My 17-page 2025 Winter Reading Guide is live! The guide contains 45 recent and upcoming releases plus new titles in book series, fiction/nonfiction pairings, stellar mystery series and some anticipated spring and summer releases. All of these will make great reads for this winter and many are books you won’t see many other places; I strive to find those under-the-radar gems. If you are interested, fill out the Google form and submit a tip of your choosing.

Contemporary Fiction Episodes

Nov. 19, 2021

Kimmery Martin - DOCTORS AND FRIENDS

For this special episode, Carol Ann Tack of Top Shelf at Merrick Library and I interview Kimmery Martin together. We talk about her new book Doctors and Friends, writing the book pre-pandemic, how it changed post-pandemic, her wonderful website, and so much more.

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Nov. 9, 2021

Tabitha Forney - PAPER AIRPLANES

Tabitha and I discuss Paper Airplanes, telling this very personal story, how 9/11 transformed the United States, the chapter she found the most difficult to write, participating in Pitch Wars, her publishing journey, and much more.

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Oct. 26, 2021

Kristy Woodson Harvey - CHRISTMAS IN PEACHTREE BLUFF

Kristy and I discuss Christmas in Peachtree Bluff, writing a holiday story versus a non-holiday story, returning to Peachtree Bluff after a hiatus and whether she will write more in the series, Friends and Fiction, and much more.

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Oct. 25, 2021

Christine Pride & Jo Piazza - WE ARE NOT LIKE THEM

We discuss We Are Not Like Them, how they started writing the book together and what their writing process looked like, encouraging people to have more in-depth conversations on race, why storytelling induces empathy, being selected as the October Good Morning America book club selection, the edito…

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Oct. 13, 2021

Tracey Lange - WE ARE THE BRENNANS

Tracey and I discuss her debut novel We Are the Brennans, her writing process, the characters she enjoyed writing the most and the least in the book, writing from multiple points of view, the Little Free Library drops coordinated by Celadon Books, and much more.

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Oct. 5, 2021

Jayne Allen- BLACK GIRLS MUST DIE EXHAUSTED

Jayne and I discuss her unusual and ultimately rewarding publishing journey, her new role at Zibby Books, how her background involves working in industries at a time of significant upheaval, her trilogy, and much more.

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Sept. 30, 2021

Jane Igharo - THE SWEETEST REMEDY

Jane and I discuss The Sweetest Remedy, writing in the third person, being selected for Book of the Month (twice), setting a book in Nigeria, crafting her second novel, and much more.

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Sept. 28, 2021

Jo Hamya - THREE ROOMS

Jo and I discuss Three Rooms, how she decided to write this story, whether working as an editor helped her when crafting this book, her writing process, why she doesn’t use speech marks, and much more.

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Sept. 28, 2021

Eden Appiah-Kubi - THE BENNET WOMEN

Eden and I discuss The Bennet Women, retelling Pride & Prejudice on a contemporary college campus, how she formed her writing group and decided to tell this story, her publishing journey, writing from multiple points of view, and much more.

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July 30, 2021

Charlotte McConaghy - ONCE THERE WERE WOLVES

Charlotte and I discuss Once There Were Wolves, how she decided to write about wolves and rewilding the Scottish Highlands, her research, mirror touch synasthesia, crafting Inti’s strong character, and much more.

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July 29, 2021

Suzanne Park - SO WE MEET AGAIN

Suzanne and I discuss So We Meet Again, the male-dominated investment banking industry, her stint as an entrepreneur, wrapping in the craziness of 2020, her favorite character to write, and much more.

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July 29, 2021

Jason Mott - HELL OF A BOOK

Jason and I discuss Hell of a Book, the autobiographical nature of this book, his writing process, being selected as the July "Read with Jenna" book club selection, how the book is designed to start conversations about race and identity, and much more.

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July 27, 2021

Meg Tilly - THE RUNAWAY HEIRESS

Meg and I discuss her new book The Runaway Heiress, how it took her a while to realize she was a writer, her inspiration for the character Mick, reconciling her past so she could move forward with her future, writing romantic suspense, creating her "Cozy Tea Time" on YouTube, and much more.

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July 9, 2021

Jamie Brenner - BLUSH

Jamie and I discuss Blush, paying homage to the books that have stayed with her for decades, what Jackie Collins’ daughter thought about Blush, the unfortunate push to categorize books by women and how men’s books are not treated the same way, how art cannot be judged in the moment, and much more.

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July 6, 2021

Lyn Liao Butler - THE TIGER MOM'S TALE

Lyn and I discuss The Tiger Mom’s Tale, what she wants readers to take away from her book, bringing Taiwanese culture and food to life, how her Instagram blooper Reels came about, her unusual publishing journey, and much more.

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