Episodes

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 Disgracefully by Clare Pooley Sa...

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 recommended reads are: The Good Part by Sophie Cousens The Wedding People by Alison Espach Emily's recommended reads are: Backslide by Nora Dahlia This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. ...

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 Jo Burns Bone Valley by Gilbert King Next: Good People by Patmeena Sabit Scavengers by Katherine Boland DNFs: Warning Signs by Tracy Sierra Book Mail highlights: The Astral Library by Kate Quinn Ruins by Lily Brooks-Dalton Cindy's Selections: Last: Yesteryear by Ca...

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 Lidija Hilje The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey The Killer Question by Janice Hallett Kelly’s remaining top reads: Guess Again by Charlie Donlea The Grand Paloma Resort by Cleyvis Natura Life & Death & Giants by Ron Rindo Everyone Is Lying to You by Jo Piazza D...

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 this one, and much more. Noelle's recommended reads are: Too Close to Home by Serafina Nova Glass We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter Dark Roads by Chevy Stevens Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠...

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 more. Pam's recommended reads are: Let's Call Her Barbie by Renee Rosen One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Venmo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Want to...

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 Megha Mujumdar November The Mad Wife by Meagan Church Family of Spies by Christine Kuehn The Dinner Party by Viola Van de Sandt Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino Next Time Will Be Our Turn by Jesse Q. Sutanto What Sheep Think About the Weather by Amelia Thomas Decem...

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 together, our relationship with technology, his research, and much more. Scott's recommended reads are: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver The Devil Reached Toward the Sky: An Oral History of the Making and Unleashing of the Atomic Bomb by Garrett M. Graff Thanks so mu...

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: Indian Country by Shoba Rao Warning Signs by Tracy Sierra Next: The Sunshine Man by Emma Stonex The Exes by Leodora Darlington DNFs or Didn't Like: Adrift by Will Dean Book Mail Highlights: The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave Skylark by Paula McLain Cindy's Sel...

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 travel, and much more. Janice's recommended reads are: The Vanishing Place by Zoe Rankin A Bad, Bad Place by Frances Crawford Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Venmo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

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 alternative world, and much more. Catherine's recommended reads are: Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood Haven by Emma Donoghue Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Ve...

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 left out of the historical record, what she wants readers to take away from this book, and much more. Judithe's recommended reads are: The Wedding People by Alison Espach Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey Judithe's Page Turners...

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 title and cover came to be, and much more. Eliana's recommended reads are: Nothing More of This Land by Joseph V. Lee Brotherless Night by V. V. Ganeshananthan Before the Mango Ripens by Afabwaje Kurian Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printa...

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 Tragedy of True Crime by John J. Lennon The Odds of You by Kate Dramis Next: The Mad Wife by Meagan Church A Good Animal by Sara Mauer DNFs or Didn't Like: Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei Book Mail Highlights: The Day I Lost You by Ruth Mancini Where the Wildflowers Grow by T...

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 secrets in fiction, and much more. Julie's recommended read is The Names by Florence Knapp. Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 18-page Summer Reading Guide ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for a tip of your choice or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for a set price here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ via credit...

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 realistic dialogue, her title and cover, and much more. Ally's recommended reads are: Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood All Superheroes Need PR by Elizabeth Stephens Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 18-page Summer Reading Guide ...

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 show, writing this memoir, her title, and much more. Martha's recommended reads are: Orbital by Samantha Harvey Clear by Carys Davies Enough is Enuf by Gabe Henry Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 18-page Summer Reading Guide ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

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 Things by Beck Dorey-Stein The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead Next: Cape Fever by Nadia Davids Westward Women by Alice Martin DNFs or Didn't Like: None Book Mail Highlights: Murder by the Book by Amie Schaumberg What We Can Know by Ian McKewan Cindy's Selection...

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 It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan Kelly’s remaining top reads: Abigail & Alexa save the Wedding by Lian Dolan The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalaluddin The Names by Florence Knapp The Summer We Ran by Audrey Ingram T...

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 Harvey Girls by Juliette Fay Ashes to Ashes by Thomas Maltman August Joy Moody Is Out of Time by Kerryn Mayne Just Another Dead Author by Katarina Bivald The Lies They Told by Ellen Marie Wiseman Destroy This House by Amanda Uhle September Life and Death and Giants by Ron Rin...

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 the world viewed conservation, how she learned about this story, finding a publisher for this tale, and much more. Nathalia's recommended reads are: Palace of Deception by Darrin Lunde On a Mission: The Smithsonian History of U.S. Women Astronauts by Valerie Neal ...

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 cover, and much more. Bruce's recommended reads are: Dream State by Eric Puchner Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte Trust by Hernan Diaz Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner Small Rain by Garth Greenwell Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 1...

In this interview, I chat with Lidija Hilje about ⁠⁠⁠Slanting Towards the Sea⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, writing about present day Croatia, her father's health and how it inspired this story, writing in her second language and why she chose to write the book in English, her title and cover, and much more. Lidija's recommended reads are: The Anthropologists by Aysegul Savas We Were the Universe by Kimberly King Parsons Joanna's Room by James Baldwin Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my p...

In this interview, I chat with Laura Wood about ⁠⁠Let's Make a Scene⁠⁠, the challenges she faced while writing her first dual timeline and dual POV book, her favorite tropes, her fascination with how fame impacts a person in today's world, referencing her favorite rom-coms in this one, giving cameos to the character from Under Your Spell, the title drama, and much more. Laura's recommended reads are: The Slowest Burn by Sarah Chamberlain Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood ...