This podcast is for you if you love sad books and a good cry. Today we discuss our top book recommendations for heart-wrenching stories that can pull at every heartstring.
My guest, @passions_and_prologues joins us with his top recommendations for thought-provoking and beautifully written stories that allow us to fully immerse ourselves in our seasonal depression and embrace those sad endings.
Adam Sokol the host of the Passions and Prologues podcast, has a passion for just these kinds of recommendations and discusses his new literary podcast today. This show gives readers new authors to love, and a peek at some of their most beloved passions beyond the bookish world.
He has spent over a decade in the literary world interviewing authors and promoting books. He will read anything that is written well but is especially drawn to small, heartfelt stories with big emotions, literary and speculative fiction, and stories with a touch of magic and nostalgia.
I am happy to be a loyal listener of his show and have loved listening to his guests discuss everything from strategic packing for trips to their love for weightlifting.
We discuss how Adam leads these unique conversations and how his job at Overdrive for eleven years has helped him land such amazing guests.
Get out your tissues for today’s episode!!
Sad Books for When You Want to Ugly Cry
Listen to the Show
Book Gang Podcast Episode 43:
Listen below or listen on your favorite podcast listening platform!
Shop the above (Amazon) links or shop through my new MomAdvice Book Gang Bookshop Page!! They pay a 10% commission on every sale and give a matching 10% to independent bookstores
Looking for your next great book to read? We share our favorite new-release books for fall (and a few backlist faves). Print this fall reading guide for your next library day!
This is our Season 2 kickoff episode of the new Book Gang podcast.
The Book Gang podcast celebrates debuts, backlist, and under-the-radar book selections. Expand your book stack with my recommendations and look at the book industry behind the scenes.
On each epsiode I share the microphone with my favorite writers and bookstagrammers to help you have your best reading year ever.
This project is completely crowd-funded through our patrons through Patreon. A membership costs only FIVE DOLLARS a month!
As a thank you, we offer offer loads of reader perks including this monthly podcast with the latest book reviews, book news, and what hits your bookstore shelves every month.
Fully Booked is available as a podcast and we share a printable newsletter so you can read, screenshot, or print what you need for your next library day.
Patrons also get access to the spreadsheet of every book that is mentioned on our show so you can plan your best reading month.
This show is hosted with Larry Hoffer, one of my favorite people in the world and trusted book reviewer.
He reads HUNDREDS of books and then tells our patrons his favorites from his stack.
He is my best friend forever, and I’m honored to share his voice.
This month’s stack highlights two 2023 book club selections, stories that catch those fall vibes, small-town love stories, and the magical realism book that ended up being a surprise hit.
We also have lots of romance spice to pair with your pumpkin spice this year!
Due to the length of our show, this has been uploaded as a two-part podcast today.
The player is embedded or you can subscribe to Book Gang wherever you get podcasts!
19 New Books to Read This Fall (PRINTABLE GUIDE)
SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM TO DOWNLOAD THE FALL READING GUIDE
Learn how body doubling can help you stay on task and improve your executive function as an adult or teen with ADHD. Get my top virtual videos to get started!
Friends, I have missed you!
It’s so good to be back at my desk after battling “the virus that must not be named.” It was just as awful as I’d expected, but we had a protocol to activate as soon as I got that positive test.
I’ve struggled with motivation since all of this, but today I wanted to share the incredible productivity hack that has changed my work-from-home life since the health chaos began.
After eighteen years of working from home, you would assume that I would have the best systems to be productive in my daily life.
You would be wrong.
The truth is, I struggle EVERY DAY and had even considered spending the money on a co-working space to hold me accountable to my work day.
I did unlock the secret for working alone while incorporating a motivating presence in my life though and it just might surprise you.
Not only is this hack helpful for people with ADHD. It’s also helpful for anyone struggling with mental health or chronic illness.
I want to talk about how body doubling can improve the lives of you or your teen/tween today!
What is Body Doubling?
Body doubling is a productivity strategy where someone can work alongside you to complete a challenging task. You can do these sessions virtually or in person with a friend or family member.
I want you to close your eyes and think about the thing that you have been putting off.
Do you see a stack of bills you haven’t paid yet?
An overflowing hamper?
The refrigerator with expired food?
The basket of socks that never got matched?
Now imagine you had a friend to do that with you.
How would this change your perception of that task?
For many people with ADHD, the presence of someone else can be just the motivation they need to stay on track.
When I think about this, I think about ways I have unknowingly done this for people in my life. There have also been people who have come to our house that sat as I folded a load of laundry, meal prepped, or cleaned my kitchen.
In those moments, it didn’t feel so burdensome. It is, perhaps, why body doubling works so well for my work life.
Do You Need ADHD to Benefit From This? NOPE!
