Editor’s note: You’ll notice all the links we feature below lead to Bookshop.org or IndieBound. We encourage you to do whatever you can to support your local bookstore, including purchasing audiobooks from our sponsor Libro.fm. Feel free to share what’s on your bunker reading list by tweeting us @WritersBone or in the comments section below. Stay safe, stay home, and keep reading!—Daniel Ford
The Good Luck Stone by Heather Bell Adams
Daniel Ford: Heather Bell Adams’ The Good Luck Stone was destined for #bookradar from the moment the book landed at Writer’s Bone HQ. How about this for a tagline:
“Her desperate decision during World War II changed everything. Now, 70 years later, her secret is unraveling.”
Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby
Daniel: Blacktop Wasteland is one of those books that doesn’t really let you go. I’m still thinking about the characters, the plot, and S.A. Cosby’s incredible prose and dialogue. Cosby crafted some Grade A, Elmore Leonard-esque characters in this book and there’s a reason it’s on fire with readers right now. Plus, that cover…doesn’t get much better! A serious contender for my favorite book of 2020.
Make Your Mess Your Memoir by Anna David
Kim Potts: David gives us the “biz-oir,” the half memoir, half business/writing advice book that begins with her own stories of personal drama (guess which Oscar-winning actor she dated … you don’t have to, she shares the deets!) and the path to entrepreneurial success. That leads to several great how-to chapters on, as the title says, crafting your own personal history into an equally unputdownable memoir.
Mother Land by Leah Franqui
Daniel: Leah Franqui made us readers for life with her debut America for Beginners. She hooked us all over again with her new novel Mother Land. Another beautiful cover as well!
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
Daniel: I don’t know if reading Stephen Graham Jones’ The Only Good Indians back-to-back with Paul Tremblay’s Survivor Song (see below) was the best thing for my sleep pattern, but with horror this good, who the hell cares about sleep!
More Better Deals by Joe R. Lansdale
Sean Tuohy: Joe R. Lansdale is the master of hard-boiled American fiction, and in his latest novel, he shows off his 40 years of skill by creating a dangerously suspenseful noir story. More Better Deals tracks used car salesmen Ed Edwards, who is living in rural 1960s Texas. In desperate need to leave town, but lacking the money, Ed sets off on a deadly path filled with seedy characters. More Better Deals is classic Lansdale; pulpy, dark, twisted, and told through the author’s unique literary voice.
Other People's Pets by R.L. Maizes
Daniel: Other People’s Pets immediately vaulted itself into the discussion for my favorite novel of the year. It’s the kind of fiction I not only love reading, but it’s also storytelling I strive for as an author. The characters hit me right where I live. All of them. Animals included.
A Burning by Megha Majumdar
Daniel: Not only were we seeing Megha Majumdar’s debut everywhere we turned on social media, but it’s been recommended by more than a few authors we know and love. Can’t wait to get our hands on it!
Members Only by Sameer Pandya
Daniel: I could have talked to Sameer Pandya for hours on end during a recent episode recording (which will air soon on an upcoming Friday Morning Coffee). I loved digging into all the characters we meet in his novel Members Only. Packed with heart and humor, the book is the perfect quarantine/summer reading companion.
Musical Chairs by Amy Poeppel
Daniel: Amy Poeppel’s latest novel Musical Chairs is filled characters we fell in love with, humor, warmth, everything we could ask for in a book, really. Plus, she may have set the bar for book trailers.
The Cannon Film Guide: Volume I, 1980-1984 by Austin Trunick
Sean: Movie fans of a certain age fondly remember the VHS covers from the Cannon Film Group. A second-tier film company run by two Israelis who had a passion for movie making and small budgets, Cannon was the studio that created gems like “Death Wish 2,” “American Ninja,” and “Bloodsport.” For 10+ years, Cannon produced more films than any other film studio. Author Austin Trunick took his love for those films and created The Cannon Film Guide. The incredibly researched first book in the series tracks the studio’s early years as it entered the market. Trunick’s love and passion for films, pop culture, and Cannon pops off the pages. It feels like Austin is sitting next to you while you watch “Delta Force” with Chuck Norris giving notes and insights.
Star Wars Poe Dameron: Free Fall by Alex Segura
Daniel: Alex Segura’s take on “Star Wars” hero Poe Dameron technically pubs August 4, but we couldn’t keep our utter joy about this book in any longer. One of our favorite authors/people writing a “Star Wars” book? Yes, please!
The Answer Is...Reflections on My Life by Alex Trebek
Daniel: I’ve always liked “Jeopardy!,” but I didn’t realize I was marrying into a family of quiz show fanatics. This pandemic found Stephanie Ford and I pitted against each other and various family members in nightly showdowns. Things got a little heated at times, which led to me reminding everyone, more than a few times, that we weren’t actually on the show. This is a long way of saying how overjoyed I am that Alex Trebek has a book out and that I’m hoping it unlocks a few tricks I can use to get more answers right than my mother-in-law (she’s insanely good).
Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay
Daniel: I know I’m not going to sleep well while reading a Paul Tremblay book, but I think he outdid himself this time. I joked on social media that we may have to hold hearings about how accurately he depicted what’s going on right now. Maybe you don’t want the added pandemic anxiety, but you’ll be missing out on spending time with Dr. Ramola "Rams" Sherman and Natalie. The prelude/interlude/epilogue sections may be the best writing of Tremblay’s career (and that’s saying something).
I Hold A Wolf by The Ears by Laura Van Den Berg
Daniel: We’re always on board for short story collections written by one of our favorite local authors!
Gatecrasher: How I Helped the Rich Become Famous and Ruin the World by Ben Widdicombe
Kim: He’s the only person ever to work for The New York Times and “TMZ,” so you know former gossip columnist Widdicombe has some juicy stories to tell. And tell them he does, and names names—Kardashian, Hilton, Trump, and on and on—while also putting these celebs’ shenanigans into a larger cultural context. Think Paris Hilton has had no influence on the current occupancy of the White House? Widdicombe makes a compelling argument to the contrary in a book that is both a smart take on pop culture and one helluva fun summer read.
Author’s Corner
S.A. Cosby, author of Blacktop Wasteland, stopped by the podcast recently and gave us a ton of great recommendations.
Cottonmouths by Kelly J. Ford
Love and Other Criminal Behavior by Nikki Dolson
What We Reckon by Eryk Pruitt
Hollywood Homicide and Hollywood Ending by Kellye Garrett
NovelClass
This month, host Dave Pezza is joined by author and co-creator of the Writer’s Bone podcast, Daniel Ford. Ford returns to the show to discuss John Vercher’s debut novel, Three-Fifths.