to be lots of DC area people here!). I'm currently reading G-Man by Beverly Gage. For reading snacks, I loved iced tea and Trader Joe's Crispy Crunchy Mochi Rice Nuggets. :) I'm looking forward to backlist recommendations, reviews of new non-fiction, and pop culture talk!
How is G-Men?? I have heard incredible things but it is such a huge commitment. How are you finding it?
It’s very good but I have been reading it for months. 🤣 I try to read one big, doorstop like non-fiction book a year.
I'm glad to hear it's good. Hearing Beverly Gage talk about G-Man, in conversation with James Kirchick (Secret City), at the National Book Festival last year sparked my interest in the book. I would have to figure out a plan of attack for such a large book. I love that you try to read one doorstop-sized non-fiction book a year.
Hi all! I’m originally from Seattle, but have been living in Germany for almost 16 years. I‘m in the middle of Wandering Stars and can’t wait to listen to The Stacks episode with Tommy Orange. For snacks, I cannot resist a potato chip. Ruffles or a good sour cream and onion are my go tos. I‘m here for bookish and pop culture gossip!
I love a chip. I feel like they have somehow gone out of fashion, like people do not talk about them as much as when I was kid (this makes me sound like I am pushing 100) but they are an all star snack!
Hiya, I'm James Ross from the north east coast of England. I've just finished an Agatha Christie collection, The Thirteen Problems, and I'm about to begin Nancy Mitford's The Pursuit of Love.
Reading goes well with late nights and red wine, whereas writing is best done before 8am, and requires lots of coffee. Snacks are optional but always welcome.
After completing Harm's Way, the third and final book in the Jago trilogy, which was fairly large at around 103k words, I'm looking forward to writing a series of fairly short serial-novels on substack. I've just completed Scallywags of London, a mashup featuring real and fictional characters from Victorian London, and am about to begin All Ye Bully Rooks, about a fourteenth century serial-killer and the pairing of a country squire and a Benedictine friar who are hunting him.
Writing is a compulsion for me, but when I'm not writing I enjoy busking in Durham, and walking my border terrier Angus along the endless beaches of Northumberland - he's the inspiration for a series of children's books I produce.
If you're ever in the area, let me know and I'll buy you a coffee. Or a pot of Early Grey, if you prefer.
For sure an earl grey! Are you into EPL? Who is your team?
Sadly I never got into football, so neither Newcastle United, Sunderland, or Berwick Rangers are on my to-do list. Earl Grey, however, is definitely on the agenda next time you're in England.
I was born in Houston, but have lived several places growing up. I have resided on the east coast for almost 14 years (DC area & Hollywood Florida).
I am currently reading books for my graduate program at GW, but for pleasure when I get time at the end of the semester I will be reading Brother, I’m Dying by Edwidge Danticat, Adios Happy Homeland by Ana Menendez, and Haiti Noir by Edwidge Danticat.
Go to snacks when I am reading and writing (I am first and foremost a writer 💕😊lol) are twizzlers, water, green tea, and more recently plantain chips.
I am looking forward on Unstacked to relishing in the discussions of dislikes of pop culture, books, etc. & seeing the growth of this space from the podcast. I’ve always loved the types of questions that you ask Traci and I feel like this landscape will hopefully expand on how you get to some of those areas that go beyond books but can always be tethered back to them. I am happy to enter this ride! :-)
Thanks for being here. I hope I can hit on all those things you're excited about. *adds to todo list*
Twizzlers are a fun snack to eat while reading. I rarely buy them though. Maybe I'll grab some soon.
I forgot snacks!!! My favorite are olives, nuts, sunflower seeds, chewy chocolate things like milk duds or Reisen, sour patch kids, anything gummy.
Hi, I’m Alexis! I’m from Wichita, Kansas. I’m currently listening to House of Sky and Breath by SJMass and reading Discipline Without Damage by Dr. Vanessa LaPointe. I’m not a huge snacker but when I do it’s usually a grown up lunchable. Im most excited to meet new people and have good conversations!
Is a grown up lunchable the same as a charcuterie board?
I would say it’s an in between of a charcuterie board and girl dinner.
Discipline Without Damage is one I haven’t heard of but need to read. Adding to my tbr.
My name is Richie and I am from Flushing, Queens (NY)..I am currently reading Scott Ladati's Play the Devil & Louise Gluck's Poems 1962-2012. I like crunchy savory snacks. I look forward to the Poetry break down as I love the insight that writers give to other's work. 🇵🇷🇮🇹
Hope you love the poetry convo!
