Archive for November, 2025

The 2026 MomAdvice Book Club Books (JOIN NOW)

Sunday, November 30th, 2025
The 2026 MomAdvice Book Club Books (JOIN NOW)

Join the 2026 MomAdvice Book Club to explore 12 handpicked novels, enjoy lively author chats, and celebrate a year of stories that inspire and delight.

I couldn’t be more excited to share our 2026 MomAdvice Book Club lineup with you. This year, I have twelve riveting stories that invite fresh adventures in identity and explore the courage it takes to live fully as ourselves, even when life tests our hearts. The truth is, I don’t always recognize a theme for the year until I see the whole stack together, and this year it’s clear: every book feels like it’s in conversation with the others.

Each of these stories features characters facing enormous challenges — in history, in their own family, or within themselves — showing us what it truly means to find our voice, our hope, and even our joy, against all odds.  

Amy Allen Clark with the 2026 MomAdvice Book Club Books (JOIN NOW)

Each year, I read over a hundred books, immersing myself in stories across genres, voices, and worlds, so that when I share our MomAdvice Book Club picks, you can trust that every single one has been chosen with care, heart, and our community in mind. I announce the lineup early so you can reserve your copies at the library, gift them for the holidays, or hunt for used editions to enjoy sustainably — whatever makes the experience easiest and most joyful for you.

Your membership in the book club helps fund the podcast, keeps the conversations going, and supports a space where readers like you can connect deeply over stories that matter.

Amy Allen Clark with the 2026 MomAdvice Book Club Books (JOIN NOW)

This year, I’ve intentionally chosen stories that present new facets of history we haven’t explored before, moving beyond the familiar WWII terrain, while also revisiting familiar historical threads through fresh, compelling perspectives. Whether it’s women refusing to be silenced, the lone voice of reason in a community, or discovering belonging in unexpected places, these books will stretch your empathy and expand your understanding of the human experience through many walks of life.

I can’t wait to read these stories with you, to laugh, cry, and reflect together, and to celebrate the extraordinary power of storytelling that lingers long after the final page. If you haven’t joined us before, I hope you’ll come along this year. These stories are life-changing, life-affirming, and deserve to be unboxed with a warm, authentic community of readers just like ours.

Shortcut to Join Now!

CLICK HERE TO JOIN NOW

What’s New This Year?

Thanks to your feedback, our official 2026 Book Club night has been moved to the last Thursday of each month at 8 PM ET.

That’s not the only new thing!

For the first time, every month’s author will join the podcast, giving all listeners the full Book Gang podcast experience, no matter their financial situation. Each author in our 2026 lineup will share long-form interviews, deep craft conversations, and behind-the-scenes insights, while Patreon members also enjoy monthly Zoom discussions, dedicated spoiler chats, and the chance to connect deeply with each story beyond these interviews.

You can support the show through membership, drop in for $5 at a single event, or give via Buy Me a Coffee — every contribution ensures that no one is shut out, no matter their financial situation.

What is the Cost to Join The 2026 Book Club?

Hundreds of hours go into every book club year, along with hundreds of dollars spent on editing materials for our club. As a small business owner, I am doing everything I can to keep our website running through increasingly challenging times in the tech world. 

These funds are collected to cover all hosting services related to running a club of this size.

We are offering two tier levels for this year on Patreon.

For full details on each month’s benefits, you can view each month’s “Book Club Experience” outlined with each of the books below.

Book Club Explorer- $5 PER MONTH

  • Full Access to the Book Club Benefits, including meeting many of the featured authors, a monthly Zoom to discuss the book with me, and book list printables with the book club’s themes.
  • Annual printable Book Club organizer for keeping track of meet-ups, reviews, and notes for our meetings
  • The FULLY BOOKED podcast book review show offering book reviews on the new buzzy books hosted with Larry Hoffer of @getbookedwithlarry
  • The FULLY BOOKED newsletter that includes book adaptation news and what is coming to store shelves each month (25-35 pages) 
  • Spoiler-filled episodes where authors discuss the ending of their books with you after our shows and why they made the choices they did
  • Printable Summer Reading Guide

Literary Conversationalist- $7 PER MONTH

  • All Book Club Explorer benefits
  • TOP SECRET FILES- A two-page secret mission to take with each book club book. This file offers immersive experiences beyond the books, including book pairings, movies, and insider scoops to share at your next dinner party.  
2026 MomAdvice Book Club Planner

When Are The 2026 Book Club Chats?

