Check This Out ventures into an entirely new genre for the show!
Host Rachel Barenbaum is a long-time fan of "romantasy" and is eager to bring it the respect she thinks it deserves.
Jennifer Armentrout, who is publishing her sixth book in the Blood and Ash series, "The Primal of Blood and Bone," is a "romantasy" phenomenon. She's sold almost a million copies of the books in this series and she's done it without a traditional publisher.
We discuss the series, how fast she writes, and how she keeps track of the details in her fantasy world.
With over 70 titles to her name, she has a unique view on the role of BookTok, the publishing industry, and how it's changing.
What is "romantasy"? It's a mashup of romance and fantasy that is selling like crazy. Twenty percent of best sellers are romantic titles. Sales are well north of 600 million in 2024, and they are growing fast, leading growth for the entire publishing industry.
Read the novel with your book club! Each episode of Check This Out includes downloadable discussion prompts to spark conversations with your book club.
Check this Out features lively conversations with up and coming authors you may not have discovered yet. Check This Out is proud to partner with The PEN/Faulkner Foundation to champion new voices in literature.
