Hosts - Fiction Between Friends

Meet The Hosts

What do a librarian, a physics teacher, a former NY Ad exec, and a novelist have in common? Nothing. And everything. Lauren Sanchez, Alisa Hilfinger, Aileen Calderon, and Josephine Angelini have been best friends since they were six years old. And even though they went on to take different paths in life, two things remained the same- their love for each other, and their passion for books.

Fiction Between Friends is a podcast that celebrates books as much as it does deep bonds between friends. Part book club, part podcast, Fiction Between Friends is a celebration of how a really good book can come into your life and change it. No scathing reviews or negative commentary, just great books and engaging conversations. Each episode covers four books the hosts have loved in the past, or a new release that just hit the bookshelves. It is an idyllic place for bibliophiles to rekindle their love for an old favorite or to find a new to read. Because sharing amazing books with friends is what this podcast is all about.

It is Oprah’s Book Club meets The View without the A-list cast to make you feel like you’re wearing last year’s shoes. Just four childhood friends sharing their love of books and dishing on everything from how Josie once got trapped in a raccoon cage, to why Aileen still has a pair of men’s underwear Lauren and AIisa stole from a certain hottie’s house some thirty years ago.

Then

Now

Lauren Sanchez

Lauren Sanchez wants everyone to know that librarians are not little old ladies who shush you for sneezing. They are activists, allies, conservationists, and effing cool. Or at least, she is. More than just the local children’s librarian, Lauren is also the mother of two teenage girls, a gardener, a knitter, the owner of waaay too many pets, and most apropos for our purposes, she’s also a reader. She reads everything, really, but she mostly likes fantasy and fiction based on fairytales and mythology. You can see her doing story time on Zoom, but please don’t, because she only likes doing it live for a bunch of kids, and not to a camera, because that’s creepy.

Then

Now

Alisa Hilfinger

Alisa is a proud mom of 2, wife, amateur baker and enthusiastic high school science teacher living in MA. She buys cocoa powder by the case (Saco dutched blend) because she drinks *that* much hot chocolate. Alisa never outgrew her love of dinosaurs and -surprisingly unrelated- had a childhood nickname of, Lizard. She never intended to live with the motto “go big or go home” but she often finds herself thoroughly enjoying cringe-worth experiences with 100% effort, like public dancing, lip-syncing as Dee Snyder/Twisted Sister for a school fundraiser, and volunteering to be around teenagers daily.

Then

Now

Aileen Calderon

Aileen lives in New Jersey, something that still surprises her after 15 years in Manhattan. She has a 4 year-old son, 2 cats, a 50 year-old husband, and a 100 year-old house. The hubby and house make her feel young. The 4 year-old does not. As a kid she’d check out mountains of books from the library and read them all in a day. These days she curls up with her kindle every night and reads lighthearted fiction to temporarily escape from adulting. She’s currently a creative director at a tech company and is a committed lifelong wiseass.

Then

Now

Josephine Angelini

Josie is a bestselling author of young adult novels. A Massachusetts native and the youngest of eight siblings, she’s an avid reader who loves fantasy, romance, and contemporary fiction–both YA and adult. She even reads non-fiction science writing because she’s secretly a physics/bio nerd. Josie cut her teeth stealing romance novels from her mom, and fantasy series from her brother. The love of romance and fantasy stuck, but luckily she quit stealing and she now lives an upright life in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter, Peloton, and a hamster that she pretends is a very small cat.