Book of the Month Live

We are so excited to sit down with Xochitl Gonzalez to discuss her newest book Anita de Monte Laughs Last! We discussed why this book feels more personal to her than her debut, how our view of relationships change as we grow older, and why she owes her college roommate $20.  Anita de Monte, a rising star in the art world, is found dead in NYC; her tragic death is the talk of the town. Until it isn’t. By 1998, Anita’s name has been all but forgotten, certainly by the time Raquel, a third-year art history student, is preparing for her final thesis. But when Raquel finds herself rising up the social ranks, she stumbles upon Anita’s story, raising questions about the dynamics of her own relationship. Get Anita de Monte Laughs Last at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.  Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.  

This is a preview of our episode with Cara Bastone, author of Ready or Not. Our full conversation is available for free in the Book of the Month app.  Cara Bastone joined us at the BOTM HQ to talk about her new book, Ready or Not! We had so much fun talking about how she first conceived of this story (pun intended), how to show up for someone who is expecting, and how she was first introduced to the romance genre. Eve Hatch is pretty content with her life, until she finds herself expecting after an uncharacteristic one-night stand. The unplanned pregnancy cracks open all of the relationships in her life. Eve’s loyal friendship with her best friend Willa is feeling off, right when she needs her most. And it’s Willa’s brother who steps up to help. Before long, Eva is rethinking everything she thought she knew about herself and her world. Get Ready or Not at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.  Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.  

This is a preview of our episode with Kristin Hannah, author of The Women. Our full conversation is available for free in the Book of the Month app.  We sit down with 3-peat BOTM author Kristin Hannah to discuss her new book, The Women! We talk about the original inspiration behind the book, the role women played in the Vietnam War, and the importance of engaging with our history. When Frances McGrath’s brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path. As inexperienced as the men sent to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death and hope and betrayal. But war is just the beginning; the real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America. Get The Women at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.  Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.  

We sat down with Avery Cunningham to discuss her debut novel, The Mayor of Maxwell Street. We discussed the wealthy's pastime in horse racing, the seedy underbelly of organized crime, and the lesson Avery took from writing this story. After the unexpected death of her only brother, Nelly becomes the premier debutante overnight, but Nelly has aspirations beyond society influence and marriage. For the past year, she has worked undercover as an investigative journalist, sharing the achievements and tribulations of everyday Black people living in the shadow of Jim Crow. Her latest assignment thrusts her into the den of a dangerous vice lord: the Mayor of Maxwell Street. Get The Mayor of Maxwell Street at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.  Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.  

We're speaking with Yangsze Choo about her new book, The Fox Wife! We talked about why Yangsze based this story in 1908 Manchuria, how her time abroad informed her approach to stories, and of course, magic.  In the last years of the dying Qing Empire, a courtesan is found frozen in a doorway. Her death is clouded by rumors of foxes, which are believed to lure people by transforming themselves into beautiful women and handsome men. Taking inspiration from Chinese folklore, this winter tale follows a fox seeking revenge in the dangerous world of men. Get The Fox Wife at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.  Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.  

Rebecca Ross joins us on Virtual Book Tour to discuss her duology - Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows. We had a magical time talking about the duality that lives in all of us, why romantasy is a genre capturing readers, and how Rebecca's love of fantasy started. In this epic follow-up to Divine Rivals, Iris has returned from the front, but the war is far from over. Roman is missing, and the city of Oath continues to dwell in a state of disbelief and ignorance. As the days grow darker, inevitably drawing Roman and Iris closer together, the two of them will risk their very hearts and futures to change the tides of the war.  Get Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.  Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.  

On this week's episode, we sit down with Amy Jo Burns, author of Mercury! We had a great time speaking about the legacy of making things with your hands, why we should be rethinking the term "Rust Belt," and the learnings that come with regret.  It’s 1990 and seventeen-year-old Marley West is blazing into the river valley town of Mercury, Pennsylvania. A perpetual loner, she seeks a place at someone’s table and a family of her own. The first thing she sees when she arrives in town is three men standing on a rooftop. The Joseph brothers become Marley’s whole world before she can blink. Get Mercury at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.  Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.  

We are so excited to be welcoming Alex Michaelides, three-time BOTM author, onto VBT for this week's episode! We took a peek behind the emerald curtain and got to learn more about how he plays with the expectations of the reader, why The Fury is a whydunit rather than a whodunit, and how Alex fell back in love with writing. Lana Farrar is a reclusive ex-movie star and one of the most famous women in the world. Every year, she invites her closest friends to escape and spend Easter on her private Greek island. It has all the necessary ingredients for a press sensation: a celebrity; a private island cut off by the wind…and a murder.  Get The Fury at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.  Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.  

Live from the BOTM headquarters, Molly Roden Winter joins us to discuss her new memoir, More. We talked about everything from motherhood, outdoor escapades, and the intricacies of an open marriage. This episode had the whole office in tears from laughing; you're in for a treat! Molly Roden Winter was a mom of two young children with her husband, Stewart. One night, when Stewart missed the kids’ bedtime, again, she stormed out of the house to clear her head. At impromptu drinks with a friend, she met an unbelievably hot younger man. When Molly told her husband that Matt had asked her out, she was surprised that he encouraged her to accept. There began Molly’s open marriage and with it a life-changing journey of self-discovery. Get More at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.  Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.  

We are so excited to be sitting down with Amy Pease to talk about her debut book, Northwoods. We loved getting to hear about her experience going from a Book of the Month long-time member to author, and we also talked about the hallmarks of writing a small town mystery, how her work as a healthcare provider helped her writing, and Amy's favorite niche sub genre.  Eli North’s drinking is getting worse by the day, his emotional wounds after his deployment in Afghanistan are as raw as ever, his marriage and career are over, and the only job he can hold down is at the local sheriff’s department with his mother. When the body of a boy is found in the lake, Eli has the opportunity to solve the case and get the shot at redemption he so desperately needs. Or will answers to this dark case elude him and continue to bring destruction to the Northwoods? Get Northwoods at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.