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 differences between writing for adults and young adults, the romantic book that inspired Jeff's plot, and the feedback Emily Henry provided to shape his romance scenes.  Jeff also talks about ..read more

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 what she wants you to understand about young widowhood. Here After Book Summary Lin never expected to find a love like the one she shared with her husband, Kurtis, a gifted young architect who pulls her ..read more

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 when we first began exploring this genre, the upcoming publishing trends for this year in historical fiction,  and common misconceptions (and gripes) on what we feel is essential in a fantast ..read more

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 storytellers featured today nailed moving the time loop plot forward in new ways.  Plus, I'm revealing a treasure trove of new time travel resources, including new time travel books, TV, and movies ..read more

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 trend in cover design and the struggles he’s faced with everything from font selection to breaking out of the “girl turning away” cover that we can’t seem to escape from as readers.   ..read more

SUPPORT MY WORK through Patreon! Sarah Adler discusses writing her quirky debut novel Mrs. Nash's Ashes and her favorite memorable "only one bed" moments in romance. Sarah Adler didn’t know she was writing a romance book when she started her novel. She wasn’t even a romance reader. All of that changed, though, when she wrote Mrs. Nash’s Ashes, her debut romance novel.  Today, Sarah Adler provides a behind-the-scenes look into her publishing journey, recounting the rollercoaster ride of rejections, what it is like to have a novel go to auction, and what this book taught her about identity ..read more

SUPPORT MY WORK through Patreon! Head to art school with debut novelist Antonia Angress today. We discuss the inspiration for her debut novel, Sirens & Muses, which one of our best debuts of 2023. If you have ever dreamed of attending art school, you will want to tune in to today's discussion and fictional art book stack. Today, we are joined by debut novelist Antonia Angress as she shares her inspiration for Sirens & Muses and how pursuing an MFA program allowed her the time and resources to finally pivot from a career in teaching to her dream of writing. Angress shares the surprising ..read more

SUPPORT MY WORK through Patreon! Cue the confetti! This week's episode shares the top fifteen books we have read this year after screening HUNDREDS of books. This discussion includes the best fiction books of 2023 and some of our favorite backlist books we were thrilled to discover this year. There is TRULY something for everyone. We invite you to browse today's bonus book list featuring our favorites. Larry also offers an incredible expanded list for your reading life. Patrons will receive a printable checklist with today's book titles and some of our honorable mentions.  Connect With Us ..read more

SUPPORT MY WORK through Patreon! Meet MY new book gang collaboration with Victoria from The Reader's Couch Podcast and Cindy from Thoughts from a Page Podcast, as we embark on a new reading journey together.  I'm thrilled to bring you a special pop-up episode announcing a fabulous new collaboration for the upcoming year. I couldn't be more excited to team up with my bookish friends, Victoria from The Reader's Couch  Podcast and Cindy from Thoughts from a Page Podcast, as we embark on our own little book gang adventure. These incredible hosts share my love for ..read more

SUPPORT MY WORK through Patreon! Meet MY new book gang collaboration with Victoria from The Reader's Couch Podcast and Cindy from Thoughts from a Page Podcast, as we embark on a new reading journey together.  I'm thrilled to bring you a special pop-up episode announcing a fabulous new collaboration for the upcoming year. I couldn't be more excited to team up with my bookish friends, Victoria from The Reader's Couch  Podcast and Cindy from Thoughts from a Page Podcast, as we embark on our own little book gang adventure. These incredible hosts share my love for ..read more