Well-Read

It’s that time again…the books we’re looking forward to the most publishing March through May!

Books and other media mentioned in this episode: What Should I Read Next? (podcast)

Ann’s picks:

• The Silver Boneby Andrey Kurkov(releases March 5) –Stieg Larsson books
• The Mystery Writerby Sulari Gentill(releases March 19) –The Woman in the Libraryby Sulari Gentill
• Someone You Can Build a NestIn by John Wiswell(releases April 2)
• Bless Your Heartby Lindy Ryan –Rachel Harrison books
• Funny Storyby Emily Henry(releases April 23) –Happy Placeby Emily Henry
• The Return of Ellie Blackby Emiko Jean(releases May 7) –Mika in Real Lifeby Emiko Jean
• Black Shield Maidenby Willow Smith(releases May 7)
• The Guncle Abroadby Stephen Rowley(releases May 21) –The Guncleby Stephen Rowley

Halle’s picks:

• The Great Divideby Christina Henríquez(releases March 5) –The Book of Unknown Americansby Christina Henríquez
• Anita de Monte Laughs Lastby Xóchitl González(releases March 5) –Olga Dies Dreamingby Xóchitl González
• Happily Never Afterby Lynn Painter(releases March 12) –Betting on Youby Lynn Painter –When Harry Met Sally(film)
• The Familiarby Leigh Bardugo(releases April 9)
• How to End a Love Storyby Yulin Kuang(releases April 9) –People We Meet on Vacation(film) –Beach Read(film) –Romantic Comedyby Curtis Sittenfeld –Saturday Night Live(TV)
• Real Americansby Rachel Khong(releases April 30) –Goodbye, Vitaminby Rachel Khong –Homegoingby Yaa Gyasi –Transcendent Kingdomby Yaa Gyasi
• Happy Mediumby Sarah Adler(releases April 30) –Mrs. Nash’s Ashesby Sarah Adler
• Lies and Weddingsby Kevin Kwan(releases May 21) –Crazy Rich Asiansseries by Kevin Kwan –Sex and Vanityby Kevin Kwan –Doctor Thorneby Anthony Trollope –A Room with a Viewby E.M. Forster

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann:Shut Up, This Is Seriousby Carolina Ixta
• Halle:The Hunterby Tana French –The Searcherby Tana French

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We love reading books but we also love getting books off our shelves, so that means we love our annual Reading From Our TBRs episode!

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Ann’s picks:

• Take It Backby Kia Abdullah –Kia Abdullah books
• Good Omensby Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett –Audie Awards –Neil Gaiman books –Terry Pratchett books –Good Omens(TV) –The House of the Cerulean Seaby TJ Klune
• Old Lovegood Girlsby Gail Godwin –From the Front Porch (podcast) –Ann Patchett books

Halle’s picks:

• The Bandit Queensby Parini Shroff –My Sister, the Serial Killerby Oyinkan Braithwaite
• The Truth and Other Hidden Thingsby Lea Geller –Lori Gelman books –Class Momby Lori Gelman
• Shrines of Gaietyby Kate Atkinson –Throne of Glassseries by Sarah J. Maas –Booklist –Life After Lifeby Kate Atkinson

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann:Here In Avalonby Tara Isabella Burton –Tara Isabella Burton books
• Halle:When We Were Bright and Beautifulby Jillian Medoff –Yellowfaceby R.F. Kuang

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We’re back with our superlatives episode – one of our favorites of the year!

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Halle’s Instagram Women’s Prize for Fiction Hell Bentby Leigh Bardugo The Covenant of Waterby Abraham Verghese Lonesome Doveby Larry McMurtry From the Front Porch(podcast) Book of the Month Club

Most Timely Ann:Spareby Prince Harry Halle:Fourth Wingby Rebecca Yarros

Most Disappointing Ann:The Cloistersby Katy HaysandUnder Lock & Skeleton Keyby Gigi Pandian Halle:Happiness Fallsby Angie KimandRomantic Comedyby Curtis Sittenfeld –Miracle Creekby Angie Kim –Saturday Night Live(TV)

Favorite Reread Ann:Ninth Houseby Leigh Bardugo Halle:Daisy Jones & the Sixby Taylor Jenkins ReidandThe Guncleby Steven Rowley –Daisy Jones & the Six(TV)

