Podcasts about read harder journal

Amanda and Jenn discuss their resolution reads for 2020, including getting outside more, forming or breaking habits, dealing with social media, and more. This episode is sponsored by the Read Harder Journal, Care/of, and Libro.fm. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. BOOKS DISCUSSED Indistractable by Nir Eyal Rest by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang How To Be Yourself by Ellen Hendriksen How to Stop Losing Your Shit With Your Kids by Carla Naumburg Atomic Habits by James Clear How To Do Nothing by Jenny Odell The AI Who Loved Me by Alyssa Cole Cabin Porn! Inside by Zach Klein and Freda Moon The Book of Delights by Ross Gay The Nature Fix by Florence Williams

This week Alice and Kim talk favorite nonfiction reads of 2019, including the women of Disney, a very lonely whale, and how to stop stress in its tracks. This episode is sponsored by Book Riot’s Read Harder Journal and Libro.fm. Subscribe to For Real using RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. For more nonfiction recommendations, sign up for our True Story newsletter, edited by Kim Ukura. NONFICTION NEWS Goodreads Choice Awards are out! 2019 FAVORITES Notes from a Young Black Chef by Kwame Onwuachi, Joshua David Stein Parkland by Dave Cullen Good Talk by Mira Jacob The Collected Schizophrenias: Essays by Esmé Weijun Wang Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski The Queens of Animation by Nathalia Holt Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb Unfollow: A Memoir of Loving and Leaving the Westboro Baptist Church by Megan Phelps-Roper Make it Scream, Make it Burn by Leslie Jamison Agrippina: The Most Extraordinary Woman of the Roman World by Emma Southon No Visible Bruises by Rachel Louise Snyder 2019 MISSES Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion by Jia Tolentino Know My Name by Chanel Miller Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep Grace Will Lead Us Home: The Charleston Church Massacre and the Hard, Inspiring Journey to Forgiveness by Jennifer Berry Hawes The Great Pretender: The Undercover Mission That Changed Our Understanding of Madness by Susannah Cahalan Thick: And Other Essays by Tressie McMillan Cottom READING NOW KIM: The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir ALICE: Know My Name by Chanel Miller! Citizen by Claudia Rankine CONCLUSION You can find us on SOCIAL MEDIA – @itsalicetime and @kimthedork RATE AND REVIEW on Apple Podcasts so people can find us more easily, and subscribe so you can get our new episodes the minute they come out.

Sharifah and Jenn discuss Dracula, PAX Unplugged, the Wonder Woman trailer, their most anticipated sci-fi and fantasy of 2020, and more. This episode is sponsored by the Read Harder Journal, LMBPN Publishing, and Anyone by Charles Soule, and by Harper Perennial. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS here, Apple Podcasts here, Spotify here. The show can also be found on Stitcher here. To get even more SF/F news and recs, sign up for our Swords and Spaceships newsletter! NEWS Steven Moffat on Dracula’s Sexuality Follow-up: Jenn has further thoughts on The Mandalorian PAX Unplugged Report! Tea Dragon Society & Aquicorn Cove by Katie O’Neill, Dune, Star Trek Catan Hasbro Announces New Baby Yoda Collectibles (crochet’d Child) Wonder Woman trailer BOOKS DISCUSSED Vagabonds by Hao Jingfang, transl. by Ken Liu (April 14 2020) The Down Days by Ilze Hugo (May 5 2020) The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by KS Villoso (February 18 2020) The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (March 17 2020) Docile by K.M. Szpara (March 3 2020) Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi (January 21 2020) The City We Became by NK Jemisin (March 24 2020) – short story: The City Born Great Wicked as You Wish by Rin Chupeco (March 3 2020)

This week, Liberty and Rebecca discuss Such a Fun Age, Dead Astronauts, This is Going To Hurt, and more great December books. This episode was sponsored the Read Harder Journal, Book Riot's Read Harder 2020 Challenge, and Sips by RGH. Pick up an All the Books! 200th episode commemorative item here. Subscribe to All the Books! using RSS, iTunes, or Spotify and never miss a beat book. Sign up for the weekly New Books! newsletter for even more new book news. Books discussed on the show: Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid Dead Astronauts by Jeff VanderMeer The Measure of Our Lives: A Gathering of Wisdom by Toni Morrison The Glittering Hour by Iona Grey  This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Medical Resident by Adam Kay Good Girls Lie by J.T. Ellison  Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow Burn the Place: A Memoir by Iliana Regan What we're reading: Trust Exercise by Susan Choi Stay and Fight by Madeline ffitch More books out this week: Cheaters Always Win: The Story of America by J. M. Fenster Treachery: A Novel (Giordano Bruno Thriller) by S. J. Parris  Where the World Ends by Geraldine McCaughrean Free Day (New York Review Books Classics) by Inès Cagnati, Liesl Schillinger (translator) Nine Elms (Kate Marshall) by Robert Bryndza  One Long River of Song by Brian Doyle The Wilds by Vita Ayala, Emily Pearson (Artist) Now You See Them (Magic Men Mysteries) by Elly Griffiths Just Watch Me: A Novel by Jeff Lindsay The Attempted Murder of Teddy Roosevelt by Burt Solomon Plate Tectonics: An Illustrated Memoir by Margaux Motin  Dangerous Alliance: An Austentacious Romance by Jennieke Cohen Meg and Jo by Virginia Kantra The Thank-You Project: Cultivating Happiness One Letter of Gratitude at a Time by Nancy Davis Kho All the Colors of Magic by Valija Zinck When Old Midnight Comes Along (Amos Walker Novels) by Loren D. Estleman  Scared Little Rabbits by A.V. Geiger Thin Ice: A Mystery by Paige Shelton  1973: Rock at the Crossroads by Andrew Grant Jackson Walk the Wild With Me by Rachel Atwood Reverie by Ryan La Sala Oppo: A Novel by Tom Rosenstiel Anyone: A Novel by Charles Soule Down Among the Dead by K.B. Wagers Winter Grave (An Embla Nystrom Investigation) by Helene Tursten, Marlaine Delargy (translator) Scornful Stars (Breaker of Empires Book 3) by Richard Baker The Heart Is a Full-Wild Beast: New and Selected Stories by John L'Heureux Reputation: A Novel by Sara Shepard Diamond & Dawn (Amber & Dusk, Book 2) by Lyra Selene  Children of Virtue & Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh  Trace of Evil: A Natalie Lockhart Novel by Alice Blanchard  Elena Ferrante’s Key Words by Tiziana de Rogatis, Will Schutt (translator) The Sacrament: A Novel by Olaf Olafsson Alice Adams: Portrait of a Writer by Carol Sklenicka  Heaven on Earth: How Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler, and Galileo Discovered the Modern World by L. S. Fauber The General Zapped an Angel: Stories (Art of the Story) by Howard Fast  Nietzsche and the Burbs by Lars Iyer Blitzed (The Playbook) by Alexa Martin  The Revisionaries by A. R. Moxon  A Bookshop in Berlin: The Rediscovered Memoir of One Woman's Harrowing Escape from the Nazis by Françoise Frenkel This Is Happiness by Niall Williams From Sea to Stormy Sea: 17 Stories Inspired by Great American Paintings by Lawrence Block  Would Like to Meet by Rachel Winters

