What to Read Next — Book Recommendations for Romance, Thrillers & Escape Reads

← What to Read Next — Book Recommendations for Romance, Thrillers & Escape Reads1. Aug. · 22 Min.

A Golden Girls Heist Novel with Julia London

A Golden Girls Heist Novel with Julia London1. Aug.22 Min.

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Four best friends, one Vegas casino, and absolutely nothing left to lose — meet the septuagenarian heist crew you didn't know you needed.

Bestselling author Julia London joins the show to talk about her genre-bending new release, Rules for Aging and Larceny, a commercial fiction romp about four 70-something women reuniting to pull off one last con — this time against a crypto scammer. Julia also shares four wide-ranging reading recommendations, from a quietly devastating Norwegian translation to the LitRPG series everyone's talking about.

📚 Books MentionedRules for Aging and Larceny by Julia London — Buy on Amazon | Commercial Fiction, Heist | Audio ✅ (narrated by Christina Moore)

Mrs. Bridge by Evan S. Connell — Buy on Amazon | Literary Fiction, Classic | Audio ✅

The Ferryman and His Wife by Frode Grytten (trans. Alison McCullough) — Buy on Amazon | Literary Fiction, Translated | Audio ✅

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman — Buy on Amazon | LitRPG, Sci-Fi/Fantasy | KU ✅/ Audio ✅ (highly praised narration)

Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley — Buy on Amazon | Commercial Fiction | Audio✅

⏱️ Timestamps[00:00] Welcome & intro[01:00] 29 years in publishing, starting in historical romance[02:00] The shift away from historical romance/mass market[03:00] Backlist entry points: dog-centric rom-coms & women's fiction[04:00] Elevator pitch: Rules for Aging and Larceny[05:00] The friend group, the original heist, and the fallout[06:00] The health diagnosis that brings the gang back together[07:00] Planning the casino heist — and why being "invisible" helps[08:00] Being underestimated as an older woman in public spaces[09:00] Julia's real-life stint as a white-collar crime investigator[10:00] Would you still have it? The book's central question[11:00] Recommendation: Mrs. Bridge by Evan S. Connell[12:00]–[13:00] Why Mrs. Bridge still feels relevant nearly 100 years later[14:00] Recommendation: The Ferryman and His Wife by Frode Grytten[15:00] Comparing Grytten to Fredrik Backman[16:00] Recommendation: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman[17:00]–[18:00] Why the audiobook and LitRPG genre have taken off[19:00] Recommendation: Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley[20:00] Where to find Julia online[21:00] Social media, content strategy, and closing thoughts

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