Talk Booky To Me

Two weeks later, and we are no closer to solving the mystery of endless TBR, but we will not give up! Join us, Felicia and Aaron, as we open with some news on book (and comic) recommendations before moving to the real case-of-the-week. Felicia investigated a few classics to see if Robert Jordan or old Bill Shakespeare may have a lead while Aaron travelled from Japan to the deep South and back to Europe, but...it's inconclusive. The trail went cold. Luckily, we are no strangers to cold cases. We end the episode with a discussion about telling versus showing in modern stories to give us a break, but we will be back on the hunt soon! Contact us at the links below, and thank you for listening!
 
Books Discussed at Length:
Eye of the World - Robert Jordan
Romeo and Juliet - William Shakespeare
The Ten Loves of Nishino - Hiromi Kawakami and translated by Allison Powell
King of Ashes - S.A. Cosby
James - Percival Everett
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year - Ally Carter
 
News:
Felicia - https://bookriot.com/best-comic-books-of-the-century-so-far/ 
Aaron - https://booktrib.com/2026/05/15/8-summer-reads-about-friends-bonding-over-a-pact/ 
 
Contact:
Email - talkbooky@gmail.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/talkbooky/
Felicia's GoodRead's - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/10748838-felicia
Aaron's GoodRead's - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/27722090-aaron 

It's time to break out the magnifying glass, put on our thinking caps, and find a giant dog that has a loose command of the English language because...a mystery needs to be solved this May! Join us, Felicia and Aaron, as we get ready for our monthly reading full of tangled mysteries and twisted criminals. We cover some news about Animorphs and anticipated May releases, follow up with a book exchange and a TBR brimming with investigation and sleuthing, provide some listener recommendations, and finish with a question about the weirdest things we use to save our page when we need a quick snack or bathroom break. Thank you for listening, and you can reach us at the outlets below. 
 
Listener Recommends:
The Finlay Donovan Series - Elle Cosimano
All of the Secret, Book and Scone Society - Elbert Adams
Thank You for Listening - Julia Whelan
 
News:
Felicia - https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/2924-readers-most-anticipated-books-for-may 
Aaron - https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/animorphs-tv-series-disney-plus-ryan-coogler-1236678435/ 
 
Contact:
Email - talkbooky@gmail.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/talkbooky/
Felicia's GoodRead's - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/10748838-felicia
Aaron's GoodRead's - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/27722090-aaron  

The last two week so April have been a mixed bag for Talk Booky. On the one hand, Felicia started full-time teaching while taking several literature classes, meaning she read a lot (of student writing) and had to write an ungodly amount about the few books she read.  On the other, Aaron finished three five-star books, almost finishing his TBR for the first time since starting the podcast. Regardless, this has been a fun one. Join us as we cover news about raising literacy rates and celebrating women who are pushed to the edge (weird combo this week), and talk through several books ranging from detective stories set during the Civil Rights Movement to fluffy dreams of turning into an eagle to questionable dietary restrictions in a dystopian future. It's an absolutely wild ride. We wrap up with some superlatives and a fun question on living in literary worlds to lighten the mood. Thank you for listening, and you can reach us at the outlets below. 
 
Books Discussed at Length:
Black Betty - Walter Mosley
Devil in a Blue Dress - Walter Mosley
The Eye of the World - Robert Jordan
Romeo and Juliet - William Shakespeare
Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop - Takuya Asakura
Dallergut Dream Department Store - Miye Lee
Tender is the Flesh - Agustina Bazterrica
The Vegetarian - Han Kang
The Ten Loves of Mr. Nishino - Hirami Kawakami
 
News:
Felicia - https://booktrib.com/2026/04/22/when-life-unravels-womens-fiction-with-a-pulse-of-suspense/ 
Aaron - https://www.aol.com/news/dolly-parton-free-book-program-103000672.html 
 
Contact:
Email - talkbooky@gmail.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/talkbooky/
Felicia's GoodRead's - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/10748838-felicia
Aaron's GoodRead's - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/27722090-aaron 

A few weeks into a month of translated literature, you may assume we learned a new language, but you would be wrong. You may assume we read some amazing books, and you would be right. That's all that matters...right? Right?! Join us, Felicia and Aaron, as we cover our mid-month reading progress for April. We start with some news about historical fiction and people who may make history, move to our TBR progress that involves hard-boiled detective novels and worlds where you can buy dreams. We then recommend some translated books in rapid-fire mode and wrap up with some random recommendations that have very little to do with literature. Thank you for listening, and you can reach us at the outlets below.
 
