In this episode of Books Around the Block, we’re breaking down books that are overhyped, underhyped, and appropriately hyped. Each of us brings one book for each category, sharing honest reactions, hot takes, and the kind of bookish opinions you’d only say out loud to neighbors you trust.

If you’ve ever wondered which popular books are actually worth reading, which underrated books deserve more attention, or whether the hype is real or wildly exaggerated, this episode is for you.

Grab your TBR and settle in. Things get opinionated.

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

Rock, Paper, Scissors by Alice Feeney

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand

The Silent Patient by Alex Michelides

Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese

Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan

Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler

Broken Country by Claire Leslie Hall

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owen

New year, new books! In this episode of Books Around the Block, we’re rounding up the most anticipated book releases of Q1 2026, from January through March. We’re talking buzzy new novels, upcoming romances, thrillers, and literary fiction that are already climbing our TBRs. If you’re building your 2026 reading list and want to know what to read next, this episode is for you.

Current Reads:

A Guardian and A Thief by Megha Majumdar

The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent

The Faithful Saints by Ashley Winstead

Anticipated Books:

Warning Signs by Tracy Sierra

And Now, Back to You by B.K. Borrison

Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden

Lake Effect by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney

In Her Own League by Liz Tomforde

It's Not Her by Mary Kubica

Little One by Olivia Muenter

The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez

How to Write A Love Story by Catherine Walsh

We’re wrapping up our December reads and revealing what’s on our January TBR, including four-star favorites, total reading flops, and the books that personally offended us. Join us as we break down our biggest bookish wins, our biggest letdowns, and what we’re hoping to read next month. Expect honest reviews, plenty of laughs, relatable reading chaos, and neighborly banter you didn’t ask for but definitely need. Perfect for book lovers looking for reading recommendations, monthly wrap-ups, and a fun book podcast to add to their rotation.

Nobody's Girl by Virginia Roberts Giuffre

Rewind It Back by Liz Tomforde

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

BEST:

Dinner For Vampires by Bethany Joy Lentz

Play Along by Liz Tomforde

The Compound by Aisling Rawle

WORST:

This is a safe space by Lucinda Berry

Brimstone by Callie Hart

But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo

MOST SURPRISING:

Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino

The Plight Before Christmas by Kate Stewart

The Guncle by Steven Rowley

JANUARY HOPEFULS:

The Storm by Rachel Hawkins

From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon

Funny Story by Emily Henry

A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar

Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine

The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead

We’re wrapping up our reading year with our Top 5 Books of 2025, plus the one book that truly let us down. We break down our favorites, confess our worst read of the year, and dig into our reading stats including genres, ratings, and a few surprises along the way. Expect strong opinions, light roasting, and plenty of side tangents as we crown the best and worst of our year in books.

The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan

Play Along by Liz Tomforde

But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo

Lindsays Top 5:

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell

One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

Every Summer After by Carley Fortune

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hasseini

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall

Adrienne's Top 5:

My Friends by Fredrik Backman

All The Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaughy

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

Audrey's Top 5:

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaughy

Caught Up by Liz Tomforde

The Conditions of Will by Jessa Hastings

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

Heart the Lover by Lily King

It’s our Christmas book club episode, and we’re diving into The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter. This holiday mystery blends a snowy setting, clever twists, sharp banter, and just enough romance to keep things cozy. We break down the plot, talk favorite moments, debate the mystery reveal, and share whether this one earns a spot on your annual Christmas reading list. If you love holiday mysteries, festive thrillers, or Christmas books with a crime twist, this episode is for you.

How To Stay Married by Harrison Scott Key

The Plight Before Christmas by Kate Stewart

The Guncle by Steven Rowley

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

It’s almost a new year, which means we are confidently setting New Year reading resolutions and bookish goals for 2026 with absolutely no guarantee we’ll follow all of them. In this episode of Books Around the Block, each of us shares two reading resolutions, from noble literary intentions to slightly unhinged bookish promises.

We talk reading habits we want to fix, TBR delusions we’re embracing, and how we’re hoping to make reading more fun and less stressful this year. If you love setting reading goals, breaking them, and laughing about it anyway, this episode is for you.

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

On Writing by Stephen King

We are sprinting to the finish line with a stack of short books under 300 pages that will help you crush those end-of-year reading goals. Adrienne, Audrey, and Lindsay share their favorite quick hits, the tiny book recs with big vibes in the best ways.

We also dive into Brimstone by Callie Hart and break down the editing controversy that has taken over BookTok. Audrey’s reaction is priceless and completely justified. If you have been wondering what actually happened, we unpack it all.

Grab a cozy drink and a tiny book, and join us around the block.

Books Mentioned:

Bitter Sweet by Hattie Williams

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

Brimstone by Callie Hart

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

The Good Lie by A.R. Torre

No Exit by Taylor Adams

Wild Game by Adrienne Brodeur

The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

This is a Safe Space by Lucinda Berry

Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

The Compound by Aisling Rawle

We’re wrapping up our November reads and sharing what’s on our December TBR! From five-star favorites to the biggest letdowns, we’re chatting all things books, and revealing if Adrienne loved her official birthday book selection. Tune in for laughs, book recs, and a little friendly chaos on this month's reading wrap-up and TBR hopefuls.

The Irish Goodbye by Heather Aimee O'Neill

Heart the Lover by Lily King

Good Spirits by B.K. Borrison

Remain by Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan

Tourist Season by Brynne Weaver

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

Mayluna by Kelley McNeill

Intercepts by T.J. Payne

Cackle by Rachel Harrison

Gone Before Goodbye by Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coban

The Ten Year Affair by Erin Sommers

You Watched in Silence by H. Lee Justine

Love, Pamela by Pamela Anderson

Bitter Sweet by Hattie Williams

Nobody Knows You're Here by Brynn Greenwood

The Guncle by Steven Rowley

The Christmas Bookstore by Jenny Colgan

Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt

I was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones