In this interview, I chat with Candice King and Kayla Ewell. You know them from the hit show The Vampire Diaries, where Candice played Caroline and Kayla played Vicki. Now they’re hosting the fantastic podcast Directionally Challenged, which is about “realigning your internal compass.” With transparency and humor, Candice and Kayla examine what it means to be a woman in your 30’s and they talk with a broad range of guests on topics from work to family life, aspirations to health, and much more.

(You might hear a little voice in the background of this interview … that’s Kayla’s sweet baby girl. Life happens at the most inconvenient moments, so when Kayla’s childcare fell through at the last minute, Candice and Kayla just rolled with the punches. I love that they wanted to still share this audio with our listeners because, well, this is real life as a working mom! So, without further ado, here is my conversation with Candice and Kayla. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did!)

Currently available on anchor.fm and Spotify. P.S: This is new for us so we’re still working out the kinks with these interviews and audio! If you have any suggestions, send us a message!

1:37 – Candice & Kayla discuss their popular podcast, Directionally Challenged
12:55 – A few questions looking back at The Vampire Diaries
16:23 – Kayla talks about her recent roles on Roswell: New Mexico and Batwoman
18:08 – Candice talks about her role in the upcoming film, After We Collided
20:00 – Book talk! Candice & Kayla talk bookshelves, children’s books, favorite books, and more
36:00 – Candice & Kayla discuss journaling, and other writing interests
40:00 – A few “must listen” podcast episodes to try if you haven’t listened to Directionally Challenged yet

• Bored and Brilliant by Manoush Zomorodi (Amazon | Book Depository)
• Directionally Challenged Diane Keaton T-Shirt
• Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews (Amazon | Book Depository)
• Goosebumps by R.L. Stine (Amazon | Book Depository)
• Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene (Amazon | Book Depository)
• Where The Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls (Amazon | Book Depository)
• Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein (Amazon | Book Depository)
• The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein (Amazon | Book Depository)
• The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen (Amazon | Book Depository)
• Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle (Amazon | Book Depository)
• Little Women by Louise May Alcott (Amazon | Book Depository)
• Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Amazon | Book Depository)
• Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins (Amazon | Book Depository)
• Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan (Amazon | Book Depository)
• Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow (Amazon | Book Depository)
• The Great Pretender by Susannah Cahalan (Amazon | Book Depository)
• Directionally Challenged: Gail Simmons episode
• Directionally Challenged: Moms Demand Action episode
• Directionally Challenged: Caitlin Crosby episode

Have you listened to Directionally Challenged? Will you be checking it out? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Conversations With Unexpected Book Nerds: Candice King & Kayla Ewell appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Nonfiction November is a wonderful time to read one of the latest nonfiction book releases! Whether you read nonfiction all the time, or want to make a point of diving into some nonfiction reads for this themed month, there are plenty of great fall nonfiction books that may interest you.

Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell

In his latest book, Gladwell delves into the topic of our interactions with strangers, whether and how we make sense of people we don’t know, and the broader impact that that has in the world. He uses his trademark combination of facts and stories to convey his ideas about this fascinating topic. Some people may prefer the audio version to the print version, as he records the voices of actual community members in the audio.

The Plateau by Maggie Paxson

Paxson investigates what goes into making a community more peaceful and kinder in this absorbing book which weaves her personal story into an investigative piece. At the beginning of The Plateau, she muses that most research to date focuses on the nature of violence and how and why it happens rather than peace. Her research aims to counter that. She researches a town where villagers offered a safe harbour to people during the Holocaust.

The Great Pretender by Susannah Cahalan

Written by the acclaimed author of the memoir Brain on Fire, The Great Pretender delves into our mental health care system. Following her experience in Brain on Fire, Cahalan wanted to take a closer look at the psychiatric system and institutions that she nearly landed in at the time of her illness. This book is largely a fascinating look at an experiment that was undertaken by mentally well individuals who were committed to psychiatric facilities in order to examine the conditions and reality for psychiatric patients and their care. Cahalan is a gifted writer with a passion for neurological and mental health care.

The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff

The Only Plane In The Sky is a narrative about 9/11, a day so many of us remember, told in an unusual way. Graff uses interviews, transcripts and oral histories from ordinary people who were impacted or involved in what happened on that date, to paint a picture of how a variety of people in the U.S. were affected by 9/11. People whose stories are told include airport workers, a person who monitored calls of the people who lost their lives, Pentagon officials, and fire fighters. This book is sure to open readers’ eyes to stories and a side to 9/11 that many readers may not have heard much about.

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

In The Dream House is the author’s memoir which reads almost like a novel. It’s about her physically emotionally abusive relationship with her ex-partner. What’s groundbreaking and interesting about it is how provides a unique voice among writers about the LGBTQ community, showing a type of relationship that doesn’t show up often in literature to date. She says that many people assume that two women in a relationship won’t hurt each other as an opposite sex couple would, when she has learned the hard way that that isn’t true. Machado previous was known for the collection Her Body and Other Parties which garnered wide acclaim.

Conversations with RBG

Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Life, Love, Liberty and Law by Jeffrey Rosen: Author Jeffrey Rosen is a legal journalist and scholar who has long been friends with Ruth Bader Ginsberg. In this book, he shares conversations that he had with RBG on a wide variety of substantive topics. If you are interested in RBG or the life of a Supreme Court justice in general, this inside look at her life and interests within and outside of the law will fascinate you.

Do you have any other nonfiction recommendations? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Nonfiction November Reads appeared first on The Nerd Daily.