Hooked on Books discussion

We’re kicking off a new weekly thread in Bookish Chats: Author Appreciation!

The idea? Simple: celebrate the authors we love, love to debate, or love to rant about. One author per week, open discussion style. No pressure to be an expert—bring your hot takes, half-finished thoughts, favorite quotes, or random trivia.

It’s basically a little bookish shrine with a side of chaos. 🔥

📖 This Week's Author: Michiko Aoyama

Past Author's (we're happy to always discuss...)

Haruki Murakami
Ursula K. Le Guin
Ocean Vuong
N.K. Jemisin
Terry Pratchett
James Baldwin
Zadie Smith
Albert Camus
Stephen King
Kazuo Ishiguro
Joan Didion
Yōko Ogawa

June 8–14: Haruki Murakami

🔥 WEEKLY AUTHOR APPRECIATION: Haruki Murakami
(June 8–14 • Weird cats and wells welcome.)



This week’s vibe: Which Murakami book left you staring at the wall, questioning reality? 🐈‍⬛🌀

Quick prompts:

💬 "I either love or hate *1Q84* because…"
📚 Beginner’s pick: Kafka on the Shore or Norwegian Wood?
🎶 Soundtrack time: What song fits Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World?
🍝 *Unpopular opinion: The spaghetti scene in The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is genius/ridiculous.

Your turn! Share a surreal moment, a jazz rec, or your cat’s take on A Wild Sheep Chase.

I've never read his stuff but he's definitely on my radar! Someday...

I actually want to read

I read some of his books years ago and loved them. I especially liked South of the Border, West of the Sun. His books are always a surprise and his writings are excellent.

I'll also confess that I have not read any of Murakami's books! It looks like his highest rated are Kafka on the Shore and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, so I might start there instead of 1Q84, which was what I originally thought I would read first. Alas, it will probably have to wait another month (or 3)...

June 15–21 • No dragons, just wisdom.

🔥 WEEKLY AUTHOR APPRECIATION: Ursula K. Le Guin



This week’s question: Is The Left Hand of Darkness still revolutionary? ⚧️❄️

Quick prompts:

💬 "Le Guin’s Earthsea made me rethink ______."
📚 Hot take: The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia > *1984*.
🎥 Casting call: Who should play Ged in an Earthsea remake?
🌌 Deep cut: Who has The Lathe of Heaven in their library?

Your turn! Tell a friend who needs to read her, or share your favorite anarchist quote.

I've never read her stuff but I want to someday.

ilovebakedgoods (Teresa) wrote: "I've never read her stuff but I want to someday."

Same!

June 22–28 • Poetry and prose allowed.

🔥 WEEKLY AUTHOR APPREICATION: Ocean Vuong



This week’s question: Did On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous wreck you—or was it overhyped? 💔📝

Quick prompts:

💬 "Vuong’s letter format made me ______."
📚 Poetry fans: Night Sky with Exit Wounds vs. Time Is a Mother?
🎤 Performance pick: Watch his reading on YouTube. Chills.
🧵 Deep Dive: Who else has his work?

Your turn! Drop a line that gutted you, or confess if you skimmed the poetry.

Another one whose books I have yet to read but want to!!

I have read Time is a Mother, and thought it was very emotional, but it's been awhile, and I can't bring up those emotions anymore (without having to re-read it). I have been thinking about picking up the newest On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous though!

Ashley wrote: "I have read Time is a Mother, and thought it was very emotional, but it's been awhile, and I can't bring up those emotions anymore (without having to re-read it). I have been thinking about picking..."

I was just reading an interview with him the other day about his new book! , published this May. Of course, I can't remember where I saw the interview, but if I find it again, I'll post it here. I THINK it was on the Oprah website because she chose it as her book club pick in May.

I have enjoyed his essays/articles as I've randomly come across them on the internet.

ETA: Love this interview on the Seth Meyers show, from 2019!
https://www.nbc.com/late-night-with-s...

I loved On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous and plan to read The Emperor of Gladness very soon.
What I did particularly like about the first book was the beautiful language.

June 9–July 5 • Bring your apocalyptic vibes.

🔥 WEEKLY AUTHOR APPRECIATION: N.K. Jemisin



This week’s debate: Is The Fifth Season the best SFF trilogy opener ever? 🌋✨

Quick prompts:

💬 "Jemisin’s worldbuilding is ______ because…"
📚 Hot take: The City We Became is her most underrated.
🎮 Adaptation dream: Who should voice Hoa in an animated Broken Earth?

Your turn! Rant about orogenes, share fanart, or tag your SFF squad.

I read The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and rated it 3 stars. I remember thinking it was a slow burner, but I did enjoy it.

Another author on my "To read someday" list!

🔥 MIDWEEK MINI APPRECIATION: Terry Pratchett

A little midweek magic to make up for Sunday’s tardiness! Regularly scheduled Weekly Posts will resume on July 13th!

💬 Prompt 1:
"Pratchett’s humor is ______ because…" (Witty? Subversive? Surprisingly profound?)

📚 Hot take: Small Gods is his most underrated masterpiece. Fight me.

🎭 Adaptation wish: Who’d you cast as Granny Weatherwax in a Discworld series reboot?

(Drop a GIF or quote, or yell at a fellow Discworld fan and have them join the chat!)

LOVE me some Pratchett!

Aside from the funny, I really appreciate his political and social commentary. And no matter how many times I read his books, I just keep on finding more!

Unfortunately my top pick for Granny is no longer with us 😢 Maggie Smith would have been sheer perfection!
(I actually swore out loud the day I found out she was going to be in Harry Potter, because I figured that would mean she'd never get tapped for Granny!)

I think Lesley Nicol would make an excellent Nanny Ogg though!

My favourite Pratchett quote however, isn't even a discworld one! It's from Nation, where one of the MCs helped deliver a baby...

...and as for children, after seeing the birth of Guiding Star she was certain that if she ever wanted children she’d buy some ready-made.

Sammy wrote: "...and as for children, after seeing the birth of Guiding Star she was certain that if she ever wanted children she’d buy some ready-made."

This is great!

Coincidentally, yesterday I read: Designing Terry Pratchett’s Discworld

Even though I've never read any TP, nor will I ever (due to my preference for Non-Fiction)...I found the book & artwork quite interesting.

He's written non-fiction too. Such as

And honestly? If you're reading non-fiction because you want to gather facts, you'll find more of them even in Pratchett's fiction than in most of the so-called non-fiction out there. The man was a genius, and he was generous with his wisdom! 😁

I followed him when he was on Twitter (RIP) and I loved what he had to say. I know that I will love his books once I finally start them. Perhaps I'll make a point to start this year! I'm familiar with his books from reading ABOUT him/them, but why haven't I started one?? I don't really know! Mood, maybe!?

🔥 WEEKLY AUTHOR APPRECIATION: July 13 - 19


James Baldwin

This week’s question: What does Baldwin still teach us about freedom and revolution in 2025?

Quick prompts:

🗣️ “Baldwin cracked me wide open when I read ______.”
🔥 Hot take: The Fire Next Time is the most urgent book in American history.
🎭 Biopic buzz: Who could do justice to Baldwin on screen?
📖 Deep cut: Who’s read Giovanni’s Room and still hasn’t emotionally recovered?

Your turn! Share your favorite Baldwin truth bomb, or the moment he made you stop and rethink everything.

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

I have only read some of his writings but definitely want to read more. We share a birthday! I love that he left America to live in France for a while. I love that he had a friendship with Nina Simone, one of my all-time favorite musicians!!

Who could do justice to him?? Hmmm that's a good question. I'll have to think on that!

Giovanni's Room is on my TBR, but I can't even remember why I put it there originally. His books are all so well-rated, but I've never picked one up.

Ashley wrote: "Giovanni's Room is on my TBR, but I can't even remember why I put it there originally. His books are all so well-rated, but I've never picked one up."

I've read some of his stories and just interviews and things like that. Such an intelligent, thought-provoking man.

I lose myself in wormholes reading up on his and Nina's friendship and their civil rights circles.

🌀 WEEKLY AUTHOR APPRECIATION: July 20 - July 26


Zadie Smith

This week’s question: Which of her books felt like a literary revolution to you?

Quick prompts:

📚 “Zadie Smith made me rethink ______.”
🤯 Hot take: On Beauty is a better modern Austen than most Austen retellings.
🕺 Casting chaos: Who’s your dream White Teeth adaptation cast?
💡 Deep cut: Have you read her essays? (If not: Feel Free: Essays is calling.)

Your turn! Share a Zadie quote that broke your brain, a character who lives rent-free in your head, or that time her syntax made you feel both brilliant and stupid.

I've read a few of hers. Typical literary fiction really. Beautifully written, but very basic in terms of story.

White Teeth was my favourite so far, and I'll probably be reading NW next.

