Books, Beach, & Beyond

Elin Hilderbrand, Tim Talks Books, N Magazine

Join Elin Hilderbrand, #1 New York Times bestselling author of 30 titles and the “Queen of the Beach Reads,” and Tim Ehrenberg, creator of the popular Tim Talks Books, as they talk shop and host spirited discussions with special guests from bestselling and internationally recognized authors, to publishing industry insiders, to local island legends who feature prominently in Hilderbrand’s prolific Nantucket stories. From what it’s like to take a book to the screen to the intricacies and intimate details of an author’s writing process, Hilderbrand and Ehrenberg take listeners on an exciting (and amusing) journey each episode, bringing books to life in a brand-new way in this podcast presented by N Magazine. A special thank you to our Season 1 Premier Sponsors:Nantucket Book Partners, Marine Home Center, The Nantucket Hotel, Cartolina, and Nantucket Looms.

read less

Our Editor's Take

Book lovers everywhere could find the Books, Beach, & Beyond podcast a favorite. The podcast has thorough discussions about everything that makes books so enchanting. The series examines topics like a writer's idea turning into print to a reader's connection to a book. It's a book podcast that's not hyper-focused on particular books or book genres. It offers exciting discourse about authors, book publishing, and more.

Elin Hilderbrand and Tim Ehrenberg do a great job cohosting the podcast. Elin is a prolific writer whose fans call themselves "Hilderbabes." She is known for her many beach-themed books. Elin is also a graduate of Johns Hopkins University. Among her novels are The Perfect Couple and Paradise Trilogy. Paradise Trilogy is being made into an ABC series. The Perfect Couple is already a Netflix series. Cohost Tim started the Tim Talks Books site to connect with authors and other readers. The book marketing pro also contributes to Nantucket-based N Magazine.

Elin and Tim have great chemistry and natural joviality on Books, Beach, & Beyond. Also, their knowledge, creativity, and passion for books make the podcast engaging. The podcast has a book club feel, with extra layers of insider wisdom and know-how. Episodes open with the hosts sharing about the books they are currently reading. They share book lists and summer readings and welcome exciting guests to the show.

Firefly Lane author Kristin Hannah is one such guest. Kristin shares why she refused to write another World War II book after The Nightingale. She stated that hardship reveals character, which is why her books are character-driven. Her conversation with the duo is both a writing and life lesson.

Taylor Jenkins Reid, the bestselling author of Daisy Jones and the Six, is another guest on the podcast. Taylor told the hosts she relocated to Los Angeles to become a casting director, not a writer. From early on, the writer knew she wanted involvement in character creation. Taylor shares many more insights in her discussion with the hosts.

Writers, readers, or anyone interested in books may find Books, Beach, & Beyond addictive. New episodes debut every two weeks.

read less

ArtsArts

Play Trailer

Welcome to Books, Beach, & Beyond

Welcome to Books, Beach, & Beyond

Join Elin Hilderbrand, #1 New York Times bestselling author of 30 titles and the “Queen of the Beach Reads,” and Tim Ehrenberg, creator of the popular Tim Talks Books, as they talk shop and host spirited discussions with special guests from bestselling and internationally recognized authors, to publishing industry insiders, to local island legends who feature prominently in Hilderbrand’s prolific Nantucket stories. From what it’s like to take a book to the screen to the intricacies and intimate details of an author’s writing process, Hilderbrand and Ehrenberg take listeners on an exciting (and amusing) journey each episode, bringing books to life in a brand-new way in this podcast presented by N Magazine.Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyondHappy Reading!

