My 2025 Summer Reading Guide is out! It is an 18-page printable document that contains over 60 reading recommendations including books from spring and summer 2025 as well mystery series recommendations, fiction/nonfiction pairings, fall 2025 titles that I love, backlist titles, and some fall most anticipated reads. I have read every page of over 90 books and sampled at least 40 more to find the ones that really resonated with me and that I can personally recommend. Please fill out this form to indicate which form of payment (a tip in the amount of your choosing), and I will send it to you!

Episodes

Nov. 18, 2024

Kelly Hooker - November's Real Time Reading

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 Doll...

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Nov. 12, 2024

Sy Montgomery - WHAT THE CHICKEN KNOWS

In this interview, I chat with Sy Montgomery about What the Chicken Knows , her title and cover, why she loves chickens so much, what she wants her readers to take away from this book, how each flock has its own vibe, and muc...

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Nov. 11, 2024

Marissa Stapley - THE LIGHTNING BOTTLES

In this interview, I chat with Marissa Stapley about The Lightning Bottles , her musical muses for Jane and Elijah, including a road trip component in her story, how she approached writing about the drug use of the era, deter...

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Oct. 30, 2024

Podcast Takeover - Chapters and Chats with Chris Whitaker

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 ca...

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Oct. 22, 2024

Kirsty Greenwood - THE LOVE OF MY AFTERLIFE

In this interview, I chat with Kirsty Greenwood about The Love of My Afterlife , how popular the romance genre currently is, romance tropes and including them in her book, her favorite trope, her U.S. and U.K. covers, being s...

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Oct. 15, 2024

Lynda Cohen Loigman - THE LOVE ELIXIR OF AUGUSTA STERN

In this interview, I chat with Lynda Cohen Loigman about The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern , the familial inspirations for this book, her title and stunning cover, including humor into the narrative, how hard she worked to get...

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Oct. 14, 2024

Kelly Hooker - October's Real Time Reading

Kelly Hooker joins me for the October's Real Time Reading episode where we highlight our current, past and upcoming reads. Kelly’s Selections: Last: Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister ...

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Oct. 2, 2024

Mary Webber O'Malley and Pamela Klinger Horn - Fall 2024 Recommended …

Mary Webbey O'Malley and Pamela Klinger-Horn join me to recommend their favorites reads of Fall 2024. Mary's selections: Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte Eden Undone by Abbott Kahler The Love Elixir...

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Oct. 1, 2024

Kimberly Brock - THE FABLED EARTH

In this interview, I chat with Kimberly Brock about The Fabled Earth , how she decided to write about Cumberland Island and how she created her characters, building a strong sense of place, looking back on history through a 2...

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Aug. 27, 2024

Kelly Hooker - Our Favorite Books of April - June 2024

In this episode, Kelly and I chat about our favorite books that published in April through June 2024. Our shared top reads: How To Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley Long Time Gone by Charlie Donlea Kelly’s remaining top reads...

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Aug. 26, 2024

Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding - ELIZABETH OF EAST HAMPTON

In this interview, I chat with Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding about Elizabeth of East Hampton , how they decided to write together, modernizing Jane Austen and the pressure of updating such an iconic author's works, how wr...

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Aug. 25, 2024

Gill Paul - SCANDALOUS WOMEN

In this interview, I chat with Gill Paul about Scandalous Women , how she decided to write about these two women and why she paired them together, what surprised her the most when writing this one, her fascinating research, t...

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Aug. 25, 2024

Alison Espach - THE WEDDING PEOPLE

In this interview, I chat with Alison Espach about The Wedding People , her title and cover, the inspiration for this novel, the role a "stranger" plays in a story, the hardest thing about writing the book, and much more. Ali...

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July 24, 2024

Jennifer Mathieu - THE FACULTY LOUNGE

In this interview, I chat with Jennifer Mathieu about The Faculty Lounge , how she began writing this book, writing an adult novel versus a YA book and how the two differ, weaving the characters together, what surprised her t...

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July 18, 2024

Flynn Berry - TRUST HER

In this interview, I chat with Flynn Berry about Trust Her , why she returned to writing about Tessa and Marian, creating such a strong sense of place, focusing on motherhood, her title and cover, her writing process, Norther...

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July 13, 2024

Laura Wood - UNDER YOUR SPELL

In this interview, I chat with Laura Wood about Under Your Spell , writing an adult novel, how she wrote this one, her title and cover, how writing adult novels varies from Young Adult and children's books, her title and cove...

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July 5, 2024

Kristy Woodson Harvey- A HAPPIER LIFE

In this interview, I chat with Kristy Woodson Harvey about A Happier Life , her title and cover, why this is a very personal story for her, tackling a dual timeline story, unearthing her feelings about traditions, her next bo...

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June 27, 2024

Julie Satow - WHEN WOMEN RAN FIFTH AVENUE

In this interview, I chat with Julie Satow about When Women Ran Fifth Avenue , deciding to write about these women, her research, getting the cover right, how her title came about, and much more. Julie's recommended reads are...

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June 18, 2024

Laura Hankin - ONE-STAR ROMANCE

In this interview, I chat with Laura Hankin about One-Star Romance , setting the book over a longer period of time than most rom-coms, the publishing world as a backdrop, writing a rom-com versus women's fiction, and much mor...

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June 13, 2024

Clare Pooley - HOW TO AGE DISGRACEFULLY

In this interview, I chat with Clare Pooley about How to Age Disgracefully , including a memorable dog in this book, how readers do not like dogs to die in books, Iona Iverson's various covers and titles, the easiest and hard...

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June 7, 2024

Susie Orman Schnall - ANNA BRIGHT IS HIDING SOMETHING

In this interview, I chat with Susie Orman Schnall about Anna Bright Is Hiding Something , how her marketing background helps her as an author, the research she conducted for this one, the Elizabeth Holmes effect, how she dec...

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June 4, 2024

Annabel Monaghan - SUMMER ROMANCE

In this interview, I chat with Annabel Monaghan about Summer Romance , the term "hard pants", exploring grief as well as what it means to be a mother, multi-tasking, skateboarding, her book title, and much more. Annabel's rec...

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May 28, 2024

Ann Leary - I'VE TRIED BEING NICE

In this interview, I chat with Ann Leary about I've Tried Being Nice , why she decided to write this essay collection, how she is trying to no longer be a people pleaser, how hard it can be to get along with people as an intr...

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May 22, 2024

Susan Elia MacNeal - THE LAST HOPE

In this interview, I chat with Susan Elia MacNeal about The Last Hope , ending the series, what she plans to do next, how this installment is based on actual events, including Coco Chanel and Kim Philby, the title of the book...

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