Book of the Month Live (Book of the Month)

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app! 

This week we spoke with Isabel Banta on what it means to be a child popstar. We discussed the price of celebrity, coming-of-age experiences, and how music lets us all connect. 

It is 1997, and Amber Young has received a life-changing call. It’s a chance thousands of girls would die for: the opportunity to join girl group Cloud9 in Los Angeles and escape her small town. She quickly finds herself in the orbits of fellow rising stars Gwen Morris, a driven singer-dancer, and Wes Kingston, a member of the biggest boy band in the world, ETA.

Get Honey at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Welcome back VBT listeners! This week, we sit down with 2019 BOTY finalist William Kent Krueger. We discuss his newest novel, The River We Remember; his love for small towns; making peace with the past; and why he dedicated this book to his editors. 

The River We Remember takes place on Memorial Day in Jewel, Minnesota, when the half-clothed body of a wealthy landowner is found floating in a river. The investigation of the murder falls to Sheriff Brody Dern—a war hero who still carries the emotional and physical scars from his service. Quickly, vicious rumors circulate through the small town that the killer must be Noah Bluestone, a Native American WWII veteran. The River We Remember is both a complex mystery and a masterful portrait of mid-century American life.

Get The River We Remember at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Hannah Morrissey joins us on today's episode to discuss her latest thriller, When I'm Dead. We talk about her time as a police transcriber, how Hannah plans her fictional murders, and we play a game of Never Have I Ever. 

On an October night, Medical Examiner Rowan investigates the death of her daughter’s best friends, and hours later, her daughter goes missing. A mosaic of clues force Rowan and her husband to question how well they really know their daughter, and they begin to uncover disturbing details about their daughter. When I’m Dead is a twist-filled thriller that will have you wondering how well we can ever know those we hold dearest. 

Get When I’m Dead at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Hollywood: From the '50s to today. Meet Crystal Smith Paul and hear all about her debut novel, Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? We discuss the beauty of mother-daughter relationships, diversity in Hollywood, and her journey to becoming a published author. 

When white silver screen icon Kitty Karr dies, she bequeaths her multimillion-dollar estate to the three Black St. John sisters - prompting questions for all around. Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? explores the celebrity machine, the burdens of being Black, the privileges gained by fading to white, and the power that family secrets have to erode and complicate the lives of future generations.

Get Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

On this week's episode, we sit down with the author of The Storm We Made, Vanessa Chan! We talk about how the foundation of her book came from her grandmother, how the Pacific Theater was impacted during World War II, and how her relationship with Malaysia has changed in the process of writing this book. 

The Storm We Made takes place in 1945 Malaya, and Cecily’s family is in danger. Her fifteen-year-old son has disappeared, her youngest daughter is confined in a basement, and her eldest works at a tea house frequented by drunk Japanese soldiers. Cecily knows two things: that this is all her fault; and that her family must never learn the truth. 

Get The Storm We Made at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

On this week's episode, we sit down with Amy Jo Burns, author of Mercury! We had a great time speaking about the legacy of making things with your hands, why we should be rethinking the term "Rust Belt," and the learnings that come with regret. 

It’s 1990 and seventeen-year-old Marley West is blazing into the river valley town of Mercury, Pennsylvania. A perpetual loner, she seeks a place at someone’s table and a family of her own. The first thing she sees when she arrives in town is three men standing on a rooftop. The Joseph brothers become Marley’s whole world before she can blink.

Get Mercury at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Calling all pop culture fans! This episode of Virtual Book Tour is for you! We chat with Kirthana Ramisetti about her new book, Advika and the Hollywood Wives, dating red flags, and navigating friendships and relationships.

In Advika and the Hollywood Wives, Advika Srinivasan considers herself a failed screenwriter. To pay the bills and to keep her mind off of the recent death of her twin sister, she takes up bartending A-list events, where she meets legendary Julian Zelding. Despite the 41-year age difference, Advika falls helplessly under his spell, and a month into their marriage, Julian’s first wife dies and a tabloid reports a shocking stipulation in her will. Realizing she rushed into the marriage for all the wrong reasons, Advika uses the info gleaned from the lives of her husband’s exes to concoct a plan to extricate herself from Julian once and for all.

Get Advika and the Hollywood Wives at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

What would you do if you came back century after century in different forms to live multiple different lives? Jonathan Evison explores this idea in his new novel, Again and Again. We talk about the importance of continuing the dialogue between the reader and the writer, the power of storytelling, and we play a game of Famous Reincarnations.

Eugene “Geno” Miles is living out his final days in a nursing home, struggling to connect with his new nursing assistant, Angel. She is understandably skeptical of Geno’s insistence of having not just one life but many – all the way back to medieval Spain. As Angel comes to learn the truth about Geno and his miraculous story comes to a head, so does the biggest truth that love is sometimes right in front of us.

Get Again and Again at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Murder, attempted murder, and more murder. We have a whirlwind conversation with Sally Hepworth! We discuss The Soulmate (a March pick!), how she infuses empathy into her stories, and her penchant for writing about dysfunctional family relationships.

The Soulmate follows Gabe and Pippa in their dream home in a sleepy coastal town set on a tall cliff that has become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Night after night, Gabe comes to their rescue, literally talking them off the edge, until he doesnt. When Pippa discovers Gabe knew the victim, their perfect facade of their marriage begins to crack and the deepest darkest secrets begin to unravel.

Get The Soulmate at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

This is a preview of our episode with Cara Bastone, author of Ready or Not. Our full conversation is available for free in the Book of the Month app. 

Cara Bastone joined us at the BOTM HQ to talk about her new book, Ready or Not! We had so much fun talking about how she first conceived of this story (pun intended), how to show up for someone who is expecting, and how she was first introduced to the romance genre.

Eve Hatch is pretty content with her life, until she finds herself expecting after an uncharacteristic one-night stand. The unplanned pregnancy cracks open all of the relationships in her life. Eve’s loyal friendship with her best friend Willa is feeling off, right when she needs her most. And it’s Willa’s brother who steps up to help. Before long, Eva is rethinking everything she thought she knew about herself and her world.

Get Ready or Not at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

For the first time in VBT history, we are welcoming not one, but TWO authors: Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. Tune into this week’s episode to learn more about The First Ladies, how this co-author-duo met, and what they learned about each other in the process. 

The First Ladies is about the extraordinary friendship between First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Civil Rights Activist Mary McLeod Bethune. When FDR is elected president, the two women begin to collaborate more closely, and Eleanor becomes a controversial First Lady for her outspokenness on Civil Rights. When she receives threats, it only fuels the two women’s desires to fight for justice and equality. 

Get The First Ladies at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Meet Ashley Audrain, a repeat Book of the Month author! We sit down with Ashley to discuss her new book, The Whispers, how wealth impacts motherhood, and why people in the suburbs are not okay. We also play a challenging round of ‘Would You Rather: Kid’s Party or Adult Party.’

On Harlow Street, everything is fabulous until Whitney’s son falls from his bedside window in the middle of the night. The Whispers spins out over the course of one week, in the alternating voices of the women in the neighborhood: Blair, Whitney’s best friend; Rebecca, the ER doctor helping Whitney’s son; and Mara, the older woman next door. The Whispers explores the quiet sacrifices of motherhood and the dangerous impulse to compare oneself to other parents. 

Get The Whispers at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

We are so excited to be sitting down with Emma Grey to discuss The Last Love Note. We talk about the highs and lows of experiencing loss, the importance of community while grieving, and chasing the light in hard times. Grab your tissues, this episode is a  tearjerker! 

The Last Love Note follows Kate two years after losing her young husband. She’s grieving, solo parenting, working like mad, always dropping the ball—and yet clinging to her sense of humor. When an in-flight problem leaves Kate and her boss stranded for a weekend on the east coast of Australia, she finally has a chance to process her grief and see what’s right in front of her.

Get The Last Love Note at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app! 

We had so much fun with Yulin Kuang, author of How to End a Love Story! We talked about her journey from screenwriter to author, what it's like to work in a writer's room, and what makes office romances so hot.

Helen Zhang hasn’t seen Grant Shepard in the thirteen years since the tragic accident that bound their lives together forever. Now, a bestselling author, Helen earned a coveted spot in the writers’ room of the TV adaptation of her novel, only to find that Grant is the screenwriter on her show. Can they write themselves a new ending?

Get How to End a Love Story at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

What happened to riddles and fun islands? Tune in to hear Meg Shaffer, the author of The Wishing Game, speak about how Willy Wonka inspired her story, how books provide escapism, and the importance of supporting people’s dreams. 

The Wishing Game follows Lucy Hart, a 26-year-old teacher’s aid, desperate to adopt her orphan student Christopher Lamb. Without the proper funds and stability, Lucy needs a miracle to make her dream come true. But when her favorite author invites her to a competition on his private island, she may finally have a chance. 

Get The Wishing Game at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Welcome to VBT’s Summer Special! We’re taking you back to some of our favorite moments from past episodes. And for the first time ever, Brianna and Jerrod are facing off in our new game, VBT’s Greatest Hits!

Listen to the full episodes mentioned during our Summer Special:

• Amita Parikh thinks book people should care about sports. 

• Live from New York, it’s Curtis Sittenfeld!

• Lauren Kung Jessen is an online dating success story.

• Victor LaValle loves monsters. 

• Stacy Willingham tells us why we’re all so obsessed with stories about murder. 

• Abby Jimenez says success is the greatest revenge. 

• Kali Fajardo-Anstine is a 2-time dropout.

• Carolyn Huyhn celebrates messy women.

• Genevieve Wheeler on the power of female friendships.

• Sally Hepworth is in a “husband killers” group chat. 

Hopefully this will give you plenty to listen to while we’re on our summer break. We’ll be back with a new episode September 5th.

New members can get their first book for just $9.99 at bookofthemonth.com with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

From talking about Craiglist dates to Phish concerts, we sit down with the hilarious Kate Goldbeck, author of You, Again! Listen in to hear Kate discuss dating in the city, how she got her start writing fanfiction, and we ask her some dating advice (hint: the answer is don't go on the date). 

When Ari and Josh first meet, the wrong kind of sparks fly. They instantly hate each other. Ari is a free-spirited, struggling comedian who likes to keep things casual; Josh is an ambitious Manhattanite. They have absolutely nothing in common…except that they happen to be sleeping with the same woman.

Get You, Again at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

We are so excited to be speaking with Nita Prose about her second Book of the Month book, The Mystery Guest. We talk about the co-creation between the writer and the reader, sneaking into hotels for book research, and the airplane napkin that started Nita’s writing career.

Molly Gray has a flair for cleaning and proper etiquette, and has risen through the ranks of the five-star hotel to become the esteemed Head Maid. Right as her life reaches a pinnacle state of perfection, her world is turned upside down when a world-renowned mystery author drops dead on the hotel’s floor. With the entire hotel under investigation, Molly must solve the mystery.

Get The Mystery Guest at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

We're continuing in the spirit of Spooky Season and talking with Alix E. Harrow, author of Starling House. We talk about feeling like an outcast in a small community, the meaning of home and ownership, and, of course, haunted homes, scary stories, and monsters.

Starling House follows Opal, an orphan and high school dropout, determined to find a better life for her younger brother. Desperate to get out of Kentucky, Opal steps into Starling House to make some extra cash and the sinister forces dig her deeper into it’s buried secrets.

Get Starling House at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app.

Author Daniel Aleman joins us on this week’s episode of VBT to discuss his new book, I Might Be In Trouble. Inspired by a situationship gone awry, Aleman explains the evolution of his adult debut and reflects on the unexpected trajectory of his career as a writer.

After the perfect first date, writer David Alvarez wakes up to find the man next to him in bed—dead. He could call the police but, naturally, he calls his trusted literary agent to help him dispose of the body instead.

Get I Might Be In Trouble at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

She might come from a family of bartenders, but believe it or not, Mary Beth Keane did *not* base her character off any kin in particular. On this week’s episode, we discuss her new book, The Half Moon, long-term relationships, love for small towns, and her aversion to rum drinks.

The Half Moon follows Malcolm and Jess over the course of one week when a blizzard hits the town of Gillam, trapping everyone in place. Malcolm has always dreamed of owning a bar and transforming it into a bigger success—leading him to drown in debt. Jess grapples with her infertility and her evaporating dreams of motherhood. The Half Moon explores the intimacy of small-town living and what it means to be a family.

Get The Half Moon at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

What would you do if your husband turned into a shark? Emily Habeck’s debut novel Shark Heart focuses on the (animal) transformation of love, marriage, and letting go. We also discuss the relationship between mothers and daughters, the power a diagnosis has on a person, and the influence of fear.

A few weeks after Wren and Lewis’s wedding, Lewis receives a rare diagnosis - he is transforming into a great white shark. As he develops into a creature of the ocean, Lewis struggles to make peace with his unfulfilled dreams. His wife, Wren, struggles with the fate of her husband’s diagnosis. Shark Heart is a novel of marriage, motherhood, metamorphosis, and letting go.

Get Shark Heart at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Prepare to shed a couple tears for this moving, inspirational story about a death doula learning not to fear living. We sat down with debut author Mikki Bramer, author of The Collected Regrets of Clover, to discuss her profound thoughts on death, grief, and last words. 

What’s the point of giving someone a beautiful death if you can’t give yourself a beautiful life? After Clover’s beloved grandfather dies, Clover becomes a death doula in New York City, dedicating her life to ushering people peacefully through their end-of-life process. But as she finds herself struggling to navigate the uncharted roads of romance and friendship, Clover is forced to examine what she really wants and if she’ll have the courage to go after it. The Collected Regrets of Clover turns the normally taboo subject of death into a reason to celebrate life.

Get The Collected Regrets of Clover at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

We're speaking with Yangsze Choo about her new book, The Fox Wife! We talked about why Yangsze based this story in 1908 Manchuria, how her time abroad informed her approach to stories, and of course, magic. 

In the last years of the dying Qing Empire, a courtesan is found frozen in a doorway. Her death is clouded by rumors of foxes, which are believed to lure people by transforming themselves into beautiful women and handsome men. Taking inspiration from Chinese folklore, this winter tale follows a fox seeking revenge in the dangerous world of men.

Get The Fox Wife at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app! 

We had so much fun getting to talk to Rufi Thorpe, the author of Margo's Got Money Troubles on this week's episode of VBT! We talked about the consequences of snap judgements, how OnlyFans has shifted over the past couple of years, and Rufi's love for wrestling. 

