Fully Booked by Kirkus Reviews
368 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.
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Episodes
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.
Abraham Verghese
May 02, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour - 28.2 MBAbraham Verghese joins us to discuss The Covenant of Water (Grove, May 2), a standout sophomore novel from the author of 2009 bestseller Cutting for Stone. “Three generations of a South Indian family are marked by passions and peccadillos, conditions and ambitions, interventions both medical and divine,” Kirkus writes in a starred review. And in a sponsored interview, Megan talks with novelist Nana Kwame Adjei Brenya, author of Chain-Gang All-Stars (Pantheon, May 2; starred review). Then our ...
Jonathan Rosen
April 25, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour - 28.2 MBJonathan Rosen joins us to discuss The Best Minds: A Story of Friendship, Madness, and the Tragedy of Good Intentions (Penguin Press, April 18), “An affecting, thoughtfully written portrait of a friendship broken by mental illness and its terrible sequelae” (starred review). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Mark Oshiro
April 18, 2023 06:00 - 52 minutes - 23 MBMark Oshiro joins us to discuss their latest YA novel, Into the Light (Tor Teen, March 28), “An important and searing read on the value of family, agency, and belief” (starred review). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Idra Novey
April 11, 2023 06:00 - 54 minutes - 23.5 MBIdra Novey joins us to discuss her new novel, Take What You Need (Viking, March 14). Kirkus: “Transforming the odd and the homely into something beautiful is both the subject and the accomplishment of this book” (starred review). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Susanna Hoffs
April 04, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour - 25.7 MBSusanna Hoffs joins us to discuss her debut novel, This Bird Has Flown (Little Brown, April 4). Kirkus: “A fun read that’s perfect for lovers of pop music, classic books, and romantic comedies.” Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Kelly Link
March 28, 2023 06:00 - 58 minutes - 25.6 MBKelly Link joins us to discuss White Cat, Black Dog (Random House, March 28). Kirkus: “Seven modern fairy tales by a master of the short form…. Enchanting, mesmerizing, brilliant work” (starred review).Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Shelley Read
March 21, 2023 06:00 - 57 minutes - 24.9 MBShelley Read joins us to discuss Go As a River (Spiegel & Grau, March 7). Kirkus: “With delicate precision, Read evokes both Colorado’s rugged wilderness and the landscapes of her characters’ troubled hearts. An auspicious debut” (starred review).Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Alexandra Robbins
March 14, 2023 07:00 - 56 minutes - 24.5 MBAlexandra Robbins joins us to discuss The Teachers: A Year Inside America’s Most Vulnerable, Important Profession (Dutton, March 14): “An important and eye-opening book that all parents, teachers, and educational administrators should read” (starred review). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Jenny Jackson
March 07, 2023 08:00 - 59 minutes - 26.5 MBJenny Jackson joins us to discuss her debut novel Pineapple Street (Pamela Dorman Books, March 7): “Rich-people jokes, cultural acuity, and entertaining banter keep this novel moving at a sprightly pace as the characters learn their lessons about money and morals” (Kirkus). And in a sponsored interview, Megan talks with Jordan Scott and Sydney Smith, author and illustrator of My Baba’s Garden (Neal Porter Books, March 7), “A quiet, tender, and profoundly moving celebration of intergenerationa...
Asale Angel-Ajani
February 28, 2023 08:00 - 57 minutes - 24.3 MBAsale Angel-Ajani joins us to discuss A Country You Can Leave (MCD/Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Feb. 21). Kirkus: “The focus of this sharp, observant debut novel, which deftly blends humor and hard truths while examining economic inequities and the emotional toll they take, is [a] fraught mother-daughter connection.” Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Roshani Chokshi
February 21, 2023 08:00 - 59 minutes - 25.1 MBRoshani Chokshi joins us to discuss The Last Tale of the Flower Bride (Morrow/HarperCollins, Feb. 14), “A singular, unforgettable tale of love and magic” (starred review). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Ilyon Woo
February 14, 2023 08:00 - 52 minutes - 22.5 MBIlyon Woo joins us to discuss Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey From Slavery to Freedom (Simon & Schuster, Feb. 7). Kirkus: “An engaging tale of one enslaved couple’s journey to freedom and a love that conquered all” (starred review). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Kenji Yoshino and David Glasgow
February 07, 2023 08:00 - 58 minutes - 25 MBKenji Yoshino and David Glasgow join us to discuss Say the Right Thing: How To Talk About Identity, Diversity, and Justice (Atria, Feb. 7). Kirkus: “A sensitive and sensible handbook for encouraging positive conversations about identity” (starred review). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
