Discover the writing hack that Emma Pattee uncovered with a creativity coach, which helped her debut novel, Tilt, transition from her Google Drive to publication.

Emma Pattee, climate journalist and fiction writer, joins the Book Gang podcast to discuss her heartpounding debut novel, Tilt. In Tilt, we follow a pregnant woman through a single, intense day as an earthquake hits Portland, where Pattee blends the chaos of the city with the intimate messiness of her marriage and motherhood journey.

In our virtual walk with Emma through Portland, we explore:

📚 How ADHD and journalism shaped her craft– Emma discusses how a creativity coach helped unlock a new writing system that helped her finally move a project off her Google Drive into a finished book. We discuss the heavy and rarely discussed weight of unfinished projects as creatives.

📚 Reporting meets fiction – As a climate journalist, Emma discusses her research-heavy novel that involved interviews with geologists, seismic engineers, and first responders, worked off real destruction maps and city-planning data, then translated it into the book we hold in our hands now.

📚 Survival, motherhood & climate anxiety intertwined – Tilt uses the impending "Big One" earthquake as a metaphor for Annie's journey to motherhood, where Emma discusses her stream-of-consciousness voice that keeps the reader inside one woman's daylong survival trek and how it intertwines with Emma's personal fears and discoveries.

📚 Bonus Book List – These 23 eco fiction books will have you looking at the world in a whole new way. Marvel at our remarkable connection to nature through this incredible stack. Patrons will receive a printable checklist to take on your next library trip.

Emma Pattee is a climate journalist and fiction writer whose work has appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and more. In 2021, she coined the term "Climate Shadow" to describe an individual's potential impact on climate change. Her debut novel, Tilt, is a National Bestseller, NYT Editor's Choice, and recognized by NPR, Time, Vogue, and Bustle as one of the best books of the year. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Download Today's Show Transcript

Buy Me a Coffee - I'm grateful for your support this year!

Join the November Book Club 11/21 at 8 PM ET (Weyward by Emilia Hart)

NEW BOOK LIST: 23 Eco Fiction Books You'll Love

NEW: 32-Page November Reading Guide & FULLY BOOKED Patron Show

Tilt by Emma Pattee

Hillary Rettig

Alison Larkin - Home of the American Circus Podcast Episode

Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellmann

The Truth About Portland’s Brick Schools Is Scarier Than Fiction

Dr. Katherine Hayhoe

Bookshop.org pays a 10% commission on every sale and matches it with 10% to support independent bookstores.

Join the Book Gang Patreon

Connect with Emma Pattee on Instagram or her Website

Connect with Amy on Instagram, TikTok, or MomAdvice

Get My Happy List Newsletter

Get the Daily Kindle Deals Newsletter

Discover Pagebound, the social reading app by Lucy Zhao & Jennifer Dobak. Learn how to gamify your reading life from quests to forums in today's beginner chat.

Ever wish Goodreads had a heart or deeply desired a buddy read for every book in your book stack? It exists. This week, we're stepping inside Pagebound, the new social reading app built by readers for readers, with co-founders Lucy Zhao and Jennifer Dobak.

This week's "building block" podcast episode is designed to deepen your reading life and provide a behind-the-scenes look at tools you can use to enhance it. Discover how these two women built a no-AI, reader-first platform that's reimagining how we connect through stories online.

In this enlightening conversation, we discuss:

• 📚 The Origin Story: Learn how Lucy Zhao and Jennifer Dobak transformed their shared love of reading into a bold tech venture built from scratch. From late-night coding sessions to their first "scrappy" testers, they share what it really takes to launch a reader-first social platform in an industry long dominated by giants.
• 📚 A Human-Centered Platform: Learn how Pagebound's no-AI promise and book-by-book forum model create genuine connections instead of algorithmic noise. The founders explain why every title deserves its own conversation and how thoughtful design shaped the community from day one.
• 📚 Gamifying the Reading Life: Explore how Pagebound is transforming the way we engage with our books through clever, joy-filled features like reading quests and milestone interactions that encourage active community membership, bringing a sense of adventure back to your reading life.

