The Slice: Samantha Grindell
A writer on the frontlines of BookTok + Romantasy
Happy Wednesday and happy less-than-one-week until the US election! I’m guessing most Bookpeach readers already have a plan in place, but just in case…
Click here to register! You’ll also want to check out your state’s voter registration deadline. Some states allow you to register right up to election day. You can find your state’s requirements here.
Can’t remember if you’ve already registered? All good! You can check your voter registration status here, or even change your address if needed.
Okay, with that public service announcement out of the way, we can return to all things 📚.
For The Slice this week, I wanted to check in with one of my favorite writer friends, Samantha Grindell. As a senior reporter for Business Insider, Sam has owned the celebrity lifestyle beat for years, publishing viral articles about weddings, fashion, interior design, and everything — and I mean everything — about the royal family. She also writes about books, interviewing megawatt authors like Ana Huang, explaining the ramifications of Taylor Swift’s self-publication, and breaking down all things Colleen Hoover.
On top of this, Sam still manages to read dozens of books every year! I don’t love romance novels, but this interview may have convinced me otherwise.
What is your favorite type of book and why?
I am an avid romance reader. I think falling in love is one of the most fascinating things humans do. I never get tired of seeing the way an author brings the magical, consuming, exhilarating experience to life on the page, and I will truly giggle and kick my feet when it’s done right. I think romances are so much fun, from the way authors play with the genre’s tropes to the creative ways they find to describe attraction. Reading is often the way I decompress too, so knowing a book will have a happy ending usually makes that experience more relaxing for me.
I’m also a big fantasy fan, so I’ve been an eager consumer of the “romantasy” books sweeping bookshelves. I hope everyone likes their favorite genre as much as I like reading romance books. My husband has to gently encourage me not to stay up too late reading at least once a week – it’s a great problem to have.
You write about the royal family and love and romance. What's a book that will put us in that dreamy mood? 💗
I loved this prompt so much I couldn’t pick just one!
Out On A Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young. I’m not usually a fan of the accidental pregnancy trope, but Bonam-Young puts such a fresh spin on it. The love story made me giddy, as did the protagonist Win’s journey to love herself.
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent. I’ve had an itch for an adult version of a Twilight/Hunger Games crossover for years now, and this book scratched it after many years of searching. Enough said.
The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and sensual, and it will make you want to read anything Guillory writes.
What is your favorite bookstore in the world?
I have a soft spot for Tall Tales in Atlanta because it was my neighborhood bookstore growing up and one of the places where I fell in love with reading. I have distinct memories of my mom chatting with the staff and carrying thick stacks of books to the store’s small counter after planning to just grab one.
In my adult life, I love the Ripped Bodice in Brooklyn, which is a romance bookstore. I’ve become a frequent flier since it opened, and I find it almost impossible to leave without buying something. I also got to go to RB’s midnight release party for House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas in January, and I had a blast. I love being surrounded by readers who are as passionate about romance as I am.
What is the best book you've read this year?
I fell in love with several of Ashley Poston’s books this year, and I can’t stop thinking about her novel The Dead Romantics. I’m not usually a big fan of ghost stories, but Poston turned something that can be scary into a poignant and hilarious romance that made me weep and laugh in equal measures. She tackles grief, love, and the growing pains of becoming an adult so beautifully. But if you’re thinking to yourself, “Sam, there’s no way I’m going to read a ghost story,” then check out some of her other works instead, like The Seven Year Slip or The Novel Love Story. Just please get on the Ashley Poston train! If you love Emily Henry’s books, you’ll fall hard for Poston.
You've written a lot about "BookTok." How do you feel about the genre?
I think BookTok can be a great tool for people to find books they like, just like TikTok can introduce people to new music. Online communities for book lovers are nothing new, particularly for romance, but the scale and impact BookTok can have on an author’s career is pretty astounding. I find myself using it most often to look at fan edits of series I’m a fan of, which is fun. But certain books get pushed on the algorithm over others — often for no apparent reason — and it’s easy to get sucked into an echo chamber of specific works or authors.
So I think it’s fun and can be helpful, but I wouldn’t rely on it as your only source to find books. Some of the best romances I’ve read this year were recommended to me through the Libby library app, not TikTok.
How do you prepare for author interviews?
Reading the author’s work is a must. No one knows their book better than the author, so going into an interview without actually knowing anything about their work would be obvious to them and embarrassing for me (plus, how fun is it that I have to read a book to prep for my job?).
I also always check out an author’s website and social media pages to see the full scope of their work and how they interact with their fans, particularly because we live in a time where fandom can really shape an author’s success. I typically read other interviews they’ve done as well to make sure I’m not asking them about something they’ve already discussed a million times, because I find my interviews go best when the author is getting to talk about something specific in their book or their industry. I’m lucky to have an editor who loves books as much as I do too, so I run my interview questions by her before I chat with an author. I’m always grateful for her perspective.
What is your reading "ick"?
I absolutely loathe when people say romance books aren’t “real” books or “good” books. Those comments are steeped in misogyny, and frankly, it’s just a boring take to have!
Huge thanks to Sam for being so generous with her answers. You can follow her on X here and Insta here!
Do you have a book lover you think I should interview? Do you want to be featured? Send me an email and I’ll be in touch!
📚 On my shelf
I finished Margo's Got Money Troubles last night, and couldn’t recommend more! The author Rufi Thorpe has not gotten enough attention imho, and I love all of her books. Check out this summary from The Cut’s Emily Gould:
I have to admit that the first time I read it, I breezed through Margo’s Got Money Troubles so quickly and joyously I barely noticed how perfectly crafted it was. Told in seamlessly alternating first and third person — Margo Millet never lets you forget that this is her story, and that she’s the one writing this book — it’s the story of a 19-year-old writer from a humble background who’s attending community college, where her doofus English professor, Mark, first mentors her stunning genius, then dates her, then impregnates her.
I also started The Coin by Yasmin Zaher, a buzzy new book about a young Palestinian woman's unraveling as she teaches at a New York City middle school. But tbh, it was TOO freaky for me. I like body horror, but I couldn’t keep up with this one. Maybe I’ll return to in the future!
📚 Links and things
Paul and I just saw The Apprentice with Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong (which I liked a lot more than I thought I would!). If you also went down a crazy Roy Cohn rabbit hole, I recommend this piece from The Forward. And this perfectly timed NYTimes piece on Ivanka.
I am obsessed with the New York Public Library’s Halloween parade. #wholesome
I am on a strict #nobuying spree, but that doesn’t stop me from making extensive lists in my Notes app! Some frivolous favs I am dreaming of these days:
This lovely bow mug 🎀
Baggu’s orange tree pouch set
Platform Adidas gazelles
Quince’s slouchy bag in emerald
I read The Receipt series from Bon Appetit religiously, and I loved this dispatch from a trail worker in Wyoming 🥘
Happy reading! 💛
XOX
Alli