Once you sign up, you will receive a printable book club planner with a place to document your thoughts on each book, along with a one-page fridge sheet to keep track of all upcoming chats.

2026 MomAdvice Book Club – Monthly Dates (Last Thursday, Adjusted for Holidays)

  • January: Thursday, January 29
  • February: Thursday, February 26
  • March: Thursday, March 26
  • April: Thursday, April 30
  • May: Thursday, May 28
  • June: Thursday, June 25
  • July: Thursday, July 30
  • August: Thursday, August 27
  • September: Thursday, September 24
  • October: Thursday, October 29
  • November: Thursday, November 19 (moved earlier due to Thanksgiving)
  • December: Thursday, December 17 (moved earlier due to Christmas/New Year’s Eve)

All discussions will take place at 8 PM ET, with Zoom invitations sent out during the week prior to our discussions. Most chats fall on the last Thursday of the month, with a few exceptions around the holidays. I hope you can be part of this incredible book club year!

Listen to Today’s Announcement on the Book Gang Podcast

You can listen to today’s Book Gang episode below to get the behind-the-scenes scoop on what I’m offering for your stack this year. 

2026 Book Club Books

Meet the 2026 MomAdvice Book Club selections! Twelve carefully chosen novels, spanning a variety of genres, are ready to inspire, challenge, and expand your reading life this year. I can’t wait to share these stories with you this year.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Tell me: Which book are you most excited to read together this year? Are there any surprises on this year’s list?

Marisa Kashino- Best Offer Wins (Podcast Interview)

Thursday, November 20th, 2025

Marisa Kashino turns being new to publishing into a superpower, revealing her surprising journey from first draft to the darkly funny thriller, Best Offer Wins.

Being brand-new to publishing turned out to be this author’s secret weapon in landing her book deal. This week on Book Gang, we’re stepping into the ruthless, dream-chasing world of real estate with Marisa Kashino, journalist and author of Best Offer Wins. She shares how the freedom from expectations fueled her thriller’s creativity and story structure, how her query journey unfolded with unexpected serendipity, and why stepping into fiction opened doors she never imagined… including an adaptation already in the works.

In this heartwarming and hilarious conversation, we discuss:

  • From Reporting to Satire – Marisa shares how years of covering bidding wars, desperate buyers, and high-stakes real estate inspired her darkly funny take on ambition. Writing as Margo allowed Marisa to channel humor, frustration, and sharp social commentary she could never express out loud through Margot’s antics.
  • Subtle Social Commentary – Margot’s Asian American identity informs elements of this story, and Marisa shares personal experiences that have shaped these plot elements that informed Margo’s choices, her humor, and the unexpected ways readers may connect with her story.
  • A Secret Project Turns Big – Marisa kept her novel under wraps until she secured an agent, and now it’s heading toward an adaptation with 20th TV, Hulu, and Greta Lee attached. She talks about the thrill of sharing this milestone, how her family reacted, and the joy of seeing a private creative project reach the world.
Dark Comedy Books That Embrace the Absurd from MomAdvice.com

BONUS BOOK LIST: Don’t miss this week’s companion book list: 23 Dark Comedy Books That Embrace the Absurd. Patrons will receive printable checklists to take on their next visit to the library!

Best Offer Wins Book Summary

An insanely competitive housing market. A desperate buyer on the edge. In Marisa Kashino’s darkly humorous debut novel, Best Offer Wins, the white picket fence becomes the ultimate symbol of success—and obsession. How far would you go for the house of your dreams?

Eighteen months and 11 lost bidding wars into house-hunting in the overheated Washington, DC suburbs, 37-year-old publicist Margo Miyake gets a tip about the perfect house, in the perfect neighborhood, slated to come up for sale in one month. Desperate to escape the cramped apartment she shares with her husband Ian — and in turn, get their marriage, plan to have a baby, and whole life back on track — Margo becomes obsessed with buying the house before it’s publicly listed and the masses descend (with unbeatable, all-cash offers in hand).

A little stalking? Harmless. A bit of trespassing? Necessary. As Margo infiltrates the homeowners’ lives, her tactics grow increasingly unhinged—but just when she thinks she’s won them over, she hits a snag in her plan. Undeterred, Margo will prove again and again that there’s no boundary she won’t cross to seize the dream life she’s been chasing. The most unsettling part? You’ll root for her, even as you gasp in disbelief.

Dark, biting, and laugh-out-loud funny, Best Offer Wins is a propulsive debut and a razor-sharp exploration of class, ambition, and the modern housing crisis.

Meet Marisa Kashino

Marisa Kashino spent 17 years as a journalist, most recently at The Washington Post, and wrote long-form features and oversaw home design coverage at Washingtonian Magazine. She grew up near Seattle and earned her degree in journalism and political science from the University of Washington. Marisa lives in the DC area with her husband, two dogs, and two cats. Best Offer Wins is her first novel.

How Marisa Kashino Landed the Deal for Best Offer Wins

Listen to the Book Gang Podcast:

Listen below or listen on your favorite podcast listening platform!

Mentioned in this episode:

Buy Me a Coffee – I’m grateful for your support this year!

Join the November Book Club TONIGHT at 8 PM ET (Weyward by Emilia Hart)

NEW BOOK LIST: 23 Dark Comedy Books That Embrace The Absurd

Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino

The Writer’s Center

The Shit No One Tells You About Writing

Yellowface by R. F. Kuang

Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum

Beef

Austin Taylor – Notes on Infinity Podcast Interview

Lean In by Sheryl Sandburg 

Greta Lee

Allegra Goodman – Isola Podcast Interview

Bookshop.org pays a 10% commission on every sale and matches it with 10% to support independent bookstores.

Connect With Us:

Join the Book Gang Patreon

Connect with Marisa Kashino on Instagram

Connect with Amy on Instagram, TikTok, or MomAdvice

Get My Happy List Newsletter

Get the Daily Kindle Deals Newsletter

These Dark Comedy Books Embrace the Absurd

Thursday, November 20th, 2025

Explore 23 dark comedy books that prove humor thrives in disaster. Dive into sharp satire, awkward chaos, and morally messy characters you’ll love to hate.

These Dark Comedy Books Embrace the Absurd from Momadvice.com

I know today’s book list is for a specific type of reader, and I hope that reader is you. I am no stranger to weird fiction, the comically absurd, and books filled with uncomfortable humor.

If you’ve ever shared a laugh during a tough moment and felt a little better afterward, you already understand the comfort of dark comedy books. These books know that life can be messy, unfair, and wildly unpredictable, but they also know that humor can help us carry it. If uncomfortable humor isn’t your thing, we have another incredible list filled with 51 funny books that might fit your style more. As you will see, a few titles do overlap, but this week’s focuses on satrical humor and moments of dark comedy.

These Dark Comedy Books Embrace the Absurd from Momadvice.com

If you love this book list, you can support my work through a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee or join our Patreon community for book fun all year long. Patrons will receive a free printable copy of the checklist for today’s book list for you to explore. The financial support helps us keep the lights on in our online space.

These Dark Comedy Books Embrace the Absurd from Momadvice.com

Dark Comedy Books

Explore these 23 smart, twisted, and laugh-out-loud dark comedy books that include new release titles, backlist books, and under-the-radar gems.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

UPCOMING DARK COMEDY BOOKS

NEW DARK COMEDY BOOKS

BACKLIST DARK COMEDY BOOKS

TELL ME: What are your favorite dark comedy books? Do we share any favorites?

Emma Pattee- Tilt (Podcast Interview)

Thursday, November 13th, 2025
Emma Pattee- Tilt (Podcast Interview)

Discover a writing hack that Emma Pattee uncovered with a creativity coach, which helped her debut novel, Tilt, transition from her Google Drive to publication.

Emma Pattee, climate journalist and fiction writer, joins the Book Gang podcast to discuss her heartpounding debut novel, Tilt. In Tilt, we follow a pregnant woman through a single, intense day as an earthquake hits Portland, where Pattee blends the chaos of the city with the intimate messiness of her marriage and motherhood journey.

