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Our first official episode of Season 3 is with the force that is GAYLE KING! Gayle is an award-winning journalist and co-host of CBS MORNINGS, also editor-at-large of Oprah Daily and hosts “Gayle King in the House,” a live, weekly radio show on SiriusXM. The three discuss their favorite interview topics to engage with writers about, what Gayle was reading as a young girl, how her journalism career started, and some highlights from that journey. The three continue with their reading habits, book recommendations, likes and dislikes in their reading lives, interviewing tips, and the people they would most like to interview someday. A Special Thank You To Our Episode Sponsors Nantucket Book PartnersBerkshire Hathaway HomeServices Island Properties NantucketReading List Elsie Dinsmore by Martha FinleyNancy Drew Books Bobby Twins Books Danielle Steel BooksLittle Women by Louisa May AlcottBeverly Cleary Books Judith Krantz Books Barbara Taylor Bradford BooksTilt by Emma Pattee The River is Waiting by Wally LambI Know This Much is True by Wally LambThe Emperor of Gladness by Ocean VuongBridge of Sighs by Richard RussoFollow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!

Books, Beach, & Beyond’s first LIVE podcast recording was June 14th at the Nantucket Book Festival where Elin and Tim were in conversation with best-selling author Carl Hiaasen, author of Fever Beach. The three talk about Carl’s career as a journalist turned novelist, setting his novels in the state of Florida, writing satire, his outrageous characters, and writing for both adults and children. Carl discusses how publishing has changed in his long career, engaging in politics, the exuberant writing and humor in his novels, his advice to graduates, and his take on Hollywood adaptations. The audience at the Nantucket Book Festival was in stitches and you will be, too. A Special Thank You To Our Episode Sponsors: CartolinaNantucket LoomsCarl Hiaasen Books: Double WhammyTourist SeasonFever BeachAssume the Worst: The Graduation Speech You’ll Never HearHoot Other Books Mentioned: The Hardy Boys by Franklin W DixonNancy Drew by Carolyn KeeneDavy Barry booksKaren Russell booksErik Larson booksMartin Amos booksChristopher Moore books Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!

Elin and Tim welcome to the podcast Curtis Sittenfeld, the author of Prep, American Wife, and Show, Don’t Tell. They start with Curtis’s favorite books, her time at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop where Elin and her compare stories, and then segue into her debut novel, “the boarding school book of boarding school books”, Prep. They discuss how much of it was inspired by Curtis’s own boarding school experience and compare and contrast it to Elin’s upcoming boarding school novel, The Academy, as well as chat about their favorite campus novels. The three move on to Curtis’s novels inspired by First Ladies, American Wife and Rodham, and they laugh about their favorite SNL skits. This episode is rich with reading recommendations so don’t miss it! A Special Thank you to our Episode Sponsors: The Nantucket HotelNantucket Historical AssociationCurtis Sittenfeld’s Reading List: PrepAmerican WifeEligibleRomantic ComedyRodhamShow Don’t TellWhat Else Are We Reading in this Episode: Charlotte’s Web by E.B WhiteStuart Little by E.B. WhiteThe Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler WarnerThe Secret History by Donna TarttFoster Dade Explores the Cosmos by Nash JenkinsSarah Phillips by Andrea LeeGentlemen and Players by Joanne HarrisI am Charlotte Simmons by Thomas WolfeThe Islanders by Lewis RobinsonGirlfriending by Susanna DanielMy Own Devices by DessaAnimal Instinct by Amy ShearnFollow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!

