Book Gang

Sarah Damoff shares how The Bright Years evolved from an epistolary draft into a powerful multi-POV family saga exploring addiction across generations. Every so often, a debut novel arrives so confident and assured it's hard to believe it's the author's first. Sarah Damoff's The Bright Years is one of those rare books. Deeply informed by her work as a social worker, Sarah offers readers an empathe...

Sarah Harman shares the journey behind All the Other Mothers Hate Me, from journalism to fiction, a fierce book auction, and its upcoming FX adaptation. You'll know immediately if this book is for you from the opening line: "The missing boy is ten-year-old Alfie Risby, and to be perfectly honest with you, he's a little shit." That audacious beginning sets the tone for All the Other Mothers Hate Me...

Jinwoo Chong celebrates food, family, & finding love in his cozy novel, I Leave It Up To You. Learn how this project helped him fall in love with writing again. What if you fell asleep in 2019 and woke up in 2021? That's the reality for Jack Jr., who emerges from a two-year coma to find his life unrecognizable. His job is gone, his apartment is lost, and his partner has moved on. But in his return...

Eowyn Ivey joins us from Alaska to discuss her latest magical realism novel, Black Woods Blue Sky. Prepare to be transported by one of my favorite storytellers! The queen of magical realism, Eowyn Ivey, joins us to share intriguing insights into her third novel, Black Woods Blue Sky , and how her deep connection to Alaska continues to shape her storytelling. She also discusses the challenges of wr...

Erin Crosby Eckstine discusses her debut novel, Junie, and how her family history transformed her life from English teacher to chosen GMA Book Club novelist.  In this episode, Erin Crosby Eckstine shares the moving inspiration behind her debut novel Junie , a profoundly personal story rooted in her own family's history. Erin reveals how Junie's character is inspired by her great-great-great-grandm...

Paging library lovers- Joe from the Libby team is back to share the exciting app updates and his top five horror book recommendations from 2024 to read now. In this All-Star Book Influencer series installment, we’re thrilled to spotlight Joe Skelley, cohost of The Professional Book Nerds podcast and a member of the Libby team. Joe shares his favorite features of the Libby app, lesser-known tips fo...

We read a total of 482 books and are excited to share fifteen of our favorite titles from our 2024 reading list. Explore these new releases alongside our favorite backlist books for your best reading year yet. We invite you to browse our book lists featuring 25 of our favorites. Patrons will receive a printable checklist with today's book titles and some of our honorable mentions.  SUPPORT MY WORK...

Uncover the Agatha Christie beginner's guide with Victoria from The Reader's Couch! Explore her best-underrated gems and find new modern authors like Christie. Deep dive into Agatha Christie's legacy with Victoria Wood from The Reader's Couch podcast! In this episode of the All-Star Book Influencer Series , we uncover what makes Christie's mysteries so enduring, why her storytelling resonates acro...

Join the NEW 2025 MomAdvice Book Club and discover 12 incredible novels together along with many interactive author discussions for this year’s festivities. It's my favorite day of the year (CUE THE CONFETTI) and I'm so excited to invite you to the 2025 MomAdvice Book Club! This year, we're mixing things up to make your book club experience even more immersive and engaging. As I've done in years p...

Dive into the world of literary fiction books with Tina from Book Talk, etc. Discover her top 5 book recommendations for readers and why she loves the genre. I'm so excited to launch our new All-Star Book Influencer series with our first guest, Tina from Book Talk, etc. , who joins the show to offer our listeners her top recommendations for the best literary fiction novels. What Can You Expect Fro...

In this episode, Emiko Jean discusses flipping the script on the traditional missing girl narrative in her new police procedural, The Return of Ellie Black. This week, we’re joined by New York Times bestselling author Emiko Jean to discuss her latest police procedural novel, The Return of Ellie Black . In today’s episode, Emiko offers a behind-the-scenes look at her writing process for The Return...

Meg Shaffer takes us behind the scenes to the literary seminar with legendary writer Richard Russo, who helped her craft her cozy fantasy book, The Lost Story. Imposter syndrome is real and even our favorite authors experience it as they contemplate their next project. In this week's episode, we welcome back bestselling author Meg Shaffer to join us to discuss her latest cozy fantasy novel, The Lo...

