Book Gang

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Discover the MomAdvice 2023 Book Club Books I have curated for our readers this year. If you need your reading life reignited or an online community to share your favorite hobby with, we have you covered with these fifteen dynamic selections for discussion. From historical fiction to memoir to YA to mystery to literary fiction, there is something for everyone in this year's book club stack. 

Learn the exclusive content you can access with this year's authors and the unique immersive experiences we offer for your best year of reading ever.  

Today's show includes an online reading guide for your reading year. Please visit this link to access today's guide with full descriptions of each book and how to shop.

We have joyful traditions, meaningful coming-of-age stories, found families, and found loves.

We also have some dynamic discussions in store around challenging topics like the disparities in our medical system, reproductive rights, body autonomy, and disability awareness.

As I've learned so much through this selection process, I am confident that you will walk away with a new understanding of the world too. I can't wait to read with you in 2023. 

The show offers the BIGGEST thank you to Meagan Francis, for leading today's discussion. Please connect with her in the links below. 

Show Notes:

To purchase these books, please support Fables Books, my local indie bookstore. 

Connect With Us:

Amy's Website- MomAdvice.com

Amy is @momadvice on Instagram

Meagan's Website- Mother of Reinvention

Meagan is @meaganfrancis on Instagram

Book Gang T-Shirts and Merchandise

Join the Book Gang Patreon

Improve your reading habits by committing to reading in your first reading challenge this year. @readwiththebookgirls share what they’ve learned from creating their challenge prompts and what advice they would give if you want to DIY a challenge of your own.

Today we talk about the Book Girls' Guide book lists and how they can help you have a more diverse reading experience. These great challenges can not only teach you about the world, but also help you read more books a week.

Get their reader’s favorite books for reading around the world and through the decades.

Book lovers, let’s read more books this year with these reading lists and advice from Melissa and Angela.

Mentioned in this episode:

One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin

Book Gang on Facebook

November Book Discussion

Intelligent Change Journal

Okay Fine, I’m Grateful Journal

A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea by Melissa Fleming

The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki

The Incredible Winston Browne by Sean Dietrich

Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Connect With Us:

Amy's Website- MomAdvice.com

Amy is @momadvice on Instagram

The Book Girls’ Guide

The Book Girls' Guide Facebook Group

Email Sign Up

Book Gang T-Shirts and Merchandise

Join the Book Gang Patreon

This post contains affiliate links.

Shop the above (Amazon) links or shop through my new MomAdvice Book Gang Bookshop Page!! They pay a 10% commission on every sale and give a matching 10% to independent bookstores

Learn how to participate in Nonfiction November with the ultimate tour guide. Olive Fellows started Nonfiction November on her BookTube channel, A Book Olive. Discover four fun reading prompts and ideas for some amazing nonfiction books to start your journey.

Nonfiction November is a month-long nonfiction reading initiative during which you are challenged to read more nonfiction than you ordinarily would. If you read at least one nonfiction book during November, you're officially a participant!

But if you want an ADDED challenge or need some direction in choosing your books, Olive is here with four one-word prompts to help inspire your stack.

Olive also shares a day in the life of a Booktuber.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Best Memoirs to Read for Nonfiction November

The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin

Sad Books for When You Want to Ugly Cry Podcast Episode

November Book Club Chat

MomAdvice on Patreon

Amy’s Favorite Apricot Scrub

Bethany Frankel on TikTok

Believe Beauty Cosmetics

Dandy Lions Cosmetics

The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande

Open Book by Jessica Simpson

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

Let’s Get Physical by Danielle Friedman

The Power of Ritual by Casper ter Kuile

Nonfiction November on Instagram

Threadable App

Fable

How Music Got Free by Stephen Witt

A Furious Sky by Eric Jay Dolin

Hudson Bay Bound by Natalie Warren

Love with a Chance of Drowning by Torre DeRoche

Amy’s Interview with Torre DeRoche

The Secret Lives of Bats by Merlin Tuttle

Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe

Dopesick

Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow

Connect With Us:

Amy's Website- MomAdvice.com

Amy is @momadvice on Instagram

Olive’s YouTube Channel- A Book Olive

Olive on Instagram

Olive on Twitter

Book Gang T-Shirts and Merchandise

Join the Book Gang Patreon

This post contains affiliate links.

Shop the above (Amazon) links or shop through my new MomAdvice Book Gang Bookshop Page!! They pay a 10% commission on every sale and give a matching 10% to independent bookstores

Today's interview is with Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone as we discuss their new plus-size heroine in "A Merry Little Meet Cute."

Learn why body positivity in our characters is so important and how the romance industry is changing to feel more inclusive.

