Are you reading for the heart, the mind, or the coochie? This week on We Read Smut, Alesia is joined by Shelbey Monae, the powerhouse behind Shelbey and the Book Club and co-host of The League of Extraordinary Readers podcast. Shelbey shares her journey from an English major trained to strictly analyze literature to finding the radical joy and healing power of Black indie romance.
Shelbey Monae is a bookish content creator, YouTuber, and community leader dedicated to diversifying reading habits with an emphasis on Black and brown authors. After a transformative health journey involving open-heart surgery, Shelbey has rebuilt her platform as a space for deep critique, laughter, and intentional reading.
In this episode, we're discussing:
"Multiple things can be true at once. You can be well-read and read coochie books." This week, we challenge you to pick up a book that challenges your lived experience and find the art in the fun.
CONNECT WITH Shelbey Monae:
YouTube
BookClub
Podcast
Books & Authors Mentioned
A Virgin Surrogate & A Underboss (Amazon)
Jesmyn Ward
Natasha Bishop
ML Bash (specifically for poly romance)
KC Mills (The Collective series)
Nikki Payne
Shon (Don't Run)
Jessie Redmon Fauset
Sadeqa Johnson
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Connect with Alesia:
Storygraph
This podcast was produced by Galati Media.
Proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.