In our virtual walk with Emma through Portland, we explore:

  •  How ADHD and journalism shaped her craft– Emma discusses how a creativity coach helped unlock a new writing system that helped her finally move a project off her Google Drive into a finished book. We discuss the heavy and rarely discussed wait of unfinished projects as creatives.
  • Reporting meets fiction – As a climate journalist, Emma discusses her research-heavy novel that involved interviews with geologists, seismic engineers, and first responders, worked off real destruction maps and city-planning data, then translated it into the book we hold in our hands now.
  • Survival, motherhood & climate anxiety intertwined – Tilt uses the impending “Big One” earthquake as a metaphor for Annie’s journey to motherhood, where Emma discusses her stream-of-consciousness voice that keeps the reader inside one woman’s daylong survival trek and how it intertwines with Emma’s personal fears and discoveries.
23 Eco Fiction Books

Bonus Book List – These 23 eco fiction books will have you looking at the world in a whole new way. Marvel at our remarkable connection to nature through this incredible stack. Patrons will receive a printable checklist to take on your next library trip.

Tilt by Emma Pattee

Tilt Book Summary

Set over the course of a single day, an electrifying debut novel from “a powerful new literary voice” (Vogue) following one woman’s journey across a transformed city, carrying the weight of her past and a fervent hope for the future.

Last night, you and I were safe. Last night, in another universe, your father and I stood fighting in the kitchen.

Annie is nine months pregnant and shopping for a crib at IKEA when a massive earthquake hits Portland, Oregon. With no way to reach her husband, no phone or money, and a city left in chaos, there’s nothing to do but walk.

Making her way across the wreckage of Portland, Annie experiences human desperation and kindness: strangers offering help, a riot at a grocery store, and an unlikely friendship with a young mother. As she walks, Annie reflects on her struggling marriage, her disappointing career, and her anxiety about having a baby. If she can just make it home, she’s determined to change her life.

“Shocking and full of heart” (Publishers Weekly, starred review), Tilt is a “moving adrenaline rush” (The New York Times Book Review) and “epic odyssey” (NPR) about the disappointments and desires we all carry, and what each of us will do for the people we love.

Emma Pattee (Tilt)

Meet Emma Pattee

Emma Pattee is a climate journalist and fiction writer whose work has appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and more. In 2021, she coined the term “Climate Shadow” to describe an individual’s potential impact on climate change. Her debut novel, Tilt, is a National Bestseller, NYT Editor’s Choice, and recognized by NPR, Time, Vogue, and Bustle as one of the best books of the year. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Emma Pattee’s ADHD Trick That Brought Tilt to Life

Listen to the Book Gang Podcast:

Listen below or listen on your favorite podcast listening platform!

Mentioned in this episode:

Buy Me a Coffee – I’m grateful for your support this year!

Join the November Book Club 11/21 at 8 PM ET (Weyward by Emilia Hart)

NEW BOOK LIST: 23 Eco Fiction Books You’ll Love

NEW: 32-Page November Reading Guide & FULLY BOOKED Patron Show

Tilt by Emma Pattee

Hillary Rettig

Alison Larkin – Home of the American Circus Podcast Episode

Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellmann

The Truth About Portland’s Brick Schools Is Scarier Than Fiction

Dr. Katherine Hayhoe

Bookshop.org pays a 10% commission on every sale and matches it with 10% to support independent bookstores.

Connect With Us:

Join the Book Gang Patreon

Connect with Emma Pattee on Instagram or her Website

Connect with Amy on Instagram, TikTok, or MomAdvice

Get My Happy List Newsletter

23 Eco Fiction Books You’ll Love

Thursday, November 13th, 2025

These 23 eco fiction books will have you looking at the world in a whole new way. Marvel at our remarkable connection to nature through this incredible stack.

Some books make you notice the world in a new way, like the way sunlight filters through leaves or the hush of a forest path. That’s EXACTLY what eco-fiction does by inviting readers into the rhythms and mysteries of the natural world while exploring our rich connection to it. This week’s book list is perfect for those walks with an audiobook, as it serves as a reminder that we are part of something much larger.

Eco-Fiction vs. Climate Fiction: Understanding the Difference

One quick distinction for today’s list is that while eco-fiction and climate fiction are close cousins, they focus on different angles of our relationship with the natural world.

Eco-fiction explores the connections between humans and nature—how forests, rivers, animals, and ecosystems shape our lives, histories, and moral choices. It often tells intergenerational stories that emphasize conservation, highlighting our ethical responsibilities toward the environment.

