Book Fare: Book Club Fun, Wholesome Recommendations, Deep Discussions

There’s a different tone on the show today as we bring you an update on the state of the show in the first section. Next, we bring you three of the Christian Spiritual books that have impacted us most deeply. It was uncanny how much these three “talked” to one another and were so appropriate for today! Stay to the end to hear our closing thoughts! And please tell your thoughts in our ⁠Facebook Gro...

Is the idea of reading the Great Works of Western Civilization intimidating or daunting? Did you read classics in school and just didn’t get it or didn’t like them? Is it difficult to know where to begin? Well start where you are – here with us! We will walk you through a Baker’s Dozen Quick Tips, and give you 2 recommendations each from Children’s Literature, Short Stories, and Lite Classics as g...

Today we dive into Detective Fiction Recommendations - after last week's Detective Fiction Primer. If you love mysteries (like Amanda) or even if it's not your favorite (like Elizabeth and Tricia), you will find a recommendation to start with. What did Elizabeth read as homework for this episode? Does Tricia read any besides Nero Wolfe? And HOW MANY will Amanda recommend?? Find out and the...

How can Murder be a Cozy Mystery?  How is Detective Fiction like Fairy Tales? What do Superheroes, The Western Cowboy Hero, and Dad TV have to do with Detective Fiction? We present to you The Definitive Detective Fiction Primer! Walk with us thru the birth and growth of the genre, focusing on The Golden Age of Detective Fiction, talk about what the genre is, the importance of setting, and talk abo...

Have you ever felt like everyone around you is being fake? Do you ever think conventional manners are ridiculous? Have you ever felt like people just need to WAKE UP?!? Then this discussion is for you! Today, in our first Book Club of 2024, we discuss Oscar Wilde's brilliant play The Importance of Being Earnest . From the funniest moments to some cultural background to what Wilde is really try...

From the sweet first friendships of girlhood to the deep, sometimes complicated friendships of womanhood, we talk about what Friendship is, why we need it, and how it relates to Community. This episode also features a short and sweet interview with Amanda’s daughter, Ruby, talking about one of her favorite friendship books and great quotes from Guroain, Aristotle, and CS Lewis! We wrap up with wha...

Today we're talking about making reading a part of our family cultures. But what does that mean? You may picture your whole family sitting down quietly at night before bed, and that and other idyllic pictures may seem impossible, but today we're talking about how simple and fun it can be! We share relatable stories and easy tips to start making reading more a part of your everyday life - n...

If you could ask one the Top 20 Podcasters in the world to share one book, what would it be? Our guest today is Stefanie Gass, who is not only one of the Top 20 Podcasters is the world, but is also a Christian who is passionate about helping other Christian Women to grow their online businesses using podcasting. We discuss some of our favorite marriage books, what it takes to have a great marriage...

Have you looked at this year and thought, "Why should I set a reading goal (or any goal) - it's never worked before!" Friend, we hear you! We have all been in places where goal setting is discouraging and hard. Today, we tackle the problem of unwieldy goals with a Book Fare first! Tricia is putting on her professional coaching hat to walk Elizabeth through her goal-setting for the ye...

Have you set any reading goals for 2024? It can be confusing to know how to set reading goals that won't be too much or too discouraging. We've been there! Today we talk about the reading goals we're exploring for the new year, what they might be, and why we've chosen them. We're also discussing all the new things coming down the pike this year, like... Join our reading group t...

Happy 2024! This is the time of year we're all thinking about goals and habits. What are the best habits for a great reading life? This year, Amanda leads us in a new way to think about that question, and her habits may look a bit more like virtues... Episodes mentioned today : Episode 38- Guest Heidi White and the Glory of the Classics   Episode 48- To Reread or Not to Reread, That is Today&#...

Are you ready for new?? We have so many new things coming down the pike this year! First, a brand new reading challenge for 2024. In this episode, we reveal the categories and talk about how we can work through them together! We also have a new reading group coming- listen to the end of the episode to find out what... There's new contests, new merchandise, and new ART- do you like it? We are s...

