Episode 254 - Author Spotlight with Tiya Miles

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Author Spotlight with Tiya Miles

Episode 254 Show Notes

All of the links below connect to our shop on Bookshop.org – support the Book Cougars and independent bookstores!

You can also purchase a Bookshop.org gift card.

In celebration of our readalong theme for 2026, we have created a Page to Screen Bingo card. Enjoy filling it out over the course of the year and email a copy by 12/31/2026 to be entered to win a gift card to Bookshop.org.

– Currently Reading –
In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower: In Search of Lost Time, Volume 2 – Marcel Proust (CW)
The Reservation – Rebecca Kauffman (EF)
Russ & Daughters: 100 Years of Appetizing – co-authored by Niki Russ Federman and Josh Russ Tupper (EF)

– Just Read –
Frankenstein: The 1818 Text –Mary Shelley (CW) (audiobook)
Cece Downing’s Start Over Summer – Soon Wiley (EF) release date 6/16/2026
Tales from the Haunted South: Dark Tourism and Memories of Slavery from the Civil War Era – Tiya Miles (CW) (audiobook)
Night Flyer: Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People – Tiya Miles (EF) (audiobook)  

– Biblio Adventures –
Emily recommends listening to an interview between Guillermo Del Toro, director of Frankenstein, and Terry Gross on Fresh Air; listen here.

Chris watched a movie inspired by Jane Austen called Sense, Sensibility, & Snowmen.

Emily binged season four of The Lincoln Lawyer based on the novel The Law of Innocence by Michael Connelly.

Chris and Emily were dining at Fair Haven Oyster Co. where they noticed a delightful little free library. Chris stopped at one of her favorite little free libraries in Stony Creek, down the street from the Willoughby Wallace Memorial Library.

Emily watched the second event in the Aspen Winter Words series with Lily King and her book Heart the Lover. She was in conversation with Mitzi Rapkin.

– Upcoming Jaunts –
Chris and Emily are going on a joint jaunt to the Schubert Theater in New Haven for a showing of The Librarians.

Emily has the third event in the Aspen Winter Words series with Tara Roberts and her book Written in the Waters: A Memoir of History, Home, and Belonging.

Partners in Crime Bookshop has opened in Chicago.

– Upcoming Reads –
All That Remains – Patricia Cornwall (CW)
Awake in the Floating City – Susanna Kwan (EF)

– Out Now –
More Than Enough – Anna Quindlen
Kin – Tayari Jones

– Author Spotlight with Tiya Miles –
We had the opportunity to speak with Tiya Miles about her new book Night Flyer: Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People.

You can learn more about Tiya and her writing on her website.

– Q1 Readalong –
The 2026 first quarter readalong is Frankenstein: The 1818 Text by Mary Shelley.

The Zoom conversation will take place on Sunday, March 1 at 7pm (ET). Send an email if you would like to join.

Join the Goodreads discussion thread.

Here’s a Wikipedia page that includes a link of Frankenstein adaptations.

Frankenstein screen adaptations we plan to watch:
Frankenstein: The Man Who Made a Monster starring Boris Karloff
Young Frankenstein starring Gene Wilder
Frankenstein the most recent adaptation, directed by Guillermo del Torro
The Bride, forthcoming in March, directed by Magie Gyllenhaal

– Also Mentioned –
Her Life in Ink: Elizabeth Jordan, Journalist, Editor, and Mystery Author – Sharon M. Harris (CW)
Harriet Beecher Stowe Center
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
Amelia Bloomer: Journalist, Suffragist, Anti-Fashion Icon by Sara Catterall
Writers & Lovers by Lily King
From Where You Dream: The Process of Writing Fiction by Robert Olen Butler
All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley's Sack, a Black Family Keepsake by Tiya Miles
Harriet the movie

Help support the Book Cougars via our affiliates:
Libro.fm audiobook platform: Follow this link and use promo code: bookcougars

Help support the Book Cougars, by becoming a Patreon member.
If you would prefer to donate directly, email for instructions.
Sponsor an episode of the podcast or the newsletter.

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

Join our Goodreads Group!

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Episode 253 - Author Spotlight with Sharon M. Harris

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Author Sharon M. Harris

Episode 253 Show Notes

– Announcing the 2026 Readalong Theme –
Books that have been made into film adaptations! Follow the year on social media via #bookstofilm2026.

The 2026 first quarter readalong is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

Here’s a Wikipedia page that includes a link of Frankenstein adaptations.

The Zoom conversation will take place on Sunday, March 1 at 7pm (ET). Send an email if you would like to join.

Join the Goodreads discussion thread.

– Currently Reading –
Night Flyer: Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People – Tiya Miles (EF) (audiobook)
In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower: In Search of Lost Time, Volume 2 – Marcel Proust (CW)
Cece Downing’s Start Over Summer – Soon Wiley (EF) release date 6/16/2026

– Just Read –
Joyride – Susan Orlean (EF) (audiobook)
The Lady of Pentlands – Elizabeth Jordan (CW)
Kin – Tayari Jones (EF) release date 2/24/2026
Tilt – Emma Pattee (EF)
Her Life in Ink: Elizabeth Jordan, Journalist, Editor, and Mystery Author – Sharon M. Harris (CW)(EF)

– Biblio Adventures –
Chris attended BIO LAB, an annual one-day online forum on the craft of biography organized by the Biographers’ International Organization where she learned about and is excited to read Susan Page’s forthcoming book The Queen and Her Presidents publishing on 2/14/26.  

Emily visited Bart’s Books in Ojai, California where she picked up a copy of Startlement, the new poetry collection by Ada Limón. She also stopped at Kitchen Lingo Culinary Books in Long Beach where she was interested to find Staple to Superfood: A Global History of the Sweet Potato by Q Edward Wang.

Chris discussed Body of Evidence by Patricia Cornwell, book number two in the Kay Scarpetta series, with Our Mystery Man, John Valeri, over homemade lasagna and store-bought donuts. They are doing a monthly buddy read of the series which you can learn more about on Chris’s Blog.

Emily had a Couch Biblio Adventure where she watched Small Things Like These based on the novel by Claire Keegan.

Chris went to New York City to renew her NYPL library card at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library and do some research.

Emily attended the first event in her virtual season pass to Aspen Winter Words, with Susan Orlean and her memoir Joyride, in conversation with Christine Benedetti.

– Upcoming Jaunts –
Emily has the second event in the Aspen Winter Words series with Lily King and her book Heart the Lover.

Emily is planning to attend an event with Alice Hoffman who is heading out on tour with the essay collection, The Best Dog in the World; tour dates can be found here.

February 19, 2026 at 8pm (ET), Chris is registered for the Willa Cather Center’s Virtual Author Series featuring Brad Bigelow and his biography, Virginia Faulkner: A Life in Two Acts. The event is free, register here.

February 21, there is an all-day enrichment event, “Anam Cara: Thomas Merton, and Pursuing Relationships That Enlighten Our Lives” featuring Sohpfronia Scott author of The Seeker and the Monk: Everyday Conversations with Thomas Merton. Registration is available here.

– Upcoming Reads –
Missing Sam – Thrity Umrigar (EF)
Startlement – Ada Limón (EF)
Frankenstein – Mary Shelley (CW)(EF)
Hobomok and Other Writings on Indians – Lydia Maria Child (CW)

– Author Spotlight with Sharon M. Harris –
We are thrilled to welcome Sharon M. Harris (aka, Sherry) to the podcast! Sherry’s new biography, Her Life in Ink: Elizabeth Jordan, Journalist, Editor, and Mystery Author.

Learn more about Sherry and her writing on her website.

– Also Mentioned –
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
Also by Tayari Jones: Silver Sparrow and An American Marriage
Becoming Dr. Seuss: Theodor Geisel and the Making of an American Imagination by Brian Jay Jones
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
The Transit of Venus by Shirley Hazzard
Also by Thrity Umrigar: Honor and The Museum of Failures
Frankenstein screen adaptations we plan to watch:
Frankenstein: The Man Who Made a Monster starring Boris Karloff
Young Frankenstein starring Gene Wilder
Frankenstein the most recent adaptation directed by Guillermo del Torro
The Bride, forthcoming in March directed by Magie Gyllenhaal

Help support the Book Cougars via our affiliates:
Libro.fm audiobook platform: Follow this link and use promo code: bookcougars
Shop on Bookshop.org – support the Book Cougars and independent bookstores!
Purchase a Bookshop.org gift card.

