In this week’s episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, author Liz Alterman discusses her new book, The Perfect Neighborhood. This domestic suspense novel takes place in an idyllic suburban town where a little boy goes missing. The event shakes the very foundation of the town, because until that moment everyone assumed they were safe, that the terrors of the rest of the country couldn’t touch them in their neighborhood. So, what happens to the neighborhood when crisis hits? Liz explores the question of what motivates people to help others. Is it truly goodwill, a need for self-validation, or simply a desire to have a front row seat to someone else’s sorrow. The novel is told from multiple points of view, including the mother of the missing boy, the boy’s teenage babysitter, and a former actress who resists assimilating. All of these characters are on the outside of what is perceived to be the neighborhood’s inner circle. But as they—and Liz’s readers—will find out, no one’s life is as perfect as it seems. In this episode, I’ll chat with Liz about her writing journey, a couple of her other books (including a young adult thriller and a memoir), and why she enjoys writing in different genres.

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In this week’s episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, author Lane Igoudin discusses his new memoir, A Family, Maybe: Two Dads, Two Babies and the Court Cases that Brought Us Together. In this book, Lane details the challenges—legal, political, and personal—that he and his partner Jonathan faced in the early 2000s while trying to adopt their two foster children through the Los Angeles County child welfare system. The process took three years and was fraught with much stress, numerous court delays, and plenty of heartache. Along that journey, Lane amassed a vast collection of paperwork and court orders, hundreds of emails, and a diary detailing his family’s everyday experiences and struggles. Four years passed before Lane was able to open the boxes and look at the documents he’d collected, and it took him eight years to produce a draft of the story. Writing it was a painful process but a rewarding one. A Family, Maybe is a story about building a family and discovering what it means to be a father. But ultimately, it is a story about love. In this episode, I’ll chat with Lane about his writing journey, how his and Jonathan’s relationship and their racial and ethnic backgrounds affected the adoption process, and the support they received from unexpected places.

The Bookshop at the End of the Internet is also available on Apple Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and YouTube. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode!​​