We continue our Best Books of 2024 coverage with a special episode dedicated to PICTURE BOOKS. First, Ying Chang Compestine joins us to discuss Growing Up Under a Red Flag, illustrated by Xinmei Liu (Rocky Pond Books/Penguin, May 7), one of Kirkus’ Best Picture Books of 2024. Kirkus“A vivid glimpse into a childhood under communist rule.” Then young readers’ editor Mahnaz Dar highlights more of the year’s best picture books. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy N...
Dec 03, 2024•43 min
We continue our Best Books of 2024 coverage with a special episode dedicated to NONFICTION. First, Nell Irvin Painter joins us to discuss I Just Keep Talking: A Life in Essays (Doubleday, April 23), one of Kirkus’ Best Nonfiction Books of 2024. Kirkus: “A vibrant, insightful collection from an indispensable voice” (starred review). Then nonfiction editor John McMurtrie discusses more of the year’s best nonfiction. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at h...
Nov 26, 2024•49 min
We’re kicking off our Best Books of 2024 coverage with a special episode dedicated to FICTION. First, Elise Bryant joins us to discuss on of Kirkus’ Best Fiction Books of 2024: the tantalizing mystery novel It’s Elementary (Berkley, July 9). Then fiction editor Laurie Muchnick dishes on the year’s best novels and story collections. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Nov 19, 2024•45 min
It’s the seventh annual Fully Booked Holiday Gift Guide! On the second of two special episodes, we’re delving art books, travel, fun fresh holiday reads, and more. Special guest cohost Tom Beer joins host Megan Labrise conviviality and good cheer with curator and writer Lisa Le Feuvre (Great Women Sculptors; Phaidon) and Rosie Schaap, (The Slow Road North: How I Found Peace in an Improbable Country; Mariner Books). Then Kirkus’ editors present their top holiday gift book picks. See Privacy Polic...
Nov 12, 2024•53 min
It’s the seventh annual Fully Booked Holiday Gift Guide! On the first of two special episodes, we’re delving into Books for Cooks, cookbooks, culinary histories, foodie fiction, and more. Special guest cohost Laurie Muchnick joins host Megan Labrise for spirited conversations with Rose Levy Beranbaum, author of The Cake Bible, 35th Anniversary Ed. (William Morrow Cookbooks, Oct. 22) and Paola Velez, author of Bodega Bakes: Sweets and Treats Inspired by My Corner Store (Union Sq. & Co., Oct. ...
Nov 05, 2024•1 hr
Debut novelist Nayantara Roy discusses The Magnificent Ruins (Algonquin, Nov. 12). “Lila De’s life in Brooklyn is a success, but a bereavement that pulls her back to her homeland of India forces her to confront her demons” in this “rich” family saga, Kirkus writes. Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Oct 29, 2024•48 min
Abbott Kahler discusses Eden Undone: A True Story of Sex, Murder, and Utopia at the Dawn of World War II (Crown, Sept. 24). Kirkus calls this standout narrative nonfiction, set on a small Galapagos island, “a spirited page-turner.” Then Kirkus’ editors share their top picks in books for the week. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Oct 22, 2024•45 min
Amy Reading discusses The World She Edited: Katherine S. White at the New Yorker (Mariner Books, Sept. 3). Kirkus calls this standout biography “an entertaining and expansive study of a pioneering literary editor and the era that shaped her legendary tenure” (starred review). Then Kirkus’ editors share their top picks in books for the week. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Oct 15, 2024•51 min
On this special episode, editor-in-chief Tom Beer and host Megan Labrise dish on the 2024 Kirkus Prize, one week ahead of the 11th Kirkus Prize Awards Ceremony in New York City. Then Kirkus’ editors take us behind the scenes of the monthslong Kirkus Prize process. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Oct 08, 2024•45 min
On our Best October Books episode, sponsored by Flying Eye Books, Kirkus’ editors share their top titles for the month. Then Betsy Lerner joins us to discuss her distinctive debut novel, Shred Sisters (Grove, Oct. 3). Kirkus: “A seamlessly constructed and absorbing fictional world, full of insight about how families work” (starred review). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Oct 01, 2024•46 min
Rumaan Alam discusses Entitlement (Riverhead, Sept. 17), the scintillating follow-up to his National Book Award-nominated novel Leave the World Behind (2020). “A billionaire philanthropist’s ambitious young protégé wants her slice of the pie,” Kirkus writes in a starred review. “[Entitlement] cements Alam’s status as a talented truth-teller willing to tackle tough issues with grace, generosity, and sensitivity.” Then Kirkus’ editors share their top picks in books for the week. See Privacy Policy...
Sep 24, 2024•51 min
Garth Greenwell discusses Small Rain (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Sept. 3), a profound new novel in which an unnamed narrator faces a medical emergency in Iowa City at the height of the pandemic. Kirkus: “Greenwell—such a finely tuned, generous writer—transforms a savage illness into a meditation on a vital life” (starred review). Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy...