Help support the Book Cougars, by becoming a Patreon member.
If you would prefer to donate directly, email for instructions.
Sponsor an episode of the podcast or the newsletter.

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

Join our Goodreads Group!

Check out our BookTube Channel and be sure to subscribe!

Episode 248 - Author Spotlight with Natalie Dykstra

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Book Cougars Episode 248

Episode 248 Show Notes

–Author Spotlight with Natalie Dykstra–Natalie is the author of Clover Adams: A Gilded and Heartbreaking Life and Chasing Beauty: The Life of Isabella Stewart Gardner.

Learn more about Natalie and her writing here.

Consider visiting the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum.

– Episode Sponsor –
Closing Costs by Jani Steele

– Upcoming Reads –
“Afterward” by Edith Wharton from The Penguin Book of Ghost Stories: From Elizabeth Gaskell to Ambrose Bierce (CW)(EF) (audiobook) 

– Also Mentioned –
Houghton Library

Help support the Book Cougars via our affiliates:
Libro.fm audiobook platform: Follow this link and use promo code: bookcougars
Shop on Bookshop.org – support the Book Cougars and independent bookstores!

Help support the Book Cougars, by becoming a Patreon member.
If you would prefer to donate directly, email for instructions.
Sponsor an episode of the podcast or the newsletter.

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

Join our Goodreads Group!

Check out our BookTube Channel and be sure to subscribe!

Episode 238 - Author Spotlight with Clare Beams

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Author Clare Beams

Episode 238 Show Notes

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
Help support the Book Cougars, by becoming a Patreon member.
If you would prefer to donate directly, email for instructions.
Sponsor an episode of the podcast or the newsletter.

– Currently Reading –
Summer on the Lakes from Margaret Fuller: Collected Writings (LOA #388) co-edited by Brigitte Bailey, Leslie Eckel, and Megan Marshall (CW)
Buckeye – Patrick Ryan (EF) (release date 9/2/2025)
A True History of the United States: Indigenous Genocide, Racialized Slavery, Hyper-Capitalism, Militarist Imperialism and Other Overlooked Aspects of American Exceptionalism – Daniel Sjursen (CW) (audiobook)

– Just Read –
Feeding Ghosts – Tessa Hulls (EF)
Silas Marner – George Eliot (CW)
Beautyland – Mary Helene-Bertino (EF)
Thrawn Janet by Robert Louis Stevenson and The Open Door by Margaret Oliphant from The Penguin Book of Ghost Stories: From Elizabeth Gaskell to Ambrose Bierce (CW)(EF) (audiobook)   
The Garden – Clare Beams (CW)(EF)
Join the buddy read. We will be discussing the novel on Episode 238. You can also join the online conversation over on Goodreads.

– Biblio Adventures –
Chris enjoyed "Writers on Writing" a conversation between Carmen Maria Machado and Megan Stielstra via The Newberry's YouTube channel. Read Megan Stielstra’s essay Channel B.

Emily found a copy of The God of the Woods by Liz Moore in a little free library in Colorado but had to leave it there since her suitcase was too heavy. Once home in Guilford, she did a bike ride with The Gentleman Caller to check her favorite little free libraries around town. 

Chris watched the 1997 adaptation of The Shining.

Emily recaps her two writing seminars, one with Betsy Lerner focused on first sentences and titles and the other was with Shuly Cawood about the list essay. Find Shuly’s upcoming classes.

– Upcoming Jaunts –
On Wednesday, July 9th Chris and Emily are heading to the New Haven Public Library for the launch of the New Haven Memory Lab. Learn more here.

Emily is kicking off her buddy read of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. She is also listening to the audiobook narrated by Alexandra O’Karma and plans to watch the 1940 movie adaptation.

