Fully Booked By Kirkus Reviews

On our special Indie Episode, indie author Kamla K. Kapur joins us to discuss The Privilege of Aging: Savoring the Fullness of Life (Park Street Press, 7/9/24). In this lyrical work of nonfiction, Kapur considers the pleasures of complexities of old age. Kirkus: “A moving celebration of life before death, balanced between plangent reflection and exuberant affirmation” (starred review).THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:The Mistake by Mara SchiffrenEmployment Ethics by Travis SchachtnerSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week’s episode, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Rainbow Rowell joins us to discuss her eagerly anticipated new novel, Cherry Baby (William Morrow, April 14). The Times calls this vibrant second-chance romance, set in Omaha, Nebraska, “sexy, messy, raw and funny.”THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:Stitchcraft by Jonna CarterDon’t Stop the Presses by Mike StetzAlmost Island by Terrence MurphyEmployment Ethics by Travis SchachtnerSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week’s episode,  Evelyn Clarke—a pseudonym for bestselling authors V.E. Schwab and Cat Clarke—joins us to discuss their rollicking mystery novel, The Ending Writes Itself (Harper, April 7). “Fiction writers compete to finish a famous author’s abandoned novel,” Kirkus writes in an admiring review of this closed-circle mystery, calling it “high-concept and highly entertaining.”THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:Rivennia by Jaime UrencioAcadia by Sterling NixonSquawk 7700 by H. Robert John, Michael McKinley & Nancy Merritt BellBoth Sides of Then by Jennifer GriffithBallad of the Wayward Child by Keven RenkenSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week’s episode, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Jenny Lawson joins us to discuss How To Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay: Tips and Tricks That Kept Me Alive, Happy, and Creative in Spite of Myself (Penguin Life, March 31). Kirkus calls Lawson’s latest, “Self-help with a twist of humor.”THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:Acadia by Sterling NixonSong of Hummingbird Highway by K.M. CookieDuck Redux by Nic BettauerCome Up Big by Charles W.B. Wardell IIIRose Dhu by Mark MurphySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week’s episode, actor, director, and award-winning travel writer Andrew McCarthy joins us to discuss Who Needs Friends: An Unscientific Examination of Male Friendship Across America (Grand Central Publishing, March 24). Kirkus: “An exploration of male friendship and the difficulties of connection…. Thoughtful and well written—and a good prompt to call an old friend.”THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:Acadia by Sterling Nixon                                                                                               

On this week’s special Debuts Episode—in honor of the 3/15 Debuts Issue of Kirkus Reviews, celebrating standout first books across genres—first-time novelist Rebecca Lehmann joins us to discuss The Beheading Game (Crown, March 24). “The further adventures of Anne Boleyn, post-decapitation,” Kirkus writes in a starred review. “Brilliantly imagined, stylishly written, satisfyingly plotted, full of delicious surprises: all in all, hella fun.” THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:The Biotech Murders by Ronenn RoubenoffDeepstone by Dean LappiMomentum Lost by Jeffrey E. DenningProse Pizza by Cynthia SchumacherThe Terminal Gene by John H. ThomasSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week’s episode, New York Times bestselling memoirist Lindy West joins us to discuss Adult Braces: Driving Myself Sane (Grand Central Publishing, March 10). Kirkus: “The author of a memoir (Shrill, 2016) and two essay collections (The Witches Are Coming, 2019, and Shit, Actually, 2020)…tackles big subjects…[in] a well-realized, candid memoir that reveals an unconventional approach to life” (starred review).THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:The Prophecy by Kim SakwaMurder on the Interstellar Express by Gregory D. LittleSeason of Night by Vicki DraegerThe Elusive Conquest of Queen Califa by Alan EhrgottThe Mystery in the Room by Dr. Chuck RadisSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week’s episode, No. 1 New York Times bestselling romance author BK Borison joins us to discuss And Now, Back to You (Berkley, Feb. 24). Kirkus: “Opposites attract when meteorologists are forced to work together during a massive snowstorm…. [in] a wonderfully cozy and warm romance in a cold, snowy setting.” THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:Ruta’s Closet by Keith Morgan with Ruth Kron SigalThe Prophecy by Kim SakwaMurder on the Interstellar Express by Gregory D. LittleThe Path to Heaven by Emily Minjun ChungIt Always Rains in Estaran by Murat BoynerSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week’s episode, Eugene Robinson joins us to discuss Freedom Lost, Freedom Won: A Personal History of America (Simon & Schuster, Feb. 3). As Kirkus writes in a starred review of Freedom Lost, Freedom Won, the author skillfully illuminates a “central truth of African American history: that for every advance toward being seen as truly American, ‘in short order, that full citizenship would be revoked.’” Then Kirkus’ editors offer their top picks in books for the week.THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:They Could Be Saviors by Diana ColleenThe Privilege of Aging by Kamla K. KapurThe Prophecy by Kim SakwaThe Holy Nail by Michael J. SerbyMurder on the Interstellar Express by Gregory D. LittleSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week’s episode, New York Times and internationally bestselling thriller writer Lisa Unger joins us to discuss Served Him Right (Park Row Books, March 10). Kirkus: “Breaking up isn’t just hard to do—it can be fatal,” in this “twisty, satisfying thriller” (starred review). THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:Dance With Me, Franny Nice Shirt by Elizabeth Kelly StephensonBlanket Party in Desert Storm by Darnnell Reese & Deidra WilsonEchoes of Fortune by David R. LengThe Past Is Not at Rest by Katherine BennettFrom the Cold by Mia K. RoseSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week’s episode, Allegra Goodman joins us to discuss This Is Not About Us (Dial Press, Feb. 10). “Goodman offers an unsparingly frank, wryly funny take on a multigenerational American family.,” Kirkus writes in a starred review. “Like an exquisitely baked apple cake, Goodman’s delicious and deeply perceptive novel is something to savor.” Then Kirkus’ editors offer their top picks in books for the week.