Kelly Hooker - June's Real Time Reading

[00:00] Cindy: Welcome to Thoughts from a Page, a member of the Evergreen Podcasts Network, I'm Cindy Burnett and I am so glad you're here. I personally select and read every book featured on the show so I can bring you thoughtful spoiler free author interviews.

[00:24] Whether you're deciding what to read next or looking for deeper insight after finishing a book, you're in the right place. I hope these conversations will enrich your reading life. In addition to the podcast, I write a monthly column, Buzz Reads, featuring my top five picks for each month, which is linked in the Show Notes.

[00:39] If you're looking for the best books to read this summer, don't miss my summer reading guide. Also linked in the Show Notes. If you enjoy the show, rating and reviewing it on Apple or Spotify really helps new listeners find me.

[00:51] If you're looking to contribute to the show financially, you can support me on Patreon or with a one time contribution on PayPal, Venmo or buy me a coffee. It takes a long time to grow a show and I continue to find a larger audience thanks to you, my loyal listeners.

[01:05] I am so grateful.

[01:07] Today Kelly returns for June's Real Time Reading episode. These are some of my favorite episodes. It's really fun to chat with Kelly about what we've read recently, what we're currently reading, what's coming up soon, and often some books that didn't work well for us.

[01:19] I hope you enjoy our conversation.

[01:23] Welcome Kelly, how are you?

[01:25] Kelly: I am doing well, just settling into summer with the kids here. How about you?

[01:30] Cindy: The same. It's a different settling for me with the age of my kids, but just trying to get everybody where they need to be.

[01:37] They're starting their jobs or summer school or Caroline's coming to visit. She arrives today.

[01:42] So yes, just trying to get everybody settled.

[01:44] Kelly: Yes, yes. We're trying to do a pretty intentional morning routine with the boys,

[01:51] you know, doing some various activities that I've set out and just like using a timer for things just to help keep everybody regulated and organized. And Luke's actually been really loving

[02:01] that feels good for him and so it feels good for me too. So yeah, then once they're kind of settled for the day, then they can go crazy and go outside.

[02:08] But we're just kind of doing the same routine every morning and it's really helping.

[02:13] Cindy: I think that can be really difficult for kids that are either on the spectrum or just really prefer a schedule to have a wide open summer. So it sounds like you're handling it perfectly.

[02:22] Kelly: Yes. Well, even Ben, who's two he's like, what's his schedule? I'm like, okay, I got you, buddy.

[02:30] Cindy: That's hilarious. You're like, okay, one more person asking me,

[02:35] Well, I just had my first literary salon here in Richmond and it was so, so much fun. I was just thrilled to pieces.

[02:42] Kelly: Tell me more about how that went. I have had the pleasure of attending your salon in Houston. But for people who aren't familiar with the salon or maybe some new listeners, what can you tell us about the salon and why it's so special?

[02:57] Cindy: Absolutely. So in Houston, it was in the morning and that had been one of the things I was really struggling with here because we did that intentionally because at the time our kids were in middle school and high school.

[03:08] And you have so much happening in the late afternoon and evening when you have kids that age, sports, band, homework, there's just always something happening. So we did it in the morning.

[03:17] We did it 8:45 to 10:30. And people could stop by on their way to work or right after drop off and super casual, the authors mingle with everybody.

[03:27] And then I would interview the person for maybe 30 minutes and then we'd take a lot of questions. So that had worked great in Houston. And then in the summer we would do a night event.

[03:36] And so I thought I was going to do the same thing here, but the school timing is so different. Elementary does not start here till 9:30.

[03:43] And so I know it's crazy, so I thought I'm going to lose all these people if I moved it to 10 o' clock, then it doesn't work for the people going to work.

[03:51] So that was one of the things I had really been trying to figure out. But there are a lot of things at 5 and 5:30 here. So somebody suggested trying 5 to 7 on a Monday night because Mondays are usually quieter than other nights of the week.

[04:03] So that's what we did. And everybody seemed to really like that time. We had Prosecco and some hors d' oeuvres. And then it was Audrey Ingram about The Summer We Ran and people mingled for a little while, met each other if they didn't know each other, met Audrey, got their books signed,

[04:18] and then I interviewed her.

[04:19] There were tons of great questions. Again, that's always something that people really enjoy is being able to ask their questions and hear other people's questions. Sold a bunch more books and then it was done.

[04:28] It worked great. So I'm already working on setting up a couple more.

[04:32] Kelly: And the thing that makes the salon so unique is unlike an author event at a bookstore, the salon is set in somebody's home,

[04:43] which just makes for a really intimate setting. And it's so cool to be able to do something like that.

[04:50] Cindy: I agree. It definitely makes it feel much more personal and intimate and that worked really well. So it's at my home here and my friend Christine, who is my realtor and interior designer and also friend,

[05:01] is co-hosting with me, so she's kind of helping with all the behind the scenes stuff and the food and getting everybody settled. And I'm working on the author side of it.

[05:09] So, so far so good and we're going to keep it up. And I've got Bruce Holsinger already set for September 22nd, and I'm working on some others, so I'm really excited.

[05:18] Kelly: Fun. I'm so glad. That's great to hear that it's off the ground.

[05:23] Cindy: Yeah. So after taking all this time and going round and round about what I was gonna do, it's just nice to have that settled.

[05:29] Kelly: Definitely. That's wonderful.

[05:30] Cindy: Well, what have you been reading lately?

[05:33] Kelly: Okay, I just finished Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green, and this came out in March.

[05:43] This book is everywhere right now. It's got a 4.46 on 52,000 ratings on Goodreads and again, it's just been out for a few months. John Green is the author of the Fault in Our Stars and so I believe this is his second nonfiction book.