I have not gone through the process of ADHD diagnosis because the medications that I would use to treat it wouldn’t be an option for me with my current health issues.
In case you missed it, this is something we talked about on my Book Gang podcast with Paula Engebretson, a Certified Life Coach specializing in helping adults with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) live their best lives.
Specifically, we discussed how many women get diagnosed at this stage in our lives and some ways to improve reading memory and focus through that.
It’s such an impactful episode that has changed my reading life and many of my listeners.
Listen to this episode below:
Personally, I know that I display every symptom of ADHD because it runs in my family, AND I happen to live with people who have it too.
I have gotten around treatment by choosing a job that works with my brain, but hormonal shifts and brain fog have made things even more challenging.
After that episode, I’ve been on a quest to figure out how to continue working WITH my brain, and it is through that research I discovered how body doubles work and how to use them to motivate me.
In fact, I’m using a body double RIGHT NOW to write this post.
The best part is that this productivity hack is completely free.
There are several excellent virtual options if you need a body double but don’t have a partner to work with at home.
This is how I manage the work portions on my to-do list and how my daughter finds study-date partners when she needs to accomplish studying for tests.
My preferred working method is recorded sessions on YouTube (see below for some of my favorite options).
this is an example of the breaks that are provided on screen
Many of these previously recorded sessions rely on the Pomodoro setup technique. Five-minute breaks follow these 25-minute sessions of work for recorded sessions that are, typically, two hours.
I didn’t know how motivating it would be to have a “pretend” work-from-home buddy, but I find it even more effective than anything else I’ve done for my WFH life.
There is no pressure to make small talk, someone else is monitoring the timer for our work sessions, and it puts me in the mood to get my to-do list done.
We have the Samsung Frame TV, and I can cast my favorite videos onto the television.
If you don’t have a room with a TV, you can utilize your tablet or phone to pull up the video.
Personally, I do find the larger screen to be more impactful while I’m working, and I love it displaying at eye level.
It helps brings the accountability aspect into focus.
How to Find a Live Virtual Body Double
Focusmate offers body doubling sessions with an accountability partner for a live, virtual co-working session that will keep you on task. They offer three free sessions a week or you can pay $5 to have unlimited sessions.
They have shared that 95.5% of their users reported a significant increase in productivity and reduced procrastination.
You can also find users sharing live sessions on TikTok if you search for body doubles.
So I guess social media isn’t ALL bad, is it?
How We Help Each Other as Body Doubles in Our Home
If you live with a friend or family member that can act as your support group through a task, you might not need to call on a virtual double.
Now that he is TWENTY (how is this possible?), we still work together as accountability partners and utilize this simple to-do checklist board with our most important tasks. Our to-do list is almost identical, so we check on each other throughout the day or do these tasks together.
You can see that these are VERY modest goals because I want to honor my body and where it is now.
I usually work much more than the time on my chart, but this allows me to check it even when I’m having a bad day. That is the difference between a day I’m proud of and a day that makes me feel bad about myself.
Want to give this productivity hack a try? Here are some of my favorite videos to get you started!
Try These Videos For Working at Home (or Studying)
Be sure to also look up any task you need help with- folding laundry, daily hygiene tasks, or cleaning/organizing are all available with a simple search.
Want more help with that WFH life? Check out these posts!
Enjoy this exclusive podcast interview with Allison Larkin discussing her writing process for The People We Keep.
This is our final episode of Season 1! Be sure to scroll down to see the list of your top ten favorite episodes and my short list of must-listen episodes to keep you busy until our next season, launching on September 9th!
Have you ever thought about how the #MeToo movement might have impacted your favorite characters? What if the world saw your character as unlikeable or difficult, but the world’s new lens saw her as beloved and endearing?
Today I give you a peek behind the Patreon wall to fully immerse yourself in this MomAdvice Book Club selection. Download my playlist to travel through April’s life in the songs and download my exclusive book club guide to host your own chat!
Learn More About Today’s Featured Book:
The People We Keep is a captivating coming-of-age story pulled at every heartstring as you follow one girl’s journey towards finding love in her chosen family.
April Sawicki lives in a motorless motorhome that her father won in a poker game. Failing out of school, and picking up shifts at a local diner, she’s left fending for herself in a town where she’s never quite felt at home. When she “borrows” her neighbor’s car to perform at an open mic night, she realizes her life could be much bigger than where she came from. After a fight with her dad, April packs her stuff and leaves for good, setting off on a journey to find a life that’s all hers.
This emotional journey to find April’s true family is compelling and moving.I love to see how April moves through the world meeting people who feel like home. It reminds us that chosen families can be just as good as the real ones.
You will find a very determined voice in this character, but April isn’t the only determined woman.
In today’s interview, you will find that Allison is just as determined.
