Speaking LITerally

Rabbit Moon author Jan D Payne joins the show to share her passion of writing and how her background with the Navajo Nation has shaped her storytelling.

Spooky season is here, so we would not be doing our job without discussing some of our picks for the season. Books covered include Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna, and October Forever by Katie Cawood. Stephen King and Darcy Coates may also have been pulled into the conversation!

We also make our final predictions on who will win this year's Booker Prize, and the questions remains - will Holly remain undefeated in her predictions!

Banned Book Week 2025 is discussed as well as the exciting return of Reading Rainbow with it's new host plus so much more!

#HappyReading

About Speaking LITerally

Resident bookworms Liz & Holly explore their favorite world--BOOKS--in this all new podcast focused around new releases, old favorites, and everything in between.

What are you reading? Find our their favorites and upcoming reads along with stories from authors and more on Speaking LITerally!

Follow on Instagram

@speakliterallypodcast

@lizzieslittlebooknook

@azdesert_bookworm

Prepare yourself for an epic adventure in this episode. There are more off-the-rails moment than in any recent episodes making it one of the most fun ones yet!

The Book Club girls have quite a bit to share about this new horror book by Nat Cassidy that explores the concept of what happens when we have the power to manifest your fears into real, tangible entities.

What else is in store? Well, what do the Babysitter's Club and KPop Demon Hunters have in common? Who is the mysterious author Evelyn Clarke? And, since when is Wuthering Heights a dark romance? All questions answered in the latest episode.

Books discussed in this episode include: The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown, The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightly and The Whalebone Theater by Joanna Quinn just to name a couple.

The real fun? The real fun in this episode comes in our Book Club Discussion and our notoriously crazy Speed-Round. We hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed recording.

Next Episode will drop on October 6 when we welcome author Jan Payne to the show.

#HappyReading

About Speaking LITerally

Resident bookworms Liz & Holly explore their favorite world--BOOKS--in this all new podcast focused around new releases, old favorites, and everything in between.

What are you reading? Find our their favorites and upcoming reads along with stories from authors and more on Speaking LITerally!

Follow on Instagram

@speakliterallypodcast

@lizzieslittlebooknook

@azdesert_bookworm

Laura Hern, author of The Lainey Maynard Mystery series, joins the show to to discuss her journey as an author.

Topics on the show also include adaptation updates, Hank Green's Focus Friend App and many book discussions and mentions: Strange Houses by Uketsu, Babel by FR Kuang, and Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman just to name a few.

When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy will be the focus of the next episode's Book Club discussion. Don't miss it!

#HappyReading

About Speaking LITerally

Resident bookworms Liz & Holly explore their favorite world--BOOKS--in this all new podcast focused around new releases, old favorites, and everything in between.

What are you reading? Find our their favorites and upcoming reads along with stories from authors and more on Speaking LITerally!

Follow on Instagram

@speakliterallypodcast

@lizzieslittlebooknook

@azdesert_bookworm

Indie romance author Kat Neil joins the show to discuss her series, In the Name of Love. Her series currently has 3 of the 4 books out now. Book 4 is set to be released in late 2025. You'll definitely want to check them out! We also discuss our favorite binge-worthy cooking shows!

There is much to discuss this time. Everything from the Jennifer Lynn Barnes book signing event, to book award nominees, to BookTok inspired EF Ultimate Break international tours - we are already packing our bags!

We also throw in a few books to discuss that include: From Below by Darcy Coates, Small Favors by Erin A Craig, and Automatic Noodles by Annalee Newitz just to name a few. We even provide a teaser for Leigh Bardugo's 3rd book in her Ninth House series.

Don't miss all the fun and take a listen!

#HappyReading

About Speaking LITerally

Resident bookworms Liz & Holly explore their favorite world--BOOKS--in this all new podcast focused around new releases, old favorites, and everything in between.

What are you reading? Find our their favorites and upcoming reads along with stories from authors and more on Speaking LITerally!

Follow on Instagram

@speakliterallypodcast

@lizzieslittlebooknook

@azdesert_bookworm

The long awaited Dinner Party has arrived! So what does an author/character/podcast dinner party look like? What would a dinner at a swanky New York Italian restaurant look like with a group of fictional horror characters? What would their host gifts be? Take a listen and find out!

Also in this most recent episode, we discuss books including We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer and Funny Story by Emily Henry. Other topics include AI, Stephen King's upcoming retelling of Hansel and Gretel and the Salt Path Scandal.

Indie author Kat Neil will be joining the show to discuss her books and her love of books and writing. Next episode drops on August 4.

Happy Reading

About Speaking LITerally

Resident bookworms Liz & Holly explore their favorite world--BOOKS--in this all new podcast focused around new releases, old favorites, and everything in between.

What are you reading? Find our their favorites and upcoming reads along with stories from authors and more on Speaking LITerally!

Follow on Instagram

@speakliterallypodcast

@lizzieslittlebooknook

@azdesert_bookworm

With our 4th year anniversary show comes a first for us - a show trigger warning, please see ending note.

Book Club this month is JA Forde's "On a Flight to Sydney." According to a Steph during the show this is "one of my favorite romcoms!" Yep, this book is a perfect summer read, and it becomes one of our longer talks as while it is a sweet romance on the surface, there is so much more.

