Sarah's Bookshelves Live

Author Deesha Philyaw joins Sarah to discuss her debut novel, The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman. Deesha first started writing this book more than 20 years ago, before her short story collection, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, became a National Book Award finalist. She shares the journey of bringing this novel to life, the women who inspired its characters, and how the story (and its author) evolved along the way. Plus, Deesha shares her top book recommendations!

This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.
Highlights
Books by Deesha Philyaw: The Secret Lives of Church Ladies and The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman
What it means to be a "First Lady" in Black churches — and how that role figures into the novel.
How Deesha's own experiences as a church lady more than 20 years ago first inspired the story.
Why she put the novel aside to publish The Secret Lives of Church Ladies — and what that experience taught her.
How the novel changed between its earliest version and the finished book.
Sarah and Deesha talk about the importance of a great opening line — and when those first sentences come together in Deesha's writing process.
Plus, a bit about her upcoming work!
Deesha's Book Recommendations
Two OLD Books She Loves
Daddy Was a Number Runner by Louise Meriwether (1970) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [35:14] 
The Sellout by Paul Beatty (2015) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [36:16] 
Two NEW Books She Loves
The Seven Daughters of Dupree by Nikesha Elise Williams (Jan 27) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [37:51] 
Desperate Bodies by Lydia Mathis (Sep 15) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [39:17] 
Other Books Mentioned Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (2016) [38:52]
The Love Songs of W. E. B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers (2021) [38:53] 

Two Books She DIDN'T Love
The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger (1951) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[40:13] 
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway (1952) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [42:31] 
Other Books Mentioned Black Boy by Richard Wright (1945) [41:23] 
Native Son by Richard Wright (1940) [41:24] 
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote (1966) [42:13] 
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway (1926) [42:52] 
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale by Herman Melville (1851) [43:07] 

One NEW RELEASE She's Excited About
These Girls Out Here by Dawnie Walton (June 15, 2027) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [44:50] 
Other Books Mentioned The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton (2021) [45:35] 

About Deesha Philyaw
Website | Instagram | Facebook
Deesha Philyaw is the author of the debut novel, The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman. Her debut short story collection, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, won the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, the Story Prize, the LA Times Book Prize: The Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction and was a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction. Deesha is a Kimbilio Fiction Fellow, a Baldwin for the Arts Fellow, a United States Artists Fellow, and co-host of two podcasts, Ursa Short Fiction (with Dawnie Walton) and Reckon True Stories (with Kiese Laymon). She is currently at work developing TV shows based on her short fiction.

Next Episode
Coming October 28: Gayle Weiswasser, co-owner of Wonderland Books, returns to catch up with Sarah and talk about what she's learned after two years of owning an indie bookstore.

Elizabeth Barnhill of Fabled Bookshop joins Sarah for the latest installment of the "Best of…" series to share her ALL-TIME TOP TEN historical fiction novels, plus a few popular picks that didn't work for her.

This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.
Highlights
Elizabeth shares her personal definition of historical fiction.
How she first found her way to the genre.
What draws her to historical fiction and keeps her coming back to it.
What works for her in historical fiction — and what doesn't.
 
All the books mentioned in this episode are linked through Fabled Bookshop or Libro.fm. If you decide to purchase, we'd love for you to use our Fabled links in the show notes — if your budget allows. As a bonus, use promo code SARAH at checkout for 10% off your Fabled order! Prefer audio? You can find the books on Libro.fm and select Fabled as the bookstore you'd like to support.
Elizabeth's All-Time Top Ten Historical Fiction
City of Thieves by David Benioff (2008) | Fabled | Libro.fm  [18:43]
Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum (2004) | Fabled | Libro.fm [21:11]
The Winter Rose (The Tea Rose, 2) by Jennifer Donnelly (2006) | Fabled | Libro.fm  [22:45]
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (2007) | Fabled | Libro.fm  [25:26]
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton (2008) | Fabled | Libro.fm  [27:37]
As Bright As Heaven by Susan Meissner (2018) | Fabled | Libro.fm   [29:36]
The Shoemaker's Wife by Andrea Trigiani (2012) | Fabled | Libro.fm  [31:57]
The Winter Sea (Slains, 1) by Susanna Kearsley (2008) | Fabled [33:52]*
Greenwood by Michael Christie (2019) | Fabled | Libro.fm  [35:47]
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes (2019) | Fabled | Libro.fm  [37:36] The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson(2019) | Fabled | Libro.fm  [37:56]

