The Book Up with Verdell Walker | Book Reviews & Book Recs

Verdell Walker | Writer & Book Reviewer

Welcome to The Book Up, your thoughtful guide to discovering great books that aren’t on the end cap - but should be.   I’m your host, Verdell Walker, a Harvard MBA who’s blazed a trail at companies like The Wall Street Journal, Goldman Sachs, Scholastic, and Sesame Street. I’m also a Black Southern belle raised by books, and a published writer who knows how stories work. Books are my passion, and my mission is to help you find the stories you'll love to read — and dodge the ones you won't. Whether you're looking for your next great read or just need a trusted source for book recs that actually deliver, you've found your place. Each week, I review a book, and in just 15 minutes, you’ll know whether it belongs at the top of your TBR pile or is destined for a DNF. Think of me as your personal book matchmaker — here to give you reading recs that will rock your world, and save you from wasting your time, money, and library holds along the way. Stories bring us together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody. Whether you're a lifelong reader, someone crawling out of a reading slump, or a book lover who just needs a trusted voice to help them find a great story — you're exactly who I built this for. New episodes drop weekly on Tuesdays. Come on in, get cozy, and let me give you The Book Up! ​P.S. Looking for a playful way to tend to your reading life?​ Join​ the community newsletter and receive a free The Book Up Bingo Card to add a little ​m​ore cozy to your ​bookish goals and TBR pile! ​Sign up here: https://thebookuppodcast.mystrikingly.com/#bingo CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UP Website: https://thebookuppodcast.mystrikingly.com/ Instagram: @thebookuppod YouTube: @TheBookUpPodcast Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thebookuppodcast/ Substack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/ Shop: The Book Up Bookshop* and Amazon Help me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify! Thanks for sharing The Book Up's story! *Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!

  1. 4d ago

    Book Review: The Geomagician by Jennifer Mandula | Historical Fantasy, Academic Fantasy

    Love books? Looking for honest book reviews and book recs? Whether you're a lifelong reader, crawling out of a reading slump, or just need a trusted voice to help you find a great story — you're in the right place. Today’s book is "The Geomagician" by Jennifer Mandula. When a Victorian fossil hunter discovers a baby pterodactyl, she vows to protect him with the help of a fellow scholar - her former fiance. This episode clocks in over my customary 15 minutes because there's so much going on in this book — and that's not always a good thing. Here are links to things I mention / additional info in the episode: Jennifer Mandula's Instagram post on religion in the bookJennifer Mandula's Instagram post on themes she explored in the bookEpisode -- Series Spotlight: The Emily Wilde seriesEpisode -- Book Review: "The Naturalist Society" by Carrie Vaughn If you’d like to read "The Geomagician", you can purchase a copy for your TBR pile: Bookshop.org | Amazon  (Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/season-four-featured-books) Other Books Mentioned in this Episode: The Emily Wilde Series by Heather Fawcett"The Naturalist Society" by Carrie Vaughn: Bookshop.org | Amazon TAKE YOUR READING LIFE FURTHER: Ready to remember how your books made you feel? The Book Up Reading Journal is here, with 52 review sections, unique reflection prompts for fiction and nonfiction reads, and a DNF Graveyard for quitting books without guilt. Get your copy here. FREEBIE: Looking for a playful way to tend to your reading life?​ Join​ the community newsletter and receive a free The Book Up Bingo Card to add a little ​m​ore cozy to your ​bookish goals and TBR pile! ​Sign up here: https://thebookuppodcast.mystrikingly.com/#bingo CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UP: Stories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody. Website: https://thebookuppodcast.mystrikingly.com/ Instagram: @thebookuppod YouTube: @TheBookUpPodcast Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thebookuppodcast/ Shop: The Book Up Bookshop and Amazon Storefront If you'd like to support the show, please visit The Book Up on Ko-fi to give a one-time or monthly gift. And if you can’t give financially right now? Help me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify! This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!