How do we keep our humanity in the face of overwhelming fear and great evil? If CS Lewis and Robin Williams wrote a book together, what would it be like? What is the Moral Imagination and why is it so fundamental to a child’s character development? How can one come out of a difficult season of life at peace? These and other topics and themes come from our Top Books of 2023! Welcome to our final ep...

What does Santa have to do with Faerie Land? What was Tolkien like as a father? What REALLY goes on at the North Pole? Welcome to our Christmas Book Club episode featuring Letters from Father Christmas, by JRR Tolkien! We have the sweetest, coziest family book club ya ever did see, including Christmas Jeopardy! This is one to listen to with your children and anyone else you read the book with! The...

Today we look back on the 2023 Reading Challenge - first by listening to some voicemails from you, then by talking about some of our favorites. We cover topics from Great Classics to contemporary Sci-Fi to non-Fiction, and everything in between. You'll hear Elizabeth's hot take on Tiger Woods, Amanda's comedy favorite, and Tricia goes deep into listening to unheard voices. Books mentio...

Who doesn't want to be a better parent? What if you have adult children and regrets that you didn't do x or y with them? There are SO many wonderful parenting books out there, how's a girl to decide what to read next? Here's a curated list of our six favorites right now. We've created a list for you that includes books for Toddlers to Teens, Charlotte Mason Habit-Training, Theo...

Today we discuss Dystopian books- why do we love them so much? What's the appeal of reading about a disastrous future? Are there redeeming messages and themes? Today we cover all the exciting, disturbing, thought-provoking aspects of dystopian stories, and uncover some surprisingly redeeming truths along the way... Dive in! Books mentioned in this episode: The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Co...

In today's Book Club episode, we discuss Simon Winchester's The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary. What is the line between insanity and genius? How does our society treat mental illness? How can compassion build bridges? These themes and more come to light in this fascinating book about one of the biggest literary enterpr...

Voldemort. Elizabeth Bennet... MacGyver?! In today's episode, we discuss these and other characters as we explore the final three Meyers-Briggs groups: the EJs, EPs, and IPs. The Villans. The Dads. The Moms. In both Harry Potter and the Austenverse, there are interesting correlations shared by these groups. There's also several big characters we'd like your help with in this one! So af...

Neville Longbottom. Snape. Elinor Dashwood. Jane Bennet. -Insert YOUR name here.- What makes them - and you - tick? Today we will learn and use the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to find out! Welcome to the final installment of our Summer Series: Using Personality Systems as Literary Tools! We go over why use Personality Systems as Literary Tools, what is the MBTI, what do those four letters...

Today's guest is a holistic medical doctor, author, and laughter yoga specialist. In this episode, Dr. Tanya Gold not only shares about her new book, 7 Habits of Extremely Happy People: The Hidden Secrets to Success, but shares with us golden nuggets about how to make our lives happier and healthier through easy practical steps everyone can do. Join us for this joyful exploration of laughter a...

Do you need permission to refresh your reading goals for the year? Permission to redo your goals? How about permission to have reading goals for the first time this year? We talk about how our year has gone (or stalled out) this year so far.  Do you want A LOT of great recommendations to finish your year strong? This episode is chock full of classical literature, non-fiction, sci-fi, humorous stor...

Today's episode continues our conversation on Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, and focuses on Jane's two suitors, Mr Rochester and St John. Do you like Mr Rochester? Do his good qualities outweigh his bad? What is St John's fatal flaw? And is he abusive or just misled? And what does the charade sequence teach us about Bronte's messages on marriage and female personhood? Join in the d...

Oh, we have waited for this one! Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Join us as we discuss a truly Great Book. Who do we love to love? Who do we love to hate? What do Mr Brocklehurst, Mrs Reed, Helen Burns and Miss Temple say about the world Bronte is creating and what impact do they have on Jane? Is this book realistic? Hop on over to the Facebook group (Book Fare Podcast) and join in the discussion -...

Join us on a literary exporation of Gretchen Rubin's The Four Tendancies! This is the third installment of our summer series on personality frameworks. Today, we explain this remarkable way of looking at basic motivation, and how it affects the way we see Harry Potter characters, Bronte's Jane Eyre, and Alcott's classic females in Little Women. We'd love to hear what YOU think abou...