Valentine's Day is just around the corner! If you're looking for a great romance book, we've got you covered. This week our host Whitney Clark is joined by two Arizona romance authors: Neely Tubati Alexander and Liana De la Rosa, who share their favorite picks. That includes "Honey Bee Mine" by Sarah T. Dubb and "The Magic of Untamed Hearts" by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland. They also talk about their own books, the magic of the Tucson Festival of Books and how the romance author community has grown in the Valley.

It's officially 2026 and we're in for another great year of reading! In this episode we're joined by Ali Jaksich, a book buyer for the Changing Hands Bookstore with locations in Phoenix and Tempe. She chats about how she picks books for the store, how she became a book buyer and how you can read more in 2026.

From cookbooks, to horror and other fiction reads, here are Ali's most anticipated books of the year: "Operation Bounce House", by Matt Dinniman, "Ending Writes Itself" by Evelyn Clarke, "Crux" by Gabriel Tallent, "And Now Back to You" by B.K. Borison, "Fabulous Bodies" by Chuck Tingle, "Cooking con Claudia: Celebración!" by Claudia Regalado, "A Girl Like Her" by Talia Hibbert, "Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age" by Ibram X. Kendi, "Seasons of Glass and Iron" by Amal El-Mohtar, and "Half His Age" by Jennette McCurdy.

The year has come to an end and it's time to talk about our favorite books of the year! In the final podcast episode of the year, our host Whitney Clark is sharing her favs. Here's a look at her top ten: