Fully Booked by Kirkus Reviews
366 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago - ★★★★ - 80 ratingsGet the ultimate insider's scoop on the best new books. The editors at Kirkus Reviews interview your favorite authors, tell you whether or not the books on the bestseller list are worth the read, give you behind-the-scenes insights, and introduce you to great books you may otherwise never find.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Darcie Little Badger
April 16, 2024 06:00 - 44 minutesDarcie Little Badger joins us to discuss Sheine Lende (Levine Querido, April 16), a magnificent prequel to her acclaimed YA debut Elatsoe. Kirkus: “Two generations before the events of Elatsoe (2020), Shane, a 17-year-old Lipan Apache girl, helps her mother, Lorenza, perform volunteer search-and-rescue operations….A classic fantasy adventure and a balm for any soul weary of oppression” (starred review). Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
J. Drew Lanham
April 09, 2024 06:00 - 48 minutesOrnithologist, professor, poet, and essayist J. Drew Lanham joins us to discuss Joy Is the Justice We Give Ourselves (Hub City Press, April 2), “another luminous mixture of prose and poetry…. that memorably, vibrantly shows how choosing joy is an act of resilience, courage, and power” (starred review). Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
Best April Books with Julia Alvarez
April 02, 2024 06:00 - 48 minutesKirkus’ editors join host Megan Labrise in celebration of the Best Books of April, with their top picks in books for the month and a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the making our book lists. Then Julia Alvarez joins us to discuss The Cemetery of Untold Stories (Algonquin, April 2), in which a retiring Dominican American professor and novelist conceives of a unique way to contend with her unpublished manuscripts. Kirkus: “Buried stories find their way to the light in this finely crafted novel” (...
Nikki McClure
March 26, 2024 06:00 - 50 minutesIllustrator Nikki McClure joins us to discuss Something About the Sky (Candlewick Studio, March 12), her stunning new picture book with words by Rachel Carson. Kirkus: “Reflections on clouds and other wonders of our atmospheric ‘ocean’….Contemplative and stirring—definitely for wonderers” (starred review). Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
Téa Obreht x Parini Shroff
March 19, 2024 06:00 - 50 minutesOn this week's Fully Booked Takeover, special guest host Téa Obreht, author of The Tiger’s Wife, Inland, and The Morningside—out today, from Random House—talks with friend and fellow novelist Parini Shroff (The Bandit Queens). Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
Vinson Cunningham
March 12, 2024 06:00 - 37 minutesNew Yorker cultural critic Vinson Cunningham joins us to discuss his debut novel, Great Expectations (Hogarth, March 12), which Kirkus calls “a top-shelf intellectual bildungsroman” (starred review). Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
Tricia Romano
March 05, 2024 08:00 - 53 minutesTricia Romano joins us to discuss The Freaks Came Out To Write: The Definitive History of the Village Voice, the Radical Paper That Changed American Culture (PublicAffairs, Feb. 27). Kirkus: “Journalist Romano makes a zesty book debut with a polyphonic oral history of the iconic Village Voice.” Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
Breanna J. McDaniel
February 27, 2024 08:00 - 44 minutesBreanna J. McDaniel joins us to discuss Go Forth and Tell: The Life of Augusta Baker, Librarian and Master Storyteller (Dial Books, Feb. 6), an outstanding picture book celebrating a legendary librarian “who sought out every gap a tale could bridge, who shattered barriers to ensure Black children would see themselves on library shelves, and whose legacy continues to this day exactly as it began—in the thrall of good stories” (starred review). Then our editors share their top picks in books fo...
