Beth joins us to discuss our spookiest read of the year in honor of Halloween: Pet Sematary. This classic horror story contained a lot of classic Stephen King tropes as well as some new, surprising ones. This episode is presented by Uproar Coa

September 2022 Book Club: The One by John Marrs

Sep 30th, 2022 29m 10s

Chelsea joins to discuss our September read, The One, which has a fantastic premise: billion-dollar tech company, Match Your DNA, will find your genetic soulmate for the low-low cost of $10. What does this mean for the future of marriage, relat

August 2022 Book Club: Exhalation by Ted Chiang

Aug 31st, 2022 52m 25s

A few members of the book club join to discuss individual stories in Ted Chiang’s latest short story compilation, Exhalation. These mind-bending stories have us contemplating all of life’s biggest questions like do we have free will? What const

July 2022 Book Club: 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand

Jul 29th, 2022 38m 9s

Beth joins Brookes for a lively discussion on morality, integrity and true love after reading 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand. Hilderbrand is the queen of summer romance and she delivers with this romp of a tale. For sponsorship plans and more i

June 2022 Book Club: Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

Jul 1st, 2022 45m 56s

Nick joins Brookes for a discussion of this murder mystery set in Scotland called Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney. We can’t keep up with all the twists in this one! For sponsorship plans and more information, please email: admin@pressplaypo

(Re release discussion from May 2021 Book Club): The New One: Painfully True Stories from a Reluctant Dad by Mike Birbiglia

May 13th, 2022 37m 55s

Carrie, a new mom herself, joins Brookes for this month’s discussion bringing a unique perspective to this memoir about a “reluctant” parent. They talk poetry, finding that elusive work-life balance, and how really, everyone just wants to be a

April 2022 Book Club Discussion: The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

Apr 29th, 2022 35m 17s

In another special LIVE book club episode, seven Books with Brookes members join to discuss The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. This WWII historical fiction follows the friendships and dramas of three female code-breakers at the infamous Bletchley Par

We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker

Apr 1st, 2022 1h

In this very special LIVE book club episode, five Books with Brookes members join to discuss We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker. This dense, genre-bending Western/thriller/murder mystery/family drama came with rave reviews. The book club fou

February 2022 Book Club Discussion: Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

Feb 28th, 2022 32m 1s

The book club discusses the February book, Seven Days in June by Tia Williams. When bestselling erotica novelist, Eva Mercy, reconnects with Pulitzer-winning author Shane Hall, sparks fly beyond the page. This romance for February was just wh

January 2022 Book Club Discussion: Laziness Does Not Exist by Devon Price

Jan 28th, 2022 40m 1s

The book club discusses the January book, Laziness Does Not Exist by Devon Price, Ph.D. From the Puritanical origins on the morality of hard work all the way to today’s modern, work-from-home society, this book examines what “laziness” means.

Our Favorite Books of 2021

Jan 14th, 2022 1h 6m

From authors like the mystery powerhouse, Agatha Christie to the modern bestseller, Kristin Hannah, our book club members share the titles of their very favorite books from the past year. Listen in for recommendations to add to your list in 202

December 2021 Book Club Discussion: Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie

Dec 31st, 2021 17m 56s

Brookes goes solo on this short episode while everyone is on holiday vacation to discuss the December 2021 book club book, Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie. The 19th book in the Hercule Poirot series, this Christmas crime drama sta

Interview with an Audiobook Director

Dec 10th, 2021 42m 58s

Brookes interviews Ruth Lichtman, an accomplished audiobook director at Penguin Random House Audio who has worked with top talent like Nick Offerman and Phoebe Robinson. Learn more about Ruth on her website: https://www.rflichtman.com/audio Boo

November 2020 Book Club Discussion: Greenwood by Michael Christie

Nov 26th, 2021 51m 53s

A magnificent generational saga that charts a family’s rise and fall,” Greenwood by Michael Christie is a 500+ page examination of the choices we are forced to make for, by and alongside family. This is an extremely epic book with dystopian, po

The Blue Lady by Bob May

Nov 12th, 2021 35m 36s

A fun interview with Bob May (that’s right - Brookes’s dad!) author of The Blue Lady, a hot, humid tale of three brief days in 1959. For more information or to order a copy of The Blue Lady, visit: https://bobmayauthor.com/ Books with Brookes i

Book Club Discussion: The Haunting of Hill House

Oct 29th, 2021 34m 27s

One of the most iconic ghost-stories of all time: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson was published in 1959 and has set the tone for every spooky story to follow. Beth joins the podcast to discuss this iconic haunted horror story. Bo

Which is Better: the Book or the Movie?

Oct 15th, 2021 48m 45s

Happy Season Three of Books with Brookes! To kick off the new season, several members of the Books with Brookes book club join to discuss iconic books that became movies and debate which one is better; the book or the movie? Duos include: The S

September 2021 Book Club: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Oct 1st, 2021 43m 20s

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig is an imaginative story about regret and possibility. Meaghan joins the podcast for the first time to discuss this emotional read that has us wondering about what could have been if we’d made different choices.

Author Interview: Tracey Lange on We Are the Brennans

Sep 17th, 2021 43m 39s

Tracey Lange, the author of our August 2021 Books with Brookes pick, We Are the Brennans, joins the podcast! We talk about her incredible first-time publishing experience with Celadon Books and ask a bunch of questions about her incredible nove

August 2021 Book Club: We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange

Aug 31st, 2021 35m 14s

We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange is all about family so, appropriately, Brookes’s MOM joins the podcast to discuss! This brand new release from Celadon was a Book of the Month debut pick for July and has been receiving extremely positive re

The Delia Owens (Where the Crawdads Sing) Scandal / Controversy

Aug 13th, 2021 44m 42s

Where the Crawdads sing is an epically popular, beloved modern novel. The Books with Brookes book club read it in 2019 and you can hear our episode on it in Episode 3. However, it’s come to light fairly recently that Delia Owens - and her husb

July 2021 Book Club: Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

Jul 30th, 2021 43m 27s

Carrie joins Brookes for a chat on July’s book, Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid. This 2019 New York Times Bestseller and previous Reese’s Book Club pick is packed with racial tensions, relationship drama, and modern problems caused by technology a

“Live” Book Club: A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell

Jul 2nd, 2021 43m 9s

Due to a thunderstorm in Chicago, the Books with Brookes book club gathers partially in person and partially on Zoom for this special LIVE episode discussion of our June 2021 book, A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell. For sponsorship p

“You Want Me to Read WHAT?!” Part Two - Joint Episode with Book Dreams Podcast

Jun 17th, 2021 46m 13s

The follow-up joint episode with the ladies of the Book Dream Podcast! Eve and Julie discuss the nontraditional books they assigned each other to read last month: A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers, Stories of Your Life and Others (Arrival)

You Want me to Read WHAT?!..

May 14th, 2021 20m 59s

Eve and Julie from Book Dreams, a podcast for everyone who loves books and misses English class, join Brookes for a joint mini episode. Brookes, Eve and Julie assign each other books to read this month that they wouldn’t ordinarily recommend. T