In this episode, we also discuss the decrease in reading and reading development in children 8-18 as well as doom-scrolling and Book Crawls.

Books discussed include:

• "The Devil Wears Prada" by Lauren Weisberger
• "Ship of Magic" by Robin Hobb
• "Legends & Lattes" by Travis Baldree
• "Shield of Sparrows" by Devney Perry.

Take note that our book club discussion becomes a very personal conversation regarding topics of abuse, PTSD/Trauma and sexual assault. If these are triggers for you, please be aware.

#HappyReading

About Speaking LITerally

Resident bookworms Liz & Holly explore their favorite world--BOOKS--in this all new podcast focused around new releases, old favorites, and everything in between.

What are you reading? Find our their favorites and upcoming reads along with stories from authors and more on Speaking LITerally!

Follow on Instagram

@speakliterallypodcast

@lizzieslittlebooknook

@azdesert_bookworm

Dive into the world of books with us again this month as we discuss a wide variety of bookish things including thoughts on the cast for Sunrise on the Reaping and the July release of the Netflix adaptation of Remarkedly Bright Creatures.

Joining the show this month is return Indie author, Jessika Grewe Glover, who discusses her new release, BloodLily, a very spicy vampire romance!

Also discussed are the books Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle, Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley and more!

What are you doing on May 21? Have kids in your life? Join the millions of children around the world taking part in Australia's Simultaneous Storytime and read The Truck Cat by Deborah Frenkel

Don't miss another amazing episode!

#HappyReading

About Speaking LITerally

Resident bookworms Liz & Holly explore their favorite world--BOOKS--in this all new podcast focused around new releases, old favorites, and everything in between.

What are you reading? Find our their favorites and upcoming reads along with stories from authors and more on Speaking LITerally!

Follow on Instagram

@speakliterallypodcast

@lizzieslittlebooknook

@azdesert_bookworm

Becca Lopez, owner of Bookish Becca, Co., joins the show to discuss her shop - how she got started, her goals, and even the challenges of being a small business owner. Her online shop focuses primarily on candles, wax melts, lotions and soaps that are bookishly inspired.

Did you know that April 26 is Indie Bookstore Day? We share some information regarding this annual event, plus we provide updates on the UK beginning to feel some book banning pressure from the US. And, finally, what is your bedtime routine? It might not be listening to the audiobook of The Great Gatsby every night, but maybe it is.

Don't miss this fun epsiode where we also dive into book tropes. Specific books discussed include Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn and Bloodlily by Jessika Grewe Glover (who will be our guest on our next episode!)

#HappyReading

About Speaking LITerally

Resident bookworms Liz & Holly explore their favorite world--BOOKS--in this all new podcast focused around new releases, old favorites, and everything in between.

What are you reading? Find our their favorites and upcoming reads along with stories from authors and more on Speaking LITerally!

Follow on Instagram

@speakliterallypodcast

@lizzieslittlebooknook

@azdesert_bookworm

Jenn Bouchard returns to the show to discuss her new book Considering Us, a fun story that won't leave you sad about a young private chef who takes on the role of Director of Dining at a New England boarding school after facing a scandal in Boston.

Not only do we get to welcome back a return author, but you also won't want to miss our discussions on several books and bookish topics including:

• The Sunrise on the Reaping hype
• Ali Hazelwood & Kimberly Lemming and the Tucson Festival of Books recap
• The Outsiders by SE Hinton
• And, not book related, but we do get the gruesome story of President James Garfield's assassination.

There is plenty more fun to be had. Just like with books, we don't want to give away all the spoilers! So relax and take a listen.

#HappyReading

About Speaking LITerally

Resident bookworms Liz & Holly explore their favorite world--BOOKS--in this all new podcast focused around new releases, old favorites, and everything in between.

What are you reading? Find our their favorites and upcoming reads along with stories from authors and more on Speaking LITerally!

Follow on Instagram

@speakliterallypodcast

@lizzieslittlebooknook

@azdesert_bookworm

What an episode this turned out to be! The moral and ethical roller coaster that our speed round takes us on was unexpected, but so, so good! And, all based off of ideas discussed throughout our book club chat on Noni's hit YA book, "The Prison Healer."

Besides an in-depth analysis of our March Book Club pick, there was much to discuss:

• 2025 Indieverse Award nominations are out - Speaking LITerally Podcast is up for THREE!
• New UK Campaign - Make It Fair
• Traveling Books
• Preview of Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

Other books that are addressed in this episode include, but aren't limited to:

• Tell Me You Trust Me by Elle Owens
• The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
• Aurora Rising by Amy Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
• Considering Us by Jenn Bouchard

Next episode dropping on March 24 will feature guest Indie author Jenn Bouchard.

#HappyReading

About Speaking LITerally

Resident bookworms Liz & Holly explore their favorite world--BOOKS--in this all new podcast focused around new releases, old favorites, and everything in between.

What are you reading? Find our their favorites and upcoming reads along with stories from authors and more on Speaking LITerally!

Follow on Instagram

@speakliterallypodcast

@lizzieslittlebooknook

@azdesert_bookworm