She's Becoming Bookish on Historical Fiction, BookTube, and the Albums That Speak to Her Reading Life

She's Becoming Bookish on Historical Fiction, BookTube, and the Albums That Speak to Her Reading Life

Carlie of She's Becoming Bookish joins Notes from Erin for a conversation about historical fiction, building a BookTube presence, and the music that mirrors her reading life. She breaks down three historical fiction picks for three different types of readers, makes a case for why audiobooks absolutely count, and names the one album she thinks deserves to be a novel. Come for the book recommendations, stay for the Death Cab for Cutie mention. Subscribe to She's Becoming Bookish on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ShesBecomingBookish] Subscribe to Notes From Erin [http://notesfromerin.com] Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 02:35 Early reading memories and influences 05:21 Rediscovering reading during the pandemic 07:55 Reading formats: physical, digital, and audiobooks 10:36 The audiobook debate — does it really count? 13:32 Note-taking and book reviews 15:57 Carlie's YouTube journey and why she made the pivot 18:30 Building confidence on camera 26:57 Navigating your digital footprint as a creator 28:11 Why authenticity keeps people coming back 29:35 Connecting through personality and recommendations 31:26 With Love from Harlem and the world of biographical historical fiction 38:31 What draws Carlie to historical fiction 41:28 Three historical fiction picks for three types of readers 45:44 The music that speaks to her reading life

Randee Dawn on We Interrupt This Program & Writing Fantasy That Feels Real

What happens when fairies decide to make TV? Author and entertainment journalist Randee Dawn joins Erin to talk about her Tuniverse series — contemporary fantasy that swaps swords and sorcery for soap operas, cozy mysteries, and mythical creatures navigating the modern world. Randee's latest book, We Interrupt This Program, drops readers into a magically constructed cozy mystery village — think Murder, She Wrote meets Irish folklore — where the showrunner fairy won't leave his house, the Greek muses have gone on vacation, and a silver-haired writer named Winnie has to figure out why everything has stopped working. It's funny, it's warm, and it's the kind of fantasy that sneaks up on you. In this episode, Erin and Randee dig into the resurgence of contemporary fantasy (and what CGI, Harry Potter, and romantasy have to do with it), how Randee's background covering music and TV for outlets like Variety and the LA Times shaped her fiction, what it actually feels like to write a novel, and why community — writers groups, reading series, conventions — is what made her publishing journey possible. They also talk soundtracks as creative fuel, the writing advice that changed how Randee thinks about character, and why New Zealand might just be the most functional country on earth. Paired this episode: We Interrupt This Program by Randee Dawn — a cozy, witty fantasy that rethinks what entertainment is even for. If you loved this episode, the full conversation — and Erin's album pairing — lives on Substack. Subscribe to Notes from Erin for more books, music, and the conversations that connect them. Chapters (00:00) Welcome & Meet Randee Dawn(01:52) Earliest Reading Memories(03:33) The Fantasy Resurgence Explained(08:20) From Music Journalism to Fantasy Novels(13:37) The Origin of the Tuniverse(16:33) Writing Books vs. Writing Everything Else(21:28) Brooklyn Books & Booze(26:18) We Interrupt This Program — Synopsis(29:08) Building Trope Town(37:57) Character, Conflict & What Makes a Story Work(43:25) Shared Universe Easter Eggs(44:04) How the TV-Phrase Titles Work(48:05) Quick-Fire Round(49:59) Writing with (or without) Music(52:05) Why Everyone Should Visit New Zealand

Leonor Mamanna on Consistency, Reading & Curating

Leonor Mamanna has sent Leave It to Leonor every single Thursday for almost 10 years, 492 editions and counting. In this episode, we talk consistency, curation, and what it means to be the person people come to for recommendations. We also get into her three-book-at-a-time reading routine and the social campaign she built around A Little Life that took on a life of its own. Subscribe to Leave It to Leonor [https://leaveittoleonor.beehiiv.com/] Subscribe to Notes from Erin [http://notesfromerin.com] Chapters: (00:00) Introduction to Leonor and Her Newsletter (03:04) The Journey of Consistency in Writing (05:57) The Evolution of Leonor's Newsletter (09:04) Curating Content: Essays and Recommendations (11:59) The Influence of Leonor's Career on Her Writing (15:02) Favorite Podcasts and Ideal Guests (17:59) Reading Habits and Influences (25:14) Exploring Literature: Nonfiction and Romance (26:07) Book Recommendations: Must-Reads for Everyone (28:11) The Impact of A Little Life on Social Media (30:19) Creative Marketing: The Evolution of Book Promotion (34:17) The Influence of Social Media on the Book Industry (38:02) Pop Culture Reflections: TV Shows and Characters (44:35) The Value of a Curated Newsletter

Completely Booked with Jordan Hernandez

As a reader, cultivating a community of fellow readers is important both digitally, and in person and this is one thing that Jordan Hernandez of Completely Booked has thought about and equally perfected. In this interview, I spoke with Jordan about her community, the importance of reading diverse books, lessons she pull from both her reading and running life and so much more. Connect with Jordan: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/_completelybooked] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@completelybookd] | Threads [https://www.threads.com/@_completelybooked] | Substack [https://substack.com/@completelybooked1] Connect with me: Newsletter [http://notesfromerin.com] | Instagram [http://instagram.com/bellametaphor] | Threads [https://www.threads.com/@bellametaphor] Chapters: 00:00 The Journey to Reading 02:57 Building a Community Around Books 06:01 The Evolution of Completely Booked 09:10 The Importance of Diverse Reading 11:58 Navigating Social Media for Community Growth 14:58 Empathy Through Literature 26:44 Exploring Audiobooks and Their Impact 34:06 Highlighting Upcoming Black Women Authors 40:41 The Importance of Reading in Relationships 44:22 Building Community Through Books

ReShonda Tate on With Love from Harlem, Hazel Scott, and Writing Women Back Into History

In this episode, I sit down with author ReShonda Tate to talk about her new novel With Love from Harlem, a sweeping historical fiction set in 1940s and 50s Harlem following jazz prodigy and civil rights advocate Hazel Scott and her complicated relationship with Congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr. We get into Hazel's erased legacy, the sisterhood between Hazel and Billie Holiday, what Black women in exile have in common across generations, and what ReShonda believes Hazel would say to artists navigating this moment. Read more on Substack: http://notesfromerin.substack.com [http://notesfromerin.substack.com] Connect with me on social media: * Instagram [http://instagram.com/bellametaphor] * Threads [https://www.threads.com/@bellametaphor] Connect with ReShonda Tate: * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/reshonda_tate/] * Website [https://reshondatate.com/] Purchase With Love from Harlem [https://www.harpercollins.com/products/with-love-from-harlem-reshonda-tate?variant=43822769274914&utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnfiZQS2TbIN2imTyRL-Z0ZuukS2lGVpPXTeFRizAryucsiqKlATxwx7Xh8U4_aem_hKAxQZJP_EF4Icgq8BmTfg] Chapters: (00:00) Introduction to ReShonda Tate and Her Journey as a Reader (02:42) The Creative Process Behind Writing Historical Fiction (05:50) Exploring Hazel Scott's Life and Legacy (08:48) The Complex Relationship Between Hazel Scott and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. (11:37) The Importance of Sisterhood and Friendship in Harlem (14:56) The Cultural Significance of Harlem and Its Artists (17:43) Reflections on Black Womanhood and Resilience (20:07) Looking Ahead: ReShonda's Future Projects