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Dive into the complete episode list for Thoughts from a Page Podcast. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly Hooker - Our Favorite Reads of July through September 2026 | 29 Sep 2026 | 00:35:09 | |
In this episode, Kelly and I chat about our favorite books that published in July through September 2026.
Our shared top reads:
Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves
Time to Burn by Ellery Lloyd
Kelly’s remaining top reads:
Make Nice by Ryan Effgen
The Parisian Heist by Jo Piazza
City of Widows by Nadia Hashimi
The Amateur by Chris Bohjalian
Under Story by Chloe Benjamin
Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult
Fallow by Sarah Anderson
Cindy’s remaining top reads:
The Great Wherever by Shannon Sanders
Sunlight Finds You by Laura Moriarity
The MASH Up by Laura Marie Meyers
Some People by Parini Shroff
The Secrets of Deer Creek by Thao Thai
Fallen for France by Elizabeth Letts
Proof of Progress by Elizabeth Castellano
Connect with Kelly Hooker on Instagram.
Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 18-page Summer Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this summer - a number of books you will not see on other guides. So many fabulous books are coming out in 2026, and you can learn about a bunch of them in my guide.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2026? Check out our sixth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Sign up for my literary salon in Virginia.
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Mary Webber O'Malley and Pamela Klinger-Horn - Fourth Quarter 2026 Recommended Reads | 28 Sep 2026 | 01:01:51 | |
Mary Webber O'Malley and Pamela Klinger-Horn join me to recommend their favorites reads of the fourth quarter of 2026.
Mary’s Titles:
October
The Four Wives and Five Deaths of Richard Milford by Nafissa Thompson Spires
What Nature Teaches Us by Clay and Amber Vilhauer
When The Night Comes Knocking by Katherine Daniel
This Is What Happens When Women Read by Julianna Glasse
November
Revenge Plot by Stephanie Wrobel
Almost Animal by Amy Irvine
Stations by Louise Kennedy
All the Little Secrets by May Cobb
December
Wild Aster by Anna Hogeland
Pamela’s Titles:
October
Luna, Phoenix, Queen by Julie Orringer
Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson
The Memory of Borrowed Books by Meg Anderson
Before You Were Anne by Emiko Jean
The Names of the New World by Kawai Strong Washburn
Partita by Barbara Kingsolver
November
Peregrine Hill by Nina de Gramont
Mr. Disappear by Virginia Trench
Oh, Now! by Niall Williams
Whale Harbor by Mary Beth Keane
The Shared Life of Egan & Lucian by Rose Smith
Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 18-page Summer Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this summer - a number of books you will not see on other guides. So many fabulous books are coming out in 2026, and you can learn about a bunch of them in my guide.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2026? Check out our sixth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Sign up for my literary salon in Virginia.
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Mary's social media handles: Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and Twitter.
Pamela's social media handles: Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Kelly Hooker - September's Real Time Reading | 26 Sep 2026 | 00:40:28 | |
Kelly joins me for September's Real Time Reading episode where we discuss our current, past, and upcoming reads.
Kelly's Selections:
Last:
Breathing Under Water by Jacqueline Friedland
Fallow by Sarah Anderson
Now:
Hopeless Romantics by Mhairi McFarlane
Cleared for Takeoff by Captain Nia Gilliam
Next:
Up to the Light by Julia Armfield
Buried Embers by Alex Sigmore
DNFs:
None
Book Mail highlights:
The Starving Bride by Catherine Chidgey
Cash Out by Nick Hornby
Cindy's Selections:
Last:
The Shadow Friends by Tess Gerritsen
We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman
Now:
The Shadows of Kensington Gore by Ross Montgomery
Redwood: The Untold Story of the World’s Most Extraordinary Spy by Ben Macintyre
Next:
The Cursed Diamond by Anna Rasche
Rabbit Rabbit by Jennifer E. Smith
Didn’t Work/DNFs:
The Camino by Anya Niewerra
The Library of Leaving by Emily Dunlay
Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel
Another Name for Red by Amber Blaeser-Wardzala
Book Mail highlights:
What Kind of Mother by Bernadette Murphy
Heart of the Wild by Patti Callahan Henry
Connect with Kelly Hooker on Instagram.
Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 18-page Summer Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this summer - a number of books you will not see on other guides. So many fabulous books are coming out in 2026, and you can learn about a bunch of them in my guide.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2026? Check out our sixth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Sign up for my literary salon in Virginia.
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Zibby Owens - BETWEEN CHAPTERS | 24 Sep 2026 | 00:32:34 | |
In this interview, I chat with Zibby Owens about Between Chapters, finding humor in darker moments, how she approached including others in her memoir, her favorite genres, writing a out loneliness and anxiety, owning a bookstore, recording the audiobook, crowdsourcing the book's titles and cover, and much more.
Zibby's recommended reads are:
Luna, Phoenix, Queen by Julie Orringer
The Things You'll Never Know by Ashley Audrain
Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 18-page Summer Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this summer - a number of books you will not see on other guides. So many fabulous books are coming out in 2026, and you can learn about a bunch of them in my guide.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2026? Check out our sixth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Janice Hallett - THE SILENT APPEAL | 16 Sep 2026 | 00:33:19 | |
In this interview, I chat with Janice Hallett about The Silent Appeal, returning to the Fairway Players, why she selected The Hollow by Agatha Christie for the play in the book, amateur theatre communities, not revealing who died until close to the end, weaving humor into the story, her writing process, the title and cover, and much more.
Janice's recommended reads are:
London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe
Dead Fashion Girl by Fred Vermorel
Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 18-page Summer Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this summer - a number of books you will not see on other guides. So many fabulous books are coming out in 2026, and you can learn about a bunch of them in my guide.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2026? Check out our sixth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Amanda Peters - THE BIRTHING TREE | 04 Sep 2026 | 00:29:21 | |
In this interview, I chat with Amanda Peters about The Birthing Tree, how a family story inspired this book, the importance of tradition, her various covers for this one, tackling the themes of grief and secrets, creating a strong sense of place, her writing process, and much more.
Amanda's recommended reads are:
John of John by Douglas Stuart
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
A Glacier's Guide to Dying by Michelle Porter
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 18-page Summer Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this summer - a number of books you will not see on other guides. So many fabulous books are coming out in 2026, and you can learn about a bunch of them in my guide.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2026? Check out our sixth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Kelly Hooker - August's Real Time Reading | 31 Aug 2026 | 00:48:17 | |
Kelly joins me for August's Real Time Reading episode where we discuss our current, past, and upcoming reads.