Nita Prose x Liz Nugent
February 20, 2024 08:00 - 45 minutesOn this week's Fully Booked Takeover, special guest host Nita Prose, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Maid and The Mystery Guest, talks with award-winning Irish crime writer Liz Nugent. Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
Amy Lea
February 13, 2024 08:00 - 47 minutesInternationally bestselling Canadian romance author Amy Lea joins us to discuss The Catch (Berkley, Feb. 13), “A sweet conclusion to a swoony contemporary romance trilogy” (starred review). Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
Shayla Lawson
February 06, 2024 08:00 - 49 minutesShayla Lawson joins us to discuss How to Live Free in a Dangerous World: A Decolonial Memoir (Tiny Reparations, Feb. 6): “A stunning essay collection about travel, mortality, and liberation” (starred review). Then Kirkus’ editors share their top picks in books for the week.
Venita Blackburn
January 30, 2024 08:00 - 48 minutesVenita Blackburn joins us to discuss Dead in Long Beach, California (MCD/Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Jan. 23), “an astonishing debut novel from a remarkably creative writer” (starred review). Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
Veera Hiranandani
January 23, 2024 08:00 - 49 minutesVeera Hiranandani joins us to discuss the novel Amil and the After (Kokila, Jan. 23), a standalone companion to her 2019 Newbury Honor winner The Night Diary. Kirkus: “A quietly brilliant, deeply insightful story of living in uncertain times” (starred review). Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
Marie-Helene Bertino
January 16, 2024 08:00 - 1 hourOn a special Spring Preview episode, Marie-Helene Bertino joins us to discuss the novel Beautyland (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Jan. 16). Kirkus: “A heartbreaking book that staggers with both truth and beauty” (starred review). Then our editors share some of their most anticipated spring 2024 titles.
Stuart Gibbs x Christina Soontornvat
January 09, 2024 08:00 - 48 minutes - 20.6 MBOn this week's Fully Booked Takeover, special guest host Stuart Gibbs (Spy School, FunJungle, etc.) talks with YRL powerhouse Christina Soontornvat (2020 Kirkus Prize winner All Thirteen, etc.). Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
Erika Howsare
January 02, 2024 07:00 - 48 minutes - 20.9 MBErika Howsare joins us to discuss The Age of Deer: Trouble and Kinship With Our Wild Neighbors (Catapult, Jan. 2). Kirkus: “A fascinating exploration….Outstanding natural history writing” (starred review). Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
2023 Year in Review
December 26, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 26.5 MBHappy New Year, Fully Booked fans! Kirkus correspondent Michael Schaub joins editor-in-chief Tom Beer and host Megan Labrise for the annual Fully Booked Year in Review. Our merry crew discusses 2023's weird book news and announces the most popular episode of the year.
Megan's Favorite Interviews of 2023 with Ilyon Woo and Amy Schneider
December 19, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 26.2 MBOn this special holiday episode, Megan presents her favorite interviews of 2023, featuring Ilyon Woo, author of Master Slave Husband Wife (Simon & Schuster), and Jeopardy! champion Amy Schneider, author of In the Form of a Question (Avid Reader Press).
Best Young Adult Books of 2023 with Brandy Colbert
December 12, 2023 08:00 - 48 minutes - 20.9 MBOur Best Books of 2023 coverage concludes on this special episode featuring Brandy Colbert, author of The Blackwoods (Balzer + Bray, Oct, 3). “Colbert’s sprawling novel is a deeply felt love letter to Black Hollywood’s groundbreaking forebears and a tribute to the transformative power of maternal love,” Kirkus writes in a starred review of The Blackwoods, one Kirkus’ Best YA Books of 2023. Then young readers’ editor Laura Simeon shares some of the titles on this year’s best books list.
Best Middle-Grade Books of 2023 with Zach Weinersmith
December 05, 2023 08:00 - 55 minutes - 23.7 MBOur Best Books of 2023 coverage continues on this special episode featuring Zach Weinersmith, author of Bea Wolf (First Second, March 21). This cheeky retelling of the first part of Beowulf, illustrated by Boulet, is one Kirkus’ Best Middle Grade Books of 2023. Then young readers’ editors Laura Simeon and Mahnaz Dar discuss their approach to collaborating on this year’s middle grade list.