🥖 WEEKLY AUTHOR APPRECIATION: July 27 - August 2


Albert Camus

This week’s question: Was Camus a philosopher for freedom… or just tired?

Quick prompts:

😵 “Reading Camus made me feel ______.”
💥 Hot take: The Rebel > The Stranger. Fight me.
🎭 Castaway pick: Camus adaptation—serious drama or arthouse surrealism?
☠️ Deep cut: Who’s read Caligula or The Fall and wants to spiral?

Your turn! Quote him like you’re in a smoky Paris café, or just rage-post your existential dread.

“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer."

I've only read 2 of his so far, The Stranger and The Plague, and definitely enjoyed the latter most. I was surprised at the levity, considering the subject matter!

Also, the MC of The Stranger read like a sociopath to me. 😆

WEEKLY AUTHOR APPRECIATION: August 3 - 9


Stephen King

This week’s question: Which King book made you feel the weight of memory: the good, the terrible, or the downright haunting?

Quick prompts:
📚 "Stephen King made me rethink how horror can break your heart."
🤯 Hot take: 11/22/63 is secretly a love story, not a time-travel thriller.
🕺 Casting chaos: Who’d play adult Danny Torrance in a The Shining sequel set in 2024?
💡 Deep cut: King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft has more to say about grief than most memoirs.

Your turn! Share your favorite King twist, a line that stuck to your ribs, or that time he made you check under the bed.

📚 Heck yes!
🤯 Not so secret at all! 😆
🕺 Bradley Cooper. He can totally pull off the insane look 🤪
💡 I don't know about most, but definitely more than any other writing themed memoir! It's also one of the most inspiring books I have ever read.


I have read almost everything King has ever written. I decided to pass over Holly, and will provbably very carefully vet his books before reading them from now on. In recent years he has basically devolved into writing political rants over stories, and while I might often agree with his POV on these, I just really don't want to read about Trump in my fiction.

Billy Summers was hands down my least favourite book by him, mostly because of the above.

My favourite is The Talisman, followed by The Stand and It.
The Dark tower series is also particularly excellent, and unlike King's usual terrible endings, this one he nailed hard! (even if I will physically hurt him if I ever see him because Oy...)

Oh, I forgot Duma Key that one I wish could have just gone on for ever...

Sammy wrote: "...while I might often agree with his POV on these, I just really don't want to read about Trump in my fiction."

I don't think any of us wants that... I see him too much as it is. 🤮 Is Holly related to Trump/politics? I've not even looked into that series....

I've read the 1st and 2nd book in The Dark Tower series... I should prob finish it - but then I'd have to restart, because it was a LONG time ago, and I have no clue what happened anymore.

The Shining is my favorite - mostly because I read it "young" and those books stick with me for whatever reason - the feeling you get when you think about them is so nostalgic.

My mom really liked Stephen King, so she gave me a lot of her old books, but I haven't read many.

I probably least enjoy his short stories - which seems wrong, because they are so popular. It's probably because when we would go on vacation, my dad would put in the audiobooks CDs for those... lol

I don't know if it's specifically trump, but from all acounts is highly politicised/ social justicy and I just want to relax when I read and not be bombarded with this stuff. if I want that I'll go on the interwebs 😂

Sammy wrote: "I don't know if it's specifically trump, but from all acounts is highly politicised/ social justicy and I just want to relax when I read and not be bombarded with this stuff. if I want that I'll go..."

Honestly, this is fair.
I don't mind political undertones at all - but in general fiction/fantasy, I'd like it to be undertones, you know, the basics of right and wrong and all that.
I read my fair share of politically driven non-fiction, but I set out with that intention.
I have KIDS. and a HUSBAND (which is often the SAME thing). I need a break sometimes.

Exactly!

And I don't mind fake politics at all! I just don't want to be reminded of our own assclowns 😂

I loved Salem’s Lot and Misery. Oh, and I liked It until the end. I could not visualize the monster at all. (I was in my early 20s when I read it so I don’t recall if it was just badly described or if my brain was tired from the previous 1000 pages).

Oh and I also loved Eyes of the Dragon.

Couldn’t get into The Shining. I tried it a few years ago. I couldn’t tell if everything was just a product of an alcoholic’s hallucinations or if it was a true horror/supernatural type of story so I gave up on it.

Sammy makes me want to read Duma Key so that’s on my list.

Eyes of the Dragon was the first one I read (I was seven!). Loved it so much.

🕺 Casting chaos: Danny Torrance in The Shining sequel should be Ray Nicholson - he's amazing and would do a great job continuing the legacy!!!

