Podcast
The Stacks
Hosted by Traci Thomas · EN
The Stacks is your one stop shop to talk books and reading. Guests will join the host, Traci Thomas for lively discussions about books and the ways they have shaped their lives, and they way we all understand culture, race, politics, and more. The last Wednesday of each month Traci and guest will break down a book in detail as part of The Stacks Book Club.
Make sure to check the website www.thestackspodcast.com for more details, including upcoming The Stacks Book Club picks.
118episodes
Episodes
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Ep. 436 Intoxicated by the Microphone with Sequoia Holmes
3d ago00:55:05Summary readyToday on The Stacks, we’re joined by Sequoia Holmes, the award-winning host of the Black People Love Paramore and Freshly Pop’d podcasts. We’re chatting about bouncing back from professional setbacks, how Sequoia got into reading, and why she hasn’t been able to get into romance novels.Our book club pick for August is Fish Tales by Nettie Jones. We will be discussing the book with Sequoia Holmes on Wednesday, August 26th.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/8/5/ep-436-sequoia-holmesConnect with Sequoia: Instagram | Substack | TikTokConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | YoutubeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
SummaryEp. 435 Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo — The Stacks Book Club (Julianna Haubner)
1w ago01:07:44Summary readyIt’s The Stacks Book Club day, and we're joined by nonfiction editor Julianna Haubner to discuss our July pick, Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo. This book follows the families of Annawadi, a makeshift settlement near the Mumbai airport, as they strive toward a better life amidst tragedy, global recessions, economic upheaval, and social issues. Julianna and I chat about a journalist’s responsibility to their audience, what it means for a work of nonfiction to read “like a novel,” and how we think this book would be received if it were written in 2026.There are spoilers in this episode.Make sure you listen to the end of the episode to find out what our August book club pick is!You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/7/29/ep-435-behind-the-beautiful-foreversConnect with Julianna: InstagramConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | YoutubeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
SummaryUnabridged: World Cup Recap with Brady Thomas
2w ago00:17:39Summary ready*Patreon and Substack-only bonus episode teaser, click here for the full episode*You knew this episode was coming. Now that the World Cup has officially wrapped up, I'm doing a full recap of our summer of soccer with my favorite amateur sports analyst (and my brother), Brady Thomas. We discuss our overall thoughts, how America did as the host, FIFA's corruption, and what to watch if you're still craving some soccer.You can find links to everything we discuss on today’s show on The Stacks Website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2026/7/24/tsu-61-brady-thomasConnect with Brady: Instagram | LaSalle MortgageConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | SubscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
SummaryEp. 434 Traci Turns 40 with Rachel Lindsay, Sam Sanders, Becca Tobin, and Kiese Laymon
2w ago01:43:55Summary readyToday on The Stacks, we’re celebrating Traci’s 40th birthday! That’s right, it’s her actual birthday today, and she’s invited her friends—media personality and Higher Learning co-host Rachel Lindsay, award-winning journalist and podcast host Sam Sanders, actress, podcaster, and author Becca Tobin, and bestselling author Kiese Laymon—to put her in the hot seat and ask all their burning questions. They interview her about everything from her biggest regrets to her goals for the next decade and all her feelings about turning forty.Our book club pick for July is Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo. We will be discussing the book with Julianna Haubner on Wednesday, July 29th.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/7/22/ep-434-traci-turns-40Connect with Rachel: Instagram | Threads | Website | Twitter/XConnect with Sam: Instagram | Threads | Twitter/XConnect with Becca: Instagram | ThreadsConnect with Kiese: Instagram | Threads | WebsiteConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | YoutubeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
SummaryEp. 433 A Con Man Caper with Pamela Colloff
3w ago01:03:54Summary readyToday on The Stacks, we’re joined by ProPublica reporter and The New York Times Magazine staff writer, Pamela Colloff, to discuss her book, Catch the Devil: A True Story of Murder, Deception, and Injustice on the Gulf Coast. This book delves into the life of career con man Paul Skalnik, whose pattern of trading fabricated prison confessions for his own freedom landed a Vietnam veteran on death row for a murder he didn’t commit. We talk about the power of investigative journalism, the hard lessons Pamela has learned as a journalist, and why people are fascinated by con men.Our book club pick for July is Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo. We will be discussing the book with Julianna Haubner on Wednesday, July 29th.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/7/15/ep-433-pamela-colloffConnect with Pamela: Instagram | Threads | X/Twitter Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | YoutubeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
