Tune in at 7pm ET for TONIGHT’s episode!
Join us Wednesday, May 1st, at 7pm Eastern on the F&F Facebook page and YouTube channel as Patti Callahan Henry & Kristin Harmel welcome the New York Times and internationally bestselling author, Janet Skeslien Charles, to discuss her brilliant new novel, MISS MORGAN’S BOOK BRIGADE, based on the true story of Jessie Carson, the American librarian who changed the literary landscape of France.
Janet Skeslien Charles has spent the past decade researching Jessie Carson at The Morgan Library, the NYPL, and archives across France for her latest novel MISS MORGAN’S BOOK BRIGADE. The result is a “compelling ode to the astonishing power of libraries and librarians” (Marie Benedict) which our own Patti Callahan Henry calls “an astonishing novel…and a moving tale of sacrifice, heroism, and inspired storytelling.” Janet’s previous novel The Paris Library, was an instant New York Times, Washington Post, and USA TODAY bestseller and named an Amazon Best Book of 2021. We are so looking forward to discussing this latest installment in her library trilogy with Janet as she heads back to the States from her home in Paris to embark on a US book tour.
Watch the video broadcast of this interview Wed 5/1 at 7pm ET on the F&F Facebook group page & YouTube channel. Catch the audio version on our podcast Fri 5/3.
Pre-order Janet’s book on Bookshop.org!
Shop all of our guests’ & hosts’ books in our F&F Shop on Bookshop.org!
Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for a bonus Q&A with Janet which includes a writing tip, book recommendation, and information about her work-in-progress, plus other great material not covered on the show!
Latest News from the Fab Four!
MARY KAY ANDREWS is checking items off on her to-do list for the Summers at the Saint big azz book tour, which kicks off Saturday with a festive launch party in Atlanta at Huff Harrington Home. (You can still buy tickets from FoxTale Book Shoppe here.) Also, packing for two weeks on the road. On Sunday, Cinco de Mayo, she’ll join the whole F&F crew (including managing director Meg Walker, librarian Ron Block and even Shaun, the AV guy) in Neptune Beach, Florida for our LIVE launch party. Buy tickets or pre-order books from The BookMark here. She’d love to see you at any of her tour stops. Check the schedule here.
What MKA is reading and why she’s loving it: The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley. The book world’s favorite gay uncle Patrick is back, and he’s shepherding his niece and nephew through Europe en route to their father’s wedding, while at the same time navigating the complicated matters of love and family loyalty.
KRISTY WOODSON HARVEY had the most amazing, sold out pre-launch with WALTER magazine last week—and it made her even more excited for all the fun to come! Speaking of fun to come… She’s packing her bags right now to go celebrate our MKA! She’s so excited to be doing three events with her next week and to see the entire F&F crew. Including Shaun, who she’ll be meeting in real life for the first time ever. Hooray! Books really do bring people together!
What Kristy is reading and why she’s loving it: Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews. Stop what you're doing and PREORDER NOW! This is MKA’s best, and MKA fans, you know that is saying something! Full of relatable characters and the perfect amount of drama, this is MKA’s best beachy page-turner yet!
KRISTIN HARMEL is celebrating her birthday this week—and what better birthday gift than the chance to hang out with the Friends & Fiction gang this Sunday (May 5) in Neptune Beach, Florida to celebrate the launch of MKA’s new novel? Come hang out with us! The paperback of The Paris Daughter comes out the following week – on May 14 – and Kristin is going on tour to several cities in Florida and North Carolina, as well as the Philadelphia area and Bethany Beach, Delaware. Check her tour schedule here – and if you haven’t read the book yet, consider picking it up in paperback now!
What Kristin is reading and why she’s loving it: I’m reading Nancy Johnson’s second novel, People of Means, for a blurb. It’ll be out in early 2025, and I’m loving it so far–it’s a story about love, family, and racial injustices, set in 1959 and 1992. Nancy (the author of The Kindest Lie) is a favorite in our F&F community, and I have the feeling this book is going to hit big everywhere.
PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY is packing for her trip to Neptune Beach to celebrate the release of Summers at the Saint and see her F&F family (and cheer Kristin’s birthday!). What a weekend of celebration this will be! This week Patti sent out a newsletter with all the weird and wonderful things that happened to her on tour, as well as what is inspiring her now. YOU CAN READ HERE and subscribe so you don’t miss the next one. She had a really interesting conversation on the BOOKSTORM podcast and you can LISTEN HERE.
What Patti is reading and why she’s loving it: The Last Twelve Miles by Erika Robuck. Set against the backdrop of the Prohibition Rum Wars, this is about two real, brilliant women on opposite sides of the law in a deadly game of cat and mouse. Erika has us turning the pages from DC to the Straits of Florida.
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Upcoming Events
Click HERE to see Mary Kay Andrews’s full book tour for the May 7th release of her new hardcover, Summers at the Saint.
Click HERE to see Kristin Harmel’s full book tour for the May 14th release of the trade paperback edition of The Paris Daughter
Click HERE to see Kristy Woodson Harvey’s full book tour for the June 25th release of her new hardcover, A Happier Life.
