695. Holiday Wishes III with Garlic Knitter, Claudia, Christine, and Jo

We’re back with more Holiday Wishes! This week we’re talking with Garlic Knitter, Claudia, Christine, and Jo.

A few notes:

First, my voice is not great. Some of these were recorded when I had a dreadful cold, so I apologize in advance.

Second, if you’re a sympathetic crier like I am, please know that when Christine and I are talking, we both get a little choked up while talking about grief and the infuriating unfairness of American healthcare. It’s an emotional conversation and a beautiful one – thank you for sharing so much of yourself, Christine.

Updates? Updates!

Thanks to your Patreon pledges, we have reached our goal with the F’ICE campaign, and all dynamic ads will be turned off permanently for everyone who listens. Thank you so much!

AND! The Smart Bitches Candle Collection is LIVE! I partnered with Wax Cabin Candle Company, an independent small chandlery, to offer two limited edition candles just for the holiday season!

They are on sale now through early January, and you can buy one or both in a gift set! And they are going very fast! 

The Smart Bitches 20th Anniversary candle is an 11 ounce hand poured soy candle with notes of sea salt, book pages, sandalwood and jasmine.

The Bad Decisions Book Club candle, also 11 ounces, is designed to be the perfect pairing for late night reading, with scents of sweet tobacco, book pages, leather, rose, and sandalwood. I had a marvelous time picking out the scents.

So if you’re looking for the perfect gift for yourself or the book lovers in your life, check out the 2025 Smart Bitches Candle collection. You can shop small, support the site, and spread light and warmth this year.

❤ Read the transcript ❤

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Here are the books we discuss in this podcast:

We also mentioned:

• Letterkenny
• Shorsey
• Bookshop.org! You can designate an independent bookshop to benefit from your purchases!
• Miró and the United States exhibit

And, a visual joke from Jo:

The fact that Marie Curie’s notebooks and tools are still radioactive and sealed in lead boxes.

You can see a whole virtual exhibit at Google Arts & Culture (probably the greatest thing Google has offered to consumers) via the Musée Curie.