– Upcoming Reads –
Rebecca – Daphne du Maurier (EF)
Join Emily’s buddy read over on Goodreads.
How to Say Babylon – Safiya Sinclair (EF) (audiobook)
Nanaville – Anna Quindlen (EF)
Not Quite a Ghost – Anne Ursu (EF)
Dracula’s Brunch Club – Brian Gonsar, illustrated by Keenan Gaybba (CW) (release date 8/12/2025)

– Author Spotlight with Clare Beams –
Clare joins us to discuss her novel The Garden.
Clare also wrote the novel The Illness Lesson and the short story collection We Show What We Have Learned & Other Stories.  
Learn more about Clare here.

– 2025 Readalong Theme and 3rd Quarter Book –
The 3rd Quarter Readalong is The Upstairs House by Julia Fine. The Zoom conversation will take place on Sunday, August 17th at 7pm (ET). Send us an email if you would like to join. You can join the online conversation via the Goodreads discussion thread. We are also planning a companion read of The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.

Our theme for 2025 is Ghost Stories! Click here to follow everything Ghost Stories 2025.

There is a ghost story discussion thread on Goodreads. Come tell us about your favorite ghost stories or those you are interested in reading.

Over the course of the year, we will be reading The Penguin Book of Ghost Stories: From Elizabeth Gaskell to Ambrose Bierce, one story at a time. If you would like to join us there is a schedule available on Goodreads or we can email a copy.

– Also Mentioned –
O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde
Author Edith Wharton
The Shining by Stephen King
Finding a New Normal: Living Your Best Life with Chronic Illness by Suzan L. Jackson
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders

Help support the Book Cougars via our affiliates:
Libro.fm audiobook platform: Follow this link and use promo code: bookcougars

Shop on Bookshop.org – support the Book Cougars and independent bookstores!

Join our Goodreads Group!

Check out our BookTube Channel and be sure to subscribe!

Episode 234 - Author Spotlight with Elissa Altman

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Author Spotlight with Elissa Altman

Episode 234 Show Notes

– Currently Reading –
One of Ours – Willa Cather (CW)
Feeding Ghosts – Tessa Hulls (EF)
Renegade Girls: A Queer Tale of Romance and Rabble-Rousing  – Nora Neus, illustrated by Julie Robine (CW)
The Good House – Tananarive Due (EF) (audiobook)        
The Forest for the Trees – Betsy Lerner (EF)

– Just Read –
The Good House – Tananarive Due (CW)
Leaving – Roxana Robinson (EF)
When I Was Straight – Julie Marie Wade (CW)
Permission: The New Memoirist and the Courage to Create – Elissa Altman (EF) (audiobook)
Jane Austen’s Bookshelf: A Rare Book Collector's Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend – Rebecca Romney (CW)
Green Tea by Sheridan Le Fanu by Charles Dickens from The Penguin Book of Ghost Stories: From Elizabeth Gaskell to Ambrose Bierce (CW)(EF) (audiobook)   

– Episode Sponsor –
True Home by Janet Clare
Learn more about Janet and her writing here.

– Biblio Adventures –
Chris and Emily went on a joint jaunt to NYC to visit Aunt Ellen. Stops included the Belle de Costa Green exhibit at The Morgan Library & Museum and the Selected Shorts: Classics with a Twist with Meg Wolitzer and Friends at Symphony Space.

Emily went to Hartford Theater Works to attending Matthew Dick’s one man show Shovel.

Chris met a friend for coffee at Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore in Middletown, CT then she strolled Wesleyan University’s campus and discovered another outpost of RJ’s bookstore, unfortunately it was closed.

– Upcoming Jaunts –
Chris is heading on a trip to Chicago to visit her mom and has some fun stops planned on the drive.

Emily signed up to attend a writing workshop with Betsy Lerner at the Willoughby Wallace Library and a List Essay Workshop with Shuly Cawood on May 28 from 2:30-5:30. 

Emily is registered for an event at RJ Julia Booksellers on Tuesday, May 20 at 6 pm (ET) to see Amy Bloom in conversation with her daughter Sarah Moon to discuss Sarah’s new novel Family Week.