Fredrik Backman

Fredrik Backman

For our second bonus episode for 2023, we stay across the pond and get to chat with the #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Beartown Series, A Man Called Ove, and Anxious People - Fredrik Backman! Elin and Tim chat with Fredrik about his origin story, his debut novel A Man Called Ove and where the idea for this iconic story came from, his Beartown series and the hockey team and town in the trilogy, and his writing process. We hear the differences between publishing in the U.S. and Sweden, why he thinks his characters resonate so much with people, the stigmas around mental health, and the screen adaptation A Man Called Otto starring Tom Hanks.A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors:Marine Home CenterBook of the Month - limited time, first book for just $5 with code ELINFredrik Backman Reading List:A Man Called OveBritt- Marie Was HereBeartownUs Against YouThe WinnersAnxious PeopleWhat else are we reading in this episode:The Castaways by Elin HilderbrandWinter Street Series by Elin HilderbrandThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas AdamsThe Other Side of Sadness by George A. BonannoFollow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyondHappy Reading!

Maggie O'Farrell

Maggie O'Farrell

In this bonus episode, Elin and Tim travel virtually across the pond to Scotland to interview one of their favorite writers of the English language, Maggie O’Farrell, author of Hamnet and The Marriage Portrait. The three discuss the differences between publishing in the UK and in the US, what it means to Maggie to be Irish, how she researches her settings, point of view and experimentation with the craft of language, publishing a plague novel during COVID-19, writing fiction about real people, and her memoir I Am I Am I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death. You’ll immediately want to order every Maggie O’Farrell novel you can get your hands on because, as Tim and Elin say in the episode, they would "read her grocery list!"A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors:Lovango Resort & Beach Club - limited time, 10% off your stay at Lovangovi.com/ELINBook of the Month - limited time, first book for just $9.99 with code ELINMaggie O'Farrell Reading List:After You’d Gone Instructions for a Heatwave The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox This Must Be the Place I Am I Am I Am Hamnet The Marriage PortraitWhat else are we reading in this episode:The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi DarThe Wren, The Wren by Anne EnrightOther authors mentioned:Rudyard Kipling, Louis MacNeice, William Shakespeare, Alice Munro, Ann Patchett, Margaret Atwood, Elizabeth Strout, William Boyd, and Anne Enright.Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyondHappy Reading!

It Ends with Colleen Hoover. Yes, Season 1 of Books, Beach, & Beyond wraps up with the mega best-selling author of It Ends With Us and Verity, Colleen Hoover, or CoHo as she is known by all her adoring fans. Colleen, Elin, and Tim discuss Colleen’s super unique journey from self-publishing her books to today working with multiple publishers and editors, domestic abuse and secondary trauma in It Ends with Us, the ending of Verity, screen adaptations, and the connection she has made with her readers and fans, who are called “The CoHorts!” Tune in to see which writers Colleen is a super fan of, her favorite books, and her advice to aspiring writers.A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors:Hatch'sNantucket's Meat & Fish MarketColleen Hoover Reading List:Slammed by Colleen HooverIt Ends with Us by Colleen HooverVerity by Colleen HooverWhat else are we reading in this episode:Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine HarrisFlowers in the Attic by V.C. AndrewsFourth Wing by Rebecca YarrosWhere the Sidewalk Ends by Shel SilversteinHappy Place by Emily HenryEvery Summer After by Carley FortuneFranny & Zooey by J D SalingerOther authors mentioned:Tracey Garvis Graves, Emily Henry, and Tiffanie DeBartolo. Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyondHappy Reading!

Jennifer Weiner

Jennifer Weiner

Please welcome to the podcast the hilariously entertaining and #1 best-selling author of In Her Shoes, Mrs. Everything, and The Summer Place, Jennifer Weiner! This is one juicy episode of literary gossip with so many laugh-out-loud moments. Jen takes us through her two decades in the book business, from her debut Good in Bed to her latest, The Breakaway. We dive into mothers and daughters, biking and "yogging," commercial fiction vs. literary fiction, as well as tall tales from Elin and Jen's old flings, worst book tour stories, and their least and most favorite parts of their job as writers. *Warning, the three get carried away and this episode has some explicit language that could offend listeners.A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors:Nantucket Looms - limited time, 15% off with code BOOKS15Bar YoshiRead With JennaJennifer Weiner Reading List:Good in Bed by Jennifer WeinerIn Her Shoes by Jennifer WeinerMrs. Everything by Jennifer WeinerThe Breakaway by Jennifer WeinerWhat else are we reading in this episode:Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie GarmusWhere the Crawdads Sing by Delia OwensSwan Song by Elin HilderbrandFollow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyondHappy Reading!

