Editor’s note: This is a jam-packed edition of our monthly #bookradar! We had a bunch of talented authors who had book events canceled because of coronavirus concerns, and we’re including their books below. Look for podcast interviews in the near future. As a result, we’re pithier than usual so we could cram as many titles as possible into this edition. We’ll likely have even more books in April’s list. Do what you can to support your local bookstore, including purchasing audiobooks from our sponsor Libro.fm, even if it’s just writing a nice note of encouragement. We’re all in this together, and, like so many times before, words and small actions will see us through. Keep reading!—Daniel Ford
Follow Me by Kathleen Barber
Daniel Ford: Don’t make a follow pun…don’t make a follow pun…don’t make a follow pun…
Barber’s fiction is endlessly compelling, seamlessly written, and a true joy to read. Follow Me is no exception.
The Herd by Andrea Bartz
Daniel: When the world returns to normal (or some semblance of normal), this is the proper way to read Andrea Bartz’s terrific sophomore novel:
Fairly certain this is the correct way to read @andibartz’s The Herd.
— Daniel Ford (@danielfford) February 29, 2020
Listen to my last @WritersBone with the author and tune in for our next chat in March! https://t.co/6SSZAPTXDX #writerslife #podcast #fiction #books pic.twitter.com/mrD5a3F4iL
Listen to our recent chat with the author:
Pride of Eden by Taylor Brown
Daniel: Taylor Brown’s work has a permanent home in our book recommendations.
Hillbilly Hustle by Wesley Browne
Daniel: A book set in a pizza shop that sounds like it’s going to turn into an episode of “Justified” is always going to find a home on this website.
Stephanie Ford: Nora Ephron was the queen of rom-coms, and in this behind-the-scenes book Erin Carlson gives us a backstage look at the triple crown: “When Harry Met Sally,” “You've Got Mail” (my personal fave), and “Sleepless in Seattle.” Read this, binge the lighthearted trifecta, and send all the healing vibes (and maybe a bouquet of sharpened pencils) to our beloved leading man, Tom Hanks ❤️.
Into the Jungle by Erica Ferencik
Daniel: I get chills whenever I think about Erica Ferencik’s The River at Night. Thrilled her sophomore effort, Into the Jungle, arrived in paperback earlier this month. We can’t wait to chat with her about it in a few weeks!
The Return by Rachel Harrison
Daniel: I’m a complete sucker for stories that involve people returning after long absences (I’m looking at you, “Homeland”) and Rachel Harrison’s debut appears like it’s going to be a great one. That cover…I could stare at it for days.
Ballet Class: An American History by Melissa R. Klapper
Daniel: Melissa Klapper was one of the first authors who has had events canceled to reach out to us, and I can’t wait to dig into her book about ballet in America. This is just the kind of book I love picking up and learning about something I have zero expertise in.
Hex by Rebecca Dinerstein Knight
Daniel: I’m a big fan of Rebecca Dinerstein Knight’s debut The Sunlit Night, so I’m thrilled she has another book coming out at the end of March. Hex will move right to the top of my reading list whenever it comes in. Depending on how long this isolation/social distancing lasts, I may not even have a #TBR pile! (I’m also super jealous of her blurb from and her friendship with actress Jenny Slate.)
Stop at Nothing by Michael Ledwidge
Daniel: It’s safe to say we’re intrigued by any novel blurbed by authors Marc Cameron and Rob Hart. We’re going to need every available thriller during this time, and this one might be at the top of our list.
The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
Daniel: Multiple authors we know instructed us to add this title to our March list. Done and done! We’re very much looking forward to talking to the author in the near future.
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
Daniel: Perhaps Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven is too on the nose for our times, but that shouldn’t stop you from buying that and her new book The Glass Hotel. You know what, go ahead and read both ASAP. Her writing is too good not to enjoy immediately.
Deacon King Kong by James McBride
Daniel: Love the premise, love the opening paragraph, love the author, love the cover.
How to Be Alone: If You Want To, and Even If You Don't by Lane Moore
Daniel: I mean, I don’t have to tell you why this book may come in handy during this era, right?
Last Couple Standing by Matthew Norman
Daniel: Stephanie Ford had to ask me repeatedly what was going on in Matthew Norman’s new book Last Couple Standing because of my histrionic babbling while I was reading it. Also, I now have an unquenchable craving for Golden Oreos. And more Matthew Norman fiction.
Read Me, Los Angeles by Katie Orphan
Daniel: How about this description?!
Read Me, Los Angeles is a colorful, lively, and informed celebration of all things bookish in L.A. past and present, including interviews with current L.A. writers; day trips in search of favorite fictional characters, from Marlowe to Weetzie Bat; author quotes galore; curated lists of the must-read L.A. books, from fiction to history to poetry; a look at where writers have lived and worked in the City of Angels; and insight into the city’s literary festivals, bookstores, publishers, literacy nonprofits, libraries, and more.
Yes, please.
Before Familiar Woods by Ian Pisarcik
Daniel: Ian Pisarcik’s press materials had us at “for fans of David Joy.” A crime thriller based in a New England town on its last gasp? Sign us up for that any day of the week.
The Last Odyssey by James Rollins
Daniel: Rumor has it James Rollins is returning to the show soon, challenging (or surpassing, we’ve lost track) Doug Richardson’s record for appearances. Winner: All of us.
The Anniversary by Sarah K. Stephens
Daniel: While reading a thriller about a married couple in isolation may have been too on the nose, I’m digging Sarah K. Stephens’ new book The Anniversary. I’ll just keep a few more lights on when I go to sleep, that’s all.
Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson
Daniel: Peter Swanson made us fans for life with his novel The Kind Worth Killing and we were sucked right into his new one, Eight Perfect Murders. It helped that the narrator owns a bookshop and is a voracious reader (as well as a lover of crime fiction). Plus, there’s bookstore cat! We’re eager to chat with him about it in an upcoming episode, so stay tuned.
Blackwood by Michael Farris Smith
Daniel: Heed my advice: Keep the lights on and your bourbon glass full.
In Our Other Lives by Theodore Wheeler
Daniel: Theodore Wheeler’s In Our Other Lives is the kind of novel that makes you think deeply about the issues that have faced the United States since 9/11, while also telling a gripping story with great characters.
Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel
Daniel: I think the hairs on the back of my neck were raised the entire time I was reading Darling Rose Gold. You’ll never forget Rose Gold or Patty, I can tell you that.
Author’s Corner
K Chess, author of Famous Men Who Never Lived, stopped by the podcast recently and gave us a ton of great recommendations, so you should add them all to your reading list and buy them from your local bookstore by any means necessary. Keep reading and writing, everyone!
An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
NovelClass
In Episode 4.01, host Dave Pezza and Phoef Sutton, co-host of the Film Freaks Forever! podcast, discuss The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith. They also chat about the two film adaptations of the novel, the 1999 American film of the same name, as well as a 1960 French adaptation called “Purple Noon.”