– Upcoming Reads –
A Family Matter – Claire Lynch (EF)
The Belgian Girls – Kathryn J. Atwood (CW)
52 Ways to Reconcile: How to Walk with Indigenous Peoples on the Path to Healing – David A. Robertson (CW)
A Century of Queer Korean Fiction – Samuel Perry (CW)
The Penguin Book of Ghost Stories: From Elizabeth Gaskell to Ambrose Bierce up next is The Ghost in the Cap’n Brown House by Harriet Beecher Stowe. If you would like to join us there is a schedule available on Goodreads or we can email a copy.

– Out Now –
Speak to Me of Home – Jeannine Cummins
Food Person – Adam Roberts

– Author Spotlight with Elissa Altman –
We talk with Elissa about her writing life and her books including Permission: The New Memoirist and the Courage to Create. Learn more about Elissa here.

– 2025 Readalong Theme and 2nd Quarter Book –
Our theme for 2025 is Ghost Stories! Click here to follow everything Ghost Stories 2025.

There is a ghost story discussion thread on Goodreads. Come tell us about your favorite ghost stories or those you are interested in reading.

The 2nd Quarter Readalong and our Episode 230 Giveaway is The Good House by Tananarive Due. The Zoom conversation will take place on Sunday, June 8th at 7pm (ET). Send us an email if you would like to join. You can join the online conversation via the Goodreads discussion thread.

Over the course of the year, we will be reading The Penguin Book of Ghost Stories: From Elizabeth Gaskell to Ambrose Bierce, one story at a time. If you would like to join us there is a schedule available on Goodreads or we can email a copy.

– Also Mentioned –
James by Percival Everett
Caste and The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
The English Patient by Michael Ondatjee
Killers of a Certain Age and Kills Well With Others by Deanna Raybourn
Watch our conversation with Deanna on BookTube
Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu
Author Bram Stoker
Abridged Classics: Brief Summaries of Books You Were Supposed to Read but Probably Didn't by John Atkinson
The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer
SpeakUp storytelling
Kaweco pens
St. Louis Art Supply Company
Heaven’s Coast by Mark Doty
Saving Ellen: A Memoir of Hope and Recovery by Maura Casey

Help support the Book Cougars via our affiliates:
Libro.fm audiobook platform: Follow this link and use promo code: bookcougars
Shop on Bookshop.org – support the Book Cougars and independent bookstores!

If you’d like to help financially support the Book Cougars, please consider becoming a Patreon member. If you would prefer to donate directly, email for instructions.

Join our Goodreads Group!

Check out our BookTube Channel and be sure to subscribe!

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

Episode 233 - Author Spotlight with Matthew Goodman

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Episode 233 with author Matthew Goodman

Episode 233 Show Notes

– Currently Reading –
The Good House – Tananarive Due (CW)
Leaving – Roxana Robinson (EF)
The Bean Book: 100 Recipes for Cooking All Kinds of Beans, from the Rancho Gordo Kitchen [A Cookbook] – Steve Sando, Julia Newberry (EF)

– Just Read –
Ephemera: A Memoir – Briana Loewinsohn (CW)
Food Person – Adam Roberts (EF) release date 5/20/2025
The Signal Man by Charles Dickens from The Penguin Book of Ghost Stories: From Elizabeth Gaskell to Ambrose Bierce (CW)(EF) (audiobook)   
Two essays from The Portable Feminist Reader:
“Being Female” by Eileen Myles
“If Men Could Menstruate” by Gloria Steinem
Paris Undercover: A Wartime Story of Courage, Friendship, and Betrayal – Matthew Goodman (CW)(EF) (audiobook)   

– Biblio Adventures –
Chris and Emily went on a joint jaunt to Bank Square Books to see Maura Casey discuss her memoir Saving Ellen. Check out our conversation with Maura here. Chris also met with our friend Kate at the Mystic Noank Library where they discussed their buddy reads of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë and Old New York by Edith Wharton.

Chris and Emily attended Matthew Goodman’s event at the Guilford Free Library. His new book is Paris Undercover.

Joined by The Gentleman Caller, Chris and Emily celebrated Independent Bookstore Day by visiting Breakwater Books and RJ Julia Booksellers.  Purchases included: a couple of Indestructibles, The Originalism Trap: How Extremists Stole the Constitution and How We the People Can Take It Back by Madiba K. Dennie, Peppa the Pig Loves to Bake, Pigeon Stationery, and a Leuchtturm notebook.  And they picked up the CT Book Trail Passport.