Lucy Zhao grew up as a cheeky kid, always carrying a book. She studied creative writing and business at the University of Michigan and has spent the last decade leading tech startups and launching products. Her favorite authors include James McBride, Maggie Nelson, and Jonathan Franzen. She lives with her toy aussiedoodle, Libby, and loves ice-cold watermelon slices.

Jennifer Dobak studied Economics, French, and Italian at the University of Notre Dame before becoming a software engineer. When she's not coding, she's hanging out at her local indie bookstore. Her favorite authors include Lauren Groff, Mona Awad, and V.E. Schwab. She's a lifelong writer herself and is currently chasing her dream of finishing her own novel.

Download Today's Show Transcript

Buy Me a Coffee - I'm grateful for your support this year!

Join the November Book Club 11/21 at 8 PM ET (Weyward by Emilia Hart)

NEW: 32-Page November Reading Guide & FULLY BOOKED Patron Show

Pagebound

Follow Book Gang on Pagebound (let's be friends!)

Building Block Episode ICYMI: How the Storygraph App Can Enhance

Building Block Episode ICYMI: Get the Most Out of the Libby App (Podcast With the Libby Team)

Building Block Episode ICYMI: Improve Your Reading Focus & Memory (Hacks for Readers With ADHD)

Building Block Episode ICYMI: The Best Reading Hacks for Chronic Pain

Phantasma by Kaylie Smith

Enchantra by Kaylie Smith

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

1984 by George Orwell

A Crash Course in Gothic Fiction with Erin Crosby Eckstine

Bookshop.org pays a 10% commission on every sale and matches it with 10% to support independent bookstores.

Join the Book Gang Patreon

Connect with Pagebound on Instagram or their Website

Connect with Amy on Instagram, TikTok, or MomAdvice

Get My Happy List Newsletter

Get the Daily Kindle Deals Newsletter

Take a crash course in Gothic fiction with Junie author Erin Crosby Eckstine as we trace the genre's origins, evolution, and enduring allure.

Erin returns to Book Gang to share what surprised her most about debut life and what she's learned about balancing writing, book promotion, and an ever-growing TikTok community. Then, we dive deep into the eerie, elegant world of Gothic literature — where decaying mansions, stormy moors, and family secrets reflect the darkness within.

If you've ever wondered what makes a book Gothic, how the genre evolved from the 18th century to the present day, or how writers can utilize Gothic techniques to explore contemporary fears, this episode is your guided tour through the creeping shadows, courtesy of a former English teacher.

In this illuminating conversation, we discuss:

• 📚 Debut Surprises: What Erin learned from releasing Junie and how this political moment is impacting visibility, sales, and future book deals for BIPOC authors like her.
• 📚 A Gothic 101 Deep Dive: Erin breaks down the key elements of Gothic fiction, from its origins in 18th-century England to how modern writers are reimagining it today.
• 📚 Erin's Top 5 Gothic Fiction Recommendations: Erin shares her top five picks for your books that include modern Gothic fiction that continue to illuminate today's anxieties — about identity, race, power, and belonging — through atmosphere and suspense.

Erin Crosby Eckstine is an author of speculative historical fiction. Her debut novel, Junie, was selected for the Good Morning America book club. Born in Montgomery, Alabama, Eckstine grew up between the South and Los Angeles before moving to New York City to attend Barnard College. She earned a master's in secondary English education from Stanford University and taught high school English for six years. She lives in Brooklyn with her partner and their cats.

📚 BONUS BOOK LIST: Don't miss this week's TWO companion reading guides to continue your Gothic education: 11 Classic Gothic Novels That Started It All and 30 Modern Gothic Novels That Keep the Candle Burning. Patrons will receive printable checklists to take on their next visit to the library!

Download Today's Show Transcript

Join the November Book Club 11/21 at 8 PM ET (Weyward by Emilia Hart)

NEW BOOK LIST: 11 Classic Gothic Novels That Started It All

NEW BOOK LIST: 30 Modern Gothic Novels That Keep the Candle Burning

Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine

How Family History & Legacy Shaped Junie (Erin Crosby Eckstine's First Episode on Book Gang)

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The Odyssey by Homer

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

The Lives of the Brontës

To Walk Invisible The Brontë Sisters

Kanopy app

Shirley by Charlotte Brontë

Vilette by Charlotte Brontë

The Lilac People by Milo Todd

Brick

Beloved by Toni Morrison

William Faulkner

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

Why Is The New "Wuthering Heights" Movie Stirring Controversy?