Next on Books, Beach, & Beyond is Catherine Newman, author of Sandwich, We All Want Impossible Things, and Wreck, (forthcoming from HarperCollins in October 2025.) Elin and Tim begin by gushing about Catherine’s writing and how much they love her books. Catherine takes us back to her first writing projects, and then her pivot into writing auto-fiction with her three novels. They talk about family summer vacations, what keeps them up at night, health scares, grief, food in her books, her beloved characters, family dynamics, and all the themes and layers upon layers in Catherine’s novels. Don't miss this episode and make sure to pre-order Wreck coming out this fall. A Special Thank you to our Episode Sponsors: CartolinaNantucket Meat & FishCatherine Newman Reading List: We All Want Impossible ThingsSandwichWreck (coming October 28, 2026. Pre-order now!)What else are we reading in this episode? The Beans of Egypt, Maine by Carolyn ChuteSmall Rain by Garth GreenwellStation Eleven by Emily St. John MandelThe Road by Cormac McCarthyLittle House on the Prairie by Laura Ingall’s WilderBlack Hearts in Battersea by Joan AikenThe Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan AikenThe Usual Desire to Kill by Camilla BarnesReal Americans by Rachel KhongLoved and Missed by Susie BoytThe Girls in Queens by Christine Kandic TorresHeartwood by Amity GaigeCassandra at the Wedding by Dorothy BakerBridge of Sighs by Richard RussoStraight Man by Richard RussoThe Risk Pool by Richard RussoThe Emperor of Gladness by Ocean VuongFollow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!

Next up for Books, Beach, & Beyond is the best-selling and award-winning writer Elizabeth Strout, author of Olive Kitteridge, My Name is Lucy Barton, and Tell Me Everything, just released in paperback. Elin and Tim start by discussing why they read and welcome Liz with how she got her start in this literary life along with her one night as a stand-up comedian. They continue with discussion on some of her beloved characters Olive, Lucy, and Bob, and dig into her process, point of view, her Pulitzer Prize win and Oprah’s Book Club experience. We hear about the screen adaptation of Olive Kitteridge with Frances McDormand, which two characters Liz would take to a weekly lunch, and what books her characters would recommend to read. A Special Thank you to our Episode Sponsors: Little, BrownHill House HomeElizabeth Strout Books: Amy and IsabelleOlive KitteridgeMy Name is Lucy BartonOlive, AgainTell Me EverythingOther Books Mentioned: Winesburg, Ohio: A Group of Tales of Ohio Small Town Life by Sherwood AndersonThe Good Seed by William MarchMrs. Dalloway by Virgina WoolfMiddlemarch by George EliotFollow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!

Next up is Lily King, the New York Times bestselling author of six novels, including Euphoria and Writers & Lovers, and coming in the fall, Heart the Lover. Pre-order today! The three start talking about the expression “writers’ writer” and who they would describe as a “writer’s writer”, and then they continue with Lily’s writing and reading origin stories. They spend time on Margaret Mead, anthropology, a writer’s process, golf, and love in all its forms. Don’t miss this thoughtful conversation on writing, reading, and everything in between. A Special Thank you to our Episode Sponsors: Nantucket Book PartnersOpen Book With Jenna Lily King Books The Pleasing HourFather of the RainEuphoriaWriters and LoversHeart the Lover Who else are we reading in this episode? Lorrie MooreMaggie O’FarrellTim WintonGish JenShirley HazzardTessa HadleyElizabeth StroutAnn PatchettPlayworld by Adam RossTobias WolfeAre You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Jude BlumeIt’s Not The End of the World by Judy BlumeWilliam FaulknerVirginia WolffAndre DubusThe Cheever Stories by John CheeverFranny and Zooey by JD SalingerFranz KafkaFlannery O’ConnerToni MorrisonWhat We Can Know by Ian McEwanColm ToibinMy Friends by Hisham MatarFree Love by Tessa HadleySpeak Memory by Vladimir NabokovFollow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!

This is a very special episode for Books, Beach, & Beyond celebrating Elin’s 31st novel written with her daughter, Shelby Cunningham – The Academy, publishing this September 16th. Our guest for this episode is Elin’s daughter Shelby and they dig into the writing of The Academy, Shelby growing up on Nantucket and heading to boarding school at St. George’s Academy in Rhode Island, and how that inspired the writing of the novel and the fictional Tiffin Academy. The three discuss the difference between Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z, what books they were reading and their individual high school experiences, and so much more! It’s a funny, entertaining look at this mother-daughter duo in anticipation of the book's release. A Special Thank you to our Episode Sponsors: Book of the MonthNantucket LoomsReading List: The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby CunninghamPinkaliciousFancy NancyOlivia the PigPerfectly Arugula28 Summers by Elin HilderbrandThe Love Season by Elin HilderbrandThe Blue Bistro by Elin HilderbrandMrs DallowayThe Hours by Michael CunninghamJane Eyre The Great Gatsby by F. Scott FitzgeraldColeman Hill by Kim Coleman FooteDemon Copperhead by Barbara KingsolverA Separate Peace by John KnowlesHuck Finn by Mark TwainThe Crucible by Arthur MillerThe Thoroughbreds by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby CunninghamFollow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!

All rise for the honorable John Grisham on Books, Beach, & Beyond this week. The G.O.A.T of the legal thriller and the author of A Time To Kill, The Firm, The Confession, and publishing this October 21st  from DoubleDay, The Widow. John tells us about his life as a lawyer, how he got his start writing, his most memorable reading experiences throughout his life, and some of his favorites of his own novels. The three dig in about The Widow, Grisham’s first legal whodunnit, his writing process and routines, The Innocence Project, and his favorite legal thriller of all time. A Special Thank you to our Episode Sponsors: Little, BrownN MagazineNantucket CurrentJohn Grisham Reading List: A Time to KillThe FirmCalico JoeBleachersPlaying for PizzaSooleyA Painted HouseSkipping ChristmasThe Innocent ManCamino Island The ConfessionFramed What else are we reading in this episode?  The Goldfinch by Donna TartCulpability by Bruce HolsingerTwelve Angry Men by Reginald RoseTo Kill A Mockingbird by Harper LeeSnow Falling on Cedars by David GuttersonPresumed Innocent by Scott TurowEmil and the Detectives by Erich KastnerThe Chip Hilton Series by Clair BeeThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark TwainThe Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark TwainGrapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck Sophie’s Choice by William StyronThe Little Drummer Girl by John Le CarreScott Turow, Stephen King, James lee Burke, Amor Towles Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!

Please welcome to Books, Beach, & Beyond Dan Brown, the author of nine #1 bestselling novels, including The Da Vinci Code, which has become one of the bestselling books of all time, as well as Origin, Inferno, The Lost Symbol, and Angels & Demons. His thrillers have captivated readers worldwide and been the subject of intellectual debate and speculation. Your co-hosts and Dan discuss his newest #1 bestselling novel The Secret of Secrets, the mystical city of Prague, his epic international tour, consciousness, the afterlife, religion and science, the character of Robert Langdon, Hollywood, and so much more. A Special Thank you to our Episode Sponsor: The Nantucket HotelDan Brown Reading List: Deception PointDigital FortressAngels & DemonsThe DaVinci Code The Lost SymbolInfernoOriginThe Secret of SecretsWhat else are we reading in this episode?  Franny and Zoey by JD SalingerFamily Happiness by Laurie ColwinThe Stories of John Cheever by John CheeverA Gorgeous Excitement by Cynthia WeinerPlayworld by Adam RossChief Inspector Gamache/Three Pines novels by Louise PennyA Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’EngleThe Lotus Eaters by Stanley G. WeinbaumThe Bourne Identity Series by Robert LudlumMemoirs of an Invisible Man by H.F. SaintThe Doomsday Conspiracy by Sidney SheldonThe Perfect Couple by Elin HilderbrandFollow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!

