S:7 E:03 Naked Girl: A Coming-of-Age Story Like No Other – Janna Brooke Wallack
Release Date: 03/14/2025
S:7 E:26 Angel on a Bridge: Becca Moore’s Fight for Family Beyond Football
Books That Make You Podcast
What happens when doing the right thing comes at a deeply personal cost? Author Becca Moore joins Books That Make You to discuss her memoir, Angel on a Bridge, a story shaped by childhood trauma, family sacrifice, public criticism, and the courage to stand beside young people who need an advocate. Becca reflects on being adopted by her aunt and uncle at age nine after growing up in an abusive home. That experience changed the direction of her life and taught her that love often requires sacrifice. Years later, that lesson returned when she and her husband were asked to take custody of Thayer...
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S:7 E:25 | Becoming Your Own Hero with Debbie Bishop in PILLYWIGGIN: AWAKENING
Books That Make You Podcast
Debbie Bishop on PILLYWIGGIN: AWAKENING and Becoming Your Own Hero PILLYWIGGIN: AWAKENING with Debbie Bishop | Fantasy, AI and Resilience Debbie Bishop’s PILLYWIGGIN: AWAKENING Blends Fantasy and Real Power Inside PILLYWIGGIN: AWAKENING with Fantasy Author Debbie Bishop Debbie Bishop on Epic Fantasy, Reinvention and PILLYWIGGIN: AWAKENING 2. YouTube video description What if no one is coming to save you—and that is actually the good news? In this episode of Books That Make You, award-winning author and entrepreneur Debbie Bishop joins us to talk about PILLYWIGGIN: AWAKENING, a sweeping...
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S:7 E:24 ADHD in Professionals: Dr Jennie Byrne on Embracing Your Brain
Books That Make You Podcast
Do you have ADHD and not even know it? For many professionals, the answer may be more complicated than they think. In this episode, Dr Jennie Byrne MD PhD joins the show to discuss her book, ADHD in Professionals: Embracing Your Brain, and the hidden ways ADHD can show up in high-achieving adults. From doctors and executives to entrepreneurs and leaders, many people appear successful on the outside while privately struggling with focus, emotional regulation, procrastination, overwhelm, shame, and burnout. Dr Jennie Byrne explains why the phrase “too high functioning to have ADHD” can be...
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S:7 E:23 | How The City of the Magicians Turns Fantasy Into Social Warning
Books That Make You Podcast
What happens when an enlightened society built on intelligence, healing, magic, and pacifism suddenly faces a threat it is not prepared to confront? Author Peter Gribble returns to Books That Make You to discuss The City of the Magicians, his three-book fantasy series exploring what happens when stability begins to crack, ideals are tested, and a culture must decide whether it can survive without losing itself. In this conversation, Peter looks at the difference between transition and rupture, and why he believes rupture marks the beginning of a deeper breakdown in the systems and assumptions...
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S:7 E:22 | William Bernhardt Reveals the Untold Story of The Superman Wars
Books That Make You Podcast
Most people know Superman as the heroic figure from Krypton, the mild-mannered Clark Kent who fights for truth, justice, and the American way. But as William Bernhardt reveals in The Superman Wars, the story behind Superman’s creation is far more complicated, emotional, and dramatic than many fans realize. In this conversation, William Bernhardt joins Books That Make You to discuss the decades-long fight of Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel, whose work helped launch the superhero genre and reshape American pop culture. Drawing from legal documents, personal letters, unpublished manuscripts,...
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S:7 E21 | What If Women Ruled the future? D.A. Murray Breaks Down Dominion: Ascension
Books That Make You Podcast
What happens when the world is rebuilt after catastrophe and the power structure flips, completely? In this episode, author and tech executive D.A. Murray joins us to unpack her debut dystopian novel, Dominion: Ascension. The conversation starts with the central provocation: a society where women hold leadership across civilization and men are pushed into tightly controlled roles, including a “breeder class” shaped by fertility and status. From there, we go deeper into what the book is really examining—how power changes people, how systems enforce obedience, and what gets lost when...
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S: 7 E:20 | Dr. Abraham George’s “Mountains to Cross” and the Shanti Bhavan Story
Books That Make You Podcast
What compels someone to walk away from a lucrative Wall Street career and dedicate their life to eradicating generational poverty? In this episode, we talk with Dr. Abraham George, author of Mountains to Cross and founder of Shanti Bhavan, a residential school in India that transforms the lives of children born into extreme poverty. Dr. George shares the deeply personal story behind his life’s mission, from surviving a dynamite blast as a young officer in the Himalayas to building a financial foundation with a single goal: to serve. His philosophy, the 50/50 life model—spend half your life...
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S: 7 E:19 | How to Put Up a Christmas Tree with author Bill Hulseman
Books That Make You Podcast
Author and ritual designer Bill Hulseman returns to the show to take us deeper into his profoundly moving and gently humorous essay collection, six to carry the casket and one to say the mass. This time, Bill helps us reimagine the meaning of the holidays—beyond the performative gratitude and commercial frenzy. In this episode, Bill discusses two standout essays from his book: Grateful and How to Put Up a Christmas Tree. Through personal stories of family, grief, queerness, and complicated traditions, Bill reveals how the holidays can be both beautiful and deeply painful. From hand turkeys...
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S:7 E:18 Snoodles in Space: Escape from Zoodletraz, Steven Joseph & Andy Case on Kids, Creativity & Chaos
Books That Make You Podcast
What happens when a cranky humorist and a tech-savvy illustrator team up with some rebellious poodles and launch them into space? You get Snoodles in Space: Escape from Zoodletraz — the latest wild ride from author Steven Joseph and illustrator Andy Case. In this episode, the duo dives deep into their colorful, noodle-fueled universe. They talk about the imaginative process behind their newest book, from musical jailbreaks to intergalactic dance battles and zany characters like Coolio the Grand Rudel. But it’s not just about the laughs. Steven and Andy explore the deeper themes woven into...
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S:7 E:17 | Inside the Mystical Music of Alan Hovhaness with Bill Holst
Books That Make You Podcast
What if your stepfather was one of the most misunderstood yet spiritually profound composers of the 20th century—and your mother spent years writing his story? In this episode, Bill Holst shares the extraordinary journey behind Alan Hovhaness: Unveiling One of the Great Composers of the 20th Century, a memoir built from the poetic writings of his late mother and enriched with his own personal reflections. Alan Hovhaness was known for his deeply mystical, culturally diverse compositions, drawing from Armenian roots, Eastern music traditions, and nature itself. Bill shares how Hovhaness faced...
info_outlineWhat happens when your father creates a cult, and you’re left to raise yourself in a decaying mansion filled with spiritual seekers and chaos? That’s the world of Naked Girl, the powerful novel by Janna Brooke Wallack. In this conversation, Janna delves into the unconventional childhood that inspired her book, her thoughts on generational parenting shifts, and how she channeled her own emotions into compelling fiction.
Set in 1980s Miami Beach, Naked Girl follows siblings Sienna and Siddartha as they navigate life within their father’s bizarre, cult-like commune. Through their eyes, we experience the beauty, danger, and loneliness of growing up in an unpredictable world. With rich metaphors and immersive storytelling, Janna brings this unique setting to life, showing both the allure and the peril of freedom.
We also dive into parenting, spirituality, and the generational cycle of raising children differently than we were raised. Janna shares insights from her own life as a mother of five, reflecting on how much of our past shapes our choices.
Join us for this fascinating discussion and discover why Naked Girl has received critical acclaim, becoming a semifinalist for the 2024 Publishers Weekly Book Life Prize in Fiction.
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