Episodes

In this interview, I chat with Joanna Miller about The Eights , creating a strong sense of place, how she decided to write this book, her focus on the small details, including the Timeline, Glossary, and Author's Note at the end of the book, her covers and all of the meaning in them, incorporating eights throughout the book, and much more. Joanna's recommended read is Mere by Danielle Giles. Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page 2025 Winter Reading Guide with 45 new...

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 Gross Making Friends Can Be...

In this interview, I chat with Belinda Bauer about The Impossible Thing , the world of rare bird egg collecting, how hard it was to find information on this subject matter and why, how she characterizes the book, the title and cover, what surprised her the most when writing this one, and much more. Belinda's recommended reads are: There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafuk Tommy the Bruce by James Yorkston Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page 2025 Winter Reading Gu...

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 Jo Piazz...

In this interview, I chat with Elise Hooper about The Library of Lost Dollhouses , how she decided to write about dollhouses, her great-grandmother's dollhouse and what it has taught her, her focus on women lost to history, her research for this novel, connecting timelines together, her title and cover, and much more. Elise's recommended reads are: Tartufo by Kira Jane Buxton Storybook Ending by Moira McDonald California Dreamers by Amy Mason Doan Looking for some great winter reads? Check out m...

In this interview, I chat with Nicholas Binge about Dissolution , coming up with his stellar ending, his writing process, pursuing how memory works and what loss of memory can do, balancing the science fiction elements with storytelling, the love story at the heart of the book, his title and cover, and much more. Nick's recommended reads are: Playground by Richard Powers There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page 2025 Winter Read...

In this interview, I chat with Shara Moon about Let Us March On , highlighting an unsung heroine, her research, bringing Lizzie McDuffie to life, deciding what and what not top include, what surprised her the most when writing this one, and much more. Shara's recommended reads are: Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan Becoming by Michelle Obama Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page 2025 Winter Reading Guide with 45 new title...

In this interview, I chat with Patti Callahan Henry about The Story She Left Behind , the real life inspiration for this book, exploring how humans deal with the unknowing, digging up literary themes, including Beatrix Potter, how she determined who would tell the story, her title and cover, and much more. Patti's recommended reads are: Playworld by Adam Ross Go As a River by Shelley Read The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page 2025 Wi...

In this interview, I chat with Chloe Dalton about Raising Hare , why she decided to write this memoir, her relationship with Hare, how her habits and lifestyle changed as a result of this relationship, our interactions with wild animals, what she learned from these experiences, her working relationship with Angeline Jolie, and much more. Chloe's recommended reads are: The Women by Kristin Hannah The Future by Naomi Alderman The Glass Maker by Tracy Chevalier The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami Looki...

In this interview, I chat with Gillian McAllister about Famous Last Words , subverting the standard thriller tropes, her writing process and how she deletes her entire first draft after she writes it, setting a book in the publishing world, taking a hostage negotiation course, and much more. Gillian's recommended read is Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra. Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page 2025 Winter Reading Guide with 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide gr...

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 Grew Big...

In this interview, I chat with Penny Haw about Follow Me to Africa , how and why she decided to write about Mary Leakey, writing about a real person, drafting a dual timeline story, creating a fictional character to help tell Mary's story, a strong sense of place, and much more. Penny's recommended reads are: The Trial of Mrs. Rhinelander by Denny S. Bryce The Kennedy Girl by Julia Bryan Thomas Happy Is the One by Katie Allen Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page 20...

In this interview, I chat with Marianne Cronin about Eddie Winston Is Looking for Love , her interesting inspiration for the book, intergenerational friendships, writing her sophomore novel, what surprised her the most about writing this one, why she selected a charity shop for Eddie's job, Eddie's new wardrobe, and much more. Marianne's recommended reads are: Sandwich by Catherine Newman The Divorcees by Rowan Beaird Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page 2025 Winte...

In this interview, I chat with Callan Wink about Beartooth , his inspiration for this story, Hazen's name and how he chose it, Hazen's character, his process for writing this book, creating a strong sense of place, his thoughts on the title and cover, and much more. Callan's recommended reads are: The Things They Carrie d by Tim O'Brien Prayer for the Dying by Stewart O'Nan Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page 2025 Winter Reading...

In this interview, I chat with Jakob Kerr about Dead Money , his inspiration for this story, how his work in the tech industry informed this book, how thriller stories follow the money, his writing process, focusing on character development, and much more. Jakob's recommended reads are: Longmire by Craig Johnson What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall T he Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page 2025 Winter Reading Guide w...

In this interview, I chat with Renee Rosen about Let's Call Her Barbie , the story of how Barbie came to be, why Barbie looks like she does, what Renee couldn't include, the editing process, her title and cover, and much more. Renee's recommended reads are: The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn The Many Lives and Loves of Hazel Lavery by Lois Cahall Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page 2025 Winter Reading Guide with 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great ...

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 Kova l 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 by Lor...

In this interview, I chat with Tracey Lange about What Happened to the McCray's? , her personal inspiration for this story, reader response to her books, the book's release date, how guilt can overtake us, forgiveness, her title and cover, and much more. Tracey's recommended reads are: All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker Penitence by Kirstin Koval Such Kindness by Andre Dubus III Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page 2025 Winter Reading Guide with 45 new ti...

In this interview, I chat with Karissa Chen about Homeseeking , the interesting way she landed on the format for this book, her research, how the trauma of war impacts citizens, the way she handles language in this book, names and they can change over time in certain cultures, and much more. Karissa's recommended reads are: The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia by Juliet Grames We Lived on the Horizon by Erica Zwyler What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo The Sense of Wonder by Matthew Salesses Looking for...

In this interview, I chat with Fiona Davis about The Stolen Queen , how she came up with the ideas for this one, her research in Egypt and at the Metropolitan Museum of Art including the behind-the-scenes storage areas, focusing on women lost to history, her title's multiple meanings, her stunning cover, and much more. Fiona's recommended reads are: By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - ...

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 Book Mail...

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 Shore by Cha...

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 Patti Callahan...

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 Same as it Ev...