The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app! 

Author Ann Liang joins us on this week’s episode of VBT to discuss her newest book, A Song to Drown Rivers. From making the most of her JSTOR access while it lasted, to thinking deeply about beauty standards across centuries, she breaks down how her historical fantasy novel got made.

Xishi is beautiful—and deadly. When she is tasked with infiltrating an enemy kingdom and seducing the king, she undergoes rigorous training from Fanli, a famous young military advisor. But the more she succeeds, the more she stands to lose—from her own life to a burgeoning romance with Fanli.

Get A Song to Drown Rivers at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app! 

Brynne Weaver joins us in the BOTM headquarters to discuss her newest book to The Ruinous Love trilogy, Leather & Lark. We asked Brynne why she was ruining all of our favorite foods and talked about how one woman's red flags might actually be another's green flag. 

Contract killer Lachlan Kane wants a quiet life working in his leather studio and forgetting all about his traumatic past. But when he botches a job for his boss’ biggest client, he knows he will never claw his way out of the underworld. At least not until songbird Lark Montague offers him a deal. As Lachlan and Lark navigate the dark world, it becomes impossible to discern their fake marriage from a real one.

Get Leather & Lark at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

We’re taking an emotional journey with our next guest, Onyi Nwabineli. Her debut novel Someday, Maybe tackles some really tough subjects like suicide, grief, and guilt. Onyi shares what it was like to dive deep into these emotions, what sparked the idea for this story, and we even play a little game where we learn what the being 'Keeper of the Cup' entails. 

Someday, Maybe tells the story of Eve, who has suffered the unimaginable. In the aftermath of her husband’s suicide, she is battling with feelings of grief and guilt. But through the transformative power of love, Eve starts to grow stronger and more hopeful. This emotional, devastatingly frank account of grief’s many faces will have you in your feelings.

Get Someday, Maybe at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

Today, we get to ask a screenwriter-turned-author the most important question of them all: Is the book always better than the movie? Ruth Emmie Lang joins us today to talk about her newest novel, The Wilderwomen, and she shares what her go-to road trip necessities are.  

The Wilderwomen follows two sisters: one sister who can see the future; the other people’s memories. When the girls meet up five years after their mother’s disappearance, they start to uncover the answer to the question that has been haunting them for years: Why did she leave?

Get The Wilderwomen at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

Our next guest went from teaching students, to becoming a Jungian expert, to writing another novel that’s stirring conversations all over the country. Best-selling author Matthew Quick joins us today to talk about his newest novel, We Are the Light. He shares which landmark inspired this story, why movies hold such a special place in his heart, and what should be on your dad’s Christmas list this year (besides beer and football memorabilia). 

We Are the Light tells the story of Lucas Goodgame, a man who suffered an unimaginable tragedy, and Eli, a boy ostracized from his community who Lucas takes under his wing. In this moving tale of hope and redemption, Lucas and Eli’s unlikely film production brings together their small town racked with grief.

Get We Are the Light at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

The day everyone has been waiting for has finally arrived, and we are pleased to announce the 2022 golden Lolly goes to...

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin! Listen back on the episode we recorded with Gabrielle in July and find out what makes her book so deserving.

To hear more from Gabrielle on her BOTY win, visit bookoftheyear.com or download our app and watch our new video where she discusses what it means to be this year's winner.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a moving story of friendship and art-making that will make you nostalgic for your favorite childhood video games. It follows two characters, Sam and Sadie, who bonded while playing video games together as young kids. When they meet again as university students, they start building a video game together, which becomes incredibly successful and wrenches them into a life of unexpected fame. This book will make you feel all the feels, guaranteed.

Get Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

It’s the question we’ve all been asking ourselves since January 1, 2022: Which book is going to win the Book of the Year Award at Book of the Month for 2022? Readers have left their opinions. BOTM staff members have stated their suspicions. And now you, the listener, can make your own predictions as to which author will win the coveted golden Lolly. Here are this year’s nominees: 

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Vote for your favorite at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

Do flirty bisexuals make the best spies? Where does this historical fiction writer get her fight scene inspirations? What would happen if Pinocchio researched how to be a real boy on TikTok? We get the answers to these burning questions with our most recent guest, Chloe Gong, author of the YA historical fiction novel, Foul Lady Fortune. 