This spicy romance discussion includes what they learned from forming this new "odd couple" writing partnership and how they rose to new creative challenges.

Julie and Sierra both have worked as librarians and share five of their top book recommendations with curvy characters to fall in love with.

Mentioned in this episode:

A Cosmology of Monsters by Shaun Hamill

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy

Dumplin’ Movie

If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

Dear Sweet Pea by Julie Murphy

American Queen by Sierra Simone

Misadventures of a Curvy Girl by Sierra Simone

Vault of Ambience YouTube Channel

Samsung Frame TV (that we all own now- hahaha!)

Tazo Tea Turmeric Bliss

A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone

In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner

Priest by Sierra Simone

Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade

Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade

After Hours on Milagro Street by Angelina M. Lopez

Fat Chance Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado

No Filter and Other Lies by Crystal Maldonado

Xeni: A Marriage of Inconvenience by Rebekah Weatherpoon

Love is a Revolution by Renee Watson

Connect With Us:

Amy is @momadvice on Instagram

Follow Sierra on email at [email protected] & TheSierraSimone.com & Sierra’s Newsletter & Sierra’s Instagram

Follow Julie on Instagram & Julie on Twitter & Julie on TikTok & Julie’s website & Julie’s Newsletter

Julie + Sierra's Website

Julie & Sierra’s Newsletter

Book Gang T-Shirts and Merchandise

Join the Book Gang Patreon

Our favorite bookseller is back to share their best fall book recommendations for your fall reading list. Fables Books shares their most anticipated books for readers with a sneak peek at what’s coming to your store shelves. We discuss the books we’ve already previewed and our most anticipated for the autumn reading season.

Whether you are craving a cozy mystery, a slow-burn romance, a love story, a serial killer drama, or magical realism, we have you covered with this podcast.

So break out the cozy sweaters and catch some fall vibes with this fall book preview from my favorite book shop.

Mentioned in this episode:

In The Wild Light by Jeff Zentner

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina by Zoraida Cordova

Fables Reading Challenge

Seoulmates by Susan Lee

The Two Lives of Sara by Catherine Adel West

Saving Ruby King by Catherine Adel West

Aces Wild by Amanda DeWitt

The Matchmaker’s Gift by Lynda Cohen Loigman

The Two-Family House by Lynda Cohen Loigman

Brooklyn by Colm Toibin

Indian Matchmaking on Netflix

Angelika Frankenstein Makes her Match by Sally Thorne

A Cosmology of Monsters by Shaun Hamill

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy

If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

Priest by Sierra Simone

American Queen by Sierra Simone

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

Ice Planet Barbarian Series by Ruby Dixon

Dark Olympus Series by Katee Robert

The Night Ship by Jess Kidd

Himself by Jess Kidd

Things in Jars by Jess Kidd

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V E Schwab

Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

Amy’s Interview with Mary Kubica

Mary Kubica on The Book Gang Podcast

Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

The Push by Ashley Audrain 

Connect With Us:

Fables Books on Facebook

Fables Books on Instagram

Fables Books on TikTok

Connect with Amy on Instagram

Join the MomAdvice Book Club

Shop Our Bookish Shirts to support the show

Join the Book Gang Patreon (for our exclusive FULLY BOOKED  book review show & more!

Today’s podcast is for you if you love sad books and a good cry. Today we discuss our top book recommendations for heart-wrenching stories that can pull at every heartstring.

Today’s guest, @passions_and_prologues joins us with his top recommendations for thought-provoking and beautifully written stories that allow us to fully immerse ourselves in our seasonal depression and embrace those sad endings.

Adam Sokol the host of the Passions and Prologues podcast, has a passion for just these kinds of recommendations and discusses his new literary podcast today. This show gives readers new authors to love, and a peek at some of their most beloved passions beyond the bookish world.

He has spent over a decade in the literary world interviewing authors and promoting books. He will read anything that is written well but is especially drawn to small, heartfelt stories with big emotions, literary and speculative fiction, and stories with a touch of magic and nostalgia.

I am happy to be a loyal listener of his show and have loved listening to his guests discuss everything from strategic packing for trips to their love for weightlifting. We discuss how Adam leads these unique conversations and how his job at Overdrive for eleven years has helped him land such amazing guests.

Get out your tissues for today’s episode!!

Notes from today's show:

The Book of Harlan Book Chat

Passions and Prologues Podcast

Libby App

Professional Book Nerds Podcast

Reading Glasses Podcast

Full Circle by Andrea Barber

Brad Meltzer

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara 

This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijikamp 

Listening Still by Anne Griffin 

When All is Said by Anne Griffin 

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce 

Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney

The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce

Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce

How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu 

The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin 

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

MomAdvice Online Book Club

This Close to Okay by Leesa Cross-Smith 

I Liked My Life by Abby Fabiaschi 

Empower Her Network

The Bridge by Bill Konigsberg 

Shop the above (Amazon) links or shop through my Book Gang Bookshop Page!! They pay a 10% commission on every sale and give a matching 10% to independent bookstores.

Connect With Us:

Passions & Prologues on Instagram

Passions & Prologues on TikTok

Connect with Amy on Instagram

Join the MomAdvice Book Club

Shop Our Bookish Shirts to support the show

Join the Book Gang Patreon (for our exclusive FULLY BOOKED  book review show & more!

Are you looking for your next great book to read? We share our favorite new-release books for fall (and a few new backlist faves). 

Experience FULLY BOOKED today. Our Patreon exclusive show offers you honest book reviews on all the latest releases with a FREE printable reading guide.

Hey, book lovers! We are giving YOU a sneak peek at our favorite books from September.

This stack highlights two book club selections, stories that catch fall vibes, a small town love story,  and you can discover the magical realism book that ended up being a surprise hit. 

We also have lots of romance spice to pair with your pumpkin spice this year! 

Let's get FULLY BOOKED TOGETHER. Please note, this is PART 1 of 2.  

Show Notes:

MomAdvice on Patreon

MomAdvice Book Club

The Book of Harlan by Bernice McFadden

Book Club Online The Book of Harlan Chat

*** September Patreon Newsletter ***

The Idea of You by Robinne Lee

The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand

A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey

Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering

Where the Crawdad’s Sing by Delia Owens

Carolina by Taylor Swift

Self-Made Boys by Anna-Marie McLemore

Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Canter 

Girls with Bright Futures by Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman

My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newson 

The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickels 

Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez 

Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain

Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books Podcast

Just Another Love Song by Kerry Winfrey 

Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey 

Very Sincerely Yours by Kerry Winfrey 

Not Like the Movies by Kerry Winfrey

Hurricane Girl by Marcy Dermansky 

One’s Company by Ashley Hutson

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune 

Magic Season: A Son’s Story by Wade Rouse 

Kathleen Carter’s Podcast Episode - A Day in the Life of a Book Publicist

Mean Baby by Selma Blair 

The Last White Man by Moshin Hamid 

Exit West by Moshin Hamid

The Reluctant Fundamentalist  by Moshin Hamid

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki 

Hillwood Estate Museum and Gardens

Merriweather Post Pavilion

Smells Like Tween Spirit by Laurie Gelman

Class Mom by Laurie Gelman

You’ve Been Volunteered by Laurie Gelman 

Yoga Pant Nation by Laurie Gelman

A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella 

Ethan Joella’s podcast episode - Lessons for Writing Your First Book

Archie Bunker’s Place

When We Were Bright and Beautiful by Jillian Medoff

American Fever by Dur e Aziz Amna

Amy is @momadvice on Instagram
Larry H. on goodreads.com
Larry H. on Instagram
 

Are you looking for your next great book to read? We share our favorite new-release books for fall (and a few new backlist faves). 

Experience FULLY BOOKED today. Our Patreon exclusive show offers you honest book reviews on all the latest releases with a FREE printable reading guide.

Hey, book lovers! We are giving YOU a sneak peek at our favorite books from September.

This stack highlights two book club selections, stories that catch fall vibes, a small town love story,  and a magical realism book that ended up being a surprise hit. 

We also have lots of romance spice to pair with your pumpkin spice this year! 

Let's get FULLY BOOKED TOGETHER. Please note, this is PART 2 of 2.  

Mr. Perfect on Paper by Jean Meltzer 

The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer 

The Perfect Find by Tia Williams 

Seven Days in June by Tia Williams 

Keya Das’s Second Act by Sopan Dev

Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

The Trees by Percival Everett 

Less is Lost by Andrew Sean Grier 

A Very Typical Family by Sierra Godfrey 

Always the First to Die by RJ Jacobs 

How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz

I’m the Girl by Courtney Summers 

I Walk Between the Raindrops by TC Boyle 

All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien 

Lucy on the Wild Side by  Kerry Rea 

Like a Rolling Stone by Jann Wenner 

Dinners with Ruth by Nina Totenberg 

The House Party by Rita Cameron 

The Make-Up Test by Jenny L Howe 

The Winter Orphans by Kristin Beck

Typecast by Andrea J Stein 

Bliss Montage: Stories - Ling Ma

The Epic Story of Every Living Thing by Deb Caletti 

Forsaken Country by Allen Eskens 

Drunk on Love by Jasmine Guillory 

Something in the Heir by Suzanne Enoch 

The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling 

Dreamland by Nicholas Sparks 

The Old Place by Bobby Finker 

The Matchmaker’s Gift by Lynda Cohen Loigman 

The Winners by Fredrik Backman 

Jacqueline in Paris by Ann Mah 

Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson 

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Jenny Bayliss 

Amy is @momadvice on Instagram
Larry H. on goodreads.com
Larry H. on Instagram

Enjoy this exclusive podcast interview with Allison Larkin discussing her writing process for The People We Keep. Download The People We Keep music playlist and book club guide. This is our final episode of season 1- the show will return on Be sure to scroll down to see the list of your top ten favorite episodes and my short list of must-listen episodes to keep you busy until our next season, launching on September 9th!

Enjoy this exclusive podcast interview with Allison Larkin discussing her writing process for The People We Keep. Download the music playlist and book club guide (FOR FREE) today.

Have you ever thought about how the #MeToo movement might have impacted your favorite characters? What if the world saw your character as unlikeable or difficult, but the world’s new lens saw her as beloved and endearing?

The People We Keep is a captivating coming-of-age story pulled at every heartstring as you follow one girl's journey towards finding love in her chosen family.

April Sawicki lives in a motorless motorhome that her father won in a poker game. Failing out of school, and picking up shifts at a local diner, she’s left fending for herself in a town where she’s never quite felt at home.

When she “borrows” her neighbor’s car to perform at an open mic night, she realizes her life could be much bigger than where she came from. After a fight with her dad, April packs her stuff and leaves for good, setting off on a journey to find a life that’s all hers.

You will find a very determined voice in this character, but April isn't the only determined woman.

In today's interview, you will find that Allison Larkin is just as determined.

She wants her story told and will not compromise in any fashion on this story, no matter how long it might take or how many hands it had to pass. Ultimately, it has become such a beloved book to many readers because of her dogged determination. 

So today, we celebrate her!

About Allison Larkin:

Allison Larkin is the internationally bestselling author of The People We Keep, Stay, Why Can’t I Be You, and Swimming for Sunlight. Connect with Allison Larkin on her website.

*****

Looking for more to listen to?  Here are the favorite shows of season 1!

Book Gang’s Favorite Season 1 Shows:

1. Strong Book Opinions Wanted (Episode 24)
2. Best Books of 2021 Part 1 (Episode 16)
3. Best Backlist Books You Missed Part 2 (Episode 33)
4. Must Read True Crime Books (Episode 21)
5. Best Books of 2021 Part 2 (Episode 17)
6. Improve Your Reading Focus and Memory (Episode 32)
7. Use These Cleaning Hacks For a Better Reading Life (Episode 28)
8. The Best Audiobooks for Your Reading Life (Episode 39)
9. Best Backlist Books You Missed Part 2 (Episode 33)
10. Episode 19: Sneak Peek: Fully Booked

Amy’s Favorite Season 1 Shows:

1. What it Takes to Be A Top GoodReads Reviewer (Episode 11)
2. How the Storygraph Can Enhance Your Reading Life: An Interview With Nadia Odunayo- the CEO and Founder (Episode 25)
3. Hopes & Heartbreaks of Pandemic Publishing With Gae Polisner (Episode 20)
4. The Julia Whelan Interview You Need to Hear (Episode 40)
5. This Will Be Funny Later: An Interview With Jenny Pentland (Episode 34)

Connect With Me:

Connect with Amy on Instagram

Visit Amy’s Website (MomAdvice.com)

Join the MomAdvice Book Club

Shop Our Bookish Shirts to support the show

Join the Book Gang Patreon (for our exclusive FULLY BOOKED  book review show & more!)

Julia Whelan uses her background as an award-winning audiobook narrator to write her  romance novel, Thank You for Listening. Join me today for an interview to learn more about her writing process and the behind-the-scenes of an audiobook narrator’s life.

This steamy romance read dishes up some surprising routines in an audiobook narrator's life, from their narration preparation to snack routines. We also talk about the need for pseudonyms in the industry when working in the romance industry, in particular.

Discover Julia’s proudest moments in her career, what she learned by slowing down on audiobook projects, and what she would tell her younger self about her wildly successful career path.

Patreon friends can enjoy a bonus episode with Julia in our fun Bookworm Challenge. Be sure to join Patreon to unlock this feature!

About Thank You For Listening:

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING is an uplifting book telling the story of a former actress turned successful audiobook narrator—who has lost sight of her dreams after a tragic accident—and her journey of self-discovery, love, and acceptance when she agrees to narrate one last romance novel.

Mentioned in this episode:

My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan

Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan

These Walls Can Talk by Erin Mallon

Connect With Us:

Amy is @momadvice on Instagram

MomAdvice.com

justjuliawhelan on Instagram

@justjuliawhelan on Twitter

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