This week Alice and Kim talk holiday gifts for the nonfiction book lover in your life. This episode is sponsored by Book Riot’s Read Harder Journal, and Book Riot Insiders. Subscribe to For Real using RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. For more nonfiction recommendations, sign up for our True Story newsletter, edited by Kim Ukura. NONFICTION IN THE NEWS National Book Award goes to Sarah Broom’s The Yellow House! HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE Q: I am looking for a book for my grandpa for the holidays on Sociology or Ethics. He is a former Criminology Professor and so hard to buy for. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson Another Day in the Death of America by Gary Younge White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America by Nancy Isenberg Q: My partner is a triathlete and loves to read books about or from cyclists and triathletes. There is not that many of them so he is running out of reading material, and I’m running out of ideas for gifts. Could you recommend good nonfiction on sport or by sportspeople? I think what he enjoys is reading about personal achievements. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown A Necessary Spectacle: Billie Jean King, Bobby Riggs, and the Tennis Match That Leveled the Game by Selena Roberts C.C. Pyle’s Amazing Foot Race: The True Story of the 1928 Coast-to-Coast Run Across America by Geoff Williams Q: I am looking for a book for my dad. And that is what I want – a good, solid dad book (frontlist) recommendation. Think The Pioneers by David McCullough or Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. My dad is in his 80s and fairly conservative. Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland’s History-Making Race Around the World by Matthew Goodman The City Game: Triumph, Scandal, and a Legendary Basketball Team by Matthew Goodman The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race by Douglas Brinkley Q: I find a lot of the non-fiction I read is fairly heavy. Recent reads I’ve enjoyed are Invisible Women, Prisoners of Geography and Say Nothing, and although I’ve loved them all, all the war and death and sexism is hard going. So, I’d like your favourite happy, uplifting non-fiction on any topic to read over the holiday season! Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? And Other Questions You Should Have Answers to When You Work in the White House by Alyssa Mastromonaco From the Corner of the Oval by Beck Dorey-Stein The Education of an Idealist: A Memoir by Samantha Power The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey I Know I Am, But What Are You? by Samantha Bee The Wonder Trail: True Stories from Los Angeles to the End of the World by Steve Hely READING NOW KIM: In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado ALICE: Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford CONCLUSION You can find us on SOCIAL MEDIA – @itsalicetime and @kimthedork RATE AND REVIEW on Apple Podcasts so people can find us more easily, and subscribe so you can get our new episodes the minute they come out.

Amanda and Jenn discuss what to read after Where The Crawdad Sings, time travel fiction, challenging reads, and more in this week’s episode of Get Booked. This episode is sponsored by the Read Harder Journal, The Liar’s Daughter by Megan Cooley Peterson, and Care/Of. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. FEEDBACK Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt (rec’d by Miranda) Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado (rec’d by Miranda) QUESTIONS 1. Hi, I was wondering if you had any recommendations for fun murder mystery novels that are well written and not too dark. I did not enjoy Gone Girl because it was too dark. I love Agatha Christie and have read a good portion of her novels. I am looking for new mysteries that are fun. I recently watched the movie “Clue” and something similar in book format would be great ☺️ -Kaitlin 2. Hello! I am hoping you’ll help me with some new book or series ideas for my husband, who is the type of person who will re-read (and re-listen) to the same books over and over… and over. He also tends to read book series geared towards younger readers. Being an elementary school teacher (currently teaching 6th grade), he likes to recommend & talk books with his students. His all-time favorites include Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, and just about everything by Rick Riordan. He’s also enjoyed Game of Thrones, The Iron Druid Chronicles, and the Scythe trilogy by Neal Shusterman. For stand-alone books, Dark Matter & Ready Player One are recent hits. He’s drawn towards multi-book series because of the rich world-building and loves books seeped in mythology. Plot twist! He also loves U.S. history, particularly about the gold rush and the american revolution. I think he might be into a fantasy adventure with a historical slant. Alexander Hamilton with a talking dog sidekick in a time machine saving the world? He’d probably read that! I’d love to see him continue to explore new worlds, characters, and ideas so the plan is to gift him some new books for the holidays. Thank you so much in advance! -Katie 3. Hi there! Every Christmas I give each of my kids a book that reflects something going on in their lives during the past year. Over the years the collection of books for each child has provided great memories of their interests, accomplishments and dreams. When they were younger it was easier to find books about learning to ride a bike, a cookbook about cakes, or a collection of poems about nature. As they have gotten older, their interests have naturally become more narrowed and specific. I’m hoping you can help me find a book for my oldest daughter, who is 19. This past year she completed an internship where she cared for and trained carnivores at a wildlife park and breeding program. She worked daily feeding and tending to lions, tigers, bears and cheetahs. It was amazing to see her growth over the period of the internship, I’ve never seen her more happy, confident or driven. I’d love to find a book for her about a person who has a similar positive experience with wild animals. I’m open to non-fiction or fiction but would mostly hope for something that continues to inspire her as she works toward her college degree in zoology and on to a career in this field. I have done some searching on my own but often recommendations come back for veterinary medicine and I’m hoping for something more specifically related to care and conservation of animals. Thank you in advance for your recommendations! -Heather 4. I want to get my mom a book her birthday. She works as a director at a basketball camp and one of her jobs is mentoring and organizing the counsellors. She likes self-help type books and I want to find one that’s about leadership in a summer camp or basketball setting, or about mentoring and working with teenagers or young adults. I love your podcast and listen to it every week! -Shannon 5. Hi, I’m looking for a recommendation after finishing reading “Where the crawdads sing” by Delia Owens. I absolutely loved this book, which surprised me as I usually read more plot driven books and don’t usually like descriptions like ” beautiful prose”, “lyrical” and so on. I found myself completely absorbed in the story, loved the language and even underlined some of the sentences. Maybe it’s the introvert in me, but I loved that it didn’t contain too many characters, some I could root for, and most of, all the mother nature. The nature scenes were my favourites to read and get lost in. I am going on a backpacking trip to South America next month and looking for a good read. Can you please recommend something similar? Thanks so much! -Kat 6. I recently enjoyed 11.22.63 and the Doomsday book and am looking for more good historical time travel fiction. Kindred is already on my to read list and I read the first Outlander book and found it a bit less consensual than I prefer my romances. Any suggestions for entertaining historical time travel books? -Shaina 7. Each year, I like to tackle a big, scary book—not scary in the sense that the book is frightening (though I’m not opposed to that), more that the book’s physical weight, complexity, and/or subject matter tend to intimidate readers. I’ve previously read Infinite Jest, East of Eden, A Little Life, The Goldfinch, Ulysses, Moby-Dick, etc. I’ve also read shorter work that would qualify, like Joanna Russ’s Female Man. There are a lot of lists on the Internet of the most difficult books, but those lists are largely white and male and I’m looking for something that isn’t. I know I could pick up War and Peace (and probably should read it eventually) but I really want to read as few books by white dudes in 2018 as possible. Can you point me in the direction of heady, challenging doorstopper fiction that meets this criteria? I’m not adverse to any particular genre, I just want to dig into a really difficult book. Thanks in advance! -Meredith BOOKS DISCUSSED Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien Murder in G Major by Alexia Gordon (tw: ableist language and slurs around mental health) Dread Nation by Justina Ireland American Hippo by Sarah Gailey Steve and Me by Terri Irwin The Daily Coyote by Shreve Stockton Sum it Up by Pat Summit Wolfpack by Abby Wambach Deep Creek by Pam Houston The Overstory by Richard Powers (tw: suicide) A Murder in Time by Julie McElwain Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellmann Almanac of the Dead by Leslie Marmon Silko (tw: for everything)