Sunday, May 5, 3pm ET — See all four founders and hosts of Friends & Fiction—along with Managing Director Meg Walker, podcast host extraordinaire Ron Block & producer Shaun Hettinger—together in-person for a launch celebration for MKA’s Summers at the Saint hosted by The BookMark in Neptune Beach, FL. Get tickets HERE.
Friday, June 28, 7pm ET —Join all four founders and hosts of Friends & Fiction—along with Meg Walker & Ron Block—together in-person in St. Louis for a launch celebration and garden party for Kristy’s A Happier Life hosted by The Novel Neighbor at the St. Louis County Library Post Event Space, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., Ladue, MO. Get tickets HERE.
Want to know what these F&F Live events are all about? Watch this video compilation! And then grab your tickets to meet up with us in Florida in May and St. Louis in June!
In Case You Missed It
On last week’s episode of The Friends & Fiction Show, Kristy Woodson Harvey & Kristin Harmel welcomed the New York Times bestselling master of suspense, Sally Hepworth, to discuss her brand-new book, DARLING GIRLS, a thrilling page-turner of sisterhood, secrets, love, and murder. Order Sally’s book (out now!) from the F&F Shop on Bookshop.org, where you’ll also find books by all our hosts and guests, all at a discount—and where all your purchases support our show and our beloved indie bookstores nationwide!
You can WATCH that episode on Facebook or YouTube, or LISTEN to it on our podcast.
Coming Up on The Friends & Fiction Show
All shows can be watched on Facebook & YouTube each Wednesday evening at 7pm ET, and listened to on our podcast each Friday, all year long.
Already aired: Lisa Scottoline, The Truth About the Devlins
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!
Already aired: Jo Piazza, The Sicilian Inheritance
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!
Already aired: F&F April Pick of the Month: Emily Henry, Funny Story
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!
Already aired: Sally Hepworth, Darling Girls
WATCH now! | LISTEN now!
Janet Skeslien Charles, Miss Morgan's Book Brigade
Watch: May 1 | Listen: May 3
Ruth Ware, One Perfect Couple
Watch: May 8 | Listen: May 10
F&F May Pick of the Month: Mary Kay Andrews, Summers at the Saint
Watch LIVE: May 15 | Listen: May 17
Steven Rowley, The Guncle Abroad
Watch: May 22 | Listen: May 24
Sunny Hostin, Summer on Highland Beach
Watch: May 29 | Listen: May 31
Annabel Monaghan, Summer Romance
Watch: June 5 | Listen: June 7
Lisa Wingate, Shelterwood
Watch: June 12 | Listen: June 14
F&F June Pick of the Month: Kristy Woodson Harvey, A Happier Life
Watch LIVE: June 19 | Listen: June 21
Chris Whitaker, All the Colors of the Dark
Watch: June 26 | Listen: June 28
Bonus Episodes!
The Fab Four (along with Meg & Ron) are taking turns interviewing some additional authors in short video segments we are calling “Behind the Book.” Check out a few recent bonus interviews that we’ve run on the F&F YouTube channel!
WATCH Meg & Ron’s interview with Caroline Leavitt about her new novel Days of Wonder.
WATCH Patti’s interview with Kristy Cambron about her new historical novel, The British Booksellers.
WATCH MKA & Meg’s interview with Sara Paretsky, about her latest V.I. Warshawski novel, PAY DIRT.
WATCH MKA & Ron’s interview with Lian Dolan, about her new novel, The Marriage Sabbatical.
F&F Merch Store & 2024 Subscription Box
We have a Friends & Fiction merch store with t-shirts, sweatshirts, coffee mugs and a book bag on Bonfire. We also have other items like wine tumblers, reading journals, and our original white v-neck logo tees available through Oxford Exchange. You can also order the F&F 2024 SUBSCRIPTION BOX exclusively through our friends at Oxford Exchange. You get the two first-edition autographed hardcover books (and the adorable pouch!) shown below, plus the option to add Patti’s & Kristin’s 2024 paperback editions of last year’s books. All details HERE!
F&F Official Book Club & 2024 Reading Challenge
Join Brenda Gardner & Lisa Harrison for monthly book club picks and live online author chats on the Facebook page for the F&F Official Book Club with Brenda & Lisa, where they’ve amassed more than 30k of their own members. You can also follow the Book Club on Instagram and subscribe to their YouTube channel where you can catch past discussions, including their most recent chat with with Zibby Owens about her novel, Blank. Mark your calendars for May 20th for their next author guest Brenda Novak when they’ll discuss her novel Tourist Season. With the help of Annissa Armstrong, the Book Club is also hosting the 2024 F&F Reading Challenge. Join them for a different category prompt each month to read outside your comfort zone. The April prompt is to read a book by an author who uses a pen name and, for May, it’s to read a book set in a place you’d like to visit.
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Shop our guests’ & hosts’ books in our shop on BOOKSHOP.
Join the F&F Official BOOK CLUB with Brenda & Lisa.
Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for bonus content from our hosts and guests.