Tag: Podcast

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

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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 Winds, The 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.

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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

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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.

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“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.

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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. 183: Rebecca Hanover on Crafting a Thriller in the High-Stakes Admissions World

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Rebecca Hanover is here this week to discuss The Last Applicant,  an emotional thrill ride about two women whose lives take a dangerous turn in the high-stakes arena of private school admissions.

lastapplicant

“Sharply written and deftly plotted, The Last Applicant is the best sort of psychological suspense. It hooked me from the first page and kept me guessing until its surprising, satisfying conclusion.” –Cristina Alger, New York Times bestselling author of Girls Like Us

 

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

About the Author:

Rebecca Hanover is the New York Times bestselling author of the young adult series the Similars. After graduating from Stanford University with a BA in English and drama, Rebecca joined the writing team of the CBS daytime drama Guiding Light, where she earned an Emmy Award. She now writes novels full time from her home in San Francisco, where she enjoys matcha lattes and a complete lack of seasons. The Last Applicant is her adult debut. When she isn’t writing, she can be found in a yoga class or reading anything Dav Pilkey with her husband and three kiddos. Learn more: https://rebeccahanover.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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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. 182: Nikki Grimes and Brian Pinkney on the Mystical Experience of Creating A Walk in the Woods

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This week I’m honored to have on the award winning, renowned team behind the new picture book, A Walk in the Woods, Nikki Grimes and Brian Pinkney. Brian finished the artwork for the book that was started by his late father, the legendary Jerry Pinkney.
 
Nikki and Brian share the mystical and magical experience of collaborating on this project, a moving account of loss, in which a boy takes a walk in the woods and makes a discovery that changes his understanding of his father.

A Walk in the Woods: Grimes, Nikki, Pinkney, Jerry, Pinkney, Brian: 9780823449651: Amazon.com: Books

★ “Together, Grimes and the Pinkneys have produced a profoundly stirring and thought-provoking musing on how the ones we love never really leave us. Joy and hope walk alongside sadness and grief in this unforgettable work. –Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

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

Nikki Grimes is the recipient of the Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award, the ALAN Award for outstanding contributions to young adult literature, the Children’s Literature Legacy Award, the Virginia Hamilton Literary Award, and the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. Her memoir, Ordinary Hazards, received both a Sibert and a Printz Honor. Other distinguished works include the Coretta Scott King Award winner Bronx Masquerade, and Coretta Scott King Author Honor books Jasmin’s Notebook, Talkin’ About Bessie, Dark Sons, Words with Wings, and The Road to Paris. She is also the creator of the popular Meet Danitra Brown. Ms. Grimes lives in Corona, California. 

Jerry Pinkney was the author and illustrator of many books for young readers, including the Orbis Pictus Award winner A Place to Land and The Lion and the Mouse, for which he earned a Caldecott Medal. He received five Caldecott Honors, five Coretta Scott King Awards, four Coretta Scott King Honors, and five New York Times Best Illustrated Book awards. He died in 2021. 

Brian Pinkney is the son of Jerry Pinkney. He continued illustration of A Walk in the Woods after his father passed away, supplementing Jerry’s sketches with watercolor painting. He has illustrated many books for children, including Duke Ellington by his wife Andrea Pinkney, and The Faithful Friend by Robert D San Souci, both of which received Caldecott Honors. He also received the Coretta Scott King Book Award for In the Time of Drums by Kim L. Siegelson. He lives with his family in Brooklyn, New York. 

 

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: 

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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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 Yorker, The New York Times Book Review, Outside Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Granta, Tin 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.

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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

Posted in History, Mystery, Research, WritingTagged , Leave a comment

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.

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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

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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.

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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.