The sequel she swore she’d never write: Liane Moriarty’s ‘Big Little Truths’ is a triumph.

On this episode of Fully Booked, Liane Moriarty joins us to discuss Big Little Truths(Crown, Aug. 25). This is the wildly anticipated sequel to 2014’s Big Little Lies—the novel that made Moriarty the first Australian author to debut at No. 1 on The New York Times bestseller list and became a hit HBO series starring Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern, Meryl Streep, and Zoë Kravitz.

“Ten years later, the friends from Big Little Lies have new headaches, traumas, and secrets,” Kirkus writes in a starred review of Big Little Truths, which is set to become Season 3 of the series. However, our critic cautions, “Don’t wait for the TV series—Moriarty’s sparkling writing is worth the read.”  

Here’s a bit more from our review: “Moriarty has reclaimed her girl group after their HBO-funded joyride in Monterey, California, with a sequel that returns them to Australia’s Pirriwee Peninsula. She writes this in a brief author’s note that also suggests the new book can be read independently of either the first or the series, which is not wrong, but it certainly helps to come in with a clear mental directory of this large cast and their complicated relationships.…As the novel opens, a bizarre incident occurs in the principal’s office at the local high school.…There’s no shortage of plot, but Moriarty’s real gift is for witty dialogue and relatable characters. Once you get them straight, you’ll follow them anywhere.”

Moriarty is the author of the No. 1 New York Times bestsellers Apples Never Fall, The Husband’s Secret,Truly Madly Guilty, and Here One Moment; the New York Times bestsellers Nine Perfect Strangers, What Alice Forgot, and The Last Anniversary; The Hypnotist’s Love Story; and Three Wishes. She lives in Sydney, Australia, with her husband and two children.

In an unforgettable conversation, Moriarty shares her evolution from an author who said she’d never write a sequel to…well, maybe just the one. We discuss the unique ways the hit series influenced the new novel, moral ambiguity, friendship, book launches, and much more.

At the end of our interview, Moriarty and I discuss her plans to launch the novel at a famous venue in Sydney. Follow @kirkus_reviews on Instagram, DM us the name of that , along with your email and location, and you’ll be entered in a drawing to receive a $100 Visa gift card, courtesy of Kirkus. The giveaway is open to legal residents of the U.S. who have reached 18 years of age or older at the time of entry.

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Fully Booked is produced by Jessica Lockhart and Megan Labrise.