Best Picture Books of 2023 with Leah Henderson
November 28, 2023 08:00 - 49 minutes - 21 MBOur Best Books of 2023 coverage continues with picture books. On this special episode, Leah Henderson joins us to discuss The Courage of the Little Hummingbird (Abrams, April 11), illustrated by Magaly Morales, one Kirkus’ Best Picture Books of 2023. Then editor Mahnaz Dar tells us all about the making of this year’s Best Books list.
Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 with Curtis Chin
November 21, 2023 08:00 - 51 minutes - 22.1 MBOur Best Books of 2023 coverage continues with nonfiction. On this special episode, Curtis Chin joins us to discuss Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant (Little, Brown, Oct. 17), one Kirkus’ Best Nonfiction Books of 2023. Then editor Eric Liebetrau highlights some of the titles you’ll find on this year’s nonfiction list.
Best Fiction Books of 2023 with Bryan Washington
November 14, 2023 09:00 - 52 minutes - 23.3 MBWe’re kicking off our Best Books of 2023 coverage with fiction. On this special episode, Bryan Washington joins us to discuss Family Meal (Riverhead, Oct. 10), one Kirkus’ Best Fiction Books of 2023. Then fiction editor Laurie Muchnick tells us what it takes to determine the year’s top 100 titles.
Holiday Gift Guide 2023
November 07, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 27.8 MBIt's the sixth annual Fully Booked Holiday Gift Guide! Editor-in-chief Tom Beer and host Megan Labrise welcome Margaret Renkl, author of The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year (Spiegel & Grau), and Ben Nadler, author of The Jewish Deli: An Illustrated Guide to the Chosen Food (Chronicle Books), for some good cheer and gift book recommendations. And Kirkus’ editors present their top books to give this holiday season.
Deirdre Sullivan
October 31, 2023 06:00 - 46 minutes - 19.9 MBDeirdre Sullivan joins us to discuss Savage Her Reply (Little Island, Oct. 3), a feminist retelling of Irish folktale The Children of Lir. “Haunting and lyrical” (starred review). Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
Jana Monroe
October 24, 2023 06:00 - 47 minutes - 20.5 MBFormer FBI agent and author Jana Monroe joins us to discuss her new memoir Hearts of Darkness: Serial Killers, the Behavioral Science Unit, and My Life as a Woman in the FBI (Abrams, Oct. 10). Kirkus: “Fans of true crime will find much to enjoy in this absorbing chronicle of criminology.” Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
Amy Schneider
October 17, 2023 06:00 - 42 minutes - 18.3 MBJeopardy! champion Amy Schneider joins us to discuss her memoir In the Form of a Question: The Joys and Rewards of a Curious Life (Avid Reader, Oct. 3). Kirkus: “[F]or a funny, memorable, philosophical take on life, Schneider’s book is far and away the winner.” Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
Cassandra Clare x Holly Black x Kelly Link
October 10, 2023 06:00 - 55 minutes - 23.7 MBOn this week's Fully Booked Takeover, special guest host Cassandra Clare is joined by friends Holly Black and Kelly Link, in celebration of the publication of Sword Catcher (Oct. 10, Del Rey), “A whirlwind epic fantasy featuring secret plots, ancient magic, and hidden identities” (Kirkus). Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
Kirkus Prize 2023
October 03, 2023 06:00 - 56 minutes - 24 MBOn a special episode, editor-in-chief Tom Beer and host Megan Labrise discuss all things Kirkus Prize, one week ahead of our 10th anniversary celebration and awards ceremony in New York City. And in a sponsored interview, Megan talks with Sydney Smith, author-illustrator of the poignant picture book Do You Remember? (starred review). Then our editors share some of their favorite memories from Kirkus Prize celebrations gone by.
