In episode 166, author Andrew Boryga joins me to discuss his debut novel, Victim, a funny and gripping satire about success and identity. Through the adventures of Javier, Victim explores what “diversity” means, why society loves a victim narrative, and the pitfalls of chasing fame online. Boryga combines humor with biting social commentary without sacrificing heart. This is a juicy and highly discussable story! In our chat, Andrew shares his inspiration behind the book, his decade long road to publication, and what he finds most effective in a satirical novel. Plus, Andrew shares some fantastic book recommendations!
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CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.
HighlightsTwo OLD Books He Loves
Two NEW Books He Loves
One Book He DIDN’T Love
One NEW RELEASE He’s Excited About
Last 5-Star Book Andrew Read
Website | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter)
Andrew Boryga is a writer, editor, and author from the Bronx, New York, currently residing in Miami, Florida with his wife and two children. Victim is his debut novel.
Boryga began his career writing for a local newspaper in the Bronx at age 16, eventually securing an internship with The New York Timesby age 18. His nonfiction writing has since been featured in prominent publications such as The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Paris Review, and The Daily Beast, among others. Boryga’s contributions to writing education extend beyond his own work, encompassing teaching roles for elementary school students, college students, and incarcerated individuals in Florida. He has also shared his insights on writing and the writing life through lectures at various academic institutions. Throughout his career, Boryga has been awarded prizes by Cornell University, The University of Miami, The Susquehanna Review, and The Michener Foundation.
Welcome to the Spring 2024 Book Preview with Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books!
In this episode, Catherine and I share 12 of our most anticipated books releasing in April and May.
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CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.
AnnouncementApril
Sarah’s Picks
Catherine’s Picks
Other Books Mentioned
May
Sarah’s Picks
Catherine’s Picks
Other Books Mentioned
Blog | Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter)
Catherine started The Gilmore Guide to Booksover 10 years ago after wrapping up a career as a corporate librarian. She loves books and reading (surprise!) and currently lives in Seattle, WA.
In today’s episode, Catherine (@GilmoreGuide) and I circle back to the 16 books we featured in the Winter 2024 Book Preview. We’ll be sharing our reading stats and thoughts on the books we’ve read (or attempted), to help you decide which ones to add to your reading list and which ones to skip.
This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.
HighlightsSarah’s Picks
Other Books Mentioned
January
Sarah’s Picks
Catherine’s Picks
Other Books Mentioned
February
Sarah’s Picks
Catherine’s Picks
Other Books Mentioned
March
Sarah’s Picks
Catherine’s Pick
Other Books Mentioned
Blog | Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter)
Catherine started The Gilmore Guide to Books over 10 years ago after wrapping up a career as a corporate librarian. She loves books and reading (surprise!) and currently lives in Seattle, WA.
In Episode 163, Sara Hildreth, from @FictionMatters and co-host of the podcast Novel Pairings, returns for her third appearance on our show as our expert for Classics & Retellings 101. Sara guides us through the sometimes intimidating world of timeless reads in an accessible way. She busted some myths about classics and changed my mind about some elements of the classics. And, she has a great approach to find the perfect retelling of your favorite classics for your next read.
This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.
HighlightsPlease note: Sara mistakenly mentions during the discussion that The Great Gatsbydid not come into popularity until its distribution to soldiers during World War I, when this actually occurred during World War II.
Sara’s Book Recommendations [49:02]Two OLD Books She Loves — Classics
Two NEW Books She Loves — Retellings
One Book She DIDN’T Love — Classic
One NEW RELEASE She’s Excited About — Retelling and Classic Pairing
Last 5-Star Book Sara Read
Website | Instagram | Facebook
Sara Hildreth is the creator behind FictionMatters, a literary Instagram account, newsletter, and book club focused on putting thought-provoking books into the hands of adventurous readers. She also co-hosts Novel Pairings, a podcast dedicated to making the classics readable, relevant, and fun.
In Episode 162, Leigh Stein (author and journalist) joins me to jump into the world of BookTok, the bookish corner of TikTok. We talk about what early elements started this sensation, how creators and their content are different on this platform, and the main audience engaging with the app’s evolving algorithm. We also discuss the continuing gap in marketing and authentic social media content, and how we think publishers could address this issue. (Did we solve it?!) Plus, Leigh shares some great book recommendations!
This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.