Biggest Surprise Ann:Legends & Lattesby Travis BaldreeandLady Tan’s Circle of Womenby Lisa See Halle:The Undertaking of Hart and Mercyby Megan Bannen –The Undermining of Twyla and Frankby Megan Bannen

Least Favorite Ann:Fourth Wingby Rebecca YarrosandThe Scourge Between Starsby Ness Brown Halle:Mean Babyby Selma Blair

Book That Lived Up to the Hype: Ann:How to Sell a Haunted Houseby Grady HendrixandTomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrowby Gabrielle Zevin Halle:Happy Placeby Emily Henry Best Distraction Ann:The Last Wordby Taylor Adams Halle:Katherine Center books –Happiness for Beginnersby Katherine Center –Hello Strangerby Katherine Center

The Book That Ended a Mini Reading Slump Ann:Homecomingby Kate Morton Halle:Adelaideby Genevieve Wheeler

Most Unputdownable Ann:What Lies in the Woodsby Kate Alice MarshallandLook Closerby David Ellis Halle:None of This Is Trueby Lisa JewellandDrowningby T.J. Newman

Better Late Than Never Ann:Such a Fun Ageby Kiley ReidandThe Bear and the Nightingaleby Katherine Arden Halle:The Exilesby Christina Baker KlineandMy Sister, the Serial Killerby Oyinkan Braithwaite

Book That Has Stayed With Me Ann:The Museum of Ordinary Peopleby Mike Gayle Halle:Someday, Maybeby Onyi Nwabineli

Book That We Didn’t Think We’d Like, But Then We Did! Ann:The Deep Skyby Yume KitaseiandGods of the Wyrdwoodby RJ Barker –Mistbornby Brandon Sanderson Halle:Shark Heartby Emily Habeck

Author(s) we discovered in 2023 that we’re most excited to read more from in 2024 Ann:Nilima Rao,T. Kingfisher,Heather Fawcett –A Disappearance in Fijiby Nilima Rao –Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeriesby Heather Fawcett –Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlandsby Heather Fawcett Halle:Sarah AdlerandJessica Joyce –Mrs. Nash’s Ashesby Sarah Adler –You, With a Viewby Jessica Joyce

Hidden Gem: Ann:A Death in Denmarkby Amulya MalladiandRole Playingby Cathy YardleyandBetter the Bloodby Michael Bennett Halle:Talking at Nightby Claire DaverleyandChance of a Lifetimeseries by Kate Clayborn –Normal Peopleby Sally Rooney Best Audiobook Experience of the Year: Ann:Kalaby Colin WalshandWarrior Girl Unearthedby Angeline Boulley –Firekeeper’s Daughterby Angeline Boulley Halle:The Woman in Meby Britney Spears, narrated by Michelle Williams

Our Favorite Non-Book Media Property of the Year Ann:“Planet of the Bass” by DJ Crazy Times (song)    Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour(film)    Barbie(film)    The Shop Around the Corner(film)    Remember the Night(film)    Bob’s Burgers(TV) Halle:Lessons in Chemistry(TV)    Daisy Jones & The Six(TV)    The Bear(TV)    The Great Canadian Baking Show(TV)    First Draft(podcast)    Sentimental Garbage(podcast)     –The Rachel Incidentby Caroline O’Donoghue     –You’ve Got Mail(film)     –Sleepless in Seattle(film)

The Book We Recommended the Most This Year Ann:Last to Leave the Roomby Caitlin StarlingandLegends & Lattesby Travis Baldree Halle:Tom Lakeby Ann Patchett

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann:Statelessby Elizabeth Wein –Code Name Verityby Elizabeth Wein
• Halle:Throne of Glassseries by Sarah J. Maas –A Court of Thorns and Rosesseries by Sarah J. Maas

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This week, we’re talking about book trends! Whether you’re deep in romantasy or cozy everything, we’re covering some of the biggest trends in publishing right now.