    Book Review: The Geomagician by Jennifer Mandula | Historical Fantasy, Academic Fantasy
  2. Oct 20

    Book Review: Kin by Tayari Jones | Literary Fiction, Southern Fiction

    Welcome back for Season 4, Bookworms! Love books? Looking for honest book reviews and book recs? Whether you're a lifelong reader, crawling out of a reading slump, or just need a trusted voice to help you find a great story — you're in the right place. Today’s book is "Kin" by Tayari Jones. It follows Vernice and Annie, two motherless "cradle friends" growing up as neighbors in 1950s Honeysuckle, Louisiana, whose paths dramatically diverge in adulthood. Set against the backdrop of the Jim Crow South and the Civil Rights era, it is a sweeping, emotionally rich exploration of mothers and daughters, friendship and sisterhood, and being a Black woman in the American South. This episode is a bit over 15 minutes because I had SO MUCH to say about this story! Here are two excerpts from the book: Oprah Daily. Read This Sneak Peek from Oprah’s 121st Book Club Pick, KinThe Bitter Southerner. An Excerpt from "Kin" by Tayari Jones - Chapter 41 'Vernice' If you’d like to read "Kin", you can purchase a copy for your TBR pile: Bookshop.org | Amazon  (Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/season-four-featured-books) Other Books Mentioned in this Episode: American Marriage: Bookshop.org | Amazon  FREEBIE: Looking for a playful way to tend to your reading life?​ Join​ the community newsletter and receive a free The Book Up Bingo Card to add a little ​m​ore cozy to your ​bookish goals and TBR pile! ​Sign up here: https://thebookuppodcast.mystrikingly.com/#bingo CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UP: Stories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody. Website: https://thebookuppodcast.mystrikingly.com/ Instagram: @thebookuppod YouTube: @TheBookUpPodcast Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thebookuppodcast/ Shop: The Book Up Bookshop and Amazon Storefront If you'd like to support the show, please visit The Book Up on Ko-fi to give a one-time or monthly gift. And if you can’t give financially right now? Help me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify! This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!

    Book Review: Kin by Tayari Jones | Literary Fiction, Southern Fiction
  3. Oct 14

    ENCORE - Book Review: "The Buffalo Hunter Hunter" by Stephen Graham Jones | Fiction, Historical Horror

    Hey Bookworms! I'm hard at work on the next season of The Book Up — and while you wait, I'm dusting off an episode from the archive. And this one is great for spooky season! Enjoy!  --- Love books? Looking for honest book reviews and book recs? Whether you're a lifelong reader, crawling out of a reading slump, or just need a trusted voice to help you find a great story — you're in the right place. Today’s book is "The Buffalo Hunter Hunter" by Stephen Graham Jones. A diary written in 1912 by a Lutheran pastor is discovered within a wall. What it unveils is a slow massacre, a chain of events that go back to 217 Blackfeet dead in the snow. Told via transcribed interviews of a Blackfeet named Good Stab, who shares the narrative of his peculiar life over a series of confessional visits.  If you’d like to read it, you can purchase a copy for your TBR pile: Bookshop.org | Amazon  (Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/season-two-featured-books​) Read more about the Marias Massacre, which inspired this book, on Wikipedia. This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you! ​P.S. Looking for a playful way to tend to your reading life?​ Join​ the community newsletter and receive a free The Book Up Bingo Card to add a little ​m​ore cozy to your ​bookish goals and TBR pile! ​Sign up here: https://thebookuppodcast.mystrikingly.com/#bingo CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UP Stories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my book nook for everybody. Website: https://thebookuppodcast.mystrikingly.com/ Instagram: @thebookuppod YouTube: @TheBookUpPodcast Pinterest: @thebookuppodcast Shop: The Book Up Bookshop and Amazon Storefront If you'd like to support the show, please visit The Book Up on Ko-fi to give a one-time or monthly gift. And if you can’t give financially right now? Help me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

    ENCORE - Book Review: "The Buffalo Hunter Hunter" by Stephen Graham Jones | Fiction, Historical Horror
  4. Oct 6

    ENCORE - Book Review: "The Ministry of Time" by Kaliane Bradley | Fiction, Sci-Fi Time Travel Thriller and Romance

    Hey Bookworms! I'm hard at work on the next season of The Book Up — and while you wait, I'm dusting off an episode from the archive. Enjoy!  --- Love books? Looking for honest book reviews and book recs? Whether you're a lifelong reader, crawling out of a reading slump, or just need a trusted voice to help you find a great story — you're in the right place. Today’s featured book is The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley. In this genre-bending sci-fi thriller, an unnamed civil servant and an Arctic explorer pulled from the past fall in love and face a time-jumping government conspiracy. If you’d like to read it, you can purchase a copy for your TBR pile: Bookshop.org | Amazon  (Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/season-one-featured-books) This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you! ​P.S. Looking for a playful way to tend to your reading life?​ Join​ the community newsletter and receive a free The Book Up Bingo Card to add a little ​m​ore cozy to your ​bookish goals and TBR pile! ​Sign up here: https://thebookuppodcast.mystrikingly.com/#bingo CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UP Stories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my book nook for everybody. Website: https://thebookuppodcast.mystrikingly.com/ Instagram: @thebookuppod YouTube: @TheBookUpPodcast Pinterest: @thebookuppodcast Shop: The Book Up Bookshop and Amazon Storefront If you'd like to support the show, please visit The Book Up on Ko-fi to give a one-time or monthly gift. And if you can’t give financially right now? Help me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

    ENCORE - Book Review: "The Ministry of Time" by Kaliane Bradley | Fiction, Sci-Fi Time Travel Thriller and Romance
  5. Sep 29

    ENCORE - Book Review: "Killers of a Certain Age" by Deanna Raybourn | Fiction, Thriller

    Hey Bookworms! I'm hard at work on the next season of The Book Up — and while you wait, I'm dusting off an episode from the archive. Enjoy!  --- Love books? Looking for honest book reviews and book recs? Whether you're a lifelong reader, crawling out of a reading slump, or just need a trusted voice to help you find a great story — you're in the right place. Today’s featured book is Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn. In this fun, fast-paced thriller, a group of retiring assassins find out they are on their employer's hit list and have to fight back. If you’d like to read it, you can purchase a copy for your TBR pile: Bookshop.org | Amazon  (Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/season-one-featured-books) Other featured books: Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybourn: Bookshop.org | Amazon Thelma [film] - rent or buy on Amazon Prime This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you! ​P.S. Looking for a playful way to tend to your reading life?​ Join​ the community newsletter and receive a free The Book Up Bingo Card to add a little ​m​ore cozy to your ​bookish goals and TBR pile! ​Sign up here: https://thebookuppodcast.mystrikingly.com/#bingo CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UP Stories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my book nook for everybody. Website: https://thebookuppodcast.mystrikingly.com/ Instagram: @thebookuppod YouTube: @TheBookUpPodcast Pinterest: @thebookuppodcast Shop: The Book Up Bookshop and Amazon Storefront If you'd like to support the show, please visit The Book Up on Ko-fi to give a one-time or monthly gift. And if you can’t give financially right now? Help me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

    ENCORE - Book Review: "Killers of a Certain Age" by Deanna Raybourn | Fiction, Thriller
  6. Aug 18

