Book Riot – The Podcast

Episode: The 2025 Holiday Recommendation Show, Part 2

Hosts: Jeff O’Neal & Rebecca Schinsky
Date: December 1, 2025

Overview

In this lively, laughter-filled second installment of Book Riot’s annual Holiday Recommendation Show, Jeff O’Neal and Rebecca Schinsky tackle a robust set of reader-submitted recommendation dilemmas. From breaking out of the World War II historical fiction rut to finding audiobooks for tricky families and under-the-radar romantasy, the hosts respond with their signature blend of expertise, humor, and warmth. The conversation covers genres as wide-ranging as literary fiction, nature adventure nonfiction, heist novels, cookbooks, poetry, and more—with particular attention to specific wishes (no gore, no trauma, strong female characters, no animal abuse...).

As always, their banter is genuine, occasionally self-deprecating, and thoroughly reader-centric, with both hosts gleefully sharing personal favorites, reflecting on the experience of book-gifting, and expressing gratitude for their engaged, inquisitive audience.

Listener Recommendations & Discussion Highlights

1. Historical Fiction WITHOUT World War II (D’s Dilemma)

Timestamp: [02:12]–[08:25]

Listener Request:
D’s friend is obsessed with historical fiction—but especially WWII, to the point that D and family are weary of endless facts and repetition. The request: “Books with strong female characters in historical settings, but not WWII; or light literary fiction like The Correspondent and Mona’s Eyes.”

Jeff’s Pick:

• In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
  • Focus: Real-life Mirabel sisters resisting Trujillo’s dictatorship in the Dominican Republic.
  • “It's a different, more literary version of Lady Spies, but based on real people in a different culture, a different dynamic that maybe you would be pleased to hear new factoids about at this point.” — Jeff ([06:18])

Rebecca’s Picks ("Book Riot Bingo Board" Selections):

• 2AM at the Cat’s Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino
  • Cozy, New Year's Eve-set literary fiction; young girl wants to sing jazz.
• The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
  • Parisian, quirky, “cozy, elegant is in the title. What do you want from me?” ([07:16])
• A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
  • Russian historical setting, charming relationships, gentle intrigue.
• Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
  • Multi-generational Korean-Japanese saga; “really a page turner,” “you learn a lot as you’re reading.” ([07:39])

Quote:
“We're doing a service that people can use to keep the bonds of friendship and fellowship strong.” — Jeff ([03:36])

2. Audiobook for Family Road Trips (Young Kids, No Swears, Minimal Fantasy)

Timestamp: [10:17]–[14:30]

Listener Request:
Audiobook for a 6-year-old who loves animals/nature/facts (no swears, no kids in peril), a parent who likes compelling plots but not fantasy, and a picky, narration-sensitive adult.

Jeff’s Recommendations:

• House on the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
  • Sweet, magical foster home story; “affirming and charming and moving, quite funny.” ([12:00])
• The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson
  • Middle-grade heist/mystery digging into Black neighborhood history; “a really interesting, informative, illuminating time.” ([12:55])
• Bonus: Winnie the Pooh audiobooks, but “just don't do the last book… I don't need you or your partner to run off the road in tear-stricken blindness.” ([14:08], Jeff, tongue-in-cheek)

3. Books with an Ocean’s Eleven/Heist Vibe

Timestamp: [14:30]–[20:11]

Listener Request:
Looking for books with the wit, cleverness, and puzzles of Ocean’s Eleven, Knives Out, or Mission Impossible—but no gore, no spicy romance, no animal/child abuse.

Jeff’s Picks:

• The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd
  • “Fantasy academia” with academic intrigue and a mysterious map. ([15:51])
• The Fellowship of Puzzle Makers by Samuel Burr
  • “Quite warm,” with a group living in a manor house creating and solving puzzles.

Rebecca’s Pick:

• Slough House Series by Mick Herron
  • “Really sharp and funny… these spies are like the slow horses. They've been kicked out of main MI5 life but then of course, they're the ones who always figure out what's actually going on.” ([17:50])
• My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
  • Mystery/thriller with sharp humor.
• Agatha Christie (Murder on the Orient Express, etc.)
  • “They’re doing everything you want… she creates these aerodynamically, intricately perfect, frictionless, pleasing books.” — Jeff ([19:13])

Quote:
“If a reader can point us to a book that actually feels like Ocean’s Eleven, like—my kingdom for that, please.” — Rebecca ([18:59])

4. Outdoorsy, Literary Reads for The “Hardest to Buy For” Husband

Timestamp: [20:11]–[24:02]

Listener Request:
He’s outdoorsy, likes Gierach and Peter Heller, also enjoyed Razor Blade Tears but couldn’t get into Fuzz (Mary Roach). Needs an engaging, nature-infused, “not too weird” book.