Foul Lady Fortune follows Rosalind Lang, a nationalist spy who cannot die. When a series of murders causes unrest in her city of 1930s Shanghai, Rosalind teams up with another nationalist spy, Orion Hong. The two spies soon find that there are deeper and more horrifying layers to this mystery than they ever imagined.

Get Foul Lady Fortune at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

When you think of Hell, what do you think of? To our next guest, Claudia Lux, it means unpredictable puddles, non-stop car horns, and waking up in a hangover fog every morning. Claudia sits down with us to talk about her debut novel, Sign Here. She shares what the term “fluffy Hell” means, why the only drink in her version of Hell is Jägermeister, and why bike trolleys are the bane of her existence. 

Sign Here follows Peyote Trip who works in the deals department on the fifth floor of Hell. Pey has a great opportunity to earn a devilishly big promotion. But first he needs to get one more member of the Harrison family to sell their soul.

Get Sign Here at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

Written by Book of the Month author Kiersten White.

Author website: https://www.kierstenwhite.com/

New members can get Kiersten White’s novel The Guinevere Deception at bookofthemonth.com for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.

Here’s the brief:

Every kid in the neighborhood knew not to go near the big house at the end of the crooked lane. The Victorian mansion was perpetually dark and shuttered, surrounded by overgrown trees that cast long, spindly shadows. The old lady who lived there was known to threaten trespassers with a sharp-handled broom. Rumor had it there was even a dead body buried in her backyard. And so every Halloween, the neighborhood trick-or-treaters steered clear of that driveway. That is, until this Halloween night, when we noticed something unusual: The big house’s porch light was on. The door was open. And Tommy dared me to go inside.

Written by Book of the Month author Laura Hankin.

Author website: https://www.laurahankin.com/

New members can get Laura Hankin’s novel Happy & You Know It at bookofthemonth.com for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.

Here’s the brief:

Every kid in the neighborhood knew not to go near the big house at the end of the crooked lane. The Victorian mansion was perpetually dark and shuttered, surrounded by overgrown trees that cast long, spindly shadows. The old lady who lived there was known to threaten trespassers with a sharp-handled broom. Rumor had it there was even a dead body buried in her backyard. And so every Halloween, the neighborhood trick-or-treaters steered clear of that driveway. That is, until this Halloween night, when we noticed something unusual: The big house’s porch light was on. The door was open. And Tommy dared me to go inside.

Written by Book of the Month author Julie Clark.

Author website: https://julieclarkauthor.com/

New members can get Julie Clark’s novels The Lies I Tell and The Last Flight at bookofthemonth.com for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.

Here’s the brief:

Every kid in the neighborhood knew not to go near the big house at the end of the crooked lane. The Victorian mansion was perpetually dark and shuttered, surrounded by overgrown trees that cast long, spindly shadows. The old lady who lived there was known to threaten trespassers with a sharp-handled broom. Rumor had it there was even a dead body buried in her backyard. And so every Halloween, the neighborhood trick-or-treaters steered clear of that driveway. That is, until this Halloween night, when we noticed something unusual: The big house’s porch light was on. The door was open. And Tommy dared me to go inside.

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app! 

The author of Five Broken Blades joins us in the BOTM office for this week's episode! We talked to Mai Corland about her epic new book, Korean mythology and history, and the transition from writing for younger audiences to now writing for adults. 

It’s the season for treason; the king of Yusan must die. The five most dangerous liars in the land have been mysteriously summoned to work together for a single objective: to kill the god king. But for these killers, it’s not enough to forge an alliance. To survive, they’ll have to find a way to trust each other, but only one can take the crown.

Get Five Broken Blades at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

What is the number one export of Other Birds' fictional Mallow Island? Marshmallows. And today, we’re talking with a very sweet guest, Sarah Addison Allen, author of Other Birds. She shares why moms make the best neighbors, why misfits make the most welcoming communities, and why even ghosts still need to learn a thing or two. 

Other Birds is an enchanting novel that follows the quirky, soulful stories of the unlikely neighbors in a magical apartment complex. This book walks the line between the real and the imaginary, exploring the stories that take flight in the most extraordinary ways.

