Bookends with Mattea Roach
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About the show
Latest episodes
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A novel inspired by the death of a tree
October 7, 2026 · 26 minAnita Rau Badami’s new novel, Asha in Her Garden, is her first in over a decade … and it all started with the striking image of a dying tree. On her seventieth birthday, Asha Mohan’s beloved backyard maple tree is cut down. As she watches…
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Girlbossing on an oil rig
October 4, 2026 · 35 minImagine the pressure of being the only woman working on an offshore oil rig. That was the reality for Y.M. Abdel-Magied … and she turned her years in the field into a thrilling novel about oil, power and survival on the water. At Sea…
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How bad was your worst friendship breakup?
September 30, 2026 · 29 minHow far would you be willing to go to salvage a friendship? Maybe you just need a small break ... or how about a couples therapist? Téa Mutonji’s new novel, My Person, follows longtime friends Tania and Margot. The two have been friends…
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Michelle Good is reclaiming her mother's name
September 27, 2026 · 29 minWhen Michelle Good’s mother was in her 20s, she changed her name from Martha Eliza to Elizabeth to sound less Indigenous. Michelle’s new novel, Eliza Sunshine, is rooted intimately in her mother’s life … and gives her mother her name back…
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Colson Whitehead’s lifelong love affair with New York
September 23, 2026 · 24 minThe criminal underworld of 1980s New York City. The last heist of a mostly-retired crook. A city battling for its future. Colson Whitehead’s Harlem Trilogy reaches its conclusion with his latest novel, Cool Machine. It follows Ray Carney…
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What if your boss was a literal supervillain?
September 20, 2026 · 32 minYou might think that your boss is evil … but what if they were an actual supervillain? Natalie Zina Walschots brings that idea to life in her novels Hench and Villain. The series follows Anna, an auditor who does office work for the dark…
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Did the pandemic radicalize you?
September 16, 2026 · 30 minThe phrase "unprecedented times” was repeated over and over again during the pandemic … and Malavika Kannan’s debut novel, Unprecedented Times, dives into university life during that period. The story follows Rishi, an Indian American…
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Why age-gap friendships are a risk worth taking
September 13, 2026 · 32 minHow many of your friends are over 30 years older than you? When Marc Bendavid was 12, he met a teacher that changed his life. His debut novel, The Sapling, is about their generation-defying bond … and living in those memories in the wake…