Fully Booked by Kirkus Reviews

Feminist writer and independent scholar Sara Ahmed joins us to discuss Complaint! (Duke University Press, Sept. 21), a critical-philosophical consideration of what happens when professors and students file formal complaints against abuses of power in academic institutions. And in a sponsored interview, Megan talks with Julie Morstad, author-illustrator of Time Is a Flower (Tundra Books, Sept. 21;...

Bestselling science writer Mary Roach discusses ‘Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law’ (Norton, Sept 14), about what happens when the instinctive behaviors of animals (and plants!) run afoul of human laws. “From the terrifying to the frustrating, a great starting point for understanding the animal world” (starred review). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week, including...

Shruti Swamy discusses ‘The Archer’ (Algonquin, Sept 7), an “incantatory and often lovely” debut novel in which “an ancient dance form becomes a paradoxical route to escape for a girl growing up in poverty in India” (Kirkus). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week, including books by Marcia Argueta Mickelson and Jo Hamya. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/priva...

On this special Crime Episode of the podcast, sponsored by Amazon Publishing, S.A. Cosby discusses ‘Razorblade Tears’ (Flatiron, July 6), in which “violence and love go hand in hand in this tale of two rough men seeking vengeance for their murdered sons” (starred review). Then our editors talk crime and mystery titles, with recommendations for books by Iain Lawrence, Angeline Boulley, Ioan Grillo,...

Kat Chow joins us to discuss the memoir Seeing Ghosts (Grand Central, Aug. 24), a deeply loving account of her mother’s life and death, and and investigation into the ways we help shape the narratives of those we love. And in a sponsored interview, Megan talks with Chuck Wendig, author of Dust and Grim (Little, Brown, Oct. 5; starred review). Then our editors join with their top picks in books for...

In this special Fall Preview episode, sponsored by Dear Highlights: What Adults Can Learn from 75 Years of Letters and Conversations with Kids (Highlights Press, Aug. 10), Veronica Chambers joins us to discuss ‘Call and Response: The Story of Black Lives Matter’ (Versify, Aug. 17), “an educational introduction for young readers and a comprehensive primer for adults” on the movement for racial just...

In this episode, sponsored by Dear Highlights: What Adults Can Learn from 75 Years of Letters and Conversations with Kids (Highlights Pres, Aug 10), Kaveh Akbar discusses ‘Pilgrim Bell’ (Graywolf, Aug 3), a stellar sophomore poetry collection in which “words assume physical, palpable form—as reverberations in the mouth and ear—but can just as easily take on a spectral aura, reminding us of worlds...

Britta Lundin discusses ‘Like Other Girls’ (FreeForm Books, Aug 3), an standout YA novel about an Oregon girl who goes out for her high school football team. Kirkus: “Fiercely charming and achingly relatable—a glorious, empowering touchdown” (starred review). And in a sponsored interview, Megan talks with Bill Harley, author of ‘Now You Say Yes’ (Peachtree Publishing, Aug 21), a poignant middle-gr...

Leigh Patel discusses ‘No Study Without Struggle: Confronting Settler Colonialism in Higher Education’ (Basic Books, July 20), “a lively, politically engaged jeremiad on issues of identity, multiculturalism, and efforts to redress enduring wrongs.” Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week, with books by Victoria Ying, Dana Spiotta, and Rachel Cusk. See Privacy Policy a...

7/20 episode summary: Katie Kitamura discusses ‘Intimacies’ (Riverhead, July 20), “a barbed and splendid meditation on peril” (starred review). And in a sponsored interview, Megan talks with Victor Piñeiro, author of ‘Time Villains’ (Sourcebooks, July 6), a “magnificent” new middle grade adventure (starred review). Then our editors join with their top picks in books for the week. See Privacy Polic...

7/13 episode summary: On this special Audiobooks Episode, Helen Ellis discusses recording the audiobook for her “smart, sassy, page-turning” new essay collection ‘Bring Your Baggage and Don’t Pack Light’ (Doubleday/Penguin Random House Audio, July 13). And in a sponsored interview, Megan talks with Christine French Cully, Editor-in-Chief of Highlights for Kids, about the forthcoming anthology ‘Dea...

6/29 episode summary: Anuk Arudpragasam discusses the novel ‘A Passage North’ (Hogarth, July 6), “A luminously intelligent, psychologically intricate novel - slow in always rewarding ways” (starred review). Then our editors offer their reading recommendations for the week, with books by Shakirah Bourne, Yvonne Woon, and Diane Johnson. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California...