Get Other Birds at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

Why are we so afraid of monsters? What would you do if you saw a house running around town on chicken legs? If your past determines your magical abilities, what would they be? In this episode fit for the spooky season, GennaRose Nethercott is talking about an old crone with a secret agenda, the creepy history of certain folklore tales, and why walking around in a graveyard at dusk is just too on-brand for her. 

Thistlefoot is the fantasy novel you get when you mix a house on chicken legs, a girl who can bring inanimate objects to life, and a prophecy foretold. Inspired by old Baba Yaga folk stories, this book is a fairy tale for grown-ups mixed with a touching story of sibling relationships and self discovery. 

Want more from GennaRose? You can check out her puppet show for a limited time exclusively on the Book of the Month app.

Get Thistlefoot at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

What happens when an author takes a literary classic and adds sythensisia, a new romantic interest, and really big shirt sleeves? We are talking with Laurie Lico Alabanese about her newest novel, Hester, which is a novel that does all of those things and much, much more.  

Hester is a powerful reimagining of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic tale — but the women get to tell their sides of the story this time around. You'll never look at the Scarlet A the same after reading this quintessential New England tale of power and desire.

Get Hester at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

If you were in the dentist office, how would you ward off a potential killer? What does the old lady in the park have in her bag (besides a fluffy dog)? How do you write a fight scene? We answer these questions and more with author Deanna Raybourn. 

Killers of a Certain Age follows four sixty-something assassins, who are on their all-expenses paid retirement vacation when they realize that they have been marked for death. Nothing ruins retirement like an old employer putting a hit out on you. But these women won’t go down without a fight.

Get Killers of a Certain Age at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

Writing a book with over 14 characters that have main-character energy is a real challenge, but Carolyn Huynh executed it perfectly in her debut novel, The Fortunes of Jaded Women. In this episode, we talk with Carolyn about her family dynamics that inspired parts of this book like motherly roasts, psychic visits, and Gen Z daughters keeping the peace through TikTok. 

The Fortunes of Jaded Women tells the story of a surprising prophecy that upends a family curse that has plagued generations of Viet women living in Orange County’s Little Saigon. Filled with a cast of over 14 women, these estranged family members must find their way back to one another, while also trying to find themselves along the way.

Get The Fortunes of Jaded Women at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

As a lover of Star Trek and a writer of fanfiction, Ali Hazelwood was destined to become a scientist and romance author. Today, she sits down to talk about her newest novel, Love on the Brain. She shares her secrets behind crafting the perfect sex scene, her hatred of standardized testing and her huge fear of space. 

Love on the Brain is a swoon-worthy romance that will have you questioning the laws of physics as it sweeps you off your feet in zero gravity. This enemies-to-lovers romance follows Bee Königswasser who gets the opportunity of a lifetime to work with NASA. The only catch? She has to work on this once-in-a-lifetime project with her arch nemesis, Levi Ward. 

Get Love on the Brain at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

Written by Book of the Month author Sarah Penner. 

Author website: https://www.sarahpenner.com/

New members can get Sarah Penner’s novel, The Lost Apothecary, at bookofthemonth.com for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.

Here’s the brief:

Since the day I was born, I’ve had a hard time keeping my mouth shut. Most of the time that’s ok, but yesterday was a different story. The moment I said your name in front of everyone, I knew I’d made a huge mistake. Unfortunately, you can’t swallow words back up once they come out. Now here we are.

Written and recorded by Book of the Month 3peat author Katherine Center. 

Author website: https://katherinecenter.com/

New members can get Katherine Center’s latest novel, The Bodyguard, at bookofthemonth.com for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.

Here’s the brief:

Since the day I was born, I’ve had a hard time keeping my mouth shut. Most of the time that’s ok, but yesterday was a different story. The moment I said your name in front of everyone, I knew I’d made a huge mistake. Unfortunately, you can’t swallow words back up once they come out. Now here we are.

Written by Book of the Month author Abby Jimenez.

Author website: https://www.authorabbyjimenez.com/

New members can get Abby Jimenez’s novel Part of Your World at bookofthemonth.com for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.

Here’s the brief:

Since the day I was born, I’ve had a hard time keeping my mouth shut. Most of the time that’s ok, but yesterday was a different story. The moment I said your name in front of everyone, I knew I’d made a huge mistake. Unfortunately, you can’t swallow words back up once they come out. Now here we are.

