Book Nook: My top 10 author interview podcasts from 2025

1. “Hollywood Tough” by Stephen J. Cannell (2003)

Hundreds of downloads this year of this program from 22 years ago. Stephen J. Cannell was the creator of numerous popular TV shows. Remember “The Rockford Files?” During this conversation he talked about his TV work in depth. After he sold his production studio he began writing crime novels. He died in 2010.

2. “Murder Takes a Vacation” by Laura Lippman (2025)

Laura Lippman is a hugely popular crime novelist. This novel was her first “cozy” mystery and this is a good one. One of my favorite books by her.

3. “The Mailman” by Andrew Welsh-Huggins (2025)

The author is a crime novelist from Columbus. This is another fantastic novel. I totally understand why this interview was so popular this year.

4. “Feast of Roses” by Indu Sundaresan (2003)

Here’s another baffler from the past. This was my only interview with this writer. This book is the second one in her Taj trilogy of historical fiction set in India. Was someone doing a Google search and then posted about it suddenly becoming available after 22 years? One can only guess.

5. “Cipher” by Jeremy Jones (2025)

This is one of my favorite books of 2025. The author discovered a secret diary written by one of his ancestors during the first half of the 19th century. This amazing document was written in code and it is obvious the author never meant for it to be found and his code cracked. A truly brilliant book; I understand why it was such a popular podcast.

6. “El Dorado Drive” by Megan Abbott (2025)

One of my favorite crime novels of the year. The author is one of our greatest writers in that genre. This book is one of her best.

7. “Paper Girl” by Beth Macy (2025)

The author is a journalist who grew up in Urbana. In this book she looks back at how her hometown has changed and how the opportunities that she once had as a poor kid from the wrong side of the tracks to go to college and make something out of herself are increasingly rare in Rust Belt towns across the Midwest.

8. “Normandy Farms -the Land and Legacy of Richard H. Grant, Sr.” (2002)

The late Bob Moore was a history buff from Centerville-Washington Twp. when he came to the station in 2002 to discuss this book about that area. He gave a delightful interview that day. I am gratified this local interest book made the top 10 and is finding new listeners.

9. “Child of Earth and Starry Heaven” by L. Annette Binder (2025)

One of our finest writers, she deserves to be better known. Binder’s memoir deals with her experiences of her mother fading away through cognitive decline. Of all the books on this list I am the most thrilled about this one attracting an audience. The author asked me to read it when it was still in manuscript form.

10. “The Curious Case of the Cleveland Indians” by Philip King (2025)

Another top ranked podcast which really delights me. This quirky novel by a Yellow Springs author is another 2025 favorite of mine.