Fully Booked by Kirkus Reviews

This week, we catch up with David Frum, a prominent conservative writer who’s not a fan of the current administration in the White House; his new book is titled TRUMPOCRACY. We also talk to Sarah Vaughn, whose new novel, ANATOMY OF A SCANDAL, is about a handsome British politician—also the prime minister’s oldest, closest friend—who finds himself on trial for rape. And our editors let you know about the best bets for new, excellent books out this week!

Robert Harris is one of the most revered historical novelists writing today. His new novel, MUNICH, is about old friends who reunite in hopes of derailing Hitler’s war machine. The author of POMPEII and numerous other bestsellers, Harris joins us on the podcast this week. We also talk to Leni Zumas, whose novel RED CLOCKS is about the lives of five women in a small Oregon town who are affected by the outlawing of abortion and an imminent ban on single parenthood. And our editors share their thoughts about this week's bestselling books.

Debut writer A.J. Finn's thriller THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW has been sold in 37 countries and Fox 2000 picked up the film rights. The story of an agoraphobic woman who swears she sees a violent act in the brownstone across from hers in Manhattan, the novel is rife with references to classic films and "crackles with tension," our reviewer says. Violence also is at the heart of Christopher J. Yates' psychological thriller, GRIST MILL ROAD, which our reviewer writes in a starred review is, "mesmerizing and impossible to put down." And our editors weigh in with their thoughts about which bestsellers are worth your time.

Bestseller James Lee Burke is one of America's most beloved crime writers, with 36 novels and two short story collections to his name. The latest novel in his Dave Robicheaux series, ROBICHEAUX, is "another 15 rounds of high-fatality crime, alcohol-soaked ruminations, and heaven-storming prose," according to our reviewer. And the authors of CAN I TOUCH YOUR HAIR? POEMS OF RACE, MISTAKES AND FRIENDSHIP, Irene Latham and Charles Waters, both join the podcast to talk about their unique collaboration on this children's book. We also welcome our new Young Adult Editor, Laura Simeon, as the editors talk this week about the publishing trends they hope disappear in 2018!

Earlier this fall, Kirkus Reviews announced the 18 finalists of the 2017 Kirkus Prize. The three winners of the Prize each received $50,000 in November. Five of the finalists attended the Kirkus Prize panel at the Texas Book Festival: Jack E. Davis (THE GULF); Karen English (IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS); Patricia Lockwood (PRIESTDADDY): Madeleine Stratford (ME TALL, YOU SMALL); and Laura Dassow Walls (HENRY DAVID THOREAU: A LIFE). In this episode, we hear from these excellent writers as they talk about the ideas behind their latest books.

This week, we put a spotlight on some of the most (unfairly!) overlooked books of 2017, books we think deserve your attention. We talk to Ladee Hubbard about her sharp, insightful novel about a family with peculiar superpowers, THE TALENTED RIBKINS. Julie Buntin also joins the podcast to talk about her novel, MARLENA, which our reviewer calls "as unforgettable as it is gorgeous." And our editors weigh in with some of their favorite overlooked books of the year.

This week, we talk to bestselling film historian Scott Eyman, whose new book, HANK & JIM, is about the 50-year friendship of actors Henry Fonda and James Stewart. We also ask Ivy Pochoda about her latest novel, WONDER VALLEY. And our editors let you know which bestselling books are worth your time and which you might want to avoid!

This week, we interview Paul Kix, a debut writer whose new nonfiction book THE SABOTEUR is one of the most thrilling nonfiction reads of 2017. It’s about French aristocrat Robert de la Rochefoucauld, who could’ve sat through World War II but instead became a resistance commando sabotaging the Nazis. And we also catch up with British novelist Fiona Mozley, whose new novel ELMET was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Lastly, our editors divulge their picks for bestsellers they think you ought to read and the bestsellers you don’t need to spend you time on.

Welcome to the Texas Book Festival episode of Fully Booked! The Texas Book Festival is one of the nation’s largest and oldest book festivals and the Fully Booked crew had a lot of fun there a few weeks ago. In this episode, you’ll first hear the interview Kirkus editor Clay Smith did with Walter Isaacson in the House Chamber of the Texas State Capitol during the Festival. Isaacson is the author of the number one New York Times bestselling new bio of Leonardo da Vinci. Then Megan sits down with Roger Hodge, whose new nonfiction book, TEXAS BLOOD, is about his family’s life along the Texas-Mexico border. And at the end of this episode, Megan and Clay gather some interesting responses from people attending the Festival.

You know who Anne Rice is and that her son Christopher Rice is a bestselling novelist too. But they've never collaborated together until this week, when they publish RAMSES THE DAMNED: THE PASSION OF CLEOPATRA, the sequel to THE MUMMY (1989). We catch with both of them during this episode. And Joan Silber's brand-new novel IMPROVEMENT has critics raving, including this starred review from our critic: "There is something so refreshing and genuine about this book." She tells us about creating the novel. Our children's and teen editor Vicky Smith talks about a few of her picks of the Best Picture Books of 2017 and our editors tell you which bestsellers are worth your time.