6/29 episode summary: Marie-Helene Bertino discusses the novel ‘Parakeet’ (Farrar, Straus and Giroux; June 2020), out now in paperback, “a vivid book about lives visited by violent strangeness but lived with authentic humor and hope” (starred review). Then our editors offer their reading recommendations for the week, with books by Marilyn Singer and Leah Nixon, Kalynn Bayron, and Elin Hilderbrand....

Philip D’Anieri discusses ‘The Appalachian Trail: A Biography’ (HMH, June 8), “an incisive take on an American treasure that shines with illuminating detail and insight” (starred review). Then our editors offer their reading recommendations for the week, with books by Eva Montanari, Dhonielle Clayton et al, Matt Sullivan, and Jonathan Lee. And in a sponsored interview, Megan talks with Dylan Thura...

It’s the Pride Episode! celebrating the work of LGBTQ+ authors creators around the world. Author Grace Perry discusses ‘The 2000s Made Me Gay: Essays on Pop Culture’ (St. Martin’s Griffin, June 1), “a humorous and reflective journey of self-discovery via pop culture.” Then our editors offer their reading recommendations for Pride 2021, with books by Robin Stevenson and Julie McLaughlin, Adiba Jaig...

Elissa Washuta discusses essay collection ‘White Magic’ (Tin House, April 27), which Kirkus calls “a fascinating magic trick of a memoir that illuminates a woman's search for meaning” (starred review). Then our editors offer their reading recommendations for the week, with books by Alex Aster, Caroline O’Donoghue, Suzanne Simard, and Zakiya Dalila Harris. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/pr...

Clint Smith discusses ‘How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America’ (Little, Brown, June 1), a profound investigation of how nine historic sites address the legacy of American slavery. Then our editors offer their reading recommendations for the week, with books by Matt Ringler, Raúl the Third, and Elaine Bay, Deb Caletti, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Jean Hanff...

Tristan Gooley discusses ‘The Secret World of Weather: How to Read Signs in Every Cloud, Breeze, Hill, Street, Plant, Animal, and Dewdrop (The Experiment, May 25), a fascinating account of the many signs in nature that can help us understand and predict our local weather. Then our editors offer their reading recommendations for the week, with books by Julie Flett, S.K. Ali, and Alexandra Andrews....

Anjali Enjeti discusses ‘The Parted Earth’ (Hub City Press, May 4), the “illuminating, absorbing, and resonant” story of three generations of a family profoundly impacted by the 1947 Partition of India. Then our editors offer their reading recommendations for the week, with books by Huy Voun Lee, Sheba Karim, Patrick Radden Keefe, and Andy Weir. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and...

Traci Sorell discusses ‘We Are Still Here! Native American Truths Everyone Should Know (Charlesbridge, April 20), illustrated by Frané Lessac, a “meticulously researched nonfiction picture book… that answer[s the] question: What has happened to Native Nations and their citizens after the treaties with the U.S. government ended in 1871?” (starred review). Then our editors offer their reading recomm...

Joan Silber discusses ‘Secrets of Happiness’ (Counterpoint, May 4), “a new novel in stories from the master of the form” (starred review). In a sponsored interview, host Megan Labrise talks with Jessamyn Stanley, author of ‘Yoke: My Yoga of Self-Acceptance’ (Workman, June 22). Then our editors offer their reading recommendations, with books by Muon Thi Van and Victo Ngai, Stacey Lee, John McWhorte...

Science writer Alex Riley discusses ‘A Cure for Darkness: The Story of Depression and How We Treat It’ (Scribner, April 13), “a welcome examination, both studious and intimate, of one of humanity’s great miseries” (starred review). Then our editors offer their reading recommendations for the week, with books by Sarah Miller, Don Lemon, and Haruki Murakami. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/p...

Poet and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib discusses ‘A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance’ (Random House, March 30), a sublime essay collection Kirkus calls “another winner from Abdurraqib, a writer always worth paying attention to” (starred review). Then our editors offer their reading recommendations for the week, with books by Kyle Lukoff, Paula Yoo, Malcolm Gladwell,...

Lauren Hough discusses ‘Leaving Isn’t the Hardest Thing’ (Vintage, April 13), a knockout debut essay collection that “explores the shaping power of the past and also raises provocative questions about what really constitutes a cult” (Kirkus). Then our editors offer their reading recommendations for the week, with books by Warren Binford, Kwame Onwuachi, Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, and Beatriz Bracher...

Novelist Kirstin Valdez Quade discusses ‘The Five Wounds’ (Norton, April 6), an intimate, finely wrought family saga set in New Mexico. In a sponsored interview, host Megan Labrise talks with Elliott Young, author of ‘Forever Prisoners: How the United States Made the World’s Largest Immigrant Detention System’ (Oxford University Press, Jan 12). Then our editors offer their reading recommendations,...