Reader's Forecast

Sam Vacik
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  • Books

What's on the horizon this week at our local bookstores? In Reader's Forecast, host Sam Vacik invites you to take a look at new releases in a wide variety of genres, authors (both new and established), subjects, and more. Sam introduces each author, reads the back cover, and makes note of a smattering of book reviews. Whether you're a daring bookchaser or just on the watch for your sunny beach read, Reader's Forecast has got you covered. So click 'play' to find your next book.

  1. Comedy, Dramedy, Romedy

    5h ago

    Comedy, Dramedy, Romedy

    Prepare for a week of storms, brusk winds, and lustrous lightning with a thriller, heist, and legal drama that cede the way to sunshine and rainbows with comedy and romance. This week’s forecast features mix of genres ranging from thriller to science and from sci-fi to historical fantasy and from historical fiction to humor. We’ll explore the culture of animal kingdoms, hunt for unicorns in a French forest, and search for a monstrously sized, magical jellyfish plagueing the Northeast US coast. Stay tuned for an episode that may knock your socks off with plain comedy, dramedy, or an almost Shakespearean-level romedy! Is one of these books your next read for the weekend? This podcast was not sponsored nor elicited. All books were selected by the host for inclusion in this podcast out of sheer interest. Publishing Week: 2 June 2026 Books included in this weeks forecast by Title & Author (* debut author) 1) An Artful Dodge by Karen Odden / Thriller Heist 2) A Pair of Aces by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray 3) Sublimation by Isabel J. Kim * 4) The Hidden Nations of Animals: A Grand Tour of Earths’ Wild Civilizations y Ryan Huling 5) The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden 6) Alan Opts Out by Courtney Baum 7) The Jellyfish Problem by Tessa Yang * 8) Meeting New People by Daniel M. Lavery 9) Puck boy Samantha Allen

    30 min
  2. Horrorably Romantic

    May 30

    Horrorably Romantic

    Frigid horror freezes the beginning of the week but gives way to two sci-fi novels. Though, one requires you to be up to date on your spy craft while the other features a cyborg dog with a smart mouth. There’s fantastical heat and magic happening deep in rural South Dakota and black romance is in the air as much as aromanticism. Is it possible to be romantic when aromantic? We’ll find out in this week’s Reader’s Forecast! This podcast was not sponsored nor elicited. All books were selected by the host for inclusion in this podcast. URLS for the books in this episode will be included on www.readersforecast.com (soon — under construction). Publishing Week: 26 March 2026 Major retailers: Barnes & Noble (all formats)Rakuten Kobo (ebook & audiobook)eBooks.com (ebooks only)Amazon.com (all formats) Books included in this weeks forecast by Title & Author (* debut author): 1) Dead Weight by Hildur Knutsdottir 2) Nothing on Earth by Ian MacKenzie 3) Ode to the Half-Broken by Suzanne Palmer 4) Freedom Round the Globe: A World History of the American Revolution by Sarah M. S. Pearsall 5) Ghalen: A Romance in Black by Walter Mosley 6) Pixie by Jill Dawson 7) Babylon, South Dakota by Tom Lin 8) Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It by Brooke Averick * 9) Being Aro: A Collection of Aromantic Fiction about Love, Connection, and Empowerment by Madeline Dyer, Rosiee Thor

    31 min
  3. Swearing Warblers Don’t Say, “Aloha”

    May 22

    Swearing Warblers Don’t Say, “Aloha”

