Ep. 187: Maura Cheeks Explores the Passing of a Federal Reparations Law through Fiction

This week Maura Cheeks is here to discuss her phenomenal debut, Acts of Forgiveness–named a most anticipated book by Elle, Real Simple, and more, the novel imagines the country has just passed the nation’s first reparations bill for Black families.

actsofforgiveness

Acts of Forgiveness is the rare novel that lays out a hypothetical public policy and its attendant bureaucracy, weaving a story with an imaginative yet realistic exploration of what reparations might look like—what might be missed and what might be achieved. But above all, it is a story about family, with all the challenge, ambiguity, interconnection, obligation, and love the term carries. . . . A generous, thoughtful, and thought-provoking novel about inheritance in all its forms.”—Lydia Kiesling, author of The Golden State

 

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

About the Author:

Maura Cheeks has published writing in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Paris Review, and Tin House, among others. In 2019, she was awarded a masthead reporting residency with The Atlantic where she produced the feature-length article that would later inspire the idea for this book. Acts of Forgiveness is her first novel. Learn more: https://www.mauracheeks.com/

Read Maura’s New York Times article, What if Federal Reparations Weren’t a Fiction?

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.

Screen Shot 2024-02-16 at 3.23.27 PM

Links

Macmillan Audio

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. 186: Kathleen M. Willett on the Propulsive New Novel Perfect for Fans of Big Little Lies

On this week’s episode, Kathleen Willett is here to discuss Anything for a Friend, a propulsive new suspense novel about two college friends who reconnect with dangerous results. This is the perfect next read for fans of Big Little Lies & Little Fires Everywhere.

Willett-AnythingForAFriend-Final+Cover+(1)

Kathleen Willett has done it again! ANYTHING FOR A FRIEND is chock full of domestic tension, twisty plot turns, and compelling female characters. I couldn’t put this one down! After reading this page-turner, you might think twice about inviting your oldest friends into your home…

Katie Sise, nationally bestselling author of WE WERE MOTHERS, OPEN HOUSE, and THE BREAK

 

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

About the Author:

Kathleen M. Willett is the author of Mother of All Secrets. An English teacher who grew up in New Jersey and London, Kathleen lives in New York City with her husband, two daughters, and a cat named Mr. Sparkles. For more information, visit www.kathleenmwillett.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.

Screen Shot 2024-01-21 at 9.31.44 PM

Links

Macmillan Audio

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. 185: Kristin Hannah on Unearthing Women’s Lost Historical Stories

I’m thrilled to have master storyteller Kristin Hannah back on A Bookish Home to discuss her new novel, The Women – at once a coming of age story of a twenty-year old nursing student who serves in Vietnam and an epic tale of a nation divided.

Fans of The Nightingale and The Four Winds will want to hurry out and pick up a copy. Once again you’ll be swept away and riveted by the experiences of courageous women during a fascinating period in history.

TheWomen

Stuns with sacrifice; uplifts with heroism . . . an important, long overdue tribute to the brave women nurses who served in Vietnam.”

—Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry

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

About the Author:

KRISTIN HANNAH is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty novels, including The Four WindsThe Nightingale and The Great Alone. A former lawyer turned writer, she lives with her husband in the Pacific Northwest. Learn more: https://kristinhannah.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.

Screen Shot 2024-01-21 at 9.31.44 PM

Links

Macmillan Audio

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. 184: Constance Sayers on Creating the Haunting and Magical Worlds of The Star and the Strange Moon

This week, Constance Sayers is here to discuss The Star and the Strange Moon, a haunting tale of ambition, obsession, and the eternal mystery and magic of film.

The-Star-and-the-Strange-Moon-HARDCOVER

“A sweeping tale of dark magic, artistic obsession, and a love unbound from the limits of time, The Star and the Strange Moon captivates with lush prose and moments of poignant, heartbreaking beauty.” —Paulette Kennedy, author of The Witch of Tin Mountain 

 

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

About the Author:

Constance Sayers is the author of the Amazon best-selling novel, A Witch in Time (2020 Redhook/Hachette) as well as The Ladies of the Secret Circus (2021 Redhook/Hachette) that received a starred review from both Publishers Weekly and Library Journal. Her books have been translated into six languages.

A finalist for Alternating Current’s 2016 Luminaire Award for Best Prose, her short stories have appeared in Souvenir and Amazing Graces: Yet Another Collection of Fiction by Washington Area Women as well as The Sky is a Free Country. Her short fiction has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net.

She received her master of arts in English from George Mason University and graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor of arts in writing from the University of Pittsburgh. She attended The Bread Loaf Writers Conference where she studied with Charles Baxter and Lauren Groff. A media executive, she’s twice been named one of the “Top 100 Media People in America” by Folio and included in their list of “Top Women in Media.”

She lives in Washington DC. Like her character in The Ladies of the Secret Circus, she was the host of a radio show from midnight to six: https://constancesayers.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.

Screen Shot 2023-12-26 at 12.05.53 PM

Links

Macmillan Audio

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. 181: Julie Chavez Helps Us Resist the Norm of Burned Out Motherhood

Julie Chavez is here this week to discuss her new memoir, Everyone But Myself. Funny, honest, and inspiring for readers feeling overwhelmed by life, Everyone But Myself is like a best friend’s story of how she returned to solid ground while embracing chaos along the way.

everyonebutmyself

“If you find yourself overwhelmed and teetering on the edge (like most of us): don’t panic. Take a deep breath and reach for Everyone But Myself. Julie Chavez (your new best friend) will reach back and help you find solid ground in this funny and heartwarming memoir.”
–Jen Mann, author of Midlife Bites: Anyone Else Falling Apart, Or Is It Just Me?

 

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

About the Author:

Julie Chavez is an elementary school librarian in Northern California. Though thousands of books pass through her hands each month, Everyone But Myself is the first one written by her. Julie lives with her husband and two tall teenagers in a house where she arranges her books by color. Learn more: https://www.juliewriteswords.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.

Screen Shot 2023-12-26 at 12.05.53 PM

Links

Macmillan Audio

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. 180: Isa Arsén on the New Novel Lessons in Chemistry Fans Will Adore

On this episode I’m chatting with author Isa Arsén about Shoot the Moon,  which tells the story of a brilliant but lonely NASA secretary and her relentless drive to live a big life in a world that would keep her small. Fans of Lessons in Chemistry will want to run to pick this one up!

shootthemoon

Heartbreaking . . . Arsén asks big questions about love and duty, the human cost of scientific inquiry, and the difficulty of moving on from past trauma–but she also tells a cinematic story of fierce dedication and blazing love. –Shelf Awareness

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

About the Author:

Isa Arsén is a certified bleeding heart and audio engineer based in South Texas, where she lives with her spouse and a comically small dog. She’s published several shorts and pieces of experimental interactive media. Inspired by her own childhood summers in New Mexico, Shoot the Moon is her debut novel. Learn more: https://www.inarsen.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.

Screen Shot 2023-11-16 at 7.23.08 PM

Links

Macmillan Audio

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. 179: Talking Heartwarming Holiday Stories and Found Families with Becca Freeman

This week my guest is Becca Freeman, author of a hug of a book that’s perfect for this holiday season, The Christmas Orphans Club, about four friends who gather every Christmas as a found family.

christmasorphansclub

Freeman’s writing is filled with wit and insight, and her dialogue crackles. Beneath the abundant humor and charm is a thoughtful exploration of friendship, tradition, and the challenges of growing old.
-Grant Ginder, bestselling author of The People We Hate at the Wedding 

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

About the Author:

Becca Freeman is the co-host of the popular books and lifestyle podcast Bad on Paper and the co-creator of RomComPods. She is a graduate of Boston College. Becca currently lives in Brooklyn, where she enthusiastically celebrates Christmas every year. Learn more: https://beccafreeman.net/

 

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.

