Thoughts from a Page Podcast

In this interview, I chat with Jakob Kerr about Dead Money, his inspiration for this story, how his work in the tech industry informed this book, how thriller stories follow the money, his writing process, focusing on character development, and much more. Jakob's recommended reads are: Longmire by Craig Johnson What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page 2025 Winter Reading Guide with 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this winter. I also include mystery series recommendations, new releases in a next-in-the-series section and fiction and nonfiction pairings. Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2025? Check out our third Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead.     Dead Money can be purchased at my Bookshop storefront.      Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this interview, I chat with Renee Rosen about Let's Call Her Barbie, the story of how Barbie came to be, why Barbie looks like she does, what Renee couldn't include, the editing process, her title and cover, and much more. Renee's recommended reads are: The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn The Many Lives and Loves of Hazel Lavery by Lois Cahall Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page 2025 Winter Reading Guide with 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this winter. I also include mystery series recommendations, new releases in a next-in-the-series section and fiction and nonfiction pairings. Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2025? Check out our third Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead.     Let's Call Her Barbie can be purchased at my Bookshop storefront.      Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kelly Hooker joins me for the January's Real Time Reading episode where we highlight our current, past and upcoming reads. Kelly’s Selections: Last:  Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine Penitence by Kristen Koval Now: The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom by Shari Franke Dream State by Eric Puchner Next: Our Last Resort by Clemence Michallon The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett DNFs or Didn't Like: The Antidote by Karen Russell Book Mail Highlights: Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang Cindy's Selections: Last: Penitence by Kristin Koval  Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping on a Dead Man by Jesse Q Sutanto  Now: Let Us March On by Shara Moon  On the Grid: Life Behind the Scenes of F1 by Luke Smith Next: Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey  DNFs or Didn’t Like: The Bird Hotel by Joyce Maynard  Realm of Ice and Sky: Triumph, Tragedy, and History's Greatest Arctic Rescue by Buddy Levy Book Mail Highlights:  Hang on St Christopher by Adrian McKinty  Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle   Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my 2025 Winter Reading Guide and Kelly Hook's Winter Books. Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2025? Check out our third Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead.      Join my Patreon group to support the podcast. Other ways to support the podcast can be found here.     Connect with Kelly Hooker on Instagram. Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this interview, I chat with Tracey Lange about What Happened to the McCray's?, her personal inspiration for this story, reader response to her books, the book's release date, how guilt can overtake us, forgiveness, her title and cover, and much more. Tracey's recommended reads are: All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker Penitence by Kirstin Koval Such Kindness by Andre Dubus III Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page 2025 Winter Reading Guide with 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this winter. I also include mystery series recommendations, new releases in a next-in-the-series section and fiction and nonfiction pairings. Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2025? Check out our third Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead.     What Happened to the McCray's? can be purchased at my Bookshop storefront.      Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this interview, I chat with Karissa Chen about Homeseeking, the interesting way she landed on the format for this book, her research, how the trauma of war impacts citizens, the way she handles language in this book, names and they can change over time in certain cultures, and much more. Karissa's recommended reads are: The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia by Juliet Grames We Lived on the Horizon by Erica Zwyler What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo The Sense of Wonder by Matthew Salesses Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page 2025 Winter Reading Guide with 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this winter. I also include mystery series recommendations, new releases in a next-in-the-series section and fiction and nonfiction pairings. Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2025? Check out our third Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead.     Homeseeking can be purchased at my Bookshop storefront.      Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this interview, I chat with Fiona Davis about The Stolen Queen, how she came up with the ideas for this one, her research in Egypt and at the Metropolitan Museum of Art including the behind-the-scenes storage areas, focusing on women lost to history, her title's multiple meanings, her stunning cover, and much more. Fiona's recommended reads are: By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2025? Check out our third Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead.     The Stolen Queen can be purchased at my Bookshop storefront.      Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kelly Hooker joins me for the December's Real Time Reading episode where we highlight our current, past and upcoming reads. Kelly’s Selections: Last:  The Dollhouse Academy by Margarita Montimore  Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney Now: Deep Cuts by Holly Blakely  Bluebird Day by Megan Tady  Next: Blood and the Badge: The Mafia, Two Killer Cops, and a Scandal That Shocked the Nation by Michael Cannell  More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova DNFs or Didn't Like: The Fisherman’s Gift by Julia R. Kelly  Book Mail Highlights: The Lotus Shoes by Jane Yang Flirting With Disaster by Naina Kumar  Cindy's Selections: Last: The Siege: A Six-Day Hostage Crisis and the Daring Special-Forces Operation That Shocked the World by Ben Macintyre  Splinter Effect by Andrew Ludington  Now: Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall  Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks  Next: The Bird Hotel by Joyce Maynard  The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman  DNFs or Didn’t Like: Maya and Natasha by Elyse Durham Book Mail Highlights:  The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark  The Impossible Thing by Belinda Bauer     Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2025? Check out our third Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead.      Join my Patreon group to support the podcast.  Other ways to support the podcast can be found here.     Connect with Kelly Hooker on Instagram. Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, the Book Bumble podcast and Thoughts from a Page come together for a joint episode about books contain a strong sense of place. Featured Books: The Lost Man by Jane Harper (CB) Homecoming by Kate Morton (CB) The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer (LH) Celine by Peter Heller (LH) The Ancients by John Larison (LP) Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy (LP) Book In Hand: Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton (CB) Books Mentioned in This Episode: Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy Whiskey When We’re Dry by John Larison The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer The Survivors by Jane Harper The Lightning Bottles by Marissa Stapley The Instrumentalist by Harriet Constable American Wolf by Nate Blakeslee The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis Home Before Dark by Riley Sager The Last Ranger by Peter Heller Birdie and Harlow by Taylor Wolfe Additional Books That Go Along with Our Stack: The Dog Stars by Peter Heller Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger  A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles Akmaral by Judith Lindbergh Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson Bear by Julia Phillips The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill Jane Harper Books - The Dry, Force of Nature, Exiles Kate Morton Books - The Clockmaker’s Daughter, The Forgotten Garden, The House at Riverton This Fabled Earth by Kimberly Brock The Great Transition by Nick Fuller Googins Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2025? Check out our third Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead.      Join my Patreon group to support the podcast.  Other ways to support the podcast can be found here.     Ways to contact us: Follow us on Instagram - @thebookbumble and @thoughtsfromapage Facebook: Book Bumble and Thoughts from a Page Our website: https://thebookbumble.buzzsprout.com and thoughtsfromapage.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mary Webber O'Malley and Pamela Klinger-Horn join me to recommend their favorites reads of the first quarter of 2025. Pamela's selections: January: The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova Too Soon by Betty Shamiah The Favorites by Layne Fargo February: A Long Time Gone by Joshua Moehling Tilda Is Visible by Jane Tara Isola by Allegra Goodman March: Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry The Jackal's Mistress by Chris Bohjalian April: A Lesser Light by Peter Geye Mary's selections: January: Let's Call Her Barbie by Renee Rosen The Three Lives of Cate Cay by Kate Fagan The Lotus Shoes by Jane Yang Penitence by Kristin Koval February: Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks A Forty Year Kiss by Nick Butler People of Means by Nancy Johnson The Snow Birds by Christina Clancy The Lamb by Lucy Rose March: Saving Five by Amanda Nguyen The Other March Sisters by Linda Epstein, Ally Malinenko and Liz Parker Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2025? Check out our third Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead.      Support the podcast by joining my Patreon.  Other ways to support the podcast can be found here.     Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and Twitter.  Mary's social media handles: Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and Twitter. Pamela's social media handles: Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Kelly Hooker and I discuss our top reads of 2024. Our Top Shared Reads: First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston  We Used to Life Here by Marcus Kliewer Kelly’s Remaining Selections:   Mercury by Amy Jo Burns Everyone but Myself by Julie Chavez Drinker of Ink by Shannon Castleton Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Trafficking by Jason De Leon  How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley Same as it Ever Was by Claire Lombardo All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker God of the Woods by Liz Moore The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella The Best Lies by David Ellis The Axeman’s Carnival by Catherine Chidgey The Sing Sing Files by Dan Slepian The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston Cindy’s Remaining Selections: Family Family by Laurie Frankel The Queen of Sugar Hill by ReShonda Tate Dixon Descending by Karen Outen The Women by Kristin Hannah Whiskey Tender by Deborah Taffa The Husbands by Holly Gramazio Crow Talk by Eileen Garvin How to Read a Book by Monica Wood Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy When Women Ran Fifth Avenue by Julie Satow The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby by Ellery Lloyd The Wedding People by Alison Espach The Lantern of Lost Memories by Sanaka Hiiragi The Lightning Bottles by Marissa Stapley Eddie Winston Is Looking for Love by Marianne Cronin Honorable mention: Maria by Michele Moran Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2025? Check out our third Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead.      Join my Patreon group to support the podcast.  Other ways to support the podcast can be found here.     Connect with Kelly Hooker on Instagram. Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jayda Justus recommends books for gift giving this holiday. Her recommendations: Favorite Fiction: Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp by Michelle Moran  What the Mountains Remember by Joy Callaway  Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear  Evelyne Redfern series by Julia Kelly  Shogun by James Clavell The Turtle House by Amanda Churchill London or New York by Edward Rutherfurd  A Woman of Intelligence by Karin Tanabe  Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner  Presidential or First Lady history buff: The Official White House Christmas Ornament: Collected Stories Of A Holiday Tradition by White House Historical Society  Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America's History-Making Women by Diana B. Carlin, Anita B. McBride, and Nancy Kegan Smith Jackie: A Novel by Dawn Tripp  The Loves of Theodore Roosevelt: The Women Who Created a President by Edward O’Keefe  Classics lovers: Anne of Green Gables or Pride and Prejudice illustrated by Barbara Heller Anne, Little Women, and The Secret Garden by Rachel Dodge Christmas with Louisa May Alcott or Christmas with Charles Dickens Christmas books: Christmas Bells by Jennifer Chiaverini  Mr. Dickens and his Carol by Samantha Silva  Always, in December by Emily Stone  Historical cooking: Eat Like a Heroine by Lorilee Craker and Jenny Williams  Tasting History by Max Miller  Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2025? Check out our third Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead.     Jayda can be found on her website and Instagram. Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this interview, I chat with Marybeth about Every Moment Since, the inspiration for this book, her book dedication, society's current obsession with true crime, changing agents due to writing this book, how she chose who would tell the story, pouring her heart and soul into this one, her title and cover, and much more. Marybeth's recommended reads are: The Devil at His Elbow by Valerie Bauerlein What in the World?! by Leanne Morgan Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2025? Check out our third Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead.     Every Moment Since can be purchased at my Bookshop storefront.      Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Kelly and I chat about our favorite books that published in July through early October 2024. Our shared top reads: The Wedding People by Alison Espach  We Solve Murders by Richard Osman  The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman Kelly’s remaining top reads: The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella  Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne The Best Lies by David Ellis  Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman  The Axeman’s Carnival by Catherine Chidgey  The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston  Exposure by Ava Dellaira  The Sing Sing Files by Dan Slepian  The Small and The Mighty by Sharon McMahon  Cindy’s remaining top reads: May the Wolf Die by Elizabeth Heider The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood The Family Experiment by John Marrs The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu Maria by Michelle Moran Elizabeth of East Hampton by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding The Lightning Bottles by Marissa Stapley The Lantern of Lost Memories by Sanaka Hiiragi The Fabled Earth by Kimberly Brock Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2025? Check out our third Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead.      