The Book Up with Verdell Walker | Book Reviews & Book Recs

Hey Bookworms! I'm creating ​t​he next season of The Book Up — and while you wait, I'm dusting off a recommendation worth revisiting. Thanks for being here!

Today’s featured book is Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao. A woman inherits a pawnshop where you can sell your regrets, and then embarks on a magical quest to find her parents with the help of a young physicist who wanders into the shop.

If you’d like to read it, you can purchase a copy for your TBR pile: Bookshop.org | Amazon 

(Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/season-one-featured-books)

Other featured books:

• The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: Bookshop.org | Amazon 
• The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern: Bookshop.org | Amazon 
• Piranesi by Susanna Clarke: Bookshop.org | Amazon 

This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.

Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!

CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UP

Stories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.

Instagram: @thebookuppod

YouTube: @TheBookUpPodcast

Substack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/

Shop: The Book Up Bookshop

Help me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

Hey Bookworms! While I gear up for a brand new season of The Book Up, I'm revisiting one of my favorite episodes. If you're new here, welcome — this is a great place to start. If you've been with me a while, I hope this one feels like catching up with an old friend.

Today’s featured book is Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang. In this dark academic fantasy, the first woman ever admitted to a prestigious order of mages and her janitor-turned-assistant unravel a secret conspiracy that could change the practice of magic in her world forever.

If you’d like to read it, you can purchase a copy for your TBR pile: Bookshop.org | Amazon 

(Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/season-one-featured-books)

Other featured books

• Babel by RF Kuang: Bookshop.org | Amazon 

This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.

Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!

CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UP

Stories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.

Instagram: @thebookuppod

YouTube: @TheBookUpPodcast

Substack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/

Shop: The Book Up Bookshop

Help me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

Hey Bookworms! While I gear up for a brand new season of The Book Up, I'm revisiting one of my favorite episodes. If you're new here, welcome — this is a great place to start. If you've been with me a while, I hope this one feels like catching up with an old friend.

Some stories are too good to fit into just one book. In this Series Spotlight, I’m diving into The Emily Wilde Series by Heather Fawcett — giving an overview of the series, what makes it stand out, and why I think it’s worth the commitment.

The magical, delightful series is comprised of 3 books: 

• Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries: Bookshop.org | Amazon 
• Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands: Bookshop.org | Amazon 
• Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales: Bookshop.org | Amazon 

(Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/series-spotlight-2-the-emily-wilde-series-by-heather-fawcett)

This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.

Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!

CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UP

Stories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.

Instagram: @thebookuppod

YouTube: @TheBookUpPodcast

Substack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/

Shop: The Book Up Bookshop

Help me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

Hey Bookworms! While I gear up for a brand new season of The Book Up, I'm revisiting one of my favorite episodes. If you're new here, welcome — this is a great place to start. If you've been with me a while, I hope this one feels like catching up with an old friend.

Some stories are too good to fit into just one book. In this Series Spotlight, I’m diving into The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee — giving an overview of the series, what makes it stand out, and why I think it’s worth the commitment.

The series is comprised of 3 books, a novella, and a short story collection: 

• Jade City: Bookshop.org | Amazon 
• Jade War: Bookshop.org | Amazon 
• Jade Legacy: Bookshop.org | Amazon 
• The Jade Setter of Janloon (novella): Amazon 
• Jade Shards (short stories): Amazon 

(Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/series-spotlight-the-green-bone-saga-by-fonda-lee)

This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.

Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!

CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UP

Stories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.

Instagram: @thebookuppod

YouTube: @TheBookUpPodcast

Substack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/

Shop: The Book Up Bookshop

Help me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

Hey Bookworms! I'm creating ​t​he next season of The Book Up — and while you wait, I'm dusting off a recommendation worth revisiting. Thanks for being here!

Today’s featured book is The God of the Woods by Liz Moore. In this literary thriller, the worlds of a privileged family and a blue collar town collide when a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp.

If you’d like to read it, you can purchase a copy for your TBR pile: Bookshop.org | Amazon 

(Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/season-one-featured-books)

This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.

Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!

CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UP

Stories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.

Instagram: @thebookuppod

YouTube: @TheBookUpPodcast

Substack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/

Shop: The Book Up Bookshop

Help me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

Escape the epic battles and world-ending peril—this bonus episode is all about cozy fantasy, the warm-hug corner of the genre where magic meets everyday life. From quaint villages to found-family friendships, these low-stakes, high-comfort reads are perfect for when you want magic with more charm than chaos.

I’ll share what defines cozy fantasy, why it’s become such a comfort for so many readers, and some of my favorite books in the subgenre. Whether you’re new to cozy fantasy or already stocking your TBR, you’ll leave with plenty of magical, heartwarming recommendations.

This episode is a bit longer than my standard ones, but well worth the listen.

Find my fave cozy reads and those I want to read in my curated collection of book recs on Bookshop!

And here's the Emily Wilde series spotlight episode in case you missed it! >> Emily Wilde Series Spotlight

Further Reading

• Mashable. How 'cozy gaming' is taking mindfulness mainstream
• NY Times. In Tumultuous Times, Readers Turn to ‘Healing Fiction’

This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.

Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!

​P.S. Looking for a playful way to tend to your reading life?​ Join​ the community newsletter and receive a free The Book Up Bingo Card to add a little ​m​ore cozy to your ​bookish goals and TBR pile! ​Sign up here: https://thebookuppodcast.mystrikingly.com/#bingo

CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UP

Stories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.

