Transcript
Kristin Paulin: Hi, I'm Kristen, the host of Kristen's Next Chapter, a podcast to help you find your next read and introduce you to debut authors. Today I wanted to chat about why I want to shine a light on debut authors on this podcast. First, for the simplest reason.
Kristin Paulin: I think writing a book is such an amazing achievement and I can't imagine ever being able to do it myself.
Kristin Paulin: So when someone decides to write their first book, finishes it, and puts it out into the world, I want to celebrate that. But beyond that, new authors bring their own viewpoints and experiences to the page.
Kristin Paulin: They bring fresh perspectives. They tell new stories. They introduce different writing styles. And all of this is good for us readers. It expands our world and our views.
Kristin Paulin: And new views and perspectives can help us to understand each other better. It gives us empathy.
Kristin Paulin: It can help create a dialogue across different backgrounds and cultures. And not to sound too dramatic, but this is important for society and democracy at large. Don't underestimate the power of reading.
Kristin Paulin: So where can you discover new authors? Well, of course, I will talk about them on this podcast and over on my Instagram at Kristen's Next Chapter.
Kristin Paulin: Other book influencers on social media are resources too. You can ask your local bookstores and libraries for recommendations. And one other place that I think is amazing for discovering new authors is the Book of the Month Club.
Kristin Paulin: This is a monthly subscription service with five to seven curated new release books to choose from every month. There's almost always, or maybe it is always, there is a debut novel option among the selections to choose from. They also allow members to add additional books to their monthly order. And here you can search through the category of debut novels.
Kristin Paulin: In my previous episodes, I've mentioned some of the debut novels that I've read in the past year and loved, like Tilt, a unique thriller-esque style story of survival following a big earthquake.
Kristin Paulin: The author, Emma Patti, is a climate journalist, and she brings that perspective to her novel. and the correspondent by Virginia Evans. This is an epistolary novel, a story told through letters. And she's, of course, not the first to write a novel in this way, but it is a really unique style for telling her story. And it's a story of the main character's life and regrets and her journey to self-discovery.
Kristin Paulin: A few weeks ago, i read Marissa Cascino's debut novel, Best Offer Wins. She tells a unique thriller story based around the crazy housing market in the U.S. in 2022.
Kristin Paulin: At this time, houses were only on the market for a few days, and they would get many offers and all well over asking. It was not for the faint of heart. And in this book, during that time period, the main character Margo is increasingly frustrated with losing out on house after house that she and her husband bid on.
Kristin Paulin: And Margot also has tunnel vision in trying to achieve what she sees as her perfect life. The husband, the house, the baby, the dog. And she's going to go to any lengths necessary to achieve this.
Kristin Paulin: This includes lying, stalking, blackmailing, and much worse. I thought this was a really fun take on a thriller, and I really enjoyed reading this one. I also have a number of debut novels sitting on my TBR shelf. Three that I am especially looking forward to are 1. The Names by Florence Knapp,
Kristin Paulin: This is a sliding doors style book that explores three different paths depending on what name a mother gives her new baby. The description of the book is, in the wake of a catastrophic storm, Cora sets off with her nine-year-old daughter, Maya, to register her son's birth.
Kristin Paulin: Her husband, Gordon, a local doctor, respected in the community, but a terrifying and controlling presence at home, intends for her to name the baby after him.
Kristin Paulin: But when the registrar asks what she'd like to call the child, Cora hesitates. Spanning 35 years, what follows are three alternate and alternating versions of Cora's and her young son's lives, shaped by her choice of name.
Kristin Paulin: In a richly layered prose, the Names explores the painful ripple effects of domestic abuse, the messy ties of family, and the possibilities of autonomy and healing.
Kristin Paulin: The second debut I'm really looking forward to is Maggie or a Man and a Woman Walk into a Bar by Katie ye In this book, a Chinese-American woman turns tragedy into comedy when her life falls apart.
Kristin Paulin: The description of the book is, a Man and a Woman Walk into a Restaurant. It sounds like the start of a joke, or at the very least, the start of a date. Instead, it's the end of a marriage.
Kristin Paulin: Because on this night, our unnamed narrator finds out that her husband is having an affair with a white woman named Maggie. Here's another one. A woman walks into an examination room, but the ache in her breast isn't heartbreak. It's cancer.
Kristin Paulin: Over the course of the ensuing months, our narrator embarks on a journey of grief, healing, and reclamation. With her best friend Darlene by her side, she navigates the unfamiliar new shape of her family, the complexities of parenting in the middle of a divorce, and, most importantly, those annoyingly teeny tiny paper cups they have in the doctor's offices.
Kristin Paulin: To cope, our narrator starts talking to her tumor. She creates a guide to my husband, a user's manual for her husband's lover. She turns her children's bedtime stories into retellings of Chinese folklore passed down by her own mother in an attempt to make them fall in love with their shared culture and to maybe save herself in the process.
Kristin Paulin: And finally, the third debut novel on my TBR shelf that I'm really looking forward to is The Compound by Ainsley Rall. This book sounds like a Hunger Games style dystopian reality show.
Kristin Paulin: The book description is Lily. A bored, beautiful 20-something wakes up on a remote desert compound alongside 19 other contestants competing on a massively popular reality show. To win, she must outlast her housemates to stay on the compound the longest, while competing in challenges for luxury rewards like champagne and lipstick, plus communal necessities to outfit their new home like food, appliances,
Kristin Paulin: and a front door. Cameras are catching all her angles, good and bad, but Lily has no desire to leave. Why would she when the world outside is falling apart? As the competition intensifies, intimacy between the players deepens, and it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between desire and desperation.
Kristin Paulin: When the unseen producers raise the stakes, forcing contestants into upsetting, even dangerous situations, the line between playing the game and surviving it begins to blur.
Kristin Paulin: If Lily makes it to the end, she'll receive prizes beyond her wildest dreams. But what will she have to do to win? And those are the books
Kristin Paulin: I wanted to mention today. I'd like to end this episode with some ways that you can support new authors. First, of course, you can buy their book. or you can ask your library to acquire it.
Kristin Paulin: And if you read the book and like it, tell a friend about it. You can also rate it and post a review of it on a site like Goodreads.
Kristin Paulin: And if you're on social media, you can share about the book there. And that's it for today. Thank you for listening. If you liked this episode, please tell a friend. In the meantime, you can find me on Instagram at Kristen's Next Chapter, all one word.
Kristin Paulin: I'd love to hear from you and any of your recommendations of debut authors. Happy reading.