Saltburn

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Our Share of the Night by Mariana Enriquez

Bleak House by Charles Dickens

Bookshop.org pays a 10% commission on every sale and matches it with 10% to support independent bookstores.

Join the Book Gang Patreon

Connect with Erin Crosby Eckstine on Instagram or their Website

Connect with Amy on Instagram, TikTok, or MomAdvice

Get My Happy List Newsletter

Get the Daily Kindle Deals Newsletter

Go behind the scenes with Bindery Books to discover their innovative publishing process, where tastemakers reshape how diverse books are made and sold.

In this week's episode, we sit down with Matt Kaye, cofounder and CEO of Bindery Books, to explore how his multifaceted career—from traditional publishing to Amazon to Patreon—shaped a bold new model for the book world.

Matt shares how the company identifies and empowers their carefully selected Tastemakers who curate, acquire, and co-develop books, offering listeners a rare, inside look at how these partnerships work from manuscript to marketing. Discover how the company tackles its small business challenges and the heartwarming pride that infuses many of its published works, including a project that's even captured the attention of celebrities.

In this enlightening conversation, we discuss:

• 📚 From Publishing to Patreon: Matt Kaye shares his unique publishing background and how he merged the best of all his past work experiences in tech and publishing to inspire Bindery's distinctive hybrid model that leverages influencers into the role of tastemakers.
• 📚 The Tastemaker Model: Discover how Bindery curates its diverse lineup of Tastemakers, their roles in involving fans in the publishing process, and the commissions available for each book sale.
• 📚 A New Author Experience: Matt discusses why writers are thriving under this partnership model, from fairer royalties to hands-on creative collaboration and nimble, audience-first publicity cycles.

📚 BONUS BOOK LIST: Instead of our usual companion list, I'm pointing you directly to Bindery Books this week as a thank you for their participation on today's show! Browse their catalog of offerings and meet the incredible tastemakers shaping each story.

Matt started his career as a book marketer in publishing (Avalon, Wiley, FSG). After earning a Columbia Business School MBA, he joined the Amazon Books team, where he held several tech roles, including VP of Growth at the seed-stage startup Inkshares, Head of Growth and Engagement at Trulia, and, most recently, Head of Product, Design, and Research at Patreon. Matt now serves as cofounder and CEO of Bindery Books.

Download Today's Show Transcript

How the Storygraph App Can Enhance Your Reading Life (Podcast With the CEO)

Get the Most Out of the Libby App (Podcast With the Libby Team)

Join the October Book Club TONIGHT at 8 PM ET (Diavola by Jennifer Thorne)

Bindery Books

Holly Kennedy - The Sideways Life of Denny Vos episode

The Sideways Life of Denny Voss by Holly Kennedy

Audiobrary

The Unmapping by Denise S. Robbins

Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove

Bindery's Pitchfest

This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

Recipes for an Unexpected Afterlife by Deston J Munden

Meg's Tearoom

Deston Munden

Bookshop.org pays a 10% commission on every sale and matches it with 10% to support independent bookstores.

Join the Book Gang Patreon

Connect with Bindery Books on Instagram or their Website

Connect with Amy on Instagram, TikTok, or MomAdvice

Get My Happy List Newsletter

Get the Daily Kindle Deals Newsletter

Debut novelist Olivia Muenter joins Book Gang to discuss her hit debut, Such a Bad Influence, and the dark side of online fame in her real and imagined worlds.

What happens when your child becomes famous? In Such a Bad Influence, Olivia Muenter pulls back the curtain on the innocent early days of a fictional family's online moment that went viral, to later reveal the insidious nature of the influencer era when fame and fortune find them.

A self-described "recovering influencer," Olivia shares how her debut became a sharp, emotional page-turner and the ways her work as an influencer tied into her more complicated truths in this mixed media thriller.

In this revealing conversation, we discuss:

📚 Unlearning the Influencer Mindset – Olivia shares what it really means to be a "recovering influencer," the habits that were hardest to break, and how her social media past shaped her storytelling voice.