Ross Gay
September 26, 2023 06:00 - 45 minutes - 19.5 MBPoet and essayist Ross Gay joins us to discuss The Book of (More) Delights (Algonquin, Sept. 19). Kirkus: “Keenly observed and delivered with deftness, these essays are a testament to the artfulness of attention and everyday joy” (starred review). Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
Jason Reynolds x Christine Platt
September 19, 2023 05:00 - 47 minutes - 20.1 MBOn this week's Fully Booked Takeover, sponsored by Penguin Young Readers Group, special guest host Jason Reynolds (Stuntboy, In-Between Time, etc.) talks with author and activist Christine Platt (The Afrominimalist’s Guide to Living With Less, etc.). Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
Mona Awad
September 12, 2023 06:00 - 49 minutes - 21 MBCritically acclaimed novelist Mona Awad joins us to discuss Rouge (Marysue Rucci Books, Sept. 12). Kirkus: “A woman tangles with a cultlike spa and her own obsession with physical beauty in the wake of her mother’s death in this hypnotic tour de force” (starred review). Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
Alice Carrière
September 05, 2023 06:00 - 52 minutes - 22.5 MBAlice Carrière joins us to discuss Everything/Nothing/Someone (Spiegel & Grau, Aug. 29), a memoir of mental illness from the daughter of American artist Jennifer Bartlett and German actor Mathieu Carrière. Kirkus: “[Carrière’s] artistic prowess and determination to unearth and interpret the true narrative arc of her life and healing shine through… A spellbinding memoir” (starred review). Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
Jamel Brinkley
August 29, 2023 05:00 - 56 minutes - 24.4 MBJamel Brinkley joins us to discuss Witness (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Aug. 1), a story collection from the author of National Book Award finalist A Lucky Man (2018). “After just two collections, Brinkley may already be a grand master of the short story,” Kirkus writes in a starred review. Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
Jenn Shapland
August 22, 2023 06:00 - 48 minutes - 20.6 MBJenn Shapland joins us to discuss Thin Skin: Essays (Pantheon, Aug. 15), an “eloquent and vibrantly lucid collection” of essays that explore “the permeability of human bodies” (starred review), from the author of 2020 National Book Award finalist My Autobiography of Carson McCullers. Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
Fully Booked Takeover: Karin Slaughter x Wanda M. Morris
August 15, 2023 06:00 - 47 minutes - 20.6 MBOn this week's Fully Booked Takeover, special guest host Karin Slaughter (After That Night, Aug. 22, 2023) interviews crime writer Wanda M. Morris (All Her Little Secrets, Anywhere You Run). Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
Arianne Shahvisi
August 08, 2023 06:00 - 53 minutes - 23.5 MBArianne Shahvisi joins us to discuss Arguing for a Better World: How Philosophy Can Help Us Fight for Social Justice (Penguin, July 18). Using the tools of philosophy, Shahvisi, a senior lecturer in ethics at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School, shows readers how to contemplate, comprehend, and substantiate their moral positions, with the express purpose of fostering understanding in divisive political conversations. Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
Brando Skyhorse
August 01, 2023 06:00 - 53 minutes - 23 MBBrando Skyhorse joins us to discuss My Name Is Iris (Avid Reader Press, Aug 1). Kirkus calls this sophomore novel from the author of The Madonnas of Echo Park, “a well-imagined allegory of divisive racial politics.” Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
Fully Booked Takeover: Megan Abbott x Ivy Pochoda
July 25, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour - 25.9 MBOn this week's Fully Booked Takeover, special guest host Megan Abbott (Beware the Woman) interviews novelist Ivy Pochoda (Sing Her Down). And in a sponsored interview, Megan talks with Preeti Chhibber and Alex Segunda, authors of original Spider-Man stories for young readers from publisher Marvel. Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
Fully Booked Takeover: Sarah MacLean x Adriana Herrera
