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

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!

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!

​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 Dream Hotel" by Laila Lalami. This dystopian literary novel is about one woman's fight for freedom, set in a near future where even dreams are under surveillance - and can be used against you. 

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:

• "Chain Gang All Stars" by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah: 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!

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 Last One" by Rachel Howzell Hall. This romantasy follows Kai, who awakens in a dangerous land plagued by sickness and supernatural creatures, with no memory of her past.

This one was a doozy - and not in a good way.

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 book recs featured in this episode:

• "A Court of Thorns & Roses" by Sarah J Maas (Book 1 of ACOTAR Series): Bookshop.org | Amazon 
• "Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros (The Empyrean #1): Bookshop.org | Amazon 
• "The Serpent and the Wings of Night" by Carissa Broadbent (Crowns of Nyaxia #1): Bookshop.org | Amazon 
• "The Hurricane Wars" by Thea Guanzon (The Hurricane Wars #1): Bookshop.org | Amazon 
• "Divine Rivals" by Rebecca Ross (Letters of Enchantment #1): 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

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 featured book is "The Hacienda" by Isabel Cañas. In this atmospheric horror-thriller, the daughter of a disgraced general and a priest with supernatural powers team up against a murderous haunted house.

I also share my ratings for the books featured in last season's TBR Top-Up - find out what I loved and what I didn't!

If you’d like to read "The Hacienda", 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 book recs (and films) featured in this episode:

• "Vampires of el Norte" by Isabel Cañas: Bookshop.org | Amazon 
• "The Possession of Alba Díaz" by Isabel Cañas: Bookshop.org | Amazon 
• "Mexican Gothic" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: Bookshop.org | Amazon 
• "The Daughter of Dr. Moreau" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: Bookshop.org | Amazon 
• "Sinners" - film; rent or buy on Amazon Prime; also available on HBO Max

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 1 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: 

• Greenteeth: Bookshop.org | Amazon 
• The Queen’s Spade: Bookshop.org | Amazon 
• The Sirens: Bookshop.org | Amazon 
• Remember You Will Die: 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-1)

Other featured book recs:

• Weyward: 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 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 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!

​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 featured book is The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley. In this genre-bending sci-fi thriller, an unnamed civil servant and an Arctic explorer pulled from the past fall in love and face a time-jumping government conspiracy.

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!

​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 featured book is Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn. In this fun, fast-paced thriller, a group of retiring assassins find out they are on their employer's hit list and have to fight back.

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:

• Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybourn: Bookshop.org | Amazon 
• Thelma [film] - rent or buy on Amazon Prime

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!

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!

​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!