    Summer may not be the time of ghostly humans outside October, but it’s perfect for ghostly horses with all that heat outside. Perhaps, New York City brings to mind swearing people, but apparently, warblers are just as likely to swear with all this wretchedly hot, humid, and stormy weather. Expect a vibrant episode from the blues of the Pacific to the colorful language of animals in NYC. Perhaps one of these books from two debuts and many established authors is the one for you! This podcast was not sponsored nor elicited. All books were selected by the host for inclusion in this podcast. Publishing Week: 19 May 2026 Major retailers: Barnes & Noble (all formats)Rakuten Kobo (ebook & audiobook)eBooks.com (ebooks only)Amazon.com (all formats) Books included in this weeks forecast by Title & Author (* debut author): 1) Broken Truths by Alessandro Robecchi 2) Palaces of the Crow by Ray Nayler 3) The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh 4) Score by Kennedy Ryan (Book 2 in the Hollywood Rennaissance series) 5) An Expanse of Blue by Kuakanilehua Mahoe Adams 6) Glyph by Ali Smith 7) Mare by Emily Haworth-Booth * 8) The Hope Keeper 9) It’s Hard to Be an Animal by Robert Isaacs * AND -- a mysterious bonus at the end of this episode!

    27 min
  4. Two Debut Thunder Catchers

    May 18

    Two Debut Thunder Catchers

    High temperature thrills and change crash out early in the week, giving way to the coldness of a space opera, but not to worry, as warmth returns with romantasy and a genre-questioning new fiction novel from a debut author. This week features 8 books — of which one might be for you! Stay tuned — 8 new books are headed your way in this week’s Reader’s Forecast! This podcast was not sponsored nor elicited. All books were selected by the host for inclusion in this podcast. URLS for the books in this episode will be included on www.readersforecast.com (soon — under construction). Publishing Week: 17 March 2026 Major retailers: Barnes & Noble (all formats)Rakuten Kobo (ebook & audiobook)eBooks.com (ebooks only)Amazon.com (all formats) Books included in this weeks forecast by Title & Author (* debut author) 1) A Siege of Owls by Uchenna Awoke 2) Men Like Ours by Bindu Bansinath * 3) Radiant Star by Ann Leckie 4) The Forgotten Midwife by Laura Anthony 5) The Franchise by Thomas Elrod * 6) The Pillagers’ Guide to Arctic Pianos by Kendra Langford Shaw 7) Seek the Traitor’s Son by Veronica Roth 8) Mighty Real: A History of LGBTQ Music, 1969 - 2000 by Barry Walters

    25 min
  5. Rain, Sun, and a Little Ectoplasm

    May 10

    Rain, Sun, and a Little Ectoplasm

    Grab your umbrellas, weather radios, and ghost traps because, not only is there a deluge headed our way in this forecast, there is a ghost haunting us. Ghost author or ghost writer? Perhaps it’s better not to ask it as it lurks in this episode and brings a bonus novel it wrote. Catch the ghost before the rains finish falling in this week’s Reader’s Forecast! This podcast was not sponsored nor elicited. All books were selected by the host for inclusion in this podcast. URLS for the books in this episode will be included on www.readersforecast.com (soon — under construction). Publishing Week: 5 May 2026 Major retailers: Barnes & Noble (all formats)Rakuten Kobo (ebook & audiobook)eBooks.com (ebooks only)Amazon.com (all formats) Books included in this weeks forecast by Title & Author (* debut author) 1) Homebound by Portian Elan * 2) At Sea by Y. M. Abel-Magied 3) Good News by Alexa Yasemin Brahme * 4) John of John by Douglas Stuart 5) Shards of Silence by Brian Young Lee 6) The Girl with a Thousand Face by Sunyi Dean 7) The Young Will Remember by Eve J. Chung 8) Change of Plans by Sarah Dessen 9) Enormous Wings by Laurie Frankel Bonus: a mystery novel written by a mysterious deceased author