Rebecca’s Picks:

• Anything by Jane Harper ([20:51])
• A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean
• The Unveiling by Quan Barry
  • “White Lotus meets Get Out” vibes set on an Antarctic cruise.
• Wild Dark Shore by James Bradley
  • “There's a mystery there. That's a good idea.” — Jeff ([22:29])

Jeff’s Pick:

• Riverman by Ben McGrath (Nonfiction)
  • “A reported story about this guy that basically lived in rivers up and down the Atlantic seaboard… mysterious and strange in its own turn.” ([23:02])

5. Book Club Picks: Literary but Not Emotionally Devastating

Timestamp: [24:02]–[28:17]

Listener Request:
Something to thread “literary and interesting without being emotionally devastating.” Favorites include Telephone, Intermezzo, The Searcher, Heart, and The Lover.

Jeff’s Pick:

• The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
  • “My most recommendable book of the century so far.” “I don’t think [it’s] emotionally devastating.” ([24:43])

Rebecca’s Picks:

• The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy
  • Follows four friends through decades, “further into the near future.” ([26:09])
• Anything by Kevin Wilson
  • Zany but heartful; always conversation fodder for book clubs.
• People Like Us by Jason Mott
  • “Really fresh and surprising… lots of good conversation to be had.” ([27:43])

6. Under-the-Radar Book You Wish More People Had Read

Timestamp: [29:18]–[35:10]

Hosts’ Reflections:

• Rebecca: Wishes more readers would try quirky, “weird little literary books” especially by authors like Marie Helene Bertino (“2AM at the Cat’s Pajamas”), Katie Kitamura, and Colson Whitehead (“he’s doing fine but… could be read 10x as widely”). ([30:01])
• Jeff:
  • Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins: “He was just having fun with the possibilities of the universe.”
  • Oreo by Fran Ross: “Feels like it could be published today and feel fresh… goes on a New York satire, journey, Quixote-esque adventure.”
  • Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey: “It's amazing. I love this book… wish more people knew about it. And today they do. Rebecca, that's the way podcasting works. It's terrific.” ([34:25])

7. Cookbook Advice: Healthy, Practical, Not Fussy

Timestamp: [35:34]–[38:51]

Rebecca’s Picks:

• Something from Nothing by Alison Roman
  • “Shopping your pantry and cooking with basics.” ([36:23])
• Start Here by Sohla El-Waylly
  • Teaches core techniques; “recipes introduce you to new flavors and combinations.”
• Good Things by Samin Nosrat
  • For enjoyable group cooking; recipes also work for weeknights.
• Six Seasons of Pasta/Vegetables by Josh McFadden
  • “Follows a pretty repetitive formula… you can start to do it pretty quickly.”
• Collected works of Julia Turshen
  • Focused on next-overs: “making the recipe and then turning it into what she calls next overs, so you’re not eating the same thing the next day.”

8. Literary Fiction Exploring Motherhood (Not a Downer) & Books About Brothers

Timestamp: [38:55]–[42:45]

Motherhood (by Rebecca):

• Claire Lombardo (multi-generational, “mothers get complete treatment,” especially The Most Fun We Ever Had)
• Nonfiction: Angela Garbes (Like a Mother, Essential Labor)
• Bonus: Splinters by Leslie Jamison (with caveat: “bit of a bummer but not about being a mom, about being a partner… lots of real motherhood stuff” — Jeff, [42:22])

Brotherhood (by Jeff):

• A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean
• The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri
• East of Eden by John Steinbeck
• The Lost Man by Jane Harper
  • “Wonderful brother book at the same time.” ([41:27])

9. Recommendations for Gift-Giving Parent: Under-the-Radar Romantasy, Queer Horror, & Meaty HistFic

Timestamp: [42:46]–[46:36]

Joan’s Dilemma:
Daughter wants a “new, under-the-radar Romantasy,” son craves queer dark horror short stories, parent seeks chunky, meaty historical fiction outside WWII.