Kelly's Selections:
Last:
Hollow Bones by Jodi Piccoult
The Amateur by Chris Bohjalian
Now:
Minbak by Ela Lee
Breathing Under Water by Jaqueline Friedland
Next:
Fallow by Sarah Anderson
The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman by Deesha Philyaw
DNFs:
Land by Maggie O’Farrell (again)
It’s Not What You Think by Clare Mackintosh
The Things You’ll Never Know by Ashley Audrain
Book Mail highlights:
Serious Music by Percival Everett
Behind Every Face by Charlie Donlea
Cindy's Selections:
Special shoutouts:
Some People by Parini Shroff
Two Lives by Alexis Schaitkin
Bad Words by Riognach Robinson
Last:
Proof of Progress by Elizabeth Castellano
Miss Archer by Jordan Harrison
Now:
Briefly, Forever by Sarah Gray
The Camino by Anya Niewierra
Next:
Fallow by Sarah Anderson
The Minute Givers by Christine Smonk
Didn’t Work/DNFs:
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
Sunrise by Tea Obreht
Little Wonder by Sophie Chen Keller
The Traveling House by Kristin Cashore
Book Mail highlights:
Just in Time by Emily Wibberly and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Revenge Plot by Stephanie Wrobel
Connect with Kelly Hooker on Instagram.
Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 18-page Summer Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this summer - a number of books you will not see on other guides. So many fabulous books are coming out in 2026, and you can learn about a bunch of them in my guide.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2026? Check out our sixth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Sign up for my literary salon in Virginia.
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Elizabeth Letts - FALLEN FOR FRANCE | 30 Aug 2026 | 00:47:13 | |
In this interview, I chat with Elizabeth Letts about Fallen for France, her inspiration for and connection to the story and setting, her love of horses and how they help create an entry into a story, the research she conducted, the title and cover, imagining the past, writing both fiction and nonfiction, and much more.
Elizabeth's recommended reads are:
The Windsor Affair by Melanie Benjamin
There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Sharak
Miss Lambert Steps Aboard Danger by Kazuo Ishiguro
Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 18-page Summer Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this summer - a number of books you will not see on other guides. So many fabulous books are coming out in 2026, and you can learn about a bunch of them in my guide.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2026? Check out our sixth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ellery Lloyd - TIME TO BURN | 06 Aug 2026 | 00:37:00 | |
In this interview, I chat with writing duo Ellery Lloyd about Time to Burn, selecting their pseudonym, the 3 starred reviews for this book, crafting the time travel aspects of the story, their writing process and research, the stunning cover, and much more.
Collette's recommended read is Witch Trial by Harriet Tyce.
Paul's recommended read is The Whisper Man by Alex North.
Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 18-page Summer Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this summer - a number of books you will not see on other guides. So many fabulous books are coming out in 2026, and you can learn about a bunch of them in my guide.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2026? Check out our sixth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Thao Thai - THE SEEKERS OF DEER CREEK | 04 Aug 2026 | 00:35:47 | |
In this interview, I chat with Thao Thai about The Seekers of Deer Creek, her inspiration for the story, incorporating Vietnamese art and culture, creating a strong sense of place, the stunning cover, and much more.
Thao's recommended reads are:
Son of Nobody by Yann Martel
Between You a River by Kimberly Garza
Understory by Chloe Benjamin
Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 18-page Summer Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this summer - a number of books you will not see on other guides. So many fabulous books are coming out in 2026, and you can learn about a bunch of them in my guide.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2026? Check out our sixth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Kelly Hooker - July's Real Time Reading | 31 Jul 2026 | 00:43:32 | |
Kelly joins me for July's Real Time Reading episode where we discuss our current, past, and upcoming reads.
Kelly's Selections:
Last:
The Great Wherever by Shannon Sanders
Under Story by Chloe Benjamin
Now:
The Five Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand
It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica
Next:
The Things You’ll Never Know by Ashley Audrain
The Natural Order by Matthew Aldrich
DNFs:
Land by Maggie O’Farrell
Book Mail highlights:
I Never Knew You at All by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza
It’s Not What You Think by Clare Mackintosh
Cindy's Selections:
Last:
Whale Harbor by Mary Beth Keane
Between You a River by Kimberly Garza
Now:
Leave and Come Back by Lavanya Lakshmi
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
Next:
Little Wonder by Sophie Chen Keller
Some People by Parini Shroff
Didn’t Work/DNFs:
Hysteria by LJ Ross
Book Mail highlights:
Brimstone Hollow by Archer Sullivan
Punk in Fifty Pieces by Kevin Dettmar
Connect with Kelly Hooker on Instagram.
Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 18-page Summer Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this summer - a number of books you will not see on other guides. So many fabulous books are coming out in 2026, and you can learn about a bunch of them in my guide.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2026? Check out our sixth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Sign up for my literary salon in Virginia.
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Joint Episode with Deanna Allbrittin of All About Books | 30 Jul 2026 | 00:30:32 | |
Today's episode is a collaboration between Deanna Allbrittin, host of the podcast All About Books, and me about my literary salon here in Richmond, Virginia. We talk about how it originated, what it looks like now, and the future of the salon.
Deanna Allbrittin is the main evening anchor and Development and Engagement Manager at WRIC - 8News. That means she leads station community engagement initiatives and special projects, while mentoring early-career journalists in investigative and community-centered reporting. In addition to wearing all those hats, Deanna has earned regional Murrow, Emmy and Associated Press awards.
Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 18-page Summer Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this summer - a number of books you will not see on other guides. So many fabulous books are coming out in 2026, and you can learn about a bunch of them in my guide.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2026? Check out our sixth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Sign up for my literary salon in Virginia.
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Kelly Hooker - Our Favorite Reads of April through June 2026 | 29 Jul 2026 | 00:50:59 | |
In this episode, Kelly and I chat about our favorite books that published in April through June 2026.