As the child of a Hooters waitress and an ex-pro wrestler, Margo has always known she’d have to make it on her own. So she enrolls at her local junior college. She is still figuring things out and never planned to have an affair with her English professor–and while the affair is brief, it isn’t brief enough to keep her from being pregnant. And despite everyone’s advice, she decided to keep the baby. 

Get Margo’s Got Money Troubles at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

We are so excited to be welcoming Alex Michaelides, three-time BOTM author, onto VBT for this week's episode! We took a peek behind the emerald curtain and got to learn more about how he plays with the expectations of the reader, why The Fury is a whydunit rather than a whodunit, and how Alex fell back in love with writing.

Lana Farrar is a reclusive ex-movie star and one of the most famous women in the world. Every year, she invites her closest friends to escape and spend Easter on her private Greek island. It has all the necessary ingredients for a press sensation: a celebrity; a private island cut off by the wind…and a murder. 

Get The Fury at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

We are sitting down with Anna Pitoniak on this week's episode of Virtual Book Tour to discuss her new spy thriller, The Helsinki Affair! We talk about her idea for the novel, what qualities you would need to work for the CIA, and how spy craft has changed over the years. 

Amanda Cole is a young CIA agent, following in the footsteps of her father, and when a Russian operative tells her that a US Senator is about to be assassinated, she is thrust into an international conspiracy. As she gets closer to solving the case, she finds that her father’s name was written in the senator’s notes. In order to get to the bottom of this international plot, Amanda must decide if her loyalty lies with her country or with her family.

Get The Helsinki Affair at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

The best way to listen to Book of the Month LIVE is in our app.

Actor and author Krysten Ritter stopped by our headquarters to talk about her new book, Retreat, and the real-life con artists who inspired the thriller. She revealed her superpower, her kryptonite, and her various skills and accomplishments as an author, actor, director, musician and, of course, professional knitter.

When a sharp-witted, serial con artist assumes a wealthy socialite’s identity in Punta Mita, she doesn’t quite know what she’s getting herself into—until it might be too late.

Get Retreat at bookofthemonth.com.

On this week's episode, we sit down with 2019 BOTY finalist Etaf Rum, author of Evil Eye. We discuss the importance of chasing your dreams, the first time Etaf felt seen as a writer, and fitting in within your community. 

Raised in a conservative Palestinian family in Brooklyn, Yara thought she would finally feel free when she married an entrepreneur and moved to the suburbs. She’s gotten to follow her dreams, but as a traditional wife, she also raises her two daughters, takes care of the house, and has dinner ready for her husband. When Yara faces trouble, her mother blames a family curse, and to save herself, Yara must reckon with the reality that her childhood could have damaging implications for her and her daughters’ future.

Get Evil Eye at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

This is a preview of our episode with Kristin Hannah, author of The Women. Our full conversation is available for free in the Book of the Month app. 

We sit down with 3-peat BOTM author Kristin Hannah to discuss her new book, The Women! We talk about the original inspiration behind the book, the role women played in the Vietnam War, and the importance of engaging with our history.

When Frances McGrath’s brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path. As inexperienced as the men sent to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death and hope and betrayal. But war is just the beginning; the real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America.

Get The Women at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app! 

Repeat author Sarah Pekkanen joins us on this week’s episode of VBT to discuss her newest book, House of Glass. We talked about the benefits of eavesdropping, how Sarah’s experience as an investigative reporter informs her work as a thriller novelist, and haunted mega mansions.

On the outside they were the golden family. On the inside they built the perfect lie. A young nanny who plunged to her death, or was pushed? A nine-year-old girl who collects sharp objects and refuses to speak. A lawyer  whose job it is to uncover who in the family is a victim and who is a murderer. But how can you find out the truth when everyone here is lying?

Get House of Glass at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Mad Libs, pan roms, and SNL! We talk with Curtis Sittenfeld all about how a pandemic hobby inspired her new book, Romantic Comedy! Plus, we play a hilarious game of Mad Libs, discuss the inner workings of SNL, and ponder the idea of seasonal love.

In Romantic Comedy, Sally Milz is a sketch writer for “The Night Owls,” the late-night live comedy show that airs each Saturday. With a couple of heartbreaks under her belt, she’s abandoned the search for love and focuses on her career success. Enter Noah Brewster, a pop music sensation with a reputation for dating models. When Sally and Noah hit it off, she begins to wonder if there might actually be sparks flying.

Get Romantic Comedy at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Megan Goldin is here to talk about her new book Dark Corners! Learn more about this nail-biter book on this week's episode of Virtual Book Tour. We also discuss the life of influencers, internet rabbit holes, and extreme social media stunts. 

As Terence Bailey’s prison release date approaches, Terence gets a surprise from an influencer with a huge social media following and only hours later, the influencer goes missing. When the investigation hits a wall, the FBI asks for Rachel Krall’s help. Using a fake Instagram account, Rachel goes undercover and discovers a world of fierce rivalry that may have turned lethal.

Get Dark Corners at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Rebecca Ross joins us on Virtual Book Tour to discuss her duology - Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows. We had a magical time talking about the duality that lives in all of us, why romantasy is a genre capturing readers, and how Rebecca's love of fantasy started.

In this epic follow-up to Divine Rivals, Iris has returned from the front, but the war is far from over. Roman is missing, and the city of Oath continues to dwell in a state of disbelief and ignorance. As the days grow darker, inevitably drawing Roman and Iris closer together, the two of them will risk their very hearts and futures to change the tides of the war. 

Get Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

We're discussing The Connellys of County Down on this week's episode of Virtual Book Tour! Tune in to hear Tracey Lange discuss how her past experiences helped influence the book, birth order dynamics, and the power of art. Plus, we play a game of Would You Rather.

When Tara Connelly is released from prison after serving eighteen months on a drug charge, rebuilding her life is not easy. With no money and no job, she returns home to her siblings who each have their own problems. While Tara works to build a new career and hold her family together, secrets start to unravel and threaten her future. The Connellys of County Down is a tale about forgiveness, loyalty, and one's limits.

Get The Connellys of County Down at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app.

Author and former basketball player turned journalist turned ESPN commentator Kate Fagan joins us on this week’s episode of VBT to discuss her new book, The Three Lives of Cate Kay. She talks about big fame (why she doesn’t want it), ambition (its highly addictive qualities), and the creative engine that fueled her new work of fiction. Also, our Editorial Director does her very best French accent.

Cate Kay is a bestselling author—the kind with worldwide fame—but no one knows her real identity. After years of hiding from the world, from herself, and from a tragic past, she begins to realize the truth might be the only thing that sets her free.

Get The Three Lives of Cate Kay at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Author Anna Rasche visits our headquarters for this week’s episode of VBT to discuss her new book, The Stone Witch of Florence. She covers writing about the Black Plague during a modern day-pandemic, the importance of wellness girlies, and why she loves crystals.

After nearly a decade in exile for witchcraft, Ginevra di Gasparo is called upon to use her healing powers to save people from the Black Plague—or so she thinks. When she’s asked to use her unique abilities to hunt down a thief, she starts to suspect she may be a pawn in a larger political scheme. 

