Beyond Survival Mode // Parvati Shallow's "Nice Girls Don't Win"

AUTHOR CHAT: Jessica Zucker's "I Had a Miscarriage" & "Normalize It!"

What would change if women stopped being silent about the hardest parts of their lives? This week, I sit down with psychologist, author, and advocate Dr. Jessica Zucker, the woman behind the viral #IHadAMiscarriage movement, to discuss her memoir I Had a Miscarriage and her newest book Normalize It: Upending the Silence, Stigma, and Shame That Shape Women's Lives. TW: Infant loss, pregnancy loss Jessica shares the story behind her 16-week miscarriage, how it deepened her already decade-long clinical work in women's reproductive and maternal mental health, and why she felt compelled to bring that conversation into the public sphere. We also dig into why so many women default to self-blame after pregnancy loss, how our culture has taught us to minimize our grief, and why avoiding painful emotions can be far more destructive than actually feeling them. Plus these big questions: Can pleasure and grief coexist? What does it mean to truly honor a loss? And why do the people who most deserve joy so often feel the least entitled to it? Come for the conversation about pregnancy loss and women's shame. Stay for the moment Alex and Jessica unpack why grief avoidance, not grief itself, is what really derails us, and the simple, no-excuse practice Jessica recommends for anyone who doesn't have time to fall apart. Warm, honest, and full of gentle permission slips, this conversation is for anyone who has ever shrunk their pain to make others more comfortable — which is probably all of us. Purchase Jessica's Books: Normalize It! [https://bookshop.org/p/books/i-had-a-miscarriage-a-memoir-a-movement-jessica-zucker/1a59de68ee83b5d6?aid=118071&ean=9781558612884&listref=season-3-memoirs&next=t] I had a Miscarriage [https://bookshop.org/p/books/i-had-a-miscarriage-a-memoir-a-movement-jessica-zucker/1a59de68ee83b5d6?aid=118071&ean=9781558612884&listref=season-3-memoirs&next=t] Find Jessica! Dr. Jessica Zucker's website: drjessicazucker.com [drjessicazucker.com] Her Instagram: @IHadAMiscarriage Support the show: On Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/c/BabesinBooklandPodcast] Buy us a book [https://buymeacoffee.com/babesinbookland] Buy cute merch [https://www.teepublic.com/user/babes-in-bookland-podcast] Subscribe to the Babes in Bookland Substack [https://substack.com/@babesinbookland] Connect with us and suggest a great memoir! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2339134/fan_mail/new] Follow us on instagram!  [https://bookshop.org/p/books/strangers-a-memoir-of-marriage-belle-burden/9576dba8b9d3ce7d?ean=9780593733318&next=t&aid=118071&listref=season-3-memoirs]@babesinbooklandpod [https://www.instagram.com/babesinbooklandpod/]  Thank you for listening! Xx, Alex ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

TEASER: Missed Opportunity // Lena Dunham's "Famesick"

This week, Brett is back for a bonus episode and we are getting into "Famesick", Lena Dunham's new memoir about illness, ambition, Hollywood, and whether any of it was worth it. Brett isn't just any reader here — she worked closely with Lena during the Girls era at United Talent Agency, which means this conversation comes with some serious behind-the-scenes context that you are not going to get anywhere else. We break down what the book actually delivers versus what it promises: the health journey, the name dropping, the rise-to-fame years, the rehab chapters, the wildest dedication page we have ever read, and the moment with Barbara Walters that has been making the rounds for good reason. We also get into what the memoir conspicuously leaves out — her friendship with Taylor Swift, the wording of the November 17th statement — and why those omissions say just as much as what she chose to include. The big question we keep coming back to: is "Famesick" a genuine reckoning, or is it a very calculated, self-serving reframe of a career and a public image? If you loved Girls, hated Girls, or have ever had a complicated relationship with a woman who is clearly brilliant... but also kind of a lot — this episode is for you. Thank you so much for supporting the show! Xx, Alex ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

BSB: Belle Burden's "Strangers"