Our shared top reads:
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff
Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan
The Top of the World by Ethan Joella
Kelly’s remaining top reads:
Start at the End by Emma Grey
Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead by Mai Nguyen
Good Joy, Bad Joy by Mikki Bramer
The Fine Art of Lying by Alexandra Andrews
Five by Ilona Bannister
The Brunswick by Callie Murray
Leave and Come Back by Lavanya Lakshmi
Keep Them Close by David Ellis
Cindy’s remaining top reads:
Land by Maggie O’Farrell
Whistler by Ann Patchett
Retro by Jessica M. Goldstein
The Yankee Sphinx by Mark Frost
The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
The Midnight Show by Lee Kelly and Jennifer Marie Thorne
Last One Out by Jane Harper
The Queen and Her Presidents by Susan Page
Connect with Kelly Hooker on Instagram.
Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 18-page Summer Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this summer - a number of books you will not see on other guides. So many fabulous books are coming out in 2026, and you can learn about a bunch of them in my guide.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2026? Check out our sixth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Sign up for my literary salon in Virginia.
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Mary Webber O'Malley and Pamela Klinger-Horn - Third Quarter 2026 Recommended Reads | 22 Jul 2026 | 01:00:20 | |
Mary Webber O'Malley and Pamela Klinger-Horn join me to recommend their favorites reads of the third quarter of 2026.
Mary’s Titles:
July
Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves
Dad, Love, Me by Matthew Quick
People Watching in the Desert by Cali Adeline
Man Overboard by Kathleen Rooney
August
The Cruelest Game by Matthew Futterman
The Wild Beneath by Kelly Anderson
Fallen for France by Elizabeth Letter
September
The Vanishing Family by Robert Kolker
The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon
Pamela’s Titles:
July
The Half Life by Rachel Beanland
Make Nice by Ryan Effgen
Last Night Was a Killer by Mary Pauline Lowry
August
The Amateur by Chris Bohjalian
Majestic Hills by Dawn Turner
Plant Lady by Minyoung Kang
September
The Truth About Ruby Cooper by Liz Nugent
The Birthing Tree by Amanda Peters
Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult
Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 18-page Summer Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this summer - a number of books you will not see on other guides. So many fabulous books are coming out in 2026, and you can learn about a bunch of them in my guide.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2026? Check out our sixth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Sign up for my literary salon in Virginia.
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Mary's social media handles: Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and Twitter.
Pamela's social media handles: Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ethan Joella - THE TOP OF THE WORLD | 30 Jun 2026 | 00:36:17 | |
In this interview, I chat with Ethan Joella about The Top of the World, how this story came about, setting a book in the 1970s, handing Chip's death, his research, the stellar cover, Bookstagram, writing this book and how much it changed over the years, our love for nostalgia, and much more.
Ethan's recommended reads are:
The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
Heart the Lover by Lily King
When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzen
Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 18-page Summer Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this summer - a number of books you will not see on other guides. So many fabulous books are coming out in 2026, and you can learn about a bunch of them in my guide.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2026? Check out our sixth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Kelly Hooker - June's Real Time Reading | 30 Jun 2026 | 00:51:38 | |
Kelly joins me for June's Real Time Reading episode where we discuss our current, past, and upcoming reads.
Kelly's Selections:
Last:
Whistler by Ann Patchett
Station 11 by Emily St. John Mandel
Now:
All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby
The Under Story by Chloe Benjamin
Next:
No Exit by Taylor Adams
Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult
DNFs:
Land by Maggie O’Farrell
Book Mail highlights:
Sunlight Finds You by Liane Moriarty
Dead Batteries by Kate Maupin
Cindy's Selections:
Last:
Few and Far Between by Jan Carson
Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray
Now:
Rising Thunder by Neal Shusterman
Hysteria by LJ Ross
Next:
Leave and Come Back by Lavanya Lakshmi
Singles Girls by John Searles
Didn’t Work/DNFs:
The Gulf of Lions by Caitlin Shetterly
Book Mail highlights:
Peck and Peck by Bonnie Garmus
The Butterfly Season: What 64 Butterflies Taught Me about Nature’s Great Mysteries and the Meaning of Life by Lea Korsgaard
Connect with Kelly Hooker on Instagram.
Kelly and I recorded a fabulous conversation for my Patreon community about our Summer Reading Guides. How we decide what goes on it, our processes, and much more. You can purchase it here.
Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 18-page Summer Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this summer - a number of books you will not see on other guides. So many fabulous books are coming out in 2026, and you can learn about a bunch of them in my guide.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2026? Check out our sixth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Jessica M. Goldstein - RETRO | 28 Jun 2026 | 00:41:00 | |
In this interview, I chat with Jessica Goldstein about Retro, why readers are fascinated by time travel stories, what inspired her to write this novel, the sense of foreboding she creates on the page, choosing the time periods her characters would travel to, our love for nostalgia, and much more.
Jessica's recommended reads are:
The Children by Melissa Alpert
Books by Robert Caro
The Fountain by Casey Scieszka
Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 18-page Summer Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this summer - a number of books you will not see on other guides. So many fabulous books are coming out in 2026, and you can learn about a bunch of them in my guide.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2026? Check out our sixth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Portia Elan - HOMEBOUND | 17 Jun 2026 | 00:29:56 | |
In this interview, I chat with Portia Elan about Homebound, her publishing journey, having Homebound selected as Scribner's Lead Read for spring, marketing in the publishing world, her research, what the editing process was like and how it changed the story, and much more.
Portia's recommended read is Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett.
Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 18-page Summer Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this summer - a number of books you will not see on other guides. So many fabulous books are coming out in 2026, and you can learn about a bunch of them in my guide.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2026? Check out our sixth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Lauren Oliver - THE GIRL IN THE LAKE | 16 Jun 2026 | 00:28:59 | |
In this interview, I chat with Lauren Oliver about The Girl in the Lake, UVA's Division of Perceptual Studies, her research, incorporating reincarnation into the story, creating a strong sense of place, what the rest of the series will look like, what surprised her the most when writing this one, and much more.
Lauren's recommended reads are:
God of the Woods by Liz Moore
The Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French
The Anniversary by Alex Finlay
Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 18-page Summer Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this summer - a number of books you will not see on other guides. So many fabulous books are coming out in 2026, and you can learn about a bunch of them in my guide.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2026? Check out our sixth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Kelly Hooker - May's Real Time Reading | 06 Jun 2026 | 00:37:17 | |
Kelly joins me for May's Real Time Reading episode where we discuss our current, past, and upcoming reads.
