The Stacks

Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by award-winning author De’Shawn Charles Winslow to talk about his latest book, The Fervent Whites. Set in 1982 in the Hudson Valley community of Fervent, this book explores the long-simmering tensions that erupt when their former neighbors, James and Ella White, return with a vengeance after being exonerated of a homicide that once rocked the small town. We chat about how De’Shawn writes his endings, the lack of Black authors in the thriller genre, and how he became a nostalgic person.
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/2026/8/12/ep-437-deshawn-charles-winslow
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Today 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-holmes
Connect with Sequoia: Instagram | Substack | TikTok
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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’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-forevers
Connect with Julianna: Instagram
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*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-thomas
Connect with Brady: Instagram | LaSalle Mortgage
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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today 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-40
Connect with Rachel: Instagram | Threads | Website | Twitter/X
Connect with Sam: Instagram | Threads | Twitter/X
Connect with Becca: Instagram | Threads
Connect with Kiese: Instagram | Threads | Website
Connect 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.