Book of the Month Live

In this special episode recorded at the Aspen Literary Festival presented by Book of the Month, debut authors Kristin Koval, Anika Jade Levy, and Eliana Ramage give candid thoughts on first novels, family themes, and the pure magic of getting published. From origin stories to audience questions, they discuss what it takes to go from blank page to Book of the Month pick. About Penitence: When murder rocks a Colorado family, old secrets resurface, and long-lost love returns. Spanning decades and coasts, one family grapples with guilt, forgiveness, and the mess of trying to make things right. About Flat Earth: In a crumbling near-future New York, a young woman spirals through grad school, sugar daddies, and watching her best friend become the next big thing. This darkly funny debut explores transactional love, female friendship, and some unexpected conspiracy theories.  About To the Moon and Back: Steph Harper is determined to escape her past—and Earth—with a dream to become an astronaut. As she pushes toward space, and past the Cherokee Nation where she was raised, the women around her navigate their own journeys of identity, ambition, and belonging.  Get Penitence, Flat Earth, and To the Moon and Back at bookofthemonth.com.  Learn more about Book of the Month LIVE at bookofthemonth.com/botm-live.  

Author Thea Weiss came by our headquarters to chat about her debut novel, The Second Chance Cinema, and things got nostalgic fast. She shares thoughts on lasting love, the memories that make us, and, of course, the movies.  A couple on the brink of marriage stumbles upon a hidden theatre that screens their real life memories, forcing them to confront forgotten moments, buried truths, and old versions of themselves. As the past plays out on screen, they must decide whether revisiting it will strengthen their future or unravel it.  Get The Second Chance Cinema at bookofthemonth.com.  Learn more about Book of the Month LIVE at bookofthemonth.com/botm-live.  

Author Stephanie Garber visited our headquarters to discuss her first adult book, Alchemy of Secrets. During our conversation, we learned what it was like for Stephanie to start writing for a new audience, along with a few other important things about her–she's obsessed with urban legends, she makes excellent kettle corn, and she wouldn't be surprised if magic turned out to be real.  When Holland, a grad student, takes a mysterious course called Folklore 517: Local Legends and Urban Myths, she becomes convinced that there's more to Los Angeles than meets the eye. As she realizes that the legends might contain elements of truth, she gets caught up in a web of magic, secrets, and lies.  Get Alchemy of Secrets at bookofthemonth.com.  Learn more about Book of the Month LIVE at bookofthemonth.com/botm-live.  

Author, reality TV star, and founding member of Momtok, Mayci Neeley visited our headquarters in New York to discuss her new memoir, Told You So. From the grief of losing the father of her child to the undeniable joys of motherhood, she opened up about all the ways her life experiences have prepared her for the ups and downs of fame. Reality TV star Mayci Neeley shares an inspiring and honest examination of the life experiences that have shaped her—from painful losses to the gift of becoming a mom—and makes the case for wearing your scars with pride. Get Told You So at bookofthemonth.com. Learn more about Book of the Month LIVE at bookofthemonth.com/botm-live.  

The best way to listen to Book of the Month LIVE is in our app. Author Elizabeth Gilbert didn't hold back in her visit to our headquarters, where she unpacked the wrenching life experiences that shaped her new memoir, All the Way to the River. From falling for her dear friend, to recognizing addiction in all its forms, to finally understanding that we're all students in one big Earth School. Sometimes true love becomes a true nightmare. Liz Gilbert bares her soul—and all her skeletons—in a deeply personal memoir, unpacking a friendship-turned-romance that spiraled out of control. Get All the Way to the River at bookofthemonth.com. Learn more about Book of the Month LIVE at bookofthemonth.com/botm-live.  

Author Sharon Kurtzman visited our headquarters to discuss her new historical novel, The Lost Baker of Vienna. She shared the true family history that inspired the story, why it took her 25 long years to complete it, and how food and family are always intertwined. A young woman in post-war Vienna finds herself caught between two futures, and two suitors, as she struggles to keep her family afloat — and keep her father's legacy alive through baking his best recipes. Get The Lost Baker of Vienna at bookofthemonth.com. Learn more about Book of the Month LIVE at bookofthemonth.com/botm-live.  

Author Sarah MacLean stopped by our headquarters to discuss her new book, These Summer Storms. She broke down the book's themes of wealth, power, and nobility—and spilled about writing the first chapter of her first novel on a dare. When Alice Storm's wealthy father passes away, the whole family has to pay their final respects by playing a week-long twisted game on a private island—or risk losing out on their inheritance. Get These Summer Storms at bookofthemonth.com. Learn more about Book of the Month LIVE at bookofthemonth.com/botm-live.  

The best way to listen to Book of the Month LIVE is in our app. Author Wally Lamb visited our headquarters to discuss his new novel, The River Is Waiting. He talked about what motivates his writing (fear), the most common reported side effect of reading his books (crying), and what it takes to really forgive (listen to find out). When a new father causes an unimaginable tragedy, he is confronted with prison time and a question he may never be able to answer: what does it take to win his family's forgiveness? Get The River Is Waiting at bookofthemonth.com. Learn more about Book of the Month LIVE at bookofthemonth.com/botm-live.  

The best way to listen to Book of the Month LIVE is in our app. Author Janelle Brown visited our headquarters to discuss her new work of fiction, What Kind of Paradise. She also opened up about her love-hate relationship with technology, including her former career as a tech writer, and why she thinks pastoral living sounds pretty good right about now. A teenage girl who's grown up off-the-grid gets plugged into society during the dawn of Silicon Valley, and starts to question everything she thought she knew about her father. Get What Kind of Paradise at bookofthemonth.com. Learn more about Book of the Month LIVE at bookofthemonth.com/botm-live.  

The best way to listen to Book of the Month LIVE is in our app. Author and fashion designer Prabal Gurung stepped out of the Met Gala and into our headquarters to discuss his new memoir, Walk Like a Girl. He also spilled about what really goes on behind the scenes on fashion's biggest night, and revealed his most iconic role model—his powerhouse mother. From Nepal to New York, fashion icon Prabal Gurung shares his story of growing up as a queer boy, and growing into his status as a fashion legend. Get Walk Like a Girl at bookofthemonth.com. Learn more about Book of the Month LIVE at bookofthemonth.com/botm-live.  

The best way to listen to Book of the Month LIVE is in our app. Author Chioma Okereke stopped by our headquarters to talk about the inspiration for—and meaning of—her new book, Water Baby. From the cooking show that sparked her initial curiosity, to the eventual organization she founded to support women and girls in Makoko, she spared no detail about how she brought her book to life. Nineteen-year-old Baby has lived in Makoko, the floating slum off mainland Lagos, Nigeria, her whole life. When a video of her goes viral and she gets an opportunity to shape a different future for herself, she's forced to decide whether life beyond the lagoon is what she truly wants. Get Water Baby at bookofthemonth.com. Learn more about Book of the Month LIVE at bookofthemonth.com/botm-live.

The best way to listen to Book of the Month LIVE is in our app. Author Kaylie Smith visited our headquarters to discuss her new book, Enchantra. She revealed the challenges of writing her latest novel, how she finds satisfaction in her work, and her unexpected love for pigeons—among other things. The sequel to Phantasma has arrived. After her mother dies, Genevieve Grimm receives an irresistible invitation to a cursed palace in Italy. When she enters, she begins a dark game of hide and seek with a handsome—and hostile—host. Get Enchantra at bookofthemonth.com. Learn more about Book of the Month LIVE at bookofthemonth.com/botm-live.  

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 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.

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.  

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.  

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.  

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.  

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.  

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.