Sep 17, 2024•39 min
Devika Rege discusses her standout debut novel, Quarterlife (Liveright, Sept. 10), which Kirkus calls “an ambitious, unusual, formally risky novel that attempts nothing less than a full-scale portrait of India circa 2014.” Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sep 10, 2024•46 min
On our Best September Books episode, Kirkus’ editors share their top titles for the month. Then Danzy Senna joins us to discuss her highly anticipated new novel, Colored Television (Riverhead, Sept. 3). “When her second novel hits a wall, a biracial California writer makes a desperate attempt to sta See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sep 03, 2024•46 min
Award-winning author and journalist Gayle Forman discusses Not Nothing (Aladdin, Aug. 27), an unforgettable middle grade novel narrated by a 107-year-old man who befriends a troubled 12-year-old boy. Kirkus: “Powerful, heartbreaking, and hopeful” (starred review). Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Aug 27, 2024•43 min
Chris La Tray discusses Becoming Little Shell: A Landless Indian’s Journey Home (Milkweed Editions, Aug. 20), a standout memoir that tells the story of embracing his identity as a member of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Kirkus: “A brilliant contribution to the canon of Native American literature” (starred review). Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#d...
Aug 20, 2024•43 min
Caro De Robertis discusses The Palace of Eros (Atria, Aug. 13), a queer, genderqueer retelling of the Greek myth of Psyche and Eros. Kirkus: “A vulnerable, sensual, and joyous journey about living and loving in one’s truth” (starred review). Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Aug 13, 2024•44 min
On our Best August Books episode, Kirkus’ editors share their top titles for the month. Then novelist Abi Daré joins us to discuss And So I Roar (Dutton, Aug. 6), the followup to her breakout debut, The Girl With the Louding Voice. Kirkus: “Part old-fashioned adventure yarn, part feminist manifesto, and completely captivating” (starred review). And in a sponsored interview, Megan chats with Barbara O’Neal, author of Memories of the Lost (Lake Union, July 30). See Privacy Policy at https://art19....
Aug 06, 2024•54 min
Author Kyle Lukoff discusses two new picture books: Just What To Do, illus. by Hala Tahboub (Dial Books, July 16), about supporting loved ones through loss; and I’m Sorry You Got Mad, illus. by Julie Kwon (Dial Books, Aug. 23), “A master class in apologies and in storytelling through words and art” (starred review). Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-m...
Jul 30, 2024•44 min
J. Courtney Sullivan discusses her new novel, The Cliffs (Knopf, July 2): “A novel about a woman, a house, and the history that haunts them” (starred review). And in a sponsored interview, Megan speaks with Dan Yaccarino, author-illustrator of The Luna Sisters and Their Amazing Lunafish (Holiday House, July 9), a fun, fast-paced beginning reader graphic novel. Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Noti...
Jul 23, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Stacey D’Erasmo discusses her new essay collection, The Long Run: A Creative Inquiry (Graywolf, July 9): “A rich meditation on the artist’s life and work over time” (starred review). Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jul 16, 2024•46 min
Claire Messud discusses her new novel, This Strange Eventful History (Norton, May 14). Kirkus: “A family rides the waves of current events and personal conflicts across three generations….Brilliant and heart-wrenching; Messud is one of contemporary literature’s best” (starred review). Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jul 09, 2024•38 min
On our Best July Books, Kirkus’ editors share their top titles for the month. Then debut novelist Meriam Metoui joins us to discuss one of the best books of July, Portrait of a Shadow (Henry Holt, July 16), in which “a girl’s search for her missing sister peels back a deeper mystery….Masterfully written, this is a deceptively charming horror story that also skillfully weaves in romance, sacrifice, and heartbreak” (starred review). And in a sponsored interview, Megan chats with A.J. Sass, author ...
Jul 02, 2024•52 min
Olivia Laing joins us to discuss The Garden Against Time: In Search of a Common Paradise (Norton, June 25). Kirkus: “The award-winning author pens a fascinating and personal journey of paradise….An intellectually verdant and emotionally rich narrative journey” (starred review). Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jun 25, 2024•43 min
On the Fully Booked Takeover, special guest host Karen M. McManus (One of Us Is Lying) welcomes friend and fellow #1 New York Times bestselling author Kathleen Glasgow (Girl in Pieces) for an illuminating conversation about writing and publishing. Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jun 18, 2024•46 min
On our third annual Pride Episode, novelist Yael van der Wouden joins us to discuss The Safekeep (Avid Reader Press, May 28). Kirkus: “Two women spend a fraught summer together in the Dutch countryside…. [in this] this brilliant debut, as multifaceted as a gem” (starred revew). Then Kirkus’ editors recommend some exciting new books by LGBTQIA+ authors. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jun 11, 2024•48 min
On this Best June Books episode, Kirkus’ editors share their top titles for the month. Then bestselling YA author Nicola Yoon joins us to discuss her hotly anticipated adult fiction debut, One of Our Kind (Knopf, June 11). In this scintillating psychological thriller, a successful young family moves to a wealthy Black enclave where all is not as it seems... Kirkus: “An artful page-turning thriller… constantly mindful that decisions about community and identity can put lives at stake” (starred re...
Jun 04, 2024•44 min
Emma Copley Eisenberg discusses her debut novel Housemates (Hogarth, May 28). Kirkus: “A timely coming-of-age story about art and love from the author of The Third Rainbow Girl (2020)… Emotionally rich and quietly thought-provoking, this is simply a stunning fiction debut.” Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
May 28, 2024•47 min
On the Fully Booked Takeover, special guest host Christopher Paolini welcomes fellow fantasy phenoms Rachel Hartman and Marie Brennan for a spirited discussion of process, publishing, dragons, and more. Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
May 21, 2024•47 min
Filmmaker, artist, and author Miranda July discusses her new novel, All Fours (Riverhead, May 14), in which a woman on a cross-country road trip takes an irresistible detour. Kirkus: “This tender, strange treatise on getting out from the “prefab structures” of a conventional life is quintessentially July.” Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
May 14, 2024•42 min
