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It's time for our October Reading Wrap-Up and November TBR! We're looking back at everything we read in October, sharing our best books, worst reads, biggest surprises, disappointments, and all the books worth adding to your TBR. Then we're looking ahead to November and sharing the books we're planning to read this month. But that's not all! Since November is Adrienne's birthday month, Lindsay and Audrey reveal the birthday book they've chosen for her to read. Will they nail the pick, or will it be a birthday reading disaster? Whether you're looking for your next five-star read, honest book reviews, new book recommendations, or inspiration for your holiday TBR, we've got plenty to talk about! Home Before Dark by Riley Sager A Court of Splintered Harmony by Sarah J. Maas Sometimes I scare myself by Jeneva Rose King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby The Witch by Freida McFadden Down the Drain by Julia Fox Entities to Lovers by Mallory Marlowe Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult Grim Tidings by B.K. Borison Play Nice by Rachel Harrison And I Will Tell You Mine by Sophia Bush The Secrets of Clarence Manor by Devney Perry The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark The Washwomen at Rivers End by Megan Shade The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

This week on Books Around the Block, we're discussing The Unknown by Riley Sager! We kick things off with our usual Read, Watch, Obsessed segment, sharing what we're currently reading, watching, and obsessing over. Then, we dive into our Riley Sager book club discussion, including our thoughts, theories, reactions, and everything we need to unpack about this thriller. SPOILER WARNING! The first 20 minutes are spoiler-free, so you can listen even if you haven't finished the book yet. After that, we'll recap the plot of The Unknown before diving into our full spoiler-filled book club discussion. We'll wrap things up by fan-casting the three main characters, Marin, Ronan, and Violet, and sharing who we'd want to see bring them to life on screen. Follow Books Around the Block for more book reviews, thriller recommendations, romance reads, monthly book club discussions, and plenty of opinions along the way! The Only Thing There is to Want by Sarah Hepola King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby Entities to Lovers by Mallory Marlowe Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

Who is the best book villain of all time? This week on Books Around the Block, we're each picking one fictional villain who deserves the crown. From the most ruthless antagonists to the more complex literary villains, we're debating what makes a truly great villain and which characters are impossible to forget.  We are also talking about what we are currently reading, watching, and what we are obsessed with.  Expect strong opinions and plenty of book recommendations to go along with them. Do you agree with our choices, or did we leave the greatest book villain off the list? Reach out to us via Instagram at @booksaroundtheblockpod.  The Midnight Knock by John Fram King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby A Married Little Christmas by Abby Jimenez The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah The Shining by Stephen King Misery by Stephen King The Unknown by Riley Sager

Looking for spooky books that are ACTUALLY scary? This week on Books Around the Block, we’re sharing the horror books and thrillers that genuinely scared us! Each of us brings two books that creeped us out, gave us nightmares, or made us question why we ever picked them up in the first place. From disturbing horror novels to spine-chilling thrillers, these are our picks for readers who want more than just a little spooky atmosphere. Whether you’re building your October TBR, searching for the best horror books, or looking for scary book recommendations that will leave you sleeping with the lights on, we’ve got you covered. Grab your next read, but maybe don’t read these alone at night! Follow Books Around the Block on Instagram and send us your favorite books that genuinely terrified you. Happy reading! The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay Grim Tidings by B.K. Borison Play Nice by Rachel Harrison Night Film by Marisha Pessl Bird Box by Josh Malerman Incidents around the house by Josh Malerman The Whisper Man by Alex North Intercepts by T.J. Payne The Couple Next Year by Shari Lapena The Unknown by Riley Sager

This week on Books Around the Block, we’re recapping everything we read in September! We’re sharing our best books, worst books, and leftover books, plus the books we’re adding to our October TBR. And because Audrey’s birthday is in October, Lindsay and Adrienne have a special birthday challenge: they’re each choosing a book for Audrey to read! Will they pick a new favorite, a book she'll hate, or something completely outside her comfort zone they think she will actually like? If you’re looking for book recommendations, September reading wrap-ups, October TBR ideas, best books to read, worst books of the month, romance books, thriller recommendations, or books to add to your fall reading list, this episode is for you! Big Little Truths by Liane Moriarty The Unknown by Riley Sager Down the Drain by Julia Fox The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff The Academy by Elin Hildebrand The Make Believe by Hannah Murray Picture This by Devney Perry The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff The Throughbreds by Elin Hildebrand Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman Mrs Quinns Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford Home Before Dark by Riley Sager Grim Tidings by B.K. Borison Play Nice by Rachel Harrison The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon Entities to Lovers by Mallory Marlowe The Unknown by Riley Sager

