Pouring Over Books

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In this episode of the Pouring Over Books podcast, LaShawn Wiltz reflects on her reading journey in July, discussing 5 of the 14 books she read, including notable titles like 'What Kind of Paradise' and 'Everyone is Lying to You.' She shares her ratings and thoughts on each book, highlighting her favorites and those that didn't meet her expectations. LaShawn also looks ahead to her August reading list, featuring a mix of fiction and non-fiction, and emphasizes the importance of reading what resonates with you rather than following trends.

BOOKS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE

 What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown

Educated by Tara Westover

Where the Crawdad’s sing by Delia Owens

Rose In chains by Julie Soto

Pen Pal by J.T. Geissinger 

Hissy Fit By Mary K Andrews

Everyone is Lying to You by Joe Piazza

Blessings and disasters by  Alexis Okeowo 

People like Us: by jason Mott 

Dominion by Addie E. Citchens

Baldwin a love story by Nicholas Boggs 

Positive obsession : the life and times of Octavia E Butler by Susana M Morris 

Katabasis By RF Kuang 

Dire Bound by Sable Soresnen

Razorblade Tears By SA Cosby

How Fascism Works by Jason Stanley

The Jasid Heir by sara hasem

Support the show

Purchasing at any of the links above supports this podcast at no additional cost to you. 

Join the Pouring Over Books Bookclub. We are reading Toni Morrison in 2026. 

Follow  LaShawn on IG @lashawnwiltz and Threads @lashawnwiltz
Substack: Letters From LaShawn


 

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In this episode of the Pouring Over Books podcast, LaShawn discusses her reading experiences, including the joys of rereading favorite books, the complexities of book ratings, and her mid-year reading review. She shares her biggest surprises and disappointments in reading, highlights upcoming releases she's excited about, and provides insights into her current reads and recommendations.

Books Mentioned in this episode

The Storygraph

Throne of Glass Series

A Court of Thorns and Roses 

Crescent City

King Of Ashes by SA Cosby

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by VE Schwab

What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown

Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry

All Sinners Bleed By SA Cosby

Razerblade Tears By SA Cosby

Son of the Morning by Akwaeke Emezi

You Made A Fool Out of Death With Your Beauty

Little Rot

Pen Pal by JT Geissinger

Gold Coast Dilemma by Nana Malone

Everyone is lying to you by Jo Piazza

Chasing Shelter by Catherine Cowles

Follow LaShawn on IG @lashawnwiltz and Threads @lashawnwiltz
Substack: Letters From LaShawn

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In this episode of Pouring Over Books, host LaShawn explores 10 backlist books. She shares her top recommendations, including classics and contemporary works.

Books discussed in this episode :

Song of Solomon By Toni Morrison

Linden Hills By Gloria Naylor

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Reckless by Elsie Silver

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden 

Eat the Frog by Brian Tracey

The Mercy Thompson Series by Patricia Briggs

The Perfect Find by Tia Williams

You Made a Fool Out of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

Throne of Glass By Sarah J Maas

Scythe and Sparrow by Bryanne Weaver

 Big Fan by Alexandria Romanoff 

The Girls Who Grew Big By Laila Montley  

Support the show

Purchasing at any of the links above supports this podcast at no additional cost to you. 

Join the Pouring Over Books Bookclub. We are reading Toni Morrison in 2026. 

Follow  LaShawn on IG @lashawnwiltz and Threads @lashawnwiltz
Substack: Letters From LaShawn


 

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In this episode of the Pouring Over podcast, LaShawn does a deep dive into one of her favorite romance authors: Nora Roberts. She shares her thoughts on the influence of Roberts on the romance genre, and provides recommendations from her extensive backlist. Then we get into what she is currently reading, which leads to the question what exactly is Dramione Fan Fiction?

Nora Roberts is happily defying genres, 250 books in 

Support the show

Purchasing at any of the links above supports this podcast at no additional cost to you. 

Join the Pouring Over Books Bookclub. We are reading Toni Morrison in 2026. 

Follow  LaShawn on IG @lashawnwiltz and Threads @lashawnwiltz
Substack: Letters From LaShawn


 

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In this episode, LaShawn shares her delightful reading experiences from June, discussing her strategies for reading, including her new DNF policy for books that don't hold her interest. She reviews several books, including Summer in the City, Broken Country,  'King of Ashes' and 'Harlem Rhapsody.' LaShawn also dives into the dark fantasy genre with the 'Plated Prisoner' series and shares her excitement for upcoming releases in July. 

Books Mentioned in this Episode

Summer in the City By Alex Aster

Broken Country: Claire Leslie Hall

King of Ashes SA Cosby

Harlem Rhapsody By Victoria Christopher Murray

Guild by Raven Kennedy

In the Veins of Drowning by Kalie Cassidy/ 7/1

These Summer Storms by Sarah Mac Leann ⅞

Everyone is Lying To You by Jo Piazza 7/15

August Lane by Regina Black 7/29

Gleam by Raven Kennedy

What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown. 

Curvy Girl Summer by Daniele Allen

Support the show

Purchasing at any of the links above supports this podcast at no additional cost to you. 

Join the Pouring Over Books Bookclub. We are reading Toni Morrison in 2026. 

