Adriana Trigiani's You Are What You Read

On this week's episode of You Are What You Read, we are proud to welcome former First Lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden. Dr. Biden is the New York Times bestselling author of Where the Light Enters and her children’s books Don’t Forget, God Bless Our Troops, Joey: The Story of Joe Biden, and Willow the White House Cat. She served as Second Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. As First Lady, she advocated for military families, the Biden Cancer Moonshot, community colleges, and women’s health research—and maintained a full-time career teaching English as a community college professor. She chairs the Milken Institute’s Women’s Health Network. A mother and grandmother—and now great-grandmother—she lives with her husband, former President Joe Biden, in Wilmington, Delaware, with their cat, Willow. This is a conversation about Dr. Biden's #1 New York Times bestselling memoir, View from the East Wing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To celebrate the 79th Tony Awards tomorrow, we are joined by the great Broadway writer, producer and actor, Rick Elice. You know Rick’s work: Jersey Boys, The Addams Family, Peter and the Starcatcher, The Cher Show, Water for Elephants and Smash, among many others. This is a conversation about the theater, the creative life and why they matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are so excited to welcome Isaac Fitzgerald with his new memoir, American Rambler: Walking the Trail of Johnny Appleseed. Isaac is the New York Times bestselling author of Dirtbag, Massachusetts and the children’s book How to Be a Pirate. He has also co-authored the books Pen & Ink: Tattoos and the Stories Behind Them and Knives & Ink: Chefs and the Stories Behind Their Tattoos. Isaac appears frequently on The Today Show—you might have seen us with Isaac earlier this year with 2026 book recs and on Jenna Bush Hager’s Open Book podcast. Isaac’s writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Esquire, GQ, The Guardian, and The Best American Nonrequired Reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are thrilled to bring you our LIVE conversation with the great Susan Lucci at the Adelphi University Writers & Readers Festival. Susan Lucci is the most famous face in daytime television history and held audiences spellbound for over forty years as the iconic Erica Kane on ABC’s award-winning daytime drama All My Children. In May of 1999, on her nineteenth nomination, she won the Emmy for Best Actress, receiving the longest standing ovation in television history. She is the author of the New York Times bestselling memoirs All My Life and La Lucci, which we discuss in this episode. Susan most recently finished a successful run starring in the off-Broadway hit show My First Ex-Husband and appears in Jonah Hill’s Apple TV+ film Outcome. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Holy Week on You Are What You Read, we are thrilled to welcome bestselling author, lecturer and community organizer, Sister Helen Prejean. You know Sister Helen’s books: Dead Man Walking (which was adapted into the Academy Award-winning film), The Death of Innocents, and River of Fire: My Spiritual Journey. The graphic edition of Dead Man Walking was recently released with stunning illustrations by award-winning artist, Catherine Anyango Grünewald, with a script by Rose Vines that faithfully intertwines the original with the present. Sister Helen is known around the world for her tireless work against the death penalty, and she has been instrumental in sparking national dialogue on capital punishment and in shaping the Catholic Church’s opposition to all executions. In this conversation, Sister Helen reflects on writing, spirituality and community in the spirit of this Easter Season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by Annabelle Gurwitch with her latest book, "The End of My Life is Killing Me: The Unexpected Joys of a Cancer Slacker". Annabelle is an actress and author, and known most notably for her stint co-hosting "Dinner and a Movie" on TBS and for her years as a regular commentator on NPR. In "The End of My Life is Killing Me", Annabelle upends the notion of living each day as if it were your last—she discovers you can carpe too much diem, and she embraces, instead, the extraordinary in the ordinary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by New York Times bestselling author, Allison Pataki, with her new novel, IT GIRL. Allison's books include The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post and Finding Margaret Fuller. IT GIRL follows the rise of Evelyn Talbot, America's first self-made female celebrity and model, amidst “the Crime of the Century”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by Tayari Jones and her new novel, the Oprah's Book Club selection, Kin. Tayari is the author of five novels, including An American Marriage, which was an Oprah’s Book Club selection and also appeared on Barack Obama’s summer reading list and his year-end roundup. An American Marriage won the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the Aspen Words Literary Prize, and an NAACP Image Award and has been published in two dozen countries. Tayari is the C.H. Candler Professor of English and Creative Writing at Emory University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Presidents' Day on You Are What You Read, we are joined by former presidential speechwriter, political commentator, talk show host, and New York Times bestselling author, Chris Matthews. Chris is the author of Bobby Kennedy: A Raging Spirit, Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero, Kennedy & Nixon: The Rivalry that Shaped Postwar America, and Hardball: How Politics Is Played, Told by One Who Knows the Game. Chris was both a presidential speechwriter and top aide to Speaker of the House Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill Jr. For a generation, he hosted Hardball with Chris Matthews on MSNBC, which is now exclusively on Substack. Chris joins us to talk about his latest book, Lessons from Bobby: Ten Reasons Robert F. Kennedy Still Matters. This book is a tribute about why Robert F. Kennedy’s revolutionary vision offers the roadmap America needs today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel joins us this week on You Are What You Read with his new book, Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life. In this practical and entertaining guide to healthy living, Dr. Emanuel reveals that many of the tools for a long and meaningful life are already within reach. Dr. Emanuel is a vice provost and professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a bioethicist, health policy expert, and oncologist, and was one of the architects of the Affordable Care Act. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laura Dave continues Hannah Hall’s pulse-pounding journey in the riveting and deeply moving sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling blockbuster and Apple TV+ show, The Last Thing He Told Me. On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, Laura joins us for a conversation about The First Time I Saw Him—an instant best seller and thrill to read. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2026 reading has started off strong. This week on You Are What You Read, we are thrilled to host Ben Markovitz with his novel, THE REST OF OUR LIVES, which has been one of the biggest novels this January. THE REST OF OUR LIVES was a finalist for the Booker Prize, a Barnes & Noble Book Club Pick, a Late Show Book Club Pick, and a national best seller. Ben Markovits is the author of eleven novels, including Fathers and Daughters, You Don’t Have to Live Like This, and The Sidekick. He has also published essays, stories, poetry, and reviews in The Guardian, Granta, The Paris Review, and The New York Times, among others. THE REST OF OUR LIVES is all the buzz this winter, and we can’t wait to talk about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by the great Paula McLain. Paula is the New York Times bestselling author of six novels, including The Paris Wife, Circling the Sun, and Love and Ruin, as well as two collections of poetry and a memoir. This winter, we are looking forward to Paula’s return to Paris in her forthcoming novel, Skylark. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices