Book Cougars Podcast: Two Middle-Aged Women on the Hunt for a Good Read

The Holiday Season is upon us! In Episode 222, we continue our annual tradition of sharing bookish holiday gift ideas. We’ve given these items to loved ones or treated ourselves to them (or received them as gifts!). We hope you find our ideas helpful. Since our last episode, we’ve had some fun biblio adventures. Two highlights: Chris took a leisurely drive through the back roads of Connecticut to Hickory Stick Bookshop in Washington Depot (the town that inspired the Gilmore Girls), and Emily participated in the Cherry Bombe member book club discussion of Ina Garten’s memoir Be Ready When the Luck Happens, featuring Ina’s co-writer Deborah Davis. In our “Just Read” segment, we discuss a gardening book, a YA novel, two picture books, and two novels, one a suspense thriller, the other literary fiction: Complete Starter Guide to Bonsai: Growing from Seed or Seedling--Wiring, Pruning, Care, and Display by David Squirer When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary by Alice Hoffman Fight of the Century: Alice Paul Battles Woodrow Wilson for the Vote by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Sarah Green I Am Book by Joren Cull Trouble Island by Sharon Short The Weekend by Charlotte Wood Emily also discusses two short stories she’s read, “Johnny Christmas” by Ivy Pochoda from Eight Very Bad Nights: A Collection of Hanukkah Noir edited by Tod Goldberg and “Cat Brushing” from the collection Cat Brushing by Jane Campbell. Chris hasn’t read Gregory Magquire’s novel Wicked, but she’s curious about it after seeing the new Wicked movie. Have you read it? Thanks as always for listening!

We had the good fortune to talk with Marcia Clark and John Valeri about TRIAL BY AMBUSH, Marcia’s first foray into the true crime genre, for which John served as her researcher. TRIAL BY AMBUSH is an investigation into the 1953 trial of Barbara Graham, a petty criminal whose life took a hard turn the night of a home burglary that ended in murder. Graham’s trial was sensational, and the press coverage was a circus. Who better than famed prosecutor Marcia Clark to be the first to dig into the records to find out what really happened during the trial? Should Graham have ended up on death row? During Clark’s investigation, her prosecutorial hero, J. Miller Leavy, surprisingly ends up on trial himself. Neither Chris nor Emily is a true crime reader, but we were both riveted to the pages of TRIAL BY AMBUSH and think you will be, too! Emily has been carrying on with her short story project and discusses four stories: “The Statue and the Bust” from THE COLLECTED SHORT STORIES OF SHIRLEY HAZZARD edited by Brigitta Olubas “Let the Chips Fall” by Emily Ross from the collection DEVIL’S SNARE: Best New England Crime Stories by 2024 edited by Ang Pompano, Leslie Wheeler, and Susan Oleksiw “Debris” from the collection A KIND OF MADNESS by Uche Okonkwo “Good Enough” from the collection A SMALL THING TO WANT by Shuly Cawood Chris finally finished her #Victober book, ARMADALE by Wilkie Collins, and then read two picture books, WHAT FEELING DO WHEN NO ONE’S LOOKING by Tina Oziewicz, illustrated by Aleksandra Zajac and translated by Jennifer Croft and SOMETHING, SOMEDAY by Amanda Gorman, illustrated by Christian Robinson. Some other books we discuss are: THIS CURSED HOUSE by Del Sandeen SHRED SISTERS by Betsy Lerner THE NEW MENOPAUSE by Mary Claire Haver, MD WHERE THEY LAST SAW HER by Marcie R. Rendon Chris also read A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY by Brian D. Kennedy. She loved it but doesn’t discuss it in detail as it’s our fourth quarter readalong. To join our Zoom discussion on December 8th at 7 pm ET, please email us (bookcougars@gmail.com). The conversation is free and open to all. As always, we discuss biblio adventures we’ve gone on and more books than we can include here. We hope you enjoy this episode. Happy Reading!

Welcome to Episode 220 – It’s another 10th episode, which means it’s giveaway time! One lucky newsletter subscriber will win copies of The Gardener’s Plot: A Mystery by Deborah J. Benoit and The Author’s Guide to Murder by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White. We send one newsletter per month, and it is free. Sign up on our website, and good luck! We also announce our Patreon giveaway for November: Eight Very Bad Nights: A Collection of Hanukkah Noir edited by Tod Goldberg. John Valeri, our Mystery Man, is back! He joins us to discuss Murder in the Smithsonian by Margaret Truman, which we buddy-read. John also shares some insider information that might shock Truman fans. Since the last episode, we’ve read several delightful romances, an eerie ghost story, a thought-provoking multigenerational novel, and a charming picture book: Birding with Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center “Afterward: A Ghost Story for Christmas” or from the collection Tales of Men and Ghosts by Edith Wharton Real Americans by Rachel Khong What Feelings Do When No One’s Looking by Tina Oziewicz, illustrated by Aleksandra Zajac and translated by Jennifer Croft We also had some wonderful Biblio Adventures, including stops at Breakwater Books and Bennett’s Books and a great virtual event via the North Haven Memorial Library with Lori Gottlieb, author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone. As always, this episode has more books and adventures than we can list in this blurb. If you don’t catch something while you’re listening, check out the show notes on our website, where you’ll find all the books and places we talk about listed, usually with links. Thank you for listening, and we wish you lots of Happy Reading!

Welcome to Episode 219! In this episode, we recap some exciting Biblio Adventures, including trips to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, the Montague Book Mill, the Montague Center Library, and an author event at RJ Julia Booksellers with Betsy Lerner. Chris talks about a handful of picture books she read: The Tower of Life: How Yaffa Eliach Rebuilt Her Town in Stories and Photographs – written by Chana Stiefel, illustrated by Susan Gal The City Tree – written by Shira Boss, illustrated by Lorena Alvarez I Am Bat – written and illustrated by Morg Hood The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt – written by Riel Nason, illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler She Made a Monster: How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein – written by Lynn Fulton, illustrated by Felicita Sala Emily read two short stories: “Loot” by Nadine Gordimer from the collection Loot and Other Stories “Seams” by Olga Tokarczuk from The Best Short Stories 2022: The O. Henry Prize Winners And between the two of us, we read three novels: The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens Sandwich by Catherine Newman We also discuss what we’re #currentlyreading, would like to read, and more. Reminder that the fourth quarter readalong for our Year of Reading Romance is A Little Bit Country by Brian D. Kennedy. See the show notes for details. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we enjoyed recording it!

Welcome to Episode 218, featuring a Playwright Spotlight with Laura Thoma about her new Christmas play, MISS MARGARET’S BARTON COTTAGE CHRISTMAS SURPRISE, coming this December to Drama Works Theatre in Old Saybrook. We made up for lost time with a slew of Biblio Adventures, starting with a discussion with James R. Benn at the Mystic & Noank Library, after which we dashed over to see the new home of Bank Square Books in Stonington, who co-hosted the event. Next was the Windham-Campbell Literary Festival at Yale in New Haven, where we bought books curbside at the Possible Futures Bookmobile. Days later, we were thrilled to attend the grand opening of Montgomery & Taggert in Chester – Connecticut’s first Romance Bookstore! Lastly, we saw DRACULA: A COMEDY OF TERRORS at Legacy Theatre in Stony Creek. We did some reading, too, since our last episode. Short stories via the Decameron Project: “Clinical Notes” by Liz Moore “Recognition” by Victor LaValle Novels: 📕 THE PERILS OF LADY CATHERINE DE BOURGH by Claudia Gray 📗 LONG BRIGHT RIVER by Liz Moore 📘 A TALE OF TWO CITIES by Charles Dickens 📙SWAN SONG by Elin Hildebrand 📘 THE SECRET LIFE OF ALBERT ENTWISTLE: An Uplifting and Unforgettable Story of Love and Second Chances by Matt Cain Nonfiction: 📕 THAT LIBRARIAN: The Fight Against Book Banning in America by Amanda Jones We also talk about upcoming Biblio Adventures, what we’re #currentlyreading, and plan to read. You can visit the show notes for everything we mention and links to good bookish stuff. Thanks for listening, and Happy Reading! https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2024/episode218

We are thrilled to welcome James R. Benn, author of the Billy Boyle World War II mystery series. The nineteenth book in the series, THE PHANTOM PATROL, is out today! It’s Winter 1944, and Boyle is on a mission that takes him from the beleaguered art world of Paris to the front lines of the Battle of the Bulge. Some of the novels we discuss in this episode include THE MOST by Jessica Anthony, THE GATHERING by C.J. Tudor, DEMON COPPERHEAD by Barbara Kingsolver, OUT AT THE PLATE: The Dot Wilkinson Story by Lynn Ames, and the third quarter readalong in our Year of Reading Romance, ENVY by Sandra Brown. Emily took a couple of older literary journals off her shelf and read two short stories: “The Miracle Years of Little Fork” by Rebecca Makkai in Ploughshares (Summer 2015 edition) and “Why Were They Throwing Bricks?” by Jenny Zhang in n+1 (Spring 2017). We also talk about what we are #currentlyreading, including two that are out now: A TALE OF TWO CITIES by Charles Dickens and, perfect for Banned Books Week: THAT LIBRARIAN: THE FIGHT AGAINST BOOK BANNING IN AMERICA by Amanda Jones. And two that are forthcoming: THE MIGHTY RED by Louise Erdrich (out 10/1/2024 from Harper) and JANE AUSTEN’S BOOKSHELF: A Rare Bookseller’s Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend by Rebecca Romney (2/18/2025 from Marysue Rucci Books/Simon & Schuster). In #BiblioAdventures, Emily had a lovely visit to the New Canaan Public Library, and Chris continues to rewatch the Harry Potter movies. As always, we talk about more books and adventures than we can squeeze into this quick preview. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you do, please leave a review on iTunes or wherever you listen or tell a friend about us. Happy Reading! Emily & Chris

Emily is back in Connecticut, which means she and Chris were able to record this episode together at Book Cougars HQ. We are grateful for long-distance recording technology, but talking about books in person is much more fun! Our special guest is Michael Kelleher, Director of the Windham Campbell Prizes. Mike explains that these awards are given to writers, not for a particular book, but in four categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and playwriting. This year’s festival dates are September 17-20 at Yale in New Haven, CT. If you can’t make it to Connecticut, some events, like Lydia Davis’s keynote and the awards ceremony, will be live-streamed (links in the show notes). The books and stories we read since the last episode include: Envy by Sandra Brown Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez The Truth’s We Hold: An American Story by Kamala Harris Mrs. Saint and the Defectives by Julie Lawson Timmer Big by Vashti Harrison “Disaster Stamps of Pluto” by Louise Erdrich from the collection The Best American Mystery Stories 2005 edited by Joyce Carol Oates and Otto Penzler “Double Birthday” by Willa Cather in The Best American Short Stories of the Century edited by John Updike As always, we also talk about what we’re #CurrentlyReading, what we want to read, and Biblio Adventures. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we enjoyed recording it. Happy Listening and Reading!

We’re calling this episode “The Midwest Episode” because we recorded it while both of us were visiting the Midwest. Emily is spending time with her daughter and granddaughter in Michigan, and Chris was visiting her mom in Chicago. Newer listeners might not realize that although we both now live in Connecticut, we are transplants from the Midwest. Emily is originally from Ohio, and Chris is from Illinois. Does any of this matter? Who knows. What does matter is that we’ve read some good books and short stories over the last two weeks. Books include HOT AIR by Marcy Dermansky, SO THIRSTY by Rachel Harrison, and SULWE by Lupita Nyong’o, illustrated by Vashti Harrison. Short stories are “The Hexter Girls” from GOODBYE PROCESS: STORIES by Mary Jones and “The Many Taste Grooves of the Chang Family” by Allison King via Levar Burton Reads. We also had some lovely #biblioadventures to libraries, bookstores, and a historic building with a literary past. Happy Listening!

Welcome to Episode 214! This episode contains a lot of biblio adventuring. Emily is in Traverse City, Michigan, helping her daughter, getting to know her new granddaughter, and discovering the many excellent Little Free Libraries in the area. She also shopped at Horizon Books and has been spending time at the Traverse City Library. Meanwhile, back in New England, Chris and “Colleen from Chicago” hit the road for a four-day Biblio Adventure Extravaganza that included Melville’s Arrowhead, Wharton’s The Mount, Emily Dickinson’s family homes, The Homestead and The Evergreens, Amherst Books, and The Yiddish Book Center. The former bookstore coworkers capped it off with the annual Moby Dick marathon aboard the Charles W. Morgan at Mystic Seaport Museum. Oh, and she forgot to mention that they also went to the Odyssey Bookstore at Mount Holyoke. Phew, what a blast! We managed to finish a few books, too: Emily loved THE SNOW CHILD by Eowyn Ivey and appreciated its cold Alaska setting while reading in the heat of Michigan’s summer. She listened to the audiobook version of Ann Napolitano's first novel, WITHIN ARM’S REACH, which features six narrators, and then two Audible Original short stories by Alice Hoffman, "The Bookstore Sisters" and "The Bookstore Wedding.” Chris read MOBY DICK by Herman Melville (that’s twice this year) and a novelization about his relationship with Nathaniel Hawthorne, THE WHALE: A Love Story by Mark Beauregard. She also read her first book club selection from Book Browse, THE ROSE ARBOR, by Rhys Bowen. Happy Listening!

Welcome to Episode 213! BookTuber Shawn Breathes Books joins us to celebrate Jenny Colvin and “I’ll Have What You’re Reading,” the memorial buddy read we jointly hosted with him the last few months. We also discuss Andrea Robbin Skinner’s recent revelation about her mother, Alice Munro, and how it has impacted us as readers. Some other highlights: In #CurrentlyReading, we are each reading another chunkster for Sue Jackson’s #BigBookSummer: Emily is cooling off with THE SNOW CHILD by Eowyn Ivey, and Chris is going back in time with MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS by Antonia Fraser. We have a spoiler-free conversation about FELLOWSHIP POINT by Alice Elliot Dark which we both enjoyed. Short stories read since the last episode: “Janus” by Ann Beattie and “In the Gloaming” by Alice Elliott Dark both from the collection THE BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES OF THE CENTURY edited by John Updike and Katrina Kenison. “A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You” by Amy Bloom from the collection A BLIND MAN COULD SEE HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU: STORIES. “Uncle Valentine” by Willa Cather in UNCLE VALENTINE AND OTHER STORIES, edited by Bernice Slote “The Birds” by Daphne du Maurier from the collection THE BIRDS AND OTHER STORIES [This collection was first published in the UK in 1952 with the title, THE APPLE TREE: A SHORT NOVEL AND SEVERAL LONG STORIES] In Biblio Adventures, we recap the great day we had on Long Island, NY We took a ferry from New London, CT, to Orient Point, NY, then drove south to the Barnes and Noble in Bridgehampton to check out their new store layout. Then we headed north to Sag Harbor, where we were delighted by a John Steinbeck and Charley sculpture (“Assistant Editor” by Seward Johnson) and explored Sag Harbor Books. Other stops included Black Cat Books on Shelter Island and the Floyd Memorial Library in Greenport. Check out our vlog of the day on our YouTube channel Emily had a Couch Biblio Adventure, thanks to our listener Kathy who told us about a conversation with Percival Everett, Cord Jefferson, and Jelani Cobb via City Arts & Lectures Chris watched LETTERS TO JULIET, a rom-com inspired by the book of the same name by Eve Friedman and Ceil Jann Friedman. She also went on a quick shopping spree at McNally Jackson Books at Rockefeller Center. A reminder that our third quarter readalong is ENVY, by Sandra Brown. There are a few spots left for our Zoom discussion on Sunday, 9/15, at 7 pm ET. Email us if you’d like to join us. bookcougars at gmail dot com. Thanks for listening, and Happy Reading! https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2024/episode213

Welcome to Episode 212! This episode is different from all of our previous shows because Emily was unexpectedly called out of town to attend her granddaughter’s birth! Baby Neena arrived three weeks early. She and her mom, Rachel, are doing great. And yes, Emily has already read a book to her, SPOT GOES TO THE FARM, by Eric Hill. Instead of recording our regular segments, we share reminders about our current buddy read of FELLOWSHIP POINT by Alice Elliott Dark, provide the date – 9/15 – for our Zoom discussion of ENVY by Sandra Brown (our third quarter readalong pick in our Year of Reading Romance), announce a BookTube vlog of our recent Biblio Adventure to Long Island, and then jump into our conversation with Juliet Grames. Juliet’s new novel, THE LOST BOY OF SANTA CHIONIA, is a fantastic mystery that has a strong sense of place and characters that leap off the page. We also created a video of our pre-interview chat with Juliet that was too fun and interesting not to share. It has info not discussed in the interview. The link is below if you’d like to watch it. We hope you enjoy this episode. We’ll be back to our regular programming on episode 213. Until then, we wish you lots of Happy Reading! https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2024/episode212 Long Island Biblio Adventure video https://youtu.be/vfO1JPFEBks Pre-interview video chat with Juliet https://youtu.be/MGnKlJiWL9M

We dove into summer with our first big Biblio Adventure of the season! It involved art by kids inspired by Emily Dickinson’s poem, “Hope is the thing with feathers,” lobster, a little free library, and Bank Square Books. A great day! In other Biblio Adventures, Emily went to see Ann Leary talk about her new essay collection, I’VE TRIED BEING NICE, at R.J. Julia Booksellers in Madison, CT. She also found an adorable #LFL in a tree stump! Chris attended a virtual panel discussion of NEW SEEDS OF CONTEMPLATION by the North Central Connecticut Chapter of The International Thomas Merton Society. In the Just Read segment, the books we talk about include: – PEARCE OYSTERS by Joselyn Takacs – THE GUNCLE by Steven Rowley – ARSENIC AND ADOBO by Mia P. Manansala – LOVE AND HOT CHICKEN: A Delicious Southern Novel by Mary Liza Hartong – DIVE! The Story of Breathing Underwater by Chris Gall Three reference books make brief but important appearances: THE READERS’ ADVISORY GUIDE TO ROMANCE by Robin Bradford and both the APA and MLA style guides. Short stories: – “Idle Hands” from the collection CRAFT: Stories I Wrote for the Devil by Ananda Lima – “Why Won’t You Die?” by Jessica P. Pryde from the collection SOMEPLACE GENEROUS: An Inclusive Romance Anthology edited by Elaina Ellis and Amber Flame. – “Her Boss” by Willa Cather from the collection UNCLE VALENTINE AND OTHER STORIES: Willa Cather’s Uncollected Short Fiction, 1915-1929 edited by Bernice Slote. We also talk about what we’re currently reading, want to read, and upcoming #biblioadventures. Oh, and we announce our THIRD QUARTER READALONG PICK for our Year of Reading Romance! We hope you enjoy the episode and if so, please consider leaving a review wherever you listen, as it really does help others find us. Happy Listening & Happy Reading! https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2024/episode211

Welcome to Episode 210, where we have the pleasure of welcoming back Our Mystery Man, John Valeri! For those of you who are new to the Book Cougars, John is a frequent guest. He’s a reader, professional reviewer, and interviewer extraordinaire (check out his BookTube channel, CENTRAL BOOKING). John joins us to not only recommend some hot new mystery/thrillers but also to share insights on the guiding principles of cozy mysteries, making this a conversation you won't want to miss! This episode is packed with a diverse range of books. We share our thoughts on THE AWAKENING: THE DRAGON HEART LEGACY, BOOK ONE by Nora Roberts, our second quarter readalong pick in our year of reading romance. We also delve into other intriguing reads such as THIS IS HOW IT ALWAYS IS by Laurie Frankel, THE MYSTERY GUEST by Nita Prose, and LOOKING FOR LOVE IN ALL THE HAUNTED PLACES by Claire Kann. Emily also read two captivating short stories: “Lucky Girls” by Nell Freudenberger from LUCKY GIRLS: STORIES and “That of Which We Cannot Speak” by Alethea Black from I KNEW YOU’D BE LOVELY: STORIES. In Biblio Adventures, we recap an exciting Biblio Adventure to Hartford, CT, where we had the privilege of seeing Michael Harriot (BLACK AF HISTORY: THE UN-WHITEWASHED STORY OF AMERICA) in conversation with Percival Everett about his new novel, JAMES, thanks to the Mark Twain House. Chris attended CULTIVATING VOICES: LIVE POETRY hosted by Sandra Yannone via Facebook. Emily binged some PRESUMED INNOCENT movie/series adaptations. At the Book Barn in Niantic, CT, she found a copy of FELLOWSHIP POINT (which we’re both reading this summer) and a fantastic gift for Chris. Of course, we also talk about what we’re currently reading, want to read, and upcoming #biblioadventures. We hope you enjoy the episode and if so, please consider leaving a review wherever you listen, as it really does help others find us. Happy Listening & Happy Reading! https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2024/episode210

Welcome to Episode 209! We were thrilled and honored to talk with New York Times bestselling author, mystery legend, and social justice advocate Sara Paretsky. We talk with Sara about her newly published novel, PAY DIRT, the 22nd installment in her V.I. Warshawski series, founding Sisters in Crime, and so much more. Don’t miss our conversation at the end of the episode. We pay tribute to the late Canadian author Alice Munro by reading and discussing her story, “Train.” We try to avoid spoilers in our discussion. The story is available online at Harper’s Magazine. Emily also read “From Outside I Could See” and “The Next Husband Game” from the collection THE GOODBYE PROCESS by Mary Jones (release date 7/30/2024) and “Origin Story” from the ILL-FITTING SKIN by Shannon Robinson. Chris read “Ardessa” by Willa Cather. We also finished a few novels: –PAY DIRT by Sara Paretsky –THE HOUSE THAT HORROR BUILT by Christina Henry –THE AWAKENING by Nora Roberts Biblio Adventures include: – Our Mystery Man, John Valeri, in conversation with author Tom Straw about his new mystery/thriller, THE ACCIDENTAL JOE: THE TOP-SECRET LIFE OF A CELEBRITY CHEF, at R.J. Julia Booksellers in Madison, CT – A panel event, “On Writing: A Panel Discussion with Authors on Their Craft,” hosted by Bank Square Books and the Westerly Library in Westerly, RI – A poetry reading by Sandra Yannone from her new collection, THE GLASS STUDIO, at the Acton Public Library in Old Saybrook, CT We also talk about what we’re currently reading, hope to read, upcoming Biblio Adventures, and a bunch of other bookish things. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we enjoyed recording it. Happy Reading!

Welcome to Episode 208, which features a fantastic author spotlight with Sara B. Franklin. Her new biography, THE EDITOR: HOW PUBLISHING LEGEND JUDITH JONES SHAPED CULTURE IN AMERICA, is a must-read. It is not hyperbole to say that everyone reading and eating today has been touched by Judith Jones’s work, and Franklin’s writing is a delight to read. We had a great Biblio Adventure to Brooklyn with Aunt Ellen. Our goal of making it to THE RIPPED BODICE Bookstore has been achieved, and it was worth the wait! Many of our listeners were avid followers of or found us through Jenny Colvin’s podcast, READING ENVY: I’ll have what you’re reading. Jenny passed away in May of 2022. We miss her, and know that many of you do, too. To honor her memory, we are joining our BookTube friend SHAWN BREATHES BOOKS (formerly Shawn the Book Maniac) and doing something we think Jenny would love – reading books together! We are each choosing one book from Jenny’s Goodreads lists. The plan is to read the book by July 1st, Jenny’s birthday. We would love for you to join us by reading along with one of our selections or choosing a book of your own. We have a conversation thread on our Goodreads page, and we’ve created the hashtag #illhavewhatyourereading to use on social media. Let's keep Jenny's love for books alive in our hearts and our reading. In other reading news, you might remember from our last episode that Emily expressed her desire to read Monica Wood’s THE ONE-IN-A-MILLION BOY. And guess what? It magically appeared in one of her beloved Little Free Libraries. Isn’t it a delightful feeling when such serendipitous moments occur? Emily loved the novel. She also read two short stories, “Ernie’s Ark” by Monica Wood from the collection ERNIE’S ARK: THE ABBOTT FALLS STORIES and “Chapter Two” by Antonya Nelson in BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES 2013, edited by Elizabeth Strout. She savored THE PARIS NOVEL by Ruth Reichl, while Chris unexpectedly found herself engrossed in another book by Cal Newport, DEEP WORK: RULES FOR FOCUSED SUCCESS IN A DISTRACTED WORLD. Both Chris and Emily have been captivated by JAMES by Percival Everett, especially the audiobook narrated by Dominic Hoffman. Everett’s narrative is a brilliant reinterpretation and expansion of THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN, and Hoffman’s performance is simply outstanding. Chris has completed her second reading of MOBY-DICK, an endeavor that was as equally challenging and rewarding as her first encounter with the book. As always, we also talk about what we’re currently reading and hoping to read soon. Happy Listening and Happy Reading! Emily and Chris

Welcome to Episode 207. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to talk with rare book dealer and author Rebecca Romney. Her first book was PRINTER’S ERROR: Irreverent Stories from Book History, and she made a significant contribution to the world of romance fiction with her collection, THE ROMANCE NOVEL IN ENGLISH: A Rare Book Survey, 1769-1999. You won’t want to miss our conversation with Rebecca at the end of the episode. Jane Austen fans will be particularly intrigued to hear about her current project! We have had some genuinely delightful Biblio Adventures since the last episode. Two were joint jaunts: seeing Caroline Leavitt discuss her new novel, DAYS OF WONDER, at R.J. Julia Booksellers in Madison, CT, and watching SHIRLEY, a trippy movie about a fictionalized Shirley Jackson based on the novel of the same name by Susan Scarf Merrell. Emily and Aunt Ellen visited Yu and Me Books in NYC’s Chinatown. We also each attended different virtual events through the North Haven Public Library. Chris attended “A Literary Examination of Power and Art” with Xochitl Gonzalez, discussing her books ANITA DE MONTE LAUGHS LAST and OLGA DIES DREAMING. Emily attended “The Foods, People, and Innovations That Feed Us – A Sweeping History of Food and Culture” with Smithsonian Curator Paula J. Johnson, discussing the book SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN TABLE. See the episode show notes for links to recordings of both events. In our reading lives, we finished a variety of books and stories. BLESS YOUR HEART (cozy horror) by Lindy Ryan, DIGITAL MINIMALISM (self-help/productivity) by Cal Newport, and JAMES (literary fiction) by Percival Everett (the audiobook is fantastic!), THE EDITOR: How Publishing Legend Judith Jones Shaped Culture in America (biography) by Sara B. Franklin, PRIDE AND PRESTON LIN (romance) by Christina Hwang Dudley, HOW TO READ A BOOK (literary fiction/romance) by Monica Wood, and two short stories: “Vampires in the Lemon Grove” from the collection VAMPIRES IN THE LEMON GROVE: And Other Stories by Karen Russell and “The Bookeeper’s Wife” by Willa Cather. As always, we also talk about what we’re reading and hoping to read. We are super excited about an upcoming Biblio Adventure with Aunt Ellen to The Ripped Bodice bookstore in Brooklyn. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we enjoyed recording it. Happy Listening and Happy Reading! Emily & Chris https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2024/episode207

Welcome to Episode 206 where we have a fantastic conversation with Rebecca Rego Barry, author of THE VANISHING OF CAROLYN WELLS: Investigations into a Forgotten Mystery Author. One reviewer referred to Barry’s book as a “process biography.” It is true, Barry takes you along on her investigation into the life of Carolyn Wells who, it turns out, wrote more than mysteries. She wrote poetry, plays, screenplays, puzzles, children's books, and a YA series. Wells was also a serious book collector in a time when that pursuit was considered the domain of men. With Mother’s Day just around the corner, this biography would make a great gift. Along with our friend Kate, we did a buddy read of Carson McCullers’ novella, REFLECTIONS IN A GOLDEN EYE. This was part of our Biblio Adventure to Nyack, NY where McCuller’s lived for the last 30 years of her life (which wasn’t a very long long life: she died at 50, so she actually lived most of her life in Nyack). We explored the grounds of her home (it is not a public author home at this time) and paid our respects at the Oak Hill Cemetery where Carson is buried next to her mother. We visited Big Red Books, a Little Free Library, Pickwick Books, and the gorgeous Nyack Public Library. (Check out our social media for some pics.) We also recap our Biblio Adventure to NYC which was metamorphosed by an earthquake in New Jersey that was felt throughout the Northeast. As always, we talk about what we’ve read, are reading, and want to read. Highlights include PIGLET by Lottie Hazell, THE STOLEN CHILD by Ann Hood (out 5/7), MOBY DICK by Herman Melville, HOW TO READ by Monica Wood (out 5/7), SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY by Edgar Lee Masters, BLESS YOUR HEART by Lindy Ryan, THE EDITOR: How Publishing Legend Judith Jones Shaped Culture in America by Sara B. Franklin (out 5/28), and two short stories: “Touchless Bidet” by Omar El Akkad from the collection SMALL ODYSSEYS: Selected Shorts Presents 35 New Stories edited by Hannah Tinti and “A Simple Question” from the collection OLD CRIMES: And Other Stories by Jill McCorkle. If you’ve been enjoying our podcast, please share it with a friend and consider leaving a review on iTunes or whatever app you use to listen. Thanks for listening, and Happy Reading! Chris & Emily

Welcome to Episode 205! April is National Poetry Month and we are here for it. Emily is currently reading YOU ARE HERE: Poetry in the Natural World, a new anthology edited by Ada Limón, and Chris is reading BOATS FOR WOMEN by Sandra Yannone. Since our last episode, Chris finished listening to WAKE UP WITH PURPOSE! What I’ve Learned in my First Hundred Years by Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt. She also enjoyed the first issue of DEPROG by Tina Horn, Gab Contreras, Dani Strips, and Lisa Sterle, and dipped into RIVER EAST, RIVER WEST by Aube Rey Lescure (long listed for the Women’s Prize). Emily read two suspense thrillers: INTIMACIES by Katie Kitamura and WHEN THE CICADAS CRY by Caroline Cleveland, and then went to a happier place with A BAKER’S YEAR: Twelve Months of Baking and Living the Simple Life at the Smoke Signals Bakery by Tara Jensen. As always we talk about what we’re reading, what we want to read, and Biblio Adventures we’ve been on, like seeing Rachel Slade discuss her new book MAKING IT IN AMERICA: The Almost Impossible Quest to Manufacture in the U.S.A. and How It Got That Way, at R.J. Julia Booksellers in Madison, CT. Happy Listening & Happy Reading!

We begin Episode 204 with the announcement of our second quarter readalong in our year of reading romance and end with a delightful conversation with author Allison Pataki about her fabulous new novel, FINDING MARGARET FULLER. Since our last episode, Emily has continued with her intention of reading a short story every Monday. She read “Lot” by Bryan Washington from the story collection LOT: Stories and “Postcards from Heaven” from REUNION BEACH: Stories Inspired by Dorothea Benton Frank. Chris also read a short story, “Consequences” by Willa Cather from the story collection UNCLE VALENTINE AND OTHER STORIES. We each read an excellent novel – we’re talking Top 10 contenders! Emily read THE FROZEN RIVERr by Ariel Lawhon and Chris finished WE GOT THE BEAT by Jenna Miller. In Biblio Adventures, Chris has rekindled a childhood fascination with Mary Stuart (aka Mary I of Scotland or Mary, Queen of Scots). She watched two movies: Mary, Queen of Scots starring Vanessa Redgrave, and Mary Queen of Scots starring Saoirse Ronan based on John Guy's biography QUEEN OF SCOTS: The True Life of Mary Stuart. She plans to read Antonia Fraser’s biography, Mary, Queen of Scots for Big Book Summer. Emily took a trip to Wilmington, NC where she tried unsuccessfully to shop at Papercuts Bookshop because it was closed for inventory. She did find two Little Free Libraries where she picked up THIRTEEN MOONS by Charles Frazier, INTIMACIES by Katie Kitamura, and EACH PEACH PEAR PLUM by Janet and Allan Ahlberg. Back in CT, Emily went to the North Haven public library where she purchased LOTt: Stories by Bryan Washington and WHO’S IRISH?: Stories by Gish Jen from the Friends of the Library sale, and attended a presentation with Linda Civitello author of BAKING POWDER WARS: The Cutthroat Food Fight That Revolutionized Cooking.

Welcome to Episode 203! Some highlights of this episode: Emily dives into the pages of THE FROZEN RIVER by Ariel Lawhon and the delicious world of baking with THE COOKIE THAT CHANGED MY LIFE cookbook by Nancy Silverton and Carolynn Carreno. Meanwhile, Chris is back in high school with Jenna Miller's new sapphic YA romance, WE GOT THE BEAT. Emily devoured Elle Cosimano's new release, FINLAY DONOVAN ROLLS THE DICE, and was deeply moved by Suleika Jaouad's memoir BETWEEN TWO KINGDOMS. She also read three short stories: "Itinerary" by Lucia Berlin in EVENING IN PARADISE and "Los Angeles" and "Office Hours" by Ling Ma in BLISS MONTAGE: Stories. Chris highly recommends the new and first biography of a once hugely popular woman writer, THE VANISHING OF CAROLYN WELLS by Rebecca Rego Barry. She also revisited ETHAN FROME before reading SUMMER by Edith Wharton. We also discuss INDIGO by Beverly Jenkins, our first-quarter readalong pick. A question for those of you who read it: do you think Hester’s name could be a nod to Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter? In Biblio Adventures, Chris explored The Library of Congress in Washington, DC. Over On Ingredient One, Emily sat down with Louise Miller, author of THE CITY BAKER’S GUIDE TO COUNTRY LIVING AND THE LATE BLOOMER’S CLUB.