Advertise on podcast: Fully Booked by Kirkus Reviews

On this special episode, we present the 9th annual Fully Booked Holiday Gift Guide, with special guest Casey McQuiston, author of Red, White & Royal Blue: The Private Correspondence (St. Martin’s Press, Dec. 1)—an epistolary novella that continues the romance between Alex and Prince Henry sparked in their 2019 blockbuster debut Red, White & Royal Blue.  THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:    Climate Realism: Facing the Facts About Energy by Dieter Helm (Cambridge Univ. Press)Baghdad Underground Railroad by Steve MiskaIthia’s Dance by Dixie L. KingOn the Bayou by Sean BridgesThe Wolves of the Kaiser's War by Johnathon Parham See 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, Chad Harbach joins us to discuss The Brightness (Little, Brown, Oct. 27), the eagerly anticipated follow-up to his sensational debut novel, 2011’s The Art of Fielding. In a starred review, Kirkus calls The Brightness—which returns readers to fictional Westish, Wisconsin, four years hence—“brilliant, poignant, and absorbing” (starred review). THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:  Antichrist by James BeauSeigneurCrypto Island by Georgine HodgkinsonThat Strange Feeling of Freedom by Marina Tyurina Oberlander, trans. by Anya Tucker, illus. by Konstantin F. Weber-ChubaysThe Other Side of Fear by Jan GephardtThe Ashes of the Forest by Güzide ErtürkSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Description: On this week’s special episode, we’re celebrating the 2026 Kirkus Prizes, announced Oct. 7th at a ceremony in New York City. Kirkus Prize for Fiction winner Tayari Jones joins us to discuss the ceremony, literary prizes, and her stellar novel, Kin, which judges selected from 3,584 eligible titles.  THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:  Poor Farm Meadow by Cynthia Centerbar Frail Blood by Edward Stanton Under an Indiana Sky by Lynne Hugo Maybelline Has a Very. Bad. Day. by Dawn Dolan, illus. by Olena Kharkovenko The Seven by Igor Stefanovic See 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 special episode, recorded live at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C., we’re joined by Jordan Moblo, Executive Vice President of Creative Acquisitions and IP Management at Universal Studio Group, and founder of Jordy’s Book Club, for a conversation about what it takes to develop books for TV series, book clubs, reading recommendations, and more. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:  Where the Wild Horses Are by Amy Alznauer (Neal Porter/Holiday House)World News From Waverly High by Linda KassHugo by Karl LindenSebastian the Belgian Koala by Jill Charlotte Thomas, illus. by Parks SadlerThe Hourglass by Michelle Christina See 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, comedian, host, actor, writer, and producer Murray Hill joins us to discuss Showbiz! My Life as a Middle-Aged Man (Gallery Books, Oct. 6). Kirkus: “A rip-roaring story of Liza-esque unsinkability from a Don Rickles–esque entertainer.” THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:  It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell (Simon & Schuster Audio)The Stirling Defense by Gerald PatnodeLife With Less of Me by Julianna BurmeschThe Noema Field by Salvatore CataudellaThe Drop by Iohamil NavarroA Stranger in Every House by Richard Carr See 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 special Kirkus Indie Awards episode, C.W. Johnson discusses his award-winning novel, A Life Full of Quarks (Baryon Dreams Press, Sept. 24, 2024). “In Johnson’s novel, a brilliant physicist tries to build a life after narrowly surviving a childhood filled with reanimated dinosaurs, runaway aliens, and mutated Mexican beaded lizards,” Kirkus writes in a starred review. “Heartbreaking and hilarious.” THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:  The Inner Compass by S.J. KingBorn Sick in the USA by Stephen BezruchkaGood Lookin’ by T.L. BequetteThe Conclusion of the American Experiment by Jonathan MorrowAdams Morgan Fugue by Alex Fardon See 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 and writer Nadia Bowers joins us to discuss her stunning debut memoir, Dear Dealer (Gallery Books, Sept. 15). “A sister struggles to accept her sibling’s overdose death,” Kirkus writes in a starred review. “A moving embodiment of the powerful, creative energy of grief.” THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:  The Big Dream by Owen ThomasIndigo, The Deep by Kellye Abernathy A Simple Guide to Being Alive by David M.L. RabinTo Be Here Is Immense by Clare SimonsRising Waters by Aleatha Romig See 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, undefeated world champion boxer Laila Ali joins us to discuss A Spark of Greatness: The Autobiography of a Fighter, illustrated by Caldecott honoree Cosby A. Cabrera (Crown, Sept. 8). “Boxing champion Ali describes how, growing up in the shadow of a legend, she at last stepped into the ring on her own terms,” Kirkus writes. “[A]n inspiring portrait of resilience and ambition.” THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:  Jack and Lulu Go to the Tree Farm by Julie Ryan McGue, illus. by Mariia StepanovaShallcross by Charles PorterEmil by Patrick Matthews See 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 translator and classicist Emily Wilson joins us to discuss Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea: Journeys Through Ancient Literature (Liveright/Norton, Sept. 1). “Enchanting academic essays about translating the classics,” Kirkus writes in a starred review, calling this insightful, accessible essay collection, “a lively exploration of ancient literature.”   THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:  Revenge Is the Best Revenge by James A. ScottMall Goddess by Marilee DahlmanRevelations of Grimm Lohr by William PotterLife and Music by Idil Biret with Dominique Xardel, trans. by Gunesh Guran GeryParrot Heaven by Jessica Howland Kany See 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 Liane Moriarty joins us to discuss Big Little Truths (Crown, Aug. 25). “Ten years later, the friends from Big Little Lies (2014) have new headaches, traumas, and secrets,” Kirkus writes in a starred review. “Don’t wait for the TV series—Moriarty’s sparkling writing is worth the read.”  THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:  Waymaker by Michael D. WardenMaud and Pearl by Pearl Allen AndreeParrot Heaven by Jessica Howland Kany The Riddle of the Trees by Marc S. PerlmanLos Rios by Bryan Zimmerman See 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 author Tia Williams joins us to discuss The Missed Connection (Grand Central Publishing, June 16), book two in her North Falls series. Kirkus: “Desperate to reconnect with the perfect man she met on a plane, a woman hires a private detective with ties to her past…. Flawed yet lovable characters shine in this celebration of human connection.” THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:  This Never Happened by Kent HeckenlivelyIn His Own Time by Kathy LemoineAwaken Your Sexuality by Stephanie Covington and Vanessa CarlisleParrot Heaven by Jessica Howland KanyBeauty by Christina Chiu See 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 Karin Slaughter joins us to discuss The Secrets We Keep (William Morrow/HarperCollins, Aug. 4), book two in her North Falls series. Kirkus: ““Every twist in the path to the truth is riveting—especially the final revelation, which puts all the others in the shade—but the most important relationship is between the two investigators, one of whom harbors a secret the other can’t imagine.” THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:  This Never Happened by Kent HeckenlivelyThe Hypókrisis Mirror and Other Stories by Raymond FortunatoTapestries by Patrick SummersVirtuality, Book Two, by Ragnar KrollAvatars of the Pantheon by Jackson Owens See 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 Lisa Gardner join us to discuss her latest thriller, You’ll Be Sorry (Grand Central Publishing, Aug. 4). “A small-town sheriff uncovers centuries’ worth of secrets,” Kirkus writes in an admiring review. “Gardner deftly juggles a number of characters, plot threads, secrets, time periods, and motives, delivering a satisfyingly layered novel that interrogates the insular lives and histories of small towns.” THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:  This Never Happened by Kent Heckenlively  Blood Moon Over Bentonville by Bernard DoucetteDeath on Warriors Way by Dave PyleThe Murder Investigation of Adolf Hitler by Peter ClenottDear Laura, A Lost Chapter of WWII by Laura Elliott  See 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 Chris Bohjalian joins us to discuss his new novel, The Amateur (Doubleday, Aug. 4). “An accident at the golf course cuts short one life and totally upends another,” Kirkus writes in a starred review. “It’s hard to think of any reason not to call this a perfect novel—our critic writes—a hole in one.”  THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:  This Never Happened by Kent HeckenlivelyLifers by Keith G. McWalterChemstories by Maya Mourshed See 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,  novelist Julie Buntin joins us to discuss Famous Men (Random House, July 14). “A personal and professional entanglement with an acclaimed writer shapes a young woman’s life,” kirkus writes in a starred review. Buntin’s stellar sophomore offering is “a searing, brilliant novel about power, and stories, and who gets to tell them.”   THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:  The Book of Don by T.B. CalderDear Laura, A Lost Chapter of WWII by Laura ElliottBlood Lasts Forever by Jeff Gunhus See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.