Books, Beach, & Beyond

In this bonus episode to close out Season 2 of Books, Beach, & Beyond, your hosts gab about favorite moments and books of the year, Elin's new merch at ElinBrand.com, plus take listener questions submitted on Instagram. Hear about Elin's thoughts on The Perfect Couple and other upcoming Hollywood adventures for Elin's novels, writing advice from Elin, Tim's dance moves, how Elin and Tim met, outrageous behavior on Nantucket, most anticipated reads coming in 2025, and other book related conversation and recommendations. We hope you enjoyed Season 2. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to you!
A special thank you to our Episode Sponsor:
BookBrowse
Reading List

• God of the Woods by Liz Moore
• Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo
• Coleman Hill by Kim Coleman Foote
• Sandwich by Catherine Newman
• We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman
• Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand
• The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham
• The Names by Florence Knapp
• Griffin Sisters Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner
• Elphie by Gregory Maguire
• Heartwood by Amity Gaige
• Sea Wife by Amity Gaige
• Dream State by Eric Puchner
• Model Home by Eric Buchner
• Family Happiness by Laurie Colwin
• A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
• Harry Potter by JK Rowling
• In Memoriam by Alice Winn
• Hamnet by Maggie O' Farrell
• The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’ Farrell
• The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
• Old School by Tobias Wolff

Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.
And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond
Happy Reading!

Claire Lombardo is the best-selling author of The Most Fun We Ever Had (the April 2024 Reese’s Book Club pick) and the recently released Same As It Ever Was. We start with Claire’s origin story, her social work and family therapist background, as well as her time at the Iowa Writer’s Workshop. Claire discusses teaching writing classes, point of view, first sentences, writing flawed characters, and growing up in the Midwest and how that comes across on the page. We dive into her new book Same As It Ever Was and the characters you meet in it, editing such a long story, long marriages, and more. Claire mentions her part-time job as a bookseller at Prairie Lights, her best book recommendations, and Tim and Claire try to solve the Jon-Benet Ramsey murder case.
A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors:
Cartolina
Nantucket Wine & Spirits
Reading List:

• The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo
• Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo
• Leaving by Roxanna Robinson
• Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark
• American Mermaid by Julia Langbein
• The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
• Green Dot by Madeleine Gray
• The Fountain Overflows by Rebecca West

Other Authors Mentioned:
Ethan Canin, Frank Conroy, John Irving

Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.
And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond
Happy Reading!

Episode 4 brings us the incredible writing talent that is Ann Patchett, an "auto-buy" author for our hosts and the 2023 National Humanities Medal recipient for "putting into words the beauty, pain and complexity of human nature." The three start their conversation by diving into Elin and Ann's respective years at the Iowa Writers' Workshop before exploring Ann's writing process, her friendship with Lucy Grealy, and her ability to nail human relationships on the page. They also discuss the release of Ann's latest novel Tom Lake, as well as Ann's favorite writers and what it's like owning Parnassus Books in Nashville.
A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors:
Nantucket Looms - limited time, 15% off with code BOOKS15
Triple Eight Distillery
Ann Patchett Reading List:
The Magician’s Assistant by Ann Patchett
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Truth & Beauty by Ann Patchett
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
These Precious Days by Ann Patchett
Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
What else are we reading in this episode:
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris
Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy
Our Town by Thornton Wilder
Other authors mentioned:
Jane Smiley, Anna Quindlen, Tim Winton, Stephen King, Jodi Picoult, Frank Conroy, Allan Gurganus, Russel Banks, Grace Paley, John Irving, Lucy Grealy, Colson Whitehead, Colleen Hoover, Joyce Carol Oates, Tom Hanks, Kate DiCamillo, Elizabeth McCracken, Louise Erdrich, Elizabeth Strout, Harlan Coben, Andrew Sean Greer, Zadie Smith, Margaret Atwood, and V, formerly Eve Ensler.
Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.
And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond
Happy Reading!

Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.
And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond
Happy Reading!

Our guest today in this special bonus episode of Books, Beach, & Beyond is Academy Award, Golden Globe, SAG, and Emmy Award winner Nicole Kidman. Elin and Tim ask Nicole about what books she loved throughout her life and how that love of literature turned into the passion for storytelling as an actor. They discuss many of Nicole’s book to screen acting portrayals from the Paddington Bear film to playing Virginia Woolf in The Hours. Discussion quickly and enthusiastically segues into The Perfect Couple, Elin’s 2018 novel and the brand-new Netflix limited series of the same name. Nicole talks about her role as Greer Garrison Winbury, what leapt out at her about the project, working with director Susanne Bier, the joy of collaborating with such a dynamic ensemble cast, upcoming projects, more favorite books, Nantucket, and beyond! This is a don’t miss episode for any fan of Nicole's or literature and film and especially to learn more "behind the scenes" tidbits of your newest TV obsession - The Perfect Couple!
A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors:
Book of the Month
Nantucket Book Partners
Nantucket DreamlandReading List

• The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand
• The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
• The Winds of War by Herman Wouk
• The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
• Jaws by Peter Benchley
• The Famous Five by Enid Blyton
• The Secret Seven by Enid Blyton
• Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery
• Paddington Bear by Michael Bond
• Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner
• Fatal Shore by Robert Hughes
• Cold Mountain by Charles Frasier
• Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
• Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
• The Hours by Michael Cunningham
• Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
• Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell
• Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
• The Human Stain by Philip Roth
• Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty
• All Fours by Miranda July
• Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo
• Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judy Dench

Other Authors Mentioned

Fyodor Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, John Steinbeck, Tim Winton, Charlotte Bronte, Emily Bronte, Patrick White, Liane Moriarty, Patricia Cornwell, Elizabeth Strout

Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.
And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond
Happy Reading!

The final bonus episode of Books, Beach, & Beyond for 2023 features a friendly conversation between your beloved hosts, Elin Hilderbrand and Tim Ehrenberg! The two recap the first season of the podcast, dish on their favorite episodes, favorite books of 2023, most anticipated books of 2024, their reading routines, offer writing and reading advice, discuss Elin's final Nantucket novel Swan Song and her upcoming The Perfect Couple show, and answer wonderful questions from all of YOU listeners. It’s the perfect listen for those wanting to get to know your hosts more!
A special thank you to our Episode Sponsors:
Book of the Month - limited time, first book for just $5 with code ELIN
Nantucket Book Partners
What are we reading in this episode:
Then We Came To An End by Joshua Ferris
Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore
Everything’s Fine by Cecelia Rabbes
A Quitter’s Paradise by Elysha Chang
The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Speech Team by Tim Murphy
North Woods by Daniel Mason
Blackouts by Justin Torres
We the Animals by Justin Torres
Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson
All the Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan
Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand
Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand
The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand
Nantucket Nights by Elin Hilderbrand
Winter Street Series by Elin Hilderbrand
28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand
Wishin’ and Hopin’ by Wally Lamb
Family Happiness by Laurie Colwin
Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger
A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
11/22/63 by Stephen King
Fates & Furies by Lauren Groff
Hope by Andrew Ridker
Wellness by Nathan Hill
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.
And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond
Happy Reading!

Follow/Subscribe to the 'Books, Beach, & Beyond' podcast now to stay current on new episodes.
And find us on Instagram at @booksbeachandbeyond
Happy Reading!