Kelly's Selections:
Last:
Both Can Be True by Jessica Guerrieri
The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh
Now:
Abby Offsides by Anna McCallie
The Forgotten Midwife by Laura Anthony
Next:
The Gulf of Lions by Caitlin Shetterly
Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray
DNFs:
The Au Pair by Teddy Wayne
Book Mail highlights:
Breathing Under Water by Jaqueline Friedland
Great and Unfortunate Things by Jason Arday
Cindy's Selections:
Last:
Black Out Loud: The Revolutionary History of Black Comedy from Vaudeville to ‘90s Sitcoms by Geoff Bennett
Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves
Now:
Wisdom Corner by David Heska Wanbli Weiden
The Gulf of Lions by Caitlin Shetterly
Next:
Under Story by Chloe Benjamin
The Silent Appeal by Janice Hallett
Didn’t Work/DNFs:
A Harlem Wedding by Tiffany Warren
The Unknown by Riley Sager
Book Mail highlights:
Agatha Christie’s Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel by Lucy Foley
Pollock’s Last Lover by Stephen Kiernan
Connect with Kelly Hooker on Instagram.
Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 17-page Summer Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this summer - a number of books you will not see on other guides. So many fabulous books are coming out in 2026, and you can learn about a bunch of them in my guide.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2026? Check out our sixth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Christina Baker Kline - THE FOURSOME | 05 Jun 2026 | 00:32:43 | |
In this interview, I chat with Christina Baker Kline about The Foursome, her personal connection to this story, her research and trying to learn more about the sisters who marry Cheng and Eng, having Sarah narrate the story, telling the tale without sensationalizing it, drawing on today's divisions to inform the past, The Foursome's publishing journey, and much more.
Christina's recommended read is The Original by Priya Parmar.
Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 17-page Summer Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this summer - a number of books you will not see on other guides. So many fabulous books are coming out in 2026, and you can learn about a bunch of them in my guide.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2026? Check out our sixth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Annabel Monaghan - DOLLY ALL THE TIME | 03 Jun 2026 | 00:28:34 | |
In this interview, I chat with Annabel Monaghan about Dolly All the Time, choosing Rhode Island as the setting for the book, why she invented a fictional town, her favorite male love interest that she has created, serving as a caregiver and honoring that role, designing a suitable breakup, and much more.
Annabel's recommended reads are:
The Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh
Down With the Shipmans by Meg Mitchell Moore
Leave and Come Back by Lavanya Lakshmi
Fossil Feud by Maggie North
Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 17-page Summer Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this summer - a number of books you will not see on other guides. So many fabulous books are coming out in 2026, and you can learn about a bunch of them in my guide.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2026? Check out our sixth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Sarah Damoff - THE BURNING SIDE | 22 May 2026 | 00:41:45 | |
In this interview, I chat with Sarah Damoff about The Burning Side, exploring family dynamics, memory, and the early years of motherhood, how she decided who would tell the story, her writing process, the beautiful cover, and much more.
Sarah's recommended reads are:
Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves
Start at the End by Emma Grey
Land by Maggie O'Farrell (and all of her backlist)
Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page Winter Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 40 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this winter and spring - a number of books you will not see on other guides. I also include mystery series recommendations, backlist picks, and fiction and nonfiction pairings.
Purchase Kelly and my Shelf Ceremony here. We discuss tons more great read from 2025.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2026? Check out our fifth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Kelly Hooker - April's Real Time Reading | 30 Apr 2026 | 00:41:27 | |
Kelly joins me for April's Real Time Reading episode where we discuss our current, past, and upcoming reads.
Kelly's Selections:
Last:
Make Nice by Ryan Effgen
Ms.
Mebel Goes to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q Sutanto
Now:
The Good Parts by Evann Normandin
Not a Word by Linwood Barclay
Next:
Mother Tongue by Sara Novic
Both Can Be True by Jessica Guerrieri
DNFs:
Helpless by Jessica Knoll
Book
Mail highlights:
The Truth About Ruby Cooper by Liz Nugent
Whale Harbor by Mary Beth Keane
Cindy's Selections:
Last:
Retro by Jessica M. Goldstein
Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
Now:
The Midnight Show by Lee Kelly and Jennifer Thorne
The Foursome by Christina Baker Kline
Next:
Wisdom Corner by David Heska Wanbli Weiden
The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff
Didn’t Work/DNFs:
None
Book Mail highlights:
The Natural Order by Matthew Aldrich
Whale Harbor by Mary Beth Keane
Connect with Kelly Hooker on Instagram.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2026? Check out our sixth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead.
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page Winter Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 40 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this winter and spring - a number of books you will not see on other guides. I also include mystery series recommendations, backlist picks, and fiction and nonfiction pairings.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Kelly Hooker - Our Favorite Reads of January through March 2026 | 17 Apr 2026 | 00:51:56 | |
In this episode, Kelly and I chat about our favorite books that published in January through March 2026.
Our shared top reads:
Good People by Patmeena Sabit
Her Last Breath by Taylor Adams
Wait for Me by Amy Jo Burns
Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser
Upward Bound by Woody Brown
Kelly’s remaining top reads:
Murder Your Darlings by Jenna Blum
My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney
How to Get Away With Murder by Rebecca Philipson
Where The Wildflowers Grow by Terah Shelton Harris
A Good Animal by Sara Maurer
Bloom by Robbie Couch
She Fell Away by Lenore Nash
Cindy’s remaining top reads:
Murder at World’s End by Ross Montgomery
Strangers by Belle Burden
Good Guys by Sharon Bala
With Love From Harlem by ReShonda Tate
Imposter by LJ Ross
Blood Relay by Devon MIhesuah
Cleopatra by Saara El-Arifi
Connect with Kelly Hooker on Instagram.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2026? Check out our sixth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead.
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page Winter Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 40 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this winter and spring - a number of books you will not see on other guides. I also include mystery series recommendations, backlist picks, and fiction and nonfiction pairings.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Mary Webber O'Malley and Pamela Klinger-Horn - Second Quarter 2026 Recommended Reads | 09 Apr 2026 | 01:28:39 | |
Mary Webber O'Malley and Pamela Klinger-Horn join me to recommend their favorites reads of the second quarter of 2026.
