General Episodes

Friends & Fiction authors Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey, and Patti Callahan Henry join me to chat about celebrating their fifth anniversary. We discuss how the group formed originally, centering independent bookstores on their platform, impact of Friends & Fiction on their writing, how inclusive they are, how they handle disagreements, and more. Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page ⁠⁠2025 Winter Reading Guide⁠⁠ with 45 new titles vetted...

Kelly Hooker joins me for the March's Real Time Reading episode where we highlight our current, past and upcoming reads. Kelly’s Selections: Last: Slanting Towards the Sea by Lidija Hilje King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby Now: The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb This American Woman: A One-in-a Billion Memoir by Zarna Garg Next: The Midnight Estate by Kelly Rimmer The Other Side of Now by Paige Harbison DNFs or Didn't Like: Notes on Infinity by Austin Taylor The Marigold Cottage Murder Collecti...

In this episode, Kelly and I chat about our favorite books that published in January through March 2025. Our shared top reads: Dead Money by Jakob Kerr Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson Kelly’s remaining top reads: More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy The Favorites by Layne Fargo Dream State by Eric Puchner Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley The Snowbirds by Christina Clancey The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens The Moth...

Mary Webber O'Malley and Pamela Klinger-Horn join me to recommend their favorites reads of the second quarter of 2025. Pamela's selections: April: I See You've Called in Dead by John Kenney May: Speak to Me of Home by Jeanine Cummins Shop Girls by Jessica Anya Blau The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb It's a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough June: The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark Far and Away by Amy Poeppel Hazel Says No by Jessica Berger ...

Kelly Hooker joins me for the March's Real Time Reading episode where we highlight our current, past and upcoming reads. Kelly’s Selections: Last: Too Old for This by Samantha Downing The Correspondent by Virginia Evans Now: Notes on Infinity by Austin Taylor Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds by Allison Brennan Next: Slanting Towards the Sea by Lidija Hilje The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb DNFs or Didn't Like: The Compound by Aisling Rawle Book Mail Highlights: Everyone is Lying to You by ...

Kelly Hooker joins me for the February's Real Time Reading episode where we highlight our current, past and upcoming reads. Kelly’s Selections: Last: Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild Nesting by Roisin O’Donnell Now: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by Jessica Guerrieri The Names by Florence Knapp Next: What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown The Compound by Aisling Rawle DNFs or Didn't Like: None Book Mail Highlights: Home of the American Circus by Allison Larkin The Girls Who ...

Kelly Hooker joins me for the January's Real Time Reading episode where we highlight our current, past and upcoming reads. Kelly’s Selections: Last: Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine Penitence by Kristen Koval Now: The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom by Shari Franke Dream State by Eric Puchner Next: Our Last Resort by Clemence Michallon The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett DNFs or Didn't Like: The Antidote by Karen Russell Book Mail Highlights: Finding Grace ...

Kelly Hooker joins me for the December's Real Time Reading episode where we highlight our current, past and upcoming reads. Kelly’s Selections: Last: The Dollhouse Academy by Margarita Montimore Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney Now: Deep Cuts by Holly Blakely Bluebird Day by Megan Tady Next: Blood and the Badge: The Mafia, Two Killer Cops, and a Scandal That Shocked the Nation by Michael Cannell More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova DNFs or Didn't Like: The Fisherman’s Gift by Julia R. Kelly ...

Today, the Book Bumble podcast and Thoughts from a Page come together for a joint episode about books contain a strong sense of place. Featured Books: The Lost Man by Jane Harper (CB) Homecoming by Kate Morton (CB) The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer (LH) Celine by Peter Heller (LH) The Ancients by John Larison (LP) Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy (LP) Book In Hand: Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton (CB) Books Mentioned in This Episode: Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy Wild Dark ...

Mary Webber O'Malley and Pamela Klinger-Horn join me to recommend their favorites reads of the first quarter of 2025. Pamela's selections: January: The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova Too Soon by Betty Shamiah The Favorites by Layne Fargo February: A Long Time Gone by Joshua Moehling Tilda Is Visible by Jane Tara Isola by Allegra Goodman March: Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall The Story She Left Behind by Patt...

In this episode, Kelly Hooker and I discuss our top reads of 2024. Our Top Shared Reads: First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston We Used to Life Here by Marcus Kliewer Kelly’s Remaining Selections: Mercury by Amy Jo Burns Everyone but Myself by Julie Chavez Drinker of Ink by Shannon Castleton Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Trafficking by Jason De Leon How to Age Disgracefu...

Jayda Justus recommends books for gift giving this holiday. Her recommendations: Favorite Fiction: Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp by Michelle Moran What the Mountains Remember by Joy Callaway Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear Evelyne Redfern series by Julia Kelly Shogun by James Clavell The Turtle House by Amanda Churchill London or New York by Edward Rutherfurd A Woman of Intelligence by Karin Tanabe Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner Presidential ...

In this episode, Kelly and I chat about our favorite books that published in July through early October 2024. Our shared top reads: The Wedding People by Alison Espach We Solve Murders by Richard Osman The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman Kelly’s remaining top reads: The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne The Best Lies by David Ellis Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman The Axeman’s Carnival by Catherine Chidgey The Bor...

Kelly Hooker joins me for the November's Real Time Reading episode where we highlight our current, past and upcoming reads. Kelly’s Selections: Last: The Favorites by Layne Fargo A Very Bad Thing by J.T. Ellison Now: The Dollhouse Academy by Margarita Montimore The Dark Hours by Amy Jordan Next: The Fisherman’s Gift by Julia R. Kelly The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens DNFs or Didn't Like: The Garden by Nick Newman The Family Inside by Katie Garner Tilt by Emma Pate Book Mail Highlight...

For today’s episode, I am running a Chapters and Chats conversation with Chris Whitaker about All the Colors of the Dark. Chapters and Chats is run by Kelly of @kellyhook.readsbooks and Ivana of @beachesbooksnbubbles. You can contact either one of them to be added to their list for a particular chat. Check out their Instagram accounts to learn more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Kelly Hooker and I discuss our upcoming Literary Lookbook and our Summer Reading Guides and how they are different. Kelly’s Summer Reading Guide Preview Selections: All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker Same As It Ever Was by Clare Lombardo Cindy’s Summer Reading Guide Preview Selections: How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley Anna Bright Is Hiding Something by Susie Orman Schnall Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2024? Check out ou...

Mary Webbey O'Malley and Pamela Klinger-Horn join me to recommend their favorites reads of Spring and Summer 2024. Mary's selections: April Days of Wonder by Caroline Leavitt Somehow by Anne Lamott May Long Island by Colm Toibin Long After We Are Gone by Terah Shelton Harris The Klanman's Son by R. Derek Black June Bear by Julia Phillips Service by Sarah Gilmartin Swift River by Essie Chambers One-Star Romance by Laura Hankin All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whittaker July The Wedd...

For today’s episode, I am running an episode of one of my favorite podcasts, Book Bumble. This is their Episode 7 of Season 2 and focuses on the theme of surprises.

In lieu of my January Behind the Scenes episode, today I am running a joint episode with Victoria Wood, founder of Bibliolifestyle and The Reader’s Couch, and Amy Allen Clark, founder of MomAdvice.com and the Book Gang podcast. We are excited to be launching this collaboration for 2024.

In this episode, I reminisce about some of my favorite episodes of 2023: Amanda Peters about The Berry Pickers Hugh Howey about Wool Alice Hoffman about The Invisible Hour Pip Williams about The Bookbinder Bruce Borgos about The Bitter Past Elizabeth Passarella about It Was an Ugly Couch Anyway Rory Carroll about There Will Be Fire Rachel Beanland about The House Is on Fire Shelley Read about Go as a River Sadeqa Johnson about The House of Eve Want to know which new titles are publis...

In this episode, Kelly Hooker and I discuss our favorite books of 2023. Kelly’s Selections: Favorite Book of the Year: Go As a River by Shelley Read Best Book To Recommend to Anyone: The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise by Colleen Oakley Most Unique Premise: Shark Heart by Emily Habeck Most Likely to Feel like a Conversation with a Friend: It Was an Ugly Couch Anyway by Elizabeth Passarella Most Tense: The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michallon Best Time Travel Story: The Unmaking of June...

Mary and Pamela join me to discuss their recommended reads for Winter 2024. Mary’s Selections: Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar You Only Call When You're In Trouble by Stephen McCauley Mercury by Amy Jo Burns Family Family by Laurie Frankel The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett Splinters by Leslie Jamison Bunyan and Henry by Mark Cecil Say Hello To My Little Friend by Jennine Capo Crucet A Short Walk Through a Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke Pamela’s Selections: The Sto...

In this episode, Thoughts from a Page listeners share their favorite reads of 2023: Kristen Smith - The wishing Game by Meg Shaffer Karen McNamara - The Road to Dalton by Shannon Bowring Jayda Justus - After Anne: A Novel of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Life by Logan Steiner Cynthia - Shark Heart Mary O'Malley - The Book of More Delights by Ross Gay Sidra Jeffries - The House Is on Fire by Rachel Beanland Karen Naughton - Happiness Fall by Angie Kim Lynette Burnett- Varina Palladino's Jersey I...

Kristyn Kusek Lewis recommends books for gift giving this holiday.