Take a deep dive into the world of celebrity book clubs! Explore how Hollywood and literature collide with Oprah, Reese, and Jenna impacting publishing.

Do your favorite books come from a favorite celebrity? Josh (@tellthebeees on TikTok) brings his expertise on books and culture news to discuss how celebrity selection has impacted our reading experience. 

This discussion starts with the announcement, from Oprah Winfrey’s first selection to Reese Witherspoon’s Hollywood- adaptation strategy (Hello Sunshine) and Jenna Bush Hager’s surprising influence on our lives. 

A surprising number of celebrities also joined the literary scene, including Florence Welch, Emma Watson, Emma Roberts, and even a collab with Kim Kardashian and Chrissy Teigen (that quickly fizzled). 

One name you might not be familiar with is our discovery of the Noname Book Club, which already had me joining their paid community to help. You’ll want to join in when you see the book picks. 

Whether you are old enough to remember the earliest days of Oprah’s Book Club, a millennial joining in the reading fun with Reese’s Book Club,  a Read with Jenna connoisseur, or happen to align with a micro-influencer taste, we want to facilitate that conversation with you today. 

Josh and I share similar taste in books and offer our shared shelf experience with the best book club picks we’ve experienced from these three influencers. 

That’s not all, though, we also want to talk to YOU about your favorite book club books. Don’t miss this month’s Town Hall, where we share who has had the biggest influence on YOUR reading life. 

Don’t miss today’s bonus article with my top five celebrity book club recommendations from these three amazing clubs we have featured today in today’s bonus book list! 

The Celebrity Book Club Deep Dive Episode You Need

Listen to the Show:

Listen to Book Gang below or listen on your favorite podcast listening platform!

Mentioned in this episode:

Book Gang listeners, if you love our commercial-free podcast, please considersupporting me on Patreon! As a patron, you’ll receive a monthly “FULLY BOOKED” show, featuring the latest in buzzy books reviews in newsletter and podcast format, co-hosted with@getbookedwithlarry.  You’ll also get an exclusive monthly author interview and a book club music playlist for the MomAdvice Book Club. Membership is just $5 per month, or you can pre-pay to save 10%. 

MomAdvice Book Club

A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella

Fables Books

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Passions

A Little Life Tee

Girls

Roxane Gay’s Book Club

Malala’s Book Club

Oprah’s Book Club

Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard

Reese Witherspoon and the Boom in Celebrity Book Clubs on The Guardian 

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen

Reese’s Book Club Hello Sunshine

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Gone Girl

Wild

Big Little Lies

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

The Island of the Missing Trees by Elif Shafak

Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel

Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

Amy’s Interview with Celeste Ng

Amy’s Interview with Jessica Knoll

Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen

L.A. Weather by Maria Amparo Escandon

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Where the Crawdads Sing

Carolina by Taylor Swift

Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll

The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay

Reese Witherspoon: Women Want Quality Content, Not ‘Mommy Blogs And 14 Ways To Cook A Turkey’ on Huffpost

No Name Book Club

Noname: Tiny Desk Concert

Noname’s Interview on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah

How Noname is Reimagining Fame (and Everything Else) on Rolling Stone

Noname Book Club Patreon Account

Black bookstore list from Noname

Read with Jenna Book Club

Late Migrations by Margaret Renkl

Jenna Bush Hager, Progeny of Presidents, Is Now a Publishing Kingmaker on The New York Times

The Feather Thief by Kirk W. Johnson

Jenna Bush Hager Adds Page to Book Club with Universal Studio Production Deal on Variety

A Little Hope by Ethan Joella

Lessons for Writing Your First Book with Ethan Joella (Book Gang Podcast)

Remarkable Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare

Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano

Dear Edward

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson

The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall

The Family by Naomi Krupitsky

Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour

Connect With Us:

Connect with Josh (TellTheBeees on Tiktok) 

Connect with Amy on Instagram, on TikTok, or MomAdvice.com

Join the MomAdvice Book Club

Shop Our Bookish Shirtsto support the show

Join the Book Gang Patreon (for our exclusive FULLY BOOKED  book review show & more!

Expand your library with new Asian American authors. Celebrate fresh AAPI voices with debut novelist Kristen Mei Chase on today’s podcast.

In today’s Book Gang episode, Kristen Mei Chase discusses her book “A Thousand Miles to Graceland” and highlights some of her favorite Asian American and Pacific Islander authors in literature.

This sparkling debut imagines a road trip for a mother and daughter bonded together over the surprising power of ELVIS. We also discuss how it trickled into her own relationship with her mother, and other Asian American voices that helped her find her own. 

She discusses her unique publishing process and how her decade-long manuscript finally got published through an unlikely avenue for refinement.