Hello! My name is Erinn and I am currently in Green Bay, Wisconsin. I am currently reading Hanif Abdurraqib's THERE'S ALWAYS THIS YEAR and trying to savor it by reading in beautiful snapshots. My favorite reading beverage is usually a Diet Coke or occasionally a coffee-infused beer. I'm excited to get some book recommendations outside of my usual genres!
I love a Diet Coke!
I'm Jacque (she/her). I currently live in Texas. I'm reading ORDINARY GRACE by William Kent Kreuger, THE KAEPERNICK EFFECT: TAKING A KNEE, CHANGING THE WORLD by Dave Zirin (discovered via the Stacks) and THE HEMINGSES of MONTICELLO: AN AMERICAN FAMILY by Annette Gordon-Reed.
My snacks of choice are peanut butter cups or peanut M&Ms. I do keep a large glass of water nearby but balance that with Earl Gray tea with winter spice honey or Dr. Pepper Zero, depending on temperature. I've found some amazing books through The Stacks, so I'm looking forward to more great books and good conversations that make me think or send me on rabbit trails that I never dreamed of following.
Hello! Carrie (she/her) in Lexington, Kentucky. Currently reading MARTYR! and listening to THE WISTERIA SOCIETY OF LADY SCOUNDRELS on audio. I like a salty/sweet combo, so like chocolate and pretzels, or cheese/cracker/jam or apple combo. I like herbal tea when I’m reading at night but my fave reading setup is a carbonated water or beer while reading in my porch swing if it’s at all warm or sunny. I love following Traci on IG and listening to the podcast, so looking forward to more Traci, I guess! :)
Hi everyone! I'm Kendra (she/her), in the SF Bay Area. I'm currently reading the audiobook of LEGACY and it's incredible. I loved both episodes with Dr. Blackstock. I'm a mood reader based a lot on which library holds have come in, so I'm also staring at a stack of about a dozen physical books trying to decide what to pick up next. I like salty snacks first, so pretzels are my go-to. I definitely like sweet snacks too, and chocolate covered pretzels are a big win. Plus water, or tea on a cold day. I'm looking forward to bookish-adjacent content and more bookish-adjacent community!
Hi longtime Patreon, fairly new to Patreon. I'm Megan; I'm a librarian in the SF bay area (Oakland Public!) I just finished Interior Chinatown for Stacks Book Club and currently reading How to ADHD and Shut Up, This is Serious (the latter from a recent Stacks pod guest). Go-to snack/bevs: favs include red wine, diet coke, pretzels, and junior mints from the freezer. I'm looking forward to more book conversations and nerding out on amazing bookish and non-bookish things we love (and hate on).
Hi Traci! I'm Laurie Munn (she/her). I live in Phoenix AZ. I wish I lived somewhere else. Someday. Anyway, I am reading 3 books currently: Death Valley by Melissa Broder (hardcover), The Shadow Docket by Stephen Vladeck via Libby and Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister on audio. My go to reading snack: popcorn. Also Cheez-Its. With Spindrift sparkling water. Looking forward to all the discoveries and fresh perspectives here on Unstacked!
Hello! I'm Amy (she/her). I live in Oswego, IL - a far suburb of the great city of Chicago. I'm currently reading Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. I'm an elected school board member and a local school district pulled it from its curriculum so I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I love a diet coke and some crackers...nothing too fancy:). Just looking forward to connecting with others who get their book recommendations from The Stacks.
Hi! 👋 I'm Teresa Towle, from Fredericksburg VA. Currently reading The Bone Ships, The Collected Schizophrenias, and Tiny Beautiful Things. Go to reading snacks and beverages are red wine or black tea (Earl Grey or Chai from a bag, and sometimes black but usually with 1/2 and 1/2 and sugar) and cookies of many varieties. My favorites are peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, and black and white cookies. I'm looking forward to your Grown Up Show and Tell!
Teresa, there are other Fredericksburg people here!!! I didn't know you were a half and half in tea person, too. We are elite.
Hey everyone! I'm Tonya from San Leandro, CA. I'm currently tackling three books at once:
1) Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler
2) Midnight Library by Matt Haig (audiobook)
3) Gouda Friends by Kathy Yardley (rom-com comic relief)
I love either snacking on popcorn or sipping on coffee while reading, depending on the time of day. I hope to connect with other book lovers and get more recommendations for my never ending to-read list!