Read Clean YA with CJ
Discover your next adventure.
The podcast for teen and young adult readers who want to explore exciting worlds, deep themes, and epic stories — without the objectionable content.
Hosted by award-winning young adult author, CJ Milacci.
Discover
Epic Stories
Have you ever started a story, only to find part-way in that it includes themes and elements that are, well, not something you want taking up space in your mind? You don’t have to worry about that here. We’ll talk about epic stories that you can enjoy without worrying about what you’ll find.
Dive into
Author Interviews
Ready to meet your next favorite author? Come listen in on interviews with authors where you’ll leave feeling like you just made a new friend. And learn who they are and why they write what they write.
Discuss
Deep Themes
Stories often convey so much more than just a fun escape into another world. We will discuss themes in stories that demonstrate deeper truths in a way that’s easy to grasp and apply to our lives.
What is Read Clean YA with CJ?
What does clean mean?
Note on Violence:
Many of the books reviewed are high-stakes, action and adventure, and contain violence and scary situations. There will be a note if the violence is graphic or gory.
Subscribe to the Podcast
New episodes released every Wednesday!
Want to make sure you don’t miss a single episode? Use the links below to subscribe using your preferred app, and the episodes will automatically download to your phone or computer.
Latest Episode
A Game-Changing Adventure: S.D. Smith's Kickstarter Brings Readers into the Green Ember Universe
Episode 44
May 14th, 2025
with CJ Milacci & S.D. Smith
Welcome to another episode of Read Clean YA with CJ, featuring S.D. Smith, author of the The Green Ember.
Episodes
A Game-Changing Adventure: S.D. Smith’s Kickstarter Brings Readers into the Green Ember Universe
Read Clean YA with CJEpisode Forty-FourWelcome to another episode of Read Clean YA with CJ, where we explore clean, engaging books for teens and young adults. Today, we're diving into a conversation with S.D. Smith, the bestselling author beloved for his Green Ember...
Dragons, Virtues, and Epic Adventures: Katherine Briggs on Writing Speculative Fiction
Read Clean YA with CJEpisode Forty-ThreeWelcome to another episode of Read Clean YA with CJ, where we explore clean, engaging books for teens and young adults. Today, we're diving into a conversation with Katherine Briggs about her latest fantasy novel and the power...
Dystopian Intrigue and Biblical Retellings: A Conversation with L.E. Richmond
Read Clean YA with CJEpisode Forty-TwoWelcome to another episode of Read Clean YA with CJ, where we explore clean, engaging books for teens and young adults. Today, we're diving into a conversation with L.E. Richmond about her latest dystopian novel. Episode Show...
The Grand Finales: C.J. Milacci and E.A. Hendryx on Crafting Their Series’ Last Chapters
Read Clean YA with CJEpisode Forty-OneWelcome to another episode of Read Clean YA with C.J. Milacci, where we explore clean, engaging books for teens and young adults. Today, we're diving into an exciting conversation about wrapping up a series and connecting with...
From the Cockpit to the Keyboard: Chuck Black’s Mission to Inspire Readers
Read Clean YA with CJ Episode FortyWelcome to another episode of Read Clean YA with C.J. Milacci, where we explore clean, engaging books for teens and young adults. Today, we're diving into a fascinating conversation with Chuck Black, former F-16 fighter pilot and...
About Your Host
Award-winning author CJ Milacci writes stories for teens and young adults with heart-pounding action and hope. As the podcast host for Read Clean YA with CJ, she loves talking about books and the deeper themes woven into the pages of each novel. She’s passionate about crafting stories of good overcoming evil, finding hope in the midst of seemingly hopeless circumstances, and true acceptance.
Always willing to get real about hard issues, C.J. also enjoys the cheesiest of puns. She chats about writing, her faith, bubble tea, and other fun adventures online (@cjmilacci) and at cjmilacci.com.
CJ Milacci is the award-winning author of The Talionis Series, and she writes stories for teens and young adults with heart-pounding action and hope. As a referee, she’s always relearning the hard lesson that it’s impossible to make everyone happy, and she’s discovered that stories can be found anywhere, even on a lacrosse field. She’s passionate about crafting stories of good overcoming evil, finding hope in the midst of seemingly hopeless circumstances, and true acceptance.
Recruit of Talionis, Book 1
A teen with a dark past. A secret military force that kidnaps new soldiers. Can she survive as a Recruit of Talionis?
Fugitive of Talionis, Book 2
They kidnapped her. Trained her. And now they’re hunting her.
Enemy of Talionis, Book 3
Captive of Talionis, Book 4
They demanded obedience. She chose defiance. Now hope rises.
Want to know as soon as an episode drops?
Are you an author of Clean YA Fiction?
If you write epic clean young adult stories, and you’re interested in being a guest on Read Clean YA with CJ, I would love to hear from you. Fill out this form to get started and see if we’re a good fit.