Today’s discussion also explores a backlist favorite from Celeste Ng and a brand-new debut favorite that presents an American family story from a bi-racial perspective. For Kristen, the significance of writing (and reading) about bi-racial Chinese-American characters is an impactful one.

Don’t miss today’s BONUS post featuring Asian American and Pacific Islander authors, including Kristen’s book and several upcoming titles. This is a great starting point for reading more books with AAPI voices.

Meet Kristen Mei Chase

Kristen Mei Chase is an author, web entrepreneur and media personality.  She co-founded Cool Mom Picks, one of the most influential parenting networks on the web, reaching millions of parents each month with the best gear, gifts, advice, and tips. As a bi-racial Asian American, Kristen writes to share the little stories of bi- and multi-racial Americans in a big way. She lives in the Philly suburbs with her four kids and an extensive collection of vintage Elvis t-shirts. 

More Asian American Authors to Read Now

Listen to the full episode below and subscribe to the Book Gang podcast for more episodes like this one.

Mentioned in this episode:

Book Gang listeners, if you love our commercial-free podcast, please consider supporting me on Patreon! As a patron, you’ll receive a monthly “FULLY BOOKED” show, featuring the latest in buzzy books reviews in newsletter and podcast format, co-hosted with @getbookedwithlarry.  You’ll also get an exclusive monthly author interview and a book club music playlist for the MomAdvice Book Club. Membership is just $5 per month, or you can pre-pay to save 10%. 

Please note that HarperCollins has reached an agreement with their strike! This was recorded prior to the contract agreement. You can read more here. 

A Thousand Miles to Graceland by Kristen Mei Chase

A Home for Asian American Authors by Publishers Weekly

Third State Books

Phenomenal Media

Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen

The Matchmaker’s Gift by Lynda Cohen Loigman

The Porcelain Moon by Janie Chang

The Library of Legends by Janie Chang

The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn & Janie Chang

HarperCollins Union on TikTok

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

Amy’s interview with Celeste Ng

Banyan Moon by Thao Thai

Cup of Jo

Connect With Us:

Connect with Kristen Mei Chase on her website, Instagram, or Twitter 

Connect with Amy on Instagram or on MomAdvice.com

Join the MomAdvice Book Club

Shop Our Bookish Shirts to support the show

Join the Book Gang Patreon (for our exclusive FULLY BOOKED  book review show & more!

You’ll feel like a kid again with this stack of coming-of-age novels. These stories celebrate the growing pains of young adult life in big and beautiful ways.

Get ready to relive those coming-of-age moments and feel like a kid again on today’s show.  What’s better than being transported back to our youth through our fictional life. This discussion is filled with trivia on your favorite backlist books and a short but powerful new release selection I know you’ll love. 

Don’t miss this dynamic chat and get our list of essential reads that would be perfect for a buddy read or book club with friends. 

Kristin Rider joins me as our special guest and shares the ways she navigates reading with chronic pain.  You won’t want to miss this section with our favorite gadgets and apps that help us navigate this challenge with holding books. 

If you want MORE suggestions, be sure to check today’s book list with 13 coming-of-age stories that any adult will love.

The Best Coming of Age Books (Podcast)

Listen to the full episode below and subscribe to the Book Gang podcast for more episodes like this one.

Mentioned in this episode:

SUPPORT MY WORK through Patreon!

The Matchmaker’s Gift by Lynda Cohen Loigman

One’s Company by Ashley Hutson

Fables Books

Amy on Hometown Living

LEVO book stand

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

The People we Keep by Allison Larkin

In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

Dominicana by Angie Cruz

Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnson

The Clan of the Cave Bar by Jean M. Auel

What the World’s Top Authors Say You Should be Reading

Sundays With Writers: Love With a Chance of Drowning by Torre DeRoche

Love with a Chance of Drowning by Torre DeRoche

Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau

Life by Keith Richards

The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare

The Girl With the Louding Voice Book Chat

Best-selling novel exposes life of children in Nigeria on Reuters

Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane

The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane

The Walking People by Mary Beth Keane

Fever by Mary Beth Keane

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevado

Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac

Now is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson

Harper Collins Strike

HCPUnion on TikTok

Shop the above (Amazon) links or shop through my Book Gang Bookshop Page!! They pay a 10% commission on every sale and give a matching 10% to independent bookstores.

Connect With Us:

Connect with Kristin on Instagram

Connect with Amy on Instagram or on MomAdvice.com

Join the MomAdvice Book Club

Shop Our Bookish Shirts to support the show

Join the Book Gang Patreon (for our exclusive FULLY BOOKED  book review show & more!

The BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR is here! We read a combined 481 books and tell you our top book recommendations! Listen to today’s podcast to discover what books we loved in 2022. 

We are so lucky to have Larry Hoffer (@getbookedwithlarry) back because he read 372 books this year and share his favorites today.