Belle Burden's divorce memoir, Strangers, is the book everyone's talking about! She's a Harvard-educated lawyer, a Vanderbilt heiress, a hedge fund husband, and a life that unraveled with a single voicemail. But why are we so obsessed with this woman's problems? On this Bite-Sized Babes, I break down the instant #1 NYT bestseller with some hot takes: the transformation the book promises vs. what it actually delivers, the anger that never quite shows up on the page, and the uncomfortable question of whose pain we choose to center in literary culture. Plus, a fascinating comparison to Jen Hatmaker's Awake, the memoir telling nearly the same story with a completely different energy. Come for the book review, stay for the bigger conversation about women, wealth, divorce, and who gets to fall apart in public. Buy Belle Burden's "Strangers" [https://bookshop.org/p/books/strangers-a-memoir-of-marriage-belle-burden/9576dba8b9d3ce7d?ean=9780593733318&next=t&aid=118071&listref=season-3-memoirs] Connect with us and suggest a great memoir! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2339134/fan_mail/new] Follow us on instagram! @babesinbooklandpod [https://www.instagram.com/babesinbooklandpod/]  Xx, Alex ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Beyond Survival Mode // Parvati Shallow's "Nice Girls Don't Win"

Can nice girls win? You know her as one of the most iconic players in Survivor history, but Parvati Shallow's memoir, Nice Girls Don't Win, reveals the story behind the strategy. My friend, Diliana, joins me as we dive deep into Parvati's remarkable journey from growing up in a cult-like commune called The Ranch, to winning Survivor twice, to finally doing the hardest thing of all: healing. We explore the four Fs — fight, flight, freeze, and fawn — and how Parvati spent most of her life cycling through them without realizing it. We talk about the performance of being "the good girl," what it costs women to be likable, and why the villain edit she carried for years says so much more about our culture than it does about her. And along the way, we get personal about growing up in survival mode, about not wanting to be a burden, about the belief systems we inherit from the people who raised us, and the long, non-linear work of unlearning them. This one is for anyone who has ever shrunk themselves to be loved, wondered why they can't just get over it, or needed a reminder that the mess and the healing are both part of the win. Purchase Nice Girls Don't Win by Parvati Shallow [https://bookshop.org/p/books/nice-girls-don-t-win-how-i-burned-it-all-down-to-claim-my-power-parvati-shallow/e37da8ccf1a741a9?aid=118071&ean=9780593730577&listref=season-3-memoirs&next=t] Other books mentioned: Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker [https://bookshop.org/p/books/complex-ptsd-pete-walker/6677e3f8aa4aac6c?ean=9781492871842&next=t&aid=118071&listref=referenced-reading] The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-body-keeps-the-score-brain-mind-and-body-in-the-healing-of-trauma-bessel-van-der-kolk-m-d/9e63236863805513?aid=118071&ean=9780143127741&listref=referenced-reading&next=t] Existential Kink by Carolyn Elliott [https://bookshop.org/p/books/existential-kink-unmask-your-shadow-and-embrace-your-power-a-method-for-getting-what-you-want-by-getting-off-on-what-you-don-t-carolyn-elliott-phd/4d8631b121e47756?ean=9781578636471&next=t&aid=118071&listref=referenced-reading] Thank you for supporting the show! Xx, Alex ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

AUTHOR CHAT: Cassidy Gard's "Cosmic Goodness"

One good choice can re-route an entire life, but only if you trust yourself enough to make it.  I sit down with memoirist Cassidy Gard to talk about the real story behind her healing memoir, "Cosmic Goodness: Surrendering the Shadows to Live in the Light." We also get delightfully specific about book cover decisions, permissions, and why the right quote can set the emotional tone for a chapter.  From there, we go deeper into the heart of her message: “cosmic goodness,” a grounded kind of spirituality she defines as "courage meeting clarity." Whether you love the woo or you hate it, the point is still practical and universal-- Your life changes when your daily decisions match the life you say you want. Cassidy shares the exercises that helped her shift her inner world, including conscious sobriety, writing-based practices for anger, and a commitment to alignment that keeps her open to the right conversations and opportunities.  We also talk about the hard truths that shaped her. Growing up poor with an alcoholic father, shame that settles into the nervous system, imposter syndrome, and the surprising moments that made her feel seen. Motherhood brings another layer, including postpartum anxiety, postpartum rage, and the long road to forgiving yourself after a terrifying accident. The conversation ends with a nuanced take on separating art from artist and how we can outgrow what once carried us.  If you care about memoir, intuition, healing, spiritual growth, postpartum mental health, and rebuilding a life with intention, press play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. Purchase "Cosmic Goodness" [https://bookshop.org/p/books/cosmic-goodness-surrendering-the-shadows-to-live-in-the-light-cassidy-gard/64aefe6990831853?ean=9798895655078&next=t&aid=118071&listref=season-3-memoirs] Xx, Alex Connect with us and suggest a great memoir! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2339134/fan_mail/new] Follow us on instagram! @babesinbooklandpod [https://www.instagram.com/babesinbooklandpod/]  ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.