Podcast
The SSR Podcast
Hosted by Alli Hoff Kosik · EN
Each week, freelance writer and lifelong bookworm Alli Hoff Kosik will challenge a guest to reread a literary throwback or to experience for the first time ever a book they may have missed as a kid. After that, they'll be asked to spill all the feels and all the opinions about that book on the air for your podcast-listening pleasure. Every Tuesday, you can find us breaking down an old school read from our tween and teen days on a new episode of the show. We'll cover everything from The Baby-Sitters Club to Holes, Nancy Drew to Harry Potter. This time around, we're a little wiser (yay!), a lot older (ugh.), and of legal age to drink wine... so we'll have a lot to say. Happy Reading!
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11episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Episode 318: xoxo, SSR (Goodbye for now!)
Apr 1, 202500:49:05Tap to summarizeIt has been a wild, amazing ride and I couldn't be more grateful for all of your support over the years. Please enjoy this reflective last episode, which includes some of my thoughts on podcasting more broadly, a bit of housekeeping, and a whole lot of Q&A. Thank you for every little thing.Love,AlliKEEP IN TOUCH!Follow me on Instagram @allihoffkosik. Check out (and subscribe to!) my Substack: Getting It Alli TogetherRemember: All 318 episodes of SSR will still be available wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Please continue to recommend the show to your loved ones... and never stop listening to the conversations from the archives that make you feel warm and fuzzy :) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Episode 317: Absolutely Normal Chaos (with Rebecca Fishbein)
Mar 25, 202500:57:35Tap to summarizeFor the last-ever guest episode of SSR, Alli is thrilled to revisit a book by one of her personal favorites, Sharon Creech. The book is Absolutely Normal Chaos, a diary-style read from the '90s that serves as a fascinating entry point to grief and loss for young readers. Tune in for a discussion about the emotional roller coaster of the book, but also for some comparing and contrasting with Creech's other work, reflections on friendship and early relationships, and more.Rebecca Fishbein is the author of Good Things Happen to People You Hate and Floral Estrangements. Follow her on Instagram @bfishbfish.CHECK OUT REBECCA'S PREVIOUS APPEARANCE ON SSR HERE!CHECK OUT REBECCA'S BOOKS: Floral EstrangementsGood Things Happen to People You HateCHECK OUT REBECCA'S BOOK RECOMMENDATION: Good Material by Dolly AldertonMORE READING: "Absolutely Normal Chaos" (Kirkus, 1995) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Episode 316: Princess Academy (with London Sperry)
Mar 18, 202500:55:59Tap to summarizeAdd this to the list of Alli's favorite SSR reads of all-time—and just in time for the show to say goodbye in a couple of weeks! Nearly 20 years after it was published and won a Newbery Honor, Shannon Hale's Princess Academy was a delight to read and discuss. The book inspires conversations on Episode 316 about everything from hometown pride and tropes about female bodies to the value of education and lame princes. Alli's guest also blows her mind with some facts about 2025 slang.London Sperry's debut novel Passion Project hits shelves on 4/8/25. Follow her on Instagram @londonsperrywrites.CHECK OUT LONDON'S BOOK HERE! CHECK OUT LONDON'S BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: Wedding Dashers by Heather McBreenLet's Call a Truce by Amy BuchananUnromance by Erin ConnorYou Between the Lines by Katie NaymonBut How Are You, Really by Ella DawsonMORE READING: "Book Review: Princess Academy by Shannon Hale" (Books: A True Story, 2013)"Review: Princess Academy" (The Princess Blog, 2018)"Book Review: Princess Academy by Shannon Hale" (Turn the Page, 2012)"Shannon Hale Says Her Novels Are Not 'Girl Books'" (Bustle, 2015)"Q&A with Shannon Hale" (Publishers Weekly, 2015)"One Things Leads to Another: An Interview with Shannon Hale" (The Hub, 2014) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Episode 315: WTF # 7 | WTF Do I Do to Promote a Book?