When crafting her characters, Alice Feeney likes to get inside their minds, no matter how dark (except for all of the murdery bits). Today, we’re sitting down with author Alice Feeney to talk about her newest thriller novel, Daisy Darker. She shares all about her lucky chocolate bars, why she fiercely protects the plot twist board, and why she punched a French doctor in the face. 

In Daisy Darker, the estranged Darker family gathers at Nana’s crumbling coastal cottage to celebrate her 80th birthday. “Seaglass” stands alone on a tiny island, and at high tide the Darkers will be stuck together and cut off from the rest of the world for eight long hours. But when someone winds up dead, the rest of the family is left wondering: Who is the killer? 

Get Daisy Darker at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app! 

Kaliane Bradley, author of The Ministry of Time, joins us to celebrate her debut novel! We talked about how she fell in love with Graham Gore, what she would be "excited" to experience if she could go back to the Victorian Era, and her modern tech pet peeves. 

A government ministry is gathering “expats” from across history to establish whether time travel is feasible. She is tasked with working as a “bridge:” living with, assisting, and monitoring Commander Graham Gore, from 1847. Over the next year, what the bridge initially thought would be a horrifically uncomfortable roommate dynamic, evolves into something much deeper. 

Get The Ministry of Time at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Prom night is a memorable night for many Americans, but it’s also a great setting for a murder. Today we sit down with Karin Slaughter to talk about her newest thriller novel Girl, Forgotten, why she wanted to change her last name to Laughter as a young girl, and how she channels her Southern roots in her writing.     

Girl, Forgotten follows newly minted U.S. Marshal, Andrea Oliver, as she goes on assignment in Longbill Beach, where she is haunted by a murder that happened nearly 40 years before. What really happened on Prom Night 1982? Why did no one catch the killer? And what happens when Andrea finally uncovers the truth? 

Get Girl, Forgotten at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

Can you fend off an intruder with a pool noodle? Why is it important to feel unsettled when finishing a thriller novel? We answer these questions and more in today’s episode with Lisa Jewell, the author of The Family Remains.    

The Family Remains tells the spine-tingling story of detectives who find bones connected to a cold case that left three people dead on the kitchen floor in a Chelsea mansion thirty years ago. This novel is equal parts multi-generational drama and intricately-plotted mystery where nothing’s as it seems and everything is connected. 

Get The Family Remains at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

Powerful corporate executive by day and successful novelist by night. Jillian Medoff really does do it all. In this episode, Jillian shares how talking to random strangers on the train and sitting in on courtroom trials helped her write her fifth novel, When We Were Bright and Beautiful. 

When We Were Bright and Beautiful tells the story of the Quinns—a wealthy but dysfunctional family living in Manhattan's glittering Upper East Side. When Cassie Quinn’s brother Billy is arrested for sexual assault, she wants to do everything in her power to protect him, even if that means exposing her own deep, dark secrets to the world.  

Get When We Were Bright and Beautiful at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

It’s not everyday that authors go from being top-notch lawyers to writing novels about swingers. But Taylor Hahn is not your average author. On today’s episode Taylor discusses her debut novel, The Lifestyle, which is already sparking some spicy conversations all over the internet. Taylor talks about how difficult it was to write the perfect sex scene, why you shouldn’t have just one fake ID, and how pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones can lead to some really great stories.  

The Lifestyle is about Georgina Wagman, a woman who seemingly has it all—a wonderful marriage, a job that she loves, and great friends. But when she walks in on her husband Nathan cheating on her with a junior associate, Georgina has a moment of crisis. To help save her marriage, she decides that she and Nathan are going to become swingers. Can this new lifestyle help Georgina and Nathan reconnect on an even deeper level?

Get The Lifestyle at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com 

If you're a thriller author researching how to get away with murder, what kind of targeted ads start popping up? Our next guest, Jennifer Hillier, is here to answer that question and more as we discuss her newest thriller novel, Things We Do in the Dark. She talks about how her writing process is…unique, how true crime series are her comfort shows, and how everyone is capable of murder. 