He looks like his dad and can make that crazy face his dad does.

I love old school Stephen King best. My favorites are The Shining, Misery, The Green Mile, and It.

WEEKLY AUTHOR APPRECIATION: August 10 - 16


Kazuo Ishiguro

This week’s question: Is memory a comfort or a curse in Ishiguro’s worlds?

Quick prompts:
📚 "Ishiguro made me rethink how quietly devastation can unfold."
🤯 Hot take: Never Let Me Go hits harder if you don’t read it as sci-fi.
🕺 Casting chaos: Which actor could pull off Stevens the butler’s repressed agony in The Remains of the Day?
💡 Deep cut: His lyrics for jazz singer Stacey Kent (Breakfast on the Morning Tram) are also about memory.

Your turn! Hit us with an Ishiguro line that wrecked you, or confess how long you stared at the wall after The Buried Giant.

I've read almost everything by Ishiguro, but then, he's not very prolific, so that's not much of an achievement 😆

The Buried Giant is hands down my favourite!

As much as Never Let Me Go and Klara and the Sun are technically sci-fi, Ishiguro is not a sci-fi author and those books fit far more comfortably in the Literary Fiction bracket than Spec Fic. I do like how he goes for entirely different books every time he wrotes one though, a big change from most authors who just write the same book again and again 😆

as for The Remains of the Day (not my favourite personally), there is no need to re-cast that one. Anthony Hopkins was perfection!

I agree about the Lit Fic, Sammy - I've only read Never Let Me Go, but I think it screamed Lit Fic, which might be why I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have. I went into it thinking one thing, and was confused a lot of the time by the tone. I do think that was the actual intention, but still...

Ashley wrote: "WEEKLY AUTHOR APPRECIATION: August 10 - 16


Kazuo Ishiguro

This week’s question: Is memory a comfort or a curse in Ishiguro’s worlds?

Quick prompts..."

Another I have not read but someday want to.

I loved the film, The Remains of the Day, though. Emma Thompson forever!

Also, agree with Sammy re: Hopkins in the role of the butler! I think that film was perfect as is and no need to remake/recast.

WEEKLY AUTHOR APPRECIATION: August 17 - 23


Joan Didion

This week’s question: Does writing about loss help us survive it, or just freeze it in time?

Quick prompts:
📚 "Didion made me rethink how grief lives in the mundane."
🤯 Hot take: The Year of Magical Thinking should be required reading before adulthood.
🕺 Casting chaos: Who could narrate a Blue Nights audiobook without crumbling? (Meryl Streep? Or too on-the-nose?)
💡 Deep cut: Her Slouching Towards Bethlehem essay on Haight-Ashbury is also about collective cultural memory.

Your turn! Share a Didion sentence you underlined three times, or tell us how her voice lives in your head during small disasters.

WEEKLY AUTHOR APPRECIATION: August 24 - 30


Yōko Ogawa

Pairing with the Formal Buddy Read of The Memory Police

This week’s question: What disappears first in your world: objects, emotions, or people? (And what would you fight to remember?)

Quick prompts:
📚 "Ogawa made me rethink how much of myself is tied to things I’ve forgotten."
🤯 Hot take: The Diving Pool: Three Novellas (her novella collection) is actually scarier than The Memory Police.
🕺 Casting chaos: Adapt Hotel Iris (a taboo love story).... Would you go gorgeously disturbing (think Haneke’s The Piano Teacher) or stripped-down and raw?
💡 Deep cut: Ogawa also wrote The Housekeeper and the Professor, a tender novel about memory and math.

Your turn! Pitch us your dream Ogawa short story: "A woman notices all the clocks in her house are running backward…"

WEEKLY AUTHOR APPRECIATION: August 31 - September 6


Michiko Aoyama

Pairing with the Formal Buddy Read of What You Are Looking For Is in the Library

This week’s question: Which character’s journey resonated with you most, and what book would the librarian give YOU?

Quick prompts:
📚 "Aoyama made me rethink how small interactions can rewrite a life."
🤯 Hot take: What You Are Looking For Is in the Library is secretly a career coaching manual dressed up as fiction.
🕺 Casting chaos: Who would you cast as the mysterious librarian, Sayuri Komachi, in a magical realism Netflix miniseries?
💡 Deep cut: Her recurring theme of "being asked the right question at the right time" echoes Japanese therapeutic philosophies like Naikan and Morita.

Your turn! Share a moment when a book (or a stranger) nudged your life in an unexpected direction.