Books, Beach, & Beyond

Episode 4 brings us the incredible writing talent that is Ann Patchett, an "auto-buy" author for our hosts and the 2023 National Humanities Medal recipient for "putting into words the beauty, pain and complexity of human nature." The three start their conversation by diving into Elin and Ann's respective years at the Iowa Writers' Workshop before exploring Ann's writing process, her friendship with Lucy Grealy, and her ability to nail human relationships on the page. They also discuss t...

CNN Anchor and chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper joins Elin Hilderbrand and Tim Ehrenberg to report on his new novel, All the Demons Are Here. They start by discussing growing up in the 80's in Philadelphia, Jake’s origin story as a journalist-turned-novelist, the turbulent year of 1977 (in which his newest thriller takes place), reporting on news today while writing about the past, and how music is used to set the scene in literature. Does Jake Tapper sing in this episode? You will ...

September is still summer in our books, and there is still plenty of time to put a couple more "beach reads" in your beach bags. Our latest guest is Sunny Hostin, the 3x Emmy Award-winning co-host of ABC’s “The View” and the New York Times best-selling author of Summer on the Bluffs and Summer on Sag Harbor. Sunny discusses her memoir, I Am These Truths, and how writing it helped form her identity, as well as talking about her novels and how place acts as a character. Recommendations, events,...

This episode features one of Elin and Tim’s favorite writers and friends, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Mad Honey, Wish You Were Here, and My Sister’s Keeper , Jodi Picoult! Jodi discusses writing from both perspectives of a controversial issue, her twist endings and intense research process, and co-writing with Samantha Van Leer and Jennifer Finney Boylan. Elin and Jodi dig into their decisions around narrative voice in their stories and their relationships and online interactions...

In this episode of Books, Beach, & Beyond, we welcome Gilbert Cruz, Editor of the New York Times Book Review. Cruz discusses his childhood, schooling, and career that led to one of the most elite jobs in the book business. He gives listeners a behind-the-scenes look into the process of choosing books to review in the New York Times, who reviews them, and how the "Top Ten Books of the Year" are chosen. Tim and Gilbert bond over their love and obsession with Stephen King, while Elin a...

Please welcome to the podcast the hilariously entertaining and #1 best-selling author of In Her Shoes, Mrs. Everything, and The Summer Place, Jennifer Weiner! This is one juicy episode of literary gossip with so many laugh-out-loud moments. Jen takes us through her two decades in the book business, from her debut Good in Bed to her latest, The Breakaway. We dive into mothers and daughters, biking and "yogging," commercial fiction vs. literary fiction, as well as tall tales from Elin and Jen's...

It Ends with Colleen Hoover. Yes, Season 1 of Books, Beach, & Beyond wraps up with the mega best-selling author of It Ends With Us and Verity, Colleen Hoover, or CoHo as she is known by all her adoring fans. Colleen, Elin, and Tim discuss Colleen’s super unique journey from self-publishing her books to today working with multiple publishers and editors, domestic abuse and secondary trauma in It Ends with Us, the ending of Verity, screen adaptations, and the connection she has made with he...

In this bonus episode, Elin and Tim travel virtually across the pond to Scotland to interview one of their favorite writers of the English language, Maggie O’Farrell, author of Hamnet and The Marriage Portrait. The three discuss the differences between publishing in the UK and in the US, what it means to Maggie to be Irish, how she researches her settings, point of view and experimentation with the craft of language, publishing a plague novel during COVID-19, writing fiction about real people...

For our second bonus episode for 2023, we stay across the pond and get to chat with the #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Beartown Series, A Man Called Ove, and Anxious People - Fredrik Backman! Elin and Tim chat with Fredrik about his origin story, his debut novel A Man Called Ove and where the idea for this iconic story came from, his Beartown series and the hockey team and town in the trilogy, and his writing process. We hear the differences between publishing in the U.S. and Sw...

The final bonus episode of Books, Beach, & Beyond for 2023 features a friendly conversation between your beloved hosts, Elin Hilderbrand and Tim Ehrenberg! The two recap the first season of the podcast, dish on their favorite episodes, favorite books of 2023, most anticipated books of 2024, their reading routines, offer writing and reading advice, discuss Elin's final Nantucket novel Swan Song and her upcoming The Perfect Couple show, and answer wonderful questions from all of YOU listene...

Welcome back into the studio with your hosts of Books, Beach, & Beyond, Elin Hilderbrand and Tim Ehrenberg, for an incredible introductory episode of Season 2. The episode is a quick catch-up with Elin and Tim… where they traveled this winter and what they’ve recently been reading and recommending. The two then dive into Swan Song, Elin’s final Nantucket novel publishing June 11th, and discuss its plot and characters, the Nantucket Special Edition from Nantucket Book Partners, and nostalg...

After a fun introductory episode, Season 2 of Books, Beach, & Beyond officially begins with award-winning actor, entrepreneur, producer, and designer Sarah Jessica Parker. Elin, Tim, and SJP shine a light on SJP Lit, the collaboration with Zando and her new imprint that publishes thought-provoking, inclusive, and big-hearted stories which include A Quitter’s Paradise by Elysha Chang, Coleman Hill by Kim Coleman Foote, Women and Children First by Alina Grabowski, and They Dream in Gold by ...

Emma Straub is the New York Times best-selling author of This Time Tomorrow, All Adults Here, The Vacationers, and Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures. Elin and Tim dig in deep on being the daughter of novelist Peter Straub, growing up in New York City, her writing education and origin story, debut novels, time travel (Elin, Tim, and Emma travel back to their 16 year old bedrooms and bookshelves). Emma discusses the reason for writing her most recent novel This Time Tomorrow as juggling her job a...

Emily Giffin is the #1 bestselling novelist of Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and on shelves yesterday, The Summer Pact. Elin, Tim, and Emily dissect their college experiences and friendships, and similar to the plot of The Summer Pact, how those relationships are some of the closest you can have in your lives. They segue into the underlying themes in Emily’s 12 books, perspective and point of view in her writing, and her law degree before her career as a writer. Elin and Emily gab about...

Steven Rowley is the best-selling author of Lily and the Octopus, The Editor, The Guncle (Winner of the Thurber Prize for American Humor), The Celebrants (a Today Show Read with Jenna Book Club pick) and the recently published, The Guncle Abroad. Steven begins with his writing talents as a child through his publishing journey to his status as bestselling novelist, the love of our pets, queer voices in fiction, writer and editor relationships, writing a sequel, killing your darlings, being mar...