    The Story Behind My Book Journal: Cover Reveal, Real Talk, and a TBR Update

    I've been working on something quietly since January, and today I'm lifting the curtain on The Book Up Reading Journal. In this special bonus episode, I share more about the journal I've created for fellow book lovers — why I made it, what makes it different from every other book journal on the shelf, and the real story behind picking the cover. It wasn't all easy, and I get real about that in this one. I also share a TBR update on the books I've been meaning to get to, including a couple I'm still deciding whether to DNF. Whether you're here for the books, the story behind the story, or just to hang out in the book nook with me — I'm so glad you're here. LINKS The final cover!!Sign up for The Book Up email list to be the first to know when the journal is available (and grab a free reading bingo card while you're there!)TBR Top Up #2 TBR Top Up #3 More about Carl Wilson, the journal's graphic designer This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you! ​P.S. Looking for a playful way to tend to your reading life?​ Join​ the community newsletter and receive a free The Book Up Bingo Card to add a little ​m​ore cozy to your ​bookish goals and TBR pile! ​Sign up here: https://thebookuppodcast.mystrikingly.com/#bingo CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UP Stories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my book nook for everybody. Website: https://thebookuppodcast.mystrikingly.com/ Instagram: @thebookuppod YouTube: @TheBookUpPodcast Pinterest: @thebookuppodcast Shop: The Book Up Bookshop and Amazon Storefront If you'd like to support the show, please visit The Book Up on Ko-fi to give a one-time or monthly gift. And if you can’t give financially right now? Help me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

    The Story Behind My Book Journal: Cover Reveal, Real Talk, and a TBR Update
  7. May 26

    Always Be Reading: TBR Top Up Three [Season Three Finale]

    It’s time for a TBR refresh! In this episode - the season 3 finale! - I’m sharing the books currently on my to-be-read list, along with a few upcoming releases that have caught my eye. Whether you're looking to add to your own stack or just want to hear about what’s on my radar, tune in for a mix of anticipated reads and spontaneous picks. Always Be Reading! Episode Overview In this To-Be-Read (TBR) refresh, I stack up a fresh selection of highly anticipated books. This episode dives into a rich mix of genres, honest mid-read updates, and why you should never be ashamed to DNF a book that doesn't spark joy. Genre Deep Dives: Exploring the boundaries of Cli-Fi (climate fiction), Asian "healing fiction" with a bit of a bite, non-fiction historical mapping, and the subversion of the dark academia/magical boarding school trope.The Power of Subversion: A discussion on how veteran speculative fiction authors breathe fresh life into overly played-out fantasy tropes.Reading Reflections: Candid critiques on narrative craft, balancing heavy theoretical prose with lighter reads, and the mechanical shift when a romantasy novel hits its final act. Here are the books I’ll be chatting about today:  A Guardian & A Thief: Bookshop.org | Amazon Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon: Bookshop.org | Amazon The Conjuring of America: Bookshop.org | Amazon A Deadly Education: Bookshop.org | Amazon  Other books discussed: Water Moon: Bookshop.org | Amazon (listen to my review from S1 here)The Temeraire Series - Book One is "His Majesty's Dragon": Bookshop.org | Amazon The Knight & The Moth: Bookshop.org | Amazon The Knave & The Moon: Bookshop.org | Amazon  Other links: TBR Top Up #2BONUS EPISODE: Cozy Fantasy Books — Low Stakes, High Comfort ReadsCozy Fantasy — Low Stakes, High Comfort (Substack post) (Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/tbr-top-up-3) This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you! ​P.S. Looking for a playful way to tend to your reading life?​ Join​ the community newsletter and receive a free The Book Up Bingo Card to add a little ​m​ore cozy to your ​bookish goals and TBR pile! ​Sign up here: https://thebookuppodcast.mystrikingly.com/#bingo CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UP Stories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody. Website: https://thebookuppodcast.mystrikingly.com/ Instagram: @thebookuppod YouTube: @TheBookUpPodcast Substack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/ Shop: The Book Up Bookshop If you'd like to support the show, please visit The Book Up on Ko-fi to give a one-time or monthly gift. And if you can’t give financially right now? Help me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