This week on Books Around the Block, we are discussing Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden. There has been so much talk surrounding the red flags Belle Burden should have seen and the legitimacy of her woes due to her extreme wealth, and we aren’t afraid to go there! We’re diving into the complicated marriage, affair, relationships, and controversial conversations surrounding this memoir. This discussion includes spoilers from Strangers by Belle Burden, so if you have not read it, be warned! However, the first 22 minutes of this podcast are SPOILER FREE, as we discuss what we are currently reading, watching, and obsessed with lately. If you are looking for a book club podcast, if you’ve read Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden, or if you’re looking for a deep-dive book discussion about marriage, affairs, relationships, wealth, and complicated love, this is the episode for you and we have OPINIONS! London Falling by Patrick Redden Keefe The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston  Mrs Quinns RIse To Fame by Olivia Ford The Unknown by Riley Sager

Fall is finally here, and we're bringing you the ultimate Fall Reading Guide! 🍂 This week on Books Around the Block, each of us picks two fall bookish categories and assigns the perfect book to each one. From cozy mysteries and darker reads to historical fiction, elite drama, and unexpected autumn oddities, we've got book recommendations for every kind of reader. Whether you're looking for your next fall read, building your fall TBR, or searching for the perfect cozy book to curl up with, we've got you covered! Tune in for our Fall Book Recommendations, an extensive Fall Reading Guide, and 6 fall bookish categories that will help you find your next five-star read. Three neighbors, six categories, and plenty of opinions. Let's get reading! 📚 The Throughbreds by Elin Hildebrand  The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff  Trust Fall by Lynn Painter  Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister  The Wonder by Emma Donahue  The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman   The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead  The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman  Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison

Book-to-screen adaptations are everywhere, and we’re talking about the end-of-year 2026 movies and TV shows we’re most excited to watch! In this episode of Books Around the Block, each of us picks one upcoming book adaptation we cannot wait to see on screen. Will we choose one you're also looking forward to (Verity... Harry Potter... Hunger Games) or will we bring an adaptation to your attention you didn't know about? We’re chatting about the plots, the casts, and the reads you loved coming to your screen in October, November, and December 2026. Do we think these stories will live up to the books we loved? Tune in now! If you love books, movies, TV shows, BookTok, and seeing your favorite novels brought to life, this episode is for you! Which 2026 book-to-screen adaptation are YOU most excited to watch? Seek Immediate Shelter by Vincent Yu Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell Sunrise on The Reaping by Suzanne Collins Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood East of Eden by John Steinbeck Verity by Colleen Hoover  Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito The Bodyguard by Katherine Center Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling Strangers by Belle Burden

The final months of 2026 are here, and we’re looking ahead to new books coming in October, November, and December 2026! Each host is sharing her top 3 most anticipated new book releases for Quarter 4, giving you 9 books to add to your fall and winter TBR. From highly anticipated new releases and bestselling authors to hidden gem picks and books we think you’re going to be talking about all season, we’re breaking down the October, November, and December 2026 book releases we can’t wait to read. If you’re looking for your next great read, want to build your TBR list, or love knowing which new books are worth watching, this episode is for you! We also dive DEEP into the true crime documentary Death of the Pastor's Wife on Netflix. Good People by Patmeena Sabit The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand Slasher Summer by E.L. Chen Back Where We Started by Becca Freeman Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson It’s Beginning to Look a lot Like Murder by Ally Carter The Betrayal of Cora Wexford by Bethany Joy Lentz The Witch by Freida McFadden When They Find Me by Carter Wilson Whale Harbor by Mary Beth Keane A Court of Splintered Harmony by Sarah J Maas Wolf Point by Lisa Howells Strangers by Belle Burden

Looking for your next great read? In this month's reading recap, we're sharing every book we read in August, including our favorite book, our biggest disappointment, and one book we just had to rant or rave about. Whether you're searching for your next five-star read or hoping to avoid a book that didn't live up to the hype, we've got plenty of honest opinions and book recommendations to add to your TBR. Then we're looking ahead to September and each sharing the two books we're hoping to read this month. From new releases to backlist favorites, we're talking about the books we currently have on our TBR. If you love book recommendations, monthly reading wrap-ups, TBR videos, book club discussions, romance books, thrillers, historical fiction, literary fiction, and all things Bookstagram and BookTok, you'll feel right at home with Books Around the Block. Follow the podcast so you never miss a new episode every Tuesday, and come read with us! The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson Into the Wild by John Krakauer  The Academy by Elin Hildebrand The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett  The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow Wild Atlantic by Cillian Dunn  My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney  Love and Other Killers by Brynne Weaver All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Brynn Greenwood Love You More by Emily Griffin Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead by Mai Nguyen Emma B Lions (vol 3) by Beth Brower The Thoroughbreds by Elin Hildebrand The Bright Side by Sarah Damoff Trust Fall by Lynn Painter East of Eden by John Steinbeck A Married Little Christmas by Abby Jimenez Incidents Around The House by Josh Malerman