Combined, we have read a total of 481 books that include all of your favorite categories- historical fiction, young adult, science fiction, literary fiction, contemporary fiction, and ONE outstanding thriller. If you are on the hunt for your next debut novel, this stack is filled with them because there is nothing better than celebrating new authors.

As readers that love to make discoveries, we were surprised by how many many big blockbuster books ended up making our top ten lists. I guess the New York Times bestseller list wasn’t so bad this year.

The best part is that Larry and I share many a top pick for the first time. We made some space to reflect on our end of the year reading and how we plan to better shape our goals for a happier and healthier new year of reading in 2023. I also appreciate the personal experiences that we bring to this years book and I think you will too.

If these new books for your stack aren’t enough, we are offering a part two of this episode in the Patreon community. Along with this bonus episode is a 20-page reading guide AND printable checklists with our top 25 books so you can take these to your next library day.

We can’t wait to hear if a few of your favorite books of the year made the cut.

Best Books To Read From 2022 (Podcast)

Listen below or listen on your favorite podcast listening platform!

Mentioned in this episode:

SUPPORT MY WORK through Patreon (download our top 25 lists AND unlock 189 bookish bonuses INSTANTLY)

Helpful Articles Mentioned Today:

Best Books of 2022 To Read Now (BLOG POST- Full list & Reviews)

Tutorial on How to Use the Storygraph App

Tutorial on How to Use the Scribd App

Books & Authors Mentioned:

In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner

The One Hundred Years of Lenni & Margot by Marianne Cronin

The People We Keep by Allison Larkin

Fire Keeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano by Donna Freitas

The Lady’s Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness by Sarah Ramey

A Cosmology of Monsters by Shaun Hamill

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

This Boy We Made by Taylor Harris

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston

The Kindred Spirits Supper Club

Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan

When You Call My Name by Tucker Shaw

The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickels

Yerba Buena by Nina LaCour

You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour with David Levithan

Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor

Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter

Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum

Mr. Wrong Number by Lynn Painter

The Do-Over by Lynn Painter

Self-Made Boys by Anna-Marie McLemore

We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman

Look Closer by David Ellis

Connect With Us:

Amy’s Website- MomAdvice.com

Amy is @momadvice on Instagram

Larry is @getbookedwithlarry on Instagram

Book Gang T-Shirts and Merchandise

Join the Book Gang Patreon

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

Today’s interview is with Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone as we discuss their new plus-size heroine in “A Merry Little Meet Cute.”

Learn why body positivity in our characters is so important and how the romance industry is changing to feel more inclusive.

This spicy romance discussion includes what they learned from forming this new “odd couple” writing partnership and how they rose to new creative challenges.

Julie and Sierra both have also worked as librarians and share five book recommendations with curvy characters we should add to our book stacks immediately.

ABOUT JULIE MURPHY & SIERRA SIMONE

Julie Murphy is a librarian turned #1 New York Times bestselling author of novels for all ages including Dumplin’ (now a Netflix original film), Dear Sweet Pea, and If the Shoe Fits. Julie lives in North Texas with her spouse, who loves her; her dog, who adores her; and her cats, who tolerate her.

Sierra Simone is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling former librarian. Her notable works include Priest, American Queen, and Misadventures of a Curvy Girl, and her books have been featured in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Entertainment Weekly, and Buzzfeed. She lives with her spouse and family in Kansas City.

The Best Plus-Size Romance Characters to Love: An Interview with Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone (Podcast)

Listen to the Show

Book Gang Podcast Episode 45:

Listen below or listen on your favorite podcast listening platform!

Mentioned in this episode:

A Cosmology of Monsters by Shaun Hamill

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy

If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

Dear Sweet Pea by Julie Murphy

Vault of Ambience YouTube Channel

Samsung Frame TV (that we all own now- hahaha!)

Tazo Tea Turmeric Bliss

A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone

In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner

Priest by Sierra Simone

Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade

Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade

After Hours on Milagro Street by Angelina M. Lopez

Fat Chance Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado

No Filter and Other Lies by Crystal Maldonado

Xeni: A Marriage of Inconvenience by Rebekah Weatherpoon

Love is a Revolution by Renee Watson

Connect With Us:

Amy is @momadvice on Instagram

Follow Sierra on email at thesierrasimone@gmail.com & TheSierraSimone.com & Sierra’s Newsletter & Sierra’s Instagram

Follow Julie on Instagram & Julie on Twitter & Julie on TikTok & Julie’s website & Julie’s Newsletter

Julie + Sierra’s Website

Julie & Sierra’s Newsletter

Book Gang T-Shirts and Merchandise

Join the Book Gang Patreon

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.

This post contains affiliate links.

THIS MONTH’S PATREON BONUSES

20 NEW RELEASE BOOK REVIEWS (LISTEN TO THE PODCAST OR DOWNLOAD THE 37-PAGE READING GUIDE)