Podcast – Page 4 – A Bookish Home

Ep. 215: Sue Mell on Weaving Together the Stories of A New Day

September 3, 2024August 22, 2024Posted in WritingTagged author, PodcastLeave a comment

This week, author Sue Mell is back on the podcast to discuss A New Day. Linked by their personal and professional relationships, the characters in these thirteen stories—all set between 1982 and 2012—struggle to achieve happiness and success.

“Endlessly fascinating characters propel these wonderfully ardent stories.”— Kirkus Reviews

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

About the Author:

Sue Mell’s story collection, A New Day, was a finalist for the 2021 St. Lawrence Book Award, and is forthcoming from She Writes Press September 3rd, 2024. Her debut novel, Provenance, won the Madville Publishing Blue Moon Novel Award, and was selected as a Great Group Read by the Women’s National Book Association, and as an Indie Fiction Pick by the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses. Her collection of micro essays, Giving Care, won the Chestnut Review Prose Chapbook Prize. Other work has appeared in Narrative Magazine, Hippocampus Magazine, Jellyfish Review, Cleaver Magazine, and elsewhere. She earned her MFA from Warren Wilson, was a BookEnds fellow at SUNY Stony Brook, and lives in Queens, New York, where she cares for her aging mom and a gray tuxedo cat named Poppy. Learn more: suemell.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.

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. 214: Marjan Kamali Explores Evolving Friendships and Freedoms in The Lion Women of Tehran

August 27, 2024August 14, 2024Posted in Summer Reading, WritingTagged author, PodcastLeave a comment

This week, bestselling author Marjan Kamali joins us to discuss The Lion Women of Tehran, a heartfelt, epic new novel of friendship, betrayal, and redemption set against three transformative decades in Iran.

“Gorgeous, gripping…insightful, compassionate, and grounded in historical detail, The Lion Women of Tehran is an evocation of a country upended and a tribute to the ways deep friendships shape our lives.” –Shelf Awareness

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

About the Author:

Marjan Kamali is the author of three books, including Together Tea, which was a finalist for the Massachusetts Book Award, an NPR WBUR Good Read pick, and a Target Emerging Author selection. She is the 2022 recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Award. She was born in Turkey to Iranian parents and spent her childhood in Kenya, Germany, Turkey, Iran, and the United States. She holds degrees from the University of California at Berkeley, Columbia University, and New York University. Learn more: marjankamali.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.

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. 213: Marc Guggenheim on In Any Lifetime- a Captivating, Unique Blend of Romance and Science Fiction

August 20, 2024August 12, 2024Posted in Romance, Summer Reading, WritingTagged author, PodcastLeave a comment

This week’s guest is Marc Guggenheim, author of In Any Lifetime, a heartfelt story of a devoted husband who defies fate, attempting to find the one universe where his wife is still alive.

“Heartfelt and beautifully written, In Any Lifetime elegantly leaps between science fiction and romance, begging you to ask the age-old question: How far will you go for the one you love?” ―Brad Meltzer, #1 bestselling author of The Lightning Road and The Escape Artist

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

About the Author:

Marc Guggenheim grew up on Long Island, New York, and earned his law degree from Boston University. After over four years in practice, he left law to pursue a career in television.

Today, Guggenheim is an Emmy Award–winning writer who writes for multiple mediums including television, film, video games, comic books, and new media. His work includes projects for such popular franchises as Percy Jackson, Star Wars, Call of Duty, Star Trek, and Planet of the Apes.

Guggenheim currently lives in Encino, California, with his wife, two daughters, and a handful of pets. Keep up to date on his latest projects with LegalDispatch, a weekly newsletter where he shares news and notes about writing, comics, and the entertainment industry. Check it out at https://marcguggenheim.substack.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.

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. 212: Sara Shukla on Pink Whales – a Preppy, Grown-up Mean Girls

August 13, 2024August 11, 2024Posted in Summer Reading, WritingTagged author, PodcastLeave a comment

This week’s guest is Sara Shukla, author of Pink Whales, a fun smart romp about a mom who relocates to a preppy New England beach town- think “Mean Girls clad in Lilly Pulitzer.”

“A satisfying romp through a New England enclave that’s not nearly as idyllic as it seems.” —Kirkus Reviews

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

About the Author:

Sara Shukla is an editor for WBUR’s Cognoscenti. You can find her writing at WBUR as well as the Los Angeles Review of Books, McSweeneys, and elsewhere. An alum of GrubStreet’s Novel Incubator and the University of Virginia, she lives in Rhode Island with her family. Learn more: sarashukla.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.

