A Bookish Home

 Today my guest is Namrata Patel, author of The Candid Life of Meena Dave, about a photojournalist whose solitary  life is turned upside down when she unexpectedly inherits an apartment in a Victorian brownstone in historic Back Bay, Boston.   “Full of lively characters who will win readers’ hearts and keep them thinking long after … Continue reading Ep. 118: Namrata Patel on Capturing...

 Today my guest is Kathleen West, author of Home or Away, an incisive look at toxic friendships, old alliances, and over competitive parenting in organized youth and elite hockey as two former Olympic hopeful pass along their love of the game-and the rest of their baggage-to the next generation.   “A gloriously entertaining plunge into … Continue reading Ep 117: Kathleen West – Olympic...

Today Julia Kelly is on the podcast to discuss her historical novel, The Last Dance of the Debutante, a masterful, glittering novel that whisks you to midcentury Britain as it follows three of the last debutantes to be presented to Queen Elizabeth II. We recorded this conversation before the Queen’s passing. It’s fascinating to hear … Continue reading Ep 116: Julia Kelly on Captu...

Amy Tector is on the podcast this week to discuss her new novel, The Honeybee Emeralds. We chatted about capturing expat life and Parisian destinations, how to have a successful critique group (Amy’s is twenty years in and counting!), her most exciting discoveries as an archivist, and much more.     “Debut novelist Tector captures European … Continue reading Ep 115: Amy Tector on Archi...

Sarah McCoy is back on the podcast this week to discuss her new novel Mustique Island, a compulsive, sun-splashed voyage of self-discovery with a wealthy divorcee and her two headstrong daughters in 1970s Mustique, the world’s most exclusive private island, where Princess Margaret and Mick Jagger were regulars and long-held secrets are the buried treasures. … Continue reading Ep 114: Sarah M...

This week, KJ Dell’Antonia is on the podcast to discuss her new novel, In Her Boots, a delightfully entertaining story set in small town New Hampshire about a ruse that goes awry and a chaotic homecoming that proves that confronting your past can sometimes set you free.      “In Her Boots is a modern, … Continue reading Ep. 113: KJ Dell’Antonia on Online Personas, Creating Small Towns...

This week my guest is Jamie Ford, the New York Times Bestselling Author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. His new novel, The Many Daughters of Afong Moy, is this month’s “Read with Jenna” pick and a powerful exploration of the love that binds one family across generations.     “The Many … Continue reading Ep. 112: Jamie Ford on Plotting a Sprawling Family Saga an...

Jamie Brenner is on the podcast this week to discuss Gilt, a luxurious and richly compelling novel about a famous family jewelry dynasty and the hidden past that could topple it all.    “I completely lost myself in Brenner’s blissful, heartfelt novel, centered around a family curse and a luscious pink diamond. A joyous story … Continue reading Ep. 111: Jamie Brenner on Gilt, Seasonal W...

Today bookfluencer extraordinaire Zibby Owens is back on the podcast to discuss her two new books, Bookends: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Literature and a picture book called Princess Charming. Zibby also gives the inside scoop on all of her exciting entrepreneurial projects included Zibby Books, Zcast, Moms Don’t Have Time To Read Books, and … Continue reading Ep. 110: Zibby Owens &#82...

Calling all romance fans: today my guest is Emily Henry, author of Book Lovers, an insightful, delightful, instant #1 New York Times bestseller from the author of Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation.     “Book Lovers is a treat from start to finish, flipping the conventional small-town love story trope on its … Continue reading Ep. 109: Emily Henry on Book Lovers and Writing Bestsellin...

This week, tune in to hear debut author and Hear Us Roar podcast host, Maggie Smith discuss Truth and Other Lies, a novel in which The Devil Wears Prada meets All The Presidents’ Men. “An engaging and topical tale of politics and journalistic ethics with a feminist slant.” —Kirkus https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/t4z7cc/truthandotherliesfinal.mp3 You can also listen and … Continue readi...

This week, I was honored to get to talk all things books and writing with the National Book Award–winning, best-selling author of Three Junes, Julia Glass. Her masterful new novel, Vigil Harbor, is set in a fictional version of Marblehead, Massachusetts ten years in the future and explores climate instability, political violence, and domestic upheavals. Tune in to … Continue reading Ep. 107:...

Today my guest is Dolen Perkins-Valdez, author of Take My Hand, a profoundly moving story about a Black nurse in post-segregation Alabama who blows the whistle on a terrible wrong done to her patients.   “Deeply empathetic yet unflinching in its gaze…an unforgettable exploration of responsibility and redemption.”—Celeste Ng   https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/fpjpju/takemyhandfinal.mp3 You can also...

Today my guest is Annabel Monaghan, author of Nora Goes Off Script, a heartwarming and hilarious novel about a divorced romance channel screenwriter whose script about her marriage’s collapse just might help her reclaim her life and find love. “Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan is funny and smart, with a Nancy Meyers–movie quality you’ll … Continue reading Ep. 105: Annabel Monaghan, A...

This week I’m chatting with author Matt Bell about his essential new title for writers, Refuse to Be Done: How to Write and Rewrite a Novel in Three Drafts. “I can’t imagine anyone setting pen to paper, or fingertips to keyboard, who won’t want to keep this book permanently close at hand.” —Benjamin Dreyer, New … Continue reading Ep. 104: Matt Bell, Author of Refuse t...

My guest this week is Alena Dillon, author of My Body is a Big Fat Temple, a laugh out loud memoir of pregnancy and early motherhood that is also thought-provoking, powerful, and a bit like an older sister taking you aside to tell you what to really expect. “Alena Dillon is one of my favorite … Continue reading Ep. 103: Alena Dillon, Author of My Body is a Big Fat Temple →

This week, tune in to hear Lindsey Palmer discuss her new novel, Reservations for Six, an entertaining and insightful page-turner about modern marriage and a tight-knit group of friends navigating their 30s and beyond. “It’s not often you find a book that so perfectly captures the messy complexities of modern mid-life marriages and manages to … Continue reading Ep. 102: Lindsey J. Palm...

Today I’m thrilled to share an episode with one of my favorite authors, Kristy Woodson Harvey. We discussed The Wedding Veil, a sweeping new novel following four women across generations, bound by a beautiful wedding veil and a connection to the famous Vanderbilt family. “Masterfully woven…[a] literary homerun. This split-time narrative will delight readers of … Continue re...

This week, we’re celebrating the 100th episode of A Bookish Home! To mark this milestone, I’m speaking with one of my dream guests from the beginning, romance author Jasmine Guillory. Jasmine’s novel, By the Book, just released and is a bookish reimagining of Beauty and the Beast.   “My cheeks hurt from smiling through this … Continue reading Ep. 100: Jasmine Guillory, Author of...