Books, Beach, & Beyond

The final bonus episode of Books, Beach, & Beyond for 2023 features a friendly conversation between your beloved hosts, Elin Hilderbrand and Tim Ehrenberg! The two recap the first season of the podcast, dish on their favorite episodes, favorite books of 2023, most anticipated books of 2024, their reading routines, offer writing and reading advice, discuss Elin's final Nantucket novel Swan Song and her upcoming The Perfect Couple show, and answer wonderful questions from all of YOU listeners. It’s the perfect listen for those wanting to get to know your hosts more! A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors: Book of the Month - limited time, first book for just $5 with code ELIN Nantucket Book Partners What are we reading in this episode: Then We Came To An End by Joshua Ferris Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore Everything’s Fine by Cecelia Rabbes A Quitter’s Paradise by Elysha Chang The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane Tom Lake by Ann Patchett Speech Team by Tim Murphy North Woods by Daniel Mason Blackouts by Justin Torres We the Animals by Justin Torres Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson All the Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand Nantucket Nights by Elin Hilderbrand Winter Street Series by Elin Hilderbrand 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand Wishin’ and Hopin’ by Wally Lamb Family Happiness by Laurie Colwin Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley 11/22/63 by Stephen King Fates & Furies by Lauren Groff Hope by Andrew Ridker Wellness by Nathan Hill The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!

For our second bonus episode for 2023, we stay across the pond and get to chat with the #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Beartown Series, A Man Called Ove, and Anxious People - Fredrik Backman! Elin and Tim chat with Fredrik about his origin story, his debut novel A Man Called Ove and where the idea for this iconic story came from, his Beartown series and the hockey team and town in the trilogy, and his writing process. We hear the differences between publishing in the U.S. and Sweden, why he thinks his characters resonate so much with people, the stigmas around mental health, and the screen adaptation A Man Called Otto starring Tom Hanks. A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors: Marine Home Center Book of the Month - limited time, first book for just $5 with code ELIN Fredrik Backman Reading List: A Man Called Ove Britt- Marie Was Here Beartown Us Against You The Winners Anxious People What else are we reading in this episode: The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand Winter Street Series by Elin Hilderbrand The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams The Other Side of Sadness by George A. Bonanno Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!

In this bonus episode, Elin and Tim travel virtually across the pond to Scotland to interview one of their favorite writers of the English language, Maggie O’Farrell, author of Hamnet and The Marriage Portrait. The three discuss the differences between publishing in the UK and in the US, what it means to Maggie to be Irish, how she researches her settings, point of view and experimentation with the craft of language, publishing a plague novel during COVID-19, writing fiction about real people, and her memoir I Am I Am I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death. You’ll immediately want to order every Maggie O’Farrell novel you can get your hands on because, as Tim and Elin say in the episode, they would "read her grocery list!" A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors: Lovango Resort & Beach Club - limited time, 10% off your stay at Lovangovi.com/ELIN Book of the Month - limited time, first book for just $9.99 with code ELIN Maggie O'Farrell Reading List: After You’d Gone Instructions for a Heatwave The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox This Must Be the Place I Am I Am I Am Hamnet The Marriage Portrait What else are we reading in this episode: The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dar The Wren, The Wren by Anne Enright Other authors mentioned: Rudyard Kipling, Louis MacNeice, William Shakespeare, Alice Munro, Ann Patchett, Margaret Atwood, Elizabeth Strout, William Boyd, and Anne Enright. Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!

It Ends with Colleen Hoover. Yes, Season 1 of Books, Beach, & Beyond wraps up with the mega best-selling author of It Ends With Us and Verity, Colleen Hoover, or CoHo as she is known by all her adoring fans. Colleen, Elin, and Tim discuss Colleen’s super unique journey from self-publishing her books to today working with multiple publishers and editors, domestic abuse and secondary trauma in It Ends with Us, the ending of Verity, screen adaptations, and the connection she has made with her readers and fans, who are called “The CoHorts!” Tune in to see which writers Colleen is a super fan of, her favorite books, and her advice to aspiring writers. A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors: Hatch's Nantucket's Meat & Fish Market Colleen Hoover Reading List: Slammed by Colleen Hoover It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover Verity by Colleen Hoover What else are we reading in this episode: Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein Happy Place by Emily Henry Every Summer After by Carley Fortune Franny & Zooey by J D Salinger Other authors mentioned: Tracey Garvis Graves, Emily Henry, and Tiffanie DeBartolo. Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!

Please welcome to the podcast the hilariously entertaining and #1 best-selling author of In Her Shoes, Mrs. Everything, and The Summer Place, Jennifer Weiner! This is one juicy episode of literary gossip with so many laugh-out-loud moments. Jen takes us through her two decades in the book business, from her debut Good in Bed to her latest, The Breakaway. We dive into mothers and daughters, biking and "yogging," commercial fiction vs. literary fiction, as well as tall tales from Elin and Jen's old flings, worst book tour stories, and their least and most favorite parts of their job as writers. *Warning, the three get carried away and this episode has some explicit language that could offend listeners. A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors: Nantucket Looms - limited time, 15% off with code BOOKS15 Bar Yoshi Read With Jenna Jennifer Weiner Reading List: Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner What else are we reading in this episode: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!

