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Ep 498: The 2026 Kirkus Prizes With Tayari Jones Oct 20, 2026

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On this week’s special episode, we’re celebrating the 2026 Kirkus Prizes, announced Oct. 7th at a ceremony in New York City. Kirkus Prize for Fiction winner Tayari Jones joins us to discuss the ceremony, literary prizes, and her stellar novel, Kin, which judges selected from 3,584 eligible titles.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

Poor Farm Meadow by Cynthia Centerbar

Frail Blood by Edward Stanton

Under an Indiana Sky by Lynne Hugo

Maybelline Has a Very. Bad. Day. by Dawn Dolan, illus. by Olena Kharkovenko

The Seven by Igor Stefanovic

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Ep 498: Live From the National Book Festival With Jordan Moblo Oct 13, 2026

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On this week’s special episode, recorded live at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C., we’re joined by Jordan Moblo, Executive Vice President of Creative Acquisitions and IP Management at Universal Studio Group, and founder of Jordy’s Book Club, for a conversation about what it takes to develop books for TV series, book clubs, reading recommendations, and more.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

Where the Wild Horses Are by Amy Alznauer (Neal Porter/Holiday House)
World News From Waverly High by Linda Kass
Hugo by Karl Linden
Sebastian the Belgian Koala by Jill Charlotte Thomas, illus. by Parks Sadler
The Hourglass by Michelle Christina

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Ep 497: Murray Hill Oct 06, 2026

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On this week’s episode, comedian, host, actor, writer, and producer Murray Hill joins us to discuss Showbiz! My Life as a Middle-Aged Man (Gallery Books, Oct. 6). Kirkus: “A rip-roaring story of Liza-esque unsinkability from a Don Rickles–esque entertainer.”

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell (Simon & Schuster Audio)
The Stirling Defense by Gerald Patnode
Life With Less of Me by Julianna Burmesch
The Noema Field by Salvatore Cataudella
The Drop by Iohamil Navarro
A Stranger in Every House by Richard Carr

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Ep 496: The 2026 Kirkus Indie Awards Sep 29, 2026

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On this week’s special Kirkus Indie Awards episode, C.W. Johnson discusses his award-winning novel, A Life Full of Quarks (Baryon Dreams Press, Sept. 24, 2024). “In Johnson’s novel, a brilliant physicist tries to build a life after narrowly surviving a childhood filled with reanimated dinosaurs, runaway aliens, and mutated Mexican beaded lizards,” Kirkus writes in a starred review. “Heartbreaking and hilarious.”

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

The Inner Compass by S.J. King
Born Sick in the USA by Stephen Bezruchka
Good Lookin’ by T.L. Bequette
The Conclusion of the American Experiment by Jonathan Morrow
Adams Morgan Fugue by Alex Fardon

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Ep 495: Nadia Bowers Sep 22, 2026

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On this week’s episode, actor and writer Nadia Bowers joins us to discuss her stunning debut memoir, Dear Dealer (Gallery Books, Sept. 15). “A sister struggles to accept her sibling’s overdose death,” Kirkus writes in a starred review. “A moving embodiment of the powerful, creative energy of grief.”

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

The Big Dream by Owen Thomas
Indigo, The Deep by Kellye Abernathy
A Simple Guide to Being Alive by David M.L. Rabin
To Be Here Is Immense by Clare Simons
Rising Waters by Aleatha Romig

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Ep 494: Laila Ali Sep 15, 2026

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On this week’s episode, undefeated world champion boxer Laila Ali joins us to discuss A Spark of Greatness: The Autobiography of a Fighter, illustrated by Caldecott honoree Cosby A. Cabrera (Crown, Sept. 8). “Boxing champion Ali describes how, growing up in the shadow of a legend, she at last stepped into the ring on her own terms,” Kirkus writes. “[A]n inspiring portrait of resilience and ambition.”

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

Jack and Lulu Go to the Tree Farm by Julie Ryan McGue, illus. by Mariia Stepanova
Shallcross by Charles Porter
Emil by Patrick Matthews

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Ep 493: Emily Wilson Sep 08, 2026

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On this week’s episode, New York Times bestselling translator and classicist Emily Wilson joins us to discuss Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea: Journeys Through Ancient Literature (Liveright/Norton, Sept. 1). “Enchanting academic essays about translating the classics,” Kirkus writes in a starred review, callingthis insightful, accessible essay collection, “a lively exploration of ancient literature.”

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

Revenge Is the Best Revenge by James A. Scott
Mall Goddess by Marilee Dahlman
Revelations of Grimm Lohr by William Potter
Life and Music by Idil Biret with Dominique Xardel, trans. by Gunesh Guran Gery
Parrot Heaven by Jessica Howland Kany

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Ep 492: Liane Moriarty Sep 01, 2026

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On this week’s episode, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Liane Moriarty joins us to discuss Big Little Truths (Crown, Aug. 25). “Ten years later, the friends from Big Little Lies (2014) have new headaches, traumas, and secrets,” Kirkus writes in a starred review. “Don’t wait for the TV series—Moriarty’s sparkling writing is worth the read.”

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

Waymaker by Michael D. Warden
Maud and Pearl by Pearl Allen Andree
Parrot Heaven by Jessica Howland Kany
The Riddle of the Trees by Marc S. Perlman
Los Rios by Bryan Zimmerman

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Ep 491: Tia Williams Aug 25, 2026

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On this week’s episode, New York Times bestselling author Tia Williams joins us to discuss The Missed Connection (Grand Central Publishing, June 16), book two in her North Falls series. Kirkus: “Desperate to reconnect with the perfect man she met on a plane, a woman hires a private detective with ties to her past…. Flawed yet lovable characters shine in this celebration of human connection.”

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

This Never Happened by Kent Heckenlively
In His Own Time by Kathy Lemoine
Awaken Your Sexuality by Stephanie Covington and Vanessa Carlisle
Parrot Heaven by Jessica Howland Kany
Beauty by Christina Chiu

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Ep 490: Karin Slaughter Aug 18, 2026

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On this week’s episode, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Karin Slaughter joins us to discuss The Secrets We Keep (William Morrow/HarperCollins, Aug. 4), book two in her North Falls series. Kirkus: ““Every twist in the path to the truth is riveting—especially the final revelation, which puts all the others in the shade—but the most important relationship is between the two investigators, one of whom harbors a secret the other can’t imagine.”

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

This Never Happened by Kent Heckenlively
The Hypókrisis Mirror and Other Stories by Raymond Fortunato
Tapestries by Patrick Summers
Virtuality, Book Two, by Ragnar Kroll
Avatars of the Pantheon by Jackson Owens

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