Talk Booky To Me

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 

February is usually the slowest month for the Talk Booky duo, but we are meeting it with fierce motivation this year. The regular below-freezing temperatures and requirements to read literature that is over five-hundred years old won't deter us from making the most of this year's Black History Month. Join us, Felicia and Aaron, as we cover some lists of Black literature recommendations, exchange books that are sure to enrich the diversity of our reading, and set up TBRs based on uplifting Black voices during some of the most racially trying times in recent history. We then outsource some strong listener recommendations and end with some (mostly) free resources for literature news and access to reading materials. Thank you for joining us as we put on strong faces and tackle this incredibly necessary theme. You can reach us at the outlets below.
 
Listener Recommends:
The Help - Kathryn Stockett
The Nickel Boys - Colson Whitehead
A Calamity of Souls - David Baldacci
The House of Eve - Sadeqa Johnson
White Like Her - Gail Lukasik
Just Mercy - Bryan Stevenson
The Other Wes Moore - Wes Moore
James - Percival Everett
 
News:
Felicia - https://www.bookbub.com/blog/black-history-month-2026?universal=true 
Aaron - https://pangobooks.com/blog/books-for-black-history-month?srsltid=AfmBOorgr7PssAIXKdBZyEIOwCvm9hCVyO8erRSA_xQUh8odnsknVBnK 
 
Resource Recommendations:
https://booksofbrilliance.com/ 
https://bookoutlet.com/?utm_source=Pmax&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Clue&utm_source=Googleads&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Clue&gad_source=1 
https://electricliterature.com/ 
https://www.gutenberg.org/ 
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/ 
Kindle Unlimited
Libby
 
Book Club Dates (Cassandra Clare's City of Fallen Angels):
Part One - 2/22
Part Two - 3/16
 
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 

We may not visit five-star restaurants very often, but this month was full of five-star books. Join us, Felicia and Aaron, as we wrap up a month full of odd and impressive reads. Nostalgia washes over this episode as we revisit the small and mighty hobbits of Tolkien, reminisce about days in front of the TV with thumbs hammering the A-Button to make Mario jump faster, and get lost in...the TV show Lost. We open with some news about 30 books across 30 years and five adaptations that supposedly outshine the novels they are based on, discuss our reads since mid-month, dish out superlatives, and wrap up with a character-driven question. Thank you for listening, and you can reach us at the outlets below.
 
Books Discussed at Length:
The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
Tartuffe - Moliere
Oroonoko - Aphra Behn
Accomplice to the Villain - Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Super Nintendo - Keza MacDonald (Link to Purchase: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/super-nintendo-keza-macdonald/1147411650 )
Kitchen Confidential - Anthony Bourdain
The Compound - Aisling Rawle
Lost: Back to the Island - Emily St. James and Noel Murray
The Backyard Bird Chronicle - Amy Tan
 
News:
Felicia - https://booksofbrilliance.com/2026/01/29/the-30-best-books-of-the-last-30-years/ 
Aaron - https://screenrant.com/book-adaptations-where-movie-is-better-list/ 
 
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 

We at Talk Booky don't want to say we can predict the future, but this episode makes a good case for us. Join us, Felicia and Aaron, on our pursuit of five-star books to kick off 2026. We are halfway through January with a few hits already. This episode kicks off with some news about Southern literature that breaks stereotypes and YA adaptations that are likely to embrace stereotypes before moving to our TBR progress. This is where things heat up. Aaron already found a five-star read that quite literally fell into his mailbox, and Felicia shed tears for her first two five-star reads of the year. After celebrating, we wrap up with our top five books of 2025 and a fun question about books that intimidate us. Thank you for listening, and you can reach us at the outlets below.
 
Books Discussed at Length:
We Are All Guilty Here - Karin Slaughter
Things You Save in a Fire - Katherine Center
Folklore Rules - Lynne McNeill
Obstetrix - Naomi Kritzer
Super Nintendo - Keza Macdonald
Apprentice to the Villain - Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Stanzas in America - Gilbert Allen
Kitchen Confidential - Anthony Bourdain
 
ARCs Introduced:
Super Nintendo - Keza MacDonald
The Body - Behany Morrow
Green and Deadly Things - Jenn Lyons
Hell's Heart - Alexis Hall
Sublimination - Isabel Kim
 
News:
Felicia - https://electricliterature.com/7-books-that-complicate-stories-about-the-south/ 
Aaron - https://bookriot.com/ya-books-to-film-adaptations/ 
 
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 

Time to buy a new Sports Illustrated calendar, pack up our sweaters with 2024 slang words like "aura" and "huz" on them, give up on learning what 6-7 means and hope it dies out, and, most importantly, watch that GoodRead's number roll from 452 (or, you know, 30) books read to 0. Join us, Felicia and Aaron, as we cover some news that looks back at 2025 and gives suggestions to plan our 2026 reading before introducing a new theme to motivate us into the new year. We set up our TBRs and end with some predictions for the 2026 award season. Thank you for listening, and you can reach us at the outlets below. Happy New Year!
Listener Recommends:
Thank You for Listening - Julia Whalen
The Book Club for Troublesome Women - Marie Bostwick
Dial A for Aunties - Jess Q. Sutanto
Finding Grace - Loretta Rothschild
The People We Keep - Allison Larken
The Storied Life of AJ Fikry - Gabrielle Zevon
The Stolen Queen - Fiona Davis
The Rose Code - Kate Quinn
Nickel Boys - Colson Whitehead
They Came for the School - Mike Hixenbaugh
 
News:
Felicia - https://www.elle.com/culture/books/g69874348/best-fiction-books-2025/ 
Aaron - https://bookriot.com/bookish-planner-supplies-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