The Book Up with Verdell Walker | Book Reviews & Book Recs

Escape the epic battles and world-ending peril—this bonus episode is all about cozy fantasy, the warm-hug corner of the genre where magic meets everyday life. From quaint villages to found-family friendships, these low-stakes, high-comfort reads are perfect for when you want magic with more charm than chaos.I’ll share what defines cozy fantasy, why it’s become such a comfort for so many readers, and some of my favorite books in the subgenre. Whether you’re new to cozy fantasy or already stocking your TBR, you’ll leave with plenty of magical, heartwarming recommendations.This episode is a bit longer than my standard ones, but well worth the listen.Find my fave cozy reads and those I want to read in my curated collection of book recs on Bookshop!And here's the Emily Wilde series spotlight episode in case you missed it! >> Emily Wilde Series SpotlightFurther ReadingMashable. How 'cozy gaming' is taking mindfulness mainstreamNY Times. In Tumultuous Times, Readers Turn to ‘Healing Fiction’This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UPStories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.Instagram: @thebookuppodYouTube: @TheBookUpPodcastSubstack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/Shop: The Book Up BookshopHelp me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

It’s time for a TBR refresh! In this episode - the season 2 finale! - I’m sharing the books currently on my to-be-read list, along with a few upcoming releases that have caught my eye. Whether you're looking to add to your own stack or just want to hear about what’s on my radar, tune in for a mix of anticipated reads and spontaneous picks. Always Be Reading!Here are the books I’ll be chatting about today: Katabasis: Bookshop.org | Amazon The Devil Three Times: Bookshop.org | Amazon Joy Goddess: A'Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance: Bookshop.org | Amazon The Knight & The Moth: Bookshop.org | Amazon Other books discussed:The Alex Stern series by Leigh Bardugo ✨ highly recommend!!! ✨Ninth House - Bookshop.org | AmazonHell Bent - Bookshop.org | Amazon (Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/tbr-top-up-2)This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UPStories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.Instagram: @thebookuppodYouTube: @TheBookUpPodcastSubstack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/Shop: The Book Up BookshopHelp me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

Love books? Looking for honest book reviews and book recs? You've come to the right podcast to find your next literary love story.Today’s book is "The Buffalo Hunter Hunter" by Stephen Graham Jones.A diary written in 1912 by a Lutheran pastor is discovered within a wall. What it unveils is a slow massacre, a chain of events that go back to 217 Blackfeet dead in the snow. Told via transcribed interviews of a Blackfeet named Good Stab, who shares the narrative of his peculiar life over a series of confessional visits. If you’d like to read it, you can purchase a copy: Bookshop.org | Amazon (Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/season-two-featured-books​)Read more about the Marias Massacre, which inspired this book, on Wikipedia.This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UPStories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.Instagram: @thebookuppodYouTube: @TheBookUpPodcastSubstack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/Shop: The Book Up BookshopHelp me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

Love books? Looking for honest book reviews and book recs? You've come to the right podcast to find your next literary love story.Today’s book is "To Shape a Dragon's Breath" by Moniquill Blackgoose. After the first dragon to hatch in generations in her homeland bonds with her, a young Indigenous woman enters a colonizer-run dragon academy—and quickly finds herself at odds with the “approved” way of doing things.If you’d like to read it, you can purchase a copy: Bookshop.org | Amazon (Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/season-two-featured-books​)Other books discussed in this episode:"To Ride a Rising Storm" by Moniquill Blackgoose: Bookshop.org | Amazon N.B.: While I didn’t cover this in the episode—gotta stick to my 15-minutes-or-less promise!—I did want to note that "To Shape a Dragon's Breath" includes LGBTQ characters and polyamorous relationships, which may interest some readers.This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UPStories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.Instagram: @thebookuppodYouTube: @TheBookUpPodcastSubstack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/Shop: The Book Up BookshopHelp me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

Love books? Looking for honest book reviews and book recs? You've come to the right podcast to find your next literary love story.Today’s book is "Isola" by Allegra Goodman. A French noblewoman, deserted on an island, must rely on her faith and love to survive nature's harsh challenges. Based on a true story!If you’d like to read it, you can purchase a copy: Bookshop.org | Amazon (Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/season-two-featured-books​)Other books featured in this episode:"The Vaster Wilds" by Lauren Groff: Bookshop.org | Amazon This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UPStories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.Instagram: @thebookuppodYouTube: @TheBookUpPodcastSubstack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/Shop: The Book Up BookshopHelp me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

Some stories are too good to fit into just one book. In this Series Spotlight, I’m diving into The Emily Wilde Series by Heather Fawcett — giving an overview of the series, what makes it stand out, and why I think it’s worth the commitment.The magical, delightful series is comprised of 3 books: Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries: Bookshop.org | Amazon Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands: Bookshop.org | Amazon Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales: Bookshop.org | Amazon (Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/series-spotlight-2-the-emily-wilde-series-by-heather-fawcett)This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UPStories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.Instagram: @thebookuppodYouTube: @TheBookUpPodcastSubstack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/Shop: The Book Up BookshopHelp me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

Love books? Looking for honest book reviews and book recs? You've come to the right podcast to find your next literary love story.Today’s book is "The Dream Hotel" by Laila Lalami. This dystopian literary novel is about one woman's fight for freedom, set in a near future where even dreams are under surveillance - and can be used against you. If you’d like to read it, you can purchase a copy: Bookshop.org | Amazon (Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/season-two-featured-books​)Other books featured in this episode:"Chain Gang All Stars" by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah: Bookshop.org | Amazon This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UPStories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.Instagram: @thebookuppodYouTube: @TheBookUpPodcastSubstack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/Shop: The Book Up BookshopHelp me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

Love books? Looking for honest book reviews and book recs? You've come to the right podcast to find your next literary love story.Today’s book is "The Last One" by Rachel Howzell Hall. This romantasy follows Kai, who awakens in a dangerous land plagued by sickness and supernatural creatures, with no memory of her past.This one was a doozy - and not in a good way.If you’d like to read it, you can purchase a copy: Bookshop.org | Amazon (Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/season-two-featured-books​)Other book recs featured in this episode:"A Court of Thorns & Roses" by Sarah J Maas (Book 1 of ACOTAR Series): Bookshop.org | Amazon "Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros (The Empyrean #1): Bookshop.org | Amazon "The Serpent and the Wings of Night" by Carissa Broadbent (Crowns of Nyaxia #1): Bookshop.org | Amazon "The Hurricane Wars" by Thea Guanzon (The Hurricane Wars #1): Bookshop.org | Amazon "Divine Rivals" by Rebecca Ross (Letters of Enchantment #1): Bookshop.org | Amazon This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UPStories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.Instagram: @thebookuppodYouTube: @TheBookUpPodcastSubstack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/Shop: The Book Up BookshopHelp me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

Love books? Looking for honest book reviews and book recs? You've come to the right podcast to find your next literary love story. And we're back with Season 2!Today’s featured book is "The Hacienda" by Isabel Cañas. In this atmospheric horror-thriller, the daughter of a disgraced general and a priest with supernatural powers team up against a murderous haunted house.I also share my ratings for the books featured in last season's TBR Top-Up - find out what I loved and what I didn't!If you’d like to read "The Hacienda", you can purchase a copy: Bookshop.org | Amazon (Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/season-two-featured-books)Other book recs (and films) featured in this episode:"Vampires of el Norte" by Isabel Cañas: Bookshop.org | Amazon "The Possession of Alba Díaz" by Isabel Cañas: Bookshop.org | Amazon "Mexican Gothic" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: Bookshop.org | Amazon "The Daughter of Dr. Moreau" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: Bookshop.org | Amazon "Sinners" - film; rent or buy on Amazon Prime; also available on HBO MaxThis episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UPStories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.Instagram: @thebookuppodYouTube: @TheBookUpPodcastSubstack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/Shop: The Book Up BookshopHelp me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

It’s time for a TBR refresh! In this episode - the season 1 finale! - I’m sharing the books currently on my to-be-read list, along with a few upcoming releases that have caught my eye. Whether you're looking to add to your own stack or just want to hear about what’s on my radar, tune in for a mix of anticipated reads and spontaneous picks. Always Be Reading!Here are the books I’ll be chatting about today: Greenteeth: Bookshop.org | Amazon The Queen’s Spade: Bookshop.org | Amazon The Sirens: Bookshop.org | Amazon Remember You Will Die: Bookshop.org | Amazon (Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/tbr-top-up-1)Other featured book recs:Weyward: Bookshop.org | Amazon This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my book recs, at no extra cost to you!CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UPStories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.Instagram: @thebookuppodYouTube: @TheBookUpPodcastSubstack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/Shop: The Book Up BookshopHelp me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

Love books? Looking for honest book reviews and book recs? You've come to the right podcast to find your next literary love story.Today’s featured book is Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao. A woman inherits a pawnshop where you can sell your regrets, and then embarks on a magical quest to find her parents with the help of a young physicist who wanders into the shop.If you’d like to read it, you can purchase a copy: Bookshop.org | Amazon (Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/season-one-featured-books)Other featured books:The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: Bookshop.org | Amazon The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern: Bookshop.org | Amazon Piranesi by Susanna Clarke: Bookshop.org | Amazon This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UPStories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.Instagram: @thebookuppodYouTube: @TheBookUpPodcastSubstack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/Shop: The Book Up BookshopHelp me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

Love books? Looking for honest book reviews and book recs? You've come to the right podcast to find your next literary love story.Today’s featured book is The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley. In this genre-bending sci-fi thriller, an unnamed civil servant and an Arctic explorer pulled from the past fall in love and face a time-jumping government conspiracy.If you’d like to read it, you can purchase a copy: Bookshop.org | Amazon (Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/season-one-featured-books)This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UPStories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.Instagram: @thebookuppodYouTube: @TheBookUpPodcastSubstack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/Shop: The Book Up BookshopHelp me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

Love books? Looking for honest book reviews and book recs? You've come to the right podcast to find your next literary love story.Today’s featured book is Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn. In this fun, fast-paced thriller, a group of retiring assassins find out they are on their employer's hit list and have to fight back.If you’d like to read it, you can purchase a copy: Bookshop.org | Amazon (Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/season-one-featured-books)Other featured books:Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybourn: Bookshop.org | Amazon Thelma [film] - rent or buy on Amazon PrimeThis episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UPStories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.Instagram: @thebookuppodYouTube: @TheBookUpPodcastSubstack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/Shop: The Book Up BookshopHelp me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

Some stories are too good to fit into just one book. In this Series Spotlight, I’m diving into The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee — giving an overview of the series, what makes it stand out, and why I think it’s worth the commitment.The series is comprised of 3 books, a novella, and a short story collection: Jade City: Bookshop.org | Amazon Jade War: Bookshop.org | Amazon Jade Legacy: Bookshop.org | Amazon The Jade Setter of Janloon (novella): Amazon Jade Shards (short stories): Amazon (Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/series-spotlight-the-green-bone-saga-by-fonda-lee)This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UPStories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.Instagram: @thebookuppodYouTube: @TheBookUpPodcastSubstack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/Shop: The Book Up BookshopHelp me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

Love books? Looking for honest book reviews and book recs? You've come to the right podcast to find your next literary love story.Today’s featured book is The Naturalist Society by Carrie Vaughn. In this academic fantasy, a young widow taps into a world-changing power and fights to discover herself.If you’d like to read it, you can purchase a copy: Bookshop.org | Amazon (Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/season-one-featured-books)Other featured books:The Glass Slide World (The Naturalist Society) by Carrie Vaughn: Bookshop.org | Amazon This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UPStories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.Instagram: @thebookuppodYouTube: @TheBookUpPodcastSubstack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/Shop: The Book Up BookshopHelp me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

Love books? Looking for honest book reviews and book recs? You've come to the right podcast to find your next literary love story.Today’s featured book is The God of the Woods by Liz Moore. In this literary thriller, the worlds of a privileged family and a blue collar town collide when a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp.If you’d like to read it, you can purchase a copy: Bookshop.org | Amazon (Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/season-one-featured-books)This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UPStories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.Instagram: @thebookuppodYouTube: @TheBookUpPodcastSubstack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/Shop: The Book Up BookshopHelp me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

Love books? Looking for honest book reviews and book recs? You've come to the right podcast to find your next literary love story.Today’s featured book is Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang. In this dark academic fantasy, the first woman ever admitted to a prestigious order of mages and her janitor-turned-assistant unravel a secret conspiracy that could change the practice of magic in her world forever.If you’d like to read it, you can purchase a copy: Bookshop.org | Amazon (Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/season-one-featured-books)Other featured booksBabel by RF Kuang: Bookshop.org | Amazon This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UPStories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.Instagram: @thebookuppodYouTube: @TheBookUpPodcastSubstack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/Shop: The Book Up BookshopHelp me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

Welcome to The Book Up! 📚🎙️Hey bookworms! I’m Verdell Walker, and I’m so excited to introduce The Book Up, a weekly book review podcast where I share my honest, unfiltered thoughts on my latest reads—all in 15 minutes or less.If you love books and want quick, insightful reviews to help you decide what to read next, this podcast is for you! Hit follow now so you don’t miss the first episode dropping on April 22, 2025.🎧 Listen, subscribe, and get ready for your next great read!This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.

Hey Bookworms! While I gear up for a brand new season of The Book Up, I'm revisiting one of my favorite episodes. If you're new here, welcome — this is a great place to start. If you've been with me a while, I hope this one feels like catching up with an old friend.Some stories are too good to fit into just one book. In this Series Spotlight, I’m diving into The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee — giving an overview of the series, what makes it stand out, and why I think it’s worth the commitment.The series is comprised of 3 books, a novella, and a short story collection: Jade City: Bookshop.org | Amazon Jade War: Bookshop.org | Amazon Jade Legacy: Bookshop.org | Amazon The Jade Setter of Janloon (novella): Amazon Jade Shards (short stories): Amazon (Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/series-spotlight-the-green-bone-saga-by-fonda-lee)This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UPStories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.Instagram: @thebookuppodYouTube: @TheBookUpPodcastSubstack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/Shop: The Book Up BookshopHelp me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

Hey Bookworms! I'm creating ​t​he next season of The Book Up — and while you wait, I'm dusting off a recommendation worth revisiting. Thanks for being here! Today’s featured book is The God of the Woods by Liz Moore. In this literary thriller, the worlds of a privileged family and a blue collar town collide when a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp.If you’d like to read it, you can purchase a copy: Bookshop.org | Amazon (Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/season-one-featured-books)This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music.Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UPStories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody.Instagram: @thebookuppodYouTube: @TheBookUpPodcastSubstack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/Shop: The Book Up BookshopHelp me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!