Books, Beach, & Beyond

James and Susan Patterson are the co-authors of The Mother Daughter Book Club recently on shelves this summer. James Patterson is one of the most popular storytellers of our time. He is the creator of unforgettable characters and series, including Alex Cross and has co authored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton.

Susan Solie Patterson has a Bachelor of Science/Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she was also an All-American swimmer. She is the author of Big Words for Little Geniuses, a New York Times bestseller. The four discuss book clubs, Wisconsin and the states where we are all from, and how both Jim and Sue got their start writing. We dig into the books, food, characters, and story and inspiration behind The Mother Daughter Book Club and their process for writing it together. It's as if Jim, Sue, Elin and Tim have their own book club together in this penultimate episode of Season 4! 

Thank you to our Episode Sponsor:

• Wawa

And a special thank you to our Season 4 Premier Sponsors:

• Book of the Month
• Nantucket Book Partners
• Little, Brown

James and Sue Patterson Reading List

• The Mother Daughter Book Club
• Things I Wish I Told My Mother
• Big Words for Little Geniuses 
• The Most Dangerous Games with Mr Beast

What Else are we Reading in this Episode

• The Guest by Emma Cline
• The Blue Bistro by Elin Hilderbrand 
• Lady Chattery’s Lover by Oliver Mellors
• Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
• 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand
• Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple
• The Wedding People by Alison Espach
• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
• Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
• Whistler by Ann Patchett
• The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese 
• Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
• The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand
• The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand

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And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond

Happy Reading!

Alice Hoffman is the author of more than thirty works of fiction, including the Practical Magic series. We start this episode talking about beginnings and our favorite first pages of books. The three discuss how Alice got her start as a writer, the magic in Alice’s novels and the magic of books, moving in and living with school roommates, her new novel Witches of Cambridge, Anne Frank, her Best Dog in the World anthology and our love of our dogs, the Practical Magic movie and the upcoming sequel, supporting breast cancer research, and so much more! Alice wrote one of the greatest quotes, “Books may well be the only true magic.” and this episode has a magical feeling to it with some fall autumn vibes.

Thank you to our Episode Sponsor:

• Book of the Month

And a special thank you to our Season 4 Premier Sponsors:

• Book of the Month
• Nantucket Book Partners
• Little, Brown

Alice Hoffman Reading List

• The Witches of Cambridge
• Illumination Night
• When We Flew Away
• The Best Dog in the World
• Practical Magic
• The Probable Future
• The Museum of Extraordinary Things 

 What Else Are We Reading in this Episode

• Plot Twist by Harlan Cohen
• Franny and Zooey by J D Salinger
• It by Stephen King
• Ray Bradbury books
• Elizabeth Strout books
• Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult

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And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond

Happy Reading!

Harlan Coben joins Books, Beach, & Beyond this week for such an entertaining conversation about reading and writing. Harlan is a #1 best-selling author and one of the world’s leading storytellers, and one of Tim's auto-buy authors. His thirty-eight suspense novels are published in forty six languages and have been number one bestsellers in more than a dozen countries. Your hosts talk with him about his new memoir Plot Twist along with topics like point of view, Harlan’s take on research, favorite endings in books and penning great plot twists, writing with Reese Witherspoon, and all his book to screen adaptations. The episode is filled with incredible writing tips and takeaways from a singular writing life.

Thank you to our Episode Sponsor:

• Nantucket Book Partners

And a special thank you to our Season 4 Premier Sponsors:

• Book of the Month
• Nantucket Book Partners
• Little, Brown

Harlan Coben Reading List

• Plot Twist
• Tell No One
• The Innocent
• I Will Find You
• Gone Before Goodbye
• The Woods
• The Stranger
• Lazarus

What else are we reading in this episode?
The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand
White Fur by Jardine Libaire
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Are You My Mother? by PD Eastman
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S.Lewis
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
The Amateur by Chris Bohjalian
The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain
Double Indemnity by James M. Cain
Michael Connelly books
Phillip Roth books
Bird by Bird by Ann Lamott
The Color of Light by William Goldman

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And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond

Happy Reading!

