Get Booked

Amanda and Jenn discuss dark and twisty murder mysteries, books about the Vietnam War, literary women, and more in this week’s episode of Get Booked.

This episode is sponsored by Book Riot Insiders, Rocky Mountain Press, and Sourcebooks.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher.

FEEDBACK

Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli Brown (rec’d by Sue)

The Collectors series by Dot Hutchinsons (The Butterfly Garden & The Summer Children) (rec’d by Shontelle)

Crime Junkie (rec’d by Shontelle)

Circle of Magic series by Tamora Pierce (rec’d by Emma)

Spain: The Root and the Flower by John A. Crow (rec’d by Chris)

QUESTIONS

1. My husband and I always listen to audiobooks on roadtrips. We have a couple long drives coming up in January and February and are looking for some recommendations. We have pretty different tastes, but some crossover. I love literary fiction and shorter fantasy reads. My husband loves high/epic fantasy (he will listen to LOTR and The Hobbit over and over and I don’t love either of those) and really detailed historical fiction. Recent audiobooks we’ve tackled and liked are “Neverwhere” by Neil Gaiman and “The Hazelwood” by Melissa Albert. PS: We already have The Night Country pre-ordered.

-Courtney

2. Thank you so much for making this podcast! I’m a new listener so I apologize if this has been addressed in a previous episode. I would love recommendations for novels set during the Vietnam War, especially those that focus on family dynamics and the long-term effects of the war on veterans.

-Roxanne

3. I am brand new to the fantasy genre but I just read Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo and loved it! I am looking for more adult fantasy that is more complex and character driven. My preferred genre is definitely literary fiction!

-Jessica

4. I would love a book recommendation from you guys, I have been listening to your podcast since my English teacher introduced it to us. She said we could get some extra credit points if we did it and she is running out of recommendations for me. I would really appreciate a recommendation. I LOVE mystery novels and just finished reading The Couple Next Door and am looking for a new book to start reading. I like mystery novels but am not a big fan of lord of the rings or Narnia or other super fantasy books. Some books I have read are This Lie Will Kill You, That’s Not What Happened, In a Dark Dark Wood, and Every Heart a Doorway. Thank you so much for the recommendation!!

-Delaney

5. Hello! I am looking for new books, especially book series, to recommend to my Dad. He has just recently gotten really into reading (yay!) and he’s already through most of the books I’ve suggested, so I want to line up some future reads to keep him well stocked! His favorites so far have been Craig Johnson’s Longmire series, William Kent Krueger’s Cork O’Connor series, John Sandford’s Virgil Flowers and Lucas Davenport series, and he’s currently diving into Michael Connolly’s Harry Bosch series. Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

P.S. To Kaitlin who was looking for Agatha Christie/Clue read alikes, I would suggest In The Hall With the Knife by Diana Peterfreund. This is the first in a new YA series that was inspired by the game Clue. While not as silly as the movie, the book was was very entertaining and not too dark beyond the obvious murder.

-Rachael

6. I am looking for a recommendation that will be immersive and thoughtful. The books I have most enjoyed in the past couple years tend to be written by women, are shamelessly intellectual, and tackle big philosophical/sociological/political questions. Han Kang’s Human Acts, Elif Batuman’s The Idiot, and Rachel Cusk’s Outline Trilogy are examples. I also like mythological retellings that center often un-centered leads like women (Circe by Madeline Miller) or queer characters (Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson). Thanks for your help.

-Maria

7. I’d like to find a book that I won’t just finish in two days. I love the Sherlock Holmes books and The Stainless Steel Rat series (science fiction), as well as The Hobbit and Tom Sawyer. I don’t particularly like books with time travel or a lot of magic use. I don’t read as often as I used to because I don’t know where to look for books that I’ll like.

-Abby

BOOKS DISCUSSED

The Binding by Bridget Collins (tw homophobia, rape, child abuse)

Witchmark by CL Polk (tw: PTSD, violence towards women & children)

The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien

The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui

The Gentleman Bastards series by Scott Lynch (The Lies of Locke Lamore)

The Deep by Rivers Solomon (tw: suicidal ideation, self-harm, slavery)

The Lying Room by Nicci French

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart (tw: dog death, human death)

Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke (Highway 59 series)

Still Life by Louise Penny

Ali Smith’s Seasonal quartet (Autumn)

The Cheffe by Marie NDiaye, translated by Jordan Stump

The Rook by Daniel O’Malley

The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King