In this episode of Books, Beach, & Beyond, we welcome Gilbert Cruz, Editor of the New York Times Book Review. Cruz discusses his childhood, schooling, and career that led to one of the most elite jobs in the book business. He gives listeners a behind-the-scenes look into the process of choosing books to review in the New York Times, who reviews them, and how the "Top Ten Books of the Year" are chosen. Tim and Gilbert bond over their love and obsession with Stephen King, while Elin and Gilbert dish on some of their favorite TV shows. This episode is filled with the joy of reading and recommending literature!A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors:CartolinaTriple Eight DistilleryWhat else are we reading in this episode:The Blue Bistro by Elin HilderbrandIt by Stephen KingThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott FitzgeraldAlice & Oliver by Charles BockThe Shining by Stephen King11/22/63 by Stephen KingBig Little Lies by Liane MoriartyStill Life by Louise PennyKing: A Life by Jonathan EigBirnam Wood by Eleanor CattonShutter Island by Dennis LehaneOther authors mentioned:Edgar Allan Poe and Charles Dickens.Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyondHappy Reading!

This episode features one of Elin and Tim’s favorite writers and friends, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Mad Honey, Wish You Were Here, and My Sister’s Keeper , Jodi Picoult! Jodi discusses writing from both perspectives of a controversial issue, her twist endings and intense research process, and co-writing with Samantha Van Leer and Jennifer Finney Boylan. Elin and Jodi dig into their decisions around narrative voice in their stories and their relationships and online interactions with readers, and the three discuss current book banning in America. It’s another chat where you feel like you’re having coffee with your three best friends!A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors:The Nantucket HotelN MagazineNantucket CurrentJodi Picoult Reading List:Songs of the Humpback Whale by Jodi PicoultThe Pact by Jodi PicoultSecond Glance by Jodi PicoultMy Sister’s Keeper by Jodi PicoultNineteen Minutes by Jodi PicoultChange of Heart by Jodi PicoultHandle with Care by Jodi PicoultA Spark of Light by Jodi PicoultThe Book of Two Ways by Jodi PicoultSmall Great Things by Jodi PicoultWish You Were Here by Jodi PicoultMad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney BoylanBy Any Other Name by Jodi PicoultWhat else are we reading in this episode:Hamnet by Maggie O’FarrellYellowface by R.F. KuangI Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca MakkaiThe Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugendies How to Give the Wrong Impression by Katherine HeinySummerland by Elin HilderbrandThe Five-Star Weekend by Elin HilderbrandHappiness Falls by Angie KimBride by Ali HazelwoodSpeech Team by Tim MurphyThe Breakaway by Jennifer WeinerPete and Alice in Maine by Caitlin ShetterlyBee Sting by Paul MurrayHolly by Stephen KingOther authors mentioned:Mary Morris, Jennifer Finney Boylan, and Samantha Van Leer.Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyondHappy Reading!

September is still summer in our books, and there is still plenty of time to put a couple more "beach reads" in your beach bags. Our latest guest is Sunny Hostin, the 3x Emmy Award-winning co-host of ABC’s “The View” and the New York Times best-selling author of Summer on the Bluffs and Summer on Sag Harbor. Sunny discusses her memoir, I Am These Truths, and how writing it helped form her identity, as well as talking about her novels and how place acts as a character. Recommendations, events, and tips for visiting both Oak Bluffs and Sag Harbor are sprinkled throughout the episode, as well as Sunny's view on being famous before publishing books and whether or not she reads her online reviews.A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors:Marine Home CenterTriple Eight DistillerySunny Hostin Reading List:I Am These Truths : A Memoir by Sunny Hostin Summer on the Bluffs by Sunny Hostin Summer on Sag Harbor by Sunny Hostin What else are we reading in this episode:The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS LewisAre You There God, It’s Me, Margaret by Judy BlumeThe Vanishing Half by Brit BennettAnd Break the Pretty Kings by Lena JeongThe House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson Paper Gods: A Novel of Money, Race, and Politics by Goldie Taylor Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyondHappy Reading!