Sharifah and Jenn discuss the cover reveal for The Testaments, some new Merlin texts, fantasy and sci-fi set in space, and more. This episode is sponsored by the Read Harder Journal, Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik, and Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS here, or via Apple Podcasts here. The show can also be found on Stitcher here. To get even more SF/F news and recs, sign up for our Swords and Spaceships newsletter!   News: Middle Ages Merlin manuscript found in Bristol University library Cover reveal for The Testaments, The Handmaid’s Tale sequel Winter Is Coming! HBO’s ‘Game Of Thrones’ Spinoff Sets Diverse Cast The Ghost Bride to be adapted into a Netflix series (Behind the scenesfootage)   Books Discussed: A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna The Wrong Stars by Tim Pratt Mirage by Somaiya Daud Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples Ignite the Stars by Maura Milan

Amanda and Jenn discuss cozy reads, morally complicated characters, small-town stories, and more in this week's episode of Get Booked. This episode is sponsored by the Read Harder Journal, The Plotters by Un-su Kim, and At the Wolf’s Table by Rosella Postorino. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.   Feedback Maid by Stephanie Land (rec'd by Jessica from Insiders) Eat Yourself Calm by Gill Paul (rec'd by Morgan)   Questions 1. It’s almost my brother’s birthday. He’s finishing up the Dune series and he really likes the dynamic of a villain who has to do good in order to ultimately do evil. He’s looking for more books with this concept or vice versa (good guy doing bad to do good). I’m a former bookseller myself, but I’ve got nothing. He’s also a linguist, if that helps. I realize this is super specific, but I’m really hoping you guys can help me be the best sister for his birthday. Please no YA or romance. I’ve linked his goodreads so you can see what he normally reads. Thank you! -Emma   2. Hi! I’m looking for literary fiction audiobooks that are so engrossing they’ll help me forget, say, that I’m doing household chores or facing a stressful day at work. The books that have fit this bill for me in the past are: The Nix, The Changeling, The Miniaturist, Swing Time, The Circle, and Rebecca. Preferences: Under 12 hours No graphic sex scenes Light to no cursing Thank you for your podcast!! -Veronica   3. I really love small town stories and I have been searching for one to really grab my attention. I prefer something darker and more serious in tone. I love books like Beartown or J.K. Rowling's A Casual Vacancy where a close knit community gets unraveled by an event. I prefer books that don't focus on a single character, but rather explore relationships and different perspectives within a small community. I have Little Fires Everywhere on my TBR but I would love more recommendations for small town stories. -Marija   4. Hi, I've discovered that I have a curious but extremely distinct affinity for non-fiction books that cover broad history through a narrow lens. I feel like I'm struggling to describe exactly what type of books I mean, but when you hear some titles, you'll get it. Examples that I've loved in the past are Tom Standage's "History of the World in 6 glasses" and "An Edible History of Humanity"; "At Home" by Bill Bryson; "Consider the Fork" by Bee Wilson, and most works by Mary Roach and Simon Garfield. I love love love reading about history, but I've never been a huge fan of biography/autobiography or books that dive too deep into a single event. I guess I love the big picture/global view (most bang for my buck, maybe?), but with a fun and unique thread tying history together in a way I had never considered before. Looking forward to your suggestions! Thanks so much! -Kelly   5. Hi! I'm a big fan of your podcast and have had submitted questions before, your recommendations are always great. I am a middle school teacher and I have recently started a Dungeons and Dragons club at my school, and the response has been overwhelming. I expected 8-10 kids to sign up but I actually had over 30! As we begin to play D&D and other RPGs, I'd love to be able to have an "inspiration library" stocked with fantasy/adventure books. Obviously, I need titles from Tolkien, Terry Pratchett, and JK Rowling but I would love to include books with strong female and minority protagonists. I want my new club to be inclusive to everyone and my goal is to provide something for everyone. You always say to mention if you're under time constraints so while I hope the club lasts for a long while, I'd like to start compiling my library soon. Any recommendations you could provide would be appreciated. Thanks so much! -Matt 6. A peculiar request: I am especially fond of books where humans are aided by talking cats. Neil Gaiman's Coraline is a good example, as are many of the Tortall books by Tamora Pierce. I would love suggestions for other books with human-cat partnerships. Thank you! -Crazy Cat Lady   7. Cozy nothings? It could be the weather or just the year, but I've been enjoying "nothing of contention happens" books recently. My go to series for this is The Cat Who series by Lilian Jackson Braun which is set in a fictional small town and focuses primarily on the day to day life of people there (technically it's a cozy mystery, but the mystery is pretty minimal). Other examples would be Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, Agatha Christie (before the murder kicks in) and the Mitford series. Contemporary or classical, adult lit series preferred, and bonus points if they're on audio. -Terry   Books Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James Insurrecto by Gina Apostol VE Schwab’s Shades of Magic series (A Darker Shade of Magic) The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson (tw: institutionalized homophobia, torture) The Wanderers by Meg Howrey Burial Rites by Hannah Kent Into the Water by Paula Hawkins The Fates Will Find Their Way by Hannah Pittard How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill Pandemic by Sonia Shah Dactyl Hill Squad by Daniel José Older The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste Sabriel by Garth Nix 100 Books with Cats post Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris Flavia De Luce series by Alan Bradley (#1: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie) Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney (rec’d by Jeff)

Sharifah and Jenn discuss adaptation news for Tasha Suri and Leigh Bardugo, voting in the Hugos, favorite weird SF/F, and more. This episode is sponsored by the Read Harder Journal, the Unusual Suspects Giveaway, and Golden State by Ben Winters. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS here, or via Apple Podcasts here. The show can also be found on Stitcher here. To get even more SF/F news and recs, sign up for our Swords and Spaceships newsletter!   News Netflix Orders ‘Shadow And Bone’ Series Based On Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse Novels Hugo nominations are open! Hugo site to become a voting member; Spreadsheet of Doom Empire of Sand has been optioned! Bandersnatch update: Netflix is getting sued by Chooseco   Books Discussed Shout-out: Jeff VanderMeer, China Mieville, and Lauren Beukes Lonesome Bodybuilder by Yukiko Motoya, transl. by Asa Yoneda (tw: bodyhorror) Long Division by Kiese Laymon (tw: family and racial violence, use of slurs) Swamplandia! by Karen Russell (tw: rape; child abuse; suicide) Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyan (tw: racial violence, gun violence, violence against children, self harm)

This week, Liberty and Rebecca discuss We Cast a Shadow, Deep Creek, Notes on a Nervous Planet, and more great books. This episode was sponsored by the Read Harder Journal, Flare Up by Shannon Stacey, and Doubleday, publishers of The Plotters by Un-su Kim. Subscribe to All the Books! using RSS or iTunes and never miss a beat book. Sign up for the weekly New Books! newsletter for even more new book news. Books discussed on the show: We Cast a Shadow: A Novel by Maurice Carlos Ruffin Deep Creek: Finding Hope in the High Country by Pam Houston The Falconer: A Novel by Dana Czapnik Black Is the Body: Stories from My Grandmother's Time, My Mother's Time, and Mine by Emily Bernard 99 Percent Mine: A Novel by Sally Thorne Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig Devotions by Mary Oliver What we're reading: Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations by Mira Jacob The Unwinding of the Miracle: A Memoir of Life, Death, and Everything That Comes After by Julie Yip-Williams More books out this week: King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo Spin by Lamar Giles Come Find Me by Megan Miranda The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer The Twenty-Ninth Year by Hala Alyan A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer Reclaiming Our Space: How Black Feminists Are Changing the World from the Tweets to the Streets by Feminista Jones All the Lives We Ever Lived: Seeking Solace in Virginia Woolf by Katharine Smyth Underground: A Human History of the Worlds Beneath Our Feet by Will Hunt Vigilance by Robert Jackson Bennett At the Wolf's Table: A Novel by Rosella Postorino and Leah Janeczko Ransacker (Berserker) by Emmy Laybourne The End of Loneliness: A Novel by Benedict Wells and Charlotte Collins Dark Sky Rising: Reconstruction and the Dawn of Jim Crow (Scholastic Focus) by Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Tonya Bolden I Used to Be a Miserable F*ck: An Everyman’s Guide to a Meaningful Life by John Kim House of Stone: A Novel by Novuyo Rosa Tshuma Meena Meets Her Match by Karla Manternach and Rayner Alencar Death Prefers Blondes by Caleb Roehrig WeirDo (WeirDo #1) by Anh Do The Bold World: A Memoir of Family and Transformation by Jodie Patterson The Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Max Brodsky The World According to Fannie Davis: My Mother's Life in the Detroit Numbers by Bridgett M. Davis Reckoning of Fallen Gods: A Tale of the Coven by R.A. Salvatore The Plotters: A Novel by Un-su Kim The Cerulean by Amy Ewing The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff Golden Child: A Novel by Claire Adam Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen Shameless: A Sexual Reformation by Nadia Bolz-Weber 41 Reasons I'm Staying In: A Celebration of Introverts by Hallie Heald The Pope: Francis, Benedict, and the Decision That Shook the World by Anthony McCarten Battlepug: The Compugdium by Mike Norton (Author, Artist), Allen Passalaqua (Artist), David Dunstan (Artist) Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to A Tribe Called Quest by Hanif Abdurraqib Some Girls Bind (Ya Verse) by Rory James

Amanda and Jenn discuss good “relationship reads,” Asian authors, classic retellings, and more in this week’s episode of Get Booked. This episode is sponsored by the Read Harder Journal, But That’s Another Story podcast and Life, Death, and Cellos by Isabel Rogers. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.   Questions 1. Hi! So I’m a part of this book club and we are in need of a new book. All the members of our book club are recent college grads and have just entered adulthood. Most of us have just moved to a new city and are in the process of finding our place, launching our careers and figuring out what we want to do with our lives. Collectively we often feel a sense of ‘being lost’. There are so many options in this world and decisions we need to make and those choices can be overwhelming. We would love to read a book that resonates with the struggles, excitement and growing pains of the season we are currently experiencing. We also would love to read something that can serve as a source of hope for us-hope that we will figure out how to approach this season and who we want to be in this world. Also, we prefer to read novels. Thank you so much! –Emily   2. Hi! In the last month, I have been reading If We Had Known by Elise Juska, Vox by Christina Dalcher, The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang, and Red Clocks by Leni Zumas. I didn’t set out to read books surrounding heavy and/or politically-charged issues, and I generally wouldn’t characterize my reading life as trigger warning heavy. However, I really enjoyed reading these books that aren’t strictly reality but are still very real and can help me think through real and pressing issues. Can you recommend more novels like these? Please no white male authors because its 2019 and I’m tired of hearing men talk—thanks! –Tally   3. I’m looking for a book I can listen to on audio with my husband. We have listened to A Walk in the Woods, Ender’s Game, the King Killer Chronicles, The Expanse series etc. He is a history buff who loves fantasy, classic adventure literature (like the Count of Monte Christo) and long history books like The history of Salt, Heart of the Sea, McCullogh presidential biographies etc. I am an ex-English major. Recently on audiobook I have enjoyed Spinning Silver, A Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, My Lady Jane, Becoming by Michelle Obama and The Winter Garden by Kristen Hannah. I love your weekly recs! Thanks in advance. –Sarah   4. Hello, book friends! And help! I just finished a reread of Kristin Cashore’s trilogy (Graceling, Fire, and Bitterblue) and now I’m flailing around at just how great they are, and how I’ve never read anything that feels quite like them. I love how the characters take care of each other. I love the characters! They’re very likeable people, and I also love how practical they are. I like how these books are books with romance in them rather than books about romance. Same for the magic–it’s mostly very low key, but is still unique and interesting. I am so desperate to find other books that feel the same way these do! They don’t have to be YA, though I would prefer sticking to secondary fantasy worlds. Extra super special brownie points if the main character is queer! THANK YOU! –A   5. Hi Jenn and Amanda, Thank you for this amazing podcast and all the recommendations that you make. One of my main reading goals this year is to continue reading more diversely and as part of that I want to read fewer American authors. American authors always end up making a big chunk of my reading and I am trying to change that to broaden my perspective. So, could you please recommend any books by Asian female authors? No Asian-American ones as I feel that would still be cheating. I have read the more popular authors like Arundhati Roy, Han Kang, Celeste Ng, Mira Jacob, Jhumpa Lahiri, Kamila Shamsie etc. I read all kinds of genres, fiction or non-fiction, and would love to hear your recommendations. Thanks a lot! –Nikhila   6. Hi, looking for some books I could give my sister. She reads mostly fiction, mixing classics and modern picks. Some favourites of hers include Pride & Prejudice, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, His Dark Materials, The Book Thief, The Last Runaways. This year she loved Naomi Novik’s Uprooted and Spinning Silver and Eleanor Catton’s The Luminaries. I gave her Hannah Kent’s Burial Rites and she really liked it but found it hard because of how sad it is. I keep thinking of and giving her books I think she will love but they are often pretty bleak, and she would love some less depressing books to throw in the mix (I gave her Ferrante, her best friend gave her A Little Life, she will need something in between) They don’t have to be all light and fluffy but at least a happy ending would be great. Thank you! I love the show, you have made my tbr almost impossible, which is the best problem to have.   7. I’m looking for a fun book to listen to on audio with my husband on a roadtrip. The problem is that we have quite different interests–I love literary fiction and popular fiction: Crazy Rich Asians, Outlander, The Goldfinch, The Marrying of Chani Kaufman. He mostly reads nonfiction–Stephen Pinker, books on objectivism, and comparative religions. Some books we’ve listened to together and liked are The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, Shroud for a Nightingale by P.D. James, and The Martian by Andy Weir. I know this is kind of a tough one, so thanks in advance! You guys are awesome. –Aaryn   Books Discussed Upstream by Mary Oliver Becoming by Michelle Obama Startup by Doree Shafrir (rec’d by Rebecca) Chemistry by Weike Wang (tw: family emotional abuse) Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez How Long Til Black Future Month by NK Jemisin The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker (tw: rape, gendered violence) On Such a Full Sea by Chang-Rae Lee (narrated by BD Wong) The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner Witchmark by CL Polk The Good Women of China by Xinran, trans. By Esther Tyldesley The Lonesome Bodybuilder by Yukiko Motoya, translated by Asa Yoneda (tw: body horror) Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye Pride by Ibi Zoboi Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders The Fortunes by Peter Ho Davies

This week Alice and Kim talk arctic explorers, murder in the tropics, and the mixed reactions to nonfiction bestseller Girl, Wash Your Face. This episode is sponsored by Book Riot’s Read Harder Journal. Subscribe to For Real using RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher. For more nonfiction recommendations, sign up for our True Story newsletter, edited by Kim Ukura. Follow Up Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis By the Book podcast BuzzFeed: “Girl, Wash Your Face” Is A Massive Best-Seller With A Dark Message Tidying Up with Marie Kondo New Books Duped: Double Lives, False Identities, and the Con Man I Almost Marriedby Abby Ellin A Thousand Sisters: The Heroic Airwomen of the Soviet Union in World War II by Elizabeth Wein It Was All a Dream: A New Generation Confronts the Broken Promise to Black America by Reniqua Allen The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present by David Treuer Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive by Stephanie Land Weekly Theme: The Arctic Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for Lost Heroes of World War II by Mitchell Zuckoff Ada Blackjack: A True Tale of Survival in the Arctic by Jennifer Niven The Tropics Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala The Mapmaker’s Wife: A True Tale of Love, Murder, and Survival in the Amazon by Robert Whitaker The Third Bank of the River: Power and Survival in the Twenty-First-Century Amazon by Chris Feliciano Arnold Njinga of Angola: Africa’s Warrior Queen by Linda M. Heywood Reading Now American Prison: A Reporter’s Undercover Journey Into the Business of Punishment by Shane Bauer Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing by Ted Conover Remember the Ladies: Women in America, 1750-1815 by Linda Grant De Pauw CONCLUSION You can find us on SOCIAL MEDIA – @itsalicetime and @kimthedork on Twitter RATE AND REVIEW on ITUNES so people can find us more easily, and subscribe so you can get our new episodes the minute they come out.

This week, Liberty and María Cristina discuss Golden State, The Red Address Book, Unmarriageable, and more great books. This episode was sponsored by the Read Harder Journal, The Wicked King by Holly Black, and ThirdLove. Subscribe to All the Books! using RSS or iTunes and never miss a book. Sign up for the weekly New Books! newsletter for even more new book news. Books discussed on the show: Golden State by Ben H. Winters The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present by David Treuer The Cold Is in Her Bones by Peternelle van Arsdale The Red Address Book by Sofia Lundberg Unmarriageable: A Novel by Soniah Kamal As Long As We Both Shall Live by JoAnn Chaney Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe What we're reading: Transcription by Kate Atkinson Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark  More books out this week: Restoration Heights: A Novel by Wil Medearis Bookends: Collected Intros and Outros by Michael Chabon Talent by Juliet Lapidos The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Hanrahan That Churchill Woman: A Novel by Stephanie Barron Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao's Revolution by Helen Zia The Eulogist: A Novel by Terry Gamble Unexampled Courage: The Blinding of Sgt. Isaac Woodard and the Awakening of President Harry S. Truman and Judge J. Waties Waring by Richard Gergel The Vanishing Stair (Truly Devious) by Maureen Johnson Prisoner: My 544 Days in an Iranian Prison - Solitary Confinement, a Sham Trial, High-Stakes Diplomacy, and the Extraordinary Efforts It Took to Get Me Out by Jason Rezaian Song of the Dead (Reign of the Fallen) by Sarah Glenn Marsh The Kingdom of Copper (The Daevabad Trilogy) by S. A Chakraborty The Golden Tresses of the Dead: A Flavia de Luce Novel by Alan Bradley The Wartime Sisters: A Novel by Lynda Cohen Loigman Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land Circle of Shadows by Evelyn Skye Escape from the Palace (The Royal Rabbits of London) by Santa Montefiore and Simon Sebag Montefiore Ship of Smoke and Steel (The Wells of Sorcery Trilogy) by Django Wexler The Burning Island by Hester Young The Suspect by Fiona Barton Imprison the Sky (The Elementae) by A.C. Gaughen Miraculum by Steph Post The Hod King (The Books of Babel) by Josiah Bancroft The Woman Inside: A Novel by E. G. Scott Holy Lands by Amanda Sthers 99 Nights in Logar by Jamil Jan Kochai The Weight of a Piano: A novel by Chris Cander The Current: A Novel by Tim Johnston The Snow Leopard Project: And Other Adventures in Warzone Conservation by Alex Dehgan The Birds, the Bees, and You and Me by Olivia Hinebaugh Someday We Will Fly by Rachel Dewoskin Only a Breath Apart: A Novel Katie McGarry Vultures by Chuck Wendig The Nowhere Child: A Novel by Christian White The Kindness of Strangers (New York Review Books Classics) by Salka Viertel Learning to See: A Novel of Dorothea Lange, the Woman Who Revealed the Real America by Elise Hooper The Witches of St. Petersburg: A Novel by Imogen Edwards-Jones

Amanda and Jenn discuss business books, Puerto Rican reads, Vonnegut read-alikes, and more in this week’s episode of Get Booked. This episode is sponsored by the Read Harder Journal, Help Me!: One Woman’s Quest to Find Out If Self-Help Really Can Change Your Life by Marianne Power, and Wishtree by Katherine Applegate. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.   Feedback Laid-Back Camp by Afro (rec’d by Kate H.)   Questions 1. okay so I did a going postal challenge thing. Where you get paired up and send people books and I’m usually pretty good at it. But this chick doesn’t know what she wants so I don’t know! This is what she sent me : “I have no preference on theme. Surprise me!, I say NO WAY to romance., I love chocolate., I want to leave the choosing of my books entirely up to you — surprise me!, I prefer paperback., I prefer used. Top 5 Most Wanted: Joe Hill Locke and Key series, Colleen Hoover, The Selection series Preferred genres: Thriller, True Crime Least favorite genres: Romance, Erotica, Non-Fiction Triggers to avoid: No” but I feel like some of that contradicts the rest. Plus she only has like… 5 books on litsy and does not care for Harry Potter

Sharifah and Jenn discuss wizardly puppies, Bandersnatch, their most anticipated sequels of 2019, and more. This episode is sponsored by the Read Harder Journal, Slayer by Kiersten White, and Undying by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS here, or via Apple Podcasts here. The show can also be found on Stitcher here. To get even more SF/F news and recs, sign up for our Swords and Spaceships newsletter!   News  This Puppy Learned “Harry Potter” Spells And Hermione Is Screaming We May Never See All of Black Mirror: Bandersnatch Disney Princesses Play ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ The dumb of the Bird Box Challenge   Books Discussed The True Queen (Sorcerer Royal #2) by Zen Cho, Mar 12 Cat Sebastian recommends Sorcerer to Crown on Recommended Mahimata by Rati Mehrotra, Mar 5 (Asiana #2) Storm of Locusts by Rebecca Roanhorse, Apr 23 (Sixth World #2) – tw: gore and cannibalism Ruse by Cindy Pon, Mar 12 (Want #2) Hexarchate Stories by Yoon Ha Lee, June 25 (Machineries of Empire) Children of Virtue and Vengeance (Legend of Orisha #2) by Tomi Adeyemi (March 5) The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air #2) by Holly Black (Jan 8) Rosewater Insurrection by Tade Thompson (Mar 12) Binti Trilogy omnibus (Feb 5)

This week, Liberty and Rebecca discuss No Exit, Thick, The Far Field, and more great books. This episode was sponsored by the Read Harder Journal, Warby Parker, and As Long As We Both Shall Live by JoAnn Cheney. Subscribe to All the Books! using RSS or iTunes and never miss a book. Sign up for the weekly New Books! newsletter for even more new book news. Books discussed on the show: No Exit: A Novel by Taylor Adams Last Woman Standing by Amy Gentry The Dreamers: A Novel by Karen Thompson Walker Thick: And Other Essays by Tressie McMillan Cottom The Orphan of Salt Winds by Elizabeth Brooks The Good Food: A Cookbook of Soups, Stews, and Pasta by Daniel Halpern and Julie Strand The Far Field by Madhuri Vijay The Truths We Hold: An American Journey by Kamala Harris What we're reading: Eggshell Skull by Bri Lee Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders?: (And How to Fix It) by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic More books out this week: Marked by S. Andrew Swann Code Name: Lise: The True Story of the Woman Who Became WWII's Most Highly Decorated Spy by Larry Loftis Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyer The Banished Immortal: A Life of Li Bai (Li Po) by Ha Jin The Perfect Liar: A Novel by Thomas Christopher Greene The Smiling Man: A Novel by Joseph Knox Unquiet: A Novel by Linn Ullmann A Bound Woman Is a Dangerous Thing: The Incarceration of African American Women from Harriet Tubman to Sandra Bland by DaMaris B. Hill The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi Bluff City: The Secret Life of Photographer Ernest Withers by Preston Lauterbach Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré by Anika Aldamuy Denise and Paola Escobar Silence: A Social History of One of the Least Understood Elements of Our Lives by Jane Brox Diderot and the Art of Thinking Freely by Andrew S. Curran When Death Becomes Life: Notes from a Transplant Surgeon by Joshua D Mezrich Adèle: A Novel by Leila Slimani Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee The Birth of Loud: Leo Fender, Les Paul, and the Guitar-Pioneering Rivalry That Shaped Rock 'n' Roll by Ian S. Port No Mercy (Ellery Hathaway) by Joanna Schaffhausen Elsey Come Home by Susan Conley Mothers: Stories by Chris Power Talk to Me by John Kenney Annelies: A Novel by David R. Gillham Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love by Dani Shapiro Oculus: Poems by Sally Wen Mao Let's Go Swimming on Doomsday by Natalie C. Anderson Late in the Day: A Novel by Tessa Hadley Hark by Sam Lipsyte Womanish: A Grown Black Woman Speaks on Love and Life by Kim McLarin You Know You Want This: "Cat Person" and Other Stories by Kristen Roupenian Unmarriageable: A Novel by Soniah Kamal The Liar’s Room by Simon Lelic Joy Enough: A Memoir by Sarah McColl The Whispers by Greg Howard The Book of Training by Colonel Hap Thompson of Roanoke, VA, 1843: Annotated From the Library of John C. Calhoun by Percival Everett None of the Above: The Untold Story of the Atlanta Public Schools Cheating Scandal, Corporate Greed , and the Criminalization of Educators by Shani Robinson and Anna Simonton Duped: Double Lives, False Identities, and the Con Man I Almost Married by Abby Ellin Night School: A Reader for Grownups by Zsófia Bán and Jim Tucker Fearless by Sarah Tarkoff As Long as We Both Shall Live by JoAnn Cheney Something Like Breathing by Angeka Readman Aristotle's Way: How Ancient Wisdom Can Change Your Life by Edith Hall The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction by Meghan Cox Gurdon  Downhill from Here: Retirement Insecurity in the Age of Inequality by Katherine S. Newman Our Year of Maybe by Rachel Lynn Solomon Why We Fight: One Man’s Search for Meaning Inside the Ring by Josh Rosenblatt The Restless Kings: Henry II, His Sons and the Wars for the Plantagenet Crown by Nick Barratt Women Rowing North: Navigating Life’s Currents and Flourishing As We Age by Mary Pipher 96 Words for Love by Rachel Roy and Ava Dash Big Bang by David Bowman Rewrite: Loops in the Timescape by Gregory Benford Shadow Captain by Alastair Reynolds

Jeff and Rebecca take much longer than they supposed talking about Publisher's Weekly acquiring The Millions and the state of book blogging. This episode is sponsored by: The Read Harder Journal by Book Riot The Great Courses Plus The Red Address Book by Sofia Lundberg Links discussed in this episode: Vulture article on The Millions Being Acquired Barnes & Noble reports holiday numbers Bad job, publishing: author who admitted to stalking a Goodreads user gets a book deal about it

Amanda and Jenn discuss LGBTQ comics, books about camping, motherhood, and more in this week’s episode of Get Booked. This episode is sponsored by the Read Harder Journal, Love, Hate, and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed, and The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.   Questions 1. You mentioned books on how food, habits, etc affect the brain. I am focusing on changing habits in 2019, and interested in the link of food/diet and anxiety. Can you give some New Years resolution-type book recommendations for January? There are so many gross lifestyle-y books out there, but I’m more interested in pop-science finds. I’ve personally read “Off the Clock” by Laura Vanderkam, the Brene Brown suite, I just picked up “Rest” and “Bored & Brilliant” (per this episode). I haven’t read Gretchen Rubin, but she’s on my radar. –New Year New Me   2. Hi Ladies! I LOVE this podcast, and you’ve led to me to so many books that I have loved and otherwise never would’ve found (finishing up Half-Resurrection Blues now, big thumbs up.) Next year (February 2019) I’m taking a cruise of the Mexican Riviera that leaves out of LA, and I’m spending a week in the city beforehand. I’ve never been to the West Coast, and would love some books to familiarize me with landmarks or history of the area–things that I can walk by and feel like I’m in on some secret, you know the deal. I’m a genre fiction lover–mystery, SFF, historical fiction (ideally intersecting with the former two) and I’m trying to get into romance right now. LGBT is a huge plus