High-Profile Historical Fiction She Didn't Love
The Children's Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin (2021) | Fabled | Libro.fm  [41:16]
The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton (2018) | Fabled | Libro.fm [43:12]
Other Books Mentioned
Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard (2011)  [4:06]
Lake Effect by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney (2026) [8:20] 
Little House on the Prairie (Little House, 3) by Laura Ingalls Wilder (1935) [10:00] 
Anne of Green Gables (book 1) by L. M. Montgomery (1908) [10:02] 
Message From Nam by Danielle Steel (1990) [10:48] 
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (2015) [14:44] 
The Tea Rose (The Tea Rose, 1) by Jennifer Donnelly (2002) [24:55] 
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (2003) [25:35] 
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini (2013) [27:19] 
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (2006) [28:24] 
The Distant Hours by Kate Morton (2010) [28:45] 
A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner (2014) [31:33] 
Big Stone Gap (book 1) by Andrea Trigiani (2001) [32:03] 
Outlander (book 1) by Diana Gabaldon (1991) [34:00] 
The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin (2004) [41:25] 
The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin (2016) [42:27] 
The Windsor Affair by Melanie Benjamin (2026) [42:48] 
Homecoming by Kate Morton (2023) [44:01] 
*The UK title is Sophia's Secret.

Sarah and Chrissie (@ChrissieWhitley) dig into their very different relationships with big books, from what counts as "big" and knowing when the moment is right to what makes a long book worth the extra pages. They also share some of their favorite big books — and a few they wish had been shorter.

This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.
Highlights
Where Sarah and Chrissie each draw the line between a regular book and a big book.
Is a 700-page book intimidating … or an invitation to settle in?
When, and why, are they most likely to pick up a long book?
Does format or genre change how big a book feels?
What makes a book actually deserve its high page count?
Some of their favorite big books … and a few they really wish had been shorter.
Some Favorite BIG Books
Chrissie
4 3 2 1 by Paul Auster (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [30:38] 
The Princes of Ireland (The Dublin Saga, 1) by Edward Rutherfurd (2004) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [33:36]
Fox by Joyce Carol Oates (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [35:54]
Red Comet by Heather Clark (2020) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [39:10]
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (2004) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [42:45]
The Love Songs of W. E. B. Du Bois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers (2021) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [44:30] 
Sarah
11/22/63 by Stephen King (2011) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [32:31] 
I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb (1998) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [34:32]
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving (1989) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [37:23]
The World According to Garp by John Irving (1978) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [37:25]
Natchez Burning (Penn Cage, 4; Natchez Burning, 1) by Greg Iles (2014) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [41:19] 
Wanderers (Wanderers, 1) by Chuck Wendig (2019) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [43:40]
Other Books Mentioned
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (1869) [30:06]
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (1846) [30:07]  
The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne (2017) [31:43] 
Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd (1987) [33:49]
London by Edward Rutherfurd (1998) [33:53]  
The Rebels of Ireland (The Dublin Saga, 2) by Edward Rutherfurd (2006) [34:19] 
Whistler by Ann Patchett (2026) [38:04] 
Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard (2011) [40:23]
Some BIG Books That Felt Too Long
Chrissie
Ordinary Monsters (The Talents, 1) by J. M. Miro (2022) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [48:39]
Wellness by Nathan Hill (2023) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [51:24] 
Sarah
City on Fire by Garth Risk Hallberg (2015) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [45:39] 
The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy (1986) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [49:51]
Other Books Mentioned
The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe (1987) [46:06]
The Second Coming by Garth Risk Hallberg (2024) [48:05] 
Books From the Opening Discussion
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (1989) [9:24]
The Brightness by Chad Harbach (October 27, 2026) [11:47]
I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb (1998) [14:07]
Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, 1) by Sarah J. Maas (2012) [14:51] 
Outlander (Outlander, 1) by Diana Gabaldon (1991) [19:05] 
1929 by Andrew Ross Sorkin (2025) [22:12]
Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi with Curt Gentry (1974) [22:19]
Generations by Jean M. Twenge, PhD (2023) [22:26]  
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke (2026) [26:13] 
The Elements by John Boyne (2025) [29:08] 
A Court of Forgotten Memory (ACOTAR, 7) by Sarah J. Maas (January 12, 2027) [29:39] 
Other Links
The Gilmore Guide to Books | Catherine's Review of Ordinary Monsters

Sarah and Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books are back with 16 of their most anticipated books publishing from mid-August through December.

