Fully Booked by Kirkus Reviews

Sara Gran joins us to discuss The Book of the Most Precious Substance (Dreamland Books, Feb. 8), a delightful erotic literary thriller from the author of the Claire DeWitt mystery series and founder of Dreamland Books. Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week, with books by Traci Sorell, Ruta Sepetys, Carl Bernstein, and Antoine Wilson. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jessamine Chan joins us to discuss her debut novel The School for Good Mothers (Simon & Schuster, Jan. 4), a brilliant social satire centering on one Philadelphia mother’s “very bad day.” Kirkus: “An enthralling dystopian drama that makes complex points about parenting with depth and feeling” (starred review). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week, with books by Ruth Behar and Devon Holzwarth, Bernardine Evaristo, and Julia May Jonas. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

John Darnielle joins us to discuss Devil House (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Jan. 25), “an impressively meta work that delivers the pleasures of true-crime while skewering it.” This third novel from the New York Times bestselling author and singer-songwriter of Mountain Goats fame is his best yet, according to our starred review. Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week, with books by Marieke Nijkamp, Nilah Magruder, Stanley Tucci, and Claire Messud See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Debut author Gwen E. Kirby joins us to discuss Shit Cassandra Saw (Penguin, Jan. 11), a standout, feminist short story collection with “zany plots, unconventional forms, and playful, poetic language” that “delight[s] at every turn” (starred review). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week, with books by Zoey Abbott, Corey Ann Haydu, Paul McCartney, and Jonathan Evison. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Antoine Wilson joins us to discuss Mouth to Mouth (Avid Reader Press, Jan. 11), an intriguing novel Kirkus calls “a deliciously nasty morality play in the guise of a thriller.” Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week, with books by Sophie Burrows, Claire Alexander, and Hanya Yanagihara. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Xochitl Gonzalez joins us to discuss Olga Dies Dreaming (Flatiron Books, Jan. 4), the hotly anticipated debut novel Kirkus calls a “warmhearted but tough-minded story of a sister and brother grappling with identity, family, and life goals in gentrifying Brooklyn” (starred review). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week, with books by David Valdez, Nikole Hannah-Jones & Caitlin Roper & Elena Silverman & Jake Silverstein, and Jessamine Chan. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Happy New Year, listeners! Editor-in-chief Tom Beer and journalist Michael Schaub join host Megan Labrise for an extra-special Fully Booked Year-in-Review, featuring a spirited discussion of the wackiest book news to come out of 2021, followed by the revelation and celebration of our most downloaded episode of the year. You won’t want to miss it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this special holiday episode, host Megan Labrise looks back on the year in podcasting and reintroduces two of her favorite conversations from 2021: with Kazuo Ishiguro, author of Klara and the Sun (Knopf), and with Mary Roach, author of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law (Norton). Thanks for listening in, and cheers to another great year in podcasting! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On our final Best Books episode, Cynthia Barnett discusses The Sound of the Sea: Seashells and the Fate of the Oceans (Norton, July). This “absolutely captivating nature book” is one of Kirkus’ Best Books in young readers’ literature for 2021 (starred review). Then nonfiction editor Eric Liebetrau joins Megan to discuss the year in memoir, biography, science writing, history, criticism, and more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On our second Best Books episode, Kelly Loy Gilbert discusses When We Were Infinite (Simon & Schuster, March). Gilbert’s “beautifully, achingly cathartic” YA novel (starred review), is one of Kirkus’ Best Books in young readers’ literature for 2021. Then young readers’ editor Laura Simeon joins Megan to discuss the year in picture books, middle grade, and YA. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.