[05:59] It's a small book and so it's really easy to get through quickly. And I will say, even if you don't think, hmm, I'm really into tuberculosis,

[06:08] still consider picking this book up because it's about so much more than that. So after traveling to Sierra Leone and meeting a young man with TB, John Green becomes obsessed with learning more about the disease and how it continues to be the deadliest infection in the world, despite us having a cure

[06:29] for decades, he just kept saying the cure is not where the infection is. We cannot get the cure to some of these countries that don't have the same resources,

[06:41] really. TB speaks to the broader injustices in health care across the world. And John Green tells the story with such humanity and really engages the reader in a lot of convicting questions about why this is the case and what we can personally do.

[06:58] He also mentioned the discrepancy of when Covid hit and how it impacted people with resources.

[07:07] And so because of that, we've had vaccines and the virus under control really in a short time comparative to other you know, infections across the world,

[07:18] where TB,

[07:20] it typically impacts people of lower resources and in countries that do not have the same resources. And it's got this stigma to it. And so because of that there isn't the same urgency from the public to get these diseases cured.

[07:35] So it's really fascinating. It's a book club pick for like three different book clubs that I'm in. And so I killed three birds with one stone on this one. And that's Everything is TB:

[07:44] The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green.

[07:48] Cindy: And I listened to that one which he narrates, and I highly recommend doing that because I did feel like every once in a while he kind of got stuck in the weeds.

[07:55] And so listening to it while I was doing other stuff kind of helped move it along. But the other fascinating part of that book is how much tuberculosis has impacted so many aspects of our culture.

[08:06] The way people look and what people think about lighter skinned people versus darker skinned people. The late 1800s and that kind of waifish look and cowboy hats. I mean,

[08:16] so many things resulted from people being ill with tuberculosis, which I found fascinating.

[08:21] Kelly: Yes, like even New Mexico becoming a state.

[08:24] Cindy: Exactly.

[08:25] Kelly: Yeah.

[08:25] Cindy: So I think that the injustices and the way that poor people are having trouble being treated is obviously the most important part. But it was just really interesting to learn all of these other side facts as well.

[08:36] Kelly: Yeah, culturally.

[08:37] I did the audiobook as well, but I also grabbed a physical copy because I wanted one just to bring to the different book clubs I'm in. And there are different maps as well as some photos in there too.

[08:50] So if you can have the luxury to do both, there is, I think, something that you'll take from each format.

[08:55] Cindy: You know, that's a good point. And I find that sometimes in some of these nonfiction books that I listen to that I wish I also had the book so I could look through the photos and maps or whatever else is included.

[09:05] Kelly: Yeah, I doubled up.

[09:06] Cindy: Exactly.

[09:07] Kelly: Okay, what was your last read?

[09:09] Cindy: So my Last read was Mrs. Spy by MJ Robotham. And this comes out July 15th. Maggie Flynn isn't your typical 1960s mum. She's a spy, an unsuspecting operative for MI5, stalking London streets in a myriad of disguises.

[09:26] Widowed and balancing her clandestine career with raising a Beatles-mad teenage daughter, Maggie finds comfort and purpose in her profession, providing a connection to her late husband, whose own covert past only surfaced after his death.

[09:38] But Maggie's world spins out of control when a chance encounter with a mysterious Russian agent triggers a chilling detail that he knew her husband. And what's worse, the agent suspects someone on home soil betrayed him.

[09:51] I haven't seen this book anywhere. I grabbed it from Libro fm. I actually listened to it and the woman has the most delightful British accent.

[09:59] So it was a really fun listen and I thought it was a blast. I love all these lighter mysteries. We've had this conversation a number of times. This is definitely one of those.

[10:08] There's a lot of humor. She's younger than I am, but not too far from my age. So there's like parts of dealing with being a little older while she's still heading out.

[10:17] all over London, it's in the 1960s, so there's all this history,

[10:21] things that happened with MI5, people defecting. It's just, the Beatles being so popular. I mean, there was just so much to it that I absolutely loved. And it was a solid four star read for me.

[10:31] And that's Mrs. Spy by MJ Robotham.

[10:35] Kelly: That was the first thing I was gonna say is I haven't seen this one anywhere.

[10:38] Cindy: And it has a great cover. It's really fun. It's bright,

[10:42] kind of reflected, like almost mirrored. So, yes, I agree, it's a Bloomsbury book. I'm gonna reach out to them and see if I can get a copy of it. But I just thought it was really fun.

[10:51] Kelly: Good, I'm glad you enjoyed that.

[10:53] Cindy: Yeah. What else have you read?

[10:55] Kelly: I read an under the radar gem and it is called Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts by Josie Shapiro. Have you heard of this one?

[11:05] Cindy: I have not. I may look it up because sometimes when I see a cover, I'll be like, oh, yes, I do know that book. But the title's not ringing a bell.

[11:12] Kelly: Okay. A friend in my local book club found this book while perusing at Target and it was her turn to choose our book.

[11:20] And we rotate genres. And so this month's theme was something different. That was just kind of our loose genre. And you can interpret that how you want. And so she picked this book up, she saw it on the shelves, and I thought, huh, I've never seen this before.

[11:35] Never. The cover, which I feel like is rare because we are in the know about the books,

[11:41] but not this one. It came out in 2023 and the publisher is Allen and Unwin.

[11:47] It's the winner of the Allen and Unwin Commercial Fiction Prize. And it's a New Zealand author, so I don't know if this is a New Zealand publisher or what, but it's got a 4.2 on 5,000 ratings on Goodreads.

