Top Shelf with Carol Ann Tack

Count me in as a Sara Lippmann fan for life . We had a great conversation about Sara’s brand new book, Hidden River . In this episode, Sara offers an in-depth look at her beautifully written, heartbreaking protagonist, Cass, and shares how writing flash fiction helps her flex her creative muscles. We also talk about our shared love of short stories, how readers have connected with Cass’s sto...

“ Jason Allison’s debut crime novel, The Killing Yards , hits like a high-octane James Ellroy/Michael Mann cocktail. Allison’s sure hand guides us through a claustrophobic Gotham on the brink of massive change. Sin, corruption, bad choices—all the dirty, divine terrain is well-covered. The Killing Yards is blunt, forceful, and explosive. Get your top-shelf noir fix here.” — William Boyle , author...

“ Have you Seen Romit? is a gripping, intensely moving portrayal of a woman whose ferocious love for her children ends up clashing with how others expect her to behave. I loved spending time with the rule-breaking Usha and with the complicated world Chital Mehta has conjured. Vivid, fresh, and resonant.”—R. O. Kwon, author of Exhibit  and  The Incendiaries With a review like that, it’s clear...

Readers head right back to familiar territory in Lauren Acampora’s latest collection , The Animal Room .   As in Acampora’s 2015 debut The Wonder Garden , The Animal Room delves deeper into the town of Old Cranbury and its eclectic mix of residents, and my gosh I loved both books so much. For this episode Lauren tell us about her lifelong affinity with animals, the overwhelming trend of huma...

“ Should the Waters Take Us by Stephanie Soileau is filled with unforgettable characters, breathtaking scenes, fascinating time jumps, and a setting so precisely rendered that it’s palpable.” —Patrick Ryan, author of Buckeye When you get that kind of recommendation, you read the book! I have been fan-girling Stephanie Soileua since 2020 for her debut short story collection, Last One Out Shut Off t...

Three lives, one hundred years, one ghost town: an explosive novel about a mysterious place called Sunrise , where the secrets of the past refuse to stay buried. Sunrise by Téa Obreht is a gorgeous three-dimensional novel and is my favorite of the year, so far. Had a terrific conversation with Téa Obreht about her stunning new novel, Sunrise . We go deep into the origin story of the book, its magn...

“Irresistible… a marvelous 11th-hour twist and a satisfying denouement lie ahead. It’s hard to think of any reason not to call The Amateur by Chris Bohjalian , a perfect novel: a hole in one.” —Kirkus (Starred Review) With praise like that for his 24th novel, how could you not read, The Amateur by Chris Bohjalian ? To say I was bowled over to interview the man himself for t...

Happy 175th Episode! I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate 175 episodes than conversing with the pretty perfect, Kathleen Rooney . Her brand new book, Man Overboard, is a funny and moving novel in which a former college swimmer falls off a cruise ship…or was he pushed? In the meantime, he has to keep treading water as memories and regrets wash over him. I fell for this book hoo...

The Top of the World is the brand new novel by Ethan Joella . Heartbreaking and life-affirming, The Top of the World takes us back to the Poconos during the 1970s and features a young woman searching for answers about her brother’s last days. The Top of the World is a timeless story about memory, grief, second chances, and hope. For this episode, Ethan and I talk about love nostalgia, grief, champ...

It is always a sun-shiny day when Laurie Frankel gifts us all with a new book, and Enormous Wings is that book! Enormous Wings is a timely novel about Pepper Mills who grudgingly moves into a retirement community. While there, she gets some shocking news, and boy does she! Enormous Wings explores motherhood, family, sex, love, friendship, and how, even late in life, foundations can shift. Laurie h...

This special episode of Top Shelf features veteran journalist and author Dan Robson , co-author of Hammered: The Fight of My Life by hockey legend Dave Schultz . Dan joins me to discuss his latest collaboration, and from there, we dive right into the nuances of crafting compelling narrative non-fiction, and what it was like working alongside one of hockey’s most iconic figures: Dave “The Ham...

“Captivating. Eleanor Shearer returns with a memorable tale of two young women yearning for home and love. I was drawn to the historical setting not typically seen in fiction – the lives of eighteenth-century Jamaican Maroons, removed to Canada, free on paper, yet still at risk.”—Charmaine Wilkerson, NYT best-selling author of Good Dirt In this episode Eleanor and I chat about her brand new...

Matthew Norman on Love, Loss, and Holiday Movie Magic “Why is it that the holidays always seem to arrive out of nowhere…?” That question comes from Henry, one half of the unforgettable duo in Matthew Norman’s latest novel, Grace & Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon. The book follows a sentimental advertising creative and a no-nonsense bar owner who discover an unexpec...

Just in time for thrill-season, I sat down with author Jennifer Fawcett to talk about her second thriller, Keep This For Me. For this episode we discuss generational trauma, serial killers, ghost ships, and so much more. Give a listen. Thank you so much Jennifer! Jennifer recommends, The Ascent by Allison Buccola ; A Gorgeous Excitement by Cynthia Weiner; and The Grand Paloma Resort by Cleyvis Nat...

“A loving ode to an extraordinary mother; a soulful coming-of-age; an unlikely portrait of Dylan in his prime as fresh as they come. Sam Sussman‘s, Boy from the North Country heralds the arrival of a blazing new literary talent.” ~ Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Ayad Akhtar I had the pleasure of sitting down with author Sam Sussman for his remarkable debut, Boy From the North Country . We talk abo...

For Episode 167, award-nominated author Delia Pitts joined me to discuss her latest release, Death of an Ex , the gripping follow-up to Trouble in Queenstown . Delia shares the inspiration behind her brilliantly drawn private investigator, Vandy Myrick , offers a glimpse into her writing process, and gives listeners an exclusive sneak peek at book three in the series. With themes of family, race,...

For Episode 166, I had the incredible honor of hosting authors Nancy Grace and Benee Knauer to discuss their powerful new book, What Happened to Ellen: A Miscarriage of American Justice. Our conversation explored the heartbreaking case of Ellen Rae Greenberg, the authors’ remarkable collaboration, and their unwavering fight for justice. The authors share how this case first captured their at...