July 18, 2023 06:00 - 46 minutes - 20.1 MBOn this week’s Fully Booked Takeover, we’re thrilled to welcome special guest host Sarah MacLean (Knockout, Aug. 2023), in conversation with rising star romance novelist Adriana Herrera (An Island Princess Starts a Scandal). Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
Jon Klassen
July 11, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour - 27.2 MBCaldecott medalist Jon Klassen joins us to discuss The Skull (Candlewick, July 11), a brilliant retelling of a Tyrolean folktale from the Canadian-born author/illustrator of I Want My Hat Back, et al. Kirkus: “Employing his customary pitch-perfect tonal gymnastics, only Klassen could inspire readers to want craniums as pals” (starred review). Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
Joy McCullough
July 04, 2023 06:00 - 48 minutes - 21 MBJoy McCullough joins us to discuss Code Red (Atheneum, June 13), an engaging new middle-grade novel that takes on menstruation, friendship, and activism. “Character-driven, thought-provoking, often funny, and, above all, timely,” Kirkus writes in a starred review. Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
K Patrick
June 27, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour - 26.1 MBDebut novelist K Patrick joins us to discuss Mrs. S (Europa Editions, June 20): “Dark academia meets forbidden love as an English boarding school matron [falls for a] headmaster’s wife…An erotic yet high-minded literary achievement,” Kirkus writes in a starred review. Then our editors share their reading recommendations for the week.
Fully Booked Takeover: Owen King x Jacqueline Holland
June 20, 2023 06:00 - 51 minutes - 22.6 MBOn this week’s inaugural Fully Booked Takeover, we’re thrilled to welcome special guest host Owen King (The Curator, etc.), in conversation with debut novelist Jacqueline Holland (The God of Endings). Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week.
2023 Pride Epsiode with Amelia Possanza
June 13, 2023 06:00 - 54 minutes - 23.4 MBOn our second annual Pride Episode of the podcast, Amelia Possanza joins us to discuss Lesbian Love Story: A Memoir in Archives (Catapult, May 30) Kirkus: “Detailed and immensely readable, this is a generous history of lesbian love” (starred review). Then our editors highlight some of their favorite books by LGBTQIA+ authors.
2023 Summer Reads with S.A. Cosby
June 06, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour - 28 MBHappy summertime, readers! S.A. Cosby joins us to discuss All the Sinners Bleed (Flatiron, June 6) on this special Summer Reads episode. Kirkus: “A gripping cat-and-mouse game between a twisted White religious killer and the first Black sheriff of a small Virginia community.” Then our editors highlight some of their favorite books of summer.
Luis Alberto Urrea
May 30, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 28.3 MBLuis Alberto Urrea joins us to discuss Good Night, Irene (Little Brown, May 30), a novel inspired by his mother’s service in the Red Cross’ Clubmobile Corps in World War II. Kirkus: “Top-shelf historical fiction delivered with wit and compassion” (starred review). Then our editors share their reading recommendations for the week.
Max Porter
May 23, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour - 29.7 MBMax Porter joins us to discuss Shy (Graywolf, May 2), a slim, introspective new novel from the inventive author of Grief is the Thing With Feathers (2016) and Lanny (2019). Then our editors share their reading recommendations for the week.
Katherine Heiny
May 16, 2023 06:00 - 57 minutes - 24.7 MBKatherine Heiny joins us to discuss Games and Rituals (Knopf, April 18), her funny, frank sophomore story collection. Kirkus: “With this irresistibly amusing, bighearted collection, Heiny again proves she is a master of the short story form” (starred review). Then our editors offer their reading recommendations for the week.
Brendan Slocumb
May 09, 2023 06:00 - 58 minutes - 25.7 MBNovelist Brendan Slocumb joins us to discuss Symphony of Secrets (Anchor, April 18), a vibrant musical mystery from the author of The Violin Conspiracy (2022). Kirkus: “A scholar discovers his favorite composer's secret in this page-turning thriller….Sophomore novels don’t get much better than this” (starred review). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.