It’s time for our August book club discussion! In this episode of Books Around the Block, we’re diving into Whistler by Ann Patchett, sharing our ratings and discussing the book in full, including characters, relationships, major themes, favorite moments, and all of our thoughts on the ending. Warning: this episode contains full spoilers for Whistler. We’re also announcing our September book club pick, so stick around to find out what we’ll be reading next! If you love book club discussions, Ann Patchett books, book reviews, spoiler discussions, book recommendations, and finding your next great read, this episode is for you. What did you think of Whistler? Did it live up to the hype? Listen in for our full review, ratings, and spoiler-filled discussion! Five by Ilona Bannister The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow The Five Star Weekend by Elin Hildebrand Strangers by Belle Burden

It's time to go back to school! In this episode of Books Around the Block, we're sharing 6 must-read books set in schools, colleges, boarding schools, and academic settings, or books that are academia adjacent. Each of us brings two books to the table, covering everything from school drama and campus life to academia, boarding schools, dark academia, secrets, friendships, and more. Whether you're looking for back to school books, books set at school, campus romance, or dark academia reads, we've got plenty of books to add to your TBR.  You don't have to go back to school to read these books! My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney Whistler by Ann Patchett The Five Star Weekend by Elin Hildebrand The Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman Heart the Lover by Lily King The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen The Academy by Elin Hildebrand Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood Icebreaker by Hannah Grace

What happens when a book takes over BookTok and Bookstagram, everyone is talking about it, and you finally read it?  In this episode of Books Around the Block, each host brings a viral, trending, or hugely hyped book from social media and gives the ultimate verdict: loved it or loathed it? We’re talking about the books that dominated BookTok, flooded our feeds, made it onto everyone’s TBR, and had readers everywhere talking. We’re breaking down whether these popular books actually lived up to the hype. If you love BookTok books, Bookstagram recommendations, trending books, popular books, and honest book reviews, this episode is for you! P.S. We are also tackling a LOT of True Crime in our Read, Watch, Obsessed segment, so don't miss the first 25 minutes of this episode, especially if you're paying attention to the Lindsay Clancy trial. Take What You Can by Naima Coster We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt 25 Days by Per Jacobson I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin

Looking for your next great read? In this month's reading recap, we're sharing every book we read in July, including our favorite book, our biggest disappointment, and one book we just had to rant or rave about. Whether you're searching for your next five-star read or hoping to avoid a book that didn't live up to the hype, we've got plenty of honest opinions and book recommendations to add to your TBR. Then we're looking ahead to August and each sharing the two books we're hoping to read this month. From new releases to backlist favorites, we're talking about the books we currently have on our TBR. If you love book recommendations, monthly reading wrap-ups, TBR videos, book club discussions, romance books, thrillers, historical fiction, literary fiction, and all things Bookstagram and BookTok, you'll feel right at home with Books Around the Block. Follow the podcast so you never miss a new episode every Tuesday, and come read with us! The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead by Mai Nguyen The Unknown by Riley Sager Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune The Hour of the Wolf by Fatima Bhutto Daggermouth by H.M. Wolfe Savor It by Tarah DeWitt Someone Else's Husband by Kimberly McCreight The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves Just For The Season by Rachel Griffiths Its A Love Story by Annabel Monaghan The Lake Club by Lina Patton For Love of the Grind by Sara Hall  The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen The Replacement by Liv Constantine The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark The Five Star Weekend by Elin Hildebrand  Love You More by Emily Giffin Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green Love Felt Like This by Julie Olivia Whistler by Ann Patchett

It's time for another Books Around the Block Book Club! This week we're diving deep into Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune, breaking down everything from the friends-to-lovers trope and whether this newest release lives up to the hype. We also share our individual star ratings, discuss what worked (and what didn't), and reveal our dream cast if Our Perfect Storm is ever adapted into a movie. As always, we kick things off with Read, Watch, Obsessed. That entire opening segment is completely spoiler-free, so even if you haven't read Our Perfect Storm yet, you can listen to the first 15 minutes of the episode without worry. Before we begin our full book discussion, we give a clear spoiler warning, so you'll know exactly when it's time to pause if you're still reading. If you're looking for an Our Perfect Storm podcast discussion, Carley Fortune book review, Our Perfect Storm ending explained, or a fun, in-depth book club podcast covering the biggest new romance releases, this episode is for you.