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On our Best February Books episode, Kirkus’ editors share some of the month’s most highly anticipated titles. Then Sara Pennypacker joins us to discuss The Lions’ Run (Balzer + Bray, Feb. 3). “An orphan in occupied France during World War II finds his courage and a sense of family,” Kirkus writes in a starred review, calling this middle-grade historical fiction, “compassionate and complex.”THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:Born Sick in the USA by Stephen Bezruchka (Cambridge Univ. Press)Prey Before Bed by James SackosWe Met at a Halloween Party by Marcus R. FerrellKarl Marx and the Lost California Manifesto by Scott D. CarlsonPeace Warrior by Greg Payton, with J.T. MolloySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Amy DuBois Barnett joins us to discuss If I Ruled the World (Flatiron Books, Jan. 27). “A young Black woman navigates the treacherous world of New York magazines in the 1990s,” Kirkus writes in an admiring review of Barnett’s fiction debut: “Style, love, and hip hop converge in this lively, likable novel.” Then our editors recommend their top picks in books for the week.THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:Children of the Fullness by Cyd Ropp, illus. by Elfaza StudioWe Met at a Halloween Party by Marcus R. FerrellWhat We Hold No Longer by Aaron GedaliahThe Beekeeper’s Question by Christina BaldwinUnbuttoning by Ross TaosakaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On our special Spring Preview episode, celebrating the most anticipated titles of 2026, New York Times bestselling writer and artist Chanel Miller joins us to discuss The Moon Without Stars (Philomel, Jan. 13). “After her zines launch her into the popular crowd, seventh grader Luna must decide what she’s willing to sacrifice to stay there,” Kirkus writes in a starred review of Miller’s latest middle-grade novel. “Genuine and poignant; [The Moon Without Stars] has the makings of a modern classic.” Then our editors recommend some of 2026’s most anticipated titles.THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:50 Secrets Nobody Tells You in Hollywood by Mike KimmelThe Compass Room by Mark JamesTwelve Purposeful Immersions by Jess BarccoThe Last Wizard by Alex MizgailoRuled by Fate by Sam Withrow & Amelia PinkisSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Culture journalist and critic Adam Morgan joins us to discuss A Danger to the Minds of Young Girls: Margaret C. Anderson, Book Bans, and the Fight to Modernize Literature (One Signal, Dec. 9, 2025), which Kirkus calls “a lively biography of a bold woman.” Then our editors recommend their top picks in books for the week.THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:One Ordinary Man: A Novel Based on the True Story of Harry Hopkins by Steve VesceThe Real Conversation Jesus Wants Us To Have by Regina V. CatesSammy Goes to the Doctor by Brittany Feria, illus. by Wandson RochaThe Angry Skies by Blake KerrOn Earth As It Is in Heaven by Joseph HawkeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On our Best January Books episode, Kirkus’ editors share some of the month’s most highly anticipated titles. Then Alia Hanna Habib joins us to discuss Take It From Me: An Agent’s Guide to Building a Nonfiction Writing Career From Scratch (Pantheon, Jan. 20). Kirkus: “An invaluable resource for aspiring and professional writers alike.”THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:That Kind of Girl by Jacey BiciUse Your Palabras, Jovita! by Keishia Lee Louis, illus. by Diego Alejandro Escobar TrianaMidnight at Sea by Hoyt Rogers with Artemisia Vento and Frank BáezBone of Contention by Jan S. GephardtDigital Odyssey by SE QuinnSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Happy New Year, listeners! It’s the Fully Booked Year in Review, featuring editor-in-chief Tom Beer and Kirkus contributing writer Michael Schaub. On this jolly special episode, we take a deep dive into the weird book news of 2025 and reveal the year’s most popular episode.THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:Fighting Bullies by William T. Reid, IVHarlo by Brian PetersenBailing Out by Leonard RuhlThe Nameless Dead by Leta Serafim See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this special holiday episode, Megan presents her favorite nonfiction interviews of 2025, featuring Edmund White (The Loves of My Life) and Caro De Robertis (So Many Stars: An Oral History of Trans, Nonbinary, Genderqueer, and Two-Spirit People of Color).THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:The Zygan Emprise by Y.S. PascalCourse Over Ground by Bill C. WilsonBetween Wounded and Well by Debra PalmerProphets of War by Jack BrownSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this special holiday episode, Megan presents her favorite fiction interviews of 2025, featuring National Book Award winner Rabih Alammedine (The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother))and National Book Award finalist Karen Russell (The Antidote).See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We conclude our Best Books of 2025 coverage with a special episode dedicated to young adult. First, Libba Bray joins us to discuss Under the Same Stars (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Feb. 4). Then young readers’ editor Laura Simeon highlights some more of the year’s best YA.Thanks to our sponsors:The Tale of the Wicked Old Woman and the Very Nice 'Beast' of Crouch End by Lance Lee, illus. by Nathalie T. RetivoffA Widow’s Fire by Diane Pike HeilerFuture-Focused Wealth by Melissa CoxSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.