Bad On Paper

Today's episode was the last one we recorded together while Grace was living in Brooklyn! As we embark on a new (remote) era of the podcast we thought it would be fun to take a walk down memory lane and talk about all of our childhood favorite things. As two weird kids (and now, weird adults), there were a lot of fun and silly memories to share. We share the things that we collected, the foods we coveted (and our strange bagged lunches), our love for the mall and our favorite childhood books. Be sure to join us in the Facebook group to share your favorite gems from the past! Instagram: @zillowgonewildcelebrityhomes @prettybookplaces Obsessions: Pomodoro Technique What We're Reading: Delicious! by Ruth Reichl Breathless by Jennifer Niven April Book: Delicious! by Ruth Reichl Sponsor: Night: Go to discovernight.com and get 20% off with code BOPNIGHT at checkout. Prose: Go to prose.com/BOP for your free in-depth hair quiz and 15% off your order. Join our Facebook group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

TRIGGER WARNING: Suicide National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 800-273-8255 Our March Book Club pick is The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. The book follows 35-year-old Nora Seed, who is full of regrets over how she lived her life. In between life and death she is given the chance to explore how alternate lives would have played out had she made different choices thanks to the magic of The Midnight Library. We also share our own regrets and wrong turns that ultimately led us to where we are today. We absolutely loved this book and hope you did too! Join us in the Facebook group to discuss! Instagram: @colleenmherman @aliciamlund Obsessions: Happier in Hollywood Podcast Maiden Home What We're Reading: Delicious! by Ruth Reichl Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi Somewhere Only we Know by Maurene Goo March Book The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Sponsor: Betterhelp: Get 10% off your first month by visiting betterhelp.com/badonpaper. Join our Facebook group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

Between Grace's upcoming move to Charleston and Becca's immersion in RomComPods Season 3 production, we realized we haven't had much time to catch up! So this week is a little off the rails grab-bag episode where we embrace all of our most unpopular opinions on popular things, and the other way around. It's always fun to unearth more things that we don't know about each other. This includes but is definitely not limited to our trash people tendencies, lowbrow loves, overrated beauty products... and to be honest - a lot of thoughts on cheese. Instagram: @thecatchmeifyoucan Produces Discussed: Amazon Mellanni Sheets Amazon Sports Bra (tie dye version) Obsessions: Happier in Hollywood Podcast Superstore (Hulu) Dusen Dusen Beach towels What We're Reading: A Special Place for Women by Laura Hankin The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris Delicious! by Ruth Reichel Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi March Book The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Sponsor: Night: Go to discovernight.com and get 20% off with code BOPNIGHT at checkout. Betterhelp: Get 10% off your first month by visiting betterhelp.com/badonpaper. Join our Facebook group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

Home chef and New York Times bestselling author Julia Turshen joins us to talk about her journey to writing cookbooks, her relationship with her body, and her personal, new cookbook Simply Julia. We also hear the adorable story of how she met her wife, Grace (a true Internet meet-cute!) and discuss her inclusive food database, Equity at the Table. More Julia: Simply Julia - Cookbook juliaturshen.com @turshen on instagram Equity at the Table Julia Rec: Maintenance Phase Podcast Instagram: @opalvadhan on instagram Obsessions: Abby Alley What We're Reading: A Special Place for Women by Laura Hankin The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris March Book The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Sponsor: Betterhelp: Get 10% off your first month by visiting betterhelp.com/badonpaper. Join our Facebook group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

It has been a year in pandemic purgatory and if you are like us (which we assume you are, because you're here!) then you might be running out of ways to entertain yourself at home. We have both been recently watching and listening to a lot of great content and thought we would share a roundup of our favorite movies, tv shows, podcasts and more. Consider this your to-watch list! Join us in the Facebook group and give us your recs! Movie Recs: Minari Promising Young Woman Nomadland Fake Famous The Map of Tiny Perfect Things Always and Forever Laura Jean Moxie Rabbit Holes: Framing Britney Spears Documentary Britney's Gram podcast Eat Pray Britney Podcast Anna Delvey My Friend Anna by Rachel DeLoache Williams TV Recs: Firefly Lane Bling Empire Flack Mr Mayor Bonding Superstore Lady in the Dale Behind Her Eyes Tell Me Your Secrets Lupin Podcasts: Sorry Charlie Miller Podcast Morning Meeting Podcast Well Suited Podcast Leave Your Mark - Donald Robertson episode @Drawbertson Under the Influence with Jo Piazza Newsletters: Creme de la Creme by Animatou Sow Anne Friedman Weekly The Audacity by Roxane Gay Agents and Books by Kate McKean Internet Brunch Daily Newsletter Instagram: @nelldiamond Obsessions: The Nap Dress - Hillhouse Sobel Skin RX 30% Glycolic Acid Peel Concentrate What We're Reading: Her Three Lives by Cate Holahan (April release) The Girls Are All So Nice Here by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn Love Scenes by Bridget Morrissey (June 22 release) March Book The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Sponsor: Night: Buy one of the Dual Sided Skincare Pillow cases and get one free with code BOP at discovernight.com. Prose: Go to prose.com/BOP for your free in-depth hair quiz and 15% off your order. Join our Facebook group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

Today we spoke with Frances Cha, the author of our February book club pick - If I Had Your Face. Frances is a NYC-based author who splits her time between the US and Seoul. She shares her experiences researching plastic surgery, room salons, and mental health for the book. We discuss the way she developed her characters to each embody a different theme of Korean culture, the journey to finally releasing the book during the pandemic, and what she's working on now! More Frances Cha: @franceschawrites on instagram Frances's Asian Author Book Recs: David Tung Can't Have a Girlfriend Until He Gets Into an Ivy League College by Ed Lin The Magical Language of Others by E.J Koh Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

For this month's book club we read If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha. Just 30 pages into this book, we both knew it had to be our book club pick. Neither of us haven read anything like it before and there is so much to talk about. The story revolves around 4 women who all live in the same apartment building in contemporary Seoul, South Korea. The book explores impossible beauty standards and strict social hierarchies, fangirling over K-POP bands, jealousy, relationships, sex work and room salons. We discuss plastic surgery, the fast-paced Korean Beauty market, the feelings around family and marriage in Korea, and more. Join us in the Facebook group and let us know your thoughts on this month's pick! Instagram: @theannadelvey Contemporary books about life in other countries: Yolk by Mary H K Choi Anna K by Jenny Lee White Ivy by Susie Yang What We're Reading: Untamed by Glennon Doyle Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead Too Good to be True by Carola Lovering Transcendent Kingdom Yah Gyasi A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas February Book The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Sponsor: Night: Buy one of the Dual Sided Skincare Pillow cases and get one free with code BOP at discovernight.com. Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

One of the things we get asked about most is how to read more. So we tackle that during the first fifteen minutes of this episode. (Spoiler alert: being single and childfree during a pandemic helps!) When we read, the advantages of audiobooks, and how to find books you truly love reading, and more! For the rest of the episode, we dive into our favorite hidden gem books. We each brought our five favorite hidden gem books to the table, peppering them in with recommendations from YOU! So this episode is packed with hidden gems to read. 10 from us, 14 from you… get ready for some amazing recommendations! Join in the FB group to add your favorites to the conversation! Becca and Grace's Recs: The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro A Sky Painted Gold by Laura Wood Peach Tree Bluff Series Kristy Woodson Harvey Kitchens of The Great Midwest by J Ryan Stradal The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman Who's That Girl & You Had Me At Hello by Mhairi McFarlane American Predator by Maureen Callahan Musical Chairs by Amy Poepell We Were Liars by E. Lockhart The Conspiracy of Us Trilogy by Maggie Hall Reader Recs: The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain The Tea Rose Series by Jennifer Donnelly Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown The League of Extraordinary Women (Series) Love Walked In by Maris Los Santos The Pull of The Stars by Emma Donoghue Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA by Amaryllis Fox Delicious by Ruth Reichel Less by Andrew Sean Greer The City Baker's Guide To Country Living by Louise Miller We are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson A Heart In A Body In The World by Deb Caletti Summer Sisters by Judy Blume Instagram: @oldgap_ Obsessions: Issa Rae's Master Class Hotel Lobby Candles What We're Reading: Untamed by Glennon Doyle The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon Yolk by Mary H K Choi Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters The Underground Railroad by Colston Whitehead February Book If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha Sponsor: Betterhelp: Get 10% off your first month by visiting betterhelp.com/badonpaper. Prose: Get 15% off your first order at prose.com/bop Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

