It's an erotic thriller and a page-turner you won't want to put down this summer! Jessica Knoll is out with her latest "Helpless" and it's definitely a departure for her. As a reader, Jessica loves the dark romance trend and pulled elements from that genre for her new book. Jessica chats with our host Whitney Clark about the books that have inspired her and the warnings she had to give her friends and family regarding the steamy scenes.

We're in the middle of the summer. It's hot. So why not cool down with a good book? On this episode we're joined by Barbara Hagen of ThriftBooks to talk about the most popular summer reads so far. Our host Whitney Clark also asks about how the online bookseller gets used books (some for just a few dollars!), how it helps local libraries, and which titles made its list of the top 250 books of all time!

If you want a good cry, Sarah Damoff knows how to make readers tear up! Damoff joins us to chat about her sophomore novel "The Burning Side." In the new book, she explores topics you'll relate to including marriage struggles, raising kids, and how families face challenges with Alzheimer's. The book is set in Texas. Sarah chats with our host Whitney Clark about why she sets books in her home state, how her career as a social worker has impacted her storytelling, and what it's like to meet weepy readers.

They are two of the most popular genres in the book world right now: fantasy and romantasy. Whether you love or want to fall in love with the genres, we're talking about the best fantasy books to read this summer! We're joined by the owners of The Enchanted Quill. It's the first and only fantasy-specific mobile bookstore in the Phoenix area. Included on the list of books are the following:

- Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

- Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

- ACOTAR by Sarah J. Maas

- The Witch Collector by Charissa Weaks

- Quicksilver by Callie Hart

- The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig

- The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow

- Dungeon Carl Crawler by Matt Dinniman

- When The Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker

- Spark of the Everflame by Penn Cole

- Rain of Shadows and Endings by Melissa K. Roerich

Artificial intelligence is nothing new, but it's growing and changing every day. That includes in the world of book publishing. From lawsuits with social media companies, to books being pulled from shelves because of suspected AI use, we're covering it all with our guest Jane Freidman. She's spent more than 20 years in publishing and now reports on the industry, appearing in many national publications like The New York Times and CBS News.

From TikTok to Instagram and YouTube, influencers are everywhere. And so are their families and children. In her new book "Like, Follow, Subscribe: Influencer Kids and the Cost of a Childhood Online," journalist Fortesa Latifi is exploring what it means to live your childhood online. Fortesa found some content creators make millions of dollars a year, with some of their best-performing content featuring their children sick or hurt. As Fortesa discusses, there's a lot of nuance that gets into the book: parents are grappling with tough decisions. Her work has been in The New York Times and more. Fortesa is from Arizona and is a graduate of ASU's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

It's a love story...about female friendships! New York Times Bestselling author Jessica George is out with her sophomore novel "Love By the Book." She joins the podcast this week from London to talk about how we can show up for friends as we age, why she's starting sometimes taboo conversations about having kids and making friends as adults, and she shares her favorite restaurants and spots across the pond!

Is the book better than the movie? In this week's episode, we're joined by USA Today's books reporter Clare Mulroy to answer that age-old question. From "Wuthering Heights," to "Heated Rivalry," "Hamnet" and more, Clare and our host Whitney Clark chat about their favorite, and least favorite, page-to-screen adaptions. Clare also talks about how she got her dream job, how she finds time to read and her thoughts on the new "Project Hail Mary" film based on Andy Weir's 2021 hit novel.