Mary’s Titles:
April
Everything has Happened by T. Greenwood
Love & Other Monsters by Emily Franklin
Moonshine Women by Michelle Collins Anderson
The Drop by SR Masters
Go Gentle by Maria Semple
Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
May
Homebound by Portia Elan
American Rambler by Isaac Fitzgerald
The Foursome by Christina Baker Kline
Take Me With You by Steven Rowley
June
Marion by Leah Rowan
Carrion Crow by Heather Parry
Pamela’s Titles:
April
A Killer in the Family by Amin Ahmad
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
Break Room by Miye Lee
May
Enormous Wings by Laurie Frankel
Five by Iona Bannister
Daytime Moon by Kerri Schletterman
The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett
Pollock's Last Lover by Stephen Kiernan
Ghost Town by Tom Perrotta
The Author Weekend by Laura Zigman
Coyoteland by Vanessa Hua
Mercy Hill by Hannah Thurman
Patient, Female by Julie Schumacher
June
It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell
The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson
Shoutouts at the end of the episode:
The Windsor Affair by Melanie Benjamin
A Murder Most Camp by Nicolas DiDomizio
Whistler by Ann Patchett
Daughter of Sun and Moon by Lisa See
A Fortune of Sand by Ruta Sepetys
Dad, Love, Me by Matthew Quick
Beneath a Broken Sky by Joshua Moelling
Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Sign up for my literary salon in Virginia.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2026? Check out our fifth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Mary's social media handles: Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and Twitter.
Pamela's social media handles: Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Craig Thomas - THAT'S NOT HOW IT HAPPENED | 07 Apr 2026 | 00:58:23 | |
In this interview, I chat with Craig Thomas about That's Not How It Happened, having his book selected for Book of the Month, how he decided to write a book, weaving the craziness of Hollywood into his story, Darcy's character and how she is resonating with readers, casting the amazing audiobook, and much more.
Craig's recommended reads are:
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Election by Tom Perrotta
A Heart That Works by Rob Dulaney
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page Winter Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 40 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this winter and spring - a number of books you will not see on other guides. I also include mystery series recommendations, backlist picks, and fiction and nonfiction pairings.
Purchase Kelly and my Shelf Ceremony here. We discuss tons more great read from 2025.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2026? Check out our fifth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Kelly Hooker - March's Real Time Reading | 31 Mar 2026 | 00:48:52 | |
Kelly joins me for March's Real Time Reading episode where we discuss our current, past, and upcoming reads.
Kelly's Selections:
Last:
Start at the End by Emma Grey
The Fine Art of Lying by Alexandra Andrews
Now:
Keep Them Close by David Ellis
Leave and Come Back by Lavanya Lakshminarayan
Next:
City of Widows by Nadia Hashimi
Time to Burn by Ellery Lloyd
DNFs:
None
Book Mail highlights:
The Brunswick by Callie Murray
In Deep
Water: A True Story of Sharks, Survival, and Courage by Michael Tugias
Cindy's Selections:
Last:
The MASH Up by Laura Marie Meyers
The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
Now:
Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel
Kin by Tayari Jones
Next:
The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston
A Pair of Aces by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
Didn’t Work/DNFs:
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Hard Times by Jeff Boyd
Book Mail highlights:
Small Town Girls by Jayne Anne Phillips
The Unknown by Riley Sager
Connect with Kelly Hooker on Instagram.
Sign up for my literary salon here.
Purchase Kelly and my Shelf Ceremony here. We discuss tons more great read from 2025.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2026? Check out our fifth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Ross Montgomery - MURDER AT WORLD'S END | 24 Mar 2026 | 00:36:39 | |
In this interview, I chat with Ross Montgomery about Murder at World's End, weaving Halley's Comet into his story, the late Edwardian period, conspiracy theories and how they have always existed, how hard it was to write a locked room mystery, creating a strong sense of place and time, and much more.
Ross's recommended read is Strange Houses by Uketsu.
Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page Winter Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 40 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this winter and spring - a number of books you will not see on other guides. I also include mystery series recommendations, backlist picks, and fiction and nonfiction pairings.
Purchase Kelly and my Shelf Ceremony here. We discuss tons more great read from 2025.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2026? Check out our fifth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Amy Jo Burns - WAIT FOR ME | 10 Mar 2026 | 00:33:24 | |
In this interview, I chat with Amy Jo Burns about Wait for Me, her inspiration for this book and for Elle Harlow, the world of 1960s and 1970s country music and its strong women, drafting lyrics for the novel, her writing process and writing group, selecting the mandolin as Elle's instrument of choice, her beautiful cover, and much more.
Amy Jo's recommended reads are:
Sunlight Finds You by Laura Moriarty
The Seekers of Deer Creek by Thao Thai
Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page Winter Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 40 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this winter and spring - a number of books you will not see on other guides. I also include mystery series recommendations, backlist picks, and fiction and nonfiction pairings.
Purchase Kelly and my Shelf Ceremony here. We discuss tons more great read from 2025.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2026? Check out our fifth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Rachel Hochhauser - LADY TREMAINE | 04 Mar 2026 | 00:32:23 | |
In this interview, I chat with Rachel Hochhauser about Lady Tremaine, writing an untelling versus a retelling of a classic fairy tale, tackling such a well-known character, wanting her book to read like historical fiction, how she decided to write this book, her beautiful cover, and much more.
Rachel's recommended reads are:
Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard
Scavengers by Kathleen Boland
One Bad Mother by Ej Dickson
Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page Winter Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 40 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this winter and spring - a number of books you will not see on other guides. I also include mystery series recommendations, backlist picks, and fiction and nonfiction pairings.
Purchase Kelly and my Shelf Ceremony here. We discuss tons more great read from 2025.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2026? Check out our fifth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Devon Mihesuah - BLOOD RELAY | 28 Feb 2026 | 00:33:00 | |
In this interview, I chat with Devon Mihesuah about Blood Relay, her desire to depict strong native women, avoiding a trauma story, dispelling myths about native women, her stellar cover, Indian horse relay racing, and much more.
Devon's recommended reads are:
Mountain Man by Keith C. Blackmore
Hell Divers by Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Books by Nelson DeMille
Cry Havoc by Jack Carr
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Cash Blackbear series by Marcie R. Rendon
Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page Winter Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 40 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this winter and spring - a number of books you will not see on other guides. I also include mystery series recommendations, backlist picks, and fiction and nonfiction pairings.