Get The Stone Witch of Florence at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

We're kicking off October with Breanne Randall, the author of The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic. We talk about the power of magic, the special bond between a grandparent and their grandchild, and Breanne's perspective on rejection. 

Sadie Revelare has always believed that the curse of four heartbreaks that accompanies her magic would be worth the price. When her grandmother is diagnosed with cancer, and her first heartbreak returns to town, her structured life begins to unravel. As her feelings for her first love rekindle, and her grandmother gets sicker, Sadie has to decide if love is more important than magic. 

Get The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Let’s define happiness! Angie Kim, the author of Happiness Falls, joins us live from the BOTM office to talk about her new novel, the meaning of happiness, and how BOTM members broke her Instagram.

Mia is hyper analytical and has an explanation for everything, so when her father and younger brother Eugene don’t return from a walk in a nearby park, she is not concerned. But when Mia’s brother runs through the front door bloody and alone, it becomes clear that the father is missing and the only witness is Eugene, who has Angelman syndrome and cannot speak. Full of twists and questions of love, language, and human connection, Happiness Falls is a novel of profound philosophical inquiry.

Get Happiness Falls at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Need some new whale facts for your next dinner party? Well, this is the episode for you! Adrienne Brodeur joins us on this week’s episode to discuss her new novel, Little Monsters! We discuss the turbulent family dynamics shown in the book, the differences between writing a memoir versus fiction, and the whale research that found its way into the book. 

Ken and Abby Gardner lost their mother when they were small; their father, Adam, an oceanographer, raised them on his own in Cape Cod. As the novel opens, Adam’s seventieth birthday is approaching and he faces his mortality and fading relevance, alongside his bipolar disorder. As Adam grows more attuned to the deep sea and less so to the people around him, Ken and Abby each plan the elaborate gifts they will present to their father on his birthday.

Get Little Monsters at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app! 

Repeat author Kimberly McCreight joins us on this week’s episode of VBT to discuss her newest book, Like Mother, Like Daughter. We spoke about how Kimberly’s former days as a lawyer helped inform this story and we also discussed the intense relationships between mothers and daughters.

When Cleo arrives late for dinner at her childhood home, she finds food burning in the oven and no sign of her mother. Then Cleo discovers her mom’s bloody shoe under the sofa. Something terrible has happened. But what?

Get Like Mother, Like Daughter at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Prepare your opening statements, VBT listeners. We’re sitting down with Michele Campbell to discuss her new novel, The Intern! We also discuss her past career as a criminal prosecutor, the difference between writing a legal thriller versus domestic suspense, and Michele tells us how to dress for success.

The Intern follows Madison Rivera as she lands the internship of a lifetime working for Judge Kathryn Conroy. But Madison has a secret; her younger brother Danny has been arrested, and Conroy is the judge on his case. After Danny accuses the judge of corruption, Danny goes missing. As Madison searches for answers, Madison and Conroy circle each other in a dangerous cat-and-mouse game.

Get The Intern at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app! 

Chelsea Bieker joins us on this week’s episode of Virtual Book Tour to discuss her new book, Madwoman. We talked about her somatic practice around writing (shaking your sillies out) and our (mostly her) obsession with wellness.

Clove has gone to extremes to keep her past a secret. But when she receives a letter from a women’s prison in California, her past comes screeching into the present, entangling her in a dangerous game with memory and the people she thought she had outrun. 

Get Madwoman at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

We have the perfect episode for the holiday season–we are talking with Josie Silver about her newest book, A Winter in New York. We talk about the inspiration to set the story in New York, how grief reshapes our approach to love, and we learn some interesting facts about the history behind Valentine's Day.

When Iris takes a walk through Little Italy, a family-run gelateria catches her eyes, and she realizes that it's the same shop that is in an old photo of her mother’s. Curious, Iris returns the next day and learns that the sole keeper of their family’s gelato recipe is sick and the shop is in danger of closing. When Iris samples the gelato, she realizes that their gelato and her mother’s are one in the same. 

Get A Winter in New York at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Dust off your dancing shoes because we sit down with Fiona Davis to discuss her new book The Spectacular! We talk about what inspired her to write about the Rockettes and Fiona’s journey from actor to journalist to writer. Plus, she tells a beautiful story about what the BOTM blue box means to her, which had everyone teary-eyed.

In 1956 New York City, 19-year-old Marion is selected to be one of the Rockettes, Radio City Music Hall’s glamorous dancing troupes–until a bomb explodes in the theater. It’s only the latest in a string of explosions orchestrated by the “Big Apple Bomber.” With the public in an uproar over the lack of leads, the police turn to psychological profiling. As Marion finds herself pulled deeper into the investigation, she may be forced to sacrifice everything she’s worked for.

Get The Spectacular at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

We're talking to Emma Törzs on Virtual Book Tour about her new book Ink Blood Sister Scribe! Listen in to learn how her sister inspired the story, her love for fairy tale tropes, and the vibes of dark academia.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe follows two estranged sisters bearing the responsibility to protect their magical family library. When Esther and Joanna’s father dies while reading one of the magical books, the sisters must reunite to preserve the family legacy. In the process, they’ll uncover a world of magic bigger and more dangerous than they ever imagined. 

Get Ink Blood Sister Scribe at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app! 

On this week's episode, we sit down with Rachel Khong to discuss her new novel, Real Americans. We had so much fun asking the big questions like, “what do we inherit from our families and their histories,” and what it means to be a “real American.”

Real Americans begins on the precipice of Y2K in New York City when Lily Chen meets Matthew. Matthew is everything Lily is not, but despite the differences, they fall in love. In 2021, fifteen-year-old Nick Chen has never felt like he belonged on the isolated island where he lives with his single mother, Lily. Real Americans is a story of trust, forgiveness, and finally coming home.

Get Real Americans at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

New Year, new Virtual Book Tour Episode! We are so excited to be kicking off 2024 with Emily Austin, author of Interesting Facts About Space! We discuss writing about anxiety, rediscovering artifacts from our youth, and of course, space.

Enid is obsessed with space and can tell you any fact without batting an eye in fear. Her one major phobia? Bald men. But she tries to keep that one under wraps. When she’s not listening to her favorite true crime podcasts on a loop, she’s serially dating a rotation of women from dating apps, while also trying to forge a relationship with her estranged half-sisters. Interesting Facts about Space shows us the power of revealing our secret shames, the most beautifully human parts of us all.

Get Interesting Facts About Space at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

The best way to listen to Book of the Month LIVE is in our app.

Author Jennifer Weiner visited our headquarters to discuss the inspiration for her new novel, The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits. She shared her hot takes on the viciousness of the early 2000s, our questionable treatment of pop princesses, CD players, and piano lessons—for starters.

When sisters Cassie and Zoe Grossberg skyrocket to popstardom together, their fame comes at a high cost. After one tumultuous year, their band suddenly breaks up. Two decades later, and leading entirely separate lives, the sisters are forced to confront exactly what happened, and why.

Get The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits at bookofthemonth.com.

Learn more about Book of the Month LIVE at bookofthemonth.com/botm-live.

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app.

Layne Fargo, author of The Favorites, joins us on this week’s episode of VBT to discuss her new book—plus love, hate, spite, and ice dancing. We cover everything from Tonya Harding, to early 2000s fashion, to Layne’s very first time ice skating. (Spoiler: It was the day before this episode was recorded).

