Beyond the Next Chapter with Whitney Clark

Temperatures are going down and it's time for Fall reads and books for the holidays! We're joined this week by our friends Melati Parker and Rylie Occhipinto from Wijaya House in Tempe: a bookstore, flower and craft shop! From horror, dark academia and the classics, our host Whitney Clark also has some recommendations as well. A few of the favorites for this season include "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott, "Something Wicked This Way Comes" by Ray Bradbury, and "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt. 

You've probably seen her viral TikTok videos and now Eli Rallo is out with her new memoir: "Does Anybody Else Feel This Way?" The author, content creator and self-proclaimed theater kid joins the podcast this week to talk about the book, which features a series of essays. Rallo touches on everything from friendship breakups, navigating social media, and the ups and downs that come with life in your 20's. She also chats to our host Whitney Clark about the upcoming "Wicked For Good" film and her love of Taylor Swift. 

It's Banned Books Week! Banning books is nothing new. In fact, the first book ban in the U.S. took place in 1637, according to Harvard researchers. The American Library Association is just one of the organizations hosting events. On this week's episode, we're diving into the history of book bans and which popular books have faced challenges. We're joined by Arizona State University professor Dr. James Blasingame. He's been teaching at the university for 26 years and has written about the topic for The Washington Post. 

Ten years after her debut, Angela Flournoy is back with one of the most anticipated books of the year! In "The Wilderness," Flournoy explores 20 years of friendship among a group of millennial Black women. The book has already been named as a finalist for the 2025 Kirkus Prize in fiction, among other accolades. Flournoy chats with our host Whitney Clark about getting older and the uncharted territory that comes with middle age, the hardest parts of writing about the present moment, and her favorite reads. 

For the first time, we're joined by a YA author on the podcast: and she's an Arizona local! Hailey Alcaraz is out with her latest book "Rosa by Any Other Name." Alcaraz describes it as "West Side Story" meets "The Hate U Give" and it's a loose retelling of "Romeo & Juliet." The book takes place in Phoenix, and Alcaraz shares how she did her research, what she learned about the history of South Phoenix, and why she enjoys writing in the genre. 

What do librarians do? How do libraries pay for books? We're so glad you asked! This week on Beyond the Next Chapter, we're diving into the world of public libraries! We're joined by three employees of the Phoenix Public Library system, including the library services director. They chat about what they love about their jobs and all of the free services available to you and your family. You can also learn about which libraries in Phoenix are growing and how many more will be built in the next few years! 

Her name is synonymous with crime fiction and Karin Slaughter is out with her new book "We Are All Guilty Here." Slaughter is a New York Times bestselling author who's sold more than 40 million copies of her books across the world. Some of her books have also been developed into popular TV series, including WILL TRENT. In her latest novel we're transported to the small, fictional town of North Falls. When two teenage girls vanish, it gets personal for Officer Emmy Clifton. Slaughter talks to our host Whitney Clark about why she thinks small towns are scarier than big cities, how she helps libraries across the country and her special connection to Phoenix! 

As kids get ready to head back to school, we're tackling the question: What books should you read to your kids? Whether they are turning 2 or 12 this school year, we brought in some experts with a great recommendation list! This episode we're joined by Terri Clark, the Arizona literacy director with Read On Arizona. Also joining the conversation is our host Whitney Clark's friend and co-anchor Kylee Cruz, who is raising a young reader herself! Tune in for some great titles, why you should let your kids picks the book they want to read, and proven strategies to get them interested in reading.

Suspense, folklore, and witchcraft: that's how Silvia Moreno-Garcia describes her newest book "The Bewitching." It's about three different women in three eras who all encounter dangerous witchcraft. Moreno-Garcia is the New York Times bestselling author of "Mexican Gothic." She's joining our host Whitney Clark to chat about how she was inspired by Mexican and New England folklore. Moreno-Garcia was also inspired by the stories told by her own family in Mexico. She talks about the playlist she created to accompany the book and how her experience as an RA in college is similar to one of the main characters. 

Buckle up for this book! It's hard to talk about "Finding Grace" without giving too much away, but if you read the first chapter you'll be hooked. That at least is the goal of British author Loretta Rothschild in her debut novel. She joins the podcast to talk about her new book, which features an improbable story that almost reads like a tense thriller. Rothschild talks about love and grief and how they're intertwined, which book she calls a perfect love story and why she took a risk by using a very unique narrator in "Finding Grace."