SummaryEp. 432 There’s No Hiding from a Sibling with Shannon Sanders
Jul 800:55:52Summary readyToday on The Stacks, we’re joined by author Shannon Sanders to discuss her debut novel, The Great Wherever. This book follows Aubrey Lamb, a young Black woman who inherits her late father’s share of a Tennessee farm filled with family history, secrets, and the ghosts of her ancestors. We talk about why she chose to use a ghost as her narrator, how she transitioned from writing a short story collection to an epic family novel, and her process for researching and planning the book's scope.Our book club pick for July is Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo. We will be discussing the book with Julianna Haubner on Wednesday, July 29th.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/7/8/ep-432-shannon-sandersConnect with Shannon: Instagram | Threads | Website | BlueskyConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | YoutubeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
SummaryEp. 431 What Does an Editor Do? with Julianna Haubner
Jul 101:09:13Summary readyToday on The Stacks, we’re joined by book editor, Julianna Haubner. Julianna is an executive editor at Flatiron Books, where she acquires narrative nonfiction, history, pop culture, and social science books. We chat about her job as an editor, what she looks for in a proposal, who gets to write narrative nonfiction, and her surprising choice for her most-hated book.Our book club pick for July is Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo. We will be discussing the book with Julianna Haubner on Wednesday, July 29th.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/7/1/ep-431-julianna-haubnerConnect with Julianna: InstagramConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Youtube See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
SummaryEp. 430 The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho — The Stacks Book Club (Mary H. K. Choi)
Jun 2401:01:45Summary readyToday is The Stacks Book Club Day, and we’re joined by bestselling author Mary H.K. Choi (Pool House) to discuss our June pick, The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho. This allegorical novel follows Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy whose quest from Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of buried treasure transforms into a life-changing journey of self-discovery. We discuss the book’s legacy, how it relates to the cultural phenomena of “girl boss” and “the manosphere,” and which parts we loved and hated.There are spoilers in this episode.Make sure you listen to the end of the episode to find out our July book club pick!You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/6/24/ep-430-the-alchemistConnect with Mary: Instagram | Threads | Substack | WebsiteConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | YoutubeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
SummaryUnabridged: 2026 Mid-Year Book Check-In with Sara Hildreth and Cree Myles
Jun 1900:14:31Summary ready*Patreon and Substack-only bonus episode teaser, click here for the full episode*Now that we’re officially halfway through 2026, it’s time for a little mid-year book check-in with friends of the pod, Cree Myles (All Ways Black) and Sara Hildreth (Fiction Matters)! Together, we gush about the books we loved (and hated) from the first half of the year, the titles we’re most excited for in the second half of the year, and all the bookish trends defining 2026. Get ready for lots of reading inspo, juicy hot takes, and of course, book gossip.You can find links to everything we discuss on today’s show on The Stacks Website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2026/6/19/tsu-60-sara-hildreth-cree-mylesConnect with Cree: Instagram | Twitter | All Ways Black | PatreonConnect with Sara: Instagram | Fiction Matters | Novel Pairings | SubstackConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | SubscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
SummaryEp. 429 All Journalism Has a Point of View with Justine van der Leun
Jun 1701:13:02Summary readyToday on The Stacks, we’re joined by award-winning independent journalist and author Justine van der Leun to talk about her newest book, Unreasonable Women: Three Stories of Violence, Imprisonment, and Extraordinary Survival. Based on seven years of reporting, research, and interviews with over 1000 incarcerated women, this book explores criminalized survival—a phenomenon in which people who defend themselves against abuse are subsequently prosecuted and even imprisoned—through the stories of three women who had to kill their attackers to survive. We talk about how Justine came to these types of stories, the details of the survey she conducted, and what she looked for in the women she spotlighted.The Stacks Book Club pick for June is The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho. We’ll be discussing the book with Mary H.K. Choi on Wednesday, June 24th.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/6/17/ep-429-justine-van-der-leunConnect with Justine: Website | Instagram | Threads | TikTokConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Youtube | SubscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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