[12:00] So small, small amount of readers, but high ratings. This is really a stunning coming of age story that's set in New Zealand and it follows Mickey. And Mickey is the youngest daughter of three children.

[12:13] She's five feet tall, she's dyslexic, and she doesn't really fit into the expectations that her father has for her. We meet Mickey as a child and we watch her come into her own as she finds her power in a pair of running shoes.

[12:28] As a young athlete, Mickey really pushes herself to the limit and she is chasing success at great personal cost.

[12:37] She's constantly criticized from these male coaches about her weight and her race times, and she ends up putting an incredible amount of personal pressure on herself.

[12:46] Years later, she's grappling with grief and these unmet expectations for herself.

[12:51] She rediscovers running and herself.

[12:55] The story's told in two timelines. It's unique. We have one timeline set in the present day as she's running a marathon. And then the other timeline flashes back to her past and we can see just how she got to where she is right now.

[13:08] The story really gives us this deep insight into the mind of an athlete and the resilience it takes to rise and then fall and rise again.

[13:17] So even if you aren't a runner, like many people in my book club, there is still so much to discuss and it made for a great conversation.

[13:27] I read the book in print, but people loved the audiobook narration. My friends were raving about the Kiwi New Zealand accents and said that it was really poetic to listen to.

[13:39] So if you want something different,

[13:41] I would recommend picking up Everything Is Beautiful and Everything Hurts by Josie Shapiro.

[13:46] Cindy: There's just something about some of those accents, like the British accent, the New Zealand accent. It's funny.

[13:52] Kelly: Yes, it really is. And I think that it really added to their reading experience.

[13:57] It was available for them too, on Hoopla. I know everybody's library Hoopla access is different, but through our library system, Hoopla had it, even though our Libby did not. So if you've got Hoopla through your library, check it out.

[14:13] Cindy: Okay, that's good to know. I never do that audio wise.

[14:16] Kelly: Yeah, it's really hit or miss on there, but this one was a win.

[14:19] Cindy: Okay, good.

[14:20] My other book is one that is a recommendation from you. This American Woman: A One in a Billion Memoir by Zarna Garg. Growing up in India, everyone called Zarna so American just for reading the newspaper, having deep thoughts and talking back to anyone over the age of 30.

[14:36] When Zarna's dad tried to marry her off at age 14,

[14:39] Zarna fled the whole subcontinent for the glittering paradise of Akron, Ohio, where she got to become American for real. On Zarna's very American quest to find herself in her calling, she threw herself wholeheartedly into roles like dog bite lawyer, crazy perfectionist, stay at home mom, Indian matchmaker, prize winning screenwriter,

[14:57] and more. It wasn't until a dare led her to a standup comedy open mic night that Zarna finally found her spirit, getting paid cold hard cash job for her big fat mouth.

[15:09] And as Zarna discovered, after surviving the brutal streets of Mumbai, the cutthroat world of standup comedy is nothing.

[15:15] So you put this on my radar and I listened to it and Zarna narrates and I am so grateful because I absolutely loved it. I've been telling everyone I know to listen to it.

[15:24] Several people have already reported back that they've started it and how good it is. I am not a comedian lover person. Like, I just don't generally follow comedian stuff. Not my thing.

[15:34] But this is so much more than that. Her story is so interesting. She's an absolute hoot. I laughed and laughed, but I was also really touched by everything she went through and her drive and learning so much about the Indian community and the various Indian communities.

[15:50] I just thought all of it was fabulous. I highly, highly recommend it, especially on audio. It was a five star listen for sure. And the Goodreads reviews are glowing for this one as well.

[16:00] And that's This American Woman: A One in a Billion Memoir by Zarna Garg.

[16:04] Kelly: Yes. I'm so glad you picked this up. I found this on the Penguin Random House audio app and it looked intriguing and I absolutely loved it for all of the reasons that you said.

[16:15] I also am not a big comedian follower, I guess, but this was such a unique cultural perspective and it was funny. It was so funny.

[16:27] So I can't wait to see more readers pick this up because I do think it's got broad appeal.

[16:33] Cindy: I agree. And it's so funny in an authentic way.

[16:37] Not like I feel like some comedians are so stilted and there's just kind of this routine and she just has all of these hilarious lines that are thrown in at different intervals.

[16:45] And also because she's narrating, parts of the story for her were pretty traumatic, she chokes up. And I just thought it was very well done. And then at the end of the audiobook, her whole family each has a spot that they do.

[16:56] So her husband and her three children all come in and talk about what it was like for her to take off and have this career that kind of went from trying a million different things to finally landing on the thing that she felt was a good fit for her and then how quickly that that path rose for her.

[17:13] Kelly: Yes, and it wasn't until middle age that she was really discovering this about herself and chasing this dream. And I just love a good second act.

[17:22] Cindy: You and me both. Well, what are you currently reading?

[17:25] Kelly: Well, you mentioned it earlier. I'm reading Culpability by Bruce Holsinger and this comes out July 8th. I'm about 90% through this book and I need to go finish it asap.

[17:36] The book is about the Cassidy-Shaw family.

[17:40] They are driving in an autonomous minivan that collides with an oncoming car and it kills an elderly couple. And 17 year old Charlie is in the driver's seat with his father Noah riding shotgun.

[17:54] And then in the backseat, we've got tweens Alice and Izzy. And of course they're on their phones while their mom, Lorelai. She is a world leader in the field of artificial intelligence.

[18:03] She's absorbed in her work. Yet each family member harbors a secret implicating them all in the tragic accident. The publisher's blurb continues on, but I'm going to stop right there because I think that's all you need to know.