Follow  LaShawn on IG @lashawnwiltz and Threads @lashawnwiltz
Substack: Letters From LaShawn


 

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Happy Pride! On this week's episode, LaShawn is sharing 6 books that she thinks everyone should add to their TBR for Pride month and beyond, including a few of her favorites. She also discusses what she read on vacation and her current read

Summer Reading Guide

Giovanni’s Room By James Baldwin

Buy on |Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org |Amazon.com ( it is currently 1.99 on Kindle) 

Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez 

Buy on |Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org |Amazon.com

Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity by C. Riley Snorton 

Buy on |Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org |Amazon.com

Red, white, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston 2019 

Buy on |Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org |Amazon.com

All Boys Aren’t Blue by George m Johnson

Buy on |Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org |Amazon.com

Homebodies by Tembe Denton-Hurst 2024

Buy on |Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org |Amazon.com

The Night Ends with Fire (The Dragon Spirit Duology) By K.X. Song

Buy on Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org | amazon.com

Harlem Rhapsody By Victoria Christopher Murray

Buy on Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org | amazon.com

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall
Buy on Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org | amazon.com

The Girls Who Grew Big By Leila Mottley

Buy it on Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org |Amazon.com

Support the show

Purchasing at any of the links above supports this podcast at no additional cost to you. 

Join the Pouring Over Books Bookclub. We are reading Toni Morrison in 2026. 

Follow  LaShawn on IG @lashawnwiltz and Threads @lashawnwiltz
Substack: Letters From LaShawn


 

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In this episode of Pouring Over Books, LaShawn is back from vacation, talking about reading adventures on board, the book 'Problematic Summer Romance' by Ali Hazelwood, and also addresses a troubling incident in the book community where Ali Hazelwood faced bullying over her opinions on fictional characters.

Books talked about in this episode 

One Golden Summer by Carly Fortune

Buy on |Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org |Amazon.com

Summer in the City by Alex Aster

Buy on |Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org |Amazon.com

Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazlewood

Buy it on Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org |Amazon.com

King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby

Buy on Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org | amazon.com 

Fate of the Sun King By Nisha J Tuli

Buy on Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org | amazon.com 

Broken Country by Clare leslie Hall

Buy on Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org | amazon.com 

Ghostwriter by Julie Clark 

Buy on Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org | amazon.com 

Summer Reading Guide

Support the show

Purchasing at any of the links above supports this podcast at no additional cost to you. 

Join the Pouring Over Books Bookclub. We are reading Toni Morrison in 2026. 

Follow  LaShawn on IG @lashawnwiltz and Threads @lashawnwiltz
Substack: Letters From LaShawn


 

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In this episode of Pouring Over Books, LaShawn Wiltz reflects on her reading journey halfway through the year, sharing insights on her recent reads, , and highlighting her anticipated reads for June, emphasizing the excitement of new releases and her current reading plans.

2025 Summer Reading Guide

May Books

The Knight and the Moth By Rachel Gilling

Shield of Sparrows by Devny Perry

Rewind it Back Liz Thomforde

Silver Elite Dani Francis

June Books on my Radar

These Heathens By Mia McKenzie

Slow Burn Summer by Josie Silver

Park Avenue By Renee Adeah 

So Far Gone By Jess Walter  

The Catch by Daley-Ward, Yrsa 

Joy Goddess: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance

Support the show

Purchasing at any of the links above supports this podcast at no additional cost to you. 

Join the Pouring Over Books Bookclub. We are reading Toni Morrison in 2026. 

Follow  LaShawn on IG @lashawnwiltz and Threads @lashawnwiltz
Substack: Letters From LaShawn


 

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In this episode of the Pouring Over Books podcast, LaShawn welcomes listeners to the unofficial start of summer and shares her highly anticipated summer reading guide.  LaShawn discusses her top picks from each category.

This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission at no additional cost to you. 

The Official 2025 Summer Reading Guide

Books Mentioned in this episode:

Atmosphere By Taylor Jenkins Reid Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org |Amazon.com

One Golden Summer By Carly Fortune  Barnes and Noble | | Bookshop.org |Amazon.com

What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org |Amazon.com

The Girl Who Grew Big By Laila Mottley  Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org |Amazon.com

The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org |Amazon.com

Blessings and Disasters: The Story of Alabama By Alexis Okeowo Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org |Amazon.com

Wild and Wrangled by Lyla Sage Barnes and Noble| Bookshop.org |Amazon.com

Silvercloak by L.K. Steven Barnes and Noble| Bookshop.org | Amazon.com

Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood  Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org |

Support the show

Purchasing at any of the links above supports this podcast at no additional cost to you. 

Join the Pouring Over Books Bookclub. We are reading Toni Morrison in 2026. 

Follow  LaShawn on IG @lashawnwiltz and Threads @lashawnwiltz
Substack: Letters From LaShawn


 

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In this episode of Pouring Over Books, LaShawn discusses the excitement of summer reading, sharing her tips for how to read more this summer.  She emphasizes the importance of reading for pleasure, the value of DNFing books that don't capture your interest, and practical strategies to incorporate more reading into daily life. LaShawn also shares her current reads and upcoming books she's excited about, and plugs her Summer Reading Guide that releases next week on her Substack. 

Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J Maas 

 Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang 

Rewind it Back By Liz Thomforde 

Wild and Wrangled by Lyla Sage 

Wood Working by Emily St james

Subscribe to Letters to LaShawn to get the Summer Reading Guide in your inbox next week.

Support the show

Purchasing at any of the links above supports this podcast at no additional cost to you. 

Join the Pouring Over Books Bookclub. We are reading Toni Morrison in 2026. 

Follow  LaShawn on IG @lashawnwiltz and Threads @lashawnwiltz
Substack: Letters From LaShawn