This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.
Want More Book Preview Picks?
Paid members of our Patreon Community or our Substack Community (both $7/month with the same member benefits) get even more seasonal recommendations with Book Preview Extras! In each episode, Catherine and Sarah share at least 4 additional books they're excited about that didn't make the main Book Preview. Join on Patreon or Substack to listen — and get access to all our other bonus podcast episodes and paid-member content.
Highlights
A lightning round of some big fall releases that are NOT their personal Preview picks.
Catherine came in determined to have "no chunksters" this fall … only to discover that 2 of her picks are actually over 500 pages.
Catherine's theme for fall is "intrigue" — the verb, not the noun — with picks she can't wait to see unfold.
Sarah's list includes one actual chunkster, several books that fit into her recent Micro Genres, and 3 debuts.
Stick around to the end to hear their #1 picks for fall!
Big Fall Releases
Ply by Hernán Diaz (Sep 29) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [1:02] 
The Thoroughbreds (The Academy, 2) by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham (Sep 15) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [1:06] 
Story Telling by Isabel Allende (Sep 15) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [1:17] 
Hollywood, Ending by John Green (Sep 22) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [1:20]
Big Little Truths (Big Little Lies, 2) by Liane Moriarty (Aug 25) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [1:30] 
Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult (Sep 15) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [1:37] 
Under Story by Chloe Benjamin (Sep 1) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [1:43] 
Life Out of Order (The Time Traveler's Wife, 2) by Audrey Niffenegger (Oct 6) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [1:49] 
Switzy by Emma Cline (Sep 8) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [2:08] 
I Never Knew You At All by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza (Oct 13) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [2:14] 
The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon (Sep 8) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [2:41] 
The Weight of Angels by John Boyne (Sep 29) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [2:48] 
Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel (Sep 15) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [3:13] 
The Radiance by Ayad Akhtar (Sep 29) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [3:16] 
Peck & Peck by Bonnie Garmus (Oct 13) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [3:18] 
Blacktail by Scott Hawkins (Sep 1) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [3:28] 
Our Noble Selves by Kate Atkinson (Sep 15) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [3:42] 
Other Books Mentioned
Trust by Hernán Diaz (2022) [1:05] 
The Academy (The Academy, 1) by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham (2025) [1:15] 
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (2012) [1:28] 
Big Little Lies (Big Little Lies, 1) by Liane Moriarty (2014) [1:36] 
The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin (2018) [1:47] 
The Time Traveler's Wife (The Time Traveler's Wife, 1) by Audrey Niffenegger (2003) [1:53] 
The Girls by Emma Cline (2016) [2:12] 
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (2023) [2:45] 
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (2022) [3:21] 
The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins (2015) [3:31] 
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (2013) [3:45] 
Fall 2026 Book Preview
September
Sarah's Picks
The Barman of the Ritz by Philippe Collin (September 1) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [8:16] 
See You Next Tuesday by Kate Stayman-London (September 8) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [13:53] 
The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman by Deesha Philyaw (September 29)| Amazon | Bookshop.org  [19:01] 
American Hagwon by Min Jin Lee (September 29) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [26:00]
Sophie, Standing There by Meg Mason (September 29) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [31:18]
Catherine's Picks
The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman (September 8) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [11:17]
Female Life on Planet Earth by Laleh Khadivi (September 22) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [16:10]
Empire (Heir Duology, 2) by Sabaa Tahir (September 22) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [24:03]
The Birthing Tree by Amanda Peters (September 1)† | Amazon | Bookshop.org [29:30] 
Other Books Mentioned
The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater (2025)* [9:56] 
Mistress of the Ritz by Melanie Benjamin (2019) [10:03] 
One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London (2020) [14:00] 
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw (2020) [19:11] 
Dominion by Addie E. Citchens (2025) [23:24] 
Heir (Heir Duology, 1) by Sabaa Tahir (2024) [24:25] 
All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir (2022) [25:40] 
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (2017) [26:24] 
Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee (2007) [26:32] 
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters (2023) [30:38] 
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason (2020) [31:32] 
*The WWII hotel book Sarah talked about. 
†New publication date.