V
January 31, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 26.3 MBV (formerly Eve Ensler) joins us to discuss Reckoning (Bloomsbury, Jan. 31), an “elegant and timely” memoir about the personal traumas that paved her path as a world-renowned artist and lifelong activist. Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Deepti Kapoor
January 24, 2023 08:00 - 48 minutes - 20.6 MBNovelist Deepti Kapoor joins us to discuss Age of Vice (Riverhead Books, Jan. 3), a fast-paced cinematic thriller centering on a rich and powerful family from Uttar Pradesh and their associates. Kirkus: “Fans of crime novels will find much to admire in this quite entertaining book.” Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Talia Hibbert
January 10, 2023 08:00 - 53 minutes - 22.9 MBBestselling author Talia Hibbert joins us to discuss her first YA romance, Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute (Joy Revolution, Jan. 3), “A zippy rom-com with strong characterization, bursting with Gen Z–approved verbal sparring and stolen kisses” (starred review). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Dacher Keltner
January 03, 2023 08:00 - 50 minutes - 21.5 MBBestselling author and psychology professor Dacher Keltner joins us to discuss Awe: The New Science of Evryday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your LIfe (Penguin Press, Jan. 3), “[an] insightful… focused guide to discovering awe and bliss in the human experience.” Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
2022 Year In Review: Seen & Heard with Michael Schaub and Tom Beer
December 27, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 26.7 MBHappy New Year, Fully Booked fans! Another fabulous year in podcasting concludes with our annual Year in Review, as Kirkus correspondent Michael Schaub joins editor-in-chief Tom Beer and host Megan Labrise for a merry discussion of 2022’s weird book news and the announcement of our most popular episode of the year.
Megan's Favorite Interviews of 2022: Ling Ma + Anton Hur
December 20, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 28.8 MBOn this special holiday episode, Megan presents her favorite interviews of 2022: with Kirkus Prize winner Ling Ma, author of Bliss Montage (Farrar, Straus and Giroux); and Anton Hur, translator of Violets by Kyung-sook Shin (Feminist Press).
Best Books of 2022- Young Adult with S.K. Ali
December 13, 2022 08:00 - 56 minutes - 24.2 MBIn this special episode, celebrating Kirkus’ Best YA Books 2022, author S.K. Ali discusses Love From Mecca to Medina (Salaam Reads, Oct. 18), the follow-up to her 2019 novel Love From A to Z. Kirkus calls this stunning sequel, “A contemplative exploration of faith, love, and the human condition” (starred review). Then young readers’ editor Laura Simeon highlights some more of the best YA books of the year.
Best Books of 2022- Middle Grade with L.D. Lapinski
December 06, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 29.3 MBIn this special episode, celebrating Kirkus’ Best Middle Grade Books 2022, we’re joined by L.D. Lapinski, author of The Secrets of the Stormforest (Aladdin, Sept. 13). Kirkus: “A moving conclusion to a delightful trilogy” (starred review). Then young readers’ editors Laura Simeon and Mahnaz Dar discusses our favorite middle grade books of the year. And in a sponsored interview, Megan talks with Jeff Smulyan, author of Never Ride a Roller Coaster Upside Down (BenBella, Dec. 6).
Best Books of 2022 Children's- with P.J. Lynch
November 29, 2022 08:00 - 49 minutes - 21.6 MBn this special episode, celebrating Kirkus’ Best Picture Books 2022, we’re joined by P.J. Lynch, illustrator of Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost (Candlewick, Nov. 8). Kirkus: “Lovely pictures newly elucidate this renowned, euphonious work” (starred review). Then young readers’ editor Mahnaz Dar discusses our favorite picture books of the year.
Best Books of 2022 Nonfiction- with Jazmina Barrera
November 22, 2022 08:00 - 58 minutes - 25.9 MBIn the second of five Best Books episodes, celebrating our favorite fiction, nonfiction, children’s books, middle grade, and YA of 2022, we’re joined by Jazmina Barrera, author of Linea Nigra: An Essay on Pregnancy and Earthquakes (Two Lines Press, May 3) that Kirkus calls, “a uniquely lyrical account of early motherhood” (starred review). Then nonfiction editor Eric Liebetrau discusses the Best Nonfiction Books of 2022. And in a sponsored interview, Megan talks with Candace Fleming, author o...
Best Books of 2022 Fiction- with Julia May Jonas
November 15, 2022 08:00 - 56 minutes - 25.2 MBIt’s time for the Best Books of 2022! This week kicks off a five-episode series celebrating la crème de la crème in fiction, nonfiction, children’s books, middle grade, and YA for the year. First, for fiction, Julia May Jonas joins us to discuss her “remarkable” debut novel Vladimir (Avid Reader Press, Feb 1). Then fiction editor Laurie Muchnick highlights some more extraordinary titles from this year’s list.
Fully Booked Holiday Gift Guide 2022 with Mary E. Pearson and Tim Laman
November 08, 2022 08:00 - 55 minutes - 24.7 MBIt’s the Fully Booked Holiday Gift Guide! Mary E. Pearson, author of Morrighan: The Beginnings of the Remnant Universe (Henry Holt), and Tim Laman, author of Bird Planet (Abrams) join editor-in-chief Tom Beer and host Megan Labrise in conversation. And Kirkus' editors present their top gift book picks.
Lynn Melnick
November 01, 2022 06:00 - 54 minutes - 23.3 MBLynn Melnick joins us to discuss I've Had to Think Up a Way to Survive: On Trauma, Persistence, and Dolly Parton (Texas Univ. Press, Oct. 4). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Kirkus Prize 2022
October 25, 2022 06:00 - 47 minutes - 20.4 MBOn this special episode, we’re celebrating the 2022 Kirkus Prizes! Featuring behind-the-scenes interviews with judges Deesha Philyaw (fiction), Hanif Abdurraqib (nonfiction), and Jerry Craft (young readers’ literature). And in a sponsored interview, host Megan Labrise talks with Carmen Agra Deedy, author of Wombat Said Come In, illustrated by Brian Dies (Margaret Quinlin Books, Oct. 4).
Lydia Millet
October 18, 2022 05:00 - 44 minutes - 19.2 MBNational Book Award finalist Lydia Millet joins us to discuss her latest novel Dinosaurs (W.W. Norton, Oct. 11), “another life-affirming work from a writer who always carves her own literary path” (starred review). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Rita Zoey Chin
October 11, 2022 06:00 - 59 minutes - 25.2 MBRita Zoey Chin joins us to discuss The Strange Inheritance of Leah Fern (Melville House, Oct. 4), in which a young woman embarks on a wonder-filled journey across the U.S. and Canada. Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Namwali Serpell
October 04, 2022 06:00 - 50 minutes - 21.5 MBNamwali Serpell joins us to discuss The Furrows (Hogarth, Sept. 27), in which a woman grieves the loss of her younger brother. The sophomore novel is “stylistically refreshing and emotionally intense, cementing Serpell’s place among the best writers going” (starred review). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Christina Soontornvat
September 27, 2022 06:00 - 54 minutes - 23.5 MBKirkus Prize winner Christina Soontornvat joins us to discuss The Tryout (Scholastic, Sept. 6), illustrated by Joanna Cacao. Kirkus calls this standout graphic memoir, about going out for the cheerleading squad in a small Texas town in the 1990s, “a funny, relatable, and genuine story of friendship and belonging” (starred review). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Carolyn Huynh
September 20, 2022 06:00 - 52 minutes - 23.3 MBDebut novelist Carolyn Huynh joins us to discuss The Fortunes of Jaded Women (Atria, Sept. 6), “a funny, sharp, and insightful look at family bonds and the effects of tradition on modern life” (Kirkus). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Ling Ma
September 13, 2022 06:00 - 58 minutes - 25.5 MBKirkus Prize-winning novelist Ling Ma joins us to discuss her new story collection Bliss Montage (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Sept. 13), which Kirkus calls “haunting and artful” (starred review). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
The Work Episode with Ellyn Gaydos
September 06, 2022 06:00 - 1 hour - 27.2 MBOn this special Work Episode of the podcast, Ellyn Gaydos joins us to discuss Pig Years (Knopf, June 14), a lyrical debut memoir of four years of seasonal farm work in New York and Vermont. Kirkus: “Lyrical and cleareyed insight into farming from a writer devoted to both crafts.” Then our editors recommend some of their favorite books contending with jobs and professions.
Sidik Fofana
August 30, 2022 06:00 - 49 minutes - 22.1 MBSidik Fofana joins us to discuss Stories From the Tenants Downstairs (Scribner, Aug. 16), eight interconnected stories set in a fictional high-rise in Central Harlem. Kirkus: “A potentially significant voice in African American fiction asserts itself with wit and compassion” (starred review). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Carmen Rita Wong
August 23, 2022 06:00 - 54 minutes - 23.3 MBCarmen Rita Wong joins us to discuss Why Didn’t You Tell Me?: A Memoir (Crown, July 12). Kirkus: “The gradual unraveling of lifelong deceptions about her parenthood teaches a Dominican Chinese woman unsettling lessons about the mutability of identity” (starred review). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
2022 Fall Preview with Beth Macy
August 16, 2022 06:00 - 53 minutes - 22.7 MBOn our 2022 Fall Preview episode, Beth Macy discusses Raising Lazarus: Hope, Justice, and the Future of America’s Overdose Crisis (Little, Brown, Aug. 16), “a profoundly disconcerting book that, with luck, will inspire reform to aid the dopesick and punish their suppliers” (starred review). Then our editors highlight a few of their favorite titles from the Fall Preview issue of Kirkus Reviews.
Mohsin Hamid
August 09, 2022 06:00 - 53 minutes - 23.1 MBIn this episode, sponsored by Amazon Original Stories, Mohsin Hamid joins us to discuss the novel The Last White Man (Riverhead, Aug. 2), “a provocative tale that raises questions of racial and social justice at every turn” (starred review). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Monique Roffey
August 02, 2022 06:00 - 54 minutes - 23.2 MBMonique Roffey joins us to The Mermaid of Black Conch (Knopf, July 12). Kirkus: “In this Costa Award–winning novel, the discovery of a mermaid makes waves on a fictional Caribbean island….A mournful tour through Caribbean history via one of its most indelible legends.” Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Oscar Hokeah
July 26, 2022 06:00 - 44 minutes - 19.2 MBOscar Hokeah joins us to discuss Calling for a Blanket Dance (Algonquin, July 26), an outstanding debut novel about the life of Ever Geimausaddle, a Kiowa-Cherokee-Mexican American man, artfully told from the perspectives of 11 family members, as well as his own. Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Chrysta Bilton
July 19, 2022 06:00 - 42 minutes - 18.4 MBChrysta Bilton joins us to discuss Normal Family: On Truth, Love, and How I Met My 35 Siblings (Little, Brown, July 19), the debut memoir Kirkus calls “a wholly absorbing page-turner that everyone will want to read. You should probably buy two” (starred review). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Mecca Jamilah Sullivan
July 12, 2022 06:00 - 54 minutes - 23.3 MBMecca Jamilah Sullivan joins us to discuss Big Girl (Liveright, July 12). Kirkus: “In this debut novel set in 1990s Harlem, a young girl learns—and redefines—what it means to take up space….A lyrical and important coming-of-age novel.” Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Tom Perrotta
July 05, 2022 06:00 - 52 minutes - 22.5 MBNew York Times-bestselling author Tom Perrotta joins us to discuss Tracy Flick Can’t Win (Scribner, June 7). In this 10th novel from the “master of dark comedy,” “the campaign to create a Hall of Fame at a suburban New Jersey high school lures a few skeletons out of their closets” (Kirkus). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Joanna Scutts
June 28, 2022 06:00 - 49 minutes - 21.8 MBLiterary critic and cultural historian Joanna Scutts joins us to discuss Hotbed: Bohemian Greenwich Village and the Secret Club That Sparked Modern Feminism (Seal Press, June 7), “an enlightening contribution to the history of feminism” (Kirkus). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Ada Calhoun
June 21, 2022 06:00 - 43 minutes - 19.3 MBAda Calhoun joins us to discuss Also a Poet: Frank O’Hara, My Father, and Me (Grove, June 14). Kirkus: “Art critic Peter Schjeldahl's daughter takes a shot at finishing her father's derailed biography of Frank O'Hara and ends up writing a fascinating memoir….A wonderfully convoluted, catty, candid, and clever piece of work” (starred review). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Joseph Han
June 14, 2022 06:00 - 53 minutes - 23.6 MBJoseph Han joins us to discuss the novel Nuclear Family (Counterpoint, June 7), “a raucous and adroit debut” in which “an immigrant family is haunted by the past” (Kirkus). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Julio Torres
June 07, 2022 06:00 - 43 minutes - 18.8 MBJulio Torres joins us to discuss I Want To Be a Vase (Atheneum, June 7), illus. by Julian Glander, a gorgeous debut picture book about the self-actualization of everyday objects. Kirkus: “Great for stimulating creative thinking and art activities: What else can ordinary objects be?” Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Ann Leary
May 31, 2022 06:00 - 49 minutes - 21.7 MBAnn Leary joins us to discuss The Foundling (Marysue Rucci Books, May 31), a “thoroughly satisfying novel” in which the New York Times bestselling author “turns her mordant eye to the interplay of feminism, racism, and eugenics at a state institution for women deemed unfit to bear children in 1927” (starred review). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.
Marie Myung-Ok Lee
May 24, 2022 06:00 - 50 minutes - 22.1 MBAuthor Marie Myung-Ok Lee joins us to discuss her new novel The Evening Hero (Simon & Schuster, May 24), the story of Yungman Kwak, a Korean American doctor grappling with forced retirement and family secrets. Kirkus says Lee’s brilliant novel is “filled with as much heartache and healing as it is historical significance.” Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week.