Book of the Month Live

Happy Holidays, Listeners! In the spirit of the season, we are reflecting on and celebrating awesome conversations we had this year. We're wrapping up 2022 by re-airing our hysterical conversation with Karin Slaughter, author of Girl, Forgotten. See you in 2023! Prom night is a memorable night for many Americans, but it's also a great setting for a murder. Today we sit down with Karin Slaughter to...

Happy Holidays, Listeners! In the spirit of the holiday season, we are reflecting and celebrating some awesome conversations we had this year. First up is Kali Fajardo-Anstine, author of Woman of Light! What happens when you take tea leaf reading, family secrets, and powerful premonitions and blend them into an epic Western novel? You get Kali Fajardo-Anstine's Woman of Light. On today's episode,...

If you were to create a secret society of people who sleep on their sides, what would you call it? Today, we sit down with R.F. Kuang to talk about her popular novel. She also shares why people take on different personalities in different languages, why translation plays such a big role in her novel, and why bananas are so funny.  Babel is a fantasy epic set in 19th-century England and follows Rob...

Would you rather lose control of your mind or your body? What if you lost control of both? Repeat BOTM author Stacy Willingham's newest novel explores these questions and more. She joins us today to talk about dangerous things like saying howdy to a pirate, our obsession with murder, and the South's haunted past.  All the Dangerous Things tells the story of Isabella Drake, a mother who literally c...

If you're scared of heights, can your dream circus act still be to walk on the tightrope? Our next author thinks so. We're talking with Amita Parikh about her debut novel, The Circus Train . We dive deep into embarrassing family secrets, our fascination with the circus, and why book people should care more about sports.  The Circus Train follows Lena, who is the daughter of a headlining illusionis...

Would writers survive the end of the world? Is LASIK eye surgery the key to an apocalyptic future? And what roles do isolation and connection play in a world ravaged by destructive storms? We answer these questions and more with author Lily Brooks-Dalton.  The Light Pirate follows the life of Wanda, a girl named after the "once-in-a-lifetime" storm that ravaged her home state of Florida. As temper...

Boozy grandmothers are truly the life of any holiday party. In today's episode, Alison talks about what Christmas looks like in Portland, complete with brunch mimosas, fancy cocktails, and Voodoo donuts. She also shares how Bill Pullman was her inspiration for Jack, the butch lesbian, and how consent is really cool when it comes to romance novels.  Kiss Her Once for Me tells the story of Ellie, a...

Happy Thanksgiving, listeners! In celebration of the holiday season, we are re-airing our very first episode of VBT, featuring author Adriana Trigiani. We spoke with Adriana about the power of sharing family stories, as well as the role food plays in our lives. All of which is perfectly on theme! Every conversation with Adriana Trigiani is one to remember. According to Adriana, this one was years...

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

Today, we get to ask a screenwriter-turned-author the most important question of them all: Is the book always better than the movie? Ruth Emmie Lang joins us today to talk about her newest novel, The Wilderwomen, and she shares what her go-to road trip necessities are.   The Wilderwomen follows two sisters: one sister who can see the future; the other people's memories. When the girls meet up five...

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

The day everyone has been waiting for has finally arrived, and we are pleased to announce the 2022 golden Lolly goes to... Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin! Listen back on the episode we recorded with Gabrielle in July and find out what makes her book so deserving. To hear more from Gabrielle on her BOTY win, visit bookoftheyear.com or download our app and watch our new vide...

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

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

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

Written by Book of the Month author Kiersten White. Author website: https://www.kierstenwhite.com/ New members can get Kiersten White's novel The Guinevere Deception at bookofthemonth.com for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. Here's the brief: Every kid in the neighborhood knew not to go near the big house at the end of the crooked lane. The Victorian mansion was perpetually dark and shuttered...

Written by Book of the Month author Laura Hankin. Author website: https://www.laurahankin.com/ New members can get Laura Hankin's novel Happy & You Know It at bookofthemonth.com for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. Here's the brief: Every kid in the neighborhood knew not to go near the big house at the end of the crooked lane. The Victorian mansion was perpetually dark and shuttered, surround...

Written by Book of the Month author Julie Clark. Author website: https://julieclarkauthor.com/ New members can get Julie Clark's novels The Lies I Tell and The Last Flight at bookofthemonth.com for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. Here's the brief: Every kid in the neighborhood knew not to go near the big house at the end of the crooked lane. The Victorian mansion was perpetually dark and shu...

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

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

What happens when an author takes a literary classic and adds sythensisia, a new romantic interest, and really big shirt sleeves? We are talking with Laurie Lico Alabanese about her newest novel, Hester , which is a novel that does all of those things and much, much more.   Hester is a powerful reimagining of Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic tale — but the women get to tell their sides of the story t...

If you were in the dentist office, how would you ward off a potential killer? What does the old lady in the park have in her bag (besides a fluffy dog)? How do you write a fight scene? We answer these questions and more with author Deanna Raybourn.  Killers of a Certain Age follows four sixty-something assassins, who are on their all-expenses paid retirement vacation when they realize that they ha...

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

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

Written by Book of the Month author Sarah Penner.  Author website: https://www.sarahpenner.com/   New members can get Sarah Penner's novel, The Lost Apothecary, at bookofthemonth.com for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.   Here's the brief: Since the day I was born, I've had a hard time keeping my mouth shut. Most of the time that's ok, but yesterday was a different story. The moment I said yo...