Climate fiction, or “cli‑fi,” zeroes in on the consequences of climate change. For example, the rising seas, extreme weather, ecosystem collapse, and the societal upheaval that follows.

Both genres invite us to pay attention, but in slightly different ways, one through connection, the other through consequence. There are a few today that fall into both categories, but please stay tuned for an official list of climate fiction books coming soon.

If you love this book list, you can support my work through a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee or join our Patreon community for book fun all year long. Patrons will receive a free printable copy of the checklist for today’s book list for you to explore. The financial support helps us keep the lights on in our online space.

Eco Fiction

From dystopian futures to wild landscapes, these 23 eco-fiction books capture our connection to nature and the cost of a changing planet.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

TELL ME: What is YOUR favorite eco-fiction book? Please share in the comments below!

How the Pagebound App Reinvents Social Reading

Thursday, November 6th, 2025

Discover Pagebound, the social reading app by Lucy Zhao & Jennifer Dobak. Learn how to gamify your reading life from quests to forums in today’s beginner chat.

Ever wish Goodreads had a heart or deeply desired a buddy read for every book in your book stack? It exists. This week, we’re stepping inside Pagebound, the new social reading app built by readers for readers, with co-founders Lucy Zhao and Jennifer Dobak.

This “building block” episode is designed to deepen your reading life and provide a behind-the-scenes look at tools to enhance it. Discover how these two women built a no-AI, reader-first platform that’s reimagining how we connect through stories online.

In this enlightening conversation, we discuss:

  • The Origin Story: Learn how Lucy Zhao and Jennifer Dobak transformed their shared love of reading into a bold tech venture built from scratch. From late-night coding sessions to their first “scrappy” testers, they share what it really takes to launch a reader-first social platform in an industry long dominated by giants.
  • A Human-Centered Platform: Discover how Pagebound’s no-AI promise and book-by-book forum model create genuine connections instead of algorithmic noise. The founders explain why every title deserves its own conversation and how thoughtful design shaped the community from day one.
  • Gamifying the Reading Life: Explore how Pagebound is transforming the way we engage with our books through clever, joy-filled features like reading quests and milestone interactions that encourage active community membership, bringing a sense of adventure back to your reading life.

Meet the Guests

Lucy Zhao grew up as a cheeky kid, always carrying a book. She studied creative writing and business at the University of Michigan and has spent the last decade leading tech startups and launching products. Her favorite authors include James McBride, Maggie Nelson, and Jonathan Franzen. She lives with her toy aussiedoodle, Libby, and loves ice-cold watermelon slices.

Jennifer Dobak studied Economics, French, and Italian at the University of Notre Dame before becoming a software engineer. When she’s not coding, she’s hanging out at her local indie bookstore. Her favorite authors include Lauren Groff, Mona Awad, and V.E. Schwab. She’s a lifelong writer herself and is currently chasing her dream of finishing her own novel.

How Pagebound Reinvents Social Reading

Listen below or listen on your favorite podcast listening platform!

Mentioned in this episode:

Buy Me a Coffee – I’m grateful for your support this year!

Join the November Book Club 11/21 at 8 PM ET (Weyward by Emilia Hart)

Pagebound

NEW: 32-Page November Reading Guide & FULLY BOOKED Patron Show

Follow Book Gang on Pagebound (let’s be friends!)

Building Block Episode ICYMI: How the Storygraph App Can Enhance

Building Block Episode ICYMI: Get the Most Out of the Libby App (Podcast With the Libby Team)

Building Block Episode ICYMI: Improve Your Reading Focus & Memory (Hacks for Readers With ADHD)

Building Block Episode ICYMI: The Best Reading Hacks for Chronic Pain

Phantasma by Kaylie Smith

Enchantra by Kaylie Smith

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

1984 by George Orwell

A Crash Course in Gothic Fiction with Erin Crosby Eckstine

Bookshop.org pays a 10% commission on every sale and matches it with 10% to support independent bookstores.

Connect With Us:

Join the Book Gang Patreon

Connect with Pagebound on Instagram or their Website

Connect with Amy on Instagram, TikTok, or MomAdvice

Get My Happy List Newsletter

Get the Daily Kindle Deals Newsletter