She wants her story told and will not compromise in any fashion on this story, no matter how long it might take or how many hands it had to pass.
Ultimately, it has become such a beloved story to many readers because of her dogged determination. So today, we celebrate Allison Larkin.
About Allison Larkin:
Allison Larkin is the internationally bestselling author of The People We Keep, Stay, Why Can’t I Be You, and Swimming for Sunlight.
Her short fiction has been published in the Summerset Review and Slice, and nonfiction in the anthologies I’m Not the Biggest Bitch in This Relationship and Author in Progress. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, Jeremy.
Julia Whelan uses her background as an award-winning audiobook narrator to write her romance novel, Thank You for Listening. Join me today for an interview to learn more about her writing process and the behind-the-scenes of an audiobook narrator’s life.
I had no idea when I shared last week’s episode on the best audiobooks for your reading life that I would be sitting down with one of my favorite featured audiobook narrators today.
If you listen to audiobooks, today’s voice should be a very familiar one.
Julia Whelan is a screenwriter, lifelong actor, and award-winning audiobook narrator of over FIVE HUNDRED BOOKS. Her debut novel, My Oxford Year, garnered a Society of Voice Arts award.
This steamy romance read dishes up some surprising routines in an audiobook narrator’s life, from their narration preparation to snack routines.
We also talk about the need for pseudonyms in the romance industry. It’s an absolutely FASCINATING discussion.
Discover Julia’s proudest moments in her career, what she learned by slowing down on audiobook projects, and what she would tell her younger self about her wildly successful career path.
About Thank You For Listening:
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING is an uplifting book telling the story of a former actress turned successful audiobook narrator—who has lost sight of her dreams after a tragic accident—and her journey of self-discovery, love, and acceptance when she agrees to narrate one last romance novel.
This novel is available on August 2nd, 2022.
Patreon friends can enjoy a bonus episode with Julia in our fun Bookworm Challenge. Be sure to join Patreon to unlock this feature.
Be sure to check out this year’s Summer Reading Guide for the best beach read book recommendations.
The Julia Whelan Interview You Need to Hear (Podcast)
Listen to the Show
Book Gang Podcast Episode 40:
Listen below or listen on your favorite podcast listening platform!
Shop the above (Amazon) links or shop through my MomAdvice Book Gang Bookshop Page!! They pay a 10% commission on every sale and give a matching 10% to independent bookstores.
QUESTION? What were you surprised to discover from today’s interview?
Join the MomAdvice Book Gang for just $5 for an exclusive one-of-a-kind reading experience, and let me be your tour guide.
Your $5 membership will grant you access to the following exclusive features.
The FULLY BOOKED New Release Book Reviews Podcast- Listen to the Patreon-Exclusive podcast and download your printable 30-page guide EVERY MONTH! We screen the new release books and tell you what we loved (and loathed). Get book adaptation news and a bookstore guide for the most-anticipated new books.
Monthly in-depth video interviews with each of our chosen authors. Learn the stories behind each of their stories and what they hope you will walk away from each of their books.
Exclusive Bookstore Coupon Discounts. Our Fables Bookstore partnership will give Patreon members 15% off ALL the book club selections for our year. This can be applied to both paperback and hardback selections.
Exclusive MomAdvice Book Gang Podcast Episodes & Early Access Book Reviews. Your stack will be toppling over with my real-time reviews each month. These reviews are available in both audio and printable formats.
Monthly Themed Playlists & Digital Downloads. Pair your favorite thriller with my spooky playlist. Brew some tea and listen to an instrumental mix with your favorite classic. Embrace short story songs with my favorite storytellers. The playlists are endless and digital downloads are available for your reading journals.
This post contains affiliate links.
Shop the above (Amazon) links or shop through my new MomAdvice Book Gang Bookshop Page!! They pay a 10% commission on every sale and give a matching 10% to independent bookstores.
Fall in love with these book recommendations for the best audiobooks for your next reading day. Meg, from Sorta Awesome, joined the show to share her top recommendations.
Looking for your next audiobook? Today’s podcast show has everything you crave- deeply personal memoirs, science fiction (sci-fi), young adult reads, and pure escapist fun.
We start our discussion with our audiobook habits, speeds, and what I’ve learned from our guests about staying engaged with your audiobook literature.
If you struggle to stay focused during your audiobook time, don’t miss today’s show with some surprising tricks to keep your brain engaged. These audiobook reading hacks helped me to engage with our book club books in new ways this year.
Don’t miss Meg’s recommendation on one of this year’s award winners (for the Audie Awards) or my selections with full cast narration that kept me engaged from start to finish.
I know many of us have enjoyed some of the more familiar voices like Trevor Noah’s memoir on his childhood in South Africa (from the Daily Show), the Harry Potter books, Michelle Obama, David Sedaris, and Tom Hanks.