Things We Do in the Dark opens with Paris Peralta standing over her celebrity husband’s dead body while holding the murder weapon. Yet she claims she didn’t do it. While trying to prove her innocence, Paris finally confronts her dark past and the harsh glow of the paparazzi. So what really happened? And how does the infamous Canadian murderer Ruby Reyes fit into all of this? 

Get Things We Do in the Dark at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

Written by Book of the Month author Elyssa Friedland.

Author website: http://www.elyssafriedland.com/

New members can get Elyssa Friedland’s novel, Last Summer at the Golden Hotel, at bookofthemonth.com for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.

Here’s the brief:

No one wanted to see the psychic. Not initially. But it was a bachelorette party. How could we say no to the bride? Everyone played along at first, cracking jokes and taking sips of champagne. But as soon as the psychic entered our hotel suite, everyone at the party felt the energy shift. Suddenly, we couldn't wait to hear what the psychic would say. Of course, none of us realized that the words she was about to utter would change lives forever.

Written by Book of the Month author Hannah Orenstein. 

Author website: http://hannahorenstein.com/ 

New members can get Hannah Orenstein’s novel, Head Over Heels, at bookofthemonth.com for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.

Here’s the brief:

No one wanted to see the psychic. Not initially. But it was a bachelorette party. How could we say no to the bride? Everyone played along at first, cracking jokes and taking sips of champagne. But as soon as the psychic entered our hotel suite, everyone at the party felt the energy shift. Suddenly, we couldn't wait to hear what the psychic would say. Of course, none of us realized that the words she was about to utter would change lives forever.

Written by Book of the Month author Chloe Gong. 

Author website: https://thechloegong.com/ 

New members can get Chloe Gong’s novel, These Violent Delights, at bookofthemonth.com for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.

Here’s the brief:

No one wanted to see the psychic. Not initially. But it was a bachelorette party. How could we say no to the bride? Everyone played along at first, cracking jokes and taking sips of champagne. But as soon as the psychic entered our hotel suite, everyone at the party felt the energy shift. Suddenly, we couldn't wait to hear what the psychic would say. Of course, none of us realized that the words she was about to utter would change lives forever.

She is an expert in all things adorable, a BOTM 3peat author, and can give you the inside scoop on what makes a great kiss. In this episode, Katherine Center talks about her newest novel, The Bodyguard. She also speaks to how the pandemic drove her to write her lightest novel yet, how really good fiction novels trick us into believing they’re real, and what it means to “eat” a book. 

The Bodyguard is about Hannah, an Executive Protection Agent hired to protect the very famous actor Jack Stapleton from a stalker. But when Jack’s mom gets sick and he comes home to Texas, he wants to keep his stalker—and need for a bodyguard—a secret from his family. So, Hannah enters into the role of fake girlfriend of Jack. In this witty romance the real question is whose heart needs protecting?

Get The Bodyguard at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com 

After listening to today’s episode, Blake Crouch will have you questioning everything. Are the biggest global corporations run solely by AI? Could gene modification make it so we can all run a 4-minute mile? Is Blake really writing fiction, or are his books actually just futures that haven’t become realities…yet? Our 3peat author is here today to blow our minds and talk about his new novel Upgrade. 

Upgrade tells the story of Logan Ramsey, the son of an ambitious geneticist whose goal of improving upon nature instead killed hundreds of millions in the Great Starvation. This novel explores the pros and cons of gene editing and shows readers that sometimes evolution can be a real downgrade if you’re not careful. 

Get Upgrade at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app! 

On this week's episode, we sit down with Rachel Khong to discuss her new novel, Real Americans. We had so much fun asking the big questions like, “what do we inherit from our families and their histories,” and what it means to be a “real American.”

Real Americans begins on the precipice of Y2K in New York City when Lily Chen meets Matthew. Matthew is everything Lily is not, but despite the differences, they fall in love. In 2021, fifteen-year-old Nick Chen has never felt like he belonged on the isolated island where he lives with his single mother, Lily. Real Americans is a story of trust, forgiveness, and finally coming home.

Get Real Americans at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

If you could live in any video game, what would it be? Or are we actually living in one giant simulation already? We’re here to answer these questions and more with author Gabrielle Zevin. She talks about her above-average Mario Kart skills, her constant fight against reviews that describe her book as “lovely” and “charming,” and how we all need a little more play time in our lives. 

