Book Lust with Nancy Pearl (Seattle Channel)

Host Nancy Pearl sits down with author Priya Parmar to discuss her new book, "The Original." Together, they explore the life and career of Katharine Hepburn, Priya’s extensive research, and Nancy’s appreciation for the novel’s attention to detail.

Nancy Pearl talks with Brad Bigelow about his new biography, "Virginia Faulkner: A Life in Two Acts," which revisits the life of a once-promising American writer, editor, and overlooked literary figure. Bigelow traces Faulkner’s rise as a writer and the personal struggles that reshaped her path. The Book Lust conversation also explores Bigelow’s lifelong fascination with neglected book...

On Book Lust with Nancy Pearl, author and journalist Anthony DePalma discusses "On This Ground: Hardship and Hope at the Toughest Prep School in America," a story he describes as “a school that refused to die in a city that nearly did.” In the conversation, DePalma explores how Saint Benedict’s Prep in Newark endured social upheaval and decline through the steadfast commitment of...

On Book Lust, host Nancy Pearl talks with journalist Howard Bryant about his book, "Kings and Pawns: Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson in America." The conversation explores Bryant’s research into the complicated legacies of two towering civil rights figures, baseball legend Jackie Robinson and musician, actor, athlete, and activist Paul Robeson. Bryant examines how their Cold War–era d...

Cartoonist and writer Mimi Pond jokes that her obsession with the Mitford Sisters nearly sank her marriage. That fascination became her new graphic biography, "Do Admit! The Mitford Sisters and Me." In a one-on-one conversation with Book Lust host Nancy Pearl, Pond shares why these wildly influential sisters, who moved in circles ranging from Churchill to Hitler to the Black Panthers, still captiv...

In the last episode of Book Lust, Susan Straight talks with Nancy Pearl about "Sacrament," her novel about three women nurses fighting through the first year of COVID. Straight reflects on how the pandemic reshaped her storytelling and stirred memories of loss, caregiving, and resilience. She also revisits "In the Country of Women," exploring the generations of women—from her Swiss mother to...

In a conversation with Book Lust host Nancy Pearl, popular young adult author Maggie Stiefvater discusses her first novel written for adults, "The Listeners," a captivating tale inspired by true events and set against the backdrop of World War II. In the interview, Stiefvater explores mythic storytelling, historical research, and the courage to change when life seems settled.

On Book Lust with Nancy Pearl, Kira Jane Buxton talks about weaving humor into her storytelling, including her latest novel "Tartufo," set in a fading Italian village full of unforgettable characters. She shares how the idea was sparked by her time living in a small Italian town, walks through her writing process, and reflects on her affection for every character she creates...even the most comple...

On a new episode of Book Lust, longtime Seattle Times arts critic Moira Macdonald joins Nancy Pearl to talk about her debut novel, “Storybook Ending.” Inspired by a piece of ephemera discovered in a book at her favorite Seattle bookstore, Macdonald’s first novel is a tale of friendship, community, and the quiet magic of bookstores. She also shares how her years as a journalist an...

Local author Thomas Kohnstamm said his latest novel, "Supersonic," is a book of place, specifically, Seattle. He told Book Lust host Nancy Pearl "Seattle isn't the Space Needle or the Fremont Troll," but rather the interactions between neighbors, the waves of people entering the city, and the constant process of building. The novel tells the stories of four families over 150 years of Seattle histo...