Book Gang

When the 2019 Booker Prize longlist was announced, Deedi (@deedireads) challenged herself to read them over a year. Reading this prize-winning literature ended up changing her reading life forever.

Each year, this literary award (Booker Prize) for fiction is one of the most prestigious literary prizes given to an author. This prize is awarded to what is the best novel of the year written in the English language and published in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It is a prize that can transform the winner's career. It can also change a reader's life.

We will be discussing Deedi's favorite Man Booker International Prize winners and how we can join her fun book club challenge on The StoryGraph.  She shares her Booker of the Month details and where other readers can take this challenge with her.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams

The Reading List Book Chat

The Best Psychological Thriller Books to Read

DeediReads

The Booker Prizes

Women’s Prize for Fiction

National Book Award

The Hugo Awards

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Booker of the Month

Bernie Lombardi on Instagram

Literary Award Lounge Discord Server

The StoryGraph

Book Gang Podcast: How The StoryGraph Can Enhance Your Reading Life

How to Use The StoryGraph For A Better Reading Life

Fables Books Challenge

Alex Awards

Binge Mode

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

Bewilderment by Richard Powers

My Sister The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Redhead by the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

Frankissstein by Jeanette Winterson

Lanny by Max Porter

Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellmann

The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste

Deedi on Instagram

Deedi Speaking

Deedi on Twitter

Deedi’s Newsletter

From Deedi’s Couch

Connect With Me:

Amy is @momadvice on Instagram

Join the Patreon Community For the Bonus Content

MomAdvice on Patreon

If you need some fun in your life, this podcast on the funniest books is for you. Kristin from Fables and I agree that we don’t gravitate toward lighthearted books so it is always a fun surprise when books like these bring us unexpected joy.

Expand your book stack beyond the funny classics like Tina Fey, Mindy Kaling, Bill Bryson,  and Trevor Noah. This humorous book stack offers some under-the-radar books that hit all the right funny notes.

Whether you are looking for short stories, science fiction, a collection of essays, middle-aged hilarity,  or coming-of-age YA humor- we have you covered.

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:

This Will Be Funny Later by Jenny Pentland

Fables Books Reading Challenge 2022

Book Gang Podcast: How The StoryGraph Can Enhance Your Reading Life

How to Use the StoryGraph App For a Better Reading Life

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

The Book of Polly by Kathy Hepinstall

Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny

Mickey 7 by Edward Ashton

Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton

Feral Creatures by Kira Jane Buxton

Kira Jane Buxton on Instagram

As You Wish by Cary Elwes

How to be Perfect by Michael Schur

You’ll Grow Out of It by Jessi Klein essay

Inside Amy Schumer

Bossypants by Tina Faye

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling

Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores by Jennifer Campbell

What If Its Us by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera

Here’s To Us by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera

They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Once More Upon a Time by Roshani Chokski

Barbie in The 12 Dancing Princesses

Happy and You Know It by Laura Hankin

McSweeney’s

Funny or Die

A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Bonus Books (From Fables Book Club):

All That She Carried by Tiya Miles

Network Effect by Martha Wells

Murderbot Diaries

House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

MomAdvice on Patreon

Connect With Me:

Amy is @momadvice on Instagram

Join the Patreon Community For the Bonus Content

Dana K. White is a bestselling author who shares reality-based cleaning and organizing tips on her podcast, A Slob Comes Clean. This discussion embraces the best time-saving cleaning tricks so you can read more and focus less on cleaning. 

Get her advice on the best decluttering projects to pair with audiobooks and a few of her favorite audiobooks this year. 

Don’t miss the “container concept” that will help reduce the clutter quickly so you can do the things you love…like READING.

Mentioned in this episode:

A Slob Comes Clean

Amy’s Container Reorg

Unmissing by Minka Kent

The Round House by Louise Erdrich

Montana 1948 by Larry Watson

Girl With The Louding Voice by Abi Dare

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Mercy Street by Jennifer Haigh

Decluttering at the Speed of Life by Dana K. White

Organizing for the Rest of Us by Dana K. White

How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind by Dana K. White

Dana on YouTube

Connect With Me:

Amy is @momadvice on Instagram

Join the Patreon Community For the Bonus Content

Kathleen Carter has worked with bestselling authors for years and has launched publicity campaigns for many of our most treasured books. It takes a lot of know-how to work in the publishing industry and her book promotions have garnered the attention of many bestselling authors and literary agents.

Today we discuss how she landed this dream job, what goes into book publicity, and what really helps drive book sales for authors.

She also shares the social media scoop on how to land those advanced readers, how to write and tag your book reviews, and what helps book marketing the most. Bookstagrammers will love this thoughtful feedback and a glimpse at Kathleen’s reading routines.

We end our time with some of Kathleen’s favorite backlist and under-the-radar book gems that I can’t wait to check out.

Mentioned in this episode:

MomAdvice Book Club Shirt

Reading Retreat

My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Kirkus Reviews

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Kindle First Reads

Book of the Month

Dear Pope Francis by Pope Francis

Pope Francis Meets Children Letter Writers

Hidden Girl: The True Story of a Modern-Day Child Slave by Shyima Hall

People Magazine Shyima Hall: My Escape From Slavery

The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis

BookGang Podcast: Best Thriller Books You Might Have Missed with Mary Kubica

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez

Inside Out by Demi Moore

Going There by Katie Couric

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Musical Chairs by Amy Poeppel

Elin Hildebrand Literati Book Club

Limelight by Amy Poeppel

MadWoman by Louisa Treger

Viola Shipman

Magic Season: A Son’s Story by Wade Rouse

Connect With Us:

Amy is @momadvice on Instagram

Kathleen on Twitter

Kathleen on Instagram

Kathleen Carter Communications

patreon.com/momadvice

Award-winners don’t always yield a can’t-put-down book pace even if they make the critic’s best books of the year list. This episode is here to deliver on fast-paced reads with big themes.

Discover what makes a book qualify for these award categories (like the Alex Awards, Hugo Award, or Edgar Award) and get the book reviews you need to make the most notable award-winning choices for your reading life.

Today’s stack offers the best in thrillers, science fiction, contemporary literature, and even suggestions you can enjoy with your young adult. So whether you are looking for fiction or nonfiction, we have you covered.

Fables Books brings their favorite award-winners as we continue to work our way through their Storygraph reading challenge.

Mentioned in this episode:

Book Gang Podcast Episode 25: How The StoryGraph Can Enhance Your Reading Life

MomAdvice Book Club

Fables Books

Book Gang Podcast Episode 22: Books About Books with Fables Books

Fables Books 2022 Reading Challenge

Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson

Maus Volume 1 by Art Spiegelman

Maus Volume 2 by Art Spiegelman

The Pulitzer Prize

Alex Awards

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

The One Hundred Years of Lenni & Margot by Marianne Cronin

Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison

This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance by Jonathan Evison

MomAdvice Interview with Jonathan Evison

The Book of Delights by Ross Gay

Indiana Authors Awards

National Book Critics Circle Awards

Evicted by Matthew Desmond

The Hugo Awards

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The Edgar Awards

When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey

Nebula Awards

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko

Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko

Lambda Literary Awards

Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

Annabel by Kathleen Winter

National Book Awards

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Fables Books & MomAdvice

Fables Books on Facebook

Fables Books on Instagram

Fables Books on TikTok

MomAdvice on Patreon

Amy is @momadvice on Instagram

Join the Patreon Community For the Bonus Content

Who better to lead us on using The StoryGraph app than Nadia Odunayo- the CEO and Founder of The StoryGraph app. Nadia shares how the design’s simple tracking and insightful stats tool can enrich your reading life.  These personalized recommendations are based on your mood and can curate the perfect read for any mood occasion.  

Today we discussed who were the users for The StoryGraph's features. We also discuss the critical differences between GoodReads and The StoryGraph, like buddy reads, book club challenges, and content warnings.

Learn why I’m making the switch away from GoodReads after our discussion. I can’t wait to discover books this year through these curated lists and reading challenges.

Today’s episode includes a readable guide on How to Use the StoryGraph (linked in show notes) as we take you on a screen-by-screen capture of described features in our interview. 

Mentioned in this episode:

The StoryGraph

The StoryGraph Roadmap

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary

Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

Take A Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert

Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss

What It Means When A Man Falls From the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah

A Little Hope by Ethan Joella

Nadia Odunayo on Instagram

Nadia Odunayo on Twitter

The StoryGraph on Instagram

The StoryGraph on Twitter

Amy is @momadvice on Instagram

Join the Patreon Community For the Bonus Content

Lindsay (@theopinionatereader) may have been tasked with the most challenging podcast assignment yet, but it seemed fitting for a bookstagrammer that builds a brand on strong book opinions. So today we discuss three books she loved and three books she hated. Learn some of the best practices for sharing negative book reviews and what surprising author friendship blossomed from a positive book review.  

CONTENT WARNINGS FOR TODAY (with timestamps):
Today's episode does have trigger warnings for the last portion of our show (in the negative review section). 

The negative reviews do have spoilers.

43:05- A rape case is mishandled and there is a discussion on how this case would actually be handled based on Lindsay's background (and her husband's background) working as a sex crime's detective and intern in the sex crimes unit. 

52:52- May be triggering to those facing disabilities because it is about someone being dishonest about a health diagnosis.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Opinionated Reader on Instagram

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

Bath Haus by P.J. Vernon

A Little Hope by Ethan Joella

Bath Haus Review on Patreon

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Book of Harlan by Bernice McFadden

Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel

The Hearts Invisible Furies by John Boyne

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickels

The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne

Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Kruger

Setting Free the Kites by Alex George

A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler

Such A Fun Age by Kylie Reid

When You Hate Your Neighbor, and Then Your Kids Start Dating by Kiley Reid in the NY Times

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez

Get a Life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

The Spoon Theory

Connect With Us:

Amy is @momadvice on Instagram

Lindsay is @theopinionatedreader on Instagram

Join the Book Gang on Patreon 

MomAdvice.com

A Little Hope was selected as a Read With Jenna & Book of the Month Selection, but Ethan Joella is here to tell you that writing your first book can be quite the journey.

Ethan knows all about good writing, in fact, he instructs his students on this topic. Today we are talking about the structure of this beautifully interconnected story in a sleepy seaside town and why good stories are often made up of those little-noticed details.

Landing the traditional publishing deal for his debut fiction book took a lot of writing time and patience, but this novel ended up landing in just the right hands at the perfect time. It’s a magical story that I think you will really appreciate.

Today we are discussing this journey from book idea to bestselling author. Ethan candidly shares about his writing process and how social media has been a proven connection tool for published authors to get the word out about their beautiful books.

What story idea do you need to make happen? We hope this episode brings the motivation you need for your next writing session. This is the episode you need if you want to start writing and finish your book this year. I hope it inspires you to push through writer’s block and devote even fifteen minutes a day to making your literary dreams happen.

Mentioned in this episode:

Ethan Joella

MomAdvice on Patreon

The Wild Light by Jeff Zentner

MomAdvice Book Club

A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella

A Little Hope by Ethan Joella

Did You Ever Have A Family by Bill Clegg

MomAdvice Interview with Bill Clegg

Ernie’s Ark by Monica Wood

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

When It Happens to You by Molly Ringwald

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane

Book of the Month

Alexandra Daddario

The People We Keep by Alison Larkin

Read with Jenna

Book of Harlan by Bernice McFadden

The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler

Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler

Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O’Nan

Jhumpa Lahiri

Curtis Sittenfeld

In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson is Buried by Amy Hempel

John Cheever

Ernest Hemingway

Where the Line Bleeds by Jesmyn Ward

The Rehoboth Beach Writers Guild

Ethan Joella on Instagram

Ethan Joella on Twitter

A Little Hope on Amazon

A Little Hope on Target

A Little Hope on Barnes & Noble

A Little Hope on Goodreads

This month, Kristin from Fables Books joins us to explore books about books through the brand new Fables Books Reading Challenge! We discuss our favorite books that embrace fictional bookstore settings and libraries. This episode has you covered whether you are looking for a love story or that perfect true crime nonfiction book escape with. This is the stack you need for your next book club night and can be a great bonding tool for ANYONE who simply loves books. 

If you love reading, these backlist forgotten books are perfect for fans of comforting reading escape. I don’t know a book lover that wouldn't want to read a book about books and reading. There is nothing better than celebrating the power of books and everyone who loves them.

Along with today’s discussion, we are also talking about The Storygraph tool and how you can join the bookstore’s challenge or any other challenge to expand your reading life this year. Learn how this tool can be used in conjunction with your Goodreads profile or as a complete replacement for tracking and discovering your next stack of books.

Mentioned in this Episode:

In the Wild Light by Jeff Zenter

MomAdvice on Patreon

MomAdvice Book Club

Fables Books

Fables Books 2022 Reading Challenge

Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson

The Charm Offensive by Allison Cochrun

Beach Read by Emily Henry

The Library Book by Susan Orlean

The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk

Library Reads List

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher

Ulysses by James Joyce

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey

Outlawed by Anna North

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

No Offense by Meg Cabot

Little Bridge Island Series

Bookish and the Beast by Ashley Poston

Once Upon a Con Series

The StoryGraph

StoryGraph Team

Fables Challenge on StoryGraph

Fables Books on Instagram

Fables Books on Facebook

Fables Books on TikTok

Debut novelist, Laura Tremaine, wrote a gorgeous little book called Share Your Stuff I'll Go First and might be a familiar voice to you because of her podcast 10 Things to Tell You.

Not only will we be talking about Laura's experience writing her first book, but we will also be discussing the must-read true crime books you need to add to your stack.

I knew we would have a lot of fun discussing these books and we are going to be sharing about that in the second half of the hour in our show. Laura comes with strong opinions including how you can't call yourself a true crime enthusiast if you haven't read THESE classics. 

Mentioned in this episode:

Laura Tremaine

Hollywood Housewife

Sorta Awesome

Smartest Person in the Room

10 Things to Tell You

Share Your Stuff, I’ll Go First by Laura Tremaine

MomAdvice on Patreon

Mom Advice Book Club

In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner

Stephen King Summer Book Club

Carrie by Stephen King

Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King

Misery by Stephen King

11/22/63 by Stephen King

Billy Summers by Stephen King

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara

The Stranger Beside Me Original by Ann Rule

The Stranger Beside Me Twentieth Anniversary Edition by Ann Rule

Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi

And The Sea Will Tell by Vincent Bugliosi

Under The Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

Missoula by Jon Krakauer

Columbine by Dave Cullen

Laura’s Instagram

Laura’s Patreon

Laura’s newsletter

Laura Tremaine Link Tree