    Always Be Reading: TBR Top Up Three [Season Three Finale]
  8. May 19

    Book Review: The Everlasting by Alix Harrow | Fiction - Fantasy, Romance

    Love books? Looking for honest book reviews and book recs? Whether you're a lifelong reader, crawling out of a reading slump, or just need a trusted voice to help you find a great story — you're in the right place. Today’s book is "The Everlasting" by Alix Harrow, a romantic fantasy about a legendary lady knight, a time-traveling historian who's obsessed with her story, and what happens when the myth and the real person finally meet. It's got time loops, epic romance, and a sharp takedown of how history gets written — and who gets to write it. This episode is just a scooch over 15 minutes because I NEEDED to wax poetic about it and gather my emotions at times! If you’d like to read it, you can purchase a copy for your TBR pile: Bookshop.org | Amazon  (Using Apple Podcasts on desktop and can’t click? Copy/paste this link into your browser: https://bookshop.org/lists/season-three-featured-books) Oh, I’ve got some more lady knight books for you if this one isn’t enough: The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig: Bookshop.org | Amazon The Second Death of Locke by V L Bovalino (on my TBR): Bookshop.org | Amazon The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling: Bookshop.org | Amazon The Isle in the Silver Sea by Tasha Suri: Bookshop.org | Amazon  This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by Verdell Walker. Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You can find more details and the full license information at Audionautix Creative Commons Music. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you! ​P.S. Looking for a playful way to tend to your reading life?​ Join​ the community newsletter and receive a free The Book Up Bingo Card to add a little ​m​ore cozy to your ​bookish goals and TBR pile! ​Sign up here: https://thebookuppodcast.mystrikingly.com/#bingo CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UP Stories bring us all together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody. Website: https://thebookuppodcast.mystrikingly.com/ Instagram: @thebookuppod YouTube: @TheBookUpPodcast Substack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/ Shop: The Book Up Bookshop If you'd like to support the show, please visit The Book Up on Ko-fi to give a one-time or monthly gift. And if you can’t give financially right now? Help me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify!

    Book Review: The Everlasting by Alix Harrow | Fiction - Fantasy, Romance
5
out of 5
24 Ratings

About

Welcome to The Book Up, your thoughtful guide to discovering great books that aren’t on the end cap - but should be.   I’m your host, Verdell Walker, a Harvard MBA who’s blazed a trail at companies like The Wall Street Journal, Goldman Sachs, Scholastic, and Sesame Street. I’m also a Black Southern belle raised by books, and a published writer who knows how stories work. Books are my passion, and my mission is to help you find the stories you'll love to read — and dodge the ones you won't. Whether you're looking for your next great read or just need a trusted source for book recs that actually deliver, you've found your place. Each week, I review a book, and in just 15 minutes, you’ll know whether it belongs at the top of your TBR pile or is destined for a DNF. Think of me as your personal book matchmaker — here to give you reading recs that will rock your world, and save you from wasting your time, money, and library holds along the way. Stories bring us together, and there’s always room in my reading nook for everybody. Whether you're a lifelong reader, someone crawling out of a reading slump, or a book lover who just needs a trusted voice to help them find a great story — you're exactly who I built this for. New episodes drop weekly on Tuesdays. Come on in, get cozy, and let me give you The Book Up! ​P.S. Looking for a playful way to tend to your reading life?​ Join​ the community newsletter and receive a free The Book Up Bingo Card to add a little ​m​ore cozy to your ​bookish goals and TBR pile! ​Sign up here: https://thebookuppodcast.mystrikingly.com/#bingo CONNECT WITH THE BOOK UP Website: https://thebookuppodcast.mystrikingly.com/ Instagram: @thebookuppod YouTube: @TheBookUpPodcast Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thebookuppodcast/ Substack: https://thebookuppod.substack.com/ Shop: The Book Up Bookshop* and Amazon Help me reach more book lovers like you by following the podcast & leaving a rating or review on Apple & Spotify! Thanks for sharing The Book Up's story! *Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of my fiction and nonfiction book recs, at no extra cost to you!

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