Today’s goal though is to connect you with some of the lesser-known backlist books and under-the-radar gems you might not know about.
Get to Know Meg Tietz
Meg Tietz should be a very familiar voice to many of you. She runs a top women’s lifestyle podcast called Sorta Awesome for women who want to stay current on all things awesome, including culture, media, and trending conversations!
Meg first created Sorta Awesome in 2015, after closing her popular blog, Sorta Crunchy. Sorta Awesome has over three million downloads from thousands of awesome listeners.
They also run a very active community in the show’s private Facebook group, the Sorta Awesome Hangout. There is so much to love about Meg and this show, and I’m so honored to have her in our space today.
The Best Audiobooks For Your Reading Life
Listen to the Show:
Listen below or listen on your favorite podcast listening platform!
Join the MomAdvice Book Gang for just $5 for an exclusive one-of-a-kind reading experience, and let me be your tour guide.
I have selected 12 phenomenal books to read together that were picked just for you. These are thought-provoking stories that deserve discussion, and many are hidden literary treasures. The official 2022 MomAdvice Book Club selection announcement will happen on December 1st. Your $5 membership will grant you access to the following exclusive features.
Monthly in-depth video interviews with each of our chosen authors. Learn the stories behind each of their stories and what they hope you will walk away from each of their books.
Exclusive Bookstore Coupon Discounts. Our Fables Bookstore partnership will give Patreon members 15% off ALL the book club selections for our year. This can be applied to both paperback and hardback selections.
Exclusive MomAdvice Book Gang Podcast Episodes & Early Access Book Reviews. Your stack will be toppling over with my real-time reviews each month. These reviews are available in both audio and printable formats.
Monthly Themed Playlists & Digital Downloads. Pair your favorite thriller with my spooky playlist. Brew some tea and listen to an instrumental mix with your favorite classic. Embrace short story songs with my favorite storytellers. The playlists are endless and digital downloads are available for your reading journals.
Sneak Peek Upcoming Content. You will know before anyone else what to expect in upcoming podcast episodes and what I’m researching for our next shows. Be bookishly curious with me and give your input for these MomAdvice Book Gang podcast shows.
This post contains affiliate links.
Shop the above (Amazon) links or shop through my new MomAdvice Book Gang Bookshop Page!! They pay a 10% commission on every sale and give a matching 10% to independent bookstores
Sit down with our first wife-writing duo, Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta, as they discuss their sophisticated summer romance, The View Was Exhausting. They join us from Berlin to share about their writing process, embracing tropes, and why they wanted to explore the topic of women of color in Hollywood.
I am excited to host our first writing duo on the podcast today. It’s not just any writing duo, though; this is a wife-writing duo that joined me from Berlin to discuss their romance debut, The View Was Exhausting.
I selected this book for our Summer Reading Guide because it brings the PURE ESCAPE factor you crave in your vacation reading. This swoon-worthy romance laces iconic scenery with a Hollywood setting, relying on many of our favorite romance tropes: FAKE DATING.
This week does, sadly, conclude our Summer Author Interview series. I REALLY hope you have enjoyed these conversations as much as I’ve enjoyed hosting them.
They were both such memorable conversations for very different reasons. Ashley shares the creative differences between thriller and romance writing if you missed them. Jenny’s interview was a lesson in vulnerability with memoir writing and growing up as Roseanne Arnold’s daughter. I’m incredibly proud of these beautiful conversations, and I don’t want you to miss them.
This smart and sophisticated summer romance has become my new go-to recommendation for friends that need a proper escape from reality.
In our story, Whitman is a well-known actress making a paparazzi splash with a jet-setting playboy named Leo.
The two have made headlines for a decade with their on-again, off-again romance. However, the public doesn’t know that the entire relationship is staged.
They manipulate the press for necessary coverage and to gain favor and attention when required. All these situations are carefully orchestrated events between two friends from gorgeous locations, Like St. Tropez, to those behind-the-scenes celebrity shots of them leaving dinners and extravagant parties.
As you might guess, this gets complicated but in all the best ways. Rather than leaning into the stereotypical plotlines, this goes into brilliant places like examining what it is like to be a woman of color in Hollywood.
About Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta
Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta co-wrote The View Was Exhausting, published by Grand Central Publishing in July 2021. Mikaella’s writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Guardian, Hazlitt, Catapult, and more, and she was shortlisted for the 2019 Galley Beggar Press Prize and the 2018 Bridport Short Story Prize. Onjuli’s work has been published in The Billfold and Daddy magazine. Mikaella is originally from Australia and Onjuli from England; they are married and live together in Berlin.
The View Was Exhausting Book Club Guide
If you lead a book club, this is a smart summer selection that comes with thoughtfully curated discussion questions, music playlists, and signature drink ideas. I can’t think of an easier book club book to execute! Check out their book club extras here.
On a more personal project note, I hope you love the show’s new podcast logo as much as I do!
Patreon friends can enjoy a bonus episode with Mikaella and Onjuli in our fun Bookworm Challenge. Be sure to join Patreon to unlock this feature.
Be sure to check out this year’s Summer Reading Guide for the best beach read book recommendations.
The View Was Exhausting: Interview with Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta
Listen to the Show:
Listen below or listen on your favorite podcast listening platform!
Join the MomAdvice Book Gang for just $5 for an exclusive one-of-a-kind reading experience, and let me be your tour guide.
I have selected 12 phenomenal books to read together that were picked just for you. These are thought-provoking stories that deserve discussion, and many are hidden literary treasures. The official 2022 MomAdvice Book Club selection announcement will happen on December 1st. Your $5 membership will grant you access to the following exclusive features.
Monthly in-depth video interviews with each of our chosen authors. Learn the stories behind each of their stories and what they hope you will walk away from each of their books.
Exclusive Bookstore Coupon Discounts. Our Fables Bookstore partnership will give Patreon members 15% off ALL the book club selections for our year. This can be applied to both paperback and hardback selections.
Exclusive MomAdvice Book Gang Podcast Episodes & Early Access Book Reviews. Your stack will be toppling over with my real-time reviews each month. These reviews are available in both audio and printable formats.
Monthly Themed Playlists & Digital Downloads. Pair your favorite thriller with my spooky playlist. Brew some tea and listen to an instrumental mix with your favorite classic. Embrace short story songs with my favorite storytellers. The playlists are endless and digital downloads are available for your reading journals.
Sneak Peek Upcoming Content. You will know before anyone else what to expect in upcoming podcast episodes and what I’m researching for our next shows. Be bookishly curious with me and give your input for these MomAdvice Book Gang podcast shows.
This post contains affiliate links.
Shop the above (Amazon) links or shop through my new MomAdvice Book Gang Bookshop Page!! They pay a 10% commission on every sale and give a matching 10% to independent bookstores.
Not everyone can say they published two books during the pandemic, but Ashley Winstead can. Today we discuss her romance debut Fool Me Once and how Winstead hopes to break the mold with her romance characters.
This week we continue our conversations with writers in our Summer Author Interview series. After our incredible kickoff with Jenny Pentland’s memoir (episode 34), we move into lighter fiction waters with Fool Me Once, written by Ashley Winstead.
I felt compelled to reach out to Ashley to hear about her surprising journey to full-time writing during the pandemic and what it was about this time that yielded such a fruitful creative time for her career. She shares how her previous job (as a communications director working in public policy) shaped the plot line for Lee Stone and the kickoff to her new romance series.
I also want to know what it looks like to compartmentalize work when you write in two genres. For example, Ashley alternates writing thrillers (like In My Dreams I Hold a Knife and the soon-to-be-released The Last Housewife) and romance – two VERY different worlds.
Are there two Ashleys? We need answers!
She speaks with surprising vulnerability about the challenges in the romance industry and with great confidence about the kind of success she plans to achieve with her writing. Don’t miss this episode.
Patreon friends can enjoy a bonus episode with Ashley in our fun Bookworm Challenge. Be sure to join Patreon to unlock this feature.
Be sure to check out this year’s Summer Reading Guide for the best beach read book recommendations.
Get to Know Ashley:
Ashley Winstead holds a Ph.D. in contemporary American literature from Southern Methodist University and a B.A. in English and Art History from Vanderbilt University. She lives in Houston with her husband, where she drinks red wine and dreams up novels.
Book Gang Podcast Episode 37: Fool Me Once: An Interview with Ashley Winstead
Listen to the Show:
Listen below or listen on your favorite podcast listening platform!
Join the MomAdvice Book Gang for just $5 for an exclusive one-of-a-kind reading experience, and let me be your tour guide.
I have selected 12 phenomenal books to read together that were picked just for you. These are thought-provoking stories that deserve discussion, and many are hidden literary treasures. The official 2022 MomAdvice Book Club selection announcement will happen on December 1st. Your $5 membership will grant you access to the following exclusive features.
Monthly in-depth video interviews with each of our chosen authors. Learn the stories behind each of their stories and what they hope you will walk away from each of their books.
Exclusive Bookstore Coupon Discounts. Our Fables Bookstore partnership will give Patreon members 15% off ALL the book club selections for our year. This can be applied to both paperback and hardback selections.
Exclusive MomAdvice Book Gang Podcast Episodes & Early Access Book Reviews. Your stack will be toppling over with my real-time reviews each month. These reviews are available in both audio and printable formats.