Purchase Kelly and my Shelf Ceremony here. We discuss tons more great read from 2025.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2026? Check out our fifth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Kelly Hooker - February's Real Time Reading | 26 Feb 2026 | 00:37:46 | |
Kelly joins me for February's Real Time Reading episode where we discuss our current, past, and upcoming reads.
Kelly's Selections:
Last:
Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
So, I Met This Guy by Alexandra Potter
Now:
Good Joy, Bad Joy by Mikki Bramer
The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff
Next:
Liberty Street by Heather Marshall
Sublimation by Isabel J. Kim
Didn't Work/DNFs:
Love by the Book by Jessica George
Book Mail highlights:
Everything was Beautiful and Nothing Hurts by Ben Reeves
138 Main by Gavin Bell
Cindy's Selections:
Last:
The Great Wherever by Shannon Sanders
The Seekers of Deer Creek by Thao Thai
Now:
The Unselected Journals of Emma M Lion, Volume 3 by Beth Brower
The Half Life by Rachel Beanland
Next:
Hard Times by Jeff Boyd
The Feather Wars: And the Great Crusade to Save America’s Birds by James H. McCommons
Didn’t Work/DNFs:
Missing by EA Jackson
The Pie and Mash Detective Agency by JD Brinkworth
Super Nintendo by Keza MacDonald
Book Mail highlights:
Single Girls by John Searles
The Supper Club Saints by Claire Swinarksi
Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page Winter Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 40 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this winter and spring - a number of books you will not see on other guides. I also include mystery series recommendations, backlist picks, and fiction and nonfiction pairings.
Connect with Kelly Hooker on Instagram.
Sign up for my literary salon here.
Purchase Kelly and my Shelf Ceremony here. We discuss tons more great read from 2025.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2026? Check out our fifth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Saara El-Arifi - CLEOPATRA | 25 Feb 2026 | 00:26:30 | |
In this interview, I chat with Saara El-Arifi about Cleopatra, researching Cleopatra and the time period, how daunting it was to write about Cleopatra and wanting to give her her dignity and her voice back, the stunning cover and her requests for it, deciding what to include and what to leave out, and much more.
Saara's recommended read is The Immortal Heart by Jennifer Saint.
Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page Winter Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 40 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this winter and spring - a number of books you will not see on other guides. I also include mystery series recommendations, backlist picks, and fiction and nonfiction pairings.
Purchase Kelly and my Shelf Ceremony here. We discuss tons more great read from 2025.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2026? Check out our fifth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Elizabeth Heider - CHILDREN OF THE SAVAGE CITY | 23 Feb 2026 | 00:31:20 | |
In this interview, I chat with Elizabeth Heider about Children of the Savage City, her main character's interesting job, the inspiration for Nikki, setting her books in Naples, her stunning covers, why she focused on systemic corruption, her view on friendships, and much more.
Elizabeth's recommended reads are:
A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purcell
The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre
Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page Winter Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 40 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this winter and spring - a number of books you will not see on other guides. I also include mystery series recommendations, backlist picks, and fiction and nonfiction pairings.
Purchase Kelly and my Shelf Ceremony here. We discuss tons more great read from 2025.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2026? Check out our fifth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Taylor Adams - HER LAST BREATH | 17 Feb 2026 | 00:31:18 | |
In this interview, I chat with Taylor Adams about Her Last Breath, choosing a cave for the setting, creating a claustrophobic setting, his research for the novel including the police procedural aspects of the story, drafting twists and turns, his title and cover, and much more.
Taylor's recommended reads are:
King Sorrow by Joe Hill
A Simple Plan by Scott Smith
Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page Winter Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 40 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this winter and spring - a number of books you will not see on other guides. I also include mystery series recommendations, backlist picks, and fiction and nonfiction pairings.
Purchase Kelly and my Shelf Ceremony here. We discuss tons more great read from 2025.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2026? Check out our fifth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Tory Henwood Hoen - BEFORE I FORGET | 05 Feb 2026 | 00:36:33 | |
In this interview, I chat with Tory Henwood Hoen about Before I Forget, tackling Alzheimer's in fiction, making Arthur an oracle, deciding who would tell the story, writing in first person, how the audiobook narrator was selected, having her book selected as a December Book of the Month pick, her title and cover, and much more.
Tory's recommended reads are:
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
Heart the Lover by Lily King
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
Good Material by Dolly Alderton
Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page Winter Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 40 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this winter and spring - a number of books you will not see on other guides. I also include mystery series recommendations, backlist picks, and fiction and nonfiction pairings.
Purchase Kelly and my Shelf Ceremony here. We discuss tons more great read from 2025.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2026? Check out our fifth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Libby Page - THIS BOOK MADE ME THINK OF YOU | 03 Feb 2026 | 00:38:34 | |
In this interview, I chat with Libby Page about This Book Made Me Think of You, her inspiration for the book, selecting the books she wanted to include, creating the letters from Joe, the title and cover, stories about finding community, and much more.
Libby's recommended reads are:
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
The Lovelight Farms series by B.K. Borison
The Morning Gift by Eva Ibbotson
Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page Winter Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 40 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this winter and spring - a number of books you will not see on other guides. I also include mystery series recommendations, backlist picks, and fiction and nonfiction pairings.
Purchase Kelly and my Shelf Ceremony here. We discuss tons more great read from 2025.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2026? Check out our fifth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Kelly Hooker - January's Real Time Reading | 28 Jan 2026 | 00:43:42 | |
Kelly joins me for January's Real Time Reading episode where we discuss our current, past, and upcoming reads.
Kelly's Selections:
Last:
Upward Bound by Woody Brown
That’s Not How it Happened by Craig Thomas
Now:
Love by the Book by Jessica George
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
Next:
Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer
The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke
DNFs:
The Survivor by Andrew Reid
Book Mail highlights:
The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh
A Fortune of Sand by Ruta Sepetys
Cindy's Selections:
Last:
Whistler by Ann Patchett
Before I Forget by Tory Henwood Hoen
Now:
The Paris Match by Kate Clayborn
The Shock of the Light by Lori Inglis Hall
Next:
Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan
Liberty Island by Virginia Hume
Didn’t Work/DNFs:
One & Only by Maureen Goo
The Bookbinder’s Secret by A.D. Bell
Book Mail highlights:
The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff
Kutchinsky’s Egg by Serena Kutchinsky
Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page Winter Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 40 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this winter and spring - a number of books you will not see on other guides. I also include mystery series recommendations, backlist picks, and fiction and nonfiction pairings.
