Fully Booked by Kirkus Reviews

Fully Booked by Kirkus Reviews

Get the ultimate insider's scoop on the best new books. The editors at Kirkus Reviews interview your favorite authors, tell you whether or not the books on the bestseller list are worth the read, give you behind-the-scenes insights, and introduce you to great books you may otherwise never find.

Episodes

September 23, 2025 49 mins

Author-illustrator YY Liak joins us to discuss Curious Coffins and Riveting Rituals: Death Practices Around the World (Chronicle Books, September 30), a vibrant volume Kirkus calls “an endearing and lighthearted look at the fate that awaits us all.” Then our editors recommend their top picks in books for the week.

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Bestselling author Leni Zumas (Red Clocks) joins us to discuss her latest novel, Wolf Bells (Algonquin, September 16). “A young girl and her autistic cousin seek refuge in an intergenerational community,” Kirkus writes in a review of this “tender and well-told story about the meaning of family.” Then our editors recommend their top picks in books for the week.

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September 9, 2025 53 mins

National Book Award finalist and PEN/Faulkner Award winner Rabih Alameddine joins us to discuss The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (And His Mother) (Grove, September 2). Kirkus calls his latest novel “a sharp exploration of resilience in dark times.” Then our editors recommend their top picks in books for the week.

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On our Best September books episode, Kirkus’ editors share their top titles for the month. Then Eliana Ramage joins us to discuss To the Moon and Back (Avid Reader Press, September 2), a debut novel about a gifted young woman who dreams of becoming the first Cherokee astronaut. Kirkus: “This author is as ambitious as her protagonist: There are three novels worth of mat...

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August 26, 2025 42 mins

Tess Holliday joins us to discuss Take Up Space, Y’All: Your Bold & Bright Guide to Self-Love (Running Press Kids, Aug. 26), a body-positive wellness book for teens co-written with Kelly Coon. Kirkus: “Plus-size supermodel and activist Holliday empowers readers to love themselves, inside and out.” Then our editors recommend their top picks in books for the week.

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August 19, 2025 51 mins

Charlie Jane Anders joins us to discuss her eagerly anticipated new novel, Lessons in Magic and Disaster (Tor, Aug. 19), about a young witch who teaches her mother how to do magic. In a starred review, Kirkus says it offers “much to ponder, much to cry over and rage against, much to appreciate.” Then our editors recommend their top picks in books for the week.

 

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August 12, 2025 57 mins

On a special Romance Episode, Ivy Fairbanks joins us to discuss Heart Strings (Putnam, Aug. 12), the second book in her popular “Love in Galway” series. Kirkus: “When two exes reunite to attend a weekend-long wedding in Ireland, old feelings resurface” in this “charming and spicy” second-chance romance. Then our editors recommend some of their favorite romances and books about love.

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On our Best August books episode, Kirkus’ editors share their top titles for the month. River Selby joins us to discuss Hotshot: A Life on Fire (Atlantic Monthly, Aug. 5), a debut memoir chronicling their time as an elite firefighter. Kirkus: “With fortitude and admirable vulnerability, Selby brings readers directly into a tumultuous time and place. Like fire, this book burns ho...

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July 29, 2025 46 mins

Joseph Lee joins us to discuss Nothing More of This Land: Community, Power, and the Search for Indigenous Identity (One Signal/Atria, July 15). Kirkus: “A Wampanoag journalist looks at what it means to be Native American….A searching and timely exploration of indigeneity and its many interpretations” (starred review). Then our editors recommend their top picks in books for the week.

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July 22, 2025 53 mins

Adriana Trigiani joins us to discuss her latest novel, The View From Lake Como (Dutton, July 8)—an instant New York Times bestseller. Kirkus: ““A good Italian American daughter’s 30-something rebellion forces her entire family to reckon with their choices, resulting in a happily-ever-after for all that’s like the best affogato: rich, bitter, sweet.” Then our editors recommend their t...

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July 15, 2025 53 mins

Bruce Holsinger joins us to discuss Culpability (Spiegel & Grau, July 8), an Oprah’s Book Club pick. Kirkus: “Medieval historian-turned-novelist Holsinger seems to have created his own subgenre of psychosocial thriller, spinning super-smart, propulsive page-turners out of zeitgeisty worries like ultracompetitive school admissions (The Gifted School, 2019), disaster relief (The Displacements, 2022), and n...

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On a special episode celebrating graphic literature, author-illustrator Chanté Timothy joins us to discuss her middle-grade debut, Supa Nova (Nosy Crow, June 3). Kirkus: “Ecological concerns prompt a young Black inventor to create a plastic-eating creature….Just the ticket for unstoppable young mixers and makers with big dreams.” Then our editors recommend their top picks in graphic literature...

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On our Best July Books episode, Kirkus’ editors share their top titles for the month. Then essayist and critic Maris Kreizman joins us to discuss I Want To Burn This Place Down (Ecco, July 1). Kirkus calls Kreizman’s latest “an intelligent and entertaining read” featuring “unexpectedly charming personal essays about disillusionment, diabetes, and despair.”

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June 24, 2025 50 mins

Grace Flahive joins us to discuss her debut novel, Palm Meridian (Avid Reader Press, June 24). Kirkus: “The funnest book about death and post-apocalyptic living to date.” Then our editors recommend their top picks in books for the week.

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June 17, 2025 53 mins

Caro De Robertis joins us to discuss So Many Stars: An Oral History of Trans, Nonbinary, Genderqueer, and Two-Spirit People of Color (Algonquin, May 13). Kirkus: “A colorful tapestry of potent, radiant, and relevant testimonials from queer people of color” (starred review). Then our editors recommend their top picks in books for the week.

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On a special episode celebrating Sci-Fi and Fantasy, #1 New York Times-bestselling author V.E. Schwab joins us to discuss Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil (Tor, June 10). Kirkus: “Three women deal very differently with vampirism in Schwab’s era-spanning follow-up to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue….A beautiful meditation on queer identity against a supernatural backdrop” (starred review)....

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On our Best June Books episode, Kirkus’ editors share their top titles for the month. Then New York Times-bestselling author Ibi Zoboi joins us to discuss First Day Around the World, illustrated by Juanita Londoño (Versify, June 3). Kirkus calls Zoboi’s latest picture book “both monumental in scope and tightly focused, with an emotionally resonant core.”

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May 27, 2025 51 mins

Sarah Miller joins us to discuss Hick: The Trailblazing Journalist Who Captured Eleanor Roosevelt’s Heart (Random House Studio, May 27), which Kirkus calls “a substantial biography of a noteworthy figure.” Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week. 

 

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May 20, 2025 43 mins

Debut novelist Naomi Xu Elegant joins us to discuss Ginko Season (Norton, May 20), a “beautifully wrought” story about a young woman trying to find her footing—socially, politically, romantically—in modern-day Philadelphia. Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week. 

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May 13, 2025 38 mins

Atlantic staffer David A. Graham joins us to discuss The Project: How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America (Random House, April 22). “A close look at the ultra-rightist Project 2025, now playing in a capital near you,” Kirkus writes in a review that calls Graham’s work “essential reading for anyone trying to make sense of the Trumpian maelstrom.” Then our editors share their top picks in books for the week...

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