Childhood sweethearts turned famous figure skating duo find their relationship at a halt after a shocking incident at the Olympic Games. Ten years later, the past comes back around and the truth threatens to come out as they become the subjects of an unauthorized documentary.

Get The Favorites at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

On this week’s episode, we sit down with debut author Kate Robb to discuss her November book, This Spells Love. We talk about the butterfly effect, when it’s appropriate to put a spell on an ex, and how Kate perfected the art of writing spicy romantic scenes. 

When Gemma gets dumped by her long-term boyfriend, she gets drunk with her sister, aunt, and best friend. After one too many margaritas, they perform a love-cleansing spell, which promises to erase Gemma’s ex from her memory. When she wakes up, she realizes that the silly spell has worked, but the rest of her life is completely unrecognizable and her best friend has no idea who she is. 

Get This Spells Love at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app! 

Live from the BOTM headquarters, Laura Hankin joins us to discuss her newest book, One-Star Romance. We had a lovely conversation about the romance of friendships in your 20s, why we shouldn't feel stuck in our timelines, and how Laura once got eviscerated by a teenager.

Natalie and Rob couldn’t have less in common. The only thing they share is their devotion to their respective best friends–who just got engaged. Still, unexpected chemistry has Natalie cautiously optimistic about being maid of honor to Rob’s best man. Until, minutes before the ceremony, Nat learns that Rob wrote a one-star review of her new novel.

Get One-Star Romance at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app! 

On this week's episode, we sit down with Emiko Jean, author of The Return of Ellie Black. We talk about how this book was originally written as a YA novel, her past as an entomologist and how it could inspire a future book, and why she may be on a government watch list...

Detective Chelsea Calhoun’s life is turned upside down when she gets the call that Ellie Black, a girl who disappeared years earlier, has resurfaced in the woods of Washington state–but Ellie’s reappearance leaves Chelsea with more questions than answers. Ellie won’t say where she’s been,  or who she’s protecting, and it’s up to Chelsea to find the answers. 

Get The Return of Ellie Black at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app.

Daniel Black, author of Isaac’s Song, joins us on this week’s episode of VBT to discuss gospel music, masculinity, Black storytelling, bouquets, and that time he went viral. Oh, and how he wrote his new book. We manage to cover it all and even find time to dance.

A young man finds himself at a crossroads, reflecting on his past and the recent loss of his father. He comes of age, comes out, and discovers himself in 1980s Chicago, against the backdrop of the AIDS crisis and Rodney King’s attack.

Get Isaac’s Song at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

To celebrate our 100th episode, we sit down with V.E. Schwab, author of The Fragile Threads of Power and 2020 BOTY finalist The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. We talk about the power of magic, writing accessible fantasy, and writing your own rules. 

Once, there were four worlds pulsing with fantastical power, and connected by a single city: London. When the magic grew too fast, the worlds were forced to seal the doors between them to protect their own. The only magicians who still have the power to open the doors between worlds are the Antari, and only three are known in recent memory.

Get The Fragile Threads of Power at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Live from the BOTM headquarters, Molly Roden Winter joins us to discuss her new memoir, More. We talked about everything from motherhood, outdoor escapades, and the intricacies of an open marriage. This episode had the whole office in tears from laughing; you're in for a treat!

Molly Roden Winter was a mom of two young children with her husband, Stewart. One night, when Stewart missed the kids’ bedtime, again, she stormed out of the house to clear her head. At impromptu drinks with a friend, she met an unbelievably hot younger man. When Molly told her husband that Matt had asked her out, she was surprised that he encouraged her to accept. There began Molly’s open marriage and with it a life-changing journey of self-discovery.

Get More at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Repeat novelist and all-star baker Abby Jimenez joined us on Virtual Book Tour to discuss her newest novel, Yours Truly, the sweetest romance filled with love letters and very real life challenges. We talk about revenge and fake dating, finding love when you least expect it, and her questionable search history.

Dr. Briana Ortiz’s life is seriously flatlining; her divorce is about to be finalized and her brother is running out of time to find a kidney donor, but everything changes when Dr. Jacob Maddox sends Briana a letter. Suddenly they are exchanging letters, sharing lunch dates, and Jacob gives Briana a fun distraction by inviting her to be his fake date for his brother’s wedding. Yours Truly is a novel of terrible first impressions, hilarious second chances, and the joy in finding your perfect match.

Get Yours Truly at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app! 

Repeat author Laura Dave joins us on this week’s episode of VBT to discuss her newest book, The Night We Lost Him. We talked about the question she wanted to answer with this story, how grief is an extension of love, and her complicated relationship with the thriller genre.

Estranged siblings discover their father has been keeping a secret for over fifty years, one that may have been fatal… Liam Noone was many things to many people. To the public, he was an exacting, self-made hotel magnate fleeing his past. To his three ex-wives, he was a loving albeit distant family man who kept his finances flush. To Nora, he was a father who often loved from afar–notably a cliffside cottage purchased on the California coast from which he fell to his death.

Get The Night We Lost Him at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app! 

Author Ann Liang joins us on this week’s episode of VBT to discuss her newest book, A Song to Drown Rivers. From making the most of her JSTOR access while it lasted, to thinking deeply about beauty standards across centuries, she breaks down how her historical fantasy novel got made.

Xishi is beautiful—and deadly. When she is tasked with infiltrating an enemy kingdom and seducing the king, she undergoes rigorous training from Fanli, a famous young military advisor. But the more she succeeds, the more she stands to lose—from her own life to a burgeoning romance with Fanli.

Get A Song to Drown Rivers at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Adrienne Young joins us on this week’s episode of Virtual Book Tour to discuss her newest book, The Unmaking of June Farrow. We cover having multiple soulmates, modern love, déjà vu, and the power of writing. 

In The Unmaking of June Farrow, the Farrow women are known for their thriving flower farm, and the mysterious curse that has plagued their family line. It’s been a year since June started seeing and hearing things that weren’t there, but June is determined to end the curse. When June discovers a series of cryptic clues, she embarks on a journey that will change both the past and the future. 

Get The Unmaking of June Farrow at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Meet our latest Virtual Book Tour guest: Susie Luo! We sat down to discuss her debut novel Paper Names, her experience immigrating to the United States as a child, and the best things about NYC. And if you need some advice on what gift to bring to your next event, Susie Luo can help in our game “Bearing Gifts” (hint: it’s usually wine).

Paper Names is set in New York and China over three decades from three different perspectives. Tony is a Chinese-born engineer turned Manhattan doorman; Tammy is Tony’s daughter who we follow through adulthood; and Oliver is a white lawyer who lives in the building where Tony works. An unexpected act of violence causes their lives to intertwine in this propulsive story of family, identity, and the American experience. 

Get Paper Names at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

On this week’s episode, we sit down with Sierra Greer, author of Annie Bot! We had so much fun talking about the future of AI, the ways we never stop coming-of-age, and we play a rapid fire game of “Real or Fake AI.”

Annie Bot was created to be the perfect girlfriend for her human owner. Designed to satisfy his emotional and physical needs, she has dinner ready for him every night, wears the outfits he orders for her, and adjusts her libido to suit his moods. But becoming more human also means becoming less perfect, and as Annie’s relationship grows more intricate and difficult, she starts to wonder: does he really desire what he says he wants?