Emily attended Cherry Jubilee in NYC sponsored by Cherry Bombe. Asma Khan Monsoon owner The Darjeeling Express

Emily and Chris hosted the monthly Patreon Reading Salon on Zoom, the theme was poetry, and it was a lovely evening.

– Upcoming Jaunts –
The next Patreon Reading Salon is on May 25th at 7 pm (ET). We will be discussing our plans for reading Big Books (over 400 pages) for Sue Jackson’s Summer Reading Challenge.

Chris and Emily are heading on a joint jaunt to NYC to visit Aunt Ellen. Stops include the Belle de Costa Green exhibit at The Morgan Library & Museum and the Selected Shorts: Classics with a Twist with Meg Wolitzer and Friends at Symphony Space.

After picking up CT Book Trail Passport, Chris and Emily are planning to visit all 23 bookstores by Labor Day, September 1, 2025.

Emily is registered for an event at RJ Julia Booksellers on Tuesday, May 20 at 6 pm (ET) to see Amy Bloom in conversation with her daughter Sarah Moon to discuss Sarah’s new novel Family Week.

– Upcoming Reads –
The Penguin Book of Ghost Stories: From Elizabeth Gaskell to Ambrose Bierce up next is Green Tea by Sheridan Le Fanu. If you would like to join us there is a schedule available on Goodreads or we can email a copy.
The Correspondent – Virginia Evans (EF)
Feeding Ghosts – Tessa Hulls (EF)
Renegade Girls: A Queer Tale of Romance and Rabble-Rousing  – Nora Neus, illustrated by Julie Robine (CW)
A Well Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy – Tia Levings (CW)
Check out Tia Levings interview on Heart of the Story podcast

– Out Now –
Little Great Island – Kate Woodworth
Love Is For All of Us: Poems of Tenderness and Belonging from the LGBTQ+ Community and Friends co-edited with his husband Brad Peacock, illustrated by Lisa Congdon

– Author Spotlight with Matthew Goodman –
Matthew was featured in an Author Spotlight on Episode 95 discussing his book The City Game: Triumph, Scandal, and a Legendary Basketball Team. His new book is Paris Undercover: A Wartime Story of Courage, Friendship, and Betrayal.

You can learn more about Matthew here.

– 2025 Readalong Theme and 2nd Quarter Book –
Our theme for 2025 is Ghost Stories! Click here to follow everything Ghost Stories 2025.
There is a ghost story discussion thread on Goodreads. Come tell us about your favorite ghost stories or those you are interested in reading.

The 2nd Quarter Readalong is The Good House by Tananarive Due. The Zoom conversation will take place on Sunday, June 8th at 7pm (ET). Send us an email if you would like to join. You can join the online conversation via the Goodreads discussion thread.

Over the course of the year, we will be reading The Penguin Book of Ghost Stories: From Elizabeth Gaskell to Ambrose Bierce, one story at a time. If you would like to join us there is a schedule available on Goodreads or we can email a copy.

– Also Mentioned –
Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
The Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger
Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
Author Fiona Davis
Author and Broadcast Journalist Noah Adams
The Many Lives of Anne Frank by Ruth Franklin

Help support the Book Cougars via our affiliates:
Libro.fm audiobook platform: Follow this link and use promo code: bookcougars
Shop on Bookshop.org – support the Book Cougars and independent bookstores!

If you’d like to help financially support the Book Cougars, please consider becoming a Patreon member. If you would prefer to donate directly, email for instructions.

Join our Goodreads Group!

Check out our BookTube Channel and be sure to subscribe!

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

Episode 232 - Author Spotlight with Eowyn Ivey

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Author Spotlight with Eowyn Ivey

Episode 232 Show Notes

– Currently Reading –
The Good House – Tananarive Due (CW)
Food Person – Adam Roberts (EF) release date 5/20/2025

– Just Read –
Happy Land – Dolan Perkins-Valdez (CW)
Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life Through the Power of Storytelling – Matthew Dicks (EF) (audiobook)
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World – Cal Newport (CW) (audiobook)
The Griffin Sisters Greatest Hits – Jennifer Weiner (EF)
Old New York – Edith Wharton (CW)
Black Woods Blue Sky – Eowyn Ivey (EF)
The North Mail by Amelia B. Edwards from The Penguin Book of Ghost Stories: From Elizabeth Gaskell to Ambrose Bierce (CW)(EF)

– Episode Sponsor –
LOVE IS FOR ALL OF US: Poems of Tenderness and Belonging from the LGBTQ+ Community and Friends co-edited by James Crews and Brad Peacock, illustrated by Lisa Congdon.
Learn more James Crews here.

Watch our conversation with James Crews over on BookTube.

– Biblio Adventures –
Chris and Emily went on a joint jaunt via the Mark Twain House to hear Ethan Rutherford in conversation with Amity Gaige about her novel Heartwood. Ethan’s novel is North Sun, or the Voyage of the Whaleship Esther.

Chris participated in a virtual book club event via The Mount discussing Edith Wharton’s A Son at the Front and Willa Cather’s One of Ours.

Chris joined the Zoom conversation for Colleen’s Cather reading challenge  where they discussed by Willa Cather and follow her at https://www.instagram.com/colleenka/.

– Upcoming Jaunts –
On April 16, Chris and Emily are heading on a joint jaunt to Bank Square Books to see Maura Casey discuss her memoir Saving Ellen. Check out our conversation with Maura here.

On April 23rd Chris and Emily will be attending Matthew Goodman’s event at the Guilford Free Library. His new book is Paris Undercover. Matthew was featured in an Author Spotlight on Episode 95 discussing his book The City Game: Triumph, Scandal, and a Legendary Basketball Team.

On May 4th Emily will be attending Matthew Dick’s one man show Shovel at the Hartford Theater works. You can purchase tickets here.

– Upcoming Reads –
The Belgian Girls – Kathryn J. Atwood (CW) release date 5/8/2025
Paris Undercover: A Wartime Story of Courage, Friendship, and Betrayal – Matthew Goodman (EF)(audiobook)
Rebecca – Daphne du Maurier (EF)
Anne Brontë Nightwalker: A Brontë Blood Chronicle – Gea Haff (CW)
The Penguin Book of Ghost Stories: From Elizabeth Gaskell to Ambrose Bierce up next is The Signal Man by Charles Dickens. If you would like to join us there is a schedule available on Goodreads or we can email a copy.

– Author Spotlight with Eowyn Ivey –
We talk with Eowyn about her book Black Woods Blue Sky.
Learn more about Eowyn here.
Take a tour of Eowyn’s writing cottage.

– 2025 Readalong Theme and 2nd Quarter Book –
Our theme for 2025 is Ghost Stories! Click here to follow everything Ghost Stories 2025.
There is a ghost story discussion thread on Goodreads. Come tell us about your favorite ghost stories or those you are interested in reading.

The 2nd Quarter Readalong and our Episode 230 Giveaway is The Good House by Tananarive Due. The Zoom conversation will take place on Sunday, June 8th at 7pm (ET). Send us an email if you would like to join. You can join the online conversation via the Goodreads discussion thread.

Over the course of the year, we will be reading The Penguin Book of Ghost Stories: From Elizabeth Gaskell to Ambrose Bierce, one story at a time. If you would like to join us there is a schedule available on Goodreads or we can email a copy.

– Also Mentioned –
The Guncle by Steven Rowley
The American Queen by Vanessa Miller
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't by Jim Collins
A Little Bit Country by Brian D. Kennedy
Robert Elsmere by Mary Augusta Ward
Also by Eowyn: The Snow Child and To The Bright Edge of the World
True Grit by Charles Portis
The film An American Werewolf in London
Author Annie Dillard
Author Robin Wall Kimmerer
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
Booktuber Melinda at A Web of Stories
Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
The Forest for the Trees by Betsy Lerner
The Writing Life by Annie Dillard
Jane Austen’s Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Ulysses by James Joyce
The Odyssey by Homer

Help support the Book Cougars via our affiliates:
Libro.fm audiobook platform: Follow this link and use promo code: bookcougars
Shop on Bookshop.org – support the Book Cougars and independent bookstores!