📚 Choosing an Independent Path with Quirk Books – Olivia shares why partnering with a boutique publisher was the right fit for her debut, from the creative freedom it offered to the close-knit collaboration that helped Such a Bad Influence find its perfect audience.

📚 The Hidden Cost of Kid Influencing – Olivia discusses the unsettling realities of children growing up online to create family content and explores how she used her unsent newsletters to craft a mixed media experience for readers, illustrating the struggles long after the cameras stop rolling.

📚 BONUS BOOK LIST: Don't miss this week's fun companion book, 18 influencer books that are as unputdownable as your favorite feed.  Patrons will also receive today's printable checklist to take on their next visit to the library.

Olivia Muenter is a writer, reader, and the co-host of the Bad on Paper podcast. Her first novel, Such A Bad Influence was an instant USA Today Best Seller. Her second novel, Little One, will be published in 2026.

A former fashion & beauty editor and freelance writer, Olivia's work has been published in Glamour, Byrdie, Bustle, Brides, Health.com, Philadelphia Magazine, and more. You can find her most personal writing via her weekly newsletter, where she shares about her life, her work, and everything in between.

Download Today's Show Transcript

NEW BOOK LIST: 18 Page-Turning Influencer Books

Join the October Book Club on 10/24 at 8 PM ET (Diavola by Jennifer Thorne)

Such a Bad Influence by Olivia Muenter

Bad On Paper Podcast

Little One by Olivia Muenter

Shark Heart by Emily Habeck

How Shark Heart Transformed Emily Habeck and Her Readers

Bad Influence

Improve Your Reading Memory and Focus

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jenette McCurdy

Bookshop.org pays a 10% commission on every sale and matches it with 10% to support independent bookstores.

Join the Book Gang Patreon

Connect with Olivia Muenter on Instagram or her Website

Connect with Amy on Instagram, TikTok, or MomAdvice

Get My Happy List Newsletter

Get the Daily Kindle Deals Newsletter

Author Ashley Jordan joins Book Gang to share her LitUp Fellowship journey to launch her debut, Once Upon a Time in Dollywood, and how fanfiction paved her path.

Ashley Jordan, a Reese's Book Club LitUp Fellow, joins us this week to share the story behind her sparkling debut Once Upon a Time in Dollywood—a romance that pairs laugh-out-loud humor with deeply emotional storytelling.

In this light conversation, we discuss:

📚 From Fanfic to Fellowship – Ashley reflects on how writing The Walking Dead fanfiction taught her the building blocks of writing and how that experience led her to being named a Reese's Book Club LitUp Fellow, complete with her dream mentorship and a writer's retreat that transformed her creative process.

📚 Rewriting the Narrative for Black Women – Through her protagonist Eve, a playwright determined to tell Black women's stories that aren't defined by pain, Ashley explores how joy, ambition, and love can coexist with realism. We discuss why expanding the lens on representation in romance matters now more than ever.

📚 Dollywood, Therapy, and the Soft Boyfriend We Deserve – Ashley shares how setting the story in Dollywood allowed her to capture the magic of Southern charm, how she approached writing therapy with nuance and heart, and why she wanted Jamie—a self-described "cinnamon roll" love interest—to reflect a gentler kind of masculinity in today's romance landscape.

📚 BONUS BOOK LIST: Don't miss this week's juicy companion book list filled with the best books about theater to step behind the curtain with these compelling stories of complex lives, both on and off the stage. Patrons will also receive today's printable checklist to take on their next visit to the library.

Ashley Jordan is a millennial from Atlanta by way of Brooklyn. She attended Spelman College, earning a degree in Psychology and a lifelong appreciation for women's stories. By day, she works in public health, and by night, she's a devoted writer—ever since penning her first short story in second grade.

When Ashley isn't writing or working, she's likely at a Beyoncé concert, rewatching Mad Men, or passionately debating basketball. In 2023, she became a Reese's Book Club LitUp Fellow, an experience that helped shape her journey to publishing Once Upon a Time in Dollywood.

Download Today's Show Transcript

NEW BOOK LIST: 22 Incredible Books About Theater

Join the October Book Club on 10/24 at 8 PM ET (Diavola by Jennifer Thorne)

Once Upon a Time in Dollywood by Ashley Jordan

Lemonade

Celebrating Only One-Bed Moments in Romance (Sarah Adler Podcast)

LitUp

Jasmine Guillory

Bolu Babalola

Tilt by Emma Pattee

Kennedy Ryan

Tia Williams

The Kennedy Ryan Phenomenon: Inclusive Narratives with Heart

Emily Henry

Regina Black

August Lane by Regina Black

Nikki Payne

Danielle Jackson

Meryl Wilsner  

Beverly Jenkins

Bookshop.org pays a 10% commission on every sale and matches it with 10% to support independent bookstores.

Join the Book Gang Patreon

Connect with Ashley Jordan on Instagram or her Website

Connect with Amy on Instagram, TikTok, or MomAdvice

Get My Happy List Newsletter

Get the Daily Kindle Deals Newsletter

Author Meagan Church unpacks the hidden lives of women in her chilling novel, The Mad Wife, as we explore the history of hysteria in women's health diagnoses.

If you loved Meagan Church’s historical fiction, you’ll be captivated by the bold turn she takes in The Mad Wife, her third novel. Rooted in the untold medical stories of women’s lives, this book lulls readers into the familiar rhythms of mid-century domesticity, before flipping the script with a shocking plot twist.

In our revealing conversation, we explore:

• Building a Vivid 1950s World – From S&H stamps to molded salads, how Meagan nailed the texture of the era, weaving ordinary domestic details into a setting that feels both authentic and unsettling.
• From History to Suspense – Why Meagan pivoted from a traditional historical fiction lens in her earlier novels to the creeping tension of domestic suspense, and how she made the genre shift feel authentic to her writing process. We discuss the bravery required for this project and how she felt haunted, both in real life and on the page, as she told Lulu's story.
• The Medical History of “Hysteria” – What her chilling research revealed about diagnoses like hysteria, prescriptions like Miltown, and procedures like lobotomy and ECT that shaped women’s lives in disturbing ways.

📚 As a bonus for listeners, don’t miss this week’s companion list: Books With Good Plot Twists That Will Make Your Jaw Drop. Patrons will also receive today’s printable checklist to take on their next visit to the library.

Meagan Church is the Southern indie bestselling author of The Girls We Sent Away, The Last Carolina Girl , and The Mad Wife, this month's Barnes & Noble Book fiction pick. She writes to tell grounded stories that explore the complexity of human nature. Her historical fiction chronicles the plight and fight of unheard voices of the past. After receiving a B.A. in English from Indiana University, Meagan built a career as a storyteller and freelance writer for brands, blogs, and organizations. She is an adjunct professor for Drexel University’s MFA in Creative Writing program, helping authors tell their own stories through editing, coaching, and workshops. A Midwesterner by birth, she now lives in North Carolina with her high school sweetheart, three children, and a plethora of pets.

Download Today's Show Transcript

UPDATED BOOK LIST: Books With Good Plot Twists

Join the October Book Club on 10/24 at 8 PM ET (Diavola by Jennifer Thorne)

The Last Carolina Girl by Meagan Church

The Girls We Sent Away by Meagan Church

The Mad Wife by Meagan Church

The Best Book Club Books to Spark Conversation

Saints for All Occasions by J. Courtney Sullivan

On Writing by Stephen King

Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild

Donut Dollies of Vietnam

The Women by Kristin Hannah

Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities

Megan’s Jello Instagram

How to Make Glow in the Dark JELL-O

Miltown

Mother’s Little Helper

Unwell Women by Elinor Cleghorn

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Terah Shelton Harris

Bookshop.org pays a 10% commission on every sale and matches it with 10% to support independent bookstores.

Join the Book Gang Patreon

Buy Me a Coffee (for a one-time donation in any amount- I am grateful!)

Connect with Meagan Church on Instagram or her Website

Connect with Amy on Instagram, TikTok, or MomAdvice

Get My Happy List Newsletter

Get the Daily Kindle Deals Newsletter

Curious about indie publishing? Physician Paria Hassouri shares her debut journey to publish Harvesting Rosewater, centering a woman's midlife awakening.