Get Annie Bot at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

A Prohibition-era family drama with a fierce female lead? What could be better! We sat down with Jeannette Walls to discuss her new book, Hang the Moon, gender roles within families, the 18th Amendment, and so much more! 

Hang the Moon follows Sally Kincaid, the daughter of the biggest man in a small town - the charismatic Duke Kincaid. Determined to reclaim her place in the family, Sally confronts the secrets and scandals that hide in the shadows of the Big House, navigates the factions in the family and town, and finally comes into her own as a bold, sometimes reckless bootlegger.

Get Hang the Moon at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app! 

The author of Five Broken Blades joins us in the BOTM office for this week's episode! We talked to Mai Corland about her epic new book, Korean mythology and history, and the transition from writing for younger audiences to now writing for adults. 

It’s the season for treason; the king of Yusan must die. The five most dangerous liars in the land have been mysteriously summoned to work together for a single objective: to kill the god king. But for these killers, it’s not enough to forge an alliance. To survive, they’ll have to find a way to trust each other, but only one can take the crown.

Get Five Broken Blades at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app! 

Repeat author Liz Moore joins us on this week’s episode of VBT to discuss her newest book, The God of the Woods. We talked about how her own family history with the Adirondacks inspired the setting for this novel, her own experience with camp as a kid, and the myth and reality of self reliance. 

When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondacks summer camp, two worlds collide. Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk and the camper has gone missing. This camper isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the camp. As a panicked search begins, the drama unfolds with a dynasty of secrets and second chances.

Get The God of the Woods at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app! 

Simone Gorrindo joins us on this week's episode of VBT to discuss her new memoir, The Wives. We talk about uprooting her life from Manhattan to rural Georgia, the unusual expectations of being a military wife, and how her view of friendship changed. 

The Wives tells the story of one woman’s experience of joining a community of Army wives after leaving her New York City job - a profound intimate look at marriage, friendship, and today’s America. 

Get The Wives at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app.

Author B.K. Borison visited our headquarters to discuss her new book, First-Time Caller. She got real about the transition from self-publishing to having the backing of a major publishing house—and how she’s not one to give dating advice, but our audience decided to share their horror stories with her anyway.

The host of Baltimore’s romance hotline, conveniently named Aiden Valentine, is over love—until a young girl calls in to get his advice for her very single mother. When sparks start to fly, her mom, Lucie, has to choose between her own happily ever after or what’s best for the radio show.

Get First-Time Caller at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

We are excited to be sitting down with Nathan Hill on this week’s episode of Virtual Book Tour to discuss his new novel, Wellness. We talk about algorithms, placebos, self-care fads, and Nathan’s personal definition of wellness.

When Jack and Elizabeth meet as college students, the two instantly fall in love. Fast-forward twenty years to married life, and alongside the challenges of parenthood, they encounter cults disguised as mindfulness support groups, polyamorous couples, and Facebook wars. For the first time, Jack and Elizabeth struggle to recognize each other and they risk losing the best thing in their lives: each other. 

Get Wellness at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

On this week’s episode, we sit down with Jean Kwok, author of The Leftover Woman! We talk about her thoughts on motherhood, ambition, and her experience as a ballroom dancer. We also got an impromptu merengue lesson post-interview!

Jasmine Yang arrives in New York City without money or family support, on a search for her daughter who was taken from her at birth due to China’s One Child Policy. Rebecca Whitney seems to have it all: a prestigious family name, wealth, a successful career, and an adopted Chinese daughter she adores. But when Rebecca faces an industry scandal, her marriage, job, and perfect world begin to crumble. 

Get The Leftover Woman at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

All the way from Ireland, Steve Cavanagh joins us in the BOTM office to discuss his new thriller, Kill For Me, Kill For You. We discussed where the idea of a murder swap originated, when to get your revenge, and how a hangover sent him to law school.

One dark evening on NYC’s Upper West Side, two strangers meet by chance. Over drinks, they realize how much they have in common, especially loneliness and an intense desire for revenge against the men who destroyed their families. As they talk into the night, they come up with the perfect plan: if you kill for me, I’ll kill for you. 

Get Kill For Me, Kill For You at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app! 

Kaliane Bradley, author of The Ministry of Time, joins us to celebrate her debut novel! We talked about how she fell in love with Graham Gore, what she would be "excited" to experience if she could go back to the Victorian Era, and her modern tech pet peeves. 

A government ministry is gathering “expats” from across history to establish whether time travel is feasible. She is tasked with working as a “bridge:” living with, assisting, and monitoring Commander Graham Gore, from 1847. Over the next year, what the bridge initially thought would be a horrifically uncomfortable roommate dynamic, evolves into something much deeper. 

Get The Ministry of Time at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app! 

Makiia Lucier, author of Dragonfruit, joins us on this week’s episode of Virtual Book Tour! We learned that this beautiful fantasy novel was inspired by Makiia’s own memories of growing up on Guam and the historical elements that she used as  inspiration for her story.

Hanalei of Tamarind is the cherished daughter of an old island family, but when her father steals a seadragon egg meant for an ailing princess, she is forced into a life of exile. In the years that follow, she finds solace in studying the majestic seadragons, until an encounter with a female dragon offers what she desires most. A chance to return home, and to right a terrible wrong.

Get Dragonfruit at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

We sat down with Avery Cunningham to discuss her debut novel, The Mayor of Maxwell Street. We discussed the wealthy's pastime in horse racing, the seedy underbelly of organized crime, and the lesson Avery took from writing this story.

After the unexpected death of her only brother, Nelly becomes the premier debutante overnight, but Nelly has aspirations beyond society influence and marriage. For the past year, she has worked undercover as an investigative journalist, sharing the achievements and tribulations of everyday Black people living in the shadow of Jim Crow. Her latest assignment thrusts her into the den of a dangerous vice lord: the Mayor of Maxwell Street.

Get The Mayor of Maxwell Street at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

We are so excited to sit down with Xochitl Gonzalez to discuss her newest book Anita de Monte Laughs Last! We discussed why this book feels more personal to her than her debut, how our view of relationships change as we grow older, and why she owes her college roommate $20. 

Anita de Monte, a rising star in the art world, is found dead in NYC; her tragic death is the talk of the town. Until it isn’t. By 1998, Anita’s name has been all but forgotten, certainly by the time Raquel, a third-year art history student, is preparing for her final thesis. But when Raquel finds herself rising up the social ranks, she stumbles upon Anita’s story, raising questions about the dynamics of her own relationship.

Get Anita de Monte Laughs Last at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Where will you be in 27 years? We talk with debut novelist, Michelle Min Sterling, about her new book Camp Zero, the pros and cons of technology, and how she avoided smartphones for most of her life. 

In the far north of Canada sits Camp Zero, an American building project hiding many secrets. Desperate to help her climate-displaced Korean immigrant mother, Rose agrees to travel to Camp Zero and spy on its architect in exchange for housing. Camp Zero explores how the intersection of gender, class, and migration will impact who and what will survive in the warming world. 

Get Camp Zero at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Rivers, legends, and sisters: Patti Callahan Henry’s new novel is all of her favorite things in one! We’re sitting down to discuss The Secret Book of Flora Lea, fairy tales, and the historic moments that inspired her new book. We also play a game called “The Cost is Correct: Rare Book Edition.”

The Secret Book of Flora Lea follows two sisters in 1939 England, where Hazel and Flora are seeking shelter from the war. When the unthinkable happens and Flora Lea disappears, Hazel carries that guilt into adulthood as a burden she feels she deserves. Twenty years later, and Flora has still not been found, but Hazel discovers a rare book that has a connection to her past only her sister would have known.

Get The Secret Book of Flora Lea at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app! 

On this week’s episode, we sit down with Holly Gramazio to discuss her debut novel, The Husbands. We talked about the choice fatigue that comes with online dating, her background in game design, and the importance of playing to feel at home

When Lauren returns home to her flat in London one night, she is greeted at the door by her husband. There’s only one problem–she’s not married. As she tries to puzzle out how she could be married to someone she can’t remember meeting, her husband goes to the attic and abruptly disappears. In his place, a new man emerges, and she realizes that her attic is creating an infinite supply of husbands. 

Get The Husbands at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app! 

On this week’s episode, we sit down with Ashton Lattimore to discuss her debut novel, All We Were Promised. We dove deep on the evolution of abolition in Philadelphia, how family ties bond us, and how her background as a lawyer and journalist finds its way into her writing.  

 A housemaid with a dangerous family secret conspires with a wealthy young abolitionist to help an enslaved girl escape, in volatile pre-Civil War Philadelphia. Together, they will risk everything for one another in this story of friendship, deception, and women crossing boundaries in the name of freedom.

Get All We Were Promised at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

If you received a gigantic bouquet of daisies from a potential suitor, what would you do? Tune into Lisa See’s episode of Virtual Book Tour to hear what she would do! We also discuss her new novel Lady Tan’s Circle of Women, the real history behind this extraordinary woman, and the importance of female friendships. 

Lady Tan’s Circle of Women is a tale about female friendship and leadership in 15th-century China, challenging a woman’s place in society. From a young age, Tan Yunxian learns about women’s illnesses, alongside a young midwife-in-training, Meiling. The two girls find fast friendship and mutual purpose, and vow to be forever friends. When Yunxian is sent into an arranged marriage, she must learn to break free of these traditions and lead a life of treating women.

Get Lady Tan’s Circle of Women at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

We are so excited to be sitting down with Amy Pease to talk about her debut book, Northwoods. We loved getting to hear about her experience going from a Book of the Month long-time member to author, and we also talked about the hallmarks of writing a small town mystery, how her work as a healthcare provider helped her writing, and Amy's favorite niche sub genre. 

Eli North’s drinking is getting worse by the day, his emotional wounds after his deployment in Afghanistan are as raw as ever, his marriage and career are over, and the only job he can hold down is at the local sheriff’s department with his mother. When the body of a boy is found in the lake, Eli has the opportunity to solve the case and get the shot at redemption he so desperately needs. Or will answers to this dark case elude him and continue to bring destruction to the Northwoods?

Get Northwoods at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Love a locked-door mystery? Megan Miranda joins us on Virtual Book Tour to discuss her new book, The Only Survivors, luck versus fate, and the washed-up phone that inspired the novel. Plus, we make Megan choose once and for all which is worse: being an adult or going back to high school. 

The Only Survivors: Seven hours in the past. Seven days in the present. Seven survivors remain. A decade ago, two vans filled with high school students crashed into a ravine—a tragedy that claimed the lives of multiple classmates and teachers. The survivors of the crash made a pact to come together each year to commemorate that terrible night. On their tenth anniversary, there is an impending storm, and they face the threat of surging water again. As they promised long ago, each survivor will do whatever they can do to save another. Won't they?

Get The Only Survivors at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Should you be friends with your ex? Genevieve Wheeler joins us on Virtual Book Tour to talk about her new book Adelaide, the importance of good friends, and sneaky tips for snagging a British boyfriend.

For Adelaide Williams, an American living in London, meeting Rory Hughes was like a lightning bolt out of the blue: this charming Englishman was The One she wasn’t looking for. Adelaide is a raw, wrenching exploration of a toxic relationship and its aftermath that doubles as an ode to the power of self love. 

Get Adelaide at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app! 

Brynne Weaver joins us in the BOTM headquarters to discuss her newest book to The Ruinous Love trilogy, Leather & Lark. We asked Brynne why she was ruining all of our favorite foods and talked about how one woman's red flags might actually be another's green flag. 

Contract killer Lachlan Kane wants a quiet life working in his leather studio and forgetting all about his traumatic past. But when he botches a job for his boss’ biggest client, he knows he will never claw his way out of the underworld. At least not until songbird Lark Montague offers him a deal. As Lachlan and Lark navigate the dark world, it becomes impossible to discern their fake marriage from a real one.

Get Leather & Lark at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Amy Lin joins us at the BOTM HQ to discuss her new memoir, Here After. This was such a beautiful and moving conversation about how her late husband inspires her to be brave every day, why grief is the final form of love, and the importance of community during loss. 

Amy Lin never expected to find a love like the one she shares with her husband. Here After is a rich and unflinchingly honest portrayal of her life with her late husband, the vortex created by his death, and the ongoing struggle she faces as she attempts to understand her own experience in the context of commonly held “truths” about what the grieving process looks like.

Get Here After at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Since we've never been ones to keep interesting new books to ourselves, we're kicking off a series of conversations with Book of the Month authors about God only knows what. Recorded at Book of the Month headquarters on West 27th St. in front of a live audience of raucous employees! Give us your ears and we'll give you a look into the minds of writers we admire and a treasure trove of anecdotes, wisdom, and fun.

Check out our first episode with author Adriana Trigiani on May 17th.

Every conversation with Adriana Trigiani is one to remember. According to Adriana, this one was years of manifestation in the making! Editorial Director Brianna Goodman and Editorial Associate Jerrod MacFarlane sit down with Adriana to talk about how stories are everywhere, especially in your own family tree. Adriana talks about her crazy Uncle (cousin?) Ralph who was thrown into a water tower by the U.S. Navy to learn how to swim. Get ready to laugh when you listen to this episode of Virtual Book Tour. After all, it’s not every day that an author makes someone who reads books for a living rethink how they view an entire genre. 

The Good Left Undone is a historical fiction spanning four generations of Italian women as they navigate love, identity, and family legacy.. If you love art, romance, and WWII history, then this is the book for you! 

Get The Good Left Undone at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Have you ever been so petty that you left your glass right next to the coaster, knowing that it might drive your own mother to murder? Well, our next guest wrote this exact scene for a character in her newest crime novel, Like a Sister. Author Kellye Garrett sits down with Editorial Director Brianna Goodman and Editorial Associate Jerrod MacFarlane to talk about how losing her job pushed her into a career writing books. Kellye talks about why she doesn’t love the process of writing, how her single person tendencies sometimes lead to some awkward Zoom interactions, and how a Hollywood billboard gave her the idea for her first book. Listen to all of this and more on this episode of Virtual Book Tour! The only question we have left is…what is Kellye’s Finsta account username?  

Like a Sister tells the story of Lena Scott, a NYC native who is determined to solve the mystery behind her sister's death. When her estranged sister dies under weird circumstances, Lena gets on the case. This book is perfect for someone who wants a tense, twisty whodunit novel, with a touch of pettiness and sarcasm. 