HighlightsTwo OLD Books She Loves
Two NEW Books She Loves
One Book She DIDN’T Love
One NEW RELEASE She’s Excited About
Last 5-Star Book Leigh Read
Website | Instagram | Substack | TikTok
Leigh Stein is a writer interested in what the internet is doing to our identities, relationships, and politics. She is the author of five books, including the critically acclaimed satirical novel Self Care and the poetry collection What to Miss When. Her nonfiction writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker online, and more. She was co-founder and executive director of Out of the Binders/BinderCon, a feminist literary nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the careers of women and gender variant writers.
In Episode 161, author Amanda Peters joins me to discuss her surprise hit novel, The Berry Pickers. This debut novel (which was the 2023 Barnes & Noble Discover Pick) seamlessly blends sadness and heartwarming moments. In our chat, Amanda shares what (or who) started her on this journey, the road to publication, and what she hopes readers take away from her first novel. Plus, Amanda shares some great book recommendations!
This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.
HighlightsTwo OLD Books She Loves
Two NEW Books She Loves
One NEW RELEASE She’s Excited About
Last 5-Star Book Amanda Read
Amanda Peters is a writer of Mi’kmaq and settler ancestry. Her debut novel, The Berry Pickers is the Winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal of Excellence in Fiction, the 2023 Barnes & Noble Discovery Prize Winner, and was shortlisted for the Barnes & Noble Book of the Year and the Atwood Gibson Fiction Award from the Writers Trust of Canada. Her work has also appeared in the Antigonish Review, Grain Magazine, the Alaska Quarterly Review, the Dalhousie Review and Filling Station Magazine. She is the winner of the 2021 Indigenous Voices Award for Unpublished Prose and a participant in the 2021 Writers’ Trust Rising Stars program. Amanda is a graduate of the Master of Fine Arts Program at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and has a Certificate in Creative Writing from the University of Toronto.
In Episode 160, Catherine (@GilmoreGuide) and I share the best backlist books we read in 2023. We each discuss our top 5 backlist books from last year, highlight some underrated backlist gems, and review our backlist reading statistics. Devoting an entire episode to backlist reading is something we love doing and we've heard from you that you love it too!
This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.
AnnouncementCatherine
Sarah
Other Books Mentioned
Catherine
Sarah
Other Books Mentioned
Welcome to the Winter 2024 Book Preview with Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books!
In this episode, Catherine and I share 16 of our most anticipated books releasing January through March.
This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.
AnnouncementJanuary
Sarah’s Picks
Catherine’s Picks
Other Books Mentioned
February
Sarah’s Picks
Catherine’s Picks
Other Books Mentioned
March
Sarah’s Picks
Catherine’s Pick
Other Books Mentioned
*The book’s publication date has been changed.
In Episode 158, we wrap up the year with our Best Books of 2023 Genre Awards with Susie (@NovelVisits). We reveal our Overall Best Books (Fiction and Nonfiction), and we have a full breakdown by genre, including: Best Literary Fiction, Best Romance, Best Brain Candy, Best Genre Mash-Up, and more! Plus, we’re sharing the winners for these same genres as chosen by the Sarah’s Bookshelves Live Patreon community!
This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.
AnnouncementsSusie
Sarah
Patrons
We’re gearing up to close out our year of reading with today’s podcast episode, featuring the Best Books of 2023 Superlatives with Susie (@NovelVisits). Our wrap-up is split into two episodes: today’s Superlatives and next week’s Genre Awards. Today, we’re diving into more than 25 Superlative categories, including Most Deserving of the Hype, Biggest Surprise, the Darkest Book of the Year, and many others!
This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.
AnnouncementsSusie
Sarah
For our first annual 2023 State of the Industry episode, we’re welcoming back literary agent Sarah Landis for an overview and exploration of some hot topics in the book world this year. Taking stock of how this year panned out for the publishing industry, Sarah discusses top news stories, dives deep into how specific titles performed this year, and shares current trends she’s seeing in publishing. Also, Sarah shares her favorite books of 2023!
This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.
Coming SoonHigh-Level Overview [3:08]
Big Book Stories of 2023 [13:10]
The Over / Under Game [25:17]
Bookish Trends of 2023 [44:26]
Examining the Shift in Publishers’ Calendars [51:43]
Potential Trends for 2024 [54:25]
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