Mar 11, 202500:56:20Tap to summarizeOn this last installment of our monthly SSR: WTF (WriTing Friends) series, Alli and Abby look to the future!In anticipation of the 2026 publication of Alli's debut novel, they discuss all things book promotion: book events, PR boxes, social media icks, supporting authors online and IRL, newsletters, pre-orders, and more. They also chat more about the decision to end SSR and give you a preview of their future (potential) collaborations!CHECK OUT AND SUBSCRIBE TO ABBY'S SUBSTACK NEWSLETTER HERE! BOOK SHOUTOUTS: Written: How to Keep Writing and Build a Habit That Lasts by Bec Evans and Chris Smith Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Episode 314: Stacey's Big Crush (Baby-Sitters Club #65) (with Saumya Dave)
Mar 4, 202500:49:02Tap to summarizeBad news: this is the last Baby-Sitters Club-centric episode of SSR.Good news: this is an amazing Baby-Sitters Club-centric episode of SSR!This week, former BSC superfan Saumya Dave joins Alli for one final trip to Stoneybrook to hang with everyone's favorite young entrepreneurs. They discuss the sixty-fifth book in the series, Stacey's Big Crush, along with hot teachers, women in STEM, all-consuming crushes, long school days, portrayals of divorce in books, goat sitting, and how the baby-sitters have helped us understand ourselves over the years.Saumya Dave is the author of Well-Behaved Indian Women, What a Happy Family, and—most recently—The Guilt Pill, which was inspired by her work as a pyschiatrist. Follow her on Instagram @saumyajdave.CHECK OUT SAUMYA'S BOOKS:Well-Behaved Indian WomenWhat a Happy FamilyThe Guilt Pill CHECK OUT ASHA'S BOOK RECOMMENDATION: Yellowface by R.F. KuangThe Push by Ashley AudrainThe Other Lata by Kirthana RamisettiMORE READING: "Stacey's Big Crush" (The Baby-Sitters Club Wiki)"#65: Stacey's Big Crush" (Live the Movies)"Stacey's Big Crush" (Baby-Sitters Club Snark-fest!) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Episode 313: The It Girl (with Asha Elias)
Feb 25, 202500:48:56Tap to summarizeBeyond the ivy-covered walls of the Constance Billard School and the moneyed Upper East Side is upstate New York and the equally moneyed Waverly Academy—and Jenny Humphrey is bound for them as we meet her at the start of Gossip Girl spin-off, The It Girl! Episode 313 is a juicy deep dive into all things Boarding School Jenny: rich kids, nuanced mean girls, problematic love affairs, hedonism, and the deliciously nostalgic aesthetic of the Gossip Girl extended universe.Asha Elias is the author of Pink Glass Houses and the forthcoming The Namaste Club. Follow her on Instagram @asha.sue.elias.CHECK OUT ASHA'S BOOKS: Pink Glass Houses The Namaste ClubCHECK OUT ASHA'S BOOK RECOMMENDATION: Don't Be a Stranger by Susan MinotMORE READING: "The It Girl (Novel Series)" (Gossip Girl Wiki)"The It Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar Review" (Courtney Shek, 2024)"Review: It Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar" (Grown Up Book Reports, 2017) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Episode 312: Flowers for Algernon (with Emma Alban)
Feb 18, 202500:59:12Tap to summarizeThis week, Alli and her guest revisit some required reading from their school days in Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. Picking up this 1966 novel was just as emotional and thought-provoking as picking up the 1959 short story was years ago, and this time around, they unpack the experience together on the podcast. Tune in for conversations about their fuzzy memories of reading Flowers for Algernon as kids, the book's classification in the science fiction genre, the differences between intelligence and life experience and kindness, icky depictions of women, animal testing, the linguistic challenges of dissecting a book like this, and so much more.TW: sexual shameEmma R. Alban is a screenwriter and a USA Today bestselling queer historical romance author. Her books include Don't Want You Like a Best Friend and You're the Problem, It's You. Follow her on Instagram @eraofemma.CHECK OUT EMMA'S BOOKS: Don't Want You Like a Best FriendYou're the Problem, It's YouCHECK OUT EMMA'S BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: The In-Between Bookstore by Edward UnderhillA Rival Most Vile by R.K. AshwickA Captured Cauldron by R.K. AshwickMORE READING: "Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes—review" (The Guardian, 2016)"Book Review: Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes" (David Bruns, 2014)"Book Review: Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes" (Frappes and Fiction, 2020)"Flowers for Algernon: Book Review" (Threefold Advocate, 2023)"Flowers for Algernon" (Kirkus, 1966)"Review of Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes" (Rhapsody in Books, 2018) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Episode 311: The Case of the 202 Clues (The New Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley) (with Jamie Harrow)