Monthly Themed Playlists & Digital Downloads. Pair your favorite thriller with my spooky playlist. Brew some tea and listen to an instrumental mix with your favorite classic. Embrace short story songs with my favorite storytellers. The playlists are endless and digital downloads are available for your reading journals.
Sneak Peek Upcoming Content. You will know before anyone else what to expect in upcoming podcast episodes and what I’m researching for our next shows. Be bookishly curious with me and give your input for these MomAdvice Book Gang podcast shows.
This post contains affiliate links.
Shop the above (Amazon) links or shop through my new MomAdvice Book Gang Bookshop Page!! They pay a 10% commission on every sale and give a matching 10% to independent bookstores.
Prime members shouldn’t miss access to this FREE Amazon First Reads program. Learn about this Kindle reading program and how this Prime perk works!
I am starting a Amazon First Reads monthly post to help you as you make those reading selections each month. I thought it would be fun to take you on my journey on selection process.
This explains the benefits, how Amazon selects these books, and what you need to get started reading.
These posts share the names of each selection, what type of literature it is, where it was published, a small blurb, and the reviews on each book (so far).
I will also tell you which book I chose at the end!
Make sure that when you add these to your cart, it shows the BUY IT NOW FOR FREE! If it does not, you are not signed into your family’s Prime account.
If you have a moment, leave a comment and let me know what you picked or if you have read any of these!
This month, Amazon is offering TWO books for free with your Prime membership. Don’t miss this deal! Here is what you need to know for this month!
This Women’s Humorous Fiction pick was published by Lake Union Publishing.
Blurb:
“For two women generations apart, going home will change their lives in this funny, poignant, and life-affirming novel about family, secrets, and broken hearts by the author of For the Love of Friends.
Four years into her marriage, Jenna is blindsided when her husband asks for a divorce. With time on her hands and her life in flux, she agrees to accompany her eccentric grandmother Evelyn on a road trip to the seaside Massachusetts town where much of their family history was shaped.”
GoodReads Rating (So Far):
4.5 with 78 Reviews. One reviewer had read over 170 books and had only given a dozen books five stars. This book, she said, deserved all of them.
This historical fiction literary selection is from Lake Union Publishing.
Blurb:
“For three women in postwar Germany, 1945 is a time of hope—lost and found—in this powerful novel by the bestselling author of The Woman on the Orient Express.
Just weeks after World War II ends, three women from different corners of the world arrive in Germany to run a Displaced Persons camp. They long to help rebuild shattered lives—including their own…”
GoodReads Rating (So Far):
4.5 stars with 12 reviews. Although feedback is limited in this initial stage, one Vine reviewer shared that this story is full of hope & healing, characters that learn & grow. They also praised it for being a little different than the typical books from this era.
This is first in a new private investigator mystery series from Thomas & Mercer. This is the Mystery selection for July.
Blurb:
“From USA Today bestselling author Debra Webb comes the thrilling first installment in the Finley O’Sullivan series, featuring a legal investigator haunted by her past and obsessed with the truth.
Legal investigator Finley O’Sullivan searches for evidence the police overlooked, wading through secrets, lies, and betrayal to find answers. With the unsolved murder of her husband still very much on her mind, Finley must confront her own personal trauma on a daily basis. Lies are part of her livelihood, but they’re also the reason she can’t get justice for the man she loved.”
GoodReads Rating (So Far):
5 stars with 21 Reviews. This has HIGH praise with reviewers raving about the smart twists that made it a true page-turner. If you love private investigation stories, this looks like a promising start in a new series.
This psychological thriller is from Thomas & Mercer. A notable detail on the cover is the blurb from Caroline Kepnes (a featured author on my site) who described it as “Wicked and smart…Read it Now.”
Blurb:
Lifelong New Yorker Ronnie Khan never thought she’d leave Queens. She’s not an “aim high, dream big” person—until she meets socialite wellness guru Marley Dewhurst.
Marley isn’t just a visionary; she’s a revelation. Seduced by the fever dream of finding her best self, Ronnie makes for the desert mountains of Sedona, Arizona.
Healing yoga, transcendent hikes, epic juice cleanses…Ronnie consumes her new bougie existence like a fine wine. But is it, really? Or is this whole self-care business a little sour?
When the glam gurus around town start turning up gruesomely murdered, Ronnie has her answer: all is not well in wellness town. As Marley’s blind ambition veers into madness, Ronnie fears for her life.
GoodReads Rating (So Far):
4.48 with 42 Reviews. Readers describe it as darkly funny, disturbing, and wickedly entertaining. Overall, lots of high praise for this one!
This short story is categorized under time travel fiction and is published by Amazon Orginal Stories. Kate Quinn is a big name in historical fiction so fans will be excited about this short story offering.
Blurb:
“Yorkshire, 1943. Lily Baines, a bright young debutante increasingly ground down by an endless war, has traded in her white gloves for a set of headphones. It’s her job to intercept enemy naval communications and send them to Bletchley Park for decryption.
