Book Gang

Fall in love with these book recommendations for the best audiobooks for your next reading day. Meg, from Sorta Awesome, joined the show to share her top recommendations and why they hit the sweet spot in her reading life. This book stack has everything you crave- deeply personal memoirs, science fiction (sci-fi),  young adult reads, and pure escapist fun.

We start our discussion with our audiobook habits, speeds, and what I’ve learned from our guests about staying engaged with your audiobook literature.

If you struggle to stay focused during your audiobook time, don’t miss today’s show with some surprising tricks to keep your brain engaged. These audiobook reading hacks helped me to engage with our book club books in new ways this year.

Don’t miss Meg’s recommendation on one of this year’s award winners (for the Audie Awards) or my selections with full cast narration that kept me engaged from start to finish.

Get to Know Meg

Meg Tietz should be a very familiar voice to many of you. She runs a top women's lifestyle podcast called Sorta Awesome for women who want to stay current on all things awesome, including culture, media, and trending conversations! 

Meg first created Sorta Awesome in 2015, after closing her popular blog, Sorta Crunchy. Sorta Awesome has over three million downloads from thousands of awesome listeners.

They also run a very active community in the show’s private Facebook group, the Sorta Awesome Hangout. There is so much to love about Meg and this show, and I'm so honored to have her in our space today.

Mentioned in this episode:

Book Gang Episode: Improve Your Reading Memory and Focus

Book Gang Episode: Booker of the Month

Sorta Awesome Romance Starter Pack

Pop Culture Happy Hour on NPR

Fool Me Once by Ashley Winstead

The View Was Exhausting by Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta

Let’s Talk About Midlife with Mindy and Meg

As You Wish by Cary Elwes

New York Times Spelling Bee

How to Use Scribd for Your Reading Life

Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan

My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Broken Horses by Brandi Carlile

Mean Baby by Selma Blair

Open Book by Jessica Simpson

One of Us is Dead by Jeneva Rose

The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose

The Girl I Was by Jeneva Rose

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

The Assistants by Camille Perri

My Friend Anna by Rachel DeLoache Williams

Cover Story by Susan Rigetti

Bad Blood on Netflix

These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant

The One by John Marrs

Black Mirror Hang the DJ

The One on Netflix

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

The Martian by Andy Weir

Amy’s interview with Andy Weir

Connect With Us:

Amy is @momadvice on Instagram

MomAdvice.com

Sorta Awesome podcast

Sorta Awesome Hangout on Facebook

sortaawesomemeg on Instagram

Join the  Book Gang Patreon for Exclusive Bonus Content
 

Sit down with our first wife-writing duo, Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta, as they discuss their sophisticated summer romance, The View Was Exhausting. They join us from Berlin to share about their writing process, embracing romance tropes, and why they wanted to explore the topic of women of color in Hollywood.

I am excited to host our first writing duo on the podcast today. It’s not just any writing duo, though; this is a wife-writing duo that joined me from Berlin to discuss their romance debut!

I selected this book for our Summer Reading Guide because it brings the PURE ESCAPE factor you crave in your vacation reading. This swoon-worthy romance laces iconic scenery with a Hollywood setting and weaves in a great fake dating plotline.

Mikaella and Onjuli share how they divide their writing and began writing stories together over a decade ago. It’s beautiful and inspiring for anyone contemplating writing a book with their life partner.

This week does, sadly, conclude our Summer Author Interview series. I hope you have enjoyed these conversations!

Check out the two other episodes this summer: my Ashley Winstead interview on Fool Me Once (episode 37) and the Jenny Pentland interview on This Will Be Funny Later (episode 34).

Ashley shares differences between thriller and romance writing. Jenny's interview was a lesson in vulnerability with memoir writing and growing up as Roseanne Arnold's daughter. Don’t miss these episodes.

Now let’s chat about this smart and sophisticated summer romance that has become my top summer book recommendation for friends that need a true escape from reality.

NOTE FROM AMY: I hope you love the show’s new look! I was so excited to share it with you today!

Mentioned in this episode:

Get the Kindle Daily Deals List to Your Email

The View was Exhausting by Mikaela Clements & Onjuli Datta

Thank U, Next: How the Golden Age of Romcoms Inspired Our Novel

Get A Life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

The View Was Exhausting Playlist on Spotify

TVWE Remix on Spotify

100 Ways Music Video by Jackson Wang

Getaway Car Music Video by Taylor Swift

Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

The View Was Exhausting Book Club Kit

Six Days in Rome by Francesca Giacco

Tell Me Everything by Laura Kay

Connect with Us:

Amy is @momadvice on Instagram

MomAdvice.com

Join the Patreon Community For the Bonus Content

mikandonj on Instagram

Not everyone can say they published two books during the pandemic, but Ashley Winstead can. Today we discuss her romance debut Fool Me Once and how Winstead hopes to break the mold with her romance characters.