    30 min
  6. April Showers Bring Queer Flowers

    May 1

    April Showers Bring Queer Flowers

    Spring ushers in new flowers — queerly growing from books! If that isn’t strange enough, there is a science fiction novel that goes off all dystopian on this couple of 40 years partnered and a humorous lit fit will drop the mic for all time! Two debut authors bring the storms while established authors bring the calm. Tune down with me in this week’s Reader’s Forecast to enjoy the temperate climate with these delightful reads! This podcast was not sponsored nor elicited. All books were selected by the host for inclusion in this podcast. URLS for the books in this episode will be included on www.readersforecast.com (soon — under construction). Publishing Week: 28 April 2026 Major retailers: Barnes & Noble (all formats)Rakuten Kobo (ebook & audiobook)eBooks.com (ebooks only)Amazon.com (all formats) Books included in this weeks forecast by Title & Author (* debut author) 1) The Original by Priya Parmar 2) The Radiant Dark by Alexandra Oliva 3) Boring Asian Female by Canwen Xu * 4) We Burned So Bright by TJ Klune 5) How to Fake it In Sociaety by KJ Charles 6) A Queer Inheritance by Michael Hall 7) Liar’s Dice by Juliet Faithfull * 8) Ambrosia Lee Drops the Mic by Patricia Park

    27 min
  7. Space Spy Meets Faerie Anthropologist!

    Apr 23

    Space Spy Meets Faerie Anthropologist!

    A space spy, a food journalist, and a faerie anthropologist walk into a bar… is probably not a good joke to be telling, but it makes for a heck of a hook! Where space operas, romantasies, and beachie murder mysteries collide is a forecast for the week of 21 April 2026 — promising to be full of adventure, danger, thrills, murder, and romance. Join Sam Vacik for this week’s most interesting book finds in this episode of Reader’s Forecast! Mayhaps, one of these books will find you. This podcast was not sponsored nor elicited. All books were selected by the host for inclusion in this podcast. URLS for the books in this episode will be included on www.readersforecast.com (soon — under construction). Publishing Week: 21 April 2026 Major retailers: Barnes & Noble (all formats)Rakuten Kobo (ebook & audiobook)eBooks.com (ebooks only)Amazon.com (all formats) Books included in this weeks forecast by Title & Author (* debut author) 1)The Photonic Effect by Mike Chen 2) The Language of Liars by S. L. Huang 3) Livonia Chow Mein by Abigail Savitch-Lew 4) The Bush Tea Murder by Ashley-Ruth Bernier. 5) Afternoon Hours of a Hermit by Patrick Cottrell 6) Thistlemarch by Morose Corrigan 7) Aphrodite in Pieces by Lauren J. A. Bear

    25 min
  8. Cozy Fiction with a Drop of Horror

    Apr 17

    Cozy Fiction with a Drop of Horror

    Cozy romantasy, curious historical fiction, and humorous litfic ring in the new week, but trouble brews as the week gives way to a book storm steeped with mystery, horror, and dual-timeline fantasy novels! Will our heroes this week find love, brave time, or solve the mystery before it’s too late? Find out if one of these 8 books is for you in this week’s Reader’s Forecast! This podcast was not sponsored nor elicited. All books were selected by the host for inclusion in this podcast. URLS for the books in this episode will be included on www.readersforecast.com (soon — under construction). Publishing Week: 14 April 2026 Major retailers: Barnes & Noble (all formats)Rakuten Kobo (ebook & audiobook)eBooks.com (ebooks only)Amazon.com (all formats) Books included in this weeks forecast by Title & Author (* debut author) 1) Stay for a Spell by Amy Coombe * 2) A Private Man by Stephanie Sy-Quia * 3) Dear Monica Lewinsky by Julia Langbein 4) The Left and the Lucky by Willy Vlautin 4) Porcupines by Fran Fabriczki * 5) Soundtrack by Jason Reynolds 6) City of the Muse by Kate Hilton 7) The Killing Spell by Shay Kauwe * 8) Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker

    33 min
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About

What's on the horizon this week at our local bookstores? In Reader's Forecast, host Sam Vacik invites you to take a look at new releases in a wide variety of genres, authors (both new and established), subjects, and more. Sam introduces each author, reads the back cover, and makes note of a smattering of book reviews. Whether you're a daring bookchaser or just on the watch for your sunny beach read, Reader's Forecast has got you covered. So click 'play' to find your next book.

Information

  • Creator
    Sam Vacik
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Samantha (Sam) Vacik
  • Show Website
    Reader's Forecast