One night, she picks up a transmission that isn’t code at all—it’s a cry for help.
An American ship is taking heavy fire in the North Atlantic—but no one else has reported an attack, and the information relayed by the young US officer, Matt Jackson, seems all wrong. The contact that Lily has made on the other end of the radio channel says it’s…2023.
Across an eighty-year gap, Lily and Matt must find a way to help each other: Matt to convince her that the war she’s fighting can still be won, and Lily to help him stave off the war to come. As their connection grows stronger, they both know there’s no telling when time will run out on their inexplicable link.”
GoodReads Rating (So Far):
4.55 with 106 Reviews. One reviewer said it was a solid short story that should take about 40 minutes to read. If you are short on a reading goal, this would be a great option.
This translated memoir is officially cataloged under “biographies of hoaxes and deceptions” and published by Amazon Crossing.
Blurb:
In 1997 a six-year-old boy questioned by authorities relayed disturbing stories of abuse. The more he talked, the more people were implicated in his shocking revelations. And he was only the first child to come forward.
Within a year, fifteen more children with similar tales were transferred out of the Bassa region of Italy to protected locations. Their parents were accused of belonging to a satanic sect that performed sex rituals under the aegis of beloved local priest Don Giorgio Govoni. With each child’s confession, the network of monsters grew. Families were torn apart. Lives were forever destroyed—and some ended—as allegations of kidnapping, torture, sacrifice, and murder escalated beyond comprehension.
But what was really happening in the Bassa Modenese?
GoodReads Rating (So Far):
4.31 with 669 Reviews. This is the highest amount of feedback on the offerings this month because it is a translated work.
This book club cultural heritage fiction selection is published by Lake Union Publishing.
Blurb:
A family, broken by the shattering turns of a single day, will do anything to find their way back to one another.
Lena Sharma is a successful San Francisco restaurateur. An immigrant, she’s cultivated an image of conservatism and tradition in her close-knit Indian community. But when Lena’s carefully constructed world begins to crumble, her ties to her daughter, Maya, and son, Sameer—both raised in thoroughly modern California—slip further away.
Maya, divorced once, becomes engaged to a man twelve years her junior: Veer Kapoor, the son of Lena’s longtime friend. Immediately Maya feels her mother’s disgrace and the judgment of an insular society she was born into but never chose, while Lena’s cherished friendship frays. Meanwhile, Maya’s younger brother, Sameer, struggles with an addiction that reaches a devastating and very public turning point, upending his already tenuous future.
GoodReads Rating (So Far):
2 With Only 1 Rating. The author has two other books (with favorable reviews) and describes herself as a recovering litigator, former TV presenter, and blogger.
This is a translated work on Iraq History from Amazon Crossing. Kirkus Reviews gave this a starred rating stating this, “Hassan renders her harrowing experiences in an authentic, heartfelt manner, offering important testimony of personal and national courage. A beautifully wrought memoir from a pioneering Iraqi author.” ‘
Oprah also called her as “The Maya Angelou of Iraq!”
Blurb:
An intimate memoir about coming of age in a tight-knit working-class family during Iraq’s seemingly endless series of wars.
Faleeha Hassan became intimately acquainted with loss and fear while growing up in Najaf, Iraq. Now, in a deeply personal account of her life, she remembers those she has loved and lost.
GoodReads Rating (So Far):
5 stars With Only 1 rating, but the praise is SO HIGH with notable reviews from Kirkus Reviews, Oprah, and Publishers Weekly. I am going to go with my gut and say that this will be a memorable selection.
This Literary Fiction pick is categorized under Occult Horror and published by Little A.
Blurb:
The past and the present converge in this enthralling, serpentine tale of women connected by motherhood, slavery’s legacy, and histories that span centuries.
In 1850 in Massachusetts, Whittaker House stood as a stop on the Underground Railroad. It’s where two freedom seekers, Little Annie and Clementine, hid and perished. Whittaker House still stands, and Little Annie and Clementine still linger, their dreams of freedom unfulfilled.
Now a fashionably distressed vacation rental in the Berkshires, Whittaker House draws seekers of another kind: Black women who only appear to be free. Among them are Dominique, a single mother following her grand-mère’s stories to Whittaker House in search of an ancestor; Michelle, Dominique’s lover, who has journeyed to the Berkshire Mountains to heal her own traumas; and Kaye, Michelle’s sister, a seer whose visions reveal the past and future secrets of the former safehouse—along with her own.
GoodReads Rating (So Far):
4.29 With 7 Reviews. Reviewers praised it as cinematic in scope, hanting, and read like interconnected short stories.
This is categorized under mystery, thriller, & suspense literary fiction and was published by Lake Union Publishing.