Join my Patreon group to support the podcast.  Other ways to support the podcast can be found here.     Connect with Kelly Hooker on Instagram. Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this interview, I chat with Elly Griffiths about The Man in Black, how this group of short stories came into being, her favorite story in the collection, what surprised her the most when writing them, how the stories are ordered, her covers in the U.K. and the U.S., her work in translation, and much more. Elly's recommended reads are: One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? by Nicci French Babel by R. F. Kuang Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2025? Check out our third Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead.     The Man in Black can be purchased at my Bookshop storefront.      Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kelly Hooker joins me for the November's Real Time Reading episode where we highlight our current, past and upcoming reads. Kelly’s Selections: Last:  The Favorites by Layne Fargo  A Very Bad Thing by J.T. Ellison Now: The Dollhouse Academy by Margarita Montimore  The Dark Hours by Amy Jordan  Next: The Fisherman’s Gift by Julia R. Kelly  The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens  DNFs or Didn't Like: The Garden by Nick Newman  The Family Inside by Katie Garner Tilt by Emma Pate Book Mail Highlights: All The Water in the World by Eiren Caffall Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch Cindy's Selections: Last: Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson Nesting by Roisin O’Donnell  Now: Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray Vanishing Treasures: A Bestiary of Extraordinary Endangered Creatures by Katherine Rundell  Next: The Library of Lost Dollhouses by Elise Hooper  We Will Be Jaguars by Nemonte Nenquimo DNFs or Didn’t Like: Eden Undone by Abbott Kahler  Mask of the Deer Woman by Laurie L. Dove The Other People by C.B. Everett We Are Watching by Alison Gaylin The Note by Alafair Burke Book Mail Highlights:  We Rip the World Apart by Charlene Carr  Murder Among the Pyramids by Sara Rosett    Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2025? Check out our third Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead.      Join my Patreon group to support the podcast.  Other ways to support the podcast can be found here.     Connect with Kelly Hooker on Instagram. Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this interview, I chat with Sy Montgomery about What the Chicken Knows, her title and cover, why she loves chickens so much, what she wants her readers to take away from this book, how each flock has its own vibe, and much more. Sy's recommended reads are: Playing Possum: How Animals Understand Death by Susana Monso Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2025? Check out our third Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead.     What the Chicken Knows can be purchased at my Bookshop storefront.      Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this interview, I chat with Marissa Stapley about The Lightning Bottles, her musical muses for Jane and Elijah, including a road trip component in her story, how she approached writing about the drug use of the era, determining who tells the story and why she chose who she did, and much more. Marissa's recommended reads are: Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2025? Check out our third Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead.     The Lightning Bottles can be purchased at my Bookshop storefront.      Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For today’s episode, I am running a Chapters and Chats conversation with Chris Whitaker about All the Colors of the Dark. Chapters and Chats is run by Kelly of @kellyhook.readsbooks and Ivana of @beachesbooksnbubbles. You can contact either one of them to be added to their list for a particular chat. Check out their Instagram accounts to learn more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this interview, I chat with Kirsty Greenwood about The Love of My Afterlife, how popular the romance genre currently is, romance tropes and including them in her book, her favorite trope, her U.S. and U.K. covers, being selected as the GMA July pick, the screen adaptation, and much more. Kirsty's recommended reads are: Under Your Spell by Laura Wood How to End a Love Story by Yulia Huang Join my Patreon to support the production of my podcast.  Other ways to support the podcast can be found here.    The Love of My Afterlife can be purchased at my Bookshop storefront.      Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this interview, I chat with Lynda Cohen Loigman about The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern, the familial inspirations for this book, her title and stunning cover, including humor into the narrative, how hard she worked to get her characters' voices right, the research she conducted, The Thursday Authors, and much more. Lynda's recommended reads are: The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo The Wedding People by Alison Espach Four Squares by Bobby Finger Join my Patreon to support the production of my podcast.  Other ways to support the podcast can be found here.    The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern can be purchased at my Bookshop storefront.      Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices