The year has come to an end and it's time to talk about our favorite books of the year! In the final podcast episode of the year, our host Whitney Clark is sharing her favs. Here's a look at her top ten: 

If reading more is one of your New Year's resolutions, it's the perfect time to start or join a book club! This week, we're hearing from the founders of Not Your Average Book Club and The Lonely Girls Book Club. From audio book walks to bookish markets in Arizona and more, their clubs are creating a sense of community that so many are craving right now. They share their tips on how to start a book club, how to choose books for the group, and their favorite reads of the year. 

The holidays are here and no one embodies the holiday spirit more than Valley-based author Karen Schaler. She's out with a new book for the holidays called "A Ruff Royal Christmas." Karen joins the podcast to talk about her books and her work as a screenwriter and former journalist. She helped write the Netflix hit movie series "A Christmas Prince." Karen also chats about the journey of self-publishing and how she started writing movie scripts.

They are one of the original founders of BookTok, and now Cait Jacobs is out with their debut novel, "The Princess Knight." It features a princess who is desperate to win back the prince who broke her heart, so she follows him to his kingdom's military academy. On this week's episode, Cait talks with our host Whitney Clark about how their success on social media led to a publishing deal, the rise of "romantasy" and how they balance mental health challenges while also creating content. 

Temperatures are going down and it's time for Fall reads and books for the holidays! We're joined this week by our friends Melati Parker and Rylie Occhipinto from Wijaya House in Tempe: a bookstore, flower and craft shop! From horror, dark academia and the classics, our host Whitney Clark also has some recommendations as well. A few of the favorites for this season include "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott, "Something Wicked This Way Comes" by Ray Bradbury, and "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt. 

You've probably seen her viral TikTok videos and now Eli Rallo is out with her new memoir: "Does Anybody Else Feel This Way?" The author, content creator and self-proclaimed theater kid joins the podcast this week to talk about the book, which features a series of essays. Rallo touches on everything from friendship breakups, navigating social media, and the ups and downs that come with life in your 20's. She also chats to our host Whitney Clark about the upcoming "Wicked For Good" film and her love of Taylor Swift. 

It's Banned Books Week! Banning books is nothing new. In fact, the first book ban in the U.S. took place in 1637, according to Harvard researchers. The American Library Association is just one of the organizations hosting events. On this week's episode, we're diving into the history of book bans and which popular books have faced challenges. We're joined by Arizona State University professor Dr. James Blasingame. He's been teaching at the university for 26 years and has written about the topic for The Washington Post. 

Ten years after her debut, Angela Flournoy is back with one of the most anticipated books of the year! In "The Wilderness," Flournoy explores 20 years of friendship among a group of millennial Black women. The book has already been named as a finalist for the 2025 Kirkus Prize in fiction, among other accolades. Flournoy chats with our host Whitney Clark about getting older and the uncharted territory that comes with middle age, the hardest parts of writing about the present moment, and her favorite reads. 

For the first time, we're joined by a YA author on the podcast: and she's an Arizona local! Hailey Alcaraz is out with her latest book "Rosa by Any Other Name." Alcaraz describes it as "West Side Story" meets "The Hate U Give" and it's a loose retelling of "Romeo & Juliet." The book takes place in Phoenix, and Alcaraz shares how she did her research, what she learned about the history of South Phoenix, and why she enjoys writing in the genre. 

What do librarians do? How do libraries pay for books? We're so glad you asked! This week on Beyond the Next Chapter, we're diving into the world of public libraries! We're joined by three employees of the Phoenix Public Library system, including the library services director. They chat about what they love about their jobs and all of the free services available to you and your family. You can also learn about which libraries in Phoenix are growing and how many more will be built in the next few years!