Please welcome to the podcast one of Elin's very favorite writers (and now Tim’s), - Anna Quindlen! Anna is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling novel Rise and Shine, the #1 bestselling memoir Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake, and A Short Guide to a Happy Life. Her new novel More Than Enough was released in February 2026. The three dive into how Anna got her start writing, how reading and writing fulfills someone differently, weaving backstory into narrative, and how to engage fully in our daily lives. Anna discusses her new novel More Than Enough; her characters, the multiple storylines, and the book’s themes and literary references. The episode ends with Anna explaining how she infuses the lessons she writes about in her nonfiction into her fiction and the three give us a terrific speed round with some great reading recommendations!

Thank you to our Episode Sponsor:

• Nantucket Meat & Fish

And a special thank you to our Season 4 Premier Sponsors:

• Book of the Month
• Nantucket Book Partners
• Little, Brown

Books Mentioned in this Episode 

• Object Lessons by Anna Quindlen
• One True Thing by Anna Quindlen
• Black & Blue by Anna Quindlen
• Every Last One by Anna Quindlen
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
• The Correspondent by Virgina Evans
• Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
• The Accidental Tourist by Ann Tyler
• Still Life with Breadcrumbs by Anna Quindlen
• More than Enough by Anna Quindlen
• A Short Guide to a Happy Life by Anna Quindlen 
• Away by Amy Bloom
• The Savage Noble Death by Babs Dionne by Ron Currie Jr.
• She Rides Shotgun by Jordan Harper
• A Violent Masterpiece by Jordan Harper
• The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff

Who Else Are We Talking About

• Susan Isaacs
• Scott Turow
• Richard Russo
• Irma Baumbach
• Laurie Colwin
• Ann Tyler
• Herman Melville
• Edith Wharton
• Alice McDermott
• Amy Bloom
• Don DeLillo 
• Phillip Roth
• Stephen King

Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.

And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond

Happy Reading!

They say “Summer begins with MKA” and we are thrilled to welcome New York Times best-selling author Mary Kay Andrews this summer to Books, Beach, & Beyond. Mary Kay Andrews is the author of thirty-three novels and a cookbook. In June, St. Martin’s Press published her 34th novel Road Trip. Your hosts and Mary Kay talk about how publishing has changed since her first book in 1992 and how writing for a newspaper helped in writing her novels. Then they dig into Road Trip with a “road trip” inspired speed round (favorite "road trip song", "favorite road trip snack") and background on her research trip to Ireland for the new book. The three end the episode with some bad irish accents and talking all about “Friends and Fiction” and the vibrant show and community that she built along with four other best-selling authors.

Thank you to our Episode Sponsors:

• Little, Brown
• Peacock

And a special thank you to our Season 4 Premier Sponsors:

• Book of the Month
• Nantucket Book Partners
• Little, Brown

Books Mentioned in This Episode

• Road Trip by Mary Kay Andrews
• Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
• Every Crooked Nanny by Mary Kay Andrews
• Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
• To Live and Die in Dixie by Mary Kay Andrews
• Savannah Blues by Mary Kay Andrews
• Hissy Fit by Mary Kay Andrews
• The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie 
• The Searcher by Tana French
• Dolly All The Time by Annabel Monaghan

Who else are we talking about this episode? 

• Tim Winton
• Karin Slaughter
• Agatha Christie
• Michael Connelly
• Elinor Lipman
• Anna Quindlen
• Harlan Coben

Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.

And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond

Happy Reading!

Welcome to the podcast Jennifer Garner, actor and entrepreneur and star of The Five-Star Weekend, the 8 episode series from Peacock adapted from the novel by your co-host Elin Hilderbrand. They start by asking Jen what she read as a child, if she approaches roles differently if the original content is a book, and they dig into a bunch of Jen’s other screen adaptations. Then they chat all about The Five-Star Weekend, the character of Hollis, pretend cooking shows and favorite summer recipes, the friendship and camaraderie of the cast and the characters, and so much more. Settle in for a five-star conversation and then head over to Peacock and binge the show of the summer! 

Thank you to our Episode Sponsors:

• Cartolina
• Serena & Lily
• Nantucket Historical Association

And a special thank you to our Season 4 Premier Sponsors:

• Book of the Month
• Nantucket Book Partners
• Little, Brown

What are we reading in this episode? 

• The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand
• Roots by Alex Haley
• Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand
• To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
• Jaws by Peter Benchley 
• Harriet The Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
• The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer
• Partita by Barbara Kingsolver 
• The Foster’s Market by Sara Foster
• Modern Comfort Food by Ina Garden
• Barefoot at Home by Ina Garten
• Barefoot in Paris by Ina Garden

Who else are we reading? 