[18:17] I really like what Bruce Holsinger is doing here. He explores various forms of AI. Like we have chatbots and these autonomous cars and drones,

[18:28] as well as the theme of culpability and blame.

[18:31] So who takes responsibility for wrongdoing when the lines aren't so clear?

[18:35] I think that this is a question that is going to continue to be so prevalent.

[18:41] And I cannot wait to finish this. I think this would also be a great book club pick. That's Culpability by Bruce Holsinger.

[18:48] Cindy: That's going to be one of my top reads of the year. It is just phenomenal. My husband read it right after I did. He's like, oh my gosh, this book. And I feel like more and more people are saying the same thing.

[18:58] And I've already interviewed Bruce for the podcast and I'm so excited to also host him in September. But what I said to him is it's really the first book I've read that is wholly immersed in the world of AI.

[19:08] There have been all these like smart home stories and, you know, different things like that. But everything in this book,

[19:14] it has some way that is touched on by AI but then also you contrast that with the family and their connections to each other and the culpability angle and just all of it.

[19:24] It is so smart,

[19:26] so well done. And it was supposed to be publishing in October, and they just moved it up to July.

[19:32] And I asked him about it, and all he could say was his, you know, words that they okayed. We had a great marketing opportunity that we couldn't pass up, so I'm dying to see what it is.

[19:41] Kelly: Yes. What is the marketing opportunity? I must know. Yeah.

[19:44] Cindy: Yes, I agree. And it has a phenomenal cover that really encapsulates what the story's about.

[19:49] Kelly: It does. And it's a perfect summer read, I think. So I'm glad that they ended up moving it up because it's set, it seems like on the Chesapeake Bay in the summertime.

[19:58] And I think that it'll be a great summer read.

[20:01] Cindy: I agree with that. And he's a professor at University of Virginia, so also, I'm sure it works better for him to have the book coming out in the summer anyway, so he can tour and do all of that.

[20:09] Kelly: Oh, true.

[20:11] Cindy: So, yay. Well, I'm so glad you're loving it.

[20:12] Kelly: Yes. Well, what book are you reading now?

[20:15] Cindy: I'm reading Silver Elite by Dani Francis, a book no one's heard of.

[20:20] One of those under the radar gems. Ha ha, ha.

[20:22] So this book has been everywhere, but I'm going to still do my little synopsis here. Psychic gifts are a death sentence, and there are rules to survival. Trust no one, lie to everyone, and whatever you do, don't fall for your greatest enemy.

[20:35] Wren Darlington has spent her whole life in hiding, honing her psychic abilities and aiding the rebel uprising in small ways on the continent, which looks like from the map, it's the US. Being modified means certain death, and Wren is one of the most powerful mods in existence.

[20:50] When one careless mistake places her in the hands of the enemy and she's forced to join their elite training program,

[20:56] she's finally handed the perfect opportunity to strike a devastating blow from inside their ranks.

[21:02] So this is not a book I would have picked up on my own,

[21:04] but my book club here, the one that Sherri Puzey and I are in together, picked it, and we were so excited because there's been so much chatter about it. People don't know who the author is, but allegedly, it's a New York Times bestseller, so everybody's trying to uncover all of that.

[21:18] It's everywhere. It was a Book of the Month pick.

[21:20] So, so much chatter. And I just started it. I'm only maybe 40 pages in, but I'm really enjoying it so far. And that is Silver Elite by Danny Francis.

[21:29] Kelly: What I loved about this book is that it was very easy to just get into the story. There's not a lot of world building and so it just makes it more accessible, I think to readers that aren't typically drawn to elaborate fantasy plots.

[21:42] And so we were just in it. The dystoromantasy. Exact genre.

[21:48] Cindy: Exactly. That is apparently just, you know, taking off everywhere. Yes, I am finding it easier to get into than I found Conform. I ended up really liking Conform. It was a solid four star reading, but it took me a little bit to figure out exactly what was happening and who all these people were.

[22:03] And this one seems a lot more straightforward and I do think that map at the beginning helps so much because at least I can kind of place where they are and what they're talking about.

[22:11] So yeah, so far so good.

[22:13] Kelly: Great. I'm glad that you ended up picking this one up and I will be curious to hear what your book club thinks of it.

[22:19] Cindy: What else are you currently reading?

[22:21] Kelly: Well, I just started my fourth round of Battle of the Back Burners.

[22:28] So summer is my time for backlist reading and starting in August, September, I'll start prepping for my winter reading guide and then I move straight into summer reading guide prep.

[22:37] So I really focus on backlist in these next couple months. And a book that I've been meaning to read for ages is Project Hail Mary. And what I do with my back burners is I set up 16 books that I've been putting off for a long time and then I set them up into a March Madness style tournament bracket.

[22:56] And my rules are that I have to have a long book over 450 pages, which Project Hail Mary fits that bill. And then I can also swap out my books as I go along.

[23:06] I don't hold myself to those same 16,

[23:09] so I always make a prediction for my bracket winner and Project Hail Mary is my predicted winner because my longest book from my 16 book matchups has won in each of my three brackets so far and this will be the longest book in my fourth bracket.

[23:27] So I think that's interesting. So this is my predicted winner. It came out in 2021 and I didn't pick it up then because I thought it wouldn't be of interest to me because of the sciencey or space aspects And I'm terrified of space.

[23:40] I think you know this about me. Like, it makes my skin crawl thinking about it.

[23:43] Cindy: But then you read these space books, so that picks me up.

[23:46] Kelly: I know I'm a glutton for punishment. I know I just can't stay away.