Rob Hart discusses his gripping novel, Assassins Anonymous, and the heartfelt storytelling approach that defines his work. When Steven Spielberg's production company, Amblin Entertainment, snaps up the rights to a book within 24 hours of acquisition, you know the book must be incredible. Today, Rob Hart joins us to discuss his new novel Assassins Anonymous and the unique background he brings to cr...

Discover the best Disability Pride Books curated by Cindy Otis from The Stacks Bookstore, who offers readers a virtual tour of her disability-inclusive space. Cindy Otis's journey to opening The Stacks offers a vital and well-thought conversation about her own limitations in accessing bookshops and what was top of mind for her customers when designing an accessible and welcoming space for all, esp...

Laura shares the painfully hilarious real-life inspiration behind her novel, discussing how personal experiences with negative feedback trickled into One-Star Romance. The dark horse in my romance stack was Laura Hankin's debut novel, which pulled ahead as my summer favorite. After reading the author for years across genres, I'm honored to have Laura Hankin on the Book Gang podcast to discuss her...

Nicola Yoon discusses her provocative adult debut, One of Our Kind, and the surprising inspiration from The Stepford Wives that sparked her daring new story. Writing inspiration can sometimes strike in the most unlikely places. Podcast listening in the shower electrified a story Nicola Yoon had never expected to write. Join us for an enlightening conversation with the bestselling young adult novel...

L.M. Chilton reveals his surprising dating history that inspired his debut thriller, Swiped.  After nearly a decade and 212 failed dates, L.M. Chilton channeled his dating frustrations into  Swiped , a fresh debut murder mystery exploring the darker side of online dating cleverly crafted for the millennial reader. Today, we discuss his personal story and journalism efforts to uncover the truth beh...

The 2024 MomAdvice Summer Reading Guide includes 35 titles, offering upcoming releases, new releases, and backlist gems. Grab your favorite summer beverage and settle in for this year's summer reading guide, which includes 35 beautiful book selections for your summer.  After carefully reviewing eighty books for this season, I've tried to offer some expected and unexpected picks, from the campy to...

This special crossover episode with The Reader's Couch offers five backlist books for your summer and what it takes to nail a great summer reading guide. Today's episode features Victoria Wood from  The Reader's Couch  podcast. I asked Victoria to bring her best backlist book treasures from her past summer reading guides that deserve far more attention. From historical mysteries to a heartwarming...

Jeff Zentner discusses the inspiration for his emotional adult debut romance novel Colton Gentry's Third Act, which celebrates food, music, and second chances. Celebrated young adult novelist Jeff Zentner returns to our space to discuss his transition from writing young adult books to his surprising new release—a romance debut for adults called Colton Gentry's Third Act.  We discuss the critical d...

Amy Lin discusses her emotional debut memoir Here After. We discuss her surprising revelations about the grief process and better steps to show up for grievers. In our fear of saying the wrong thing, we often don't get to engage in essential conversations like the one we share today. Amy Lin, author of Here After, joins the Book Gang podcast to discuss her powerful memoir on grief and loss and wha...

This special crossover episode with Thoughts from a Page offers five new historical fiction books in 2024 to read now of compelling women throughout history. Cindy Burnett, the host of the Thoughts from a Page podcast, joins our show in this special crossover episode to discuss her favorite new historical fiction books for 2024 that readers will love.  We discuss the most memorable books we read w...

Kennedy Ryan discusses her rise to the NYT bestseller list as a Black romance writer with moving advocacy for autism representation in This Could Be Us. There is a reason everyone wants to be a part of Kennedy Ryan’s story—her joy is infectious. Today, we offer listeners a front-row seat to her romance Booktok fandom, sold-out book tours, and moving victory as a Black romance writer on the  New Yo...

In today's podcast, escape in a time loop novel. We discuss Groundhog Day books and the comforting ways repeating time travel can charm us in our book stack. When we say "time loop," readers immediately react to this statement. Whether it is a no or a yes, Jessica and I have you covered in today's podcast.  We discuss why repeating cycles of events work for us or don't and how some of the storytel...

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Faceout Studio book designer Elisha Zepeda as he takes us on a journey from working in a bookstore to navigating his first year in book cover design.  Elisha navigates the challenges of cover rejection through a unique avenue- his TikTok account, where readers can discuss the rejected and accepted designs with him. Today he shares what he sees as emerging...