Who are The Book Babes?

They're the bibliophile's Ebert & Roeper. They're prizewinning journalists and book critics. And they're the authors of Between the Covers: The Book Babes' Guide to a Woman's Reading Pleasures (Da Capo Press; November 2008).

Seeking to nurture fellowship around the love of books, Margo Hammond and Ellen Heltzel first teamed up as The Book Babes in 2002 to write a weekly column for Poynter Online. They have also written a weekly column for the Book Standard, the sister online publication of Kirkus Reviews, a monthly column for the Good Housekeeping Magazine online, and articles for the San Jose Mercury and the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

In 2007, they launched a monthly radio show with WMNF-FM in Tampa, FL. As solo acts or together, they have appeared on NBC's "Today Show" and C-SPAN's "Book TV," and their work has appeared in magazines and newspapers across the country.

Margo Hammond, former book editor for the St. Petersburg Times, has served as a National Book Critics Circle board member and as president of the Southern Book Critics Circle. She wrote a weekly travel column for the The York Times Syndicate and worked at The Atlantic Monthly, the Washington Star, and the Baltimore Sun. She lives in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Ellen Heltzel was features and book editor at The Oregonian. She serves on the National Book Critics board and writes for a host of publications, including The Washington Post, USA Today, the Chicago Tribune, and The Seattle Times. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Blog Entries by Margo Hammond and Ellen Heltzel

Life, Liberty and the Right to Be Sick

1 Comments | Posted June 10, 2009 | 11:15 AM (EST)


From Book Babe Margo Hammond:

Here's a fresh, new voice weighing in on the debate over health care reform:

At present the United States has the unenviable distinction of being the only great industrial nation without universal health insurance. For a generation, the enlightened nations of Europe have one...
Read Post

Poetry & Politicians: For Better or Verse

Posted January 16, 2009 | 05:39 PM (EST)


Know as The Book Babes, Ellen Heltzel, a book critic who lives in Portland, and Margo Hammond, a book critic based in St. Petersburg, Fla., are authors of Between the Covers: The Book Babes' Guide to a Woman's Reading Pleasures (Da Capo Press). Their radio program airs monthly on WMNF-FM...

Read Post

Beyond "Team of Rivals": Books to Stock on Air Force One

Posted January 9, 2009 | 03:02 PM (EST)


Known as The Book Babes, Ellen Heltzel, a book critic who lives in Portland, and Margo Hammond, a book critic based in St. Petersburg, Fla., are authors of "Between the Covers: The Book Babes' Guide to a Woman's Reading Pleasures" (Da Capo Press). Their radio program airs monthly on WMNF-FM...

Read Post

The First Lady's Guide to Writing a Bestselling Memoir

Posted December 5, 2008 | 10:04 AM (EST)


Know as The Book Babes, Ellen Heltzel, a book critic who lives in Portland, and Margo Hammond, a book critic based in St. Petersburg, Fla., are authors of "Between the Covers: The Book Babes' Guide to a Woman's Reading Pleasures" (Da Capo Press). Their radio program airs monthly on WMNF-FM...

Read Post

The Book Babes Talk First-Time Authors, Joe the Plumber and Shameless Self Promotion

Posted November 25, 2008 | 04:19 PM (EST)


Known as The Book Babes, Ellen Heltzel, a book critic who lives in Portland, and Margo Hammond, a book critic based in St. Petersburg, Fla., are the authors of "Between the Covers: The Book Babes' Guide to a Woman's Reading Pleasures (Da Capo Press). Their radio program appears monthly on...

Read Post