Get Like a Sister at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com 

How does an author go from writing Lord of the Rings fanfic to a spine-chilling tale about the supernatural? Author Isabel Cañas sits down with Editorial Director Brianna Goodman and Editorial Associate Jerrod MacFarlane to talk about how someone who is afraid of the dark (but really, who isn’t?) and a self-proclaimed “wuss” when it comes to horror, wrote The Hacienda, a spooky novel that will make you want to sleep with all of the lights on. Isabel talks about influences for the book, including the creepy basements in her childhood homes, the gothic literature she read as a moody, introspective teen, and the history lesson about Mexico that school never taught us. 

In The Hacienda, Beatriz moves onto her new husband’s estate and things start to take a turn for the haunted: visions of bloody clothes, unexplainable noises, and rumors of what might really have happened to her husband’s first wife. For those who want to wander around a creepy haunted house, The Hacienda is the book for you. 

Get The Hacienda at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

How can you fit conniving con artists, edge-of-your-seat endings, and shifty scammers all into one podcast episode? Listen to find out! Repeat BOTM author Julie Clark sits down with Editorial Director Brianna Goodman and Editorial Associate Jerrod MacFarlane to talk about how paranoia and a little bit of fear are the perfect recipe for a nail-biting thriller.

The Lies I Tell tells the story of Meg Williams, a woman who is expertly reinventing herself again and again as she moves from place to place, doing whatever it takes to get what she wants. Meanwhile, ambitious journalist Kat Roberts has been tracking Meg for years, committed to exposing her as the criminal she is. This twisty cat and mouse story will have you ripping through the pages to find out who the true con woman is.

Get your copy of The Lies I Tell at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT.

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com 

How can one little lamp cause so much trouble? And how do video game characters fit all of their potions, weapons, and maps into their pockets? On today’s episode, we answer these questions and more with Chelsea Abdullah, author of The Stardust Thief. 

The Stardust Thief is a novel that will grant your wish for a perfect fantasy with dark magic and a dangerous quest. When Loulie saves the life of a cowardly prince, she draws the attention of his powerful father, the sultan, who blackmails her into finding an ancient lamp that has the power to revive the barren land. 

Get The Stardust Thief  at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com 

What happens when you take tea leaf reading, family secrets, and powerful premonitions and blend them into an epic Western novel? You get Kali Fajardo-Anstine’s Woman of Light. On today’s episode, we talk about her deep Denver roots and the family stories that inspired her newest novel. 

Woman of Light is an epic yet intimate story that shows three generations of women trying to make a life in the perilous ’30s American West. This novel follows Luz “Little Light” Lopez, a tea leaf reader and laundress, who is left with her aunt to make ends meet after her older brother is run out of town by a violent white mob.

Get Woman of Light at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

We’re kicking off our new VBT Briefs series with Book of the Month 3peat author Helen Hoang. New members can get Helen Hoang’s most recent work, The Heart Principle, at bookofthemonth.com for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. Please note this episode contains adult topics and might not be appropriate for all listeners.

Here’s the brief:

“The date had been on their respective calendars for months–travel booked, conferences declined, childcare arranged. And now that they were all gathered back on campus, together for the first time in over a decade, it was almost impossible to believe this was what was happening. They sat uncomfortably in the small room, eyes darting around as if no one could decide who was good, who was bad, and, most importantly, who had done the thing.”

Written by Danica Lo. Author website: https://www.danicalo.com

Browse great reads at bookofthemonth.com and new members can get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Here’s the brief:

“The date had been on their respective calendars for months--travel booked, conferences declined, childcare arranged. And now that they were all gathered back on campus, together for the first time in over a decade, it was almost impossible to believe this was what was happening. They sat uncomfortably in the small room, eyes darting around as if no one could decide who was good, who was bad, and, most importantly, who had done the thing.”

Written by Jocelyn Kender.

Browse great reads at bookofthemonth.com and new members can get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.

Here’s the brief:

“The date had been on their respective calendars for months–travel booked, conferences declined, childcare arranged. And now that they were all gathered back on campus, together for the first time in over a decade, it was almost impossible to believe this was what was happening. They sat uncomfortably in the small room, eyes darting around as if no one could decide who was good, who was bad, and, most importantly, who had done the thing.”

If you could live in any video game, what would it be? Or are we actually living in one giant simulation already? We’re here to answer these questions and more with author Gabrielle Zevin. She talks about her above-average Mario Kart skills, her constant fight against reviews that describe her book as “lovely” and “charming,” and how we all need a little more play time in our lives. 

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a moving story of friendship and art-making that will make you nostalgic for your favorite childhood video games. It follows two characters, Sam and Sadie, who bonded while playing video games together as young kids. When they meet again as university students, they start building a video game together, which becomes incredibly successful and wrenches them into a life of unexpected fame. This book will make you feel all the feels, guaranteed.

Get Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

After listening to today’s episode, Blake Crouch will have you questioning everything. Are the biggest global corporations run solely by AI? Could gene modification make it so we can all run a 4-minute mile? Is Blake really writing fiction, or are his books actually just futures that haven’t become realities…yet? Our 3peat author is here today to blow our minds and talk about his new novel Upgrade. 

Upgrade tells the story of Logan Ramsey, the son of an ambitious geneticist whose goal of improving upon nature instead killed hundreds of millions in the Great Starvation. This novel explores the pros and cons of gene editing and shows readers that sometimes evolution can be a real downgrade if you’re not careful. 

Get Upgrade at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

She is an expert in all things adorable, a BOTM 3peat author, and can give you the inside scoop on what makes a great kiss. In this episode, Katherine Center talks about her newest novel, The Bodyguard. She also speaks to how the pandemic drove her to write her lightest novel yet, how really good fiction novels trick us into believing they’re real, and what it means to “eat” a book. 

The Bodyguard is about Hannah, an Executive Protection Agent hired to protect the very famous actor Jack Stapleton from a stalker. But when Jack’s mom gets sick and he comes home to Texas, he wants to keep his stalker—and need for a bodyguard—a secret from his family. So, Hannah enters into the role of fake girlfriend of Jack. In this witty romance the real question is whose heart needs protecting?

Get The Bodyguard at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. 

Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com 

Written by Book of the Month author Chloe Gong. 

Author website: https://thechloegong.com/ 

New members can get Chloe Gong’s novel, These Violent Delights, at bookofthemonth.com for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.

Here’s the brief:

No one wanted to see the psychic. Not initially. But it was a bachelorette party. How could we say no to the bride? Everyone played along at first, cracking jokes and taking sips of champagne. But as soon as the psychic entered our hotel suite, everyone at the party felt the energy shift. Suddenly, we couldn't wait to hear what the psychic would say. Of course, none of us realized that the words she was about to utter would change lives forever.

Written by Book of the Month author Hannah Orenstein. 

Author website: http://hannahorenstein.com/ 

New members can get Hannah Orenstein’s novel, Head Over Heels, at bookofthemonth.com for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.

Here’s the brief:

No one wanted to see the psychic. Not initially. But it was a bachelorette party. How could we say no to the bride? Everyone played along at first, cracking jokes and taking sips of champagne. But as soon as the psychic entered our hotel suite, everyone at the party felt the energy shift. Suddenly, we couldn't wait to hear what the psychic would say. Of course, none of us realized that the words she was about to utter would change lives forever.