This week Alice and Kim talk about nonfiction to help you with your New Year’s resolutions and the reading resolutions they’ve set for the year. This episode is sponsored by the Read Harder Journal by Book Riot. Subscribe to For Real using RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher. For more nonfiction recommendations, sign up for our True Story newsletter, edited by Kim Ukura. BOOKS WE GOT FOR CHRISTMAS How to Draw Almost Every Day by Kamo Romantic Outlaws by Charlotte Gordon Feminasty by Erin Gibson How Do We Look by Mary Beard The Assassination of Branwaine Spurge by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin Legendary Ladies by Ann Shen Educated by Tara Westover NEW BOOKS Trailblazer by Dorothy Butler Gilliam When Death Becomes Life by Joshua Mezrich Inheritance by Dani Shapiro The Truths We Hold by Kamala Harris Thick: And Other Essays by Tressie McMillan Cottom WEEKLY THEME: NEW YEAR, NEW YOU The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carroll How to Break Up With Your Phone by Catherine Price (2018) Presence by Amy Cuddy Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis READING NOW Awakening Your Ikigai by Ken Mogi Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan

Sharifah and Jenn discuss Christmas dragons, exciting adaptation news, weird trends in pseudonyms, and their most anticipated reads of 2019. This episode is sponsored by the Read Harder Journal, The Similars by Rebecca Hanover, and Nightchaser by Amanda Bouchet. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS here, or via Apple Podcasts here. The show can also be found on Stitcher here. To get even more SF/F news and recs, sign up for our Swords and Spaceships newsletter!   News Discussed ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’ Gets Order For 16 More Episodes From Netflix. Christmas dragons neighborhood fight! Stranger Things Season 3 Teaser Teases Episode Titles And An Air Date(and we learned nothing new) Runaways is back on Hulu! (And, correct, Season 2 has been released simultaneously, so marathon-watching is easy.) Books Discussed Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind by Jackson Ford (Jackson Ford is a pseudonym for a critically acclaimed science fiction author.) FKA USA by Reed King (Reed King is the pseudonym of a New York Times bestselling author and TV writer.) The Bird King by G Willow Wilson (March 12) Unraveling by Karen Lord (June 4) The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley (March 19) The Deep by Rivers Solomon, Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, Jonathan Snipes (June 4); listen to the song here Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi (Mar 5)The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad (May 14) The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders (Feb 12) Broken Stars: Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction in Translation (Feb 19) by Various, translated by Ken Liu

Katie and Rincey run down their favorite mystery, thriller and true crime books of the year! This episode is sponsored by the Read Harder Journal and Before We Were Strangers by Brenda Novak.

Amanda and Rebecca discuss Westerns, nonfiction, friend stories, and more in this week's episode of Get Booked. This episode is sponsored by the Read Harder Journal, Hunting Annabelleby Wendy Heard, and Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Ryan. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS here, or via Apple Podcasts here. The show can also be found on Stitcher here.   Feedback The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys   Questions 1. I'm writing because my brother is a 22 year old Marine, and we've recently had a number of fights about race/gender/social justice. Basically, I think he doesn't believe that racism is really real, and he also believes a lot of wild evolutionary psychology stuff about the differences between men and women. I'm a queer white cis woman in a relationship with a woman of color and he thinks all of my political beliefs are too radical to take seriously, so I'm looking for a book that might get through to him. I'm sick of these conversations, but I don't want to give up without making some reading recommendations, so I want to send him a book for Christmas. In an ideal world I could give him The New Jim Crow, or any number of incredible works of feminist theory, but he definitely won't read them. He's not a huge reader, but he's been working his way through the Commandant's Professional Reading List https://grc-usmcu.libguides.com/usmc-reading-list (recommended readings for Marines) and recently mentioned that he was enjoying "Principles" by Ray Dalio? I think he's kind of into self-improvement stuff. Maybe needless to say, I'm at a loss. Some possible criteria: - nonfiction is probably preferable, and it would be great if it had some kind of military connection. - I hate saying this, but should be by an author with some kind of credentials that resonate with him (e.g. someone who isn't a vocal radical feminist). I know this is a broad question, but I'm really struggling, so any recs would be super appreciated. Thanks so much, --Caroline   2. I am looking for a good book for my stepmom to give for Christmas. Since I only see her once a year for Christmas, I only know two things about her: she’s Jewish and is a hippie. Can you guys recommend a book that has those two things? Thanks! --Josh   3. Hey! I love your podcast and have discovered so many great books because of it! I'm between jobs at the moment and have been considered a career switch. I'm looking for any book recommendations that have a similar situation in them - something that could maybe inspire me, make me laugh or just feel better in general. I don't usually read memoirs and would prefer fiction recommendations! Thanks, --Nikhila   4. I have recently finished watching the TV show Justified and I LOVED it. I have also read and loved a few YA books lately that I think could be called westerns: Devils Unto Dust by Emma Berquist; Vengeance Road and Retribution Rails by Erin Bowman. I am really craving a book that gives me what I loved from the Justified television show (moral grey areas; complicated relationships; prickly characters; law enforcement vs criminals, with people you root for on both sides of the law; sharp, witty dialogue), preferably with a female main character and a Western feel. And I am not big on romance so if there is little to none of that, even better! I do not have a preference between YA or adult, and I also don't have a preference between present day/contemporary setting or historical. I am fine with violence in books. Since the TV show Justified is based on an Elmore Leonard short story about the character Raylan Givens, I read one of Leonard’s books featuring Raylan Givens (Pronto), but it didn't scratch that itch. Thank you and I am very excited to hear any recommendations! --Anon   5. Help! I was just listening to the most recent Get Booked and question 1 was about a woman going through a painful and complicated separation needing a sweet, hopeful love story. I am, unfortunately, in the exact same situation. I, personally, do not enjoy Kate Morton’s books or historical fiction as a rule or witches, really for that matter. Do you have any other recommendations for this request? I’ve never read a romance novel but am open to trying one. I recently read One Day in December and that is just the kind of book I’m looking for, I think. Thanks for participating in my quest for happiness again :) --Julie   6. Hi there! I love the show, but this is my first time writing in. I am looking for some non-fiction recs for my boyfriend. He typically reads sci-fi, fantasy, and thrillers, but recently commented how he doesn't know much about non-fiction and has always found them rather dry. He loves Murakami, Patrick Rothfuss, Brandon Sanderson, etc., so I'm looking for non-fiction books that read more in that flavor. I recently gave him Martha Wells' Murderbot book 1 and he loved that. He's interested in food, and distilling, and psychology, so those topics might be helpful. Thank you so much!!! --Cassidy   7. Hello! I've been filling out my "to read" list, and I'm at a loss for books to fill a certain category that I've been craving. What I'm really looking for are books about platonic relationships that are as strong as most romances are written. I'm not opposed to a good romance, but I'd like a few suggestions where romantic love is not the focus, and instead the plot centers around found-family friendships and best-friend-as-soulmate stories. Any suggestions for me? Thanks for your time! --Molly   Books Discussed Best American Travel Writing edited by Cheryl Strayed Rest by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang The Line Becomes a River by Francisco Cantú Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates What It Is Like to Go to War by Karl Marlantes The Book of Separation by Tova Mirvis Arcadia by Lauren Groff Close Enough to Touch by Victoria Dahl Chemistry by Weike Wang Heresy by Melissa Lenhardt She Rides Shotgun by Jordan Harper The Lost for Words Bookshop by Stephanie Butland The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain Buttermilk Graffiti by Edward Lee Lab Girl by Hope Jahren She Matters by Susanna Sonnenberg

This week, Liberty and María Cristina discuss The Feather Thief, Washington Black, Severance, and more great books. This episode was sponsored by the Read Harder Journal, GH Mumm Champagne, and ThirdLove.

