Friends & Fiction
We're four bestselling novelists and friends whose common love of reading, writing and independent bookstores bound us together. Now we want to share and celebrate stories—of the books we’ve written, the ones we’re reading now, and the art of writing—with each other and the guest authors we invite to join us. If you love books and are curious about the writing world, you’re in the right place.
Our Editor's Take
Friends & Fiction is a podcast that features five close friends discussing book-related topics. Reading, writing, and independent bookstores are vital to American culture. They are places where readers can discover new books for the first time. They are also where authors can meet their fans to discuss their work in a fun setting. This podcast has the vibe of an illuminating bookstore discussion.
The hosts of Friends & Fiction are Mary Kay Andrews, Ron Block, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey, and Patti Callahan Henry. Andrews, Harmel, Harvey, and Henry are all bestselling authors. Three out of four of the authors have written over a dozen books. Each one has multiple bestsellers to their credit.
Block is a librarian, in addition to being a cohost on this podcast. He was previously a judge for the James Beard Cookbook Awards. He is currently a librarian in Cuyahoga County, Ohio.
It is difficult to ignore the impressive literary credentials of each of these hosts. On their own, each one is impressive in their own right. However, as a collective, they bring a plethora of experience and insight to the podcast. It is rare to see so many people with expertise in one field hosting a podcast together.
Many may find it interesting that the primary focus of this podcast is not the previous work of the hosts. Instead, the podcast is much more interested in which books the authors are reading. To that end, this podcast provides an excellent opportunity for authors the hosts are fans of.
Each episode of Friends & Fiction features the hosts interviewing their favorite authors. Sometimes, the guest will be another celebrity. One notable episode sees the group interviewing singer Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles.
However, the vast majority of episodes see the hosts interviewing authors. They will often do a Debut Spotlight episode. These episodes feature authors who have recently completed their first novels. It is especially appealing to see the hosts giving back to the literary community in this fashion.
New episodes of Friends & Fiction air weekly on Thursdays.
Episodes
