Culture Lit

About Culture Lit

Culture Lit is where Black women’s love stories, healing journeys, and cultural brilliance take center stage. Every week, host Octavia Marie dives deep into the romance novels, authors, and conversations that are reshaping how we see Black love — on the page and in real life. From body-positive heroines to soft life living, from second-chance love to the rise of Black romance adaptations hitting our screens, we’re exploring what it means to be seen, celebrated, and loved on your own terms. This isn’t just a book podcast. It’s a space for Black women who are ready to reclaim joy, prioritize peace, and say yes to the stories that make us feel whole. Beyond the episodes, there’s a membership space — The Intentional Edit — for the women who want to go deeper: more reads, more recs, and a community that actually gets it. Whether you’ve been reading Black romance for years or you’re just finding your way in — welcome home. Grab your tea, get cozy, and let’s get into it.

Publisher

Octavia Marie

Category

arts · business · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

11 Jan 2022

Latest episode

29 May 2026

Latest episodes

55 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   29 May 2026

   10 Black Romance Novels That Feel Like a Soft Place to Land

   Your heart isn’t broken. It’s just tired — and tired has a reading list. This week on Culture Lit, Octavia shares 10 Black romance novels for healing your heart — stories where Black women are cherished, chosen, and loved well. From Kennedy Ryan’s new release Score to modern classics by Tia Williams, this is the soft-era reading list for anyone running on empty. Healing here doesn’t mean heavy. It means joy, tenderness, and a soft place to land. Find these and other recommendations at The CultureLit online BookShop and support independent bookstores at Visit my bookshop! (https://culturelitpodcast.com/bookshop) Score (https://bookshop.org/a/80851/9781538769652) — Kennedy Ryan Honey & Spice (https://bookshop.org/a/80851/9780063141513) — Bolu Babalola Before I Let Go (https://bookshop.org/a/80851/9781538706794) — Kennedy Ryan By the Book (https://bookshop.org/a/80851/9781368053389) — Jasmine Guillory Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute (https://bookshop.org/a/80851/9780593482353) — Talia Hibbert A Love Song for Ricki Wilde (https://bookshop.org/a/80851/9781538726716) — Tia Williams Seven Days in June (https://bookshop.org/a/80851/9781538719091) — Tia Williams Real Men Knit (https://bookshop.org/a/80851/9781984806505) — Kwana Jackson Love Is a Revolution (https://bookshop.org/a/80851/9781547608621) — Renée Watson Black Girls Must Die Exhausted (https://bookshop.org/a/80851/9780063137905)— Jayne Allen Culture Lit is a community celebrating black women and black love, and a reminder that black women deserve joy, love success, second chances, and all the beautiful magic the world has to offer. Subscribe to the Culture Lit Podcast Community here: CultureLitPodcast.com (CultureLitPodcast.com) Please follow the podcast via RSS (https://feeds.captivate.fm/culture-lit/), Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culture-lit/id1597832230), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/0F92KixAoHtmwJxa4SzsvY), Pocket Casts (https://pca.st/bxfoej8i) or wherever you listen to your podcasts! Let me know what you’re reading, what you’re thinking, and what you’re thinking about what you’re reading. STAY CONNECTED Instagram: becomingoctavia (https://www.instagram.com/becomingoctavia) Threads: becomingoctavia (https://www.threads.com/@becomingoctavia?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==) FB: BecomingOctaviaMarie (https://www.facebook.com/BecomingOctaviaMarie) Music credit: Cool Jazz Beat by FASOL PROD A Subito Media (https://SubitoMedia.com) production

2. 

   14 May 2026

   Nobody Knows You Exist (And That's the Problem). What is PR - And Why Black Women Entrepreneurs Need It Now