• Ann Patchett
• Laura Dave
• David Sedaris
• Abraham Verghese
• Barbara Kingsolver

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And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond

Happy Reading!

This special episode of Books, Beach, & Beyond was recorded LIVE at the 15th annual Nantucket Book Festival on June 13, 2026. Tim sits Tayari Jones down to talk about one of the best-selling novels of the year so far - KIN. Tayari and Tim talk about Tayari’s origin story, choosing point of view, mothers and daughters, writing historical fiction, her tour for Kin, and much more. Thank you to Nantucket Community Television for the live audio recording of this conversation.

Thank you to our Episode Sponsors:

• Nantucket Hotel
• N Magazine
• Nantucket Current

And a special thank you to our Season 4 Premier Sponsors:

• Book of the Month
• Nantucket Book Partners
• Little, Brown

Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.

And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond

Happy Reading!

This special episode of Books, Beach, & Beyond was recorded LIVE at the 15th annual Nantucket Book Festival on June 12, 2026. Elin sits Belle Burden down to talk about one of the best-selling memoirs of the year so far - “Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage.” Elin designed the conversation to be split between before the book, about the book, and after the book came out. Belle tells us of her writing and reading life, her past, her marriage, being on Oprah’s podcast, and Hollywood plans for the screen adaptation. Thank you to Nantucket Community Television for the live audio recording of this conversation.

Thank you to our Episode Sponsors:

• Nantucket Hotel
• Hill House Home - 20% off first order of $150 or more with code ACK20

And a special thank you to our Season 4 Premier Sponsors:

• Book of the Month
• Nantucket Book Partners
• Little, Brown

Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.

And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond

Happy Reading!

Carley Fortune is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After, One Golden Summer, This Summer Will Be Different, Meet Me at the Lake, and new on shelves this year, the #1 New York Times bestseller - Our Perfect Storm. Carley, Elin, and Tim start talking about the romance genre and its respect in the industry, Carley’s life as a journalist before turning into a novelist, and how she got her start. They chat about literary tropes, first person point of view, writing believable sex scenes, her Canadian settings, Tofino and Barry’s Bay, her newest novel Our Perfect Storm, and her screen adaptation Every Year After based on her book Every Summer After.

Thank you to our Episode Sponsors:

• Nantucket Book Partners
• Nantucket Looms

And a special thank you to our Season 4 Premier Sponsors:

• Book of the Month
• Nantucket Book Partners
• Little, Brown

Carley Fortune Reading List

• Every Summer After
• One Golden Summer
• This Summer Will Be Different 
• Meet Me at the Lake
• Our Perfect Storm

What else are we reading in this episode?

• Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Montgomery
• Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden
• Fifty Shades of Grey E. L. James
• Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan
• Sandwich by Catherine Newman

Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.

And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond

Happy Reading!

Elin Hilderbrand and Tim Ehrenberg of Tim Talks Books are back for Season 4 of Books, Beach, & Beyond! The two co-hosts update listeners on their years so far and then introduce returning guests Ann Patchett and Emma Straub, both bookstore owners (Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN, and Books Are Magic in Brooklyn, NY), and both with new books this year. The four talk about bookstores from childhood, what it’s like owning a bookstore, and their favorite books of 2026 so far. They dive into the research for Emma’s new novel published this April,  American Fantasy and discuss the themes of Ann’s newest on shelves this week, Whistler.  The episode ends with a bunch of book recommendations for you to check out. This is an entertaining conversation between four readers and friends to kick off your summer reading. A readers’ dream!

Thank you to our Episode Sponsors:

• Little, Brown
• Nantucket Island Tours

And a special thank you to our Season 4 Premier Sponsors:

• Book of the Month
• Nantucket Book Partners
• Little, Brown

Books Mentioned in this episode

• The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand
• American Fantasy by Emma Straub
• Whistler by Ann Patchett
• This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman
• The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage
• John of John by Douglas Stuart
• Kin by Tayari Jones
• The Reservation by Rebecca Kauffmann
• The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
• Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash
• Sophie Standing There by Meg Mason
• Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult
• Down with the Shipmans by Meg Mitchell Moore
• The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson
• Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead
• Music Against the Night by Yiyun Li
• Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
• Ply by Hernan Diaz

Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.

And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond

Happy Reading!