CNN Anchor and chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper joins Elin Hilderbrand and Tim Ehrenberg to report on his new novel, All the Demons Are Here. They start by discussing growing up in the 80's in Philadelphia, Jake’s origin story as a journalist-turned-novelist, the turbulent year of 1977 (in which his newest thriller takes place), reporting on news today while writing about the past, and how music is used to set the scene in literature. Does Jake Tapper sing in this episode? You will have to listen to find out. Writing tips and reading recommendations punctuate this thrilling episode with one of the lead reporters of our time.A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors:Nantucket Book PartnersSusan Lister LockeJake Tapper Reading List:The Out Post: An Untold Story of American Valor by Jake TapperBody Slam: The Jesse Ventura Story by Jake TapperThe Hell Fire Club by Jake TapperThe Devil May Dance by Jake TapperAll the Demons are Here by Jake TapperWhat else are we reading in this episode:The King with Six Friends by Jay WilliamsThe World According to Garp by John Irving Paperboy by Pete Dexter Gone Girl by Gillian FlynnSharp Objects by Gillian FlynnWhite Noise by Don DelilloSin City Books by Frank Miller The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man: A Memoir by Paul NewmanComedy, Comedy, Comedy, Drama: A Memoir by Bob Odenkirk Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyondHappy Reading!

Episode 4 brings us the incredible writing talent that is Ann Patchett, an "auto-buy" author for our hosts and the 2023 National Humanities Medal recipient for "putting into words the beauty, pain and complexity of human nature." The three start their conversation by diving into Elin and Ann's respective years at the Iowa Writers' Workshop before exploring Ann's writing process, her friendship with Lucy Grealy, and her ability to nail human relationships on the page. They also discuss the release of Ann's latest novel Tom Lake, as well as Ann's favorite writers and what it's like owning Parnassus Books in Nashville.A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors:Nantucket Looms - limited time, 15% off with code BOOKS15Triple Eight DistilleryAnn Patchett Reading List:The Magician’s Assistant by Ann PatchettBel Canto by Ann PatchettTruth & Beauty by Ann PatchettState of Wonder by Ann PatchettThese Precious Days by Ann PatchettCommonwealth by Ann PatchettThe Dutch House by Ann PatchettTom Lake by Ann PatchettWhat else are we reading in this episode:The Kite Runner by Khaled HosseiniThen We Came to the End by Joshua FerrisAutobiography of a Face by Lucy GrealyOur Town by Thornton WilderOther authors mentioned:Jane Smiley, Anna Quindlen, Tim Winton, Stephen King, Jodi Picoult, Frank Conroy, Allan Gurganus, Russel Banks, Grace Paley, John Irving, Lucy Grealy, Colson Whitehead, Colleen Hoover, Joyce Carol Oates, Tom Hanks, Kate DiCamillo, Elizabeth McCracken, Louise Erdrich, Elizabeth Strout, Harlan Coben, Andrew Sean Greer, Zadie Smith, Margaret Atwood, and V, formerly Eve Ensler. Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyondHappy Reading!

