We're kicking 2026 off with an amazing Australian indie author! See what you are missing out on if you haven't read any of Bridget's books - including her newest release The Husband Wishlist.

This episode also takes a look at some of the 2025 book trends, genre bookstores, and a review of the Netflix adaption of Emily Henry's 'People We Meet on Vacation'. Specific books discussed include Upgrade by Blake Crouch, Blood of Bright Haven by ML Wang, and Quicksilver by Callie Hart.

#HappyReading

About Speaking LITerally

Resident bookworms Liz & Holly explore their favorite world--BOOKS--in this all new podcast focused around new releases, old favorites, and everything in between.

What are you reading? Find our their favorites and upcoming reads along with stories from authors and more on Speaking LITerally!

Follow on Instagram

@speakliterallypodcast

@lizzieslittlebooknook

@azdesert_bookworm

Speaking LITerally #65: 2025 Year In Review

Every year seems to be full of more bookish goodness than the last, and 2025 was no exception. Join Holly and Liz can they take a trip down memory lane and reflect on their top books of the year and some of the books that are on their list for 2026.

Stick around for the 2026 season for more shenanigans and even more author interviews. It's going to be great!

Sending wishes for a wonderful and happy new year!

#HappyReading

About Speaking LITerally

Resident bookworms Liz & Holly explore their favorite world--BOOKS--in this all new podcast focused around new releases, old favorites, and everything in between.

What are you reading? Find our their favorites and upcoming reads along with stories from authors and more on Speaking LITerally!

Follow on Instagram

@speakliterallypodcast

@lizzieslittlebooknook

@azdesert_bookworm

Speaking LITerally #64: Book Club Featuring The Most Wonderful Crime of The Year

The final episode of 2025 is here, and there is no better way to wrap up the year than with a book club episode! Jen and Steph join Holly and Liz to discuss Ally Carter's popular holiday mystery romance. Let's just say the book was a BIG hit!

Additional topics include the Goodread's Reader Choice Award winners, Audible's partnership with TikTok, the debate over teaching excerpts vs whole novels in schools, book adaption updates and, of course, some holiday reads!

As another year comes to an end, here is a huge, heart filled thank you for all the support of this little podcast. Have a wonderful, safe and relaxing holiday season.#HappyReading

About Speaking LITerally

Resident bookworms Liz & Holly explore their favorite world--BOOKS--in this all new podcast focused around new releases, old favorites, and everything in between.

What are you reading? Find our their favorites and upcoming reads along with stories from authors and more on Speaking LITerally!

Follow on Instagram

@speakliterallypodcast

@lizzieslittlebooknook

@azdesert_bookworm

Australian Indie Author Sean Bobby Kerr joins the show to discuss his epic fantasy book. She shares some fun and interesting insight on his experience as an author and how he approaches his writing process.

It's the time of year where book awards are announced and holiday books are all the rage. We address both in this episode, as well as some recent and upcoming movie adaptations.

Not to spoil all the fun, but a few of the books discussed include The Will of Many, A Study In Drowning, and Three Pucking Words. Stephen King, Andy Weir, and Leigh Bardugo may also come up in conversation along with several others.

Don's miss another fun episode.

#HappyReading

About Speaking LITerally

Resident bookworms Liz & Holly explore their favorite world--BOOKS--in this all new podcast focused around new releases, old favorites, and everything in between.

What are you reading? Find our their favorites and upcoming reads along with stories from authors and more on Speaking LITerally!

Follow on Instagram

@speakliterallypodcast

@lizzieslittlebooknook

@azdesert_bookworm

Natalia Williams joins the show to talk her book Taking the Cake and her Tango Series in our latest episode.

It's Halloween, so we discuss the season and how Darcy Coates has become a fixture in our spooky season library.

Other topics discussed include the Book of the Year candidates and the Indiverse Awards. To cover the international news of the recent Louvre robbery, heist books are also a big topic of discussion.

The fun never stops. Don't miss it!

#HappyReading

About Speaking LITerally

Resident bookworms Liz & Holly explore their favorite world--BOOKS--in this all new podcast focused around new releases, old favorites, and everything in between.

What are you reading? Find our their favorites and upcoming reads along with stories from authors and more on Speaking LITerally!

Follow on Instagram

@speakliterallypodcast

@lizzieslittlebooknook

@azdesert_bookworm

Rabbit Moon author Jan D Payne joins the show to share her passion of writing and how her background with the Navajo Nation has shaped her storytelling.

Spooky season is here, so we would not be doing our job without discussing some of our picks for the season. Books covered include Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna, and October Forever by Katie Cawood. Stephen King and Darcy Coates may also have been pulled into the conversation!

We also make our final predictions on who will win this year's Booker Prize, and the questions remains - will Holly remain undefeated in her predictions!

Banned Book Week 2025 is discussed as well as the exciting return of Reading Rainbow with it's new host plus so much more!

#HappyReading

About Speaking LITerally

Resident bookworms Liz & Holly explore their favorite world--BOOKS--in this all new podcast focused around new releases, old favorites, and everything in between.

What are you reading? Find our their favorites and upcoming reads along with stories from authors and more on Speaking LITerally!

Follow on Instagram

@speakliterallypodcast

@lizzieslittlebooknook

@azdesert_bookworm

Prepare yourself for an epic adventure in this episode. There are more off-the-rails moment than in any recent episodes making it one of the most fun ones yet!

The Book Club girls have quite a bit to share about this new horror book by Nat Cassidy that explores the concept of what happens when we have the power to manifest your fears into real, tangible entities.

What else is in store? Well, what do the Babysitter's Club and KPop Demon Hunters have in common? Who is the mysterious author Evelyn Clarke? And, since when is Wuthering Heights a dark romance? All questions answered in the latest episode.

Books discussed in this episode include: The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown, The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightly and The Whalebone Theater by Joanna Quinn just to name a couple.

The real fun? The real fun in this episode comes in our Book Club Discussion and our notoriously crazy Speed-Round. We hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed recording.

Next Episode will drop on October 6 when we welcome author Jan Payne to the show.

#HappyReading

About Speaking LITerally

Resident bookworms Liz & Holly explore their favorite world--BOOKS--in this all new podcast focused around new releases, old favorites, and everything in between.

What are you reading? Find our their favorites and upcoming reads along with stories from authors and more on Speaking LITerally!

Follow on Instagram

@speakliterallypodcast

@lizzieslittlebooknook

@azdesert_bookworm

Laura Hern, author of The Lainey Maynard Mystery series, joins the show to to discuss her journey as an author.

Topics on the show also include adaptation updates, Hank Green's Focus Friend App and many book discussions and mentions: Strange Houses by Uketsu, Babel by FR Kuang, and Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman just to name a few.

When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy will be the focus of the next episode's Book Club discussion. Don't miss it!

#HappyReading

About Speaking LITerally

Resident bookworms Liz & Holly explore their favorite world--BOOKS--in this all new podcast focused around new releases, old favorites, and everything in between.

What are you reading? Find our their favorites and upcoming reads along with stories from authors and more on Speaking LITerally!

Follow on Instagram

@speakliterallypodcast

@lizzieslittlebooknook

@azdesert_bookworm