[23:50] But I know that a lot of readers who said that they aren't typically drawn to books like this were raving about it, including my friend Ivana, who said the audio was incredible.

[24:00] So it's about a 16 hour audiobook. It's only available via Audible, which is kind of annoying. It's like an Amazon original or something recording. So you have to get it through Audible.

[24:10] But I just started this morning. I'm about 10% in and I'm already very, very captivated.

[24:15] That's Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.

[24:18] Cindy: That's interesting that you can only get it through Audible with such a popular book.

[24:22] Kelly: I know that was part of my reason that I hadn't picked it up so far is because I don't have an Audible subscription. But I just saw a deal and maybe you can still get it 

[24:32] If it's around. But it was three months for 99 cents a month and then you can cancel. So like, okay, $3, we'll try it.

[24:41] Cindy: Exactly. Three audiobooks. Yep.

[24:43] Kelly: Yep. So this was one you haven't read either, right?

[24:45] Cindy: That's right. And then have you published your bracket yet?

[24:49] Kelly: No, I haven't. Cause I keep switching my books out. I mess with it every day and swap a few in and out. But I'm going to finalize it. I think I've got my final stack set up.

[24:59] I'm going to finalize it, I think in a post Monday.

[25:01] Cindy: Okay, I was curious because I was thinking I have not seen that yet and I knew you were reading Project Hail Mary, but I want to see all 16 books. So I'm excited for that.

[25:10] Kelly: Yes, me too.

[25:11] Cindy: So I am reading the White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell, which comes out October 28th. The White Octopus Hotel follows Anna, an art valuer who is asked by an old man to value a strange ornamental white octopus as his dying wish.

[25:26] As she investigates, she follows its trail to the wreck of a glamorous art deco hotel once known for a collection of magical artifacts. Anna manages to track down a key, but when she uses it, she is transported through time to the White Octopus Hotel as it was during its heyday in the 1930s,

[25:43] and is caught up in a scavenger hunt. Here she will find the key to unlocking her family's mysterious past and a passionate love story with a young artist. So this is a little bit outside my wheelhouse, but I actually do really like stories about magic if they're handled in a certain way.

[25:59] And the way this one is done is each artifact provides some kind of magical connection to something, and I think that's clever. I love time travel,

[26:07] so I'm really excited about this one. Sherri Puzey, who I walk with pretty regularly here, had recommended it to me, said the rep was talking all about it being a very popular fall release.

[26:16] So I'm really enjoying it and I love the cover. And that is the White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell.

[26:22] Kelly: That sounds really sweet.

[26:24] Cindy: Yes, I'm excited. Apparently it's one of their big fall releases. It's Del Rey, so I'm excited.

[26:30] Kelly: Good. I'm glad about that.

[26:32] Cindy: Yeah. So what is up next for you?

[26:36] Kelly: It's another backlist book. It's called What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon, and it came out in 2019. So this is going to be part of my Battle of the Back Burners as well.

[26:46] This book has been sitting unread on my shelf, giving me the side eye for years.

[26:50] I have loved every book I've read of Amy Harmon's, and I'm excited about this one because historical fiction has been really hit or miss for me lately. Mostly miss.

[27:00] But this sounds like a book that is very transportive and perfect for summer and can kind of get me back into the historical fiction swing. So it's got a 4.36 on Goodreads with over a hundred thousand ratings, which is huge.

[27:13] The story is about Anne Gallagher, and she grew up enchanted by her grandfather’s stories of Ireland.

[27:19] Heartbroken at his death, she travels to his childhood home to spread his ashes.

[27:25] There she's really overcome with memories of the man she adored and consumed by a history she never knew. And she's pulled into another time. The Ireland of 1921, teetering on the edge of war, is a dangerous place in which to awaken.

[27:39] But there Anne finds herself hurt, disoriented, and under the care of Dr. Thomas Smith, guardian to a young boy who is oddly familiar.

[27:48] Mistaken for the boy's long missing mother, Anne adopts her identity, convinced the woman's disappearance is connected to her own. So I love a historical mystery. This sounds like a great page turner and we are heading out of town in a couple weeks to the beach and this sounds like a great one to pick up then.

[28:04] And that's What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon.

[28:07] Cindy: It's a time travel novel as well.

[28:09] Kelly: Yes, it is.

[28:11] Cindy: That's interesting. I've never read her before.

[28:13] Kelly: Oh, interesting. She has written a lot of books that I've really liked. The Outlaw Noble Salt,

[28:20] the Songbook of Benny Lament.

[28:22] She also wrote The Unknown Beloved, which is a great historical murder mystery mashup that is set in Cleveland and it follows Elliot Ness, who is a detective. It's set during the Great Depression, so she writes these historical fiction novels that are just very transportive.

[28:38] She also wrote Where the Lost Wander,

[28:41] which I have not yet read, which is about the Oregon Trail. And then From Sand and Ash, which is a World War II novel. And all of her books have crazy high ratings.

[28:49] Cindy: Okay. I love that it's time travel and you say very transportive.

[28:53] Kelly: Oh, yes, yes.

[28:54] Cindy: I was like, oh.

[28:56] Kelly: Literally transformative.

[28:57] Cindy: Yeah, yeah, exactly.

[28:59] Kelly: Okay, what are you reading next?

[29:02] Cindy: I'm really excited about this one. It's Anne of Avenue A by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding. And it also comes out October 28th. Eight years ago, Anne Elliot broke Freddie Wentworth's heart when she refused to give up her five year plan for the sake of adventure.

[29:16] But despite big dreams, Anne, now 30, is still living at home with hardly a plan in sight.