If you’ve ever been interested in the independent publishing process, you’re not alone. Today’s revealing conversation with Paria Hassouri, a pediatrician, whose debut, Harvesting Rosewater, recently hit bookstores, takes readers inside her remarkable publishing process. Discover how Paria balances medicine and storytelling in today's under-the-radar debut feature, which centers on a physician's midlife awakening that I guarantee you will not be able to put down.

In our illuminating conversation, we explore:

• Independent Publishing Adventures- Paria opens up about her unique indie publishing path, sharing how she navigated editing, securing book blurbs, and the creative freedom that comes with going her own way—plus the surprises that made the process both challenging and rewarding.
• Uncovering Autofiction Elements From Paria's Life- Drawing on her own childhood in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, Paria shares personal memories and reflections from this challenging period in her young life in her story. She shares how blending real-life experiences with fiction has allowed her to explore her own identity, belonging, and what she hopes readers will take away from her book.
• The Women's Life Freedom Movement- We explore how themes of women’s rights and resistance shaped this story, offering readers deeper insight into lives under restrictive systems and the tragedy that sparked the movement.

📚 As a bonus for listeners, don't miss this week's companion list: Compelling Books About Doctors Every Reader Should Read. Explore 24 novels on practicing medicine, from historical fiction to romance - there is a little something for every kind of reader. Patrons will also receive today's printable checklist to bring on their next visit to the library.

Paria Hassouri is an author and pediatrician whose essays have appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and Huffington Post. Her memoir, Found in Transition: A Mother's Evolution During Her Child's Gender Change, was published in 2020. She has shared stories on stage with Expressing Motherhood, taught writing and advocacy classes at UCLA, and been featured widely for her work. A proud Iranian-American and mother of three, she lives in Los Angeles, where she continues to provide gender-affirming care for trans and gender-diverse youth.

Download Today's Show Transcript

NEW BOOK LIST: 24 Compelling Books About Doctors Every Reader Should Read

Join the September Book Club Chat TONIGHT (Rust & Stardust by T. Greenwood)

Harvesting Rosewater by Paria Hassouri

Found in Transition by Paria Hassouri

Slanting Towards the Sea bu Lidija Hilje

The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali

Penitence by Kristin Koval

Sandwich by Catherine Newman

All Fours by Miranda July

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

What Could Be Saved by Liese O’Halloran Schwarz

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Bookshop.org pays a 10% commission on every sale and matches 10% to independent bookstores!

Join the Book Gang Patreon

Connect with Paria Hassouri on Instagram, TikTok, or her Website

Connect with Amy on Instagram, TikTok, or MomAdvice

Get My Happy List Newsletter

Get the Daily Kindle Deals Newsletter

In Anyone's Ghost, August Thompson captures the ache of growing up while growing as a writer after his hard-won pursuit of the MFA program at NYU.

How do you write a coming-of-age story that's both deeply vulnerable and slyly funny, all while resisting clichés about queerness and masculinity? August Thompson joins me to talk about his debut novel, Anyone's Ghost, a Lambda finalist and one of my favorite under-the-radar gems.

From his MFA experience at NYU to navigating long COVID while finishing the book, Thompson reflects on the highs and lows of becoming a first-time author and the vulnerable process of rejection. He also shares how humor, bisexuality, and memory shape his storytelling, which major literary prizes have now recognized with adoration.

In our funny conversation, August and I discussed:

• How Art Helped Form the Bones of August's Story – August shares the books, films, and music that inspired his book, which even brought in the lead singer from The National for a book signing moment of his dreams at The Strand.
• Mining Adolescence for Humor– The role of humor was as imperative as Thompson's love story, and why he wanted to balance this story with this unexpected levity amidst the yearning.
• The Fresh Perspective on Sexuality For Readers – Thompson discusses his approach to writing about bisexuality and the narratives regarding male bisexuality that he still wishes to see in publishing, while celebrating being longlisted for a Lambda Literary Award.

📚 BONUS BOOK LIST: As a bonus for listeners, don't miss this week's companion list: Books About Music That Hit All the Right Notes. Explore 41 novels and memoirs that celebrate musicians, bands, songwriting, and life behind the scenes. Patrons will also receive today's printable checklist to bring on their next library day.

