Ep. #12 | 5 Genre Reader Types & Exactly Which Thrillers to Gift Them

Welcome to Unreliable Sources—a quick hit of mystery, murder, and mayhem. In this episode, thriller author Mike Donohue explores the slow death of mass market paperbacks, unpacks why certain books become overnight blockbusters, and celebrates the eclectic 2026 Tournament of Books shortlist that doesn't shy away from genre fiction.

He spotlights new releases perfect for winter reading, then dives deep into holiday book gifting—breaking down five distinct reader types and exactly which thrillers to gift each one. Because the best gifts show you know the person, not just the bestseller lists.

Books & topics mentioned:– ⁠Tournament of Books 2026 shortlist⁠ – ⁠The slow death of mass market paperbacks⁠ (Publishers Weekly)– ⁠Dungeon Crawler Carl phenomenon⁠: how books become blockbusters overnight (New York Times)– ⁠Why some books become blockbusters overnight⁠ (The Guardian)– ⁠Agatha Christie adaptation⁠ from The End of the F***ing World director

New releases:– ⁠The Red Scare⁠ by Con Lehane– ⁠The Quiet Mother⁠ by Arnaldur Indridason (Detective Konrad #3)– ⁠Cape Fever⁠ by Nadia Davids– ⁠Murder in Manhattan⁠ by Julie Mulhern

Holiday book gifting deep dive:Five reader types and their perfect matches—⁠The Purist⁠ (Tana French, Mick Herron), ⁠The Speed Reader⁠ (Freida McFadden, Riley Sager), ⁠The Sophisticate⁠ (Louise Penny, Kate Atkinson), ⁠The Genre Tourist⁠ (Richard Osman, Ruth Ware), ⁠The Collector⁠ (special editions, signed copies). Plus: matching books to moments and the secret weapon that makes any book gift personal.

What I'm reading/watching:⁠Black Summer⁠ (M.W. Craven), ⁠Nash Falls⁠ (David Baldacci), ⁠Pluribus⁠ (Vince Gilligan — Apple TV+), ⁠Knives Out 3: Wake Up Dead Man⁠ (Netflix)

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🌐 Learn more: ⁠https://mikedonohuebooks.com⁠

Until next time—stay sharp, follow the clues, and don't trust anyone who skips to the end.