Beyond the Next Chapter with Whitney Clark

Latest Episodes:

Rebecca Serle on her new book "Expiration Dates" Mar 19, 2024

Show notes

What if every time you met a man, you would know how long you would spend with him? That's the premise of Rebecca Serle's new book "Expiration Dates." Our host Whitney Clark got a chance to talk to Serle about her latest project and the story of Daphne Bell. In this podcast episode, Whitney and Rebecca dive into faith versus free will, the significance of female relationships and how they change throughout your 30's, and Rebecca's secrets to a successful book club! Serle is known for incorporating magical realism into her stories and "Expiration Dates" is no different. She's a New York Times best selling author who also wrote "One Italian Summer" and "In Five Years."

Where you can go to book fairs for grown-ups in the Valley Mar 05, 2024

Show notes

Whitney Clark takes us on a trip down memory lane! Her guest this week is Laura Sharp, the owner of a Gilbert-based pop-up bookstore. Literally, A Bookshop is a children's bookstore that also hosts events for grown-ups! Think the Scholastic Book Fair, but instead of your school gymnasium, events for adults are hosted at wine bars and breweries across the Valley. You can buy a book while drinking a beer or a glass of wine, while also connecting with your fellow readers. Laura shares why she started the events for adults, what it's like owning an independent bookstore, and the magic of introducing kids to books.

What is a Silent Book Club? Feb 20, 2024

Show notes

In this episode of "Beyond the Next Chapter," our host Whitney Clark introduces us to silent book clubs. What is a silent book club? Think of it as a flash mob, but for readers! You show up with a book and meet other readers. It's less pressure than a traditional book club and is growing in popularity. Whitney talks to the organizers of the Phoenix and East Valley Silent Book Club chapters who say they now have two meetings a month.

Kristin Hannah on her new book "The Women" Feb 06, 2024

Show notes

In the second episode of "Beyond the Next Chapter," our host Whitney Clark talks to the #1 New York Times Bestselling author Kristin Hannah. If you don't immediately recognize her name, you likely have seen her books!

Hannah has written more than 20 novels including "The Nightingale," "The Four Winds," and "The Great Alone." Hollywood has also taken note. Her book "Firefly Lane" was the #1 series on Netflix around the world the week it came out and Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group has already preemptively acquired the rights to "The Women."

Hannah's newest book, "The Women," is the fictionalized story of the brave nurses who served during the Vietnam War. Hannah grew up during that time period and it cast a big shadow over her life. Fans of Hannah's work will see familiar themes in "The Women," including the power of female friendships.

"I really write about women finding their voices. Women finding their power," Hannah said on the podcast. "And in the best of circumstances finding their power, and then pausing to turn and help other women who are still struggling on that journey."

"The Women" is out now wherever you buy your books.

Whitney's Reading Origin Story & How to Raise a Reader Jan 23, 2024

Show notes

In the first episode of "Beyond the Next Chapter," we'll introduce you to our host, Whitney Clark, and dive into her reading origin story. Some of her earliest memories include her dad reading to her and taking her to the library or the bookstore. Whitney is joined by her dad and Samantha Mears with the Maricopa County Library District, who is raising a young reader herself! Samantha shares how you can encourage your kids to read through the "1,000 Books Before Kindergarten" program.

Welcome to "Beyond the Next Chapter with Whitney Clark" Jan 16, 2024

Show notes

Think of this as a book recommendation podcast for all walks of readers, whether you're an avid reader or you want to fall in love with books! It's a place to come to find your next great read from romance, to thrillers, to historical fiction, non-fiction and so much more. As the title implies, in each episode host Whitney Clark will take you beyond the next chapter. We'll talk to our favorite authors, local authors and dive into important topics: how can we improve literacy rates in our community? What's a silent book club? Why are books banned? Audiobooks vs. books? How can I find more time to read? How can I encourage my kids to read? Starting in mid-January, episodes will be released every other Tuesday wherever you get your podcasts.

Steven Rowley, "The Celebrants" Jun 27, 2023

Show notes

A group of college friends lose one member of the group to suicide just before graduation in 1995. The loss resonates and shapes their relationships for decades in this funny and moving novel by Steven Rowley. Steven returns to the podcast to talk about his fantastic 2023 release, a story that is personal to the author in many ways, "there's so much story in these middle years," he says of the characters who align with his own path. He talks with Olivia about the book's success, the screen adaptations for his work that are awaiting the end of the writers' strike, and his own marriage.

The book is available in hardcover from GP Putnam & Sons, and the author narrates the audiobook. For more visit his website

This is the last episode of the Olivia's Book Club podcast. Keep up with the group on Facebook, and stay connected with Olivia on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube

Riley Sager, "The Only One Left" Jun 20, 2023

Show notes

Riley Sager is back and this creepy, twisty thriller takes readers on a tense ride to reveal what really happened the night of the Hope family murders, and why then 17-year-old Lenora was THE ONLY ONE LEFT.

Sager returns to the podcast for the third time to talk about his latest work, his book tour, and the plans for upcoming adaptation of THE HOUSE ACROSS THE LAKE for Netflix. For more on the author visit his website.

Riley Sager will be at The Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Scottsdale on June 19th, information is here.

Ashley Audrain, "The Whispers" Jun 13, 2023

Show notes

Ashley Audrain, the author of the 2021 powerhouse women's fiction debut, THE PUSH, returns to the podcast to talk with Olivia about her new novel, THE WHISPERS.

THE WHISPERS takes us to an affluent street where we experience life, frustration, marriage concerns, parenting failures, heartbreaks, tragedies, embarrassment, suspicions, all through the eyes (and whispers) of four women: Whitney, Blair, Rebecca and Mara.

Ashley says her experience during the restrictions of the pandemic helped to shape the novel. "Your world became so small, your world was only as big as what you could see outside your front window, which was your neighbor and your neighboring houses. I think we all became a little more intimate and closer with the people we lived in proximity with, that was very much on my mind when I was writing the characters of this book and their settings on the street" she says.

THE WHISPERS is out now from Pamela Dorman/Viking and is also available in audio. For more on the author visit her website.

Click here to revisit Olivia and Ashley's conversation about THE PUSH.

Gretchen Rubin, "Life In Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World" May 30, 2023

Show notes

Happiness Project Founder and New York Times bestselling author Gretchen Rubin returns to the podcast to talk with Olivia about her new book, LIFE IN FIVE SENSES, another useful tool for the toolkit of anyone who shares her insatiable desire to understand human nature and find ways to live a happier life.

For this book Gretchen embarks on an experiment to see how a focus on her senses might change her perspective and discovered she found greater calm, joy, and connection to the people and places surrounding her. Gretchen shares surprising discoveries from daily visits the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and which life experience she'd like a do-over for, after practicing these methods to be more in her body and in the moment.

LIFE IN FIVE SENSES is available in hardcover from Crown Publishing and is also available in audio format, read by the author.

Want to better tap into your five senses? Check out the Happier With Gretchen Rubin podcast.

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