[29:21] She tries to be optimistic. She knows better than anyone that regret will get you nowhere. But that goes out the window when, thanks to her father's bad spending habits, her childhood apartment is rented out to the very man still living in her head, rent free.

[29:34] So this author duo writes modern day adaptations of Jane Austen books and they are very popular. I am so excited for this one because Persuasion is one of my favorite Jane Austen stories and so I can't wait to see what they do with it.

[29:47] Their last book was Elizabeth of East Hampton which tackled Pride and Prejudice and I interviewed them about it. They were so much fun. So I'm really excited about this one.

[29:55] And it's Anne of Avenue A by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Hardy.

[29:59] Kelly: That sounds like a perfect book for you.

[30:01] Cindy: It really does. You know, I'm not a huge romance reader. I love whatever I read. It's just not something I always gravitate toward. But I am such a fan of Jane Austen, so it's really fun to see what they do with it.

[30:11] And I just like them. They're a ton of fun.

[30:13] Kelly: That's great.

[30:14] Cindy: What else is up next for you?

[30:16] Kelly: Another historical fiction hopeful. It's called Buckeye by Patrick Ryan. And this comes out September 2nd,

[30:23] which is my birthday, so I'm hoping that's a good omen for this one. Anne Napolitano describes this book as wise and heartbreaking.

[30:31] A captivating epic that weaves the intimate lives of two Midwestern families across generations from World War II to the late 20th century. In a small Ohio town, a stolen moment of passion sparked in the exuberant aftermath of the Allied victory in Europe,

[30:46] binds Cal Jenkins, a man wounded not in war, but by his inability to serve in it. To Margaret Salt, a woman trying to obscure her past. And then we have Cal's wife, Becky.

[30:58] She's got a spiritual gift. She is a seer who can conjure the dead, helping families connect with those whom they've lost. And then we have Margaret's husband, Felix. He's serving on a Navy cargo ship.

[31:08] She will soon learn that he may have perished in a pre-dawn attack in the Philippine Sea. So as the country reconstructs in the post war boom, a secret grows in Ohio and in the small town with these families.

[31:20] But nothing stays buried forever in a small town. 25 years later, as another war convulses America, the consequences of that long ago encounter set into motion a series of events that will upend the next generation of both families as they head toward a new century.

[31:37] That was Buckeye by Patrick Ryan.

[31:40] Cindy: So the publisher has been hyping this one since even before 2025 began. And I have a digital copy, but I really want a physical copy, so I'm hoping one is on its way to me soon.

[31:50] I can't wait to read it. It's supposed to be phenomenal.

[31:53] Kelly: Yes. Even the publishers emails that they send out will say they're really hyping this book. And they'll say, is this the best book of 2025? And I'm like, I don't know, is it?

[32:03] I gotta find out.

[32:03] Cindy: And I'm like, do you really wanna put that on a book before a lot of people have read it? But that's okay.

[32:08] So yes. I mean, there is talk that this will be one of the top reads of the year. So I am really excited to read it.

[32:13] Kelly: Me too.

[32:15] Cindy: So the other book I'm reading is a backlist book and I'm laughing because last month I said I was going to read the Frozen River. I did not.

[32:23] Because I ended up getting behind on a bunch of stuff. I had some commitments and so I wasn't making it to that book club meeting. So I jettisoned reading the Frozen River.

[32:32] But that's okay. Eventually I'm sure I'll get to it. But this month I am definitely going to read the Secret History by Donna Tart. Another book that I feel like I'm one of the only people still left on the planet to not have read it.

[32:44] This is from the publisher. Truly deserving of the accolade, A modern classic, Donna Tartt's novel is a remarkable achievement, both compelling and elegant, dramatic and playful. Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries.

[33:07] But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality, their lives are changed profoundly and forever.

[33:12] And they discover how hard it can be to truly live and how easy it is to kill.

[33:17] So I am working on a feature for the Buzz magazines because I often write a second article for them every month now because the articles have been doing well. And so for August, they want stories set on a campus.

[33:27] And so I thought, this is kind of one of the most famous of all stories set on a campus, so I need to get it read. Plus, my best friend Amy was wanting to read it.

[33:34] She is the other person on the planet who has not read it, and so she and I are buddy reading it together. So I'm excited because as I said, I have not read it.

[33:41] And that is the Secret History by Donna Tartt.

[33:43] Kelly: I was just thinking about this book yesterday, actually, because I also haven't read it.

[33:48] Cindy: Oh.

[33:49] Kelly: But I am very behind on podcasts and I was just kind of catching up and I was listening to booktok, et cetera, and Hannah at Handpicked Books was doing her top reads of 2024,

[34:01] and this was one of her top reads of last year. And I really, really loved the way that she was describing the book. It had me very interested. So I will be eager to hear what you end up thinking about it too.

[34:14] Cindy: Okay, good. That's great to hear. I'm so glad because I've heard nothing but wonderful things about it. So I'm really excited to try it out.

[34:21] Kelly: Yeah, I think it's like the OG Dark academia novel, it sounds like.

[34:26] Cindy: Yeah, I think that's exactly right.

[34:27] Kelly: Yeah, it's kind of set the stage for a lot of what we're seeing, I think now.

[34:31] Cindy: Okay, so next up is this stuff that people are always asking me about what hasn't worked. Do you have any books that didn't work for you recently?

[34:38] Kelly: Yeah, I had one right at the end of my summer reading guide prep that I was really feeling good about, and then I didn't feel good about it anymore. It's Sunburned by Katherine Wood, and It comes out July 1st.