In this episode of Books, Beach, & Beyond, we welcome Gilbert Cruz, Editor of the New York Times Book Review. Cruz discusses his childhood, schooling, and career that led to one of the most elite jobs in the book business. He gives listeners a behind-the-scenes look into the process of choosing books to review in the New York Times, who reviews them, and how the "Top Ten Books of the Year" are chosen. Tim and Gilbert bond over their love and obsession with Stephen King, while Elin and Gilbert dish on some of their favorite TV shows. This episode is filled with the joy of reading and recommending literature! A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors: Cartolina Triple Eight Distillery What else are we reading in this episode: The Blue Bistro by Elin Hilderbrand It by Stephen King The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Alice & Oliver by Charles Bock The Shining by Stephen King 11/22/63 by Stephen King Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty Still Life by Louise Penny King: A Life by Jonathan Eig Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane Other authors mentioned: Edgar Allan Poe and Charles Dickens. Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!

This episode features one of Elin and Tim’s favorite writers and friends, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Mad Honey, Wish You Were Here, and My Sister’s Keeper , Jodi Picoult! Jodi discusses writing from both perspectives of a controversial issue, her twist endings and intense research process, and co-writing with Samantha Van Leer and Jennifer Finney Boylan. Elin and Jodi dig into their decisions around narrative voice in their stories and their relationships and online interactions with readers, and the three discuss current book banning in America. It’s another chat where you feel like you’re having coffee with your three best friends! A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors: The Nantucket Hotel N Magazine Nantucket Current Jodi Picoult Reading List: Songs of the Humpback Whale by Jodi Picoult The Pact by Jodi Picoult Second Glance by Jodi Picoult My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult What else are we reading in this episode: Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell Yellowface by R.F. Kuang I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugendies How to Give the Wrong Impression by Katherine Heiny Summerland by Elin Hilderbrand The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand Happiness Falls by Angie Kim Bride by Ali Hazelwood Speech Team by Tim Murphy The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner Pete and Alice in Maine by Caitlin Shetterly Bee Sting by Paul Murray Holly by Stephen King Other authors mentioned: Mary Morris, Jennifer Finney Boylan, and Samantha Van Leer. Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!

September is still summer in our books, and there is still plenty of time to put a couple more "beach reads" in your beach bags. Our latest guest is Sunny Hostin, the 3x Emmy Award-winning co-host of ABC’s “The View” and the New York Times best-selling author of Summer on the Bluffs and Summer on Sag Harbor. Sunny discusses her memoir, I Am These Truths, and how writing it helped form her identity, as well as talking about her novels and how place acts as a character. Recommendations, events, and tips for visiting both Oak Bluffs and Sag Harbor are sprinkled throughout the episode, as well as Sunny's view on being famous before publishing books and whether or not she reads her online reviews. A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors: Marine Home Center Triple Eight Distillery Sunny Hostin Reading List: I Am These Truths : A Memoir by Sunny Hostin Summer on the Bluffs by Sunny Hostin Summer on Sag Harbor by Sunny Hostin What else are we reading in this episode: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett And Break the Pretty Kings by Lena Jeong The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson Paper Gods: A Novel of Money, Race, and Politics by Goldie Taylor Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!

CNN Anchor and chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper joins Elin Hilderbrand and Tim Ehrenberg to report on his new novel, All the Demons Are Here. They start by discussing growing up in the 80's in Philadelphia, Jake’s origin story as a journalist-turned-novelist, the turbulent year of 1977 (in which his newest thriller takes place), reporting on news today while writing about the past, and how music is used to set the scene in literature. Does Jake Tapper sing in this episode? You will have to listen to find out. Writing tips and reading recommendations punctuate this thrilling episode with one of the lead reporters of our time. A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors: Nantucket Book Partners Susan Lister Locke Jake Tapper Reading List: The Out Post: An Untold Story of American Valor by Jake Tapper Body Slam: The Jesse Ventura Story by Jake Tapper The Hell Fire Club by Jake Tapper The Devil May Dance by Jake Tapper All the Demons are Here by Jake Tapper What else are we reading in this episode: The King with Six Friends by Jay Williams The World According to Garp by John Irving Paperboy by Pete Dexter Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn White Noise by Don Delillo Sin City Books by Frank Miller The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man: A Memoir by Paul Newman Comedy, Comedy, Comedy, Drama: A Memoir by Bob Odenkirk Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!

