Category: Reading Life

Ep. 145: Julia Kelly on Telling the Heart Wrenching Story of England’s Evacuated Children in World War II

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Julia Kelly is back on the podcast to discuss The Lost English Girl, an epic saga of love, motherhood, and betrayal during World War II that tells the story of the evacuation of English children to the countryside.

 

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“Readers will fall in love with unassuming Viv in particular; when faced with heartbreaking events, she exhibits incredible courage. This will hook readers from the first page.” —Publishers Weekly starred review

 

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

 

About the Author:

Julia Kelly is the international bestselling author of historical fiction and historical mystery novels about the extraordinary stories of the past. Her books have been translated into 13 languages. In addition to writing, she’s been an Emmy-nominated producer, journalist, marketing professional, and (for one summer) a tea waitress. Julia called Los Angeles, Iowa, and New York City home before settling in London.

 

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

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Links:

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Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep. 144: Suzanne Park on The Do Over and Second Chances in Love and Life

Posted in Reading Life, Romance, WritingTagged , 1 Comment

Today Suzanne Park is back on the podcast to discuss The Do Over,  a delightfully warm, hopeful story about a Korean-American woman having to return to college after discovering she’s a few credits shy of completing her degree—only to find one of her TAs is her old college boyfriend.

 

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“A fantastic, empowering second chance romance that combines wit and charm with an always insightful commentary on imposter syndrome, anxiety, and the challenge of finding ourselves. Suzanne Park wrote a true gem!” – Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author

 

 

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

 

About the Author:

Suzanne Park is a Korean American writer who was born and raised in Tennessee.

In her former life as a stand-up comedian, Suzanne appeared on BET, was the winner of the Seattle Sierra Mist Comedy Competition, and was a semi-finalist in NBC’s “Stand Up For Diversity” showcase.

Suzanne graduated from Columbia University and received an MBA Degree from UCLA. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, female offspring, and a sneaky rat that creeps around on her back patio. In her spare time, she procrastinates. Her novels have been featured in “best of” lists in NPR, Popsugar, Real Simple, Country Living, Bustle, Buzzfeed, Marie Claire, Parade, Shondaland and The Today Show. Learn more: https://www.suzannepark.com

 

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

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Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep. 142: Eleanor Shearer on Bringing the 19th Century  Caribbean to Life and Exploring What It Means to Be Free

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Eleanor Shearer is here to discuss her debut novel, River Sing Me Home, a beautiful, page-turning and redemptive story of a mother’s gripping journey across the Caribbean to find her stolen children in the aftermath of slavery.

We discuss the power of historical novels to teach and bring lesser known periods of history to life and how she explores through her writing what it means to be free and finding love and joy in the darkest times.

River Sing Me Home is a Good Morning America Book Club pick and was  named a Most Anticipated Book of 2023 by Real Simple, Goodreads, BookBub,  BookRiot and more.

 

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“A stunning debut with poetic language and real characters that lock themselves in your heart. Full of emotion and sheer determination, River Sing Me Home is a fine example of the will and strength of the Black women who fought and clawed themselves and their loved one from the evil clutches of slavery. We stand on their shoulders and this book honors them all.” –Sadeqa Johnson, New York Times bestselling author of The House of Eve

 

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

 

About the Author:

Eleanor Shearer is a mixed-race writer and the granddaughter of Windrush generation immigrants. She splits her time between London and Ramsgate on the English coast so that she never has to go too long without seeing the sea. For her Master’s degree in Politics at the University of Oxford, Eleanor studied the legacy of slavery and the case for reparations, and her fieldwork in St. Lucia and Barbados helped inspire River Sing Me Home.  Learn more: https://www.eleanorshearer.com

 

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

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Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep. 141 Tori Whitaker Takes Us Into a World of Flappers, Bourbon, and Antique Cars

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Tori Whitaker is back on the podcast this week to discuss A Matter of Happiness, a bittersweet novel about family, hard truths, and self-discovery in which a cherished heirloom opens up a century of secrets.

We discussed how she went about researching this time period, ways her writing process has changed after two books, drawing on her own life for literary inspiration, and much more.

 

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“A thrill of a ride and a beautiful read. Violet and Melanie are connected across generations by blood, bourbon, cars, and a great need for independence. Tori Whitaker unfolds the narrative with a deep sense of history imbuing every sensational page, weaving the women’s stories until the inspiring conclusion. This is a compelling story of women who understand that we can choose our happiness and we can choose our lives. Whitaker crafts a riveting read about strength, fate, and choice that you will not want to put down until the very last page.” —Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Surviving Savanna

 

 

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

 

About the Author:

Tori Whitaker is the bestselling author of Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish and A Matter of Happiness. She belongs to the Bourbon Women Association and the Historical Novel Society. Her work has appeared in the Historical Novels Review and Bookmarks magazine. Tori graduated from Indiana University, is an alum of the Yale Writers’ Workshop, and is recently retired from a national law firm where she served as chief marketing officer. She spent a decade in Detroit because of her husband’s career in the automotive industry. The two now reside near their children outside Atlanta and have been married for forty-five happy years. Connect with Tori through www.toriwhitaker.com.

 

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

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Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep. 140: Get the Scoop on “Read With Jenna” Pick – Black Candle Women with Diane Marie Brown

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Today my guest is Diane Marie Brown, author of Black Candle Women, a warm and wry family drama with a magical twist about four generations of Black women living under one roof and the family curse that stems back to a Voodoo shop in 1950s New Orleans.

 

We discuss the winding road to debut novel including finding an agent, research, ways to connect with other new authors, and much more.