Today we are joined by Caroline Owusu-Ansah, the founder of Luv Scrub! If you have been listening for a while you know that Grace is obsessed with her Luv Scrub—and rightfully so. This exfoliating cloth was awarded Allure's Best of Beauty Award, leaves your skin baby soft, and replaces your old loofah or pouf - for good! Caroline shares the journey to build her business and her lessons learned, from ways to avoid burnout to finding a mentor to taking care of your mental health. More Caroline: www.theluvscrub.com @luvscrub Instagram: @emilyhenrywrites @samsonthedood Obsessions: Giant Wall Calendar: PlanTheThingsco The Birthdate Book Birthdate Candle Neom candle What We're Reading: Untamed by Glennon Doyle The Lynching by Laurence Leamur Bird by Bird by Ann Lamott The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon All Girls by Emily Layden The Therapist by B.A. Paris (out in July) The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner February Book If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha Sponsor: Betterhelp: Get 10% off your first month by visiting betterhelp.com/badonpaper. Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

With almost a full year of quarantine life under our belts, we're checking in with each other on how we're feeling, what's giving us hope, and how we are staying motivated to do anything more than watching Netflix. Grace shares more about her season of self-improvement and Becca talks about how big projects are giving her quarantine a sense of purpose. We're also talking about the activities that are keeping us busy (puzzles!) and what we've been watching during our nights in. We want to hear about your quarantine feels (and distractions) in the Facebook group! TV and Movie Recs: Bridgerton The Bold Type The Flight Attendant Ted lasso Schitt's Creek Saved By the Bell reboot Pretend It's A City (Fran Leibowitz docuseries) The Undoing Lupin Money Heist Ready Player One Crazy Rich Asians Read in a Day Book recs: Thrillers: Anything by Megan Miranda, Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen, or Liv Constantine 28 Summers and The Blue Bistro by Elin Hilderbrand The Mall by Megan McCafferty Snowfall of Silver by Laura Wood Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover Instagram: @vp @flotus Obsessions: Lupin Scam Goddess Podcast Alit Winery Barefoot Dreams Blanket What We're Reading: Untamed by Glennon Doyle Joyful by Ingrid Fetell Lee The Lynching by Laurence Leamur Infinite Country by Patricia Engal (our March 2) The Mothers by Britt Bennett The Beach Club by Ellin Hildebrand People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (our May 11) The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano February Book If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha Sponsor: Betterhelp: Get 10% off your first month by visiting betterhelp.com/badonpaper. Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

Today we are joined by Elizabeth Gilbert the New York Times best-selling author of Eat, Pray, Love, City of Girls, and (of course!) our January Book Club pick Big Magic. We talk about her decision to write Big Magic and the writing process behind it. She shares her unique perspectives on creativity and how every person can find and grow in that space. She talks about staying actively (and not-so actively) creative during the pandemic, ditching social media for the greater good, and learning how to be kind to yourself. If you have been needing some motivation this is the 2021 pep talk you have been waiting for! More Elizabeth Gilbert: Join the Onward Book Club! Elizabeth Gilbert on Youtube Elizabethgilbert.com February Book If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha Sponsor: HBO Max: Use our link (http://hbom.ax/badonpaper) for HBO Max's promo offer where new and returning subscribers can sign up for a limited-time "Prepay and Save Offer" to save 20% when prepaying the first 6 months of an HBO Max subscription. Restrictions apply. Uncommon Goods: To get 15% off your Valentine's Day gifts go to uncommongoods.com/bop. Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

We found it fitting that Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert was our first book club of 2021. Becca reads this book every January to jumpstart her year, and we wanted to include you on her tradition. Reading this book is the creativity pep talk we all need so badly right now. Elizabeth approaches creativity with lightness and joy. Even if you don't consider yourself a creative person, you will take so much away from this book. We touch on each chapter and our biggest takeaways and share our own journeys with creativity. We love this book (can you tell?) and we hope you did too! Tell us your thoughts in the FB group and join us tomorrow for a bonus episode with the author! If you liked Big Magic: Daring Greatly by Brenè Brown Nobody Wants to Read Your Shit by Steven Pressfeld Like Brothers by Mark and Jay Duplass Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott Instagram: @ninetypesco @Jazmynjw Obsessions: Thirteen Lune What We're Reading: Heavy by Kiese Laymon On Writing by Stephen King If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha The Lynching by Laurence Leamer The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano February Book If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha Sponsor: Betterhelp: Get 10% off your first month by visiting betterhelp.com/badonpaper. Misen: Go to misen.com/bop for 20% off your first order. HelloFresh: Go to hellofresh.com/10BOP and use code 10BOP to get 10 free meals and free shipping! Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

In today's episode we are joined by Azora Zoe Paknad, the founder of Goldune. Before starting Goldune in the middle of the pandemic (in the short span of 5 months!), Azora Zoe worked for Food52 and before that, she was Grace's social media intern at BaubleBar! She has worked in the ecommerce and content space for years and when quarantine started she got to work and started her own e-commerce site, selling the best sustainable homewares. Azora Zoe shares the intense process of building a company and her personal journey to this point. We talk about reusable straws, food storage tips, product swaps and shocking recycling facts. Do you know what a soapberry is? Neither did we! We got a crash course in sustainability and we hope this helps you find little ways you can make changes in your everyday life that will work towards a healthier planet. More Zoe: @goldune.co instagram Goldune.com Use code BOP for $10 off your first order Zoe's Recs: Kosas Big Clean Mascara Nature First Laundry Pods @pattygonia @intersectionalenvironmentalist @katieboue Noap - Plastic Free Shampoo and Conditioner Hand blown glass straws Biodegradable Sponge, Scrub + Brush Set Earth911.org Instagram: @__flowerwitch @thegoodcarmablog Obsessions: ChappyWrap A Discovery of Witches Show Leonore Doc Martin Boots What We're Reading: Heavy by Kiese Laymon The End of Her by Shari Lapena Layla by Colleen Hoover The Blue Bistro by Elin Hildebrand Queenie by Candace Carty-Williams January Book Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert Sponsor: Night: Go to discovernight.com and get 20% off with code BOP20 at checkout. Betterhelp: Get 10% off your first month by visiting betterhelp.com/badonpaper. Prose: Go to prose.com/BOP for your free in-depth hair quiz and 15% off your order. Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

It's the time of year where we reflect on past resolutions and create new ones for the new year ahead. As we look back on the insanity of 2020 and the way that it affected our goals and ability to achieve them, we found some silver linings! Although we are definitely cautious as we set our 2021 goals, we're also optimistic. We talk about our personal, business, and mental and physical health resolutions and the steps we are taking to get there. Whether you like to make resolutions or you just like to wing it, we support it! If we learned anything in 2020, it's that this year needs to be about being good to yourself. 11 Goal Setting Apps - help keep you on track! Instagram: @galisonpuzzles @zillowgonewild Obsessions: Ouidad Leave-in Conditioner Bimble - CBD Seltzer code GRACE for 20% off What We're Reading: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales (out in April) The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren (out in May) Musical Chairs by Amy Poepple Joyful by Ingrid Fetell Lee Make Up Break Up by Lily Menon January Book Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert Sponsor: The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins Misen: Go to misen.com/bop for 20% off your first order. Care of: 50% your first order at takecareof.com with offer code BOP50 at checkout. Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

We're back with our first episode of a brand new year! To kick off 2021 we are joined by Kelley Knight, author of Spells for the Modern Mystic Ritual Guidebook and Spellcasting Kit. Kelley is bringing mysticism into the mainstream, and we are here for it! We chat about her own psychic awakening, building her business, and her freakiest predictions. She does a mini tarot reading for each horoscope sign to see what lies in the year ahead. We also have a bonus January reading for those Virgos and Libras like us! We even learn a quick cleansing spell to clear out the bad the vibes that 2020 left behind. Don't know your sun sign or your rising/ascending sign? Visit Astro.com and all you need is birth location, date, and time. More Kelley Knight: Modernmysticshop.com @modernmystic_shop Modernmystictarot.com Spells for the Modern Mystic Ritual Guidebook and Spellcasting Kit Spells for the Modern Mystic Intensive Instagram: @sharonsaysso @shitbloggerspost Obsessions: Death to 2020 on Netflix Plant Juice Oils - Doze off Sex and the City Worthy Threads Tie Dye Sweat Suit Electric & Rose Work out Sets Ted Lasso What We're Reading: A Promised Land by Barack Obama White Ivy by Susie Yang This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens Admission by Julie Buxbaum The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins People Like Her by Ellery Loyd An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin What would Frida Do? by Arianna davis Winter Street by Elin Hildebrand 28 Summers by Elin Hildebrand A Snowfall of Silver by Laura Wood Finlay Donovan is Killing it by Elle Cosimano The Stationary Shop by Marjan Kamali January Book Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert Sponsor: Night: Go to discovernight.com and get 20% off with code BOP20 at checkout. Betterhelp: Get 10% off your first month by visiting betterhelp.com/badonpaper. Hello Fresh: Go to hellofresh.com/10BOP and use code 10BOP to get 10 free meals and free shipping! Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