Episode 4 brings us the incredible writing talent that is Ann Patchett, an "auto-buy" author for our hosts and the 2023 National Humanities Medal recipient for "putting into words the beauty, pain and complexity of human nature." The three start their conversation by diving into Elin and Ann's respective years at the Iowa Writers' Workshop before exploring Ann's writing process, her friendship with Lucy Grealy, and her ability to nail human relationships on the page. They also discuss the release of Ann's latest novel Tom Lake, as well as Ann's favorite writers and what it's like owning Parnassus Books in Nashville. A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors: Nantucket Looms - limited time, 15% off with code BOOKS15 Triple Eight Distillery Ann Patchett Reading List: The Magician’s Assistant by Ann Patchett Bel Canto by Ann Patchett Truth & Beauty by Ann Patchett State of Wonder by Ann Patchett These Precious Days by Ann Patchett Commonwealth by Ann Patchett The Dutch House by Ann Patchett Tom Lake by Ann Patchett What else are we reading in this episode: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy Our Town by Thornton Wilder Other authors mentioned: Jane Smiley, Anna Quindlen, Tim Winton, Stephen King, Jodi Picoult, Frank Conroy, Allan Gurganus, Russel Banks, Grace Paley, John Irving, Lucy Grealy, Colson Whitehead, Colleen Hoover, Joyce Carol Oates, Tom Hanks, Kate DiCamillo, Elizabeth McCracken, Louise Erdrich, Elizabeth Strout, Harlan Coben, Andrew Sean Greer, Zadie Smith, Margaret Atwood, and V, formerly Eve Ensler. Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!

Episode 3 brings us the incredible reading icon and passionate bookworm that is Jenna Bush Hager, author and the face of The Today Show’s Read with Jenna. The conversation is ripe with reading recommendations, and Elin and Tim ask all the insider questions of how Read with Jenna came about, how she chooses the titles each month, and some of her favorites over the last 4.5 years. They dive into raising children to be readers, Jenna’s writing life, and what she hopes people 200 years in the future will take away from the Read with Jenna selections. This episode is truly one for the books! A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors: Cartolina Lauren Marttila Photography Jenna Bush Hager Reading List: Sisters First by Jenna Bush Hager & Barbara Pierce Bush Love Comes First by Jenna Bush Hager & Barbara Pierce Bush What else are we reading in this episode: There, There by Tommy Orange Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang Night Bitch by Rachel Yoder Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan The Secret History by Donna Tartt The Cloisters by Katy Hays Foster Dade Explores the Cosmos by Nash Jenkins My Last Innocent Year by Daisy Florin The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson Solito by Javier Zamora The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson Summer Sisters by Judy Blume Hell of a Book by Jason Mott Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour Other authors mentioned: Emma Straub, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Kristin Hannah, Gillian Flynn, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Megan Abbott, Agatha Christie, Britney Spears, Laura Bush, Barbara Bush, Diane Sawyer, Cormac McCarthy, and Ann M Martin. Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!

In this episode, Elin and Tim speak with the incomparable Kristin Hannah, author of The Nightingale, Firefly Lane, and The Four Winds. Kristin discusses her origin story (did you know she wrote a novel with her mom that will never be published?) and the three chat about crying while reading books, labels in literature, "blurbing" other authors’ books, characters pushed to the extremes, Hollywood adaptations, and more. It’s a real deep dive into this beloved writer’s world! A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors: The Nantucket Hotel Triple Eight Distillery Kristin Hannah Reading List: A Handful of Heaven by Kristin Hannah On Mystic Lake by Kristin Hannah Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah The Women by Kristin Hannah What else are we reading in this episode: Every Last One by Anna Quindlen A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell The Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand Winter Solstice by Elin Hilderbrand We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker Yellowface by R.F. Kuang You Are Here by Karin Lin-Greenberg Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!

Buckle up for an entertaining and profound talk with best-selling sensation Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones and the Six, and Carrie Soto is Back. Elin, Tim, and Taylor discuss creating iconic characters, the price of celebrity as a writer, juggling family and career, and so much more. You don’t want to miss this one - it’s laugh out loud funny and full of heart! A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors: Marine Home Center Nantucket Wine & Spirits Taylor Jenkins Reid Reading List: Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid What else are we reading in this episode: Tom Lake by Ann Patchett The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!

Welcome to Books, Beach, & Beyond! In this introductory episode, Elin and Tim have a "five-star chat" with Elin’s agent, Michael Carlisle of Inkwell Management, and her editor, Judy Clain of Little, Brown. The four reflect on Elin’s career, the editing process, the book business, and Elin’s newly released 30th book, The Five-Star Weekend. Tune in for a real insider’s dive into the team behind Elin's literary life. A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors: Nantucket Book Partners Triple Eight Distillery Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!

Join Elin Hilderbrand, #1 New York Times bestselling author of 30 titles and the “Queen of the Beach Reads,” and Tim Ehrenberg, creator of the popular Tim Talks Books, as they talk shop and host spirited discussions with special guests from bestselling and internationally recognized authors, to publishing industry insiders, to local island legends who feature prominently in Hilderbrand’s prolific Nantucket stories. From what it’s like to take a book to the screen to the intricacies and intimate details of an author’s writing process, Hilderbrand and Ehrenberg take listeners on an exciting (and amusing) journey each episode, bringing books to life in a brand-new way in this podcast presented by N Magazine. Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes. And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond Happy Reading!