Barbara VanDenburgh, USA TODAY Books Editor

There aren’t many people around who read more than Barbara VanDenburgh, the former Arizona Republic writer turned USA Today Books Editor. When she’s not reading or writing about books, she’s talking about them, as host of the First Draft Book Club at Changing Hands Bookstore in Phoenix.

Barbara joined the podcast to share some of the early 2023 books she’s most excited about, including the current pick for her book club:

NIGHT WHEREVER WE GO, Tracey Rose Peyton LIFE ON DELAY: MAKING PEACE WITH A STUTTER, John Hendrickson

VICTORY CITY, Salman Rushdie

THE CLIMATE BOOK: THE FACTS AND THE SOLUTIONS, Greta Thunberg HOW TO SELL A HAUNTED HOUSE, Grady Hendrix

NEVER NEVER, Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher

OSCAR WARS: A HISTORY OF THE OSCARS IN GOLD, SWEAT AND TEARS, Michael Schulman

IMMORTALITY A LOVE STORY, Dana Schwartz LOVE PAMELA, Pamela Anderson

FINDING ME, Viola Davis

Books also mentioned in this episode:

FAIRY TALE, Stephen King

THE GLASS CASTLE and HANG THE MOON, Jeannette Walls

To follow Barbara’s work, visit: https://www.usatoday.com/staff/2646127001/barbara-vandenburgh/

Join First Draft Book Club: https://firstdraftbookbar.com/book-club 

Are you an avid reader looking for your next great read? Or maybe you're someone who wants to fall in love with books? Look no further! Our podcast is the perfect place for all kinds of readers. With a wide range of genres, from romance to thrillers, historical fiction to non-fiction, we've got you covered. Hosted by Whitney Clark, each episode goes beyond the next chapter and explores important topics such as improving literacy rates in our communities, the concept of silent book clubs, banned books, audiobooks vs. physical books, finding more time to read, and encouraging children to read.