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a moving story of friendship and art-making that will make you nostalgic for your favorite childhood video games. It follows two characters, Sam and Sadie, who bonded while playing video games together as young kids. When they meet again as university students, they start building a video game together, which becomes incredibly successful and wrenches them into a life of unexpected fame. This book will make you feel all the feels, guaranteed.

Get Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

Written by Jocelyn Kender.

Browse great reads at bookofthemonth.com and new members can get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.

Here’s the brief:

“The date had been on their respective calendars for months–travel booked, conferences declined, childcare arranged. And now that they were all gathered back on campus, together for the first time in over a decade, it was almost impossible to believe this was what was happening. They sat uncomfortably in the small room, eyes darting around as if no one could decide who was good, who was bad, and, most importantly, who had done the thing.”

Written by Danica Lo. Author website: https://www.danicalo.com

Browse great reads at bookofthemonth.com and new members can get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Here’s the brief:

“The date had been on their respective calendars for months--travel booked, conferences declined, childcare arranged. And now that they were all gathered back on campus, together for the first time in over a decade, it was almost impossible to believe this was what was happening. They sat uncomfortably in the small room, eyes darting around as if no one could decide who was good, who was bad, and, most importantly, who had done the thing.”

We’re kicking off our new VBT Briefs series with Book of the Month 3peat author Helen Hoang. New members can get Helen Hoang’s most recent work, The Heart Principle, at bookofthemonth.com for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. Please note this episode contains adult topics and might not be appropriate for all listeners.

Here’s the brief:

“The date had been on their respective calendars for months–travel booked, conferences declined, childcare arranged. And now that they were all gathered back on campus, together for the first time in over a decade, it was almost impossible to believe this was what was happening. They sat uncomfortably in the small room, eyes darting around as if no one could decide who was good, who was bad, and, most importantly, who had done the thing.”

What happens when you take tea leaf reading, family secrets, and powerful premonitions and blend them into an epic Western novel? You get Kali Fajardo-Anstine’s Woman of Light. On today’s episode, we talk about her deep Denver roots and the family stories that inspired her newest novel. 

Woman of Light is an epic yet intimate story that shows three generations of women trying to make a life in the perilous ’30s American West. This novel follows Luz “Little Light” Lopez, a tea leaf reader and laundress, who is left with her aunt to make ends meet after her older brother is run out of town by a violent white mob.

Get Woman of Light at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

How can one little lamp cause so much trouble? And how do video game characters fit all of their potions, weapons, and maps into their pockets? On today’s episode, we answer these questions and more with Chelsea Abdullah, author of The Stardust Thief. 

The Stardust Thief is a novel that will grant your wish for a perfect fantasy with dark magic and a dangerous quest. When Loulie saves the life of a cowardly prince, she draws the attention of his powerful father, the sultan, who blackmails her into finding an ancient lamp that has the power to revive the barren land. 

Get The Stardust Thief  at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com 

How can you fit conniving con artists, edge-of-your-seat endings, and shifty scammers all into one podcast episode? Listen to find out! Repeat BOTM author Julie Clark sits down with Editorial Director Brianna Goodman and Editorial Associate Jerrod MacFarlane to talk about how paranoia and a little bit of fear are the perfect recipe for a nail-biting thriller.

The Lies I Tell tells the story of Meg Williams, a woman who is expertly reinventing herself again and again as she moves from place to place, doing whatever it takes to get what she wants. Meanwhile, ambitious journalist Kat Roberts has been tracking Meg for years, committed to exposing her as the criminal she is. This twisty cat and mouse story will have you ripping through the pages to find out who the true con woman is.

Get your copy of The Lies I Tell at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT.

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com 

How does an author go from writing Lord of the Rings fanfic to a spine-chilling tale about the supernatural? Author Isabel Cañas sits down with Editorial Director Brianna Goodman and Editorial Associate Jerrod MacFarlane to talk about how someone who is afraid of the dark (but really, who isn’t?) and a self-proclaimed “wuss” when it comes to horror, wrote The Hacienda, a spooky novel that will make you want to sleep with all of the lights on. Isabel talks about influences for the book, including the creepy basements in her childhood homes, the gothic literature she read as a moody, introspective teen, and the history lesson about Mexico that school never taught us. 