   The visibility gap is real — and it's costing us. You're showing up. You're posting. You're creating. And somehow you still feel like nobody actually knows you exist. In this episode, Octavia pulls from her 20+ years in PR — spanning the NBA, Fortune 500 companies, music, film, and TV — to give you something the industry never made accessible to us: a real breakdown of how visibility actually works. This isn't a branding masterclass. It's a direct conversation about why Black women entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and creators keep getting overlooked — and what you can do about it without a $10,000-a-month retainer. Resources & Links Follow Octavia: Instagram & Threads @becomingoctavia Wellness & self-care: JayneandBloom.com The Visibility Architect Framework — subscribe to the newsletter and stay close, more coming on the podcast Find book recommendations at The CultureLit online BookShop and support independent bookstores at Visit my bookshop! (https://culturelitpodcast.com/bookshop) Culture Lit is a community celebrating black women and black love, and a reminder that black women deserve joy, love, success, second chances, and all the beautiful magic the world has to offer. Subscribe to the Culture Lit Podcast Community here: CultureLitPodcast.com (CultureLitPodcast.com) Please follow the podcast via RSS (https://feeds.captivate.fm/culture-lit/), Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culture-lit/id1597832230), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/0F92KixAoHtmwJxa4SzsvY), Pocket Casts (https://pca.st/bxfoej8i) or wherever you listen to your podcasts! Let me know what you’re reading, what you’re thinking, and what you’re thinking about what you’re reading. STAY CONNECTED Instagram: becomingoctavia (https://www.instagram.com/becomingoctavia) Threads: becomingoctavia (https://www.threads.com/@becomingoctavia?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==) FB: BecomingOctaviaMarie (https://www.facebook.com/BecomingOctaviaMarie) Music credit: Cool Jazz Beat by FASOL PROD A Subito Media (https://SubitoMedia.com) production

3. 

   7 May 2026

   Your Spark Is Still There: Finding Your Way Back to Joy

   Some seasons feel dim. Not broken — just quiet. Like the thing that used to light you up has gone somewhere you can't quite reach. That's where Octavia has been. And in this episode, she gets honest about coming out of a season that knocked her sideways — physically, emotionally, all of it. She talks about what it really means to lose your spark, why it happens to women who are doing everything right, and the small, unglamorous ways you start coming back to yourself. Plus — April was a moment for Black romance. She's reviewing two reads that helped her recenter: Big Girl Blitz by Danielle Allen (the perfect series closer) and The Art of Loving You by Natasha Bishop (a slow burn second chance romance about grief that will leave you feeling it all). In this episode: Why your spark going quiet isn't a breakdown — it's a message This week's affirmation for anyone in a season of reconnection A full breakdown of Big Girl Blitz — the community, the angst, and the Aunt Addie scenes that will have you in shambles Why The Art of Loving You is its own emotional experience and deserves to be met that way Books mentioned: Big Girl Blitz (https://bookshop.org/a/80851/9781250331168) by Danielle Allen The Art of Loving (https://bookshop.org/a/80851/9781638932741) You by Natasha Bishop Curvy Girl Summer (https://bookshop.org/a/80851/9781250331045)by Danielle Allen (Curve series, book 1) Plus Size Player (https://bookshop.org/a/80851/9781250331182) by Danielle Allen (Curve series, book 2) If Only for the Week (https://bookshop.org/a/80851/9781638932727) by Natasha Bishop (Forever Falling series, book 1) Find this and other recommendations at The CultureLit online BookShop and support independent bookstores at Visit my bookshop! (https://culturelitpodcast.com/bookshop) Sponsor: Jayne + Bloom (https://jayneandbloom.com/collections/gift-guide) If you've been looking for a way to make your daily routine feel more intentional, check out my Clean Beauty Gifts With Purpose (https://jayneandbloom.com/collections/gift-guide) collection on Jayne + Bloom. Thoughtfully chosen sets for you and the women in your life — clean ingredients, real care, no compromise. Visit JayneandBloom.com (https://jayneandbloom.com/collections/gift-guide). Culture Lit is a community celebrating black women and black love, and a reminder that black women deserve joy, love success, second chances, and all the beautiful magic the world has to offer. Subscribe to the Culture Lit Podcast Community here: CultureLitPodcast.com (CultureLitPodcast.com) Please follow the podcast via RSS (https://feeds.captivate.fm/culture-lit/), Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culture-lit/id1597832230), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/0F92KixAoHtmwJxa4SzsvY), Pocket Casts (https://pca.st/bxfoej8i) or wherever you listen to your podcasts! Let me know what you’re reading, what you’re thinking, and what you’re thinking about what you’re reading. STAY CONNECTED Instagram: becomingoctavia (https://www.instagram.com/becomingoctavia) Threads: becomingoctavia (https://www.threads.com/@becomingoctavia?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==) FB: BecomingOctaviaMarie (https://www.facebook.com/BecomingOctaviaMarie) Music credit: Cool Jazz Beat by FASOL PROD A Subito Media (https://SubitoMedia.com) production

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

9 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 36 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

47

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

60

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.