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.

Is romantasy dead? That’s the question we try to answer on our latest Short Stories episode. Ayesha gets the ball rolling by giving her thoughts on recent romantasy read, QuickSilver, and what booktok’s take is on Silver Elite. This leads us to question what exactly romantasy means these days and why all of the sudden it seems like newly published romantasy books are giving us…well, nothing. No plot, only vibes (if even that). After airing our many grievances with the genre, we try to end with recommending some romantasy books we do actually enjoy!

Let’s welcome our featured guest poet Aimee Donnell! Originally from Northern Ireland, Aimee is a York-based poet who recently released her debut poetry collection We Are All Creatures of Struggle. We chat with Aimee about her inspirations, her journey as a writer, her writing process, and more! At the end of the episode, Aimee leaves us with a beautiful reading of one of her favorite poems in the collection and some sneak peeks into her upcoming works!

Follow Aimee on Instagram @awriternamed_aimee and check out her book on Amazon or Waterstones.

For this latest episode, we spend time interviewing guest author Nehemiah Russell! Local to the DMV (or DC area for you non-locals), Nehemiah is the author and illustrator of Codename, a manga style comic book set in a dystopian world where a teenager’s future is determined by their assigned codename.

We talk to Nehemiah about his journey as an artist and writer, his storyboarding process, the importance of identity, and much more! We left our conversation feeling inspired not only by the story behind Codename but also by Nehemiah’s own path as an artist. If you’re seeking validation to take a leap of faith, whether it’s a career change or starting a new passion project, this is certainly an episode to listen to.

Follow Nehemiah on Instagram @nehemiahr and find his website here: https://nrussellweb.wordpress.com/