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. 211: Author and Bosnian Genocide Survivor, Amra Sabic-El-Rayess on Her Powerful Middle-Grade Memoir

August 6, 2024August 4, 2024Posted in History, middle grade, Summer Reading, WritingTagged author, PodcastLeave a comment

This week, Dr. Amra Sabic-El-Rayess is here to discuss Three Summers: A Memoir of Sisterhood, Summer Crushes, and Growing up on the Eve of War, an epic middle-grade memoir in the three years leading up to the Bosnian Genocide.

Amra shares the story behind Three Summers and more about her work at Teachers College, Columbia on hate prevention, storytelling, and building empathy.

“An insightful and solemn yet hopeful memoir that will hook readers…Remarkable.” –School Library Journal, starred review

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

About the Author:

Amra Sabic-El-Rayess grew up in Bihac, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Currently she is a professor at Columbia University, studying how and why societies fall apart and what role education can play in rebuilding decimated countries. She is also the author of the critically acclaimed young adult memoir The Cat I Never Named. Learn more: sabiclrayess.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.

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. 210: Joselyn Takacs on the Family Drama Set During the 2010 Oil Spill

July 30, 2024July 28, 2024Posted in Summer Reading, WritingTagged author, PodcastLeave a comment

This week’s guest is Joselyn Takacs, author of Pearce Oysters, a lush, evocative, finely-drawn debut novel set on the Louisiana coastline during the historic 2010 oil spill, following local oyster farmers whose business, family, and livelihood are all on the brink of collapse.

“Pearce Oysters is a pearl of a novel, as gritty, complex, and full of nuance as the eponymous bivalve at its center. Debut author Joselyn Takacs is as skilled at portraying the bayous, swamps, and bays of Louisiana’s coastline as she is exploring all that is unpredictable about the human heart, especially in times of crisis. It’s a remarkable novel.”
-Adrienne Brodeur, author of Little Monsters

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

About the Author:

Joselyn Takacs holds a PhD in Creative Writing and Literature from the University of Southern California and an MFA in Fiction from Johns Hopkins University. Her fiction has appeared in Gulf Coast, Narrative, Tin House, Harvard Review, The Rumpus, DIAGRAM, Columbia: A Journal of Art and Literature, and elsewhere. She has published interviews and book reviews in the Los Angeles Review of Books and Entropy. Joselyn has taught writing at the University of Southern California and Johns Hopkins University. She lived in New Orleans at the time of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Spill, and in 2015, she received a grant to record the oral histories of Louisiana oyster farmers in the wake of the environmental disaster. She currently lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband. Learn more: www.joselyntakacs.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.

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. 209: Brooke Lea Foster Takes Us to a Bygone Era in the Hamptons

July 23, 2024July 28, 2024Posted in History, Summer Reading, WritingTagged author, PodcastLeave a comment

Today Brooke Lea Foster is here to discuss her new novel, All the Summers in Between. Set in the dual timelines of 1967 and 1977, All the Summers In Between is at once a mesmerizing portrait of a complex friendship, a delicious glimpse into a bygone Hamptons, and a powerful coming-of-age for two young women during a transformative era.

“A mesmerizing story of the complexities of female friendship and the yearning of women to live full lives. Foster depicts the 1970s with sensitivity and a rich command of detail, and as the pace picks up toward a perfectly executed denouement, you won’t be able to turn away.” —Beatriz Williams

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

About the Author:

Brooke Lea Foster is an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post Magazine, The Atlantic, The Boston Globe Magazine, and People, among others. An alumna of The Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College, she is the author of three nonfiction books and the novels Summer Darlings, On Gin Lane, and All the Summers In Between. Learn more: www.brookeleafoster.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.

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. 208: Dawn Tripp Illuminates the Many Lives of Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis

July 16, 2024July 28, 2024Posted in History, Summer Reading, WritingTagged author, PodcastLeave a comment

This week, author Dawn Tripp joins me to discuss her new novel, Jackie. This vivid, exquisitely written novel is at once a captivating work of the imagination and a window into the world of a woman who led many lives: Jackie, Jacks, Jacqueline, Miss Bouvier, Mrs. Kennedy, Jackie O.

Dawn shares what drew her to Jackie’s story, how she went about the research and finding the narrative voice, carving out a rich creative life, and much more.