If you’d like to help financially support the Book Cougars, please consider becoming a Patreon member. If you would prefer to donate directly, email for instructions.

Join our Goodreads Group!

Check out our BookTube Channel and be sure to subscribe!

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

Episode 223 - Author Spotlight with Brian D. Kennedy

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Author Brian D. Kennedy

Episode 223 Show Notes

ALLOWABLES by Nikki Giovanni

I killed a spider
Not a murderous brown recluse
Nor even a black widow
And if the truth were told this
Was only a small
Sort of papery spider
Who should have run
When I picked up the book
But she didn’t
And she scared me
And I smashed her
I don’t think
I’m allowed
To kill something
Because I am
Frightened

– Currently Reading –
All Fours – Miranda July (EF)
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall – Anne Bronte (CW)
Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom – Ilyon Woo (EF) (audiobook)

– Just Read –
The God of the Woods – Liz Moore (CW)
Into the Uncut Grass – Trevor Noah, illustrated by Sabina Hahn (EF)
Hanukkah Pajamakkahs – Dara Henry, illustrated by Olga & Aleksey Ivanov (CW)
Momma’s Going to March – Jennifer Maruno, illustrated by Vivian Rosas (CW)

Emily read short stories:
“A First-Rate Material” by Sayaka Murata from Life Ceremony: Stories translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori
“The Christmas Book Hunt” by Jenny Colgan

A Little Bit Country – Brian D. Kennedy (CW)(EF)

– Biblio Adventure –
Chris was in Chicago and had a browse at the Frugal Muse Books where she snagged a copy of Studies in Classic American Literature by D.H. Lawrence. She also spotted a little free library in Downer’ Grove that was designed, constructed, and installed by an elementary school class.

Emily and her granddaughter Neena had a great adventure traveling from Michigan to Connecticut via plane. Once in Connecticut, they visited the West Hartford, Cromwell, and Wallingford Public Libraries.

Chris and Emily enjoyed the 4th quarter readalong discussion with listeners and readers about A Little Bit Country.

Chris was a guest on Shawn Breathe’s Books about DNF’ing books. You can watch the video here.

Emily DNF’d the new serialized version of Like Water for Chocolate based on the novel by Laura Esquivel.

– Upcoming Jaunts –
Chris and Emily are planning to attend a conversation between Juliet Grames and Luanne Rice at the Essex Public Library talking about their books The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia and If Anything Happens to Me.

The next Reading Salon will be on Sunday, December 22 at 7PM (ET), we will be chatting about our favorite reads of 2024. You can join our Patreon Community here.

Chris and Emily are both excited to see Laura Thoma’s play Miss Margaret Barton’s Cottage Christmas Surprise. The show runs from December 13-21, you can purchase tickets here.  

– Upcoming Reads –
The Haunting of Hill House – Shirley Jackson (CW)(EF)
Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life – Ruth Franklin (CW)(EF)
“The Inn” short story from the collection The Necklace and Other Tales – Guy de Maupassant (CW)
Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey – Ngozi Ukazu (EF)
“In the Stacks” by Robin Sloan from the Hingston & Olsen Short Story Advent Calendar (EF)

– 2025 Readalong Theme and 1st Quarter Book –
Our theme for 2025 is Ghost Stories!
The 1st Quarter Readalong is The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson.
We will also be doing a companion read of Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life by Ruth Franklin.

Please join the online conversation via the Goodreads discussion thread.

– Author Spotlight with Brian D. Kennedy –
We talk with Brian about his debut novel A Little Bit Country.
Check out Brian’s website.

– Also Mentioned –
The Hickory Stick Bookshop in Washington Depot, CT
How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang
Long Bright River by Liz Moore
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Hum If You Don’t Know the Words by Bianca Marais
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
Also by Jennifer Colgan: The Bookshop on the Corner and Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe
A Child’s Garden of Verses by Stevenson
Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
Chocolat by Joanne Harris and the movie starring Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche
Montgomery and Taggert Bookstore
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli and the movie Love, Simon
Indigo by Beverly Jenkins
My Fair Brady by Brian D. Jenkins
Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan

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