In this episode, Maggie Tokuda-Hall speaks about refusing to write to market expectations. She reflects on her experience with censorship and her picture book Love in the Library—which ultimately led to her being a founding member of Authors Against Book Bans.

Maggie also shares what it's like to author graphic novels, including The Worst Ronin and Squad, and to collaborate with artists throughout the process. She also highlights information on how listeners can fight book bans, as well as the most important action they can all take right now. On the topic, Olivia shares an opportunity for individuals to join a Banned Books Week Read-In this October to protest ongoing censorship.

Read the full transcript:

Use promo code: SWITCH when signing up for a new Libro.fm membership to get two additional credits to use on any audiobooks—meaning you’ll have three from the start.

About Maggie Tokuda-Hall: Maggie Tokuda-Hall has an MFA in creative writing from USF, and BA in art from Scripps College. She’s the author of numerous award winning, best-selling children’s and young adult books including Love in the Library, The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea duology, Squad, and The Worst Ronin. She has been called “... one of the most unflinching voices in contemporary genre literature.” Maggie is a founding member and national leader of Authors Against Book Bans. She is the co-host of the Failure to Adapt podcast. She lives in Oakland, California with her husband, children, and objectively perfect dog.

Get Maggie’s Books: Love in the Library The Siren, the Song, and the Spy The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea

Books discussed on today’s episode: Cantoras by Caro De Robertis Ne’er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti Ladies in Hating by Alexandra Vasti

Banned Books Week resources: Banned Books Week Read-In near you Ways to learn more about and fight bans

In this episode, Craig and Olivia sit down with New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kennedy Ryan to talk about the power of romance, the craft of building interconnected worlds, and why representation—on and off the page—matters.

In the wake of her latest novel’s release, Can’t Get Enough, Kennedy shares how her emotionally rich, socially conscious love stories give voice to characters and communities often overlooked, and why she considers rest a form of resistance. The conversation explores the artistry of series writing, the importance of friendships and family relationships in romance, and her passionate advocacy for audiobooks as an equally valid form of reading.

Read the full transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12grqSDcTz7I1wFtZe7mqqPoCY9V9fn4N_Kkomlz22O8/edit?usp=sharing

Use promo code: SWITCH when signing up for a new Libro.fm membership to get two additional credits to use on any audiobooks—meaning you’ll have three from the start.

About Kennedy Ryan: Kennedy Ryan is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author and one of the most celebrated voices in contemporary romance, praised by Entertainment Weekly as “one of the finest romance writers of our age.” Her award-winning Skyland series—including Before I Let Go, This Could Be Us, and Can’t Get Enough—has earned honors from TIME, Amazon, and Publisher’s Weekly, and is currently in development at Peacock, where she serves as Executive Producer. A two-time Audie Award winner and the first Black author to win the RITA Award for romance, Ryan is also the co-founder of LiFT 4 Autism, which has raised over $500,000 for Kulture City.

Books discussed on today’s episode:

• Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale
• Indigo by Beverly Jenkins
• Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
• August Lane by Regina Black
• Restore Me by J.L. Seegars
• Kill Creatures by Rory Power
• The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley

Cory shares the motivation behind keeping his audiobooks off Audible—even if it means sacrificing a paycheck—and explains how DRM laws allow Amazon to exert control over books they didn’t even create. The conversation covers everything from how monopoly power has shaped the digital marketplace, to the rise of “enshittification,” a term Cory coined to describe the lifecycle of once-useful tech platforms. They also discuss the importance of decentralized social media, the future of authorship in a platform-dominated world, and why it’s time to stop trying to shop your way out of broken systems and start organizing for real change.

Read the full transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bC4FqH1ZzxPlbtH-Vs1-u-oJFnu4WRKHVHszr4VAbtI/edit?tab=t.0

Use promo code: SWITCH when signing up for a new Libro.fm membership to get two additional credits to use on any audiobooks—meaning you’ll have three from the start.

About Cory Doctotow: Cory Doctorow is a bestselling author of both fiction and nonfiction, a longtime advocate for digital rights, and co-editor of the blog Boing Boing. His recent works include The Bezzle, Picks and Shovels, and the upcoming nonfiction book Enshittification. He also runs the daily newsletter Pluralistic.net.

Get Cory’s Books:

• Picks and Shovels
• Enshittification

Books discussed on today’s episode:

• Little Bosses Everywhere by Bridget Read
• Careless People by Lucy Osborne
• Original Sin by Alex Thompson and Jake Tapper
• I’ll Tell You When I’m Home by Hala Alyan
• Disappoint Me by Nikole Dinan