Elin and Tim end Season 3 of Books, Beach, & Beyond with two of their favorite book influencers: Katie Shober of @beachreadsandbubbly and Brady Lockerby @bradylockerby. Tim and Elin recap all seasons of the podcast by getting to know Katie and Brady as readers with a long list of reading recommendations. Then they dig into how Katie and Brady started as social media influencers, how their day works, what they do when they don’t like a book, their advice for emerging influencers, and their favorite books of the year, favorite Christmas songs and drinks, and the book they all will be gifting this year. It’s like listening to four best friends talk at a book club. A Special Thank you to our Episode Sponsors: Book of the MonthSerena & LilyReading List: Conform by Ariel SullivanThe Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret AtwoodHunger Games by Suzanne CollinsDivergent by Veronica RothThe Most Fun We’ve Ever Had by Claire LombardoHamnet by Maggie O’FarrellThe Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O’ FarrellAfter You’d Gone by Maggie O’FarrellAmerican Fantasy by Emma Straub (April 2026)The Great Alone by Kristin HannahThe Nightingale by Kristin HannahAtmosphere by Taylor Jenkins ReidHeart the Lover by Lily KingThe Bronze Horseman by Paullina SimonsEvery Last One by Anna QuindlenKing of Ashes by S.A. CosbyRazorblade Tears by S.A. CosbyPride and Prejudice by Jane AustenRemarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van PeltThe Ten Year Affair by Erin SomersSweet Valley High by Francine PascalSarah Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlanOn the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls WilderThe City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrauDaisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid11/22/63 by Stephen KingBe Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina GartenA Court of Thorn and Roses by Sarah J MaasShady Hollow Series by Juneau BlackOne Day in December by Josie SilverLonesome Dove by Larry McCurtryWild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghyBroken Country by Clare Leslie HallPlayworld by Adam RossWinter Stroll by Elin HilderbrandThe Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand28 Summers by Elin HilderbrandWhat to Cook When you Don’t Feel Like Cooking by Caroline ChambersThe Correspondent by Virginia EvansHeart the Lover by Lily KingFollow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!

Elin Hilderbrand and Tim Ehrenberg of Tim Talks Books are back for Season 3 of Books, Beach, & Beyond! This introductory episode is a catch-up on what the two have been reading, watching, and looking forward to this summer on everyone’s favorite island. They also cover the release of The Blue Book, Elin’s recommendation guide to Nantucket. Joining Elin and Tim for the second half of the episode is Elin’s sister, Heather Thorpe, who will be running the Elin Hilderbrand Blue Book Tours with Nantucket Island Tours this summer. The trio chat details about the new tour, discuss their perfect Nantucket days, and choose which Elin Hilderbrand novel they would all choose to be living in. Elin’s choice is a mic drop moment so listen until the end! A Special Thank You To Our Episode Sponsors: Nantucket Island ToursN MagazineNantucket CurrentReading List: The Names by Florence KnappPlayworld by Adam RossMariette in Ecstasy by Ron HansenThe River is Waiting by Wally LambThe Emperor of Gladness by Ocean VuongFever Beach by Carl HiaasenLetting Go by Philip RothThe Catcher in the Rye by J.D. SalingerMansion Beach by Meg Mitchell MooreThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott FitzgeraldFar and Away by Amy PoeppelHow to Lose Your Mother by Molly Jong FastFear of Flying by Erica JongAll the Colors of the Dark by Chris WhitakerElin Hilderbrand books mentioned: The Blue Bistro, The Five-Star Weekend, The Blue Book, Barefoot, and 28 Summers Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!

This bonus episode features the live conversation with your host, Elin Hilderbrand, at the Nantucket Book Festival with Adam Ross, author of Playworld. Playworld is one of Elin’s favorite books she has read in a decade. Adam is the acclaimed author of Mr. Peanut and renowned editor of the Sewanee Review.  Sure to be a conversation to remember, these two masters of their craft have much to discuss about contemporary fiction, the publishing industry, and the art of storytelling. A Special Thank You To Our Episode Sponsor: J.CrewAdam Ross Reading List: Mr. PeanutPlayworldLadies and Gentleman: Stories What else are we reading in this episode? The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellows Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!

This bonus episode features the live conversation with your host, Tim Ehrenberg of Tim Talks Books, at the Nantucket Book Festival with one of his favorite novelists, Wally Lamb. Wally is the author of seven New York Times best-sellers, three of them selections for Oprah’s Book Club, She’s Come Undone, I Know This Much is True, and most recently, The River is Waiting. The two discuss many of Wally’s books, one of Tim’s favorites of all time, I Know This Much is True, and the newest novel, The River is Waiting. They examine its themes, our prison system, addiction, the act of forgiveness, emotional intelligence, and the transformative power of fiction. A Special Thank You To Our Episode Sponsor: J.CrewWally Lamb Reading List: She’s Come UndoneI Know this Much is TrueThe Hour I First BelievedCouldn’t Keep it To MyselfI’ll Fly AwayWe Are WaterWishin’ and Hopin’The River is WaitingWhat else are we reading in this episode? Flannery Conner, Anny Tyler, Raymond Carver, John Updike Great Expectations by Charles Dickens Flannery O’Conner Collected Stories Raymond Carver Collected Stories The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell Bird by Bird by Ann Lamott Paper Girl by Beth Macy Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!