Feb 11, 202500:52:42Tap to summarizeGrab your denim bucket hats, butterfly hair clips, and overalls, listeners, because we're going to the land of the Olsen twins! Episode 311 unpacks all things Mary-Kate and Ashley, with a special emphasis on their multiple book series and one of their mystery novels, The Case of the 202 Clues. After reading this book, Alli and her guest have lots of thoughts about basset hounds, kid-friendly stakes, and what makes the perfect entry point for the mystery genre. They also take a bigger picture walk down millennial memory lane, comparing notes on their favorite MKA core memories and reflecting on the twins' many contributions to pop culture.Jamie Harrow is the author of One on One and Fun at Parties. Follow her on Instagram @jamieharrowbooks.CHECK OUT JAMIE'S BOOKS: One on OneFun at PartiesCHECK OUT JAMIE'S BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: Zoe Brennan, First Crush by Laura Piper LeeNo Ordinary Love by Myah ArielMORE READING: "Growing Up Olsen: What Mary-Kate and Ashley Meant to Millennials" (E News, 2016)"Dissecting Gen Z's Obsession with the Olsen Twins" (British Vogue, 2024)"The Lasting Impact of the Mary-Kate and Ashley Content Empire" (Chatterblast, 2021)"The Series We Loved: Mary-Kate and Ashley" (Book Riot, 2020) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Episode 310: WTF #6 | WTF Does My Writing Process Look Like in 2025?
Feb 4, 202501:03:14Tap to summarizeIt's the first SSR: WTF (WriTing Friends) episode of 2025, and it's only fitting that Alli and Abby kick off the new year with a discussion about routines, processes, practices, and how they're rethinking all of those things at the moment. They discuss their creative mindsets in the new year and compare notes about specific elements of their creative lives: planned breaks, problematic mindsets, time management, organizational tools, inbox zero, cheap notebooks, writing in longhand, and romanticizing the process.CHECK OUT AND SUBSCRIBE TO ABBY'S SUBSTACK NEWSLETTER HERE! LISTEN TO OUR PLOTTING VS. PANTSING EPISODE HERE! BOOK SHOUTOUTS: Written: How to Keep Writing and Build a Habit That Lasts by Bec Evans and Chris SmithMotherhood by Sheila HetiSandwich by Catherine Newman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Episode 309: The Tower Treasure (The Hardy Boys #1) (with Christina Cooke)
Jan 28, 202500:59:27Tap to summarizeAt last, the Hardy Boys get an episode all their own! Episode 309 takes a deep dive into the first book in the series—The Tower Treasure—as well as the bestselling franchise as a whole... and the conversation is juicy! Launched in the 1920s, the Hardy Boys prompts discussion about gendered book marketing, racism, white saviorism, letting boys be boys, virtuous poverty, Nancy Drew, the interchangeability of the Hardy brothers, nepotism, obstruction of justice, portrayals of law enforcement, and depictions of women. Christina Cooke is the author of Broughtupsy. Follow her on Instagram @christina.j.cooke. CHECK OUT CHRISTINA'S BOOK HERE!CHECK OUT CHRISTINA'S BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: When the Emperor Was Divine by Julia OtsukaHeadshot by Rita BullwinkleMORE READING: "Book Review: The Tower Treasure (1927) and The Tower Treasure (1959) by Franklin W. Dixon" (Read-At-Home Mom, 2017)"I read all 190 Hardy Boys books" (Reddit, 2023)"In Which I Read My First Hardy Boys Mystery" (Pages Unbound, 2022)"Reading Through the Hardy Boys Mysteries (Books 1-10)" (Pages Unbound, 2023)"1: The Tower Treasure" (Hardy Boys Book Reviews, 2013)"The Hardy Boys have not aged well" (Reddit, 2024)"The Hardy Boys: Comparing Hulu's Show to the Classic Book Series" (Den of Geek, 2020)"The Knotty Nostalgia of the Hardy Boys Series" (The Atlantic, 2019) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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