Book of the Month Live – Details, episodes & analysis

Author Grant Ginder joined us at our headquarters to talk parties, the passage of time, and his novel So Old, So Young. Much like the book itself, our conversation spanned decades, touching on evolving friendships, wedding PTSD, and the realities of millennial middle age. 

Over the course of two decades and five parties, a group of college friends navigates the messy realities of adulthood–new cities, new spouses, and plenty of growing pains. As life pulls them in different directions, they're forced to confront how friendship evolves, and if theirs will endure.

Get So Old, So Young at bookofthemonth.com.

Learn more about Book of the Month LIVE at bookofthemonth.com/botm-live.

Author Melissa de la Cruz joined us at our headquarters to discuss her new romantasy, Rings of Fate. With nearly 90 books under her belt, she imparted wisdom on crafting flawed heroes, pitching a "sexy Lord of the Rings" to your publisher, and why brooding isn't always better. 

Cynical barmaid Aren Bellamore never saw herself as anyone's princess, least of all a cursed prince's prince's fiancée. But after a fake engagement draws her into a dangerous quest to save their kingdoms, she must face magic, monsters, and some very inconvenient feelings. 

Get Rings of Fate at bookofthemonth.com.

Learn more about Book of the Month LIVE at bookofthemonth.com/botm-live.

Author Sharon Kurtzman visited our headquarters to discuss her new historical novel, The Lost Baker of Vienna. She shared the true family history that inspired the story, why it took her 25 long years to complete it, and how food and family are always intertwined.

A young woman in post-war Vienna finds herself caught between two futures, and two suitors, as she struggles to keep her family afloat — and keep her father's legacy alive through baking his best recipes.

Get The Lost Baker of Vienna at bookofthemonth.com.

Learn more about Book of the Month LIVE at bookofthemonth.com/botm-live.

Murder, attempted murder, and more murder. We have a whirlwind conversation with Sally Hepworth! We discuss The Soulmate (a March pick!), how she infuses empathy into her stories, and her penchant for writing about dysfunctional family relationships.

The Soulmate follows Gabe and Pippa in their dream home in a sleepy coastal town set on a tall cliff that has become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Night after night, Gabe comes to their rescue, literally talking them off the edge, until he doesnt. When Pippa discovers Gabe knew the victim, their perfect facade of their marriage begins to crack and the deepest darkest secrets begin to unravel.

Get The Soulmate 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.

A Prohibition-era family drama with a fierce female lead? What could be better! We sat down with Jeannette Walls to discuss her new book, Hang the Moon, gender roles within families, the 18th Amendment, and so much more! 

Hang the Moon follows Sally Kincaid, the daughter of the biggest man in a small town - the charismatic Duke Kincaid. Determined to reclaim her place in the family, Sally confronts the secrets and scandals that hide in the shadows of the Big House, navigates the factions in the family and town, and finally comes into her own as a bold, sometimes reckless bootlegger.

Get Hang the Moon 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.

Would you attend a séance? Do you believe in ghosts? Listen in to hear what Sarah Penner has to say! We sat down with Sarah Penner to discuss her second novel, The London Séance Society. She shares why she likes to create rebellious female characters, what she learned from attending a séance, and if she believes in ghosts. 

In 1973 Paris, The London Séance Society follows Vaudeline D'Allaire, an acclaimed spiritualist known for her talent in conjuring the spirits of murder victims, and Lenna Wickes, trying to find answers to her sister's death. When Vaudeline is beckoned to England to solve a high-profile murder, Lenna accompanies her and they begin to suspect that they are not merely out to solve a crime, but perhaps entangled in one themselves…

Get The London Séance Society 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 you think you would do well in the Wild West? Victor LaValle says he has no chance! We're talking with Victor LaValle, author of Lone Women to discuss his love for monsters, why he thinks horror is optimistic, and how parenthood changed his approach as a storyteller.

Lone Women follows Adelaide Henry, a woman fleeing past sins attempting to forge a new life homesteading in 1914 Montana's harsh plains. She carries an enormous steamer trunk with her that stays locked at all times because when the trunk is open, people around her start to disappear.

Get Lone 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.

Do porcelain dolls freak you out? Us too… We sat down with Kristen Loesch to talk all about her debut novel, The Last Russian Doll. She dives into the process of writing historical fiction, plus her fascination with dolls and fairy tales.

The Last Russian Doll weaves one family's tragic splintering into the larger tapestry of Russia's turbulent 20th century in a dual timeline. The 1990s timeline follows Rosie after her mother dies and Rosie returning to Russia, armed with little more than her mother's strange folklore and a single key. What she uncovers is a devastating family history that spans the 1917 Revolution, the siege of Leningrad, Stalin's purges, and beyond. The 1916 timeline begins with Tonya, whose actions will set off a sweeping story that reverberates across the country.

Get The Last Russian Doll 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's something in your home you detest, but your partner won't get rid of? Listen on to hear Jenny Jackson's answer! We sat down with Jenny Jackson to talk about her debut novel, Pineapple Street! She shared her experience going from editor to author, what inspired the book's setting, and her many celebrity run-ins in Brooklyn Heights.

Pineapple Street puts Brooklyn's 1% under the microscope, exploring what happens to a trust fund deferred. Darley is the eldest daughter in a well-connected, old-money family; Sasha is from a middle-class family married into a Brooklyn Heights family; and Georgiana, the millennial conscience of the family who wants to give it all away.

Get Pineapple Street 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.

True or false: crows hold grudges. Emilia Hart has the answer. Today, we're talking with debut author Emilia Hart to discuss her novel, Weyward, the meaning of witchcraft, insect appreciation, and of course, everything about crows.

Weyward weaves together the stories of three extraordinary women across five centuries. 2019: Kate fleeing London to leave her abusive partner. 1619: Altha is awaiting trial for the murder of a local farmer, and as the evidence for witchcraft is set out against her, Altha knows she must maintain her freedom. 1942: Violet is trapped in her family's estate during World War II longing for the education her brother is receiving. Weyward is an enthralling novel of female resilience and the transformative power of the natural world.

Get Weyward 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.