Amanda Eyre Ward offered this notable review- “Mother of All Secrets is a thrilling page-turner and a fierce manifesto about motherhood, powerful women, and what we must be willing to do to protect our children. The plot twists are breathtaking and I loved staying up late reading this fabulous novel.”
Blurb:
Her freedom, her sanity, her life. How much will a young mother sacrifice to protect her secrets?
Sleep deprived and overwhelmed, first-time mom Jenn is struggling to adapt to her new role. Frustrated with her loving but preoccupied husband and still grieving the death of her own mother, she feels isolated and depressed. It’s only when she joins a new-moms’ group that she starts to think she’s finally getting back on track.
Until Isabel, the group’s leader, suddenly disappears.
Now Jenn’s baby isn’t the only reason she can’t sleep. Consumed with worry over Isabel, Jenn is teetering on the edge of obsession. Concern turns to paranoia when Jenn finds clues that force her to look at herself, her marriage, and the women in her support group, who have more in common than Jenn realized. Much more.
GoodReads Rating (So Far):
4.06 with 78 Reviews. Readers described it as compulsively readable, engrossing, and a rollercoaster of emotions that reminded them of those early days with their infants.
VERDICT: WHAT I PICKED
This month was SO HARD because they all sounded so interesting this month. Ultimately, I settled on Kismet because I love dark nods to wellness culture.
I also selected War and Me because of the incredible praise it got. I need to learn more about Iraq and this memoir sounds phenomenal.
SOUND OFF: Have you read any of this month’s selections? Tell me what you plan to pick this month!
Prime members shouldn’t miss access to this FREE Amazon First Reads program. Learn about this Kindle reading program and how this Prime perk works!
Do you love to read advanced readers of books? You may not know that Amazon offers a sneak peek at early release books, and it is included with your current Prime membership.
Today I want to explain this benefit and how to get your free books every month.So scroll down for instructions. I also have a new landing page to the books and this month’s offering of the best books. (updated monthly)!
Amazon First Reads: The Prime Reading Perk I Love For My Reading Life
The Amazon First Reads program is a free Kindle reading program that grants Prime members early access to editors’ picks.
Each month Amazon releases a list of books that members can choose a free early release copy (or sometimes two). This program was formerly known as the Kindle First program.
These free Kindle books are released a month before their release date, giving you a first look and the opportunity to build buzz on their official selections.
This deal doesn’t extend just to their digital version. Amazon also offers select print hardback editions for $9.99 or less in participating months.
Can I Still Get This Deal If I’m Not a Prime Member?
You can still access Amazon First Reads for $1.99 per month if you’re not an Amazon Prime member.
As a bonus, Kindle Unlimited members can read most of the previous First Reads picks for free. A Kindle Unlimited membership is NOT REQUIRED to have access to this freebie.
What Types of Books Are Offered?
Selections for Prime First Reads touch on each genre- mystery, historical fiction, psychological thriller, women’s fiction, short story, true crime, book club fiction, memoir, literary fiction, suspense, and children’s books.
How Are Books Selected?
On the Book Gang podcast, I had the opportunity to speak with Kathleen Carter in our “A Day in the Life of a Book Publicist” episode, whose selections often appear in the program. I had to imagine that this gives an author a great kickstart, especially if they are a debut novelist.
You can listen to this episode here:
I asked if she could tell us a little about the selection process for the Kindle First Reads program and if she had any hand in selecting the authors she’d been representing.
It’s a great question. But, unfortunately, I don’t have an answer for how they choose them. It’s something that they do internally and not something that I have the scoop on, but sometimes the decision has been made before I’ve been brought onto a campaign.
It’s exciting to see, especially when it’s an author who isn’t as well-known; maybe it’s their debut. It’s so cool to see all the reviews come in, especially when they’re positive and, you know, see thousands of reviews for a debut writer and their book. It’s just like so gratifying. It’s a very cool promotion, but it’s not something that I’m responsible for in any way. I’m fortunate to work on several books that are part of that program.
I replied, “It’s kind of like Book of the Month then? Nobody really knows how it happens. And then when it happens, it’s like magic for the author.”
Kathleen shared, “Exactly.”
This support often turns into bestsellers on Amazon.
If I can find more trade secrets in the selection, I’ll share them with you. If you are curious about topics like this, subscribe to my podcast.
What Does the Program Cost?
This program is included with your Prime membership. Therefore, there are no additional costs to participate.
If you’re not an Amazon Prime member, this link should give you a free 30-day trial! The company offers free 1-day delivery on most items. You can also access their entertainment options- tv, movies, and books.
Can I Read These If I Don’t Own a Kindle?
You can read these Kindle books by downloading the free Kindle reading app, or you can read them on your Kindle device (Paperwhite, Oasis, or Fire)
