Tag: Suspense

Ep. 284 Romance and Politics with Stacey Abrams

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Politician, activist and author Stacey Abrams joins us to discuss her romantic suspense novel The Art of Desire, written under her pen name Selena Montgomery. We learn where her pseudonym came from and why she chose to re-release the book. We also talk about how Stacey’s political life is influenced by her creative life and vice versa, what comes next for her, and how romance writing has changed in the last 20 years.

The Stacks Book Club selection for September is Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma by Claire Dederer. We will discuss the book on September 27th with Brittany Luse.

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Everything we talk about on today’s episode can be found below in the show notes and on Bookshop.org and Amazon.

Captured at Private Home in Atlanta, Georgia by Kevin Lowery

To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

Connect with Stacey: Instagram | Twitter | Website
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To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page. If you prefer to support the show with a one time contribution go to paypal.me/thestackspod.

The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website, and this comes at no cost to you. This in no way effects opinions on books and products reviewed here. For more information click here.

The Stacks Book Club – February 2023

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Our February selection for The Stacks Book Club is The Round House by Louise Erdrich. The thrilling coming-of-age novel set in 1988 centers on a 13 year-old boy named Joe living with his parents on a reservation in North Dakota. After a brutal attack traumatizes his mother into silence and seclusion, and when the authorities fail to take action, Joe is thrust into a complex mystery that sends him on a justice-seeking mission with a trio of friends. Their adventure truly begins when they’re led to the sacred Ojibwe space of The Round House. Released in 2012, The Round House won the National Book Award and was a New York Times Best Book of the Year.

We will discuss The Round House by Louise Erdrich on Wednesday, February 22nd. You can find out who our guest will be by listening to today’s episode. If you’d like even more discussion around the book, consider joining The Stacks Pack on Patreon and participating in The Stacks’ monthly virtual book club.

Order your copy of our February book on Bookshop.org and Amazon, or listen to the audiobook.

To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/thestacks). We are beyond grateful for anything you’re able to give to support the production of The Stacks.

The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website, and this comes at no cost to you. This in no way effects opinions on books and products reviewed. For more information click here.

The Stacks Book Club – September 2022

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September’s Book Club selection is Percival Everett’s The Trees, a suspenseful novel about a series of murders in small-town Mississippi which confronts the reader with the cultural legacy of lynching and police brutality. A detective thriller chock full of puzzles and twists, it’s also a powerful indictment of racist American institutions, combining elements of horror, satire and pulp noir. A genre and tone-bender that’s as hilarious as it is poignant and infuriating.

We will discuss The Trees by Percival Everett on Wednesday, September 28th. You can find out who our guest will be by listening to the podcast on September 7th. If you’d like even more discussion around the book, consider joining The Stacks Pack on Patreon and participating in The Stacks’ monthly virtual book club.

Order your copy of our September book on Bookshop.org and Amazon, or listen to the audiobook through Libro.FM.

To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/thestacks). We are beyond grateful for anything you’re able to give to support the production of The Stacks.

The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website, and this comes at no cost to you. This in no way effects opinions on books and products reviewed. For more information click here.

The Stacks Book Club — September 2019

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The time has come to announce our books for September in The Stacks Book Club, and I am so excited for our picks! We’ve got one modern day classic from 2005, and one book that has been on the tops of all the lists since its release in early 2018.

First up, on September 11th, we’re reading Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. This modern classic is the story of three friends from boarding school who are reconnected as young adults and attempt to piece together the meaning of their childhood and their existence. This novel is beautiful writing, suspenseful plot, and compelling characters all in one.

Then on September 25th we’re reading one of 2018’s best selling books, Educated by Tara Westover. An unforgettable memoir about Westover’s childhood where she was kept out of school by her survivalist parents and then goes on to earn a PhD from Cambridge University. This book is not to be missed.

As always, we want to hear from you, so please reach out with your thoughts, questions, and things you want to hear discussed on the podcast. You can email us at thestackswithtraci@gmail.com, comment on this post, or reach out to us through our Instagram @thestackspod.

Order your copies of our August books on Amazon or IndieBound:

To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/thestacks). We are beyond grateful for anything you’re able to give to support the production of The Stacks.

The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website, and this comes at no cost to you. This in no way effects opinions on books and products reviewed here. For more information click here.

I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid

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A psychological thriller that is chockfull of suspense, I’m Thinking of Ending Things is the kind of book that leaves you with way more questions than answers. This is my attempt at an honest without any spoilers (which basically means I won’t be saying much at all), but if you want my more detailed thoughts, check out our discussion of I’m Thinking of Ending Things on The Stacks Book Club with our guest, Niccole Thurman (Please take note, there are a ton of spoilers on this episode).

I did not care for this book. I didn’t care about the plot or the characters, especially the female lead. I felt that she was lackluster and a clear example of what can go wrong when a man writes from the female perspective. She was two dimensional and constantly deferring to her boyfriend, Jake. The same was true for the plot. It lacked any excitement beyond a general sense of suspense. Sure, I was worried about what would happen next, but honestly, I didn’t really care what happened, I just wanted something to happen.

Without giving away anything, the ending was a let down and I felt it came out of left field. The book ended and I was confused to what had actually happened. When I read or watch suspense, I like to understand what went down and what clues I missed. I like to go back and see where the author was taking me and how I could have solved it on my own. I like to understand the twists. In the case of I’m Thinking of Ending Things, I finished the book and couldn’t tell you how we got here. I would love to say more, but everything about this book is basically a spoiler.

I wouldn’t suggest this book to anyone. I will say, I have read a lot of reviews by a great number of people and publications that loved this book. Thriller is not my genre of choice, and perhaps my lack of exposure to the form left me grasping for straws by the end. If you want more on I’m Thinking of Ending Things, you can hear Niccole Thurman and I discuss this book in great detail, with all the spoilers, on The Stacks Episode 52.

To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/thestacks). We are beyond grateful for anything you’re able to give to support the production of The Stacks.

The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website, and this comes at no cost to you. This in no way effects opinions on books and products reviewed here. For more information click here.

Ep. 42 Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie — The Stacks Book Club (Tawny Newsome)

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Today on the podcast we’re discussing Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie, and to join us for The Stacks Book Club, is actor, comedian, and podcast host, Tawny Newsome. Home Fire is a modern retelling of Antigone set against the backdrop of fear and anti-Muslim sentiments in modern day London. Shamsie won the Women’s Prize for Home Fire in 2018, and we totally understand why. We’ve got all the spoilers this week, so make sure to read the book first, then come back and listen.

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Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Overcast | Stitcher

Everything we talk about on today’s episode can be found below in the show notes and on Bookshop.org and Amazon.

Connect with Tawny: Instagram | Twitter | Website
Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe

To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page. We are beyond grateful for anything you’re able to give to support the production of this show. If you prefer to do a one time contribution go to paypal.me/thestackspod.

The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website, and this comes at no cost to you. Shopping through these links helps support the show, but does not effect opinions on books and products. For more information click here.