Jenna Bush Hager

Jenna Bush Hager

Episode 3 brings us the incredible reading icon and passionate bookworm that is Jenna Bush Hager, author and the face of The Today Show’s Read with Jenna. The conversation is ripe with reading recommendations, and Elin and Tim ask all the insider questions of how Read with Jenna came about, how she chooses the titles each month, and some of her favorites over the last 4.5 years. They dive into raising children to be readers, Jenna’s writing life, and what she hopes people 200 years in the future will take away from the Read with Jenna selections. This episode is truly one for the books!A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors:CartolinaLauren Marttila PhotographyJenna Bush Hager Reading List:Sisters First by Jenna Bush Hager & Barbara Pierce BushLove Comes First by Jenna Bush Hager & Barbara Pierce BushWhat else are we reading in this episode:There, There by Tommy OrangeBeautiful Country by Qian Julie WangNight Bitch by Rachel YoderValentine by Elizabeth WetmoreThe School for Good Mothers by Jessamine ChanThe Secret History by Donna TarttThe Cloisters by Katy HaysFoster Dade Explores the Cosmos by Nash JenkinsMy Last Innocent Year by Daisy FlorinThe Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane Nothing to See Here by Kevin WilsonSolito by Javier ZamoraThe Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi DareI Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca MakkaiBlack Cake by Charmaine WilkersonSummer Sisters by Judy BlumeHell of a Book by Jason MottBlack Buck by Mateo AskaripourOther authors mentioned:Emma Straub, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Kristin Hannah, Gillian Flynn, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Megan Abbott, Agatha Christie, Britney Spears, Laura Bush, Barbara Bush, Diane Sawyer, Cormac McCarthy, and Ann M Martin.Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyondHappy Reading!

In this episode, Elin and Tim speak with the incomparable Kristin Hannah, author of The Nightingale, Firefly Lane, and The Four Winds. Kristin discusses her origin story (did you know she wrote a novel with her mom that will never be published?) and the three chat about crying while reading books, labels in literature, "blurbing" other authors’ books, characters pushed to the extremes, Hollywood adaptations, and more. It’s a real deep dive into this beloved writer’s world!A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors:The Nantucket HotelTriple Eight DistilleryKristin Hannah Reading List:A Handful of Heaven by Kristin HannahOn Mystic Lake by Kristin HannahFirefly Lane by Kristin HannahThe Nightingale by Kristin HannahThe Great Alone by Kristin HannahThe Four Winds by Kristin HannahThe Women by Kristin HannahWhat else are we reading in this episode:Every Last One by Anna QuindlenA Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara Hamnet by Maggie O’FarrellThe Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand28 Summers by Elin HilderbrandWinter Solstice by Elin HilderbrandWe Begin at the End by Chris WhitakerYellowface by R.F. KuangYou Are Here by Karin Lin-GreenbergFollow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyondHappy Reading!

Taylor Jenkins Reid

Taylor Jenkins Reid

Buckle up for an entertaining and profound talk with best-selling sensation Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones and the Six, and Carrie Soto is Back. Elin, Tim, and Taylor discuss creating iconic characters, the price of celebrity as a writer, juggling family and career, and so much more. You don’t want to miss this one - it’s laugh out loud funny and full of heart!A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors:Marine Home CenterNantucket Wine & SpiritsTaylor Jenkins Reid Reading List:Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins ReidAfter I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins ReidDaisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins ReidCarrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins ReidWhat else are we reading in this episode:Tom Lake by Ann PatchettThe Rachel Incident by Caroline O'DonoghueFollow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyondHappy Reading!

Introducing... Books, Beach, & Beyond

Introducing... Books, Beach, & Beyond

Welcome to Books, Beach, & Beyond! In this introductory episode, Elin and Tim have a "five-star chat" with Elin’s agent, Michael Carlisle of Inkwell Management, and her editor, Judy Clain of Little, Brown. The four reflect on Elin’s career, the editing process, the book business, and Elin’s newly released 30th book, The Five-Star Weekend. Tune in for a real insider’s dive into the team behind Elin's literary life. A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors:Nantucket Book PartnersTriple Eight Distillery Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyondHappy Reading!

Welcome to Books, Beach, & Beyond

Welcome to Books, Beach, & Beyond

Join Elin Hilderbrand, #1 New York Times bestselling author of 30 titles and the “Queen of the Beach Reads,” and Tim Ehrenberg, creator of the popular Tim Talks Books, as they talk shop and host spirited discussions with special guests from bestselling and internationally recognized authors, to publishing industry insiders, to local island legends who feature prominently in Hilderbrand’s prolific Nantucket stories. From what it’s like to take a book to the screen to the intricacies and intimate details of an author’s writing process, Hilderbrand and Ehrenberg take listeners on an exciting (and amusing) journey each episode, bringing books to life in a brand-new way in this podcast presented by N Magazine.Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyondHappy Reading!