After a fun introductory episode, Season 2 of Books, Beach, & Beyond officially begins with award-winning actor, entrepreneur, producer, and designer Sarah Jessica Parker. Elin, Tim, and SJP shine a light on SJP Lit, the collaboration with Zando and her new imprint that publishes thought-provoking, inclusive, and big-hearted stories which include A Quitter’s Paradise by Elysha Chang, Coleman Hill by Kim Coleman Foote, Women and Children First by Alina Grabowski, and They Dream in Gold by Mai Sennaar (out July 2024). The three gush about their love of reading from their very first favorite books as young children to what draws them to the books they cherish today. They discuss all the titles of SJP Lit and dig into story, character, writing, language, and plot, and touch on many other books they have loved and adored throughout their lives. (Don't miss the full reading list below from this episode!) The episode ends with a speed round of SJP’s auto-read authors and favorite books of the year so far. We hope you can hear the pure passion and genuine joy for reading and books from your hosts Elin and Tim, and this iconic guest and powerhouse publisher, Sarah Jessica Parker! A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors: Nantucket Book Partners Nantucket Looms – Use code LOOMS15 for 15% off your order SJP Lit Reading List: A Quitter’s Paradise by Elysha ChangColeman Hill by Kim Coleman FooteWomen and Children First by Alina GrabowskiThey Dream in Gold by Mai Sennaar What else are we reading in this episode: Go Dog, Go by PD EastmanAre You My Mother by PD EastmanThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank BaumA Little Princess by Frances Hodgson BurnettBirnham Wood by Eleanor CottonGone Girl by Gillian FlynnThe Dinner by Herman KochA Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony MarraA Place for Us by Fatima Farheen MirzaGolden Child by Claire AdamDawn by Selahattin DemirtasA Little Life by Hanya YanagiharaThe Goldfinch by Donna TarttAn American Marriage by Tayari Jones Crossroads by Jonathan FranzenThe Corrections by Jonathan FranzenThe Secret History by Donna TarttIn Memoriam by Alice WinnThe Book Thief by Markus ZusakMixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by EL KonigsburgClear by Carys DaviesComing Home by Brittney GrinerGreat Expectations by Vinson Cunningham James by Percival Everett  Other authors mentioned: Judy Blume, Judith Krantz, Barbara Taylor Bradford, Danielle Steele, Erich Segal, Adam Grant, Toni Morrison, Audre Lorde, and Carol Shields Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!

Emma Straub is the New York Times best-selling author of This Time Tomorrow, All Adults Here, The Vacationers, and Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures. Elin and Tim dig in deep on being the daughter of novelist Peter Straub, growing up in New York City, her writing education and origin story, debut novels, time travel (Elin, Tim, and Emma travel back to their 16 year old bedrooms and bookshelves). Emma discusses the reason for writing her most recent novel This Time Tomorrow as juggling her job as a novelist and owning 2 Books Are Magic bookstore locations with her husband in New York. Since the recording of this podcast, Emma has received a 2024 Guggenheim Fellowship. Congratulations, Emma! A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors: The Nantucket Hotel The Nantucket Historical Association Reading List:  This Time Tomorrow by Emma StraubLaura Lamont’s Life in Pictures by Emma StraubThe Vacationers by Emma StraubModern Lovers by Emma StraubAll Adults Here by Emma StraubThe Beach Club by Elin HilderbrandGolden Girl by Elin HilderbrandThe Hotel Nantucket by Elin HilderbrandThe Catcher in the Rye by JD SalingerMystery by Peter StraubThe Colossus of New York by Colton WhiteheadFranny and Zooey by JD SalingerThe Ten Year Nap by Meg WolitzerThe Book of Love by Kelly Link Other Authors Mentioned Judy Blume, E.E. Cummings, Frank O’Hara, Ann Patchett, Zadie Smith, Meg Wolitzer, John Cheever, Colton Whitehead Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!