This week we continue our conversations with writers in our Summer Author Interview series. After our incredible kickoff with Jenny Pentland’s memoir (episode 34), we move into lighter fiction waters with Fool Me Once, written by Ashley Winstead.

I felt compelled to reach out to Ashley to hear about her surprising journey to full-time writing during the pandemic and what it was about this time that yielded such a fruitful creative time for her career. She shares how her previous job (as a communications director working in public policy) shaped the plot line for Lee Stone and the kickoff to her new romance series.

I also want to know what it looks like to compartmentalize work when you write in two genres. For example, Ashley alternates writing thrillers (like In My Dreams I Hold a Knife and the soon-to-be-released The Last Housewife) and romance- two VERY different worlds.

Are there two Ashleys? We need answers!

She speaks with surprising vulnerability about the challenges in the romance industry and with great confidence about the kind of success she plans to achieve with her writing. Don’t miss this episode.

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

Be sure to check out this year’s Summer Reading Guide for the best beach read book recommendations.

Get to Know Ashley:

Ashley Winstead holds a Ph.D. in contemporary American literature from Southern Methodist University and a B.A. in English and Art History from Vanderbilt University. She lives in Houston with her husband, where she drinks red wine and dreams up novels. You can connect with Ashley on Instagram!

Mentioned in this episode:

In My Dreams I Hold a Knife by Ashley Winstead

Book Gang Episode: This Will Be Funny Later with Jenny Pentland

MomAdvice on Patreon

Fool Me Once by Ashley Winstead

The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead

Dial A For Aunties by Jesse Q Sutanto

How the Hell Has Danielle Steel Managed to Write 179 Books?

Connect With Us:

Amy is @momadvice on Instagram

Ashley’s Instagram

Ashley on Twitter

AshleyWinstead.com

Join the Patreon Community For the Bonus Content

What could be more frustrating than a reading slump? Sasha (@pathologically.literate) wants to break up her reading slump and I plan to guide her with my arsenal of advice and my top recommendations to get her reading life back on track.

Sasha asked me for some guidance on choosing her next book and shared some of her all-time favorites that give me a good starting point for recommendations. This prescription for slump-busting books isn't just for Sasha. This episode is for ANYONE who has struggled to find their way back to reading again. 

Mentioned in this episode:

The Book Club

Book Gang Podcast: Improve Your Reading Memory and Focus

The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris

Barack Obama’s 2021 Book List

Michelle Obama’s Workout Playlist

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik 

Kindred by Octavia E Butler

Nothing Gold Can Stay by Ron Rash

Serena by Ron Rash

The Cove by Ron Rash

Desperation Road by Michael Farris Smith

The Reckless Oath We Made by Bryn Greenwood

All The Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

Where All Light Tends to Go by David Joy

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Deconstructed by Liz Talley

Amy’s Daily Deals Page

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead by Elle Cosimano

In My Dreams I Hold A Knife by Ashley Winstead

Fool Me Once by Ashley Winstead

Mean Baby by Selma Blair

A Star is Bored by Byron Lane

Connect With Us:

Amy is @momadvice on Instagram

MomAdvice.com

Join the Patreon Community For the Bonus Content

Sasha on Instagram

Pathologically Literate

Book Gang Patreon

These page-turning cozy summer reads are just what you need for your beach bag. Try these summer books that embrace cozy love stories, small-town fun, and even light family drama.  This is the episode you need for your beach bag! 

I know I am LIKELY not your go-to for COZY reading choices, so I thought I would bring on a guest who would be. 

When I read something that gives me warm fuzzies, you know it is a rare gem that deserves to be talked about. 

 We have the stack for you if you love a good happily ever after, beach house settings, magical realism, and stories about falling in love. 

Today’s books have fun twists and turn that will keep you turning the pages until past bedtime. These plotlines are light enough for beaching read while still delivering on stories that would be perfect for a summer book club. 