For the last book club of 2020, we chose The Cousins by Karen McManus. This is a twisty YA thriller, sans murder - making it kind of the perfect book for both of us! This is the tale of Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story: three cousins who barely know each other but are invited to work at their estranged grandmother's resort. All of their parents have been disinherited and the cousins learn more and more about the dark secrets of their family's past. We chat about which cousins we relate to most, our theories about the ending, and our interest in the psyche of the adult characters. We both really enjoyed this book and we hope you did too! Join us in the Facebook group and let us know what you thought! More Non-Scary YA Thrillers: One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus One of Us is Next by Karen McManus Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes Deadly Little Scandals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman All These Beautiful Strangers by Elizabeth Klehfoth Obsessions: Algenist Liquid Collagen Kosas sport lip balm Mario Badescu Lip Balm Chameleon Cold Brew Coffee Ample Hills Peppermint Pattie Ice Cream Other Products Mentioned: Blundstone Boots What We're Reading: Joyful by Ingrid Fetell Lee A Promised Land by Barack Obama Star Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia White Ivy by Susie Yang Pretty Things by Janelle Brown Swear on this Life by Renee Carlino The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow January Book Club: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert Sponsor: Night: Go to discovernight.com and get 20% off with code BOP20 at checkout. Betterhelp: Get 10% off your first month by visiting betterhelp.com/badonpaper. Hello Fresh: Go to hellofresh.com/80BOP and use code 80BOP to get $80 off your first box and free shipping! Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

2020 is coming to a close and we are not going to let this year end on a negative note. There were really some great things about this year (politics and pandemics aside, of course). In this episode we talk about our biggest professional and personal accomplishments this year and all of our favorite purchases. We reminisce about our favorite episodes of the pod this year, our favorite books, clothing and beauty purchases and all of our favorite ways that we self-cared our way through 2020. Grace's Post: I don't want kids … and that's okay! Best Overall Purchase of 2020: Grace's Dining Chairs - Vintage Marcel Breuer Cesca Chairs via 1st Dibs Brightland Olive Oil Fridge Lazy Susan The SoulCycle Bike Favorite Clothing Purchases of 2020: Pandemic Pants from Old Navy Aerie corded oversized sweatshirt (Quarter zip version; original is sold out) Eileen Fisher Tunic Sweaters Ralph Lauren Blazer Vuori Joggers Amazon Fleece Favorite Beauty Purchases of 2020: Dr. Bader Face Cream San Tropez Self Tanner Prose: prose.com/BOP Ilia Mascara Saie Mascara Favorite Home Goods of 2020: The air-fryer Favorite Books of 2020: Grace: One to Watch by Kate Stayman - London The Chiffon Trenches by Andre Leon Talley Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet The Last Flight by Julie Clark The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead Becca: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi One to Watch by Kate Stayman - London The Boys' Club by Erica Katz Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal Open Book by Jessica Simpson (audiobook) Favorite TV Shows of 2020: The Undoing The Queen's Gambit The Politician Season 2 Hollywood Never Have I Ever Dash and Lily Favorite Movies of 2020: The High Note 1917 Nancy Meyers Movies Favorite Recipes of 2020: Alison Roman's Sour Cream Flatbread Oh She Glows Cream of Tomato Soup Julia Turshen's Turkey Meatballs with Ricotta Instagram: @the.sattva.life Obsessions: Robinhood Investment App Virgin River What We're Reading: Stamped From the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi Joyful by Ingrid Fetell Lee A Promised Land by Barack Obama This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens The Star Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes by Elissa R. Sloan Christmas At the Island Hotel by Jenny Colgan A Snowfall of Silver by Laura Wood A Sky Painted Gold by Laura Wood December Book Club: (Episode out Dec 16th!) The Cousins by Karen McManus Sponsor: Prose: Go to prose.com/BOP for your free in-depth hair quiz and 15% off your order. Betterhelp: Get 10% off your first month by visiting betterhelp.com/badonpaper. Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

How is it possible we've never done a holiday episode?! Let's fix that starting… now! In this episode we talk about our favorite holiday traditions, how we decorate, our fave holiday foods, and, of course, the best movies and books to get you into the holiday spirit. We also share our favorite small businesses that you should know about for gift shopping this holiday season! Join us in the FB group and tell us your favorite small businesses! Holiday Movies: Elf The Christmas Contract A Christmas Inheritance A Christmas Prince Love Actually The Holiday The Holidate The Princess Switch 2 Christmas with a Prince Holiday Books: One Day in December by Josie Silver We Met in December by Rosie Curtis The 12 Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss Christmas at the Island Hotel by Jenny Colgan Small Business Recs: Grace: Beauty: Indie Lee, Follain, Klur, Luv Scrub, Woo Me Beauty Food: Trufflin Hot Sauce, Red Clay Hot Sauce Jewelry: Nicola Bathie, Holst + Lee, Candyshop Vintage Clothing: Nightire, Worthy Threads Lifestyle: Dusen Dusen fashion towels, Chappywrap Blanket Etsy: Luma and Co Candles: Sensual Candle Co Home: Rebecca Atwood Becca: Brooklyn Candle Studio Food: Serving New York Book, Flatiron Pepper Company Clothes/lounge: Printfresh Robes, Recliner Pajamas, Phenomenal Etsy: Fat Pom Poms , Delancey Collective , Doebello, Jill Makes Gift Idea: Ideal Bookshelf Gift Cards: Local restaurants, bookstores Instagram: @jewelrybyoliviak @homecoming Obsessions: Frasier Fir Candle Studs.com Madewell candle in rosewood cedar What We're Reading: The Cousins by Karen McManus Stamped From the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds The 12 Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss Joyful by Ingrid Fetell Lee The Talented Miss Farewell by Emily Gray Tedrowe This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens December Book Club: (Episode out Dec 16th!) The Cousins by Karen McManus Sponsor: Night: Go to discovernight.com and get 20% off with code BOP20 at checkout. Betterhelp: Get 10% off your first month by visiting betterhelp.com/badonpaper. Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

Today we are joined by Diksha Basu, the author of our November Book Club pick, Destination Wedding. We are so excited to get the inside scoop on this book! Diksha is an author, former actress, and academic from New Delhi, India, and she now divides her time between New York City and Bombay. We explore what 'home' means to her, and how that influenced this book. She shares her unique writing process, starting with character development before plot. We also talk about our favorite character (Tina, who we want to be our BFF) and our least favorite (Marianne) and the inspiration behind them. More Diksha: @dikshabasu on twitter @Diksha_basu on insta Bookshop.org to buy her books Please send her a message if you liked the book! Favorite Indian Authors: Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi Favorite Pakistani Authors: Moth Smoke by Moshin Hamid Moni Mohsin Rohinton Mistry Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

For our November Book Club we read Destination Wedding by Diksha Basu. This book is exactly what we needed as we are both missing travel, meeting new people, and big events like weddings! The story follows Tina Das, a Brooklynite who is traveling to India with her divorced parents and her best friend to attend a cousin's lavish wedding. Both Tina and her father are looking for love while on their trip, with some pretty mixed results. This book was such a fun read that will have you laughing, and, if you're like us, wanting to be best friends with the main character. Also tune in Friday for a bonus episode with the author! Join us in the FB group and let us know what you think of the book, and let's talk about other book characters you'd want to be best friends with! Instagram: @duexmoi @claudehome Obsessions: Malin + Goetz Cannabis Candle Aerie Loungewear Quarter Zip Sweater Waffle Sweater Dogs wearing sweaters pj bottoms What We're Reading: The Cousins by Karen McManus (out Dec 1) Simmer Down by Sarah Smith Stamped by Ibram X. Kendi A Promised Land by Barack Obama The 12 Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss Sponsor: Night: Shop the Black Friday Sale early go to discovernight.com and get 30% off with code BOP30 at checkout. Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