[34:50] I talked about this one on a previous show. This is a murder mystery that is set in St. Barth's, and it's about Audrey, and her ex Tyson calls, and he's going to expose these skeletons in her closet unless she helps him figure out who's blackmailing him.

[35:06] She does not want to go, but she can't refuse.

[35:10] And the scars from their relationship are very deep. But he's got this big tech company. He's a billionaire. And so she's like, well, I can't refuse. I'm going to go to this island.

[35:19] And then somebody's dead foot washes ashore in a Nike shoe.

[35:24] So the writing, I just didn't feel like it was very engaging. And then there were some interesting relations between some of the characters that just felt like a little bit raunchy and maybe unnecessary.

[35:39] And I was like, I don't know. This isn't really what I'm looking for when it comes to a summer read that for my guide that has, like, broad appeal.

[35:46] So I DNFed at like, 20%. And that's Sunburned by Katherine Wood.

[35:51] Cindy: Okay, that's interesting. I've seen that one, but I haven't read it.

[35:54] Kelly: Yeah, I wouldn't prioritize it.

[35:56] Cindy: Yeah. It doesn't sound like it's a Cindy book.

[35:58] Kelly: No. How about you?

[35:59] Cindy: So I had a couple that didn't work very well. The first is the Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards. It comes out in September. It's got a fabulous cover. I was definitely drawn to that.

[36:08] But I'm always looking for that next great thriller like The Last Flight,

[36:13] These Silent Woods. You know, there's that kind of next story,

[36:16] Wrong Place, Wrong Time.

[36:18] And so I wade through a lot of thrillers, though, actually, a lot of times you wade through them and then let me know they're either gonna be good or not good.

[36:24] But this one I did on my own, sadly. And so it is not the next great thriller, at least not for me. I didn't like his writing.

[36:31] The story was really predictable,

[36:33] super dramatic, like when it didn't need to be trying to kind of throw out all these red herrings. And it was very long,

[36:40] so I gave it two stars. Now, that doesn't mean that other people won't love it. I am picky with my thrillers, but I think there's a lot out there, and I just wouldn't waste my time with this one.

[36:48] And then the other one was Through An Open Window by Pamela Terry, which comes out in August. And I loved the first half of this one. Her writing was beautiful.

[36:56] The story was beautiful. But then I really didn't like the last

[37:01] third or so. I didn't like the way the story ended. There's this mystery, and I was uncomfortable with how it wrapped up, and I went on Goodreads after because I try not to do that till I'm done.

[37:10] And a number of reviewers were saying the very same thing, like it just didn't wrap up in a way that made sense or that made me very happy.

[37:17] So I gave that one three stars. But neither one of those were great fits for me.

[37:22] Kelly: I have been very curious about The Wasp Trap. It was one that stuck out to me when we were putting our literary lookbook together. And it looked great, but I don't know, maybe it's not for me.

[37:34] Cindy: The writing is not good. And just all these bringing six friends together that haven't seen each other in forever. I mean, how many more times can that be done?

[37:42] Kelly: I know, I know. I think that's maybe a little bit overdone lately.

[37:45] Cindy: And it was very convoluted.

[37:49] Kelly: Okay, shoot. Yeah, good try.

[37:51] Cindy: Yeah, exactly. Well, has anything come in the mail for you?

[37:54] Kelly: Yes, I'm very excited about Heart the Lover by Lily King, and it comes out October 7th. I'm not sure why I'm excited about this, because I've never read a book of hers before.

[38:04] I own Writers and Lovers, it's on my shelf, and it sounds like what I would love, but this book, I know it's going to be buzzy, and I can't stay away from a buzzy book.

[38:14] So in Heart the Lover, we follow three characters from the end of their college years through their mid-40s as they fall in and out of love and friendship with one another and others.

[38:25] Years later, unexpected news brings the past crashing into the present,

[38:30] and our main character, who is unnamed, returns to a world she left behind and must confront the decisions and deceptions of her younger self.

[38:39] So Heart the Lover is described as a deeply moving love story that celebrates literature, forgiveness, and the transformative bonds that shape our lives.

[38:49] I always love books that have themes of forgiveness, and I'm very intrigued about the unnamed narrator. I think that's a unique choice.

[38:59] And early reviews on NetGalley for this are incredible, and many say that they were surprised by the twists and turns and the direction that this book takes. So that is appealing to me.

[39:10] It did say in the description that there is a delightful connective thread to Writers and Lovers.

[39:19] So I'm intrigued about the delightful connective thread. And now I'm wondering, should I read Writers to Lovers first so I can pick up on the delightful connective thread, the Easter Egg?

[39:30] Yes. Yes. I don't know. So maybe now I have to go swap this book into my Battle of the Back Burner stack first.

[39:37] Cindy: Yeah, well, her books are always so buzzy and I've heard so many people talking about this one already. I can't wait to hear what you think.

[39:43] Kelly: Okay, I've decided I gotta go switch my backburners bracket. I'm gonna do that right after we get off the recording. I'm gonna go pop in Writers and Lovers.

[39:52] Cindy: Okay, good.

[39:53] Kelly: Okay. What book mail are you excited about?

[39:56] Cindy: Well, History Lessons by Zoe B. Walbrook, which comes out July 1, just arrived and I'm excited about it. As a newly minted junior professor, Daphne Overture spends her days giving lectures on French colonialism, working on her next academic book, and going on atrocious dates.

[40:11] Her small world suits her just fine until Sam Taylor dies. The rising star of Harrison University's anthropology department was never one of Daphne's favorites despite his popularity. But that doesn't prevent Sam's killer from believing Daphne has something that belonged to Sam.

[40:26] Something the killer will stop at nothing to get.