“This meticulously researched and lyrically written portrait of Jackie will appeal not only to baby boomers who experienced the historic events of her life but also to anyone who appreciates intimate novels about women’s hearts, minds, and souls. A must-purchase.” – Library Journal, Starred Review

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

About the Author:

Dawn Tripp is the author of the novel Georgia, which was a national bestseller, finalist for the New England Book Award, and winner of the Mary Lynn Kotz Award for Art in Literature. She is the author of three previous novels: Game of Secrets, Moon Tide, and The Season of Open Water, which won the Massachusetts Book Award for Fiction. Her poems and essays have appeared in the Virginia Quarterly Review, Harvard Review, AGNI, Conjunctions, and NPR, among others. She serves on the board of the Boston Book Festival and on the board of Gnome Surf: A non-profit Surf Therapy Organization focused on creating a culture shift towards kindness, love, and acceptance for athletes of all abilities. She graduated from Harvard and lives in Massachusetts with her sons. Learn more: dawntripp.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.

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. 207: Namrata Patel Talks Spice Healing, Salem, and Self-Discovery in The Curious Secrets of Yesterday

July 9, 2024July 8, 2024Posted in Romance, Summer Reading, WritingTagged author, PodcastLeave a comment

This week, I’m thrilled to have Namrata Patel back on the podcast to discuss her latest novel, The Curious Secrets of Yesterday, about a family of spice healers in Salem, Massachusetts.

Namrata gives us the inside scoop on crafting this comfort read, which is chock full of secrets, surprises, and relationships you’ll root for. This is a book you’ll want to slow down and savor this summer.

The journey of these three generations of Ayurvedic spice healers in historical Salem will envelop you like the warmth from cinnamon and cloves and stay with you long after the last page. —Mansi Shah, bestselling author of The Direction of the Wind

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

About the Author:

Namrata Patel is an Indian-American author who lives in Boston. Her writing examines diaspora, dual-cultural identity among Indian-Americans and explores this dynamic while also touching on both—the family’s we’re born with and those we choose. Namrata has lived in India, Spokane, London, and New York City. Namrata has been writing for most of her adult life and loves creating characters who are relatable and aspirational. Her heroines range from quiet to kick-ass and her heroes are swoon-worthy, if a little flawed. Her first novel The Candid Life of Meena Dave was long listed for Best First Novel Prize by The Center for Fiction. Namrata’s second novel The Scent of a Garden was published in 2023, and her third novel The Curious Secrets of Yesterday recently released. Learn more: nampatel.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.

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. 206: Kristy Woodson Harvey on the Recipe for A Happier Life

July 2, 2024June 26, 2024Posted in Mystery, Romance, Summer Reading, WritingTagged author, PodcastLeave a comment

What a joy to have bestselling author Kristy Woodson Harvey back on the podcast to discuss a must have book for your beach bag this summer- A Happier Life-about a woman who discovers the family she has always longed for when she spends a life-changing summer fixing up her grandparents’ mysterious house in North Carolina.

This is a big-hearted, feel good novel with mystery and romance plus a small town summer setting you won’t want to leave. I highly recommend picking up a copy.

Everything about this novel reminded me of drinking sweet tea on a warm summer’s night while relaxing on a wide Southern porch, a ceiling fan slowly turning the air overhead. I smiled as I read the first page and breathed a contented sigh as I read the last—because A HAPPIER LIFE made me happier, too. Don’t miss it!

—Brenda Novak, New York Times bestselling author of Tourist Season

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

About the Author:

Kristy Woodson Harvey is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, including The Wedding Veil, Under the Southern Sky, and The Peachtree Bluff series, which is in development for television with NBC. A Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s school of journalism, her writing has appeared in numerous online and print publications, including Southern Living, Traditional Home, USA TODAY, Domino, and O. Henry. Kristy is the winner of the Lucy Bramlette Patterson Award for Excellence in Creative Writing and a finalist for the Southern Book Prize. Her books have received numerous accolades, including Southern Living’s Most Anticipated Beach Reads, Parade’s Big Fiction Reads, and Entertainment Weekly’s Spring Reading Picks. Kristy is the cocreator and cohost of the weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction. She blogs with her mom, Beth Woodson, on Design Chic, and loves connecting with fans on KristyWoodsonHarvey.com. She lives on the North Carolina coast with her husband and son where she is (always!) working on her next novel. Learn more: kristywoodsonharvey.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.

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.