Rebecca (HistFic):

• Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
  • “Will give you a similar feeling to Covenant of Water… a lot of strands come together.” ([43:32])
• Jonathan Evison (various, Dickensian connections)

Jeff (Queer Horror & Romantasy; referred to Danika Ellis for horror recs):

• Model Home by Rivers Solomon (short stories, queer horror)
• Rain and Ruin by JD Evans (recent Romantasy)

10. For the Impostor Syndrome-Afflicted Teacher

Timestamp: [48:05]–[53:12]

Rebecca:

• The Imposter Cure by Jessamy Hibberd
  • “Really practical tips… can be stuff like at the end of every workday, you write down what you did that day, so you have a record.” ([50:20])
• Life in Three Dimensions by Shigehiro Oishi
  • “Reflects on how we define a good life… meaning, happiness, psychological richness.”

Jeff:

• So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport
  • “About being good… the simplest cure is to show a mirror: do you actually match the metrics that matter in your field?” ([48:34])

11. Cozy Mysteries for Fans of Louise Penny & Maisie Dobbs

Timestamp: [53:12]–[54:57]

Jeff:

• The Broken Shore by Peter Temple
  • Australian detective fiction, award-winning; “feels like kind of right in the wheelhouse.”
  • “If you want to pick for yourself, look up the Gold (CWA) Dagger Awards for crime fiction.” ([54:41])

12. Novels with the Vibe of Linklater’s Before Sunrise/Before Sunset

Timestamp: [55:01]–[58:52]

Rebecca:

• Light Years by James Salter
  • “As close as you can get to rolling up those three movies into one book.”
• I Married You for Happiness by Lily Tuck
  • Woman reflects on a lifelong marriage during a single night, after husband’s death.

Jeff:

• Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
  • “Two people meet, wander a city, talk about music. For my money, it’s a little too I-care-about-indie-bands, but does some of the same vulnerable conversation.” ([57:23])

13. Poetry Collections + Short Essays/Criticism, Especially Queer & BIPOC

Timestamp: [59:02]–[61:41]

Rebecca’s Recommendations:

• Ross Gay (“Book of Delights,” “Book of More Delights”)
• Hanif Abdurraqib (essayist and poet; “essays are quite poetic; poetry is beautiful.”)
• Ada Limón (“An argument for poems that are accessible, make you feel something.”)
• Sarah Kay (“Wonderful reader, accessible poetry; check YouTube for live readings.”)
  • “When they talk about others you’ll see who’s influenced them—let yourself follow those threads.” ([60:41])

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “The narrative perpetual motion machine that is World War II historical fiction…” — Jeff ([04:49])
• “Get out your bingo cards friends, because I’m about to run the board of Book Riot Favorites.” — Rebecca ([06:18])
• “My kingdom for a book that actually feels like Ocean’s Eleven.” — Rebecca ([18:59])
• “Just don’t do the last [Winnie the Pooh] book. ... I don’t need you or your partner to run off the road in tear-stricken blindness and wrap yourselves around a tree.” — Jeff, dry wit ([14:12])
• On cookbooks, “You should be able to find something among that selection. Go to Barnes & Noble, pull all those off the shelf, see which one makes you happy.” — Rebecca ([38:51])
• “He was just having fun with the possibilities of the universe.” — Jeff, on Tom Robbins ([31:06])
• “It’s only impostor syndrome if you’re actually good or decent at the thing.” — Jeff ([49:13])

Closing

The hosts express gratitude for listeners trusting them with their “reading time, hours, lives, your gift-giving, your family dynamics that may result from getting this book or that.” ([61:41])
Rebecca wishes “Godspeed to you in this holiday season. May the books be good.” ([62:15])

Episode Structure Quick Reference

• [01:04] Show intro
• [02:12] First rec question (historical fiction fatigue)
• [10:17] Audiobooks for families
• [14:30] Heist/ocean’s 11 books
• [20:11] Outdoorsy, hard-to-buy-for reader
• [24:02] Book club picks (lit, not downers)
• [29:18] Under-the-radar favorites
• [35:34] Cookbooks
• [38:55] Motherhood & brotherhood fiction
• [42:46] Multi-person gift recs
• [48:05] Impostor syndrome/inspirational nonfiction
• [53:12] Cozy mysteries for Louise Penny/Maisie Dobbs fans
• [55:01] Novels with “Before Sunrise” vibes
• [59:02] Poetry with essays/crit
• [61:41] Wrap-up

This episode is a must-listen for readers (and gift-givers) who crave targeted, creative, and reader-savvy recommendations delivered with compassion, wit, and the occasional “tap the Jane Harper sign.” Whether your dilemma is niche or universal, chances are you'll find your next great read—or at least a laugh—within.