In this discussion we share our mutual adoration for Emily Henry (a featured author in this year’s summer reading guide) and Steven Rowley.  We also embrace a few farfetched mysteries, food-themed literature, lighter family dysfunction, and bookish-themed tales

Mentioned in this episode:

Limelight by Amy Poeppel

MomAdvice on Patreon

The Couch Podcast: Reading About Books & Reading with Amy Allen Clark

Book Gang: This Will Be Funny Later with Jenny Pentland

Veronica Mars

The Lincoln Lawyer on Netflix

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly

The Lincoln Lawyer movie

Book Gang: Cozy Up With These Winter Reads

Better Homes & Gardens Ventura Outdoor Rocking Chair

Fre Sparkling Rosé

Mr. Wrong Number by Lynn Painter

Thank You for Listening for Julia Whelan

The Kindred Spirts Supper Club by Amy E. Reichert

Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert

Love, Luck & Lemon Pie by Amy E. Reichert

Women’s Paranormal Fiction on Amazon

The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams

Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland

The Floating Feldmans by Elyssa Friedland

The Guncle by Steven Rowley

The Editor by Steven Rowley

Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley

Freaky Friday

The Seven Day Switch by Kelly Harms

The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms

Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

Dial A For Aunties by Jesse Q Sutanto

Four Aunties and a Wedding by Jesse Q Sutanto

Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich

Connect With Us:

Mary on Instagram

The Couch Podcast with Mary Carver

Amy is @momadvice on Instagram

MomAdvice.com

Join the Patreon Community For the Bonus Content

Imagine your childhood becomes a sitcom. As the daughter of Roseanne Barr, Jenny Pentland knows a lot about this and documents her story in her riveting memoir, This Will Be Funny Later.  This coming-of-age memoir isn’t about Roseanne though. Jenny shares her journey through her teen years from fat camps to wilderness boot camps to her stay in mental health facilities that brought to light the for-profit model of the troubled teen industry. 

In today’s podcast, we discuss Pentland's early family life in working-class Denver and the life that they could have never imagined unfolded.  We then follow her story as Roseanne finds success as a comedian and the family leaves behind the Rockies to head to Los Angeles.

What would it be like to watch the show of your own life? What if the number one question you got asked is “Are you Becky or Darlene?” 

We discuss the disturbing freedom that publications like the National Enquirer had to pursue and exploit their family for profit and what it would be like to be a child swept up in the frenzy of tabloid fodder. 

We also discuss the necessary work of memoir writing and how to learn to write your story objectively when it is so deeply personal. 

Jenny’s encouraging words are the ones you need to hear if you want to write a memoir. Her life story filled with obstacles reminds us that we all have a story to share and we shouldn’t let life’s daily obstacles stop us from sharing it.

Mentioned in this episode:

This Will Be Funny Later by Jenny Pentland

Connect With Me:

Amy is @momadvice on Instagram

MomAdvice.com

Join the Patreon Community For the Bonus Content

No need to wait for the latest summer releases when you have this list of best backlist books to check out.

This is the second part of our discussion today. 

My well-read co-host, Larry Hoffer, is back to talk about our favorite older books and why these should be in your stack this year too.

Not familiar with the term backlist or frontlist books? The book industry groups published books into two types- frontlist (titles that have sold in the current year) and backlist (titles that are older than a year).

We have resurrected some of our top recommendations in this two-part series that can keep you company while you wait for your library holds to come in. Today we discuss our favorites that are two years or more older.

This list of older books have brought us great joy over our reading years and we can't wait to tell you why these will make the perfect addition to your reading life too. 

Mentioned in this episode:

Book Gang Podcast: Best Backlist Books You Missed Part 1

This Year's Summer Reading Guide (The Best Beach Reads For Your Summer Stack)

This Will Be Funny Later by Jenny Pentland

In My Dreams I Hold A Knife by Ashley Winstead

Fool Me Once by Ashley Winstead

The View Was Exhausting by Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta

The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers

Tobacco Wives Book Chat

Book Gang Podcast: Best Books of 2021 with Larry

Amy’s Email

Amy’s Instagram

House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin

Macbeth by William Shakespeare

The Tragedy of Macbeth

Scribd

My Notorious Life by Kate Manning

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

Kate Manning’s Author Page

Gilded Mountain by Kate Manning

Christodora by Tim Murphy

The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

Philadelphia

The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickels

Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong

Chemistry by Weike Wang

Joan is Okay by Weike Wang

Emergency Contact by Mary HK Choi

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Yolk by Mary HK Choi

Permanent Record by Mary HK Choi

The Two Family House by Linda Cohen Loigman

The Wartime Sisters by Linda Cohen Loigman

Book Gang Podcast: A Day In the Life of a Book Publicist with Kathleen Carter

Brooklyn

Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland

We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange

Sadness is a White Bird by Moriel Rothman-Zecher

The Orphans of Race Point by Patry Francis

Amy’s Interview with Patry Francis

All the Children Are Home by Patry Francis

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough

MomAdvice on Patreon

Larry on Instagram

Larry on Goodreads

No need to wait for the latest summer releases when you have this list of best backlist books to check out.

My well-read co-host, Larry Hoffer, is back to talk about our favorite older books and why these should be in your stack this year too.

