TJ Klune on “We Burned So Bright,” Queer Love & His New Book, "The Stars Look Like Home"

#1 New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune joins Brian Larson on Shelf Care Society for a wide-ranging conversation about love, mortality, queer storytelling, and the books that stay with us.

TJ takes us inside “We Burned So Bright,” his moving novel about an older queer couple facing the end of the world, and the questions at its heart: How do we make a life matter? What do we owe the people we love? And when time is running out, what is actually worth holding onto?

They also talk about revisiting “Murmuration,” the evolution of TJ’s writing across his career, queer representation and responsibility, and the possibility of seeing more of his stories adapted for the screen. Then TJ previews “The Stars Look Like Home,” his forthcoming novel (available January 12, 2027) told from the perspective of a dog, and a story about grief, belonging, companionship, and finding your way home.

Plus: the books and writers that shaped TJ, what more than 40 books have taught him about being an author, and a lightning round that goes delightfully off course.

Come for the books. Stay for the conversation.

Follow Shelf Care Society on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and follow Brian at @Brian.Reads.