CW: There is mention of depression, suicidal ideation, and general references to mental health throughout the episode.

In this episode, your host Julia chats with debut author and BookTube star, Cindy Pham, about her book The Secret World of Briar Rose, available in the US June 2nd and UK 4th June. The Secret World of Briar Rose takes the classic fairytale we know and asks the question: What if the princess actually wanted to just sleep? It tackles topics of depression, privilege, and grief both with care and without pulling punches.

Order her book from one of her fave indie bookstores: Yu & Me Books (signed and personalized copies available here), Books Are Magic, Book Club Bar, or Words on Warren

Read Cindy's favorite books: This is How You Lose the Time War & Know My Name

Follow Cindy's journey on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and her website

As always, thank you for being a Novel Friend!

Host: Julia Steudle (she/her)

Editor & Artwork: Jonah Kensett (he/him)

Music: Brady Dunn (they/them)

Content Development: Hannah Latham (she/her)

Instagram | Patreon

Support indie bookstores through Bookshop.org & Libro.fm

Novel Finds is an affiliate of Bookshop.org & Libro.fm

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

Live from London! In this episode, Julia (literally) sits down with award-winning author, Silvia Park, to talk about their novel, Luminous--a science fiction exploration into robots, AI, belonging, and grief. The book is available now wherever you get your books, but why not try Silvia's favorite bookstore: Raven Book Store, located in Lawrence, Kansas

While you're at it, check out Silvia's latest favorite book: Flashlight by Susan Choi

If you want to see more from Silvia, follow them on Instagram (though they are admittedly not frequent on it)

Thank you for being a Novel Friend!

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Host: Julia Steudle (she/her)

Editor & Artwork: Jonah Kensett (he/him)

Music: Brady Dunn (they/them)

Content Development: Hannah Latham (she/her)

Instagram | Patreon

Support indie bookstores through Bookshop.org & Libro.fm

Novel Finds is an affiliate of Bookshop.org & Libro.fm

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

In this episode, Julia chats with Shelly Page, author of Brewed with Love and most recently Charmed and Dangerous! She writes stories about Black queer girls conquering their fears and taking the world by storm, and both of her books are available now. Why not order them from one of her favorite indie bookstores, like Annabelle's Book Club, Grand Gesture Books, Underdog Bookstore, or Books of Wonder

Need some more to read? Try one of Shelly's faves: House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson, Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab

Follow Shelly's journey on Instagram, Twitter, and through her website

*ARC is short for Advanced Reader Copy*

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Host: Julia Steudle (she/her)

Editor & Artwork: Jonah Kensett (he/him)

Music: Brady Dunn (they/them)

Content Development: Hannah Latham (she/her)

Instagram | Patreon

Support indie bookstores through Bookshop.org & Libro.fm

Novel Finds is an affiliate of Bookshop.org & Libro.fm

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

In this episode, long-time book lover and mid-time podcast host Julia chats with Olivia Waite, author of many books spanning various genres, but the one thing that ties them all together? The queer representation. Their conversation covers Olivia's newest book: Nobody's Baby, the sequel to Murder by Memory in her Dorothy Gentleman novellas. You'll also hear thoughts on Heated Rivalry, AI slop, and a scathing review of Jonathan Franzen.

Death by TBR (Olivia's favorite books): Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, Night Watch by Terry Pratchett, and After Hours at Dooryard Books by Cat Sebastian

Order Olivia's books from her fave indie bookstores: Ballast Books, Third Place Books, Grand Gesture Books, and Charlie's Queer Books

Follow Olivia on Instagram, Bluesky, and her website

Our episode today is sponsored by Standout Book Box, a queer romance book subscription service! Sign up for yours today by following this link and follow them on Instagram for more news!

As always, thank you for being a Novel Friend! We'll see y'all next time--on the first and third Sunday of each month.

Host: Julia Steudle (she/her)

Editor & Artwork: Jonah Kensett (he/him)

Music: Brady Dunn (they/them)

Content Development: Hannah Latham (she/her)

Instagram | Patreon

Support indie bookstores through Bookshop.org & Libro.fm

Novel Finds is an affiliate of Bookshop.org & Libro.fm

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

In this episode, Julia chats with internationally bestselling author, Hannah Whitten about her popular series The Nightshade Crown and also her upcoming book Reliquary! There are no spoilers in this episode, so don't worry if you haven't read all of her books. If you haven't read any of her books yet, find them at her favorite independent bookshops: Parnassus Books, The Novelette, or The Novel Neighbor

Death by TBR: Tithe by Holly Black, Lisey's Story by Stephen King, Chronicles of Pyrdain by Llyod Alexander, Midnight Rooms by Donyae Coles, Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino, and Beta Vulgaris by Margie Sarsfield

Find Hannah next to Erin Craig at the Third Coast Author & Book Festival inside The Book Cellar on Saturday, March 21, 2026!

Follow Hannah on her Instagram and newsletter

As always, thank you for being a Novel Friend! We'll see y'all next time--on the first and third Sunday of each month.

Host: Julia Steudle (she/her)

Editor & Artwork: Jonah Kensett (he/him)

Music: Brady Dunn (they/them)

Content Development: Hannah Latham (she/her)

Instagram | Patreon

Support indie bookstores through Bookshop.org & Libro.fm

Novel Finds is an affiliate of Bookshop.org & Libro.fm

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

In this episode, Julia chats with TJ Alexander about their newest book, A Lady For All Seasons (available March 10th!) This historical regency romance follows Verbena Montrose through the season as she tries to find a suitable husband to spirit her away from her family home, and instead finds friendship with an alluring poetess. Hijinks ensue, identities are mistaken, and Lord Byron makes a lasting impression! Find a signed copy of TJ's book at their favorite bookstore: Word Up Community Bookshop in Manhattan, NY

Want some book recs while you wait? Read some of TJ's current faves: The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow & After Hours at Dooryard Books by Cat Sebastian

Follow TJ on: IG | Tumblr | Bluesky | Newsletter

As always, thank you for being a Novel Friend! We'll see y'all next time--on the first and third Sunday of each month.

Host: Julia Steudle (she/her)

Editor & Artwork: Jonah Kensett (he/him)

Music: Brady Dunn (they/them)

Content Development: Hannah Latham (she/her)

Instagram | Patreon

Support indie bookstores through Bookshop.org & Libro.fm

Novel Finds is an affiliate of Bookshop.org & Libro.fm

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

We've made it to the end of our fifth season (no not the N.K. Jemison book)... in this episode, Julia chats with her longtime bff Hannah, content developer & reviewer for Novel Finds about this season. We've got analytics, favorite books and moments, and a bit about where we want to go with season six.

Thank you so much for listening to the show! Happy Holidays from the Novel Finds team!

Want a beautiful tattoo from Uprooted Ink? Go here!

As always, thank you for being a Novel Friend! We'll see y'all next time--on the first and third Sunday of each month.

Host: Julia Steudle (she/her)

Editor & Artwork: Jonah Kensett (he/him)

Music: Brady Dunn (they/them)

Content Development: Hannah Latham (she/her)

Instagram | Patreon

Support indie bookstores through Bookshop.org & Libro.fm

Novel Finds is an affiliate of Bookshop.org & Libro.fm

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