October
Sarah's Pick
Bad Words by Ríoghnach Robinson (October 6) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [36:58] 
Catherine's Picks
The Scarlet Ball by Nghi Vo (October 6) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [34:04]
Fair Ones by Lydia Millet (October 6) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [39:56]
Mystery Play by Elizabeth Kostova (October 13) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:25]
The Bookshop Book by Mark Lawrence (October 20) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [50:38] 
Other Books Mentioned
The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo (2021) [34:47] 
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925) [34:51] 
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (2005) [47:26] 
The Book That Wouldn't Burn (The Library Trilogy, 1) by Mark Lawrence (2023) [50:40] 
November
Sarah's Pick
Whale Harbor by Mary Beth Keane (November 3) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [42:54]
Other Books Mentioned
Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane (2019) [42:58]
The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane (2023) [42:59]  
December
Sarah's Pick
Lina & June by Genevieve Wheeler (December 8) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [48:23] 
Other Books Mentioned
Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler (2024) [48:26] 
The Girls of Corona del Mar by Rufi Thorpe (2014) [49:03]

Sarah and Catherine circle back to the 12 new releases they shared in the Summer 2026 Book Preview, now that they've read them — or at least tried to!  Find out which books worked, which didn't, and whether their most anticipated summer reads lived up to expectations.

This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.
Want More Book Preview Picks?
Paid members of our Patreon Community or our Substack Community (both $7/month with the same member benefits) get even more seasonal recommendations with Book Preview Extras! In each episode, Catherine and Sarah share at least 4 additional books they're excited about that didn't make the main Book Preview. Join on Patreon or Substack to listen — and get access to all our other bonus podcast episodes and paid-member content.
Highlights
Catherine calls her summer Preview reading "upwardly mobile," while Sarah sees hers as "the downside of high-risk picks."
Catherine liked 4 of her 6 picks, while Sarah's riskier summer ended with one 5-star read — and 3 DNFs.
Catherine and Sarah each tried one of the other's Preview picks … and neither made it to the finish line.
Some deep thoughts on books where you can "feel the writing device" — and why that rarely works for either of them.
Plus, Sarah has a new label for those deeply immersive, cozy reads: "warm bath books."
And, of course, their best and worst book picks of the summer!
Books Read Before the Preview
Sarah's Pick
Whistler by Ann Patchett (June 2) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [3:17] 
Other Books Mentioned
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke (2026) [4:02] 
Summer 2026 Circle Back
June
Catherine's Picks
A Year of Marvelous Ways by Sarah Winman (US Release June 16) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [4:37] 
Leave and Come Back by Lavanya Lakshmi (June 16) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [12:41] 
The Top of the World by Ethan Joella (June 30) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [18:26] 
Keep Them Close by David Ellis (June 30) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [26:17]
Other Books Mentioned
Pearce Oysters by Joselyn Takacs (2024) [7:08]
July
Sarah's Picks
The Half Life by Rachel Beanland (July 14) |Amazon | Bookshop.org [8:33] 
Dad, Love, Me by Matthew Quick (July 21) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [15:08] 
Catherine's Pick
City of Widows by Nadia Hashimi (July 28) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:19] 
Other Books Mentioned
The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick (2008) [15:34] 
The Pearl That Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi (2014) [34:42] 
August
Sarah's Picks
Everything That Is Beautiful by Louise Nealon (August 4) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [23:25] 
Sunlight Finds You by Laura Moriarty (August 4) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[30:03] 
Kitten by Stacey Yu (August 4) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [36:39] 
Catherine's Pick
You'll Love It Here by Natalie Sue (August 11) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [41:26] 
Other Books Mentioned
Snowflake by Louise Nealon (2021) [24:09] 
Normal People by Sally Rooney (2019) [24:15] 
Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane (2019) [25:07] 
Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall (2025) [25:11]
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (2014) [30:25] 
The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty (2012) [30:57] 
I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue (2024) [41:53]