In The Hacienda, Beatriz moves onto her new husband’s estate and things start to take a turn for the haunted: visions of bloody clothes, unexplainable noises, and rumors of what might really have happened to her husband’s first wife. For those who want to wander around a creepy haunted house, The Hacienda is the book for you. 

Get The Hacienda at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

Have you ever been so petty that you left your glass right next to the coaster, knowing that it might drive your own mother to murder? Well, our next guest wrote this exact scene for a character in her newest crime novel, Like a Sister. Author Kellye Garrett sits down with Editorial Director Brianna Goodman and Editorial Associate Jerrod MacFarlane to talk about how losing her job pushed her into a career writing books. Kellye talks about why she doesn’t love the process of writing, how her single person tendencies sometimes lead to some awkward Zoom interactions, and how a Hollywood billboard gave her the idea for her first book. Listen to all of this and more on this episode of Virtual Book Tour! The only question we have left is…what is Kellye’s Finsta account username?  

Like a Sister tells the story of Lena Scott, a NYC native who is determined to solve the mystery behind her sister's death. When her estranged sister dies under weird circumstances, Lena gets on the case. This book is perfect for someone who wants a tense, twisty whodunit novel, with a touch of pettiness and sarcasm. 

Get Like a Sister at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com 

Every conversation with Adriana Trigiani is one to remember. According to Adriana, this one was years of manifestation in the making! Editorial Director Brianna Goodman and Editorial Associate Jerrod MacFarlane sit down with Adriana to talk about how stories are everywhere, especially in your own family tree. Adriana talks about her crazy Uncle (cousin?) Ralph who was thrown into a water tower by the U.S. Navy to learn how to swim. Get ready to laugh when you listen to this episode of Virtual Book Tour. After all, it’s not every day that an author makes someone who reads books for a living rethink how they view an entire genre. 

The Good Left Undone is a historical fiction spanning four generations of Italian women as they navigate love, identity, and family legacy.. If you love art, romance, and WWII history, then this is the book for you! 

Get The Good Left Undone at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app! 

On this week's episode, we sit down with Emiko Jean, author of The Return of Ellie Black. We talk about how this book was originally written as a YA novel, her past as an entomologist and how it could inspire a future book, and why she may be on a government watch list...

Detective Chelsea Calhoun’s life is turned upside down when she gets the call that Ellie Black, a girl who disappeared years earlier, has resurfaced in the woods of Washington state–but Ellie’s reappearance leaves Chelsea with more questions than answers. Ellie won’t say where she’s been,  or who she’s protecting, and it’s up to Chelsea to find the answers. 

Get The Return of Ellie Black at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Since we've never been ones to keep interesting new books to ourselves, we're kicking off a series of conversations with Book of the Month authors about God only knows what. Recorded at Book of the Month headquarters on West 27th St. in front of a live audience of raucous employees! Give us your ears and we'll give you a look into the minds of writers we admire and a treasure trove of anecdotes, wisdom, and fun.

Check out our first episode with author Adriana Trigiani on May 17th.

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app! 

Makiia Lucier, author of Dragonfruit, joins us on this week’s episode of Virtual Book Tour! We learned that this beautiful fantasy novel was inspired by Makiia’s own memories of growing up on Guam and the historical elements that she used as  inspiration for her story.

Hanalei of Tamarind is the cherished daughter of an old island family, but when her father steals a seadragon egg meant for an ailing princess, she is forced into a life of exile. In the years that follow, she finds solace in studying the majestic seadragons, until an encounter with a female dragon offers what she desires most. A chance to return home, and to right a terrible wrong.

Get Dragonfruit at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app! 

We had so much fun with Yulin Kuang, author of How to End a Love Story! We talked about her journey from screenwriter to author, what it's like to work in a writer's room, and what makes office romances so hot.

Helen Zhang hasn’t seen Grant Shepard in the thirteen years since the tragic accident that bound their lives together forever. Now, a bestselling author, Helen earned a coveted spot in the writers’ room of the TV adaptation of her novel, only to find that Grant is the screenwriter on her show. Can they write themselves a new ending?

Get How to End a Love Story at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.