Welcome to our holiday gift guide episode with Caroline Moss. Caroline is the host of "Gee Thanks, Just Bought it," a podcast about all things shopping. Her podcast explores the fun things she and her guests have found on the internet, bought, and loved. We are big fans and think you'll like it too! We talk about what we're eyeing on Black Friday, plus gift ideas for moms, best friends, kids, and the office secret santa. We hope this episode gives you some great gift ideas (we certainly checked a few people off our list while recording!). Mom or Mother in-law Gift Recs: The Revlon One Step Volumizer Barefoot Dreams Cardigan CBD Bath Soaks from Equilibria or Lord Jones Four Seasons Hotel Robe Dr. Bader Face Cream Night Pillow (use code BOP30 for 30% off in November) 10 Foot Phone Charger Mophie Battery Sister or Best Friend Recs: Olive & June manicure and pedicure full sets Natori Shangri La Robe and Print Fresh Robes Byredo Tree house Candle Le Labo Santal 26 Candle Brooklyn Candle Company Maison Louis Marie no. 4 Candle Diptique Baies Candle Thymes Candle Fraiser fir Headspace Meditation Gift Card Dusen Dusen Towels Klur Body Oil Embroidered pillow from Jonathan Adler or Furbish For someone else's child Gift Recs: Little piano with microphone Magnatiles Squishy light up ball Gap Kids Leather Jacket Monica + Andy Christmas pajamas Under $20 secret Santa Gift Recs: The Lexon Mino The Luv Scrub Necessaire eucalyptus body wash Big Macs and Burgundy Book The Hyper Chiller The Delancey Collective Resin coasters and Barrettes (code: GEETHANKS will get you 20% off) More Caroline: Gee Thanks, Just Bought It Podcast https://www.geethanksjustboughtit.com/ Join the Facebook Group @geethanksjustboughtitpod Instagram: @skaijoglo @douglasemhoff @ronanbouroullec Obsessions: Dash & Lilly on Netflix The Queen's Gambit on Netflix Cuup Bras Southern Charm Season 7 What We're Reading: Joyful by Ingrid Fetell Lee In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren The Cousins by Karen McManus (out Dec 1) Ralph Lauren Coffee Table Book Headliners by Lucy Parker The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune November Book Club: Destination Wedding by Diksha Basu Sponsor: Kassatex: Go to kassatex.com and take 20% off sitewide with code BOP20. HelloFresh: Go to hellofresh.com/BOP90 and use code BOP90 to get $90 off your first box and free shipping! Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

Elizabeth Holmes, the author of HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style joins us to talk about royal fashion moments and her new book. Elizabeth shares the analytical lens she uses to observe and report on royal style, thinking about the message behind the clothes just as much as their glamour. We dig into the writing process, photo selection, and her favorite royal outfits (and missteps!). She also shares how recent conversations around race and racism have impacted how she covers Meghan and royal style overall. More Elizabeth: @eholmes HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style Instagram: @dannypeligrino @threebirdsrennovations Obsessions: Alice Chicolini The Undoing on HBO Ilia Mascara What We're Reading: Just Mercy by Brian Stevenson Joyful by Ingrid Fetell Lee Anxious People by Fredrick Backman Take a Hint, Dani Brown byTalia Hibbert In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren Pretty Things by Janelle Brown November Book Club: Destination Wedding by Diksha Basu Sponsor: Night: Grab the Black Friday Sale early go to discovernight.com and get 30% off with code BOP30 at checkout. Bombas: So give a pair of socks when you buy a pair and get 20% off your first purchase bombas.com/BOP Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

For today's episode, in honor of the cooler temps coming our way, we are sharing our favorite TV shows and movies. Hopefully this list will make your winter quarantine a little more entertaining! We have both found that being inside more has led us both to watching a lot more TV than movies. We still stick to our fav genres- Becca almost exclusively watches Rom Coms, and Grace likes anything with secret agents or lawyers, and of course documentaries! Differences aside, we can both agree that we really do love an old person romance… especially when Nancy Meyers is behind it. We have found a lot of joy in watching our favorite shows from childhood, college, and now to help beat the blues of being stuck inside. Favorite Childhood Shows: Anne of Green Gables Avonlea Saved by the Bell Gilmore Girls Dawson's Creek 90210 What we are watching in quarantine: The Politician Love Life Dr. Foster The Morning Show White Collar New Girl Episodes Dead to Me Scandal Never Have I Ever Grace's All Time Favorites: Gilmore Girls Sex in the City Game of Thrones West Wing Suits White Collar You Becca's All Time Favorites: 30 Rock The Good Place Parks and Recreation Gossip Girl Current TV Shows to check out: Younger The Bold Type Emily in Paris Other TV Shows Mentioned: Covert Affairs Jack Ryan Movies Series to pass the time: The Oceans movies Back To the Future Trilogy Harry Potter Becca's go-to Rom Coms: Morning Glory About Time Set it Up Always be my Maybe No Strings Attached The Wedding Year Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist Grace's go-to Movies: She's Out of Control Can't Buy Me Love Working Girl The Intern Something's Gotta Give It's Complicated Home Again The Holiday Becca's Favorite Childhood Movies: Mermaids The Air Up There Romeo & Juliet That Thing You Do Grace's Favorite Childhood Movies: The Neverending Story Princess Bride BIG Sleepless in Seattle Aladdin The Mighty Ducks Documentaries: One of Us Cuban Food Stories Jiro Dreams of Sushi Favorite Recent Films 1917 The High Note Potential New Favorite Rom Com (will report back!) The Holidate Instagram: @lindsaysilb @yasminecheyenne Obsessions: Icy Hot Patches Printfresh Robe Goldune What We're Reading: Just Mercy by Brian Stevenson My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite The Unravelling of Cassidy Holmes by Elissa R. Sloan Joyful by Ingrid Fetell Lee Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal Anxious People by Fredrick Backman November Book Club: Destination Wedding by Diksha Basu Sponsor: Uncommon Goods: To get 15% off your first gift go to uncommongoods.com/bop Prose: Go to prose.com/BOP for your free in-depth hair quiz and 15% off your order. Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

Alexis Daria is a native New Yorker, award winning author, celeb sighting specialist, who wrote our October Book Club pick, You Had Me at Hola. We get the inside scoop on her choice to write about the world of telenovelas and the ways that her own family mirrors the characters in the story. We learn more about the changes happening in the Romance genre from both the publishing and the consumer side. We get a peek into her writing process and how she writes such steamy sex scenes! We also get her favorite open door sex scene book recs, LatinX romance recs, and more. More Alexis: @alexisdaria on twitter @alexisdaria on Instagram alexisdaria.com newsletter sign up on her website The Dance Off Series by Alexis Daria Favorite Open Door Sex Scene Book Recs: The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa Uptown Girl Series by Joanna Shupe Girl Meets Duke Series by Tessa Dare Toxic Desire by Robin Lovett LatinX Romance Writer Recs: Priscilla Oliveras Mia Sosa Adriana Herrera Zoey Castille Sabrina Sol Sponsor: Hello Fresh: Go to hellofresh.com/80BOP and use code 80BOP to get $80 off your first box and free shipping! Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

For this month's book club, we read You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria. This is the story of Jasmine Lin Rodriguez, the lead actress of the telenovela "Carmen in Charge." She plans to swear off men and follow her Leading Lady Plan, but her plan is compromised when she falls for her co-star, Ashton Suarez. They want to keep things private, but the paparazzi makes this impossible, causing a lot of strain on their budding relationship. This was essentially a RomCom about a RomCom (peak Becca genre), and we had a lot to talk about! This book is steamy in all the right places, while still tackling some more serious issues (LatinX underrepresentation in the film/TV world, consent). Though both characters make some arguably bad decisions, and kept some big secrets, we stood by them til the end and really enjoyed this book. We loved this book, and hope you did too, let's talk more in the FB group! And come back tomorrow for a special bonus episode with the author. Obsessions: Mifa & Co Shower Gel Mifa & Co Mood Mist Schitts Creek Instagram: @hicailtinreilly We're Reading: Love and Other Contagious Diseases (Name was changed to The White Coat Diaries for publication) by Maddi Singha Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite Sponsor: Night: Go to discovernight.com and get 20% off with code BOP20 at checkout. Betterhelp: Get 10% off your first month by visiting betterhelp.com/badonpaper. Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

This week it's Grace's turn in the hot seat. Becca is getting the answers to all of your most burning questions: will she get another cat? What are her trash person tendencies? How does she find new artists? What was working with Amazon the Drop like? We also learn more about her life as the oldest of three sisters, dealing with being laid off, saving habits, her fall skincare routine, and more. Grace's Fall Skincare Routine: Farmacy's Green Clean Cleansing Balm Klur Gel Cleanser Farmacy Green Toner Biossance Phyto Retinol Shani Darden Retinol Olay Retinol 24 Max - coming out soon! Biossance Lactic Acid Farmacy Honeymoon Glow Dr. Bader Face Cream Grace's Favorite Artists: Catherine Howe Hunt Slonem Kathleen Bradford Gina Julian By Melvin G Obsessions: Love Life on HBO Max Whiled puzzles Instagram: @loveclothblog We're Reading: Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover Cobble Hill by Cecily von Ziegesar Now That I Found You by Kristina Forest Memorial Drive: A Daughter's Memoir by Natasha Tretheway Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell October Book Club: You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria Sponsor: Betterhelp: Get 10% off your first month by visiting betterhelp.com/badonpaper. Hello Fresh: Go to hellofresh.com/80BOP and use code 80BOP to get $80 off your first box and free shipping! Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

Disclosure: This episode is NOT sponsored by Bath & Body Works. We wish it was, but sadly that is not the case. This week, we are joined by our "fall correspondent," Olivia Muenter. A Fall themed episode was highly requested, and we knew Olivia would be the perfect person to join us! Olivia is a writer, editor, and digital content creator. She's also a massive B&BW candle aficionado. We talk fall recipes, getaways, decor, movies, books and of course.. CANDLES. If you are wondering what all of Olivia's favorite fall candle scents are, you are in the right place. We have been influenced and ordered Leaves and Flannel while recording the episode. Guess we will see if they live up to the hype! More Olivia: @oliviamuenter oliviamuenter.com Bath & Body Works Candle Recs: Leaves Flannel Caramel Pumpkin Swirl Apple Picking Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Balsam Fraser Fir Fresh Linen Vanilla Bean Olivia's Fall Book Recs: City of the Lost by Kelly Armstrong Verity by Colleen Hoover Olivia's Fall Movie Recs: NXIVM Doc - The Vow on HBO You've Got Mail Harvest Love Love, Fall and Order Virgin River More Fall Recs: All for Fall & Halloween FB Group LL Bean Slipper Boots Obsessions: Jennifer at Press Massage Neck Hammock Mike Press Soul Cycle Instructor Vodka Sauce from Grilled Cheese Social Instagram: @richauntiesupreme @drunkauntoverseas @mafarina We're Reading: Save the Cat Strikes Back by Blake Snyder Screenplay by Syd Field Making a Good Script Great by Linda Seger Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover The Girl with The Louding Voice by Abi Duray Cobble Hill by Cecily von Ziegesar Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Boudain October Book Club: You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria Sponsor: Night: Go to discovernight.com and get 20% off with code BOP20 at checkout. Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

Yvanna Cancela represents Nevada's 10th district in the State Senate, and is the first latina to ever serve in the chamber. Today she joins us to share all the ways you can *still* get involved and make a difference this election. With the election coming SO SOON it's important to get clarity on the process and the ways that you can donate your time (or money) to help the causes you care about. As the first ever latina to serve in the State Senate, Yvanna is wildly aware of the gender and racial representation problems our country faces and strives to elevate diverse voices in politics, because that truly is the only way the country will progress toward equality. We discuss how to get involved in battleground states, voting strategies, researching candidates, which races she is watching closely, and why she backs Joe Biden for President. About Bad on Politics: Bad on Politics is a monthly bonus episode where we invite a guest expert to help us break down a political topic. We get it, politics is confusing and there's a anxiety-inducing amount of news coverage to follow. So, we're here to ask the "dumb" questions so you don't have to. We want to break things down so you can understand what's going on and make an informed opinion. For more info: To learn more about getting involved in Nevada: NVdems.com/events To learn more about each state's phone/text bank initiatives: joebiden.com Please Vote!: iwillvote.com Yvanna on Twitter: @yvannacancela

Today's guest was a huge get for the podcast… JK, it's Becca! Last December, we took turns interviewing each other and had such a great time doing it that we decided to do it again. So today, Becca is in the hot seat; answering all of your questions about life, career, family, friendships, and quarantine. We also get the RomComPods origin story. Other burning questions: will she ever get a dog? Would she write an Idea of You FanFic? A book about organization? Could she see herself as a full time Rom Com writer? And of course, she lists her favorite books of 2020, favorite podcasts, favorite British chick lit books, Brooklyn restaurants, and more. Becca's Top 5 favorite Books of 2020: Homegoing By Yaa Gyasi One to Watch By Kate Stayman-London You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria Open Book by Jessica Simpson (Audiobook) A Court of Thorns and Roses Series by Sarah J Maas Becca's Top 3 British Chick Lit: Who's that Girl By Mhairi McFarlane Would like to Meet by Rachel Winters You Don't Have to Say You Love Me By Sarra Manning More recs in Becca's Amazon Shop Becca's Podcast Recs: Girl's Gotta Eat w/ Elizabeth Warren The Financial Confessions Be There in Five Becca's Favorite Restaurants in Brooklyn: Aurora Have & Meyer OTB Rabbithole Lilia Obsessions: Ice Roller amazon Hot Merch For Biden Bombchel Instagram: @adrienmillerart @emmaberyl (Becca's decorator) We're Reading: Empire High Untouchables by Ivy Smoak They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Boudain October Book Club: You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria Sponsor: Care of: 50% your first order at takecareof.com/bop50 with offer code BOP50 at checkout.. Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

Today we're discussing our September book club pick: Majesty (American Royals book #2) by Katharine McGee. We're also joined by the author herself to get a behind the scenes peek at the writing process, the real-life royal inspiration moments, and gossip on what's next for this series. We loved this book and can't wait to talk about it with you. Join in the discussion on the Facebook Group. More Katharine McGee: @katharinemcgee katharinemcgee.com Katharine McGee Book Recs: American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld Pretty Things by Janelle Brown Obsessions: Beyond Yoga Bike Shorts Facebook Group SoulCycle at Home John Mulaney Kid Gorgeous Harry Potter Virtual Box Set The Home Edit TV Show Instagram: @thedailytay @sydnesummer @foodloversdiary We're Reading: Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Boudain The Roommate by Rosie Danan October Book Club: You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria Sponsor: Night: Go to discovernight.com and get 20% off with code BOP20 at checkout. Betterhelp: Get 10% off your first month by visiting betterhelp.com/badonpaper. Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

We are back to answer more of your career questions! In this episode we dig a little deeper into some of your more specific situations and hear from a listener looking to transition from the dental field into marketing, someone who's boss refuses to give them feedback, and someone debating what to do about their maternity leave. We also tackle some questions on work and Covid — from motivation to desk decor. "Finding a new career" book recs: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert The Career Code by Hillary Kerr The Shortest Way Home by Miriam Parker Obsessions: Naadam's fall cashmere SoulCycle at-home Bike Instagram: @lesrochesrouges @lichennyc @alyssarosenheck We're Reading: Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover Destination Wedding by Dicta Bosu In Case You Missed It by Lindsey Kelk Ties That Tether by Jane Igharo Before She Was Helen by Caroline Cooney Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman The Roommate by Rosie Danan September Book Club: Majesty (American Royals Book 2) by Katharine McGee Sponsor: Betterhelp: Get 10% off your first month by visiting betterhelp.com/badonpaper. Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

It's finally here - the Grossy Pelosi / Bad on Paper crossover episode (AKA Gross on Paper). Dan Pelosi is the creator behind the Instagram account @grossypelosi and website, danpelosi.com. Today, he joins us to talk all things food! Dan shares his cooking origin story: from a childhood spent in his grandparents kitchen to having his own platform. He runs down a list of meals for when you are trying to impress or just decompress, gives grocery shopping tips, and chats ways to repurpose leftovers. And — of course — a few Bimpy stories along the way! More Dan: @grossypelosi danpelosi.com Grossery List (for offer codes) donate to Sage donate to Okra Project Purchase Merch on Website Cookbooks: Where Cooking Begins by Carla Lalli Barefoot Contessa Cookbooks River Cafe Cookbook - 30th Anniversary Edition Obsessions: VOTE Tees: SW Designs Jess Keys / Alice & Wonder Camilyn Beth Partners Coffee: Brooklyn Roast Show: Episodes (on Netflix) Instagram: @punkpostco @michellearmas007 @karlareed We're Reading: Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover The Mall by Megan McCafferty Destination Wedding by Dicta Bosu Kings County by David Goodwillie September Book Club: Majesty (American Royals Book 2) by Katharine McGee Sponsor: Bombas: So give a pair of socks when you buy a pair and get 20% off your first purchase bombas.com/BOP Prose: Go to prose.com/BOP for your free in-depth hair quiz and 15% off your order. Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

It's been a while since we have talked about our jobs and answered your career questions so today… we're doing it! We got so many questions that we split 'em up into two episodes, so stay tuned for part 2! Today we have a mix of personal questions about our careers and some of your more meaty, specific scenarios. We dig into the different ways we have built up our audience and client base, vetting clients and determining your worth. We talk about our 5-10 year plan (more like, lack thereof!), grad school, imposter syndrome, how to effectively network and how our political beliefs have affected the podcast and our jobs. We really loved all of your specific work questions, and we give advice to folks who have been encountering challenges with job titles, managing people, asking for more money (what is your spaghetti number?), and being pigeonholed into a role you dislike. Please send us more of these questions, we love them! Obsessions: Parachute Linen Bedding West Elm Wine Glasses Instagram: @stay_snatched @saralyon9 and @sovehome We're Reading: Follow Me by Cathleen Barber When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole Kings County by David Goodwillie September Book Club: Majesty (American Royals Book 2) by Katharine McGee Sponsor: Bon Viv: Try them and take a photo of your favorite flavor and tag us on instagram! Night: Go to discovernight.com and get 20% off with code BOP20 at checkout. Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

In this episode we are joined by Venita Aspen, an influencer, model, creative, and co-host of the newly launched podcast, Group Chat Realness. Venita tells us about everything from working fashion week to culinary school and her journey to the career she has today — owning her own creative agency, The Aspen Agency. We dive into what keeps her creative and inspired, and how she takes care of herself (mentally, physically, brows & skincare). We learn more about the Aspen Agency, her life as an influencer in the wake of BLM and the changes she has seen since the movement began, and of course… the birth of her podcast! Then, we (of course!) dive into ALL of her favorite Charleston Recs! Black creators + brands: @glamazondiaries @prepfordwife @shadesofpink Partake snack brand LaPierre nail polish Venita's Skincare Routine: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Clinique Sunscreen Cleanser by Jemaine Dermatology Glossier Serum Venita's Brow Routine: Benefit Brow in shade 5 Benefit Brow Pencil Set with Anastasia Brow Gel in ebony Charleston Reccs: Hannibal's Kitchen Dave's Carry Out Park Circle Creamery Leon's Oyster Shoppe Melfi's Felix Fast and French More Venita: @venitaaspen on Twitter and Instagram @groupchatrealness on instagram Group Chat Realness Podcast venitaaspen.com Obsessions: Theragun Flatiron Pepper Co. Instagram: @ieatlobsterrolls @confettitherescuepup @nasimpedrad @jeanpauldonadini @mackinstyle We're Reading: Majesty (American Royals Book 2) by Katharine McGee You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria More than Maybe by Erin Hahn Destination Wedding by Diksha Basu September Book Club: Majesty (American Royals Book 2) by Katharine McGee Sponsor: Hello Fresh: Go to hellofresh.com/80BOP and use code 80BOP to get $80 off your first box and free shipping! Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

Joining us today is Stef Feldman, the National Policy Director for Vice President Joe Biden's Presidential Campaign. Stef walks us through her career path from local government in Atlanta to the White House, shedding light on how important it is to work with a political candidate that inspires you and how Joe Biden has inspired and empowered her. She shares her experience working on the campaign, the day-to-day of her job, and then we dive into Biden's policies and perspectives. We talk about how COVID has impacted the campaign, Biden's policies to contain and recover from the virus and his plans to scale up testing. We talk about healthcare, women's reproductive health, and what is happening with the Affordable Care Act. We also talk about racial inequality in America and what Biden plans to do about it. Lastly, Stef give us tips on how to vote and how to get involved. We all need to make sure we have a voting plan in place! About Bad on Politics: Bad on Politics is a monthly bonus episode where we invite a guest expert to help us break down a political topic. We get it, politics is confusing and there's a anxiety-inducing amount of news coverage to follow. So, we're here to ask the "dumb" questions so you don't have to. We want to break things down so you can understand what's going on and make an informed opinion. For more info: Joebiden.com Text WOMEN to 30330 to find out how you can get involved Text VOTE to 30330 for voting information

For our August Book Club we read The Comeback by Ella Berman. The book follows Grace Turner, a young actress who disappeared from Hollywood at the height of her career. During her rise to fame as a teenager, she was sexually and emotionally abused by Abel Yorke, the director who made her famous. After she's invited to present him with a lifetime achievement award she begins to plot her revenge. Even though Grace is a pretty unlikeable character we still loved her story and root for her revenge. This book isn't in either of our normal wheel houses, but we loved the story and hope you loved it too! Let's discuss in the FB group! Obsessions: Shaker and Spoon H&M dresses Instagram: @misterzimi @bookishandblack We're Reading: Majesty (American Royals Book 2) by Katharine McGee The Changeling by Victor LaValle You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria September Book Club: Majesty (American Royals Book 2) by Katharine McGee Sponsor: Night: Go to discovernight.com and get 20% off with code BOP20 at checkout. Bon Viv Spiked Seltzer : Try one and take a photo of your favorite flavor and tag us on instagram! Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

We decided to do a lighter episode this week. On instagram we asked you to propose some fun 'would you rather' scenarios and boy, did you deliver! Some are crazy (but for better or worse we still made our choice!), some are silly, and we definitely didn't agree on everything. Which one of us would give up booze? Which one would give up travel? Who would rather have a lobster claw for an arm than a floor length white beard? What could make us give up books? What about quarantining forever? You can learn a lot about a person in a good game of WYR. We hope this episode makes you laugh! Obsessions: Bug Bite Thing: Bugbitething.com D.S. & Derga Candle - Holy Ficus Our Place Pan Instagram: @cocktails4breakfast @yourbestfriendjoey We're Reading: American Royals 2: Majesty by Katharine McGee How to be an Anti Racist (Audiobook) Ibram X. Kendi Rodham: A Novel by Curtis Sittenfeld Deadly Little Scandals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory The Changeling by Victor LaValle August Book Club: The Comeback by Ella Berman Sponsor: Bon & Viv Spiked Seltzer Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

She's baaaack! Our most popular guest Carly Heitlinger (of the lifestyle blog Carly the Prepster!) joins us this week to catch up on how she is feeling at this point in the pandemic and what she has been doing to cope with anxiety and inability to really plan anything. Anything… but her upcoming wedding, that is! She gives us the scoop on her super-surprise proposal and tells us more about her fiance Mike (and his family). We also talk a little bit about politics and Carly's decision to endorse Joe Biden. Lastly, we chat about blogging during a pandemic - it's definitely been interesting? We wind down the episode talking about favorite snacks (hard agree on one choice, hard disagree on another) and how she manages to only follow 50 people on Instagram! More Carly: carlytheprepster.com @carly on instagram @carlysbookclub on instagram @carlysstitchclub on instagram Obsessions: Family Gold by Local Eclectic Tanya Taylor Summer Pajamas and Robe Numberzilla Instagram: @grossypelosi @gemmacorrell @greceghanem We're Reading: Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany Jackson August Book Club: The Comeback by Ella Berman Sponsor: Prose: Go to prose.com/BOP for your free in-depth hair quiz and 15% off your order. Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

