Fully Booked by Kirkus Reviews

On our Best January Books episode, Kirkus’ editors share some of the month’s most highly anticipated titles. Then Alia Hanna Habib joins us to discuss Take It From Me: An Agent’s Guide to Building a Nonfiction Writing Career From Scratch (Pantheon, Jan. 20). Kirkus: “An invaluable resource for aspiring and professional writers alike.”THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:That Kind of Girl by Jacey BiciUse Your Palabras, Jovita! by Keishia Lee Louis, illus. by Diego Alejandro Escobar TrianaMidnight at Sea by Hoyt Rogers with Artemisia Vento and Frank BáezBone of Contention by Jan S. GephardtDigital Odyssey by SE QuinnSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Happy New Year, listeners! It’s the Fully Booked Year in Review, featuring editor-in-chief Tom Beer and Kirkus contributing writer Michael Schaub. On this jolly special episode, we take a deep dive into the weird book news of 2025 and reveal the year’s most popular episode.THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:Fighting Bullies by William T. Reid, IVHarlo by Brian PetersenBailing Out by Leonard RuhlThe Nameless Dead by Leta Serafim See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this special holiday episode, Megan presents her favorite nonfiction interviews of 2025, featuring Edmund White (The Loves of My Life) and Caro De Robertis (So Many Stars: An Oral History of Trans, Nonbinary, Genderqueer, and Two-Spirit People of Color).THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:The Zygan Emprise by Y.S. PascalCourse Over Ground by Bill C. WilsonBetween Wounded and Well by Debra PalmerProphets of War by Jack BrownSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this special holiday episode, Megan presents her favorite fiction interviews of 2025, featuring National Book Award winner Rabih Alameddine (The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother)) and National Book Award finalist Karen Russell (The Antidote).THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:French Lessons by Roberta SamuelsForgiven by Bruce J. BergerFrancisco De Saavedra's American Revolutionary War by James GieslerMaya Blue by Brenda CoffeeFlight of the Chicxulub by Christopher FlakusSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We conclude our Best Books of 2025 coverage with a special episode dedicated to young adult. First, Libba Bray joins us to discuss Under the Same Stars (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Feb. 4). Then young readers’ editor Laura Simeon highlights some more of the year’s best YA.Thanks to our sponsors:The Tale of the Wicked Old Woman and the Very Nice 'Beast' of Crouch End by Lance Lee, illus. by Nathalie T. RetivoffA Widow’s Fire by Diane Pike HeilerFuture-Focused Wealth by Melissa CoxSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.