Episodes

Dec. 4, 2025

Jayda Justus - Gift Giving for the Holidays 2025

Jayda Justus of The History Mom recommends books for gift giving this holiday. Favorite Fiction: ● Nostalgic reading - The Star of Camp Greene by Joy Callaway ● Old favorites made new - The Gatsby Gambit by Claire A...

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Dec. 1, 2025

November's Real Time Reading

Kelly joins me for November's Real Time Reading episode where we discuss our current, past, and upcoming reads. Kelly's Selections: Last: One & Only by Maureen Goo Orbital by Samantha Harvey Now: The Whisper Man by Alex North...

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Nov. 11, 2025

Kelly Hooker - Our Top Reads of 2024 (originally aired 12/9/24)

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 bu...

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Nov. 3, 2025

Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding

In this interview, I chat with Emily Harding and Audrey Bellezza about ⁠ Anne of Avenue A , modernizing Persuasion, the publishing process, co-writing books, setting the book in New York City, and much more. Audrey's recommen...

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Oct. 30, 2025

Kelly Hooker - October's Real Time Reading

Kelly joins me for October's Real Time Reading episode where we discuss our current, past, and upcoming reads. Kelly's Selections: Last: The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow Dominion by Addie E. Citchens Now: Wait for Me by Amy ...

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Oct. 28, 2025

Kelly Hooker - Our Favorite Reads of July through September 2025

In this episode, Kelly and I chat about our favorite books that published in July through September 2025. Our shared top reads: Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild Culpability by Bruce Holsinger Slanting Towards the Sea by Li...

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Oct. 22, 2025

Noelle Ihli - ASK FOR ANDREA

In this interview, I chat with Noelle Ihli about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ask For Andrea⁠ , her inspiration for writing this one, BookTok, her prequel to Ask for Andrea, her ghostwriting career, the publishing process, the various covers for ...

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Oct. 16, 2025

Pamela Lamp - DO THE NEXT NEW THING

In this interview, I chat with Pamela Lamp about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Do the Next New Thing , how she came up with the ideas for her book, writing a book, how hard it can be to make friends as an adult, her blog Who I Met Today, and much ...

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Oct. 7, 2025

Mary Webber O'Malley and Pamela Klinger-Horn - Fourth Quarter 2025 Re…

Mary Webber O'Malley and Pamela Klinger-Horn join me to recommend their favorites reads of the third quarter of 2025. Mary’s Titles: October The Bog Queen by Anna North Heart the Lover by Lily King A Guardian and A Thief by M...

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Oct. 1, 2025

Scott Carson - DEPARTURE 37

In this interview, I chat with Scott Carson about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Departure 37 , categorizing this book, his pseudonym and how it came about, how the rhetoric around AI parallels that of the nuclear arms race, tying his timelines toge...

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Sept. 29, 2025

Kelly Hooker - September's Real Time Reading

Kelly Hooker joins me for the September's Real Time Reading episode where we highlight our current, past and upcoming reads. Kelly’s Selections: Last: A Guardian and a Thief by Megan Majumdar A Good Animal by Sara Mauer Now: ...

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Sept. 24, 2025

Janice Hallett - THE KILLER QUESTION

In this interview, I chat with Janice Hallett about The Killer Question , trivia quizzing, her writing process and how she approaches it, infusing humor into the story, the many discussions around the cover art, her love of t...

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Sept. 16, 2025

Catherine Chidgey - THE BOOK OF GUILT

In this interview, I chat with Catherine Chidgey about The Book of Guilt , how she came up with the ideas for this one, choosing who would tell the story, the hardest part of writing the book, her multiple covers, creating an...

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Sept. 10, 2025

Judithe Little - GLORIOUS RUINS

In this interview, I chat with Judithe Little about ⁠Glorious Ruins , why she wanted to tell Misia Sert's story, why she enjoys telling the stories of those who surrounded Coco Chanel, her research, how frequently women are l...

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Sept. 2, 2025

Eliana Ramage - TO THE MOON AND BACK

In this interview, I chat with Eliana Ramage about To the Moon and Back , writing about the Cherokee Nation and its history, setting a portion of the story in Oklahoma, her research, writing a family saga, Star Trek, how the ...

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Aug. 28, 2025

Kelly Hooker - August's Real Time Reading

Kelly Hooker joins me for the August's Real Time Reading episode where we highlight our current, past and upcoming reads. Kelly’s Selections: Last: The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey 59 Minutes by Holly Seddon Now: The Tr...

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Aug. 26, 2025

Julie Clark - THE GHOSTWRITER

In this interview, I chat with Julie Clark about The Ghostwriter , why she chose the 1970s setting, the sprayed edges on her book, why memory is at the heart of the story, how she handles the information reveals, trauma and s...

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Aug. 12, 2025

Ally Carter - THE BLONDE WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD

In this interview, I chat with Ally Carter about ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ ⁠The Blonde Who Came in From the Cold , how this is a companion novel versus a sequel, why light mysteries are having a moment, watching spy movies as research, writing r...

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Aug. 5, 2025

Martha Barnette - FRIENDS WITH WORDS

In this interview, I chat with Martha Barnette about Friends with Words , her interest in words and word origins, hosting A Way With Words, what a call-out show is and how it works, her favorite questions she is asked on her ...

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July 29, 2025

Kelly Hooker - July's Real Time Reading

Kelly Hooker joins me for July's Real Time Reading episode where we highlight our current, past and upcoming reads. Kelly’s Selections: Last: The Killer Question by Janice Hallett Heart the Lover by Lily King Now: Spectacular...

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July 28, 2025

Kelly Hooker - Our Favorites Reads from April through June 2025

In this episode, Kelly and I chat about our favorite books that published in April through June 2025. Our shared top reads: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans This American Woman by Zarna Garg My Friends by Fredrik Backman I...

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July 22, 2025

Mary Webber O'Malley and Pamela Klinger-Horn - Third Quarter 2025 Rec…

Mary Webber O'Malley and Pamela Klinger-Horn join me to recommend their favorites reads of the third quarter of 2025. Pamela's Selections: July A Marriage at Sea by Sophie Elmhirst Typewriter Beach by Meg Waite Clayton The Ha...

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July 15, 2025

Nathalia Holt - THE BEAST IN THE CLOUDS

In this interview, I chat with Nathalia Holt about ⁠The Beast in the Clouds⁠⁠ , how the panda bear was the large mammal unknown to science, the Roosevelt brothers' unlikely but successful excursion, how they changed the way t...

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July 11, 2025

Bruce Holsinger - CULPABILITY

In this interview, I chat with Bruce Holsinger about Culpability , ⁠ why his publishing date moved up by three months (now we know it's an Oprah pick!), the research he conducted for this one, P(doom) numbers, his stunning co...

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