Amanda and Jenn give more holiday recs and discuss some wintery reads in this week's episode of Get Booked. This episode is sponsored by the Read Harder Journal and our True Story Giveaway. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS here, or via Apple Podcasts here. The show can also be found on Stitcher here.   Feedback The Maze at Windermere (Sibyl from Insiders) Strange Practice (Sara M from Insiders)   Questions 1. I’m looking for a wintertime book that is atmospheric and immersive that will make me feel the harshness of winter and want to cuddle up with my book and hot chocolate. I’m not looking for something heartwarming, just something reflective of the cold weather and set during Christmastime if possible. The only book I can think of that is similar to the reading experience I’m thinking of is The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. Thanks! --Kathleen   2. Just want to say I love the podcast and also love “All The Books!” too and listen to both religiously. My to-read list has now exploded exponentially so thanks. So much so that I’m considering taking a less interesting but better paid job just to fund my girlfriend’s and my reading and library building obsession. After a brief year or so hiatus from reading, my now girlfriend got me back into reading in a big way. I’m hoping to find a book for her for Christmas (or whenever) to inspire her in return. Her favourite books are: The Magicians Trilogy by Lev Grossman, World War Z – Max Brooks Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman And (of course): Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban She also really likes the look of quirky horror books like Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero and is really into books with realistic female portrayal and which aren’t washed with male only lead characters. Other than that she’s hoping to write a thesis on apocalyptic fiction, so obviously she loves that too! Thank you in advance! --Henry   3. I am looking for a book for my father in law and my father in law's partner. My father in law likes inspirational books that can also be applied to business. His partner is kind of a Cowboy, I was thinking of a book about the outdoors or a contemporary book about cowboys. If you could help I would greatly appreciate it, especially for the cowboy. --Gene   4. I am starting to look for book gifts for the holidays and need help finding a book for one friend in particular. She really loves jigsaw puzzles, so I'm wondering if there are any books you've enjoyed that include a female character who loves jigsaw puzzles. Something like The Friday Night Knitting Club but for puzzlers maybe? Does such a thing exist? Thanks! --Jeanne   5. I am a newish listener. I discovered the book riot podcasts this summer and I have been loving them. Recently I have been making my way through your archives. I love listening to your recommendations and always secretly hope to hear books I also recommend or have at least read. Finally my request. I have been meaning to do this request ever since I started listening to your podcast. If this is too tight of a deadline, I could always use your recommendations for next Christmas. As you might have guessed I am obsessed with books. I love sharing what I am reading or hearing about what others are reading. Christmas is a great time to share this passion. My dad and my twin niece and nephew are the ones that I have a request for. Dad: A lot of my conversations with my parents are around the books we are reading. My mom is part of a book club but I feel through the years my dad and I have sort have started our own informal book club. One of the times my dad visited me he borrowed one of my many bookmarks and wrote a recommendation list on the back, some of those books were "Trinity" Leon Uris, "Sometimes a Great Notion" Ken Kesey, "Dune" Frank Herbert, "Steppenwolf" by Herman Hesse, and "Bean Trees" by Barbara Kingsolver. One of our favourite authors is Richard Wagamese and we both admire Wab Kinew but my dad struggled with his memoir. He enjoys books that spark conversation and he has an interest in First Nations as he is living in an area that is dominantly First Nations (hence Richard Wagamese and Wab Kinew) but he is also interested in other topical issues. He has read Naomi Klein (found it a bit dense), The Best Laid Plans Terry Fallis andI got him Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari once for Christmas (he read it but had to take breaks). This year my dad is turning 70 (on Christmas) and I am getting him Richard Wagamese's final book but I am hoping through this jumbled paragraph that you might have another recommendation. The twins: The not as long list. My niece and nephew are 6 turning 7 late January. They are still at an age where I feel comfortable buying books instead of giving them gift cards for books. Last year for their birthday I gave them Iggy Peck, Architect and Rosie Revere, Engineer. They loved both these books. They love story time and interacting with the books (asking questions, making observations, telling stories). I was wondering if you had any other books along this vein with kids being creative and building or being artistic. My nephew likes to draw and has a vivid imagination. My niece likes to ask deep questions. Thank you for your amazing show --Jennifer   6. Hi I’m looking for some help, choosing a Christmas present for my Mum. She loves Patricia Briggs and Kelley Armstrong and has also really enjoyed Carrie Vaughn, Ben Aaronavitch, Kim Harrison and Rachel Vincent. Illona Andrews, Melissa Marr, Jim Butcher, Holly Black and Karen Chance got a meh reaction. JR ward and Laurel Hamilton are a no go (too much sex before you get any plot) Over the last decade I’ve also covered Cassandra Clare, Sarah J Maas, Charlaine Harris, Lilith St Crow, Rachel Caine, Julie Kagawa and Richelle mead to varying degrees of success. She has just spent August devouring Seanan McGuire’s Toby Daye series and has moved on to the Cryptozoology set for the autumn. In order to pay her back for introducing me to Anne MacCaffrey when I was 12 I’m looking for something that may have slipped under the radar that she will enjoy. Bonus if there are lots of back catalogue for the author. Thanks for your previous excellent recommendations for my Vegas trip. Fingers crossed you can help me find some new reads for my Mum. --Bex   7. I am looking for recommendations on what I call low urban fantasy. Stories where wizards and golems and all manner of weird things exist in the contemporary world, but rather than being a separate secret world with large-scale organizations, they exist in isolation and largely in secret on the fringes of society. The magic isn't some separate, arcane practice, but rather comes from or integrates everyday practices like poker or watching TV. The wonders themselves tend to be less spectacular and more like fudging reality a bit. The protagonists tend to be morally grey and less than savory. I've only found a couple of works that have scratched this particular itch (the work of Tim Powers, the roleplaying game Unknown Armies), and I would really appreciate any suggestions you could give. I would really like any suggestions that incorporate history into the magic (e.g. the death of Bugsy Siegel as an arcane ritual in Powers' Last Call). Also, books that do not feature straight white guys as the protagonist would be a nice change of pace. Thanks! --Alex   Books Discussed Gunsmoke & Glamour by Hillary Monahan The Voyage Out by Virginia Woolf Two Old Women by Velma Wallis Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield (tw: suicide, domestic violence, harm to children) Fledgling by Octavia E Butler (tw: pedophilia, sort of) Severance by Ling Ma Essentialism by Greg McKeown The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt The Death Safe by Edgar Wallace The Pattern in the Carpet by Margaret Drabble Grace for Gus by Harry Bliss Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice Touched by an Alien by Gini Koch Borderline (The Arcadia Project #1) by Mishell Baker (tw: suicide, self-harm) Half-Resurrection Blues by Daniel José Older Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge by Paul Krueger "Low fantasy" post

This week, Liberty and María Cristina discuss Terra Nullius, Cross Her Heart, Cats vs. Robots, and more great books. This episode was sponsored by Google Play, Sheets by Brenna Thummler, and Nobody Real by Steven Camden. And check out the new Read Harder Journal.