This week we are joined by Traci Thomas! Traci is the host of The Stacks Podcast, a mom to twin girls, and an avid non-fiction reader. We get a behind the scenes look at how she chooses books for the pod, her favorite books of 2020 (and all time), and talk about the book she wishes would be written. We loved getting her perspective as she's such a big non-fiction reader and both filled up our Bookshop.org carts with her recs while recording this episode. We talk about BLM, Black authors, and how to really do anti-racism work. We also chat about what happened with Book of the Month and how she is feeling about that. More Traci: The Stacks Patreon @thestackspod on Instagram @thestackspod_ on Twitter thestackspodcast.com Book Subscriptions: Check out Traci's Post Episodes to listen to in the Stacks: Beloved with DeMaris B. Hill Kiese Layman Interview Red at The Bone with Jason Reynolds Homefire With Tawny Newsome Ibram X Kendi Interview Top 3 books 2020: Memorial Drive: A Daughter's Memoir by Natasha Trethewey Sula by Toni Morrison Breathe: A Letter to My Sons by Imani Perry Top 3 books Ever: Charlotte's Web by E.B. White and Garth Williams The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson The Reckonings by Lacy M. Johnson Memoirs: The Other Side by Lacy M Johnson Heavy by Kiese Laymon Men we Reaped by Jesmyn Ward Jesus Land by Julia Sheeres Audiobooks: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish Inside Out by Demi Moore Open Book by Jessica Simpson Other books mentioned: Fight of the Century: Writers Reflect on 100 Years of Landmark ACLU Cases The Dead are Arising: The Life of Malcom X by Les Payne The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America by Marcus J Moore Columbine by Dave Cullen A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story of Jonestown by Julia Sheeres Obsessions: Group Chat Realness Podcast Taylor Swift's New Album: Folklore Instagram: @wantshowasyoung @holycitychic We're Reading: The Wife Stalker by Liv Constantine Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson Miracle's Boys by Jacqueline Woodson August Book Club: The Comeback by Ella Berman Sponsor: Night: Go to discovernight.com and get 20% off with code BOP20 at checkout. Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

This month, we read The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. This the story of identical twin sisters (and their daughters) spanning the fifties through the nineties. Desiree and Stella are inseparable growing up in the fictional light-skinned Black town of Mallard, Louisiana during the fifties in the Jim Crow-era south. When they are 16, they run away together to New Orleans. From there, their lives take completely different turns. Desiree marries a dark-skinned man and returns home to raise her daughter in Mallard, while Stella goes on to pass for white - hiding her identity and past from her new family. The book follows the girls' stories and their daughters, who eventually end up meeting via a chance encounter. We discuss colorism, the theme of running away throughout the book, our interpretations of the title, and our mixed reviews on the ending. Although this book has been in the works for 4 years, its release couldn't be more timely, as the story has such pointed views about race and privilege. We can't wait to hear what you think of the book! Join in the discussion on the Facebook Group. Interviews with Brit Bennett: CBS This Morning podcast The B&N podcast Obsessions: Beyond Yoga Bike Shorts Olaplex No. 0 Megababe Le Tush Butt Mask Brinker and Eliza Jewelry Instagram: @zoeydeutch @glenpowell @womanshopsworld Books: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah The Boys' Club by Erica Katz (out Aug 4) When They Call You a Terrorist by Patrice Cullors The Wife Stalker by Liv Constantine Self Care by Leigh Stein August Book Club: The Comeback by Ella Berman Podcast: Everything is Fine: a podcast for women about life over 40. Hosted by former Lucky magazine founding editor Kim France and documentary filmmaker Tally Abecassis. Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

In this week's episode, we chat with Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, the co-hosts of Call Your Girlfriend, about their new book, Big Friendship. The book provides an intimate peek inside their own decade-long friendship and also contains conversations with experts on the topic of friendship and it's importance to our lives. We discussed their writing process, their thoughts on blending work and friendship, and their evolving thoughts on interracial friendships. We also dive into one of our most requested advice topics: how to make new friends as an adult (it's so hard!). More Aminatou + Ann: bigfriendship.com callyourgirlfriend.com annfriedman.com sign up for her newsletter! Support independent bookstores and the library in your area Obsessions: Tanya Taylor Summer Collection Brightland Vinegars Eat Pray Britney Podcast Masterclass Instagram: @kararbrown @thetinytassel Books: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah Older by Pamela Redmond (out in sept) Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein Big Friendship by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman The Boys' Club by Erica Katz (out Aug 4) The Comeback by Ella Berman (out Aug 4) Like Brothers by Mark and Jay Duplass July Book Club: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett Sponsor: Night: Go to discovernight.com and get 20% off with code BOP20 at checkout. Care/of: Get 50% your first order at takecareof.com/bop50 with offer code BOP50 at checkout. Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

It's been a little while since we have talked about quarantine life, so we thought it was time to circle back and share what we have been doing to stay safe, sane, and entertained this summer. We share what our experience in NYC has been like - our expectations of quarantine and the reality. We also talk about the hobbies we have picked up, the activities we have fallen in love with, the books to read and what to watch. Join us in the facebook group and let us know what you are doing in quarantine to stay busy this summer! Activities: Knitting: We Are Knitters kits Gardening New York Times Crossword Puzzles Purging and organizing Try Needlepoint Learn about Orange wine Learn Something New with Materclass or an online course Learn a Language with Duolingo Project Cooking Book Series Recs: Sarah J. Maas (A Court of Thorns and Roses; Throne of Glass) The Selection The Royal We and The Heir Affair The Thousandth Floor series Jasmine Guillory's books, 5 of them TV Recs: The West Wing Homeland Scandal Schitts Creek White Collar Younger Gossip Girl The Politician Hollywood Never have I ever Obsessions: OXO Meat Thermometer https://foxfodderfarm.com/ Betsy Enzensberger Art Instagram: @tanika_nyclifestlye @chadtucket @kinggutterbaby Books: Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory Born a Crime by Trevor Noah Older by Pamela Redmond (out in sept) Lakewood by Megan Giddings The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan How to be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi July Book Club: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett Sponsor: Hello Fresh: Go to hellofresh.com/80BOP and use code 80BOP to get $80 off your first box and free shipping! Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

In this episode, our long-time friend Nicolette Mason joins us! Nicolette is a fellow blogger who is also a writer, strategist, body positivity content creator, and co-founder of Premme (RIP!), which was a plus size fashion brand. She shares her firsthand experiences protesting to support #BlackLivesMatter and Black trans lives and gives tips to first-time protestors. She also has recommendations for educating yourself and how to diversify the content you ingest on a daily basis. She also shares her career path, the inside scoop on her fashion line, and her favorite beauty products! More Nicolette: @nicolettemason on Instagram @nicolettemason on Twitter Nicolette's Recs: Instagram: @ihartericka @blairimani @danielleprescod @chrissyford @nikkiogun @iamjarijones @janetmock Authors and Figures to Research: Audre Lorde James Baldwin Angela Davis Ava DuVernay 13th Documentary (Netflix) Laverne Cox's Documentary Disclosure (Netflix) Malcolm X Eldrige Cleaver Skin + Beauty: Lord Jones CBD Face Oil Biossance Lactic Acid Resurfacing Night Cream Ilia mascara Saie Beauty mascara Glossier Lash Slick Hair: Pantene sulfate free rosewater nutrient blends shampoo conditioner and hair mask Crown Affair oil Briogeo rose oil Obsessions: Picture this app Loft dresses Veet Hair Removal Gel Tracie Hervy Pottery Harlem Candle company Shani Darden Retinol Instagram: @celiabdesigner Books: Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson One to Watch by Kate Stayman London Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo Wow No Thank You by Samantha Irby Born a Crime by Trevor Noah Older by Pamela Redmond (out in sept) July Book Club: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett Sponsor: Night: Go to discovernight.com and get 20% off with code BOP20 at checkout. Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

