Books, Beach, & Beyond

Welcome to the podcast Jennifer Garner, actor and entrepreneur and star of The Five-Star Weekend, the 8 episode series from Peacock adapted from the novel by your co-host Elin Hilderbrand. They start by asking Jen what she read as a child, if she approaches roles differently if the original content is a book, and they dig into a bunch of Jen’s other screen adaptations. Then they chat all about The Five-Star Weekend, the character of Hollis, pretend cooking shows and favorite summer recipes, the friendship and camaraderie of the cast and the characters, and so much more. Settle in for a five-star conversation and then head over to Peacock and binge the show of the summer! 
Thank you to our Episode Sponsors:
Cartolina
Serena & Lily
Nantucket Historical Association
And a special thank you to our Season 4 Premier Sponsors:
Book of the Month
Nantucket Book Partners
Little, Brown
What are we reading in this episode? 
The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand
Roots by Alex Haley
Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
Jaws by Peter Benchley 
Harriet The Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer
Partita by Barbara Kingsolver 
The Foster’s Market by Sara Foster
Modern Comfort Food by Ina Garden
Barefoot at Home by Ina Garten
Barefoot in Paris by Ina Garden
Who else are we reading? 
Ann Patchett
Laura Dave
David Sedaris
Abraham Verghese
Barbara Kingsolver
Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.

And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond

Happy Reading!

This special episode of Books, Beach, & Beyond was recorded LIVE at the 15th annual Nantucket Book Festival on June 13, 2026. Tim sits Tayari Jones down to talk about one of the best-selling novels of the year so far - KIN. Tayari and Tim talk about Tayari’s origin story, choosing point of view, mothers and daughters, writing historical fiction, her tour for Kin, and much more. Thank you to Nantucket Community Television for the live audio recording of this conversation.
Thank you to our Episode Sponsors:
Nantucket Hotel
N Magazine
Nantucket Current
And a special thank you to our Season 4 Premier Sponsors:
Book of the Month
Nantucket Book Partners
Little, Brown
Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.

And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond

Happy Reading!

This special episode of Books, Beach, & Beyond was recorded LIVE at the 15th annual Nantucket Book Festival on June 12, 2026. Elin sits Belle Burden down to talk about one of the best-selling memoirs of the year so far - “Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage.” Elin designed the conversation to be split between before the book, about the book, and after the book came out. Belle tells us of her writing and reading life, her past, her marriage, being on Oprah’s podcast, and Hollywood plans for the screen adaptation. Thank you to Nantucket Community Television for the live audio recording of this conversation.
Thank you to our Episode Sponsors:
Nantucket Hotel
Hill House Home - 20% off first order of $150 or more with code ACK20
And a special thank you to our Season 4 Premier Sponsors:
Book of the Month
Nantucket Book Partners
Little, Brown
Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.

And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond

Happy Reading!

Carley Fortune is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After, One Golden Summer, This Summer Will Be Different, Meet Me at the Lake, and new on shelves this year, the #1 New York Times bestseller - Our Perfect Storm. Carley, Elin, and Tim start talking about the romance genre and its respect in the industry, Carley’s life as a journalist before turning into a novelist, and how she got her start. They chat about literary tropes, first person point of view, writing believable sex scenes, her Canadian settings, Tofino and Barry’s Bay, her newest novel Our Perfect Storm, and her screen adaptation Every Year After based on her book Every Summer After.
Thank you to our Episode Sponsors:
Nantucket Book Partners
Nantucket Looms
And a special thank you to our Season 4 Premier Sponsors:
Book of the Month
Nantucket Book Partners
Little, Brown
Carley Fortune Reading List
Every Summer After
One Golden Summer
This Summer Will Be Different 
Meet Me at the Lake
Our Perfect Storm
What else are we reading in this episode?
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Montgomery
Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden
Fifty Shades of Grey E. L. James
Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan
Sandwich by Catherine Newman
Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.

And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond

Happy Reading!

Elin Hilderbrand and Tim Ehrenberg of Tim Talks Books are back for Season 4 of Books, Beach, & Beyond! The two co-hosts update listeners on their years so far and then introduce returning guests Ann Patchett and Emma Straub, both bookstore owners (Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN, and Books Are Magic in Brooklyn, NY), and both with new books this year. The four talk about bookstores from childhood, what it’s like owning a bookstore, and their favorite books of 2026 so far. They dive into the research for Emma’s new novel published this April,  American Fantasy and discuss the themes of Ann’s newest on shelves this week, Whistler.  The episode ends with a bunch of book recommendations for you to check out. This is an entertaining conversation between four readers and friends to kick off your summer reading. A readers’ dream!
Thank you to our Episode Sponsors:
Little, Brown
Nantucket Island Tours
And a special thank you to our Season 4 Premier Sponsors:
Book of the Month
Nantucket Book Partners
Little, Brown
Books Mentioned in this episode
The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand
American Fantasy by Emma Straub
Whistler by Ann Patchett
This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman
The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage
John of John by Douglas Stuart
Kin by Tayari Jones
The Reservation by Rebecca Kauffmann
The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash
Sophie Standing There by Meg Mason
Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult
Down with the Shipmans by Meg Mitchell Moore
The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson
Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead
Music Against the Night by Yiyun Li
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
Ply by Hernan Diaz
Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.

And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond

Happy Reading!