Margo Hammond and Ellen Heltzel

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.