Meet August Thompson

August Thompson is from the middle of nowhere, New Hampshire, and has lived in Los Angeles, NYC, Berlin, and Madrid. His debut novel, Anyone's Ghost, was a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award, longlisted for the Center For Fiction Debut Novel Prize, and named a best book of the year by Amazon, Vogue, and Elle. His writing has appeared in The Guardian, The New York Times Magazine, and beyond.

Download Today's Show Transcript

NEW BOOK LIST: 41 Books About Music That Hit the Right Notes

Join the September Book Club Chat (Rust & Stardust by T. Greenwood)

Anyone's Ghost by August Thompson

Malcom X

The Insider

A24

Neon

The National

Anyone's Ghost by The National

Strand Books

Sad Dad Book Club

This Book Cover Designer Reveals His Surprising Process (Podcast Interview with August Thompson's Paperback Book Cover Designer)

Lillian Vernon Writers House

The Wassaic Project

Katie Kitamura

Jonathan Safran Foer

Jeffrey Eugenides

Moonlight

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

Call Me By Your Name by André Acimen

The Talented Mr. Ripley

Chris Bram

Franny and Zooey by JD Salinger

Bookshop.org pays a 10% commission on every sale and matches 10% to independent bookstores!

Join the Book Gang Patreon

Connect with August Thompson on Instagram or His Website

Connect with Amy on Instagram, TikTok, or MomAdvice

Get My Happy List Newsletter

Get the Daily Kindle Deals Newsletter

In The Sideways Life of Denny Voss, Holly Kennedy brings humor & heart to a neurodivergent hero, sharing how Lake Union Publishing shaped her journey.

What happens when good intentions collide with messy realities? In The Sideways Life of Denny Voss, Holly Kennedy introduces us to Denny, an unforgettable, neurodivergent character whose big heart and distinct voice make him a narrator you'll want to follow anywhere… even into a goose-napping, an accidental bank robbery, and now a murder trial.

In this conversation, Holly and I talk about the long road it took to trust her voice enough to bring Denny's story into the world, the challenges of writing authentically from a neurodivergent perspective, and the unique publishing journey she's experienced with Lake Union.

And yes, we dig into how timely themes like gun violence filter through Denny's television obsessions and what it means to write a novel that feels both tender and topical today.

In our warm conversation, Holly and I discussed:

📚 Creating Denny's Voice – Why stepping into first person unlocked the looping, offbeat, parenthetical style that makes Denny on a page so unforgettable.

📚 Publishing with Lake Union – Holly offers the most fascinating details on the unexpected perks of working with Amazon's literary imprint and how their editorial/marketing approach shaped her novel's success. From focus groups to algorithm pivots, she candidly shares why this was the publishing house for her book.

📚 Writing Through Timely Themes – How Denny's fixation on TV gun violence mirrors today's anxieties, and why Kennedy leaned into that reality even though it made it difficult to find a publishing house for her novel.

📚 FREE BONUS BOOK LIST: This week, I'm sharing 51 funny books to add levity and laughter to your stacks because, in light of the headlines, we all need a little more joy in this burning world. Patrons can also grab the printable checklist of all 52 titles for their next library day as a thank-you for your support.

Meet Holly Kennedy

Born and raised in Canada, Holly Kennedy currently lives near the Rocky Mountains in Alberta with her family and their Newfoundland dog, Wallace. She is the author of four novels, and her books have been translated into multiple languages. When she's not writing, you'll typically find her reading, spending time with family, or indulging her not-so-secret obsession: watching true crime TV shows like Dateline. To learn more, visit her website or follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

Download Today's Show Transcript

NEW BOOK LIST: 51 Funny Books to Read Because We Need Them More Than Ever

Join the September Book Club Chat (Rust & Stardust by T. Greenwood)

The Sideways Life of Denny Voss by Holly Kennedy 

Logan Center

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Bookshop.org pays a 10% commission on every sale and matches 10% to independent bookstores!

Join the Book Gang Patreon

Connect with Holly Kennedy on Instagram or her Website

Connect with Amy on Instagram, TikTok, or MomAdvice

Get My Happy List Newsletter

Get the Daily Kindle Deals Newsletter