35: Oh My Gods, with Alexandra Shepperd

01/24/19 • 18 min

Alexandra Sheppard is the author of YA novel Oh My Gods, the story of Helen Thomas, whose dad is none other than the Greek god Zeus. Not only does Helen have all the usual teen stuff to deal with — like new friends to make and a cute boy to impress — she also has to keep her chaotic family’s true identities secret. Alex talks about her love for Greek mythology, how it felt to re-read her teenage diaries, an author she and Claire love, and more.

Books Mentioned on the Podcast:

Oh My Gods, by Alexandra Sheppard

The Everlasting Rose, by Dhonielle Clayton

The Belles, by Dhonielle Clayton

On The Come Up, by Angie Thomas

The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas

Tiny Pretty Things, by Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra

Shiny Broken Pieces, by Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra

Well-Read Black Girl, ed. by Glory Edim

Roald Dahl’s Creative Writing with Matilda

Kick the Moon, by Muhammad Khan

The Wall, by John Lanchester

The Hunting Party, by Lucy Foley

Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe

*****

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Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it.

Pre-order Claire’s novel,

Books Mentioned on the Podcast:

Oh My Gods, by Alexandra Sheppard

The Everlasting Rose, by Dhonielle Clayton

The Belles, by Dhonielle Clayton

On The Come Up, by Angie Thomas

The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas

Tiny Pretty Things, by Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra

Shiny Broken Pieces, by Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra

Well-Read Black Girl, ed. by Glory Edim

Roald Dahl’s Creative Writing with Matilda

Kick the Moon, by Muhammad Khan

The Wall, by John Lanchester

The Hunting Party, by Lucy Foley

Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe

*****

Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations.

Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it.

Pre-order Claire’s novel,

Previous Episode

34: Shake it Up a Bit, with Ben from the Bookshop Band

Our guest today is Ben from the Bookshop Band. The Bookshop Band started in 2010 and write songs inspired by – you’ve guessed it – books. They’re about to embark on their first tour of the US, so if you’re based in or around New York, New Mexico, or Colorado, you’ll have a chance to catch Ben and Beth at one of several locations between now and the first week of February. I spoke to Ben about their upcoming tour, how they started out, their songwriting process, and more.

Books Mentioned on the Podcast:

The Paris Wife, by Paula McLane

The Book of Dust, by Philip Pullman

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, by Rachel Joyce

All The Lonely People, by David Owen

Oh My Gods, by Alexandra Sheppard

Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss, by Rajeev Balasubramanyam

The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton, by Anstey Harris

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman

Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe

*****

Links mentioned in the podcast episode:

The Bookshop Band US tour

The Open Book - a bookshop holiday

A Critic Sells Books Down by the Seashore -- New York Times article calling the Bookshop Band "not just good but achingly good".

*****

Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations.

Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it.

Pre-order Claire’s novel, Unscripted.

For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog.

Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at [email protected]

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Next Episode

36: The Bestseller Experiment, with Mark Stay

Mark Stay's new fantasy novel, The End of Magic, is hot off the press. As well as being an author, he's one half of the podcast The Bestseller Experiment, which chronicles his adventures in publishing alongside another Mark. The podcast has tons of useful advice for anyone conducting their own experiment in becoming a bestselling author. We talked about Mark's new novel, his experience of crowdfunding, three things he’s learned along the way of his experiment in becoming a bestselling author, and more.

Books Mentioned on the Podcast:

Back to Reality, by Mark Stay and Mark Oliver

The End of Magic, by Mark Stay

Robot Overlords, by Mark Stay

Headhunters, by Jo Nesbo

Robot Overlords, by Tade Thompson

Soupy Twists!: The Full Official Story of the Sophisticated Silliness of Fry and Laurie, by Jem Roberts

The Lost Properties of Love, by Sophie Ratcliffe

The Face Pressed Against a Window, by Tim Waterstone

A Love Story for Bewildered Girls, by Emma Morgan

I Owe You One, by Sophie Kinsella

Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe

(A note on my book links: they usually take you to Amazon, and I get a few pence per sale at no extra cost to you if you click them and buy from there, which will help me make this podcast viable long-term. But better than Amazon, who are, let’s be honest, not the greatest, is Blackwells or Waterstones, or, even better, your local independent bookshop. If you live in the US or elsewhere further afield, you can find UK books at Book Depository (also owned by Amazon) at a good price and with no postage cost, or sometimes at Wordery.com, or you can buy them from Amazon US, or, even better, an independent bookshop.)

*****

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