In today's episode we share all of our favorite quarantine purchases, and we also hear from you! Now that we have been in quarantine for months, and shifted seasons, we have lots of new products that we are obsessed with (and some that have stood the test of time - what is time?) We explore a variety of categories from home, food, kitchen, tech, beauty, clothing, and much more. We are so excited to share your recs and try them out for ourselves. Food/Kitchen/Home: Air Fryer Brightland Olive Oil Our Place Pan Zalto wine glasses Orange C Table Candles: Beauty Pie + Sensual Candle Co. Tutto Calabria - Calabrian Pepper Spread Luxardo Cocktail Cherries Old Man cocktail glasses Clothing: Old Navy Pandemic Pants Aerie oversized tshirts True & Co True Lift Bra Vuori Joggers + shorts Tracksmith Shorts Summersalt PJs Custom tie dye sweatshirt Social Threads Sweat Suit (actual sweatsuit is out of stock) UGG Pandemic Shoes Beauty: Herbivore Coconut Milk Bath Equilibria Bath Bombs Shani Darden Retinol Reform Peace Out Retinol Patches Supergoop Glow Screen Tarte Sea Curl Mascara NuFace Flamingo home waxing strips Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream Tech: Lume Cube Ring Light / Tripod Misc: Aerogarden Bissell Steam Mop Flowerbox Peony Subscription NYT Crossword subscription Obsessions: The Politician Season 2 Straight Away Cocktails Araks lace bralettes Instagram: @ziwe @verapappisove Books: Big Friendship by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson One to Watch by Kate Stayman London Home Before Dark by Riley Sagar Sleeping with Strangers by Eric Jerome Dicky July Book Club: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with Elizabeth Acevedo, the author of our June book club pick, Clap When You Land. Elizabeth is a NYT best-selling author and we couldn't be more excited to talk to her about the book. We learn of her early start in writing as a rapper and poet, her first job as a middle school teacher, and the road to her first publishing deal. We explore the birth of Clap When You Land, the meaning behind the title, the unique way she developed the characters distinct voices, and the differences between writing in prose and verse. We touch on the #publishingpayme movement and the importance of building a strong online community to keep you motivated and excited about your work. Elizabeth also gives us her favorite YA recs, childhood favs, and gives a taste of what she is working on next! More Elizabeth Acevedo: @acevedowrites on Instagram @acevedowrites on Twitter acevedowrites.com Elizabeth Acevedo's Books: The Poet X With the Fire on High Clap When you Land Book Recs: Dread Nation by Justina Ireland Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles Burn Baby Burn by Meg Medina Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina When My Brother Was an Aztec by Natalie Diaz Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore The Rakess Scarlett Peckham House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisnaros Miracle's Boys by Jaqueline Woodson Book Stores Recs: Word Up: https://www.wordupbooks.com/ Lit Bar: http://www.thelitbar.com/ Donate to the Family of Breonna Taylor : https://www.gofundme.com/f/9v4q2-justice-for-breonna-taylor Donate to the Louisville Community Bail Fund: https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/louisville-community-bail-fund/ Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

For this month's book club, we read Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo. We absolutely loved this book. It's prose, written in verse, which makes the story even more engaging (and the lines more powerful and poignant). This is the story of two 16 year old girls, Yahaira and Camino who lose their father in a plane crash. Both girls (growing up in New York City and the Dominican Republic, respectively) grow up loving their father and having a close relationship with him. But upon his death, they learn of each other. The book tells each of their stories and struggles. We absolutely loved this book and enjoyed discussing it! Join in the discussion on the Facebook Group. And tomorrow be on the lookout for a bonus episode with the author - Elizabeth Acevedo! Instagram: @shopbfreedom @designaddictmom Obsessions Sensual Candle Co Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo What we're reading this week: How to be an Anti-Racist by Ibrim X Kendi Big Friendship by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman (comes out 7/14) The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead Home Before Dark by Riley Sager The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett So You want to Talk about Race by Ijeoma Oluo Sponsors: Prose: Go to prose.com/bop to get 15% off your first order. Podcasts: Check out Bookable wherever you get your podcasts Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace's blog, The Stripe. New posts daily! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

Ayana Lage is a freelance marketer and writer in Tampa. More recently, a few of her videos about Black Lives Matter went viral. (We highly recommend her as a resource for everything from virtue signaling to microaggressions, and her stance on Blackout Tuesday, and more to come!) She joins us today to talk about the intensity of the last few weeks, and her thoughts on it all. Everything from how it feels to go viral, what brands can do to be more inclusive (and who is doing it right!), and how growth on her platform is affecting her life personally and professionally. She answers your questions about how the regular person can use their social media presence to support Black Lives Matter and support anti-racist activism. Do yourself a favor and check out her videos and follow her for continued education and insight. Don't forget - tomorrow Grace's Amazon The Drop Collection goes on sale! Go to her instagram to sign up for text message alerts. More Ayana: @ayanagabriellelage @ayanalage on twitter Ayanalage.com Instagram: @simplycyn @moemotivate @tiffanyima @iamavoter @influencerpaygap @pullupforchange Obsessions Luv Scrub exfoliating mesh washcloth Klur Elements of Comfort Body Oil What we're reading this week: Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld Patsy by Nicole Dennis-Benn Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi June Book Club Pick: Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo Sponsors: Night: Go to discovernight.com and get 20% off with code BOP20 at checkout. Sarah Flint: Go to sarahflint.com and use code SARAHFLINT-BOP to get $50 off your first order. Podcasts: Skimm This Podcast Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and her blog TheStripe.com and Becca @beccamfreeman.

This week our friend Rachael King joins us! Rachael is the co creator of RomComPods, Founder and CEO of PodPeople, a podcast producer, and host of TWO podcasts - The Escape List and Tape Club. We turn the tables a little and Grace interviews Becca and Rachael about the inspiration for and making of RomComPods from the script writing process to casting to ideas for future seasons, and what it's like working with your best friend. We also ask Rachael all of your podcast and travel questions! Be sure to like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. More Rachael: @rachaelgking @romcompods @tapeclub @theescapelistpod Favorite Rom Coms: Rachael's Top 3: While You Were Sleeping Forget Paris Last Holiday Becca's Top 3ish: The Wedding Date Friends With Kids Sleeping with Other People Notting Hill That Thing you Do Grace's Top 3: Something's Gotta Give How to Lose a guy in Ten Days Home Again Instagram: @ayanagabriellelage @mister_michelle @hayet.ridia @taymocha @iamrachelricketts Obsessions True and Co - True Body Scoop Bra Briogeo Avocado and Kiwi Mega Moisture Superfood Mask Briogeo Don't Despair Repair Deep Conditioning Mask What we're reading this week: Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo Patsy by Nicole Dennis-Benn White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo June Book Club Pick: Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo Sponsors: Hello Fresh: Go to hellofresh.com/60bop and use code 60BOP to get $60 off your first box. Podcasts: Skimm This Podcast Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and her blog TheStripe.com and Becca @beccamfreeman.

Get a sneak peek of Becca's new podcast project, which debuts TODAY! If you love it (and I really hope you do!), you can listen to the first episode and subscribe here.

This week we are using our platform to spotlight the incredible Black authors that we love. We have gathered some of our favorite books and also invited our past podcast guests 'drop by' to give their recs, too! We know that many people (including us!) are looking for ways to learn more about anti-racism, things that we can do, and ways to support the Black community in an active way. So we encourage you to pick up a book, share with your friends, buy from Black-owned bookstores, and continue to learn and grow. We look forward to discussing these books with you in the facebook group! Here is a link to a google doc with anti-racism resources that we mentioned. This was created by Tatum Dorrell, Matthew Herndon, and Jourdan Dorrell. Here is a link to Black-Owned Bookstores too! Books (all links are through The Lit Bar via bookshop.org): An American Marriage by Tayari Jones American Spy by Lauren Wilkerson Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi The The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas With The Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett The Idea of You by Robinne Lee Anything by Jasmine Guillory Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert Wow No Thank You by Samantha Irby What I Know For Sure by Oprah Winfrey Such a Fun Age by Kiley Read Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie From the Chiffon Trenches by Andre Leon Talley Becoming by Michelle Obama Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes Nikki Giovanni - Poet Langston Hughes - Poet On The Come Up by Angie Thomas What we're reading this week: Reputation by Sarah Shepard Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein Rodham by Curtis Sinfeld The Art of Showing Up by Rachel Wilkerson Miller Buying from Black-owned bookstores (can buy through Bookshop.org digitally): The Lit bar in The Bronx Sisters Uptown in Manhattan Semicolon in Chicago Afri Ware in Chicago Mahogany Books in DC Harriet's bookshop in Philly Uncle Bobbies in Philly Hakim's Bookstore in Philly For Keeps Books in Atlanta Marcus Books in Oakland The Dock Bookshop in Fort Worth ESO Won in LA June Book Club Pick: Clap While You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo Sponsors: Night: Go to discovernight.com and get 20% off with code BOP20 at checkout. Book of the Month: Go to bookofthemonth.com and sign up using code BOP10 and get any book for $10 Care of: 50% your first order at takecareof.com/bop50 with offer code BOP50 at checkout. Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and her blog TheStripe.com and Becca @beccamfreeman.