Instagram: @thebookuppod

YouTube: @TheBookUpPodcast

Substack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/

Shop: The Book Up Bookshop

If you'd like to support the show, please visit The Book Up on Ko-fi to give a one-time or monthly gift. And if you can’t give financially right now? Help me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

It’s time for a TBR refresh! In this episode - the season 2 finale! - I’m sharing the books currently on my to-be-read list, along with a few upcoming releases that have caught my eye. Whether you're looking to add to your own stack or just want to hear about what’s on my radar, tune in for a mix of anticipated reads and spontaneous picks. Always Be Reading!

Here are the books I’ll be chatting about today: 

• Katabasis: Bookshop.org | Amazon 
• The Devil Three Times: Bookshop.org | Amazon 
• Joy Goddess: A'Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance: Bookshop.org | Amazon 
• The Knight & The Moth: Bookshop.org | Amazon 

Other books discussed:

The Alex Stern series by Leigh Bardugo ✨ highly recommend!!! ✨

• Ninth House - Bookshop.org | Amazon
• Hell Bent - Bookshop.org | Amazon 

(Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/tbr-top-up-2)

This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.

Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!

​P.S. Looking for a playful way to tend to your reading life?​ Join​ the community newsletter and receive a free The Book Up Bingo Card to add a little ​m​ore cozy to your ​bookish goals and TBR pile! ​Sign up here: https://thebookuppodcast.mystrikingly.com/#bingo

CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UP

Stories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.

Instagram: @thebookuppod

YouTube: @TheBookUpPodcast

Substack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/

Shop: The Book Up Bookshop

If you'd like to support the show, please visit The Book Up on Ko-fi to give a one-time or monthly gift. And if you can’t give financially right now? Help me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

Love books? Looking for honest book reviews and book recs? Whether you're a lifelong reader, crawling out of a reading slump, or just need a trusted voice to help you find a great story — you're in the right place.

Today’s book is "The Buffalo Hunter Hunter" by Stephen Graham Jones.

A diary written in 1912 by a Lutheran pastor is discovered within a wall. What it unveils is a slow massacre, a chain of events that go back to 217 Blackfeet dead in the snow. Told via transcribed interviews of a Blackfeet named Good Stab, who shares the narrative of his peculiar life over a series of confessional visits. 

If you’d like to read it, you can purchase a copy for your TBR pile: Bookshop.org | Amazon 

(Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/season-two-featured-books​)

Read more about the Marias Massacre, which inspired this book, on Wikipedia.

This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.

Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!

​P.S. Looking for a playful way to tend to your reading life?​ Join​ the community newsletter and receive a free The Book Up Bingo Card to add a little ​m​ore cozy to your ​bookish goals and TBR pile! ​Sign up here: https://thebookuppodcast.mystrikingly.com/#bingo

CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UP

Stories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.

Instagram: @thebookuppod

YouTube: @TheBookUpPodcast

Substack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/

Shop: The Book Up Bookshop

If you'd like to support the show, please visit The Book Up on Ko-fi to give a one-time or monthly gift. And if you can’t give financially right now? Help me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

Love books? Looking for honest book reviews and book recs? Whether you're a lifelong reader, crawling out of a reading slump, or just need a trusted voice to help you find a great story — you're in the right place.

Today’s book is "To Shape a Dragon's Breath" by Moniquill Blackgoose. After the first dragon to hatch in generations in her homeland bonds with her, a young Indigenous woman enters a colonizer-run dragon academy—and quickly finds herself at odds with the “approved” way of doing things.

If you’d like to read it, you can purchase a copy for your TBR pile: Bookshop.org | Amazon 

(Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/season-two-featured-books​)

Other books discussed in this episode:

• "To Ride a Rising Storm" by Moniquill Blackgoose: Bookshop.org | Amazon 

N.B.: While I didn’t cover this in the episode—gotta stick to my 15-minutes-or-less promise!—I did want to note that "To Shape a Dragon's Breath" includes LGBTQ characters and polyamorous relationships, which may interest some readers.

This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.

Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!

​P.S. Looking for a playful way to tend to your reading life?​ Join​ the community newsletter and receive a free The Book Up Bingo Card to add a little ​m​ore cozy to your ​bookish goals and TBR pile! ​Sign up here: https://thebookuppodcast.mystrikingly.com/#bingo

CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UP

Stories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.

Instagram: @thebookuppod

YouTube: @TheBookUpPodcast

Substack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/

Shop: The Book Up Bookshop

If you'd like to support the show, please visit The Book Up on Ko-fi to give a one-time or monthly gift. And if you can’t give financially right now? Help me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

Love books? Looking for honest book reviews and book recs? Whether you're a lifelong reader, crawling out of a reading slump, or just need a trusted voice to help you find a great story — you're in the right place.

Today’s book is "Isola" by Allegra Goodman. A French noblewoman, deserted on an island, must rely on her faith and love to survive nature's harsh challenges. Based on a true story!

If you’d like to read it, you can purchase a copy for your TBR pile: Bookshop.org | Amazon 

(Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/season-two-featured-books​)

Other books featured in this episode:

• "The Vaster Wilds" by Lauren Groff: Bookshop.org | Amazon 

This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.

Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!

​P.S. Looking for a playful way to tend to your reading life?​ Join​ the community newsletter and receive a free The Book Up Bingo Card to add a little ​m​ore cozy to your ​bookish goals and TBR pile! ​Sign up here: https://thebookuppodcast.mystrikingly.com/#bingo

CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UP

Stories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.

Instagram: @thebookuppod

YouTube: @TheBookUpPodcast

Substack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/

Shop: The Book Up Bookshop

If you'd like to support the show, please visit The Book Up on Ko-fi to give a one-time or monthly gift. And if you can’t give financially right now? Help me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!