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Fourth Wingby Rebecca Yarros The Maidby Nita Prose Anne McCaffrey books Game of Thrones(TV) A Song of Fire and Iceseries by George R.R. Martin The Inheritance Cycleseries by Christopher Paolini Harry Potterseries by J.K. Rowling Lord of the Ringsseries by J.R.R Tolkein Legends & Lattesby Travis Baldree A Psalm for the Wild-Builtby Becky Chambers Before the Coffee Gets Coldby Toshikazu Kawaguchi The Kamogawa Food Detectivesby Hisashi Kashiwai Debbie Macomber books Sweet Magnolias(TV) Virgin River(TV) The Sweet Magnoliasseries by Sherryl Woods Virgin Riverseries by Robin Carr A Man Called Oveby Fredrik Backman The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappearedby Jonas Jonasson The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fryby Rachel Joyce Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderersby Jesse Q. Sutanto The Summer Seekersby Sarah Morgan The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louiseby Colleen Oakley Killers of a Certain Ageby Deanna Raybourn Miss Marpleseries by Agatha Christie The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaningby Margareta Magnusson Helen Mirren filmography A Court of Thorns and Rosesseries by Sarah J. Maas Zodiac Academyseries by Caroline Peckham Throne of Glassseries by Sarah J. Maas The Hunger Gamesseries by Suzanne Collins @beachreadsandbubbly on Instagram Jennifer L. Armentrout books Bright Young Womenby Jessica Knoll The Quiet Tenantby Clémence Michallon Notes on an Executionby Danya Kukafka Serial(podcast) Role Playingby Cathy Yardley People We Meet on Vacationby Emily Henry Get Out(film) Only Good Indiansby Stephen Graham Jones Victor LaValle books Mexican Gothicby Silvia Morena-Garcia Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horroredited byJordan Peele Circeby Madeline Miller Queen Hereafterby Isabelle Schuler Macbethby William Shakespeare Hamnetby Maggie O’Farrell Assistant to the Villainby Hannah Nicole Maehrer

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann:Black River Orchardby Chuck Wendig
• Halle:Three Holidays and a Weddingby Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley –Uzma Jalaluddin books –Maggie Knox books –Karma Brown books

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Depending on which co-host you ask, it’s the most wonderful time of the year: Halloween! We have plenty of books for all your spooky reading needs this season. As always, we’ll end with what we’re reading this week.

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Episode 11 – Spooky Books for Halloween The Unmaking of June Farrowby Adrienne Young ALA RUSA CODES Reading List Hocus Pocus(film) Bleeding Hart Yardby Elly Griffiths Harbinder Kaurseries by Elly Griffiths The Postscript Murdersby Elly Griffiths

Ann’s picks:

• Bad Creeby Jessica Johns
• Overdueby Richie Tankersley Cusick –Christopher Pike books –Goosebumpsseries by R.L. Stine –Fear Streetseries by R.L. Stine –The Mallby Richie Tankersley Cusick –The Phantom of the Operaby Gaston Leroux –Silent Stalkerby Richie Tankersley Cusick –Infernoby Dante Alighieri
• Summer Sonsby Lee Mandelo

Halle’s picks:

• The Silent Companionsby Laura Purcell
• The Witch of Wild Thingsby Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
• Bright Young Womenby Jessica Knoll –The Whispersby Ashley Audrain –The Pushby Ashley Audrain

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann:Black Sheepby Rachel Harrison
• Halle:Meet the Benedettosby Katie Cotugno –Keeping Up with the Kardashians(TV) –Pride and Prejudiceby Jane Austen –The Kardashians(TV) –Eligibleby Curtis Sittenfeld

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It’s time to revisit books about books! We discuss some recent and evergreen favorites.

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

The Reading Listby Sara Nisha Adams Yellowfaceby R.F. Kuang

Ann’s picks:

• The Stranger Diariesby Elly Griffiths –Harbinder Kaurseries by Elly Griffiths
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Societyby Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows –The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society(film)
• The Last Wordby Taylor Adams

Halle’s picks:

• The Wishing Gameby Meg Shaffer –Harry Potterseries by J.K. Rowling –Charlie and the Chocolate Factoryby Roald Dahl –The House in the Cerulean Seaby T.J. Klune
• The Door-to-Door Bookstoreby Carsten Henn –Booklist(magazine) –One Summer in Savannahby Terah Shelton Harris –The Collected Regrets of Cloverby Mikki Brammer
• The Dictionary of Lost Worldby Pip Williams –The Bookbinderby Pip Williams

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann:Lone Womenby Victor LaValle –Midsommar(film) –The Devil in Silverby Victor LaValle
• Halle:The Unmaking of June Farrowby Adrienne Young –Weywardby Emilia Hart –Practical Magic(film) –Practical Magicby Alice Hoffman –Practical Magicseries by Alice Hoffman

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