Booked, Blonde & Busy w/ Olivia Ponton

Hi angels! This week on Booked, Blonde & Busy, I'm sitting down with the woman who created Carrie Bradshaw herself...Candace Bushnell.

We talk about everything from the real stories that inspired Sex and the City, what New York nightlife was actually like before social media, dating in your 20s, financial independence, and why Candace's advice to young women today is to focus on getting the money.

We also get into BookTok, modern relationships, her one-woman show, and what it's been like watching a whole new generation discover Sex and the City nearly 30 years later.

Whether you're a Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, or Samantha, this episode is for you.

xoxo, 
Olivia

✦︎ Listen To 'Booked & Busy' Everywhere You Stream
→ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Zf0lWdrYI61m3OTd80Bxp
→ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/booked-busy-w-olivia-ponton/id1848952840
→ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f5856969-999f-4aff-b523-ff96e1121a56/booked-busy-w-olivia-ponton

❤︎ Join The Conversation
→ Patreon (it's free!): https://www.patreon.com/cw/OliviaPonton
→ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olivia.ponton
→ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iamoliviaponton
→ Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/olivia_ponton12

Timestamps:
00:00-00:52 - Intro
00:53-01:21 - Beverage of The Day
01:22-09:52 - New York City Culture + Nightlife in the 90s
09:53-11:11 - Could 'Sex And The City' Exist In The World of Social Media?
11:12-14:35 - How SATC (The Book) Came To Be + The Stories Behind Them
14:36-15:47 - Mining Real Life for Inspo
15:47-18:17 - Working On The SATC Series, Lipstick Jungle + Candace's Writing Process
18:18-22:16 - What/Who Really Inspired Sex And The City?
22:16-25:47 - Does Candace Realize How Major SATC Truly Is?
25:48-30:28 - BookTok, Imitation As Flattery + The Cultural Impact
30:29-34:02 - What Would SATC Look Like In 2026?
34:03-39:45 - Candace Bushnell's One Woman Show
39:45-41:37 - What's It Like Having A New Generation of SATC Fans?
41:38-50:34 - If Candace Could Give Gen Z One Piece of Advice... (Men, Women + Dating)
50:34-52:02 - Outro#booktube #bookrecommendations #sexandthecity #satc #bookish #booktok #candancebushnell #carriebradshaw

Ever wonder what actually goes on at the Met Gala?? Because Josephine Skriver just gave us the inside scoop and you do NOT want to miss this. We're talking wardrobe mishaps, bathroom secrets, and the question that has genuinely kept me up at night: how do you even LEAVE the Met Gala?? Consider this your all-access pass 🎀
xoxo,
Olivia
TIME STAMPS
00:00-2:32 inside the met gala
2:33-4:35 Olivia’s wardrobe mishap

Welcome to Season 2 of Booked, Blonde & Busy!!! 🎀
We are back and even more booked, busier and blonder than ever! That’s right, new name alert - we are now Booked, BLONDE and Busy. Because blonde is a state of mind ;)
To kick things off, I brought in someone truly iconic... Victoria's Secret Angel AND certified book girlie, Josephine Skriver. Yes, THAT Josephine Skriver. She showed up and did not disappoint. This week we're diving into Keeping 13 by Chloe Walsh, spilling our most chaotic reading habits, debating the ACOTAR fan casting of our dreams, and so so much more.
We are SO back, angels!
xoxo, Olivia

❤︎ Join The Conversation
→ Patreon (it's free!): https://www.patreon.com/cw/OliviaPonton
→ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olivia.ponton
→ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iamoliviaponton
→ Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/olivia_ponton12

TIME STAMPS
00:00-3:30 Intro/Beverage of the day
3:50-7:17 what got us into reading
7:18-11:30 the rise of fanfics and Wattpad
11:33-16:16 dark books and red flags
16:20-19:00 Keeping 13
19:11-21:05 Throne of Glass series
21:06-24:58 Boys of Tommen series
24:58-28:05 rereading ACOTAR
28:06-31:25 Sarah J Maas universe
31:26-33:29 publishing schedules
33:30-35:10 fan theories
35:11-40:12 Book adaptations
40:13-45:49 ACOTAR fan cast
45:50-49:14 ACOTAR predictions
49:15 wrap up :)

#booktube #romantasy #bookrecommendations #fantasybook #bookish #booktok

Surprise!! 🎀 We couldn't fully conclude season one of Booked & Busy without taking it back to our very first guest, the one and only Alex Aster! I sat down with Alex at Spotify Studios to chat all things Starside, her most recent book that she'd been writing in secret for years. From the world of Starside vs. Stormside, magical swords, the 'beast tree,' and female rage - to the romantasy genres booming success, audiobooks as an immersive portal into new stories and even the one's we already love... this is a bonus episode you do not want to miss! Special thanks to Spotify for hosting us at their studio, and if you're an audiobook reader - be sure to check out their 'Page Match' feature! This may be the OFFICIAL last episode of season one... but I have a feeling there's an update in store for you all very very soon ;)xoxo,Olivia Listen to the Starside Audiobook on Spotify Now: https://open.spotify.com/show/3heMK5Z9F20k9r0j2EoZjH?si=a1bec28f19924c6f❤︎ Join The Conversation→ Patreon (it's free!): https://www.patreon.com/cw/OliviaPonton→ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olivia.ponton→ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iamoliviaponton→ Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/olivia_ponton12Timestamps:00:00-00:06 - Intro00:06-00:53 - Writing adult romantasy for the first time00:53-01:41 - What does Alex want people to get out of 'Starside?'01:41-02:25 - Escapism, and why fantasy and romantasy are having a moment right now02:25-03:10 - Books as medicine + swapping scrolling for reading03:10-04:08 - What inspired the world of 'Starside' + the talking the sword magic system04:08-05:28 - How the audiobook format amplifies the reading experience05:28-07:20 - Reaching a new audience through this adult genre + the audiobooks07:20-07:48 - How reading transforms us + builds community07:48-08:11 - If 'Starside' had a playlist, what songs would be on it?08:11-08:35 - Alex describes 'Starside' in three words08:35-09:40 - Sword tattoos, dagger sisters, and the 'beast tree'09:40-09:51 - Outro✎ This Episode Is For You If You Like...→ Genres / Topics: romantasy, fantasy, author interviews, world-building, maps and magic systems→ Themes: female rage and resilience, rising from the ashes, enemies-to-lovers, → Books & Authors Mentioned: Starside by Alex Aster, Lightark series, Summer in the City, Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, King of Greed by Ana Huang★ If You're Searching For:→ Alex Aster Starside book review and discussion→ Alex Aster interview→ author interview 2026→ Lightark series→ enemies to lovers fantasy books 2026→ female rage in fantasy books→ best romantasy books 2026→ how to get back into reading#booktube #romantasy #bookrecommendations #fantasybook #bookish #booktok

Season one of Booked & Busy is a wrap, but we honestly could not let it go by without a best moments compilation 🎀📖

From my best friend Emma Brooks talking about the wretched Korea Town apartment that started it all, to Rebecca Serle revealing the psychic prophecy that literally inspired In Five Years...this season was one for the books ;))

We talked about changing dreams, crying in ubers, writing on kitchen floors covered in index cards, friendship soulmates, manifestation, what the 20s are actually for, and why a crush is just a lack of information (life changing revelation, by the way).

If you're new here, this is your sign to go back and watch every episode, and if you've been here from the start...thank you!!! genuinely. this podcast started because i kept DMing authors with questions and someone told me to just start a show and now here we are 🥹🪽

big things coming soon 💝

xoxo,
Olivia
❤︎ Join The Conversation
→ Patreon (it's free!): https://www.patreon.com/cw/OliviaPonton
→ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olivia.ponton
→ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iamoliviaponton
→ Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/olivia_ponton12