Screen Shot 2023-11-16 at 7.23.08 PM

Links:

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. 178: Pauls Toutonghi on Weaving Together His Intricate, Moving New Novel and Advice for Emerging Writers

This week my guest is Pauls Toutonghi, award winning author of the new novel, The Refugee Ocean, a modern epic of two refugees from 1940s Beirut and 2014 Aleppo connected across time by music and the hauntings of dreams deferred.

refugeeocean

The Refugee Ocean is one of those breathtaking and simultaneously heartbreaking stories that slides under one’s skin and stays… It is a story of the power of music and its ability to bring lives and hope together and to heal wounds that threaten the soul.”–The Montecito Journal

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

About the Author:

Paul Toutonghi’s parents were both refugees to the United States. He has been awarded a Pushcart Prize, an Andrew W. Mellon research fellowship, a Fulbright Grant, and a residency at Hawthornden Castle. He has written for The New YorkerThe New York Times Book ReviewOutside MagazineSports IllustratedGrantaTin House, and other periodicals. He’s married to the novelist, Peyton Marshall. He lives in Oregon, where he teaches at Lewis and Clark College. Learn more: https://paulstoutonghi.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.

Screen Shot 2023-11-16 at 7.23.08 PM

Links:

Macmillan Audio

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. 177: Ritu Mukerji Takes Us to 19th Century Philadelphia with a Pioneering Female Physician Turned Sleuth

On this week’s episode, Ritu Mukerji is here to discuss Murder by Degrees, an atmospheric murder mystery set in 19th century Philadelphia, in which a pioneering woman doctor investigates the disappearance of a young patient.

murderbydegrees

“Like Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs, Lydia is a strong and indomitable woman who transcends her circumstances to become her true self and a crusader for social justice. This atmospheric novel heralds the arrival of a talented new writer and an unforgettable heroine.”Kirkus Reviews (Starred)

 

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

About the Author:

Ritu Mukerji was born in Kolkata, India, and raised in the San Francisco Bay area. From a young age, she has been an avid reader of mysteries, from Golden Age crime fiction to police procedurals and the novels of PD James and Ruth Rendell. She received a BA in history from Columbia University and a medical degree from Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. She completed residency training at the University of California, Davis and has been a practicing internist for fifteen years. She lives in Marin County, California, with her husband and three children. Learn more: https://ritumukerji.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.

Screen Shot 2023-10-19 at 11.53.49 AM

Links:

Macmillan Audio

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. 176: Nancy Jooyoun Kim Explores the Consequences of Family Secrets and Misunderstandings in What We Kept To Ourselves

Today New York Times bestselling author Nancy Jooyoun Kim is here to discuss What We Kept to Ourselves, the much anticipated follow-up to Reese’s Book Club Pick, The Last Story of Mina Lee. Nancy began writing this riveting new novel twenty years ago and it follows a family’s search for answers after the disappearance of their mother.

What We Kept to Ourselves - Kim, Nancy Jooyoun

“Layers after layers of mystery are revealed with each chapter of this exquisitely written novel. What We Kept to Ourselves is a compelling, poetic, important, thought-provoking, and unforgettable read. Nancy Jooyoun Kim is a master storyteller who has the power to keep us spellbound and reminds us what we must do to make this world a better place.”–Nguyen Phan Que Mai, internationally bestselling author of The Mountains Sing and Dust Child

 

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

About the Author:

Nancy Jooyoun Kim is the New York Times bestselling author of What We Kept to Ourselves and The Last Story of Mina Lee, a Reese’s Book Club pick. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. Learn more: https://www.nancyjooyounkim.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.

Screen Shot 2023-11-11 at 1.37.19 PM

Links:

Macmillan Audio

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.