 

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“Propulsive and poignant, Black Candle Women concocts an intoxicating potion of warmth, wisdom, and wonder.” -Ava DuVernay

 

 

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

 

About the Author:

Diane Marie Brown is a professor at Orange Coast College and a public health professional for the Long Beach Health Department. She has a BA and MPH from UCLA and a degree in fiction from USC’s Master of Professional Writing Program. She grew up in Stockton and now lives in Long Beach, California, with her husband, their four daughters, and their dog, Brownie. Black Candle Women is her debut novel. Learn more: https://www.dianemariebrown.com/

 

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

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Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep. 137: Amy Poeppel on Binge Writing Books with Heart and Humor

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Amy Poeppel is back on the podcast to discuss The Sweet Spot, a big-hearted, delightful novel about three women who form an accidental sorority in Greenwich village when a baby lands on their collective doorstep.

 

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“The Sweet Spot sparkles with Amy Poeppel’s signature wit and warmth. This genuinely uproarious novel celebrates families – born and made – in all their messy glory. It’s so much fun, you’ll wish you could pull up a chair at the kitchen table and stay forever. (Though you might need to remove a feral gerbil from that chair first.)”-Laura Hankin, author of A SPECIAL PLACE FOR WOMEN

 

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

 

About the Author:

Amy Poeppel is the award-winning author of the novels The Sweet Spot, Musical Chairs, Limelight, and Small Admissions. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Rumpus, Literary Hub, and Working Mother. She and her husband have three sons and split their time between New York City, Germany, and Connecticut. She would love to hear from you on Twitter or Instagram: @AmyPoeppel or at AmyPoeppel.com.

 

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

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Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep. 129: Laura Vanderkam Helps Us Make Time for What Matters in 2023

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Just in time to tackle those New Year’s resolutions, time management expert Laura Vandkerkam is back on the podcast this week to discuss Tranquility by Tuesday: Nine Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make time for What Matters. For anyone who’s sick of letting to-do lists dictate their time, Laura shares strategies for reclaiming your hours.

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“Laura Vanderkam never promises her readers a better life without also telling them exactly how to achieve it. This book is well researched and so helpful, especially because it comes from a personal place for her. She understands the frustration and exhaustion so many of us are feeling, and she has found a way to feel better. Not just while you’re on vacation or over the weekend, but every day.”
—Celeste Headlee, author of Do Nothing, We Need to Talk, and Speaking of Race

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

 

 

About the Author:

Laura Vanderkam is the author of several time management and productivity books, including the new Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters, along with Juliet’s School of Possibilities, Off the Clock, I Know How She Does It, What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast, and 168 Hours. Her work has appeared in publications including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and Fortune. She is the host of the podcast Before Breakfast and the co-host, with Sarah Hart-Unger, of the podcast Best of Both Worlds. She lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and five children, and blogs at LauraVanderkam.com.

 

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

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Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep. 123: Julie Clark on Female Con Artists and Crafting a Thriller You’ll Want to Binge Read

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Bestselling author Julie Clark is back on the podcast this week to discuss The Lies I Tell, a new domestic thriller that will have you up all night reading.

 

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“A gripping, immersive, downright triumphant revenge thriller…this book is so incredibly engaging and immersive, and I loved following the dangerous dance that develops between these two women. Driven by two complex, vividly-crafted female protagonists, The Lies I Tell draws readers into a thrilling web of deceit and revenge.”

— Crime by the Book

 

 

You can also listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

 

About the Author:

Julie Clark is the New York Times bestselling author of The Lies I Tell and The Last Flight, both of which were also #1 international bestsellers and have been translated into more than twenty-five languages. She lives in Los Angeles with her family and a goldendoodle with poor impulse control. Learn more: https://julieclarkauthor.com/

 

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

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Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep. 122: Sue Mell on Provenance, Bookends, and a Winding Journey to Publication

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Sue Mell is on the podcast this week to discuss her new novel, Provenance. Winner of the Madville Publishing 2021 Blue Moon Novel Award, Provenance is a story of hope in ruin. 

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“A carefully crafted, impressively intriguing, and fully engaging contemporary novel that will have a special appeal to readers interested in family life fiction, “Provenance” by the gifted author Sue Mell is especially and unreservedly recommended.” –Midwest Book Review

 

 

You can also listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

About the Author:

Sue Mell is a writer from Queens, NY. She earned her MFA from Warren Wilson College and was a 2020 BookEnds fellow at SUNY Stony Brook Southampton. Her collection of micro essays, Giving Care, was a semi-finalist for the Digging Press 2020 Chapbook Prize. Other work has appeared in Brilliant Flash Fiction, Cleaver Magazine, Digging Through the Fat, Jellyfish Review, and more. Find her at suemellwrites.com and on Twitter @suemell2017

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

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Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep. 113: KJ Dell’Antonia on Online Personas, Creating Small Towns, and Having More Fun with Fiction

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This week, KJ Dell’Antonia is on the podcast to discuss her new novel, In Her Boots, a delightfully entertaining story set in small town New Hampshire about a ruse that goes awry and a chaotic homecoming that proves that confronting your past can sometimes set you free. 

 

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“In Her Boots is a modern, big-hearted, laugh-out-loud funny novel that reminds us that the only way to find true connection, friendship and belonging is to fully be ourselves. A joy to read from page one all the way to the very end.” —Louise Miller, author of The Late Bloomers’ Club and The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living

 

 

You can also listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

 

About the Author:

KJ Dell’Antonia is the former editor of Motherlode and current contributor to The New York Times, as well as the author of How to Be a Happier Parent and the instant New York Times bestseller and Reese’s Book Club Pick, The Chicken Sisters. She lives with her family on a small farm in Lyme, New Hampshire, but retains an abiding love for her childhood in Texas and Kansas. Learn more: https://kjdellantonia.com

 

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

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Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.