[40:29] So I've heard this one is really good. The reviews are great on Goodreads. There aren't a lot of them yet, so sometimes that can be deceiving,

[40:35] but it looks entertaining, sounds like a clever story,

[40:39] and I'm all here for all these light mysteries as I keep saying. So this is History Lessons by Zoe B. Walbrook. Comes out July 1st.

[40:46] Kelly: Oh, that sounds fun.

[40:47] Cindy: Yeah.

[40:48] Kelly: The next book that came in the mail that I'm excited about is a summer book is A Beautiful Family by Jennifer Trevelyan and it comes out June 24th.

[40:58] This is set over the course of one sun baked summer vacation and this family is pulled into a web of mysteries that the younger daughter sets out to solve in a tense page turning debut of childhood innocence and evil.

[41:13] So the story is set in New Zealand, which the book that I read for Book Club, Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts is also set in New Zealand and I loved spending time there so I am eager to go back.

[41:25] And this story is also told from the perspective of a 10 year old girl,

[41:30] so I think that's a fascinating choice. I really do like when there is a unique narrator. The book has really mixed early reviews and so I think that's an interesting type of book to pick up.

[41:44] We have some people that are in the three star range, but then there's a ton that are five stars. So I think it definitely just depends on what type of reader you are and how the book plays out.

[41:53] But I think I'm going to give it a try.

[41:55] Cindy: That's interesting. I'm going to have to look that one up to see whether I've seen it or not. I say this constantly right now, but it's amazing how many books are coming out this June.

[42:03] It's insane.

[42:04] Kelly: It is insane. That was a Beautiful Family by Jennifer Trevelyan.

[42:07] Cindy: I love New Zealand, so it's such a fun setting and a wonderful place to have books set.

[42:13] Kelly: Yes. Yes. Okay. What other bookmail are you excited about?

[42:17] Cindy: The other one that I'm really excited about is To the Moon and Back by Eliana Ramage. The pub date was moved to September 2 from October, which can mean a celeb pick potentially, so that would be exciting.

[42:28] Steph Harper is on the run. When she was 6, her mother, Hannah, fled an abusive husband with Steph and her younger sister Kayla in tow to Cherokee Nation, where she hoped they might finally belong.

[42:38] In response, Steph sets her sights as far away from Oklahoma as she can get,

[42:43] vowing that she will let nothing get in the way of pursuing the rigorous physical and academic training she knows she will need to be accepted by NASA and ultimately to go to the Moon.

[42:53] Spanning three decades and several continents, To the Moon and Back encompasses Steph's turbulent journey along with the multifaceted and intertwined lives of the three women closest to her.

[43:03] In her certainty that only her ambition can save her, she will stretch her bonds with each of these women to the point of breaking, at once betraying their love and generosity and forcing them to reconsider their own deepest desires.

[43:15] in her shadow. Told through an intricately woven tapestry of narrative, To the Moon and Back is an astounding and expansive novel of mothers and daughters, love and sacrifice, alienation and heartbreak, terror and wonder.

[43:27] I love space stories and I also love Native American stories, so I think that combining the two should be a very big hit for me. And that is To the Moon and Back by Eliana Ramage.

[43:37] It comes out September 2nd.

[43:38] Kelly: Yes, I remember seeing that when we put our lookbook together, too. And it looks really good.

[43:42] Cindy: It does. And it's got a great cover, so I'm excited for that one.

[43:45] Kelly: Yes.

[43:46] Cindy: Well, do you have any book news? I really don't. I already talked about mine up front.

[43:50] Kelly: Well, I've got two Chapters and Chats author discussions coming up. So if you want to join for book club and hear from the author, we have The Correspondent with Virginia Evans on June 19th.

[44:03] And then on July 8th we have The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff. And then coming up later this month we have Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild and then Slanting Towards the Sea by Lidija Hilje.

[44:17] And I am super excited for these books. So many debuts from lovely ladies and I just cannot wait.

[44:25] Cindy: All wonderful books and all really different. So that's fun.

[44:28] Kelly: Yeah, I think so too. So if you want to join, feel free to message me or email me kellyhook.readsbooks@gmail.com and I'll get you plugged in.

[44:37] Cindy: I just interviewed Lidija recently about Slanting Towards the Sea and just adored her. She was so lovely.

[44:43] Kelly: Yes, she is so great. And I'm excited to hear our discussion with her because Ivana, my co host for Chapters and Chats, is from Croatia and so she shares that kind of personal bond with Lidija.

[44:58] Cindy: Absolutely. And it was really interesting because we just went to Croatia last summer, so it was really fun to talk with her about all of that and how close to the sea so much of Croatia is,

[45:06] how it's part of their identity. It was really interesting. So yeah, it'll be fun to hear her chat about that.

[45:10] Kelly: Oh, I can't wait to listen to your interview.

[45:13] Cindy: Yeah. And I can't wait to participate in the chat. That'll be awesome.

[45:16] Kelly: Yes, it will be great.

[45:17] Cindy: Yep. Well, thank you as always, Kelly. These conversations are so fun and I add books to my list every time.

[45:23] Kelly: Yes, thanks for chatting. I am so happy to be here every time.

[45:26] Cindy: I agree.

[45:29] Thank you so much for listening to my podcast. I would love to connect with you on Instagram or Facebook where you can find me at Thoughts from a Page. If you enjoy the show and have a moment to rate it or subscribe to it wherever you listen to your podcasts,

[45:41] I would really appreciate it.

[45:43] It makes a huge difference.

[45:45] And please tell all of your friends about Thoughts from a Page. Word of mouth does wonders to help the show grow.

[45:50] I hope you'll tune in next time.