Books Discussed at Length:
Devil in a Blue Dress - Walter Mosley
The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop - Takuya Asakura
Eye of the World - Robert Jordan
Vigil - George Saunders
Hungry Ghosts - Anthony Bourdain
The Dallergut Dream Department Store - Miya Lee
 
News:
Felicia - https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/3113-a-jaunt-through-hyper-specific-historical-eras-with-books?content_type=all 
Aaron - https://time.com/collection/100-most-influential-people/2026/ 
 
Contact:
Email - talkbooky@gmail.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/talkbooky/
Felicia's GoodRead's - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/10748838-felicia
Aaron's GoodRead's - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/27722090-aaron 

One of our favorite things as literature lovers is experiencing something new. April brings about Spring, washing away some of the stagnation of Winter, and ushering in change. Join us, Felicia and Aaron, as we kickoff the new season with works in translation! This episode opens with some news on massive amount of upcoming books and a new Lord of the Rings film co-written by a comedian (huh?). We then exchange books originally published in a non-English language and set up TBR's filled with the languages we wish we could speak, ranging from mysterious hotels full of dreams to wintery towns where the only dream is hockey. Then, a listener contributes some suggestions, and we sign off by reflecting on our favorite reads of the year so far. Thank you for joining us, and you can reach us at the outlets below.
 
Listener Recommends:
Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka
The Odyssey - Homer
Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop - Hwang Bo-Reum
A Man Called Ove - Fredrick Backman
My Friends - Fredrick Backman
 
News:
Felicia - https://gizmodo.com/72-new-sci-fi-fantasy-and-horror-books-arriving-in-april-2000733047 
Aaron - https://www.npr.org/2026/03/25/nx-s1-5760799/stephen-colbert-lord-of-the-rings 
 
Contact:
Email - talkbooky@gmail.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/talkbooky/
Felicia's GoodRead's - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/10748838-felicia
Aaron's GoodRead's - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/27722090-aaron  

It's weird to wrap up the weird month with a lot of weird feelings about the weird books we read. That's a weird sentence...anyway, join us, Felicia and Aaron, as we wrap up March! We open with some news about nostalgic literature getting its flowers and the new shortlist for an international award (foreshadowing our next theme at Talk Booky). The discussion moves to a few books we purchased and our TBR progress. This is where is gets...weird. Okay, I'll stop. But seriously, we read such an odd range of books this month that the conversation ranges from meticulous interpretations of queer themes in eco-thriller novels to philosophical ponderings of a ghostly woman who returns to Earth with her butt in the air like a Looney Tunes character. Get ready for plenty of laughs and some disappointments as we deliver superlatives and conclude with some random recommendations about TV and stationary. It's a packed episode, and we appreciate you listening! You can reach us at the outlets below.
 
Books Discussed at Length:
Hot for Slayer - Ali Hazelwood
Morsel - Carter Keane
Kept - Evelyn Flood
Pines - Blake Crouch
Vigil - George Saunders
Hungry Ghosts - Anthony Bourdain
 
News:
Felicia - https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/articles/best-selling-authors-novel-ranked-033150426.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGCot2luQ4QtUfSYJ1AHwga1K70LlxEA--EB5rEqJVm0IPbxeqoBt1JV6AzSdwRz-HLP_WPhTnIuWZUvzm1jsdQX53Y8Ml-iTyDegVM-GnCusj6sMzScU9ReRstDhrMwymw6uERlzlwBvF8hwxBxqb2vSJNtRV_DwdGB9zacqfUR 
Aaron - https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/31/books/international-booker-prize-shortlist.html 
 
Contact:
Email - talkbooky@gmail.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/talkbooky/
Felicia's GoodRead's - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/10748838-felicia
Aaron's GoodRead's - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/27722090-aaron 

It's fitting that our "odd" month includes an odd recording schedule. Here we are, four days before mid-month, trying to share our progress so far, and the content is...surprisingly rich! Join us, Felicia and Aaron, as we cover some news on new releases and the British Book Awards, move on to discuss our reading progress which is full of assassins and eating-the-rich, share listener recommendation and rapid fires on odd books, and wrap up with a question about Michael Crichton and how to handle an author's conflicting beliefs. It's a packed episode, especially for ten days of reading, and we hope you enjoy it. You can reach us at the outlets below. 
 
Listener Recommends:
The Secret, Book and Scone Society - Ellery Adams
Parable of the Sower - Octavia E. Butler
Glorious Exploits - Ferdia Lennon
The Authenticity Project - Clare Pooley
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane - Lisa See
 
Books Discussed at Length:
Annie John - Jamaica Kincaid
Don't Log Off: Part One - M.F. Adele
Don't Log Off: Part Two - M.F. Adele
Definitely Not - Rae Knight
Lost: Back to the Island - Emily St. James and Noel Murray
Morse - Carter Keane (releasing April 14th)
 
 
News:
Felicia - https://www.thebookseller.com/the-british-book-awards/the-british-book-awards-2026 
Aaron - https://www.npr.org/2026/03/09/nx-s1-5738478/darkology-blackface-rhae-lynn-barnes 
 
Contact:
Email - talkbooky@gmail.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/talkbooky/
Felicia's GoodRead's - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/10748838-felicia
Aaron's GoodRead's - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/27722090-aaron 

It's a new month, so that's a brand-new chance to finish a TBR! Join us, Felicia and Aaron, as we cover some news about boundary-breaking women in Japan and fighting oppression in Ukraine with poetry before we introduce our new theme. Not to spoil it, but it's going to be a weird month. We set up a TBR full of interesting oddities after exchanging a book to push us out of our comfort zones, and we end with question about book settings. Thank you for joining us, and you can reach us at the outlets below. 
 
News:
Felicia - https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/international/international-book-news/article/99736-bestselling-women-writers-in-japan-defy-clich.html 
Aaron - https://theconversation.com/lines-from-the-frontline-the-poet-soldiers-defending-ukraine-276676 
 
Contact:
Email - talkbooky@gmail.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/talkbooky/
Felicia's GoodRead's - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/10748838-felicia
Aaron's GoodRead's - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/27722090-aaron 

Another February rolls to a close, and we, mostly, broke the curse of book slumpage (we know that's not a word, but cut us some slack). Join us, Felicia and Aaron, as we halfway celebrate a February of rich reading. We start with some timely news about Black literature recommendations and not-so-timely news about a Shakespeare folio. We move on to books we purchased or were gifted, including some relevant Black literature and some titles that might find their way into our March theme (teaser). The thinner part of the episode then opens with our discussion about books we read and our superlatives for the month, including a lot of disappointments as we read for necessity and grind to a stand-still on books we enjoy, for the most part. Regardless, we have a lot of fun conversations and wrap up with some recommendations that will certainly improve your lives. Thank you for listening, and you can reach us at the outlets below!
 
Books Discussed at Length:
Vexatious Queen - Brooklyn Cross
The Death of Ivan Ilyich - Leo Tolstoy
James - Percival Everett
Lost: Back to the Island - Emily St. James and Noel Murray
 
ARCs Introduced:
Morsel - Carter Keane
 
News:
Felicia - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/the-read-down/black-authors-on-their-favorite-books-by-black-authors/ 
Aaron - https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg5n722vj4ro 
 
Contact:
Email - talkbooky@gmail.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/talkbooky/
Felicia's GoodRead's - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/10748838-felicia
Aaron's GoodRead's - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/27722090-aaron 

The usual book slump of February can't stand up to us this year! Join us, Felicia and Aaron, as we do a mid-month update on our reading progress during the month that usually sends us spiraling into a cave that drains our ability to read until March. Not in 2026...well, at least for one of us! We open with some exciting news about a childhood favorite book getting an aged-up sequel and Booker Prize winner heading to the big screen. Then, we discuss the odd and sprawling range of literature we finished since the 1st, including many classics and a few modern hits, give some rapid-fire recommendations in honor of Black History Month, and wrap up with a timely question about breaking a reading slump with a comfort read. Thank you for listening, and you can reach us at the outlets below. 
 
Books Discussed at Length:
Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston
The Awakening - Kate Chopin
Super Nintendo: The Game-Changing Company that Unlocked the Power of Play - Keza MacDonald
The Yellow Wallpaper - Charlotte Perkins Gilman
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner - Samuel Coleridge
The Pearl - John Steinbeck
The Neighbor Favor - Kristina Forest
Lost: Back to the Island - Emily St. James and Noel Murray
James - Percival Everett
 
News:
Felicia - https://people.com/fiona-davis-samantha-the-next-chapter-cover-reveal-exclusive-11903556 
Aaron - https://deadline.com/2026/02/lincoln-in-the-bardo-duke-johnson-george-saunders-1236719042/ 
 
Contact:
Email - talkbooky@gmail.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/talkbooky/
Felicia's GoodRead's - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/10748838-felicia
Aaron's GoodRead's - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/27722090-aaron