Books Around the Block

This week on Books Around the Block, we're discussing The Unknown by Riley Sager! We kick things off with our usual Read, Watch, Obsessed segment, sharing what we're currently reading, watching, and obsessing over. Then, we dive into our Riley Sager book club discussion, including our thoughts, theories, reactions, and everything we need to unpack about this thriller.

SPOILER WARNING! The first 20 minutes are spoiler-free, so you can listen even if you haven't finished the book yet. After that, we'll recap the plot of The Unknown before diving into our full spoiler-filled book club discussion. We'll wrap things up by fan-casting the three main characters, Marin, Ronan, and Violet, and sharing who we'd want to see bring them to life on screen.

Follow Books Around the Block for more book reviews, thriller recommendations, romance reads, monthly book club discussions, and plenty of opinions along the way!

The Only Thing There is to Want by Sarah Hepola

King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby

Entities to Lovers by Mallory Marlowe

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

Who is the best book villain of all time? This week on Books Around the Block, we're each picking one fictional villain who deserves the crown. From the most ruthless antagonists to the more complex literary villains, we're debating what makes a truly great villain and which characters are impossible to forget. 

We are also talking about what we are currently reading, watching, and what we are obsessed with. 

Expect strong opinions and plenty of book recommendations to go along with them. Do you agree with our choices, or did we leave the greatest book villain off the list? Reach out to us via Instagram at @booksaroundtheblockpod. 

The Midnight Knock by John Fram

King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby

A Married Little Christmas by Abby Jimenez

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

The Shining by Stephen King

Misery by Stephen King

The Unknown by Riley Sager

Looking for spooky books that are ACTUALLY scary? This week on Books Around the Block, we’re sharing the horror books and thrillers that genuinely scared us! Each of us brings two books that creeped us out, gave us nightmares, or made us question why we ever picked them up in the first place. From disturbing horror novels to spine-chilling thrillers, these are our picks for readers who want more than just a little spooky atmosphere.

Whether you’re building your October TBR, searching for the best horror books, or looking for scary book recommendations that will leave you sleeping with the lights on, we’ve got you covered. Grab your next read, but maybe don’t read these alone at night!

Follow Books Around the Block on Instagram and send us your favorite books that genuinely terrified you. Happy reading!

The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay

Grim Tidings by B.K. Borison

Play Nice by Rachel Harrison

Night Film by Marisha Pessl

Bird Box by Josh Malerman

Incidents around the house by Josh Malerman

The Whisper Man by Alex North

Intercepts by T.J. Payne

The Couple Next Year by Shari Lapena

The Unknown by Riley Sager

This week on Books Around the Block, we’re recapping everything we read in September! We’re sharing our best books, worst books, and leftover books, plus the books we’re adding to our October TBR.

And because Audrey’s birthday is in October, Lindsay and Adrienne have a special birthday challenge: they’re each choosing a book for Audrey to read! Will they pick a new favorite, a book she'll hate, or something completely outside her comfort zone they think she will actually like?

If you’re looking for book recommendations, September reading wrap-ups, October TBR ideas, best books to read, worst books of the month, romance books, thriller recommendations, or books to add to your fall reading list, this episode is for you!

Big Little Truths by Liane Moriarty

The Unknown by Riley Sager

Down the Drain by Julia Fox

The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson

The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff

The Academy by Elin Hildebrand

The Make Believe by Hannah Murray

Picture This by Devney Perry

The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff

The Throughbreds by Elin Hildebrand

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

Mrs Quinns Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

Grim Tidings by B.K. Borison

Play Nice by Rachel Harrison

The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon

Entities to Lovers by Mallory Marlowe

The Unknown by Riley Sager

This week on Books Around the Block, we are discussing Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden. There has been so much talk surrounding the red flags Belle Burden should have seen and the legitimacy of her woes due to her extreme wealth, and we aren’t afraid to go there! We’re diving into the complicated marriage, affair, relationships, and controversial conversations surrounding this memoir.

This discussion includes spoilers from Strangers by Belle Burden, so if you have not read it, be warned! However, the first 22 minutes of this podcast are SPOILER FREE, as we discuss what we are currently reading, watching, and obsessed with lately.

If you are looking for a book club podcast, if you’ve read Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden, or if you’re looking for a deep-dive book discussion about marriage, affairs, relationships, wealth, and complicated love, this is the episode for you and we have OPINIONS!

London Falling by Patrick Redden Keefe

The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston

 Mrs Quinns RIse To Fame by Olivia Ford

The Unknown by Riley Sager

Fall is finally here, and we're bringing you the ultimate Fall Reading Guide! 🍂 This week on Books Around the Block, each of us picks two fall bookish categories and assigns the perfect book to each one. From cozy mysteries and darker reads to historical fiction, elite drama, and unexpected autumn oddities, we've got book recommendations for every kind of reader.

Whether you're looking for your next fall read, building your fall TBR, or searching for the perfect cozy book to curl up with, we've got you covered!

Tune in for our Fall Book Recommendations, an extensive Fall Reading Guide, and 6 fall bookish categories that will help you find your next five-star read.

Three neighbors, six categories, and plenty of opinions. Let's get reading! 📚

The Throughbreds by Elin Hildebrand

 The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff

 Trust Fall by Lynn Painter

 Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

 The Wonder by Emma Donahue

 The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

  The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead

 The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman

 Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison

Book-to-screen adaptations are everywhere, and we’re talking about the end-of-year 2026 movies and TV shows we’re most excited to watch! In this episode of Books Around the Block, each of us picks one upcoming book adaptation we cannot wait to see on screen. Will we choose one you're also looking forward to (Verity... Harry Potter... Hunger Games) or will we bring an adaptation to your attention you didn't know about?

We’re chatting about the plots, the casts, and the reads you loved coming to your screen in October, November, and December 2026. Do we think these stories will live up to the books we loved? Tune in now! If you love books, movies, TV shows, BookTok, and seeing your favorite novels brought to life, this episode is for you!

Which 2026 book-to-screen adaptation are YOU most excited to watch?

Seek Immediate Shelter by Vincent Yu

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell

Sunrise on The Reaping by Suzanne Collins

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Verity by Colleen Hoover

 Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

Strangers by Belle Burden

The final months of 2026 are here, and we’re looking ahead to new books coming in October, November, and December 2026! Each host is sharing her top 3 most anticipated new book releases for Quarter 4, giving you 9 books to add to your fall and winter TBR.

From highly anticipated new releases and bestselling authors to hidden gem picks and books we think you’re going to be talking about all season, we’re breaking down the October, November, and December 2026 book releases we can’t wait to read. If you’re looking for your next great read, want to build your TBR list, or love knowing which new books are worth watching, this episode is for you!

We also dive DEEP into the true crime documentary Death of the Pastor's Wife on Netflix.

Good People by Patmeena Sabit

The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand

Slasher Summer by E.L. Chen

Back Where We Started by Becca Freeman

Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson

It’s Beginning to Look a lot Like Murder by Ally Carter

The Betrayal of Cora Wexford by Bethany Joy Lentz

The Witch by Freida McFadden

When They Find Me by Carter Wilson

Whale Harbor by Mary Beth Keane

A Court of Splintered Harmony by Sarah J Maas

Wolf Point by Lisa Howells

Strangers by Belle Burden

Looking for your next great read? In this month's reading recap, we're sharing every book we read in August, including our favorite book, our biggest disappointment, and one book we just had to rant or rave about. Whether you're searching for your next five-star read or hoping to avoid a book that didn't live up to the hype, we've got plenty of honest opinions and book recommendations to add to your TBR.

Then we're looking ahead to September and each sharing the two books we're hoping to read this month. From new releases to backlist favorites, we're talking about the books we currently have on our TBR.

If you love book recommendations, monthly reading wrap-ups, TBR videos, book club discussions, romance books, thrillers, historical fiction, literary fiction, and all things Bookstagram and BookTok, you'll feel right at home with Books Around the Block.

Follow the podcast so you never miss a new episode every Tuesday, and come read with us!

The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson

Into the Wild by John Krakauer

 The Academy by Elin Hildebrand

The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett

 The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow

Wild Atlantic by Cillian Dunn

 My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney

 Love and Other Killers by Brynne Weaver

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Brynn Greenwood

Love You More by Emily Griffin

Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead by Mai Nguyen

Emma B Lions (vol 3) by Beth Brower

The Thoroughbreds by Elin Hildebrand

The Bright Side by Sarah Damoff

Trust Fall by Lynn Painter

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

A Married Little Christmas by Abby Jimenez

Incidents Around The House by Josh Malerman

It’s time for our August book club discussion! In this episode of Books Around the Block, we’re diving into Whistler by Ann Patchett, sharing our ratings and discussing the book in full, including characters, relationships, major themes, favorite moments, and all of our thoughts on the ending. Warning: this episode contains full spoilers for Whistler.

We’re also announcing our September book club pick, so stick around to find out what we’ll be reading next! If you love book club discussions, Ann Patchett books, book reviews, spoiler discussions, book recommendations, and finding your next great read, this episode is for you.

What did you think of Whistler? Did it live up to the hype? Listen in for our full review, ratings, and spoiler-filled discussion!

Five by Ilona Bannister

The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow

The Five Star Weekend by Elin Hildebrand

Strangers by Belle Burden