Connect with Kelly Hooker on Instagram.
Sign up for my literary salon here.
Purchase Kelly and my Shelf Ceremony here. We discuss tons more great read from 2025.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2026? Check out our fifth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| ReShonda Tate - WITH LOVE FROM HARLEM | 27 Jan 2026 | 00:32:02 | |
In this interview, I chat with ReShonda Tate about With Love From Harlem, why she decided to write about Hazel Scott, her research and why she stays away from the internet for it, Billie Holiday, her writing process, the title and cover, writing biographical fiction, the setting, and much more.
ReShonda's recommended reads are:
Casualties of Truth by Lauren Francis-Sharma
The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes by Chanel Cleeton
King of Ashes by SA Cosby
A Pair of Aces by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page Winter Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 40 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this winter and spring - a number of books you will not see on other guides. I also include mystery series recommendations, backlist picks, and fiction and nonfiction pairings.
Purchase Kelly and my Shelf Ceremony here. We discuss tons more great read from 2025.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2026? Check out our fifth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Gary J. Walters - WHITE HOUSE MEMORIES 1970-2007 | 20 Jan 2026 | 00:40:20 | |
In this interview, I chat with Gary J. Walters about White House Memories: 1970-2007, his role as chief usher and what that role entails, planning for inauguration day and evening, his background, his impressions of the various administrations, behind-the-scenes glimpses into life at the White House, reliving his memories at the White House, and much more.
Gary's recommended reads are:
Books by Michel Connally
Books by John Sandford
A White House of Stone by William Seale
Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page Winter Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 40 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this winter and spring - a number of books you will not see on other guides. I also include mystery series recommendations, backlist picks, and fiction and nonfiction pairings.
Purchase Kelly and my Shelf Ceremony here. We discuss tons more great read from 2025.
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2026? Check out our fifth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Kelly Hooker - December's Real Time Reading | 23 Dec 2025 | 00:52:56 | |
Kelly joins me for December's Real Time Reading episode where we discuss our current, past, and upcoming reads.
Kelly's Selections:
Last:
My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney
Good People by Patmeena Sabit
Now:
How to Get Away With Murder by Rebecca Philipson
Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven
Next:
Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser
American Han by Lisa Lee
DNFs:
None
Book Mail highlights:
This Book Makes Me Think of You by Libby Page
The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer
Cindy's Selections:
Last:
Good Guys by Sharon Bala
The Finest Hotel in Kabul by Lyse Doucet
Now:
Wait for Me by Amy Jo Burns
The Gales of November by John U. Bacon
Next:
Nonesuch by Francis Spufford
London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe
Didn’t Work/DNFs:
A Far-Flung Life by M.L. Stedman
Wreck Your Heart by Lori Rader-Day
Book Mail highlights:
Lavonia Chow Mein by Abigail Savitch-Lew
The Best Dog in the World edited by Alice Hoffman
Purchase our Shelf Ceremony here. We discuss tons more great read from 2025.
Connect with Kelly Hooker on Instagram.
Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Check out this list of all the great books I loved in 2025.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2026? Check out our fifth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Mary Webber O'Malley and Pamela Klinger-Horn - First Quarter 2026 Recommended Reads | 18 Dec 2025 | 01:05:04 | |
Mary Webber O'Malley and Pamela Klinger-Horn join me to recommend their favorites reads of the first quarter of 2026.
Mary’s titles
January:All The Little Houses by May Cobb Skylark by Paula McLain The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave
February: Imposter by LJ Ross Saoirse by Charleen Hurtubise More than Enough by Anna Quindlen So Old So Young by Grant Ginder It's Not Her by Mary Kubica
March :Wait For Me by Amy Jo Burns Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser Bloom by Robbie Couch Murder at 30000 Feet by Susan Walter
Pamela’s titles:
January:The Jilted Countess by Loretta EllsworthHow to Commit a Postcolonial Murder by Nina McConigleyMeet the Newmans by Jennifer NivenMissing Sam by Thrity UmrigarMurder Your Darlings by Jenna Blum
February:This Book Reminds Me of You by Libby PageFamily Drama by Rebecca FallonA Sociopath's Guide to a Successful Marriage by M.K. OliverWhere Wildflowers Grow by Terah Shelton Harris
March:All the World Can Hold by Jung YunA Far-Flung Life by M.L. StedmanThe Creek, the Crone and the Crow by Leah WeissLake Effect by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Check out this list of all the great books I loved in 2025.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2026? Check out our fifth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Mary's social media handles: Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and Twitter.
Pamela's social media handles: Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Kelly Hooker - Our Top Reads of 2025 | 16 Dec 2025 | 01:01:57 | |
In this episode, Kelly Hooker and I discuss our top reads of 2025.
Our Top Shared Reads:
Dead Money by Jacob Kerr
This American Woman by Zarna Garg
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey
A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar
Kelly’s Remaining Selections:
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley
Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall
Slanting Towards the Sea by Lidija Hilje
Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild
The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff
Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley
Life & Death & Giants by Ron Rindo
Seeking Shelter by Jeff Hobbs
Cindy’s Remaining Selections:
What Happened to the McCray’s? by Tracey Lange
Nesting by Roisin O’Donnell
Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton
Heartwood by Amity Gaige
No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson by Gardiner Harris
What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown
The Whyte Python World Tour by Travis Kennedy
Spectacular Things by Beck Dorey-Stein
Culpability by Bruce Holsinger
Gemini by Jeffrey Kruger
Purchase our Shelf Ceremony here. We discuss tons more great read from 2025.
Connect with Kelly Hooker on Instagram.
Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Check out this list of all the great books I loved in 2025.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2026? Check out our fifth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Matthew Norman - GRACE & HENRY'S HOLIDAY MOVIE MARATHON | 15 Dec 2025 | 00:37:30 | |
In this interview, I chat with Matthew Norman about Grace & Henry's Holiday Movie Marathon, writing a holiday romance, choosing which movies to incorporate into the story and the movie that didn't end up in the book, exploring the many faces of grief, holidays as universal experiences, naming the dog Harry Styles, and much more.
Matthew's recommended reads are:
The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu
The Holiday Season by Michael Knight
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Check out this list of all the great books I loved in 2025.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2026? Check out our fifth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Grace & Henry's Holiday Movie Marathon can be purchased at my Bookshop storefront.
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Link to my article about older protagonists in fiction.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Beck Dorey-Stein - SPECTACULAR THINGS | 09 Dec 2025 | 00:39:01 | |
In this interview, I chat with Beck Dorey-Stein about Spectacular Things, having her book selected as a Reese's Book Club pick, writing about sacrifice and grief, tackling the sister relationship in fiction, writing about soccer, the hardest character for her to write, her title and cover, and much more.
Beck's recommended reads are:
Heart the Lover by Lily King
Wreck by Catherine Newman
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Check out this list of all the great books I loved in 2025.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2026? Check out our fifth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Spectacular Things can be purchased at my Bookshop storefront.
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Link to my article about older protagonists in fiction.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Jayda Justus - Gift Giving for the Holidays 2025 | 04 Dec 2025 | 00:36:42 | |
Jayda Justus of The History Mom recommends books for gift giving this holiday.
Favorite Fiction:
● Nostalgic reading - The Star of Camp Greene by Joy Callaway
● Old favorites made new - The Gatsby Gambit by Claire Anderson Wheeler, The Worlds of Jane Austen: The Influences and Inspiration Behind the Novels by Helena Kelly, and Jane Austen’s Fashion Bible by Ros Ballaster
● Old favorite/new favorite pairing - Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell and The Jackal’s Mistress by Chris Bohjalian.
● Vacation reading - The Lost Baker of Vienna by Sharon Kurtzman
● Sweet reads - Katherine Reay, Kristy Cambron, Sarah Sundin, and Laura Frantz
● Entertaining reads - Destiny of the Republic by Candace Millard
250th for America:
● For guys: fiction - Jeff Shaara and John Jakes, nonfiction - Rick Atkinson and Nathaniel Philbreck
● For women: fiction - King’s Mountain by Sharyn McCrumb, My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie, and Answering Liberty’s Call by Tracy Lawson. Nonfiction - Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts
● Middle grade: Susanna’s Midnight Ride by Libby McNamee
First Lady history:
● Official White House China by William G. Allman
● Jackie Kennedy: Jackie by Dawn Tripp and And They Called it Camelot by Stephanie Marie Thornton (fiction), and Designing Camelot by the White House Historical Society (nonfiction)
Royals watchers:
Nonfiction - Sally Bedell Smith has written many biographies of the Royal family and The Queen: The Life and Times of Elizabeth II by Catherine Ryan
Fiction - Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb, The Gown and Coronation Year by Jennifer Robson, and The Queen’s Faithful Companion by Eliza Knight
Christmas Books:
O. Henry for the Holidays by O. Henry
Cookbooks:
The Southern Kitchen by Ivy Odom
The Pioneer Woman Cooks―The Essential Recipes: 120 Greatest Hits, New Twists, and Perfected Classics by Ree Drummond
Sign up for my literary salon.
Jayda can be found on her website and Instagram.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2026? Check out our fifth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Link to my article about Best Books of 2025.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Kelly Hooker - November's Real Time Reading | 01 Dec 2025 | 00:52:42 | |
Kelly joins me for November's Real Time Reading episode where we discuss our current, past, and upcoming reads.
Kelly's Selections:
Last:
One & Only by Maureen Goo
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
Now:
The Whisper Man by Alex North
You & Me and You & Me and You & Me by Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees
Next:
Kin by Tayari Jones
Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston
DNFs:
None
Book Mail highlights:
Enormous Wings by Laurie Frankel
A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James
Cindy's Selections:
Last:
A Guardian and a Thief by Megda Majumdar
Grace and Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon by Matthew Norman
Now:
A Far-Flung Life by M.L. Stedman
Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson
Next:
Family Drama by Rebecca Fallon
Bumblebee Season by Eileen Garvin
Didn’t Work/DNFs:
A Dark and Deadly Journey by Julia Kelly
The Picasso Heist by James Patterson and Howard Roughan
Book Mail highlights:
Cleopatra by Saara El-Arifi
Like, Follow, Subscribe: Influencer Kids and the Cost of a Childhood Online by Fortesa Latifi
Connect with Kelly Hooker on Instagram.
Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2026? Check out our fifth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead, and we color-code by genre in this one!
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Link to my article about Best Books of 2025.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Kelly Hooker - Our Top Reads of 2024 (originally aired 12/9/24) | 11 Nov 2025 | 01:13:09 | |
In this episode, Kelly Hooker and I discuss our top reads of 2024.
Our Top Shared Reads:
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
We Used to Life Here by Marcus Kliewer
Kelly’s Remaining Selections:
Mercury by Amy Jo Burns
Everyone but Myself by Julie Chavez
Drinker of Ink by Shannon Castleton
Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford
Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra
Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Trafficking by Jason De Leon
How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley
Same as it Ever Was by Claire Lombardo
All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
God of the Woods by Liz Moore
The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella
The Best Lies by David Ellis
The Axeman’s Carnival by Catherine Chidgey
The Sing Sing Files by Dan Slepian
The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston
Cindy’s Remaining Selections:
Family Family by Laurie Frankel
The Queen of Sugar Hill by ReShonda Tate
Dixon, Descending by Karen Outen
The Women by Kristin Hannah
Whiskey Tender by Deborah Taffa
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
Crow Talk by Eileen Garvin
How to Read a Book by Monica Wood
Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy
When Women Ran Fifth Avenue by Julie Satow
The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby by Ellery Lloyd
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
The Lantern of Lost Memories by Sanaka Hiiragi
The Lightning Bottles by Marissa Stapley
Eddie Winston Is Looking for Love by Marianne Cronin
Honorable mention: Maria by Michele Moran
Join my Patreon group to support the podcast. Other ways to support the podcast can be found here.
Connect with Kelly Hooker on Instagram.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
| Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding - ANNE OF AVENUE A | 04 Nov 2025 | 00:31:38 | |
In this interview, I chat with Emily Harding and Audrey Bellezza about Anne of Avenue A, modernizing Persuasion, the publishing process, co-writing books, setting the book in New York City, and much more.
Audrey's recommended reads are:
The Good Part by Sophie Cousens
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
Emily's recommended reads are:
Backslide by Nora Dahlia
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2025? Check out our fourth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead.
Anne of Avenue A can be purchased at my Bookshop storefront.
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Link to my article about older protagonists in fiction.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | |||
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