Not familiar with the term backlist or frontlist books? The book industry groups published books into two types- frontlist (titles that have sold in the current year) and backlist (titles that are older than a year).

We have resurrected some of our top recommendations in this two-part series that can keep you company while you wait for your library holds to come in. Today we discuss our favorites that are two years or more older.

This list of older books have brought us great joy over our reading years and we can't wait to tell you why these will make the perfect addition to your reading life too.

Mentioned in this episode:

This Will Be Funny Later by Jenny Pentland

The Lady’s Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness by Sarah Ramey

Bookclub Event

The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickels

Larry’s Best Of List

Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley

The Guncle by Steven Rowley

Book Gang Podcast: A Reader’s Backlist Book Challenge

Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny

Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny

Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

Party of One: A Memoir in 21 Songs by Dave Holmes

My Friend Anna: The True Story of a Fake Heiress by Rachel DeLoache Williams

Inventing Anna

The Thing About Pam

A Place For Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza

Fatima Mirza and Riz Ahmed on the Oscars Red Carpet

Cruel Beautiful World by Caroline Leavitt

Is This Tomorrow by Caroline Leavitt

Amy’s Interview with Caroline Leavitt

With or Without You by Caroline Leavitt

Pictures of You by Caroline Leavitt

We Contain Multitudes by Sarah Henstra

Valley of the Moon by Melanie Gideon

The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain

Did I Say You Could Go by Melanie Gideon

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Time and Again by Jack Finney

Wife 22 by Melanie Gideon

Connect With Us

Amy is @momadvice on Instagram

Larry on Instagram

MomAdvice.com

Join the Patreon Community For the Bonus Content

Do you struggle with reading focus and retention? Paula Engebretson is a Certified Life Coach that specializes in helping adults with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) live their best life. Who better to lead us on reading strategies and reading comprehension than her?

At 31 years old, Paula was diagnosed with ADHD and had to learn how to create systems and routines that made sense with how her brain works. We discuss the symptoms of adult ADHD and how to begin the process of diagnosis and treatment.

Today’s goal is to give you real strategies for reading more and how you can begin working with your learning disability instead of against it. You don’t need ADHD to benefit from today’s episode. In these distracted times, all of us could benefit from this life coach’s advice!

Amy on A Slob Comes Clean Podcast

Amy on The Mom Hour

How I Manage Life With Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (Amy's Guide)

The Lady’s Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness by Sarah Ramey

Online Bookclub Chat

MomAdvice on Patreon

I’m Busy Being Awesome

Paula on Instagram

Book Gang Podcast Episode: Use These Cleaning Hacks for a Better Reading Life

Dr. Russell Barkley

ADDitude

CHADD

When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel Pink

brain.fm

Book Gang Podcast Episode: Booker of the Month

Rise App

Loona App

Fidgetland

Worry Stones

We’re Busy Being Awesome Small Groups

I’m Busy Being Awesome Podcast

I’m Busy Being Awesome on Facebook

Connect With Me:

Amy is @momadvice on Instagram

Join the Patreon Community For the Bonus Content

May is  AAPI Heritage Month, and we want to celebrate these voices with a well-curated book stack. Kristin from Fables Books joins the show to talk about this month’s StoryGraph reading challenge and share some of their best picks for a memorable reading month.

I also bring a great book club selection, an under-the-radar book gem that swept me away, and debuts that pulled me out of reading slumps. This episode has you covered whether you are looking for your next fantasy adventure, YA romance, or historical fiction escape.

We want to remind our listeners that Fables is our partnered bookshop, and all of the links do go directly to their store. Remember, this shop also offers a used book collection. Please support our indie book shop.

Mentioned in this episode:

Bree Unabashedly on Instagram

Book Gang Podcast: Falling for Holiday Romance

The Reading List Book Chat

MomAdvice on Patreon

Ehlers-Danlos

The Lady’s Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness by Sarah Ramey

Lady's Handbook Book Chat

Fables Books

Fables Book Reading Challenge

Amy’s Interview with Celeste Ng

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

She Who Became The Sun by Shelly Parker-Chan 

If I had Your Face by Frances Cha

The Tangleroot Palace: Stories by Marjorie Liu

Monstress by Marjorie Liu 

Everything Here is Beautiful by Mira T. Lee

Sari Not Sari by Sonya Singh

A River of Stars by Vanessa Hua 

Forbidden City by Vanessa Hua 

Blue-Skinned Gods by SJ Sindu

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan 

Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab 

The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories by Yu Chen & Regina Kanyu Wang 

Fables Books on Facebook

Fables Books on Instagram

Fables Books on Tik Tok