PBS Books Readers Club celebrates the wrap of its second season with a highlight of our favorite author moments and books from 2025. The episode premieres on December 17th at 8pm EST as a PBS Books Facebook Live event, on the PBS Books YouTube channel, pbsbooks.org, and the PBS app.
As the PBS Books Readers Club closes out an incredible year, Fred, Lauren, Princess, and Heather look back on the stories, conversations, and unforgettable moments that defined our reading journey. From inspiring interviews and behind-the-scenes memories to moments that made us laugh, this episode celebrates the books that brought our community together.
From powerful tales of women breaking boundaries and shaping history—like The Women by Kristin Hannah and Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus—to laugh-out-loud favorites including The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman and Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding. We revisited the past through America’s First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie, uncovered family secrets in Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson, and found heart in Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt and We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes. We even got our Jane Austen fix with Gill Hornby’s Miss Austen, and were captivated by the spine-tingling mystery of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s The Bewitching.
After reminiscing on some of our favorite moments with these incredible authors, the hosts—Fred, Lauren, Princess, and Heather—share their own favorite books of the year, reflecting on the stories that inspired, delighted, and stayed with them throughout 2025. If you’re looking for your next read or maybe want to find the perfect gift for your book buddies, then this list is for you!
 About the Hosts
Heather-Marie Montilla
Heather-Marie Montilla, a dynamic integrative leader, is an educator and nonprofit manager. She has worked in the nonprofit sector and libraries for over two decades, making a positive impact in arts, cultural, educational, and community-building arenas.
Having joined the PBS Books team as their Library Bureau Chief in Fall 2018, Montilla is now the National Director of PBS Books and has interviewed more than 150 writers. In addition, she is a faculty member at Michigan State University and Eastern Michigan University for their Arts and Cultural/Entertainment Management Programs. Having been an Executive Director for 8 years, Heather has a wide range of experience in management, finance, strategic planning, marketing, and fundraising. Heather holds a MPA From Columbia University, a MLIS from Wayne State University, and a bachelor’s from Duke University. She lives in Chicagoland, and is married with four children, a dog, and a bird.
Lauren Smith
Executive Producer and host of national PBS programming at Detroit Public TV, Lauren develops content for PBS and other distributors of public media for broadcast, streaming, and other digital channels and has executive-produced and/or produced over 60 national broadcast and programs. Her passion is to develop inspiring, entertaining, and educational content alongside the best national and international talent, and to engage important content with communities across the country. Lauren loves to read and has worked to develop and produce PBS Books content for nearly ten years!
Princess Weekes
Princess Weekes is an award winning writer and video essayist who works at breaking down the intersections between race, gender, and pop culture. Formally an Assistant Editor at The Mary Sue, co-host of Netflix’s The Geeked Podcast, and co-host and co-writer on the PBS Digital Series It’s Lit. On weekends works as a bookseller at a local bookstore. When not reading or writing she can be found playing TTRPGs of cuddling with her cat, Lola.
Fred Nahhat
Fred Nahhat is an Emmy Award-winning producer, host, and presenter for Detroit’s PBS station, where he serves as Sr. VP of Production.
A 30-year broadcast veteran, Fred has hosted and produced numerous programs for Public TV – including music specials from Il Volo, Celtic Gold and the New Divas – as well as other series and specials “New Year’s Eve with the DSO”, “The Detroit Dream Cruise,” “The PBS Books Readers Club” and “Get Up, Get Out,” among others.
He is a graduate of Wayne State University and a member of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Michigan Chapter, USA Hockey, and Leadership Detroit.
