Episodes

  • 704. JQ Editions with Julia Quinn
    Feb 6 2026
    My guest this week is Julia Quinn and we are talking about, of course, JQ Editions, a new subscription service creating special limited editions of historical romances. I’ve been writing about this since it was announced, and so I got to ask all my questions – and some of yours.
    Along the way we talk about the historical romance genre, administrative mayhem, and the practicalities of creating special editions of beloved books. Plus you get to hear my reaction when Julia shares some of the 2027 titles.
    Thank you to Verity, Sue, and Alanna for the questions!
    You can find Julia Quinn on her website, JuliaQuinn.com, and on Instagram @JuliaQuinnAuthor, and on Facebook at AuthorJuliaQuinn.
    You can find out more about JQ Editions at JQEditions.com.
    We also mentioned:
    • Germ and Worm - a travel health podcast
    • Every Library
    • Jeni's Ice Cream: Bridgerton Collection!
    • Julia Quinn on The Today Show
    • Episode with former romance author and CDC specialist Dr. Jennifer McQuiston
    • 122. Ponies, Ebola, and Historical Romance: An Interview with Jennifer McQuiston
    • 171. Once More with Ebola and Romance: An Interview Jennifer McQuiston
    ...
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    Find our latest episodes at on YouTube @SmartPodcastTrashyBooks - and please subscribe. I had to start the channel over.
    Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • 703. Oscars and Gossip with Kayleigh Donaldson
    Jan 30 2026
    Kayleigh Donaldson is back! She is the guest on some of the most popular episodes, and I know what that is: she’s brilliant. We recorded this just before the Oscar nominations were announced, so Kayleigh is making (some pretty accurate!) predictions about Oscar nominations, and explaining what makes this year’s group of films so interesting.Along the way we also talk about vintage Hollywood gossip, character actors who go weird gremlin, and the way actors shape public narrative with their project choices, their fashion, and their cosmetic procedures. And also – Scotland made the World Cup – woohoo!I love talking to people who think about their favorite aspects of popular culture the way I think about romance fiction, and I already know you love when Kayleigh is a guest. Don’t worry, she will be back.Technical note: we had some connectivity issues and delay during the recording, so I don’t have a full video episode for this one, though I do have clips, so watch for them on social media. You might hear some muddy audio, and I apologize. Please know I did all the things I could.CW/TW: At about 2 minutes in, we talk about Elizabeth Taylor’s abusive first husband. We also talk about body and beauty standards in Hollywood.Patreon folks, you have an extended episode inside your Patreon feed with a whole extra hour of discussion about the Beckhams, the industry of celebrity children, and more....You can find Kayleigh Donaldson at her website, KayleighDonaldson.com, on Bluesky, and on Pajiba.com. You can also sign up for her (excellent) newsletter, Gossip Reading Club.We also mentioned:The New Yorker: “Amanda Seyfried’s Epiphanies”Reddit: Sydney Sweeney and Scooter Braun in Central Park Reddit: Sydney Sweeney and Christy Martin in Sports IllustratedTom and Lorenzo: Sydney Sweeney’s hair on Jimmy FallonThe New York Times: Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom on the “Enduring Invisible Power of Blondeness” (Archive link)The Wrap: Kayleigh reviews All’s FairThe List: Bradley Cooper’s Face and Resulting RumorsThe Wall Street Journal: Club Chalamet/Simone Cromer profileWikipedia: The Leveson Inquiry Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 hr
  • 702. Heated Rivalry with Candy Tan
    Jan 23 2026
    Candy recapped Heated Rivalry, and is that enough? No, of course not. We had MANY things we wanted to exclaim at each other about, so why not podcast about it?
    We’re going to talk about the show, the acting, the adaptation, and the fact that this show could never have been made in the US. Jacob Tierney is a genius, and we have many a rabbit hole of research to explore.
    If you’ve been thinking about this show nonstop, come hang out.
    You can find Candy Tan @beautifulduckweed on Bluesky and on Tumblr.
    And you can find the podcast with video on YouTube! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 hr and 24 mins
  • 701. Holiday Wishes with Amanda and Sarah
    Jan 16 2026
    It’s never too late for Holiday Wishes, right? We had such a record number of interviews for the Holiday Wishes episodes this year, and I truly love doing them. Thank you.
    But many of you asked about Amanda’s recs and wishes, so to wind up our holiday extravaganza, Amanda and I are talking about the books that we loved in 2025, our wishes for everyone in 2026, and of course we talk about a LOT of other things. One of Amanda’s favorites was about a songwriter and so we discussed our music tastes, which, total surprise, are entirely different. We also look back at the most popular content on SBTB in 2025, and what posts and podcasts had the most engagement.
    Don’t forget to subscribe to the Smart Podcast Trashy Books YouTube Channel!
    We also mentioned:
    • YouTube: Electric Callboy – “Elevator Operator”
    • Webtoon: Villains are Destined to Die
    • Podcast: The Sticky Bun Boys
    • IG Reel: “Dating Grok”
    • SBTB: Unhinged Bingo!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    56 mins