Tune in at 7pm ET tonight for this week’s episode! On Wed 12/31 at 7pm Eastern on F&F’s Facebook group page & YouTube channel we will re-air one of our favorite episodes from the vault! Join us as the Fab Four talk to talk to reigning queen of the modern romance novel, Emily Henry, about her 2024 #1 New York Times-bestselling Funny Story.
Emily Henry is the author of four YA novels and, since 2020, she has published six NYT-bestselling rom-coms for adults (including Beach Read, Book Lovers, and Happy Place), with five of them being adapted for the big and small screens. In April 2024 Emily joined us to discuss Funny Story, a shimmering, joyful novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common that went on to become an instant #1 bestseller and a New York Times Notable Book for 2024. Now is the perfect time to revisit this chat as Emily comes off a truly incredible year. Emily’s 2025 novel Great Big Beautiful Life was another #1 NYT-bestseller and was named a Reese’s Book Club pick, and the movie adaptation of her 2021 The People We Meet on Vacation will premiere on Netflix just after the holidays on January 9, 2026. So, as you wait for the ball to drop this New Year’s Eve, tune in for this interview, now with a brand-new intro recorded by Kristy Woodson Harvey. Watch the video broadcast of this interview as it airs on Wed 12/31 at 7pm ET on the F&F Facebook group page & YouTube channel. Catch the audio version on our podcast Fri 1/2. Order Emily’s latest book on Bookshop.org! Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for bonus Q&A’s with our guest authors which include a writing tip, book recommendation, and information about their works-in-progress, plus other great material not covered on the show! Our Favorite Reads & Books to Gift for 2025
MARY KAY ANDREWS: I want to continue to speak out, from my heart, about the world we live in, and continue to find ways to do good, in big and small ways. I want to travel with my husband and make time to connect with old friends, and continue my new-found commitment to fitness. And after a year away, I’m so looking forward to getting out on book tour in June to meet with readers while promoting my new novel ROAD TRIP. KRISTIN HARMEL: I need to be better about not sweating the small stuff (I sometimes make a dramatic mountain out of a molehill, so to speak!) and also to make more time for myself and my family rather than throwing myself headlong into work all the time. So I guess my resolution in regard to that is to be cognizant of the importance of finding a good work-life balance. I’m not sure if this counts as a resolution, but I’d also like to take my 9-year-old, Noah, to see snow for the first time before he turns 10 in February! KRISTY WOODSON HARVEY: I love, love goals and resolutions and, most of all, creating new habits. I realized in 2025 that I blurbed so many novels and read so many specifically for the show—which was AMAZING, by the way!—that I didn’t really do much walking into a bookstore and picking out something because it seemed to be calling my name. So that is definitely a resolution for 2026. Oh! And I also got a piano for Christmas so… I’m going to learn how to play it! I’m so excited! PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY: I have a new grandbaby arriving early 2026, and my heart can’t wait. I don’t make resolutions but I always choose a word for the new year and this year it is DELIGHT IN (okay that’s two words but you get the point). Life is moving so fast and I want to be present for all the delightful parts and not rush through them. MEG WALKER: I’ve realized lately the importance of celebrating and truly being present for each season and phase of this big, messy life, rather than getting lost in the busyness and mindlessly moving on to the next thing on the to-do list. In 2026 my son will graduate from college. With both of our kids done, my husband and I plan to celebrate them and their accomplishments—and ours as parents in getting them across the finish line—with an epic trip, soaking up our fleeting time together as a family-four unit, enjoying adventures, and making memories. So I suppose my goal or resolution for the new year is to stop and take it all in while it’s happening. RON BLOCK: I have great things to look forward to in 2026, so I am going to be intentional about treasuring and focusing on each individually, instead of worrying about might go wrong or what others think. The year starts with my oldest granddaughter starring as Miss Trunchbull in Matilda: the Musical at her performing arts high school. We are planning a weekend long celebration. Great way to get the year rolling! I also choose a focus word for a new year, and for 2026 it will be EMPATHY, something that is sorely lacking in our world and I want to seek it out, try to inspire it, and recognize and show gratitude when I witness it. Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for an ongoing series of roundtable discussions and personal essays by the Fab Four about their careers, writing processes, and all things book and publishing related! Coming Up on The Friends & Fiction Show
All shows can be watched on Facebook & YouTube each Wednesday evening at 7pm ET, and listened to on our podcast each Friday, all year long.WINTER 2026Brad Meltzer, The Viper Jayne Ann Krentz, The Shop on Hidden Lane Jesse Q. Sutanto, Read Between the Lies Paula McLain, Skylark Janie Chang, The Fourth Princess & Kate Quinn, The Astral Library Omid Scobie & Robin Benway, Royal Spin Terah Shelton Harris, Where the Wildflowers Grow Joshilyn Jackson, Missing Sister Lucy Score, Mistakes Were Made Virginia Evans, The Correspondent & Allen Levi, Theo of Golden F&F 2026 Subscription Box with Oxford Exchange
The 2026 FRIENDS AND FICTION Subscription Box is available for purchase now, exclusively from our friends at Oxford Exchange. This subscription includes three separate shipments: Get your subscription NOW from Oxford Exchange! Stay in Touch!Subscribe to our PODCAST. Upgrade to our PAID Subscription for bonus content from our hosts and guests.
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