Out of the Ordinary

Today's Out of the Ordinary Book: Can You See Anything Now?  written and read by  Katherine James Visiting Author, Katherine James shares a reading from her latest book! Katherine James has also written about her son's herion addiction and  this article  articulates the book well. Key Conversation Points: There are trigger warnings of failed suicide attempt, self harm and drug abuse but yo...

Today's Out of the Ordinary Book: Growing Slow: Lessons on Un-Hurrying Your Heart from an Accidental Farm Girl , written and read by Jennifer Dukes Lee Visiting Author, Jennifer Dukes Lee shares a reading from her latest book! Feel free to visit Growing Slow for more on the book! Jennifer also has lots of freebies and exclusive content here .  Key Conversation Points: Have you gotten mixed up...

Today's Out of the Ordinary Book: The Weight of Memory  written and read by  Shawn Smucker   Visiting Author, Shawn Smucker shares a reading from his latest novel! Key Conversation Points: If you've loved anyone that's received the worst news of their life, this book will help you navigate the depths of their feelings.   Here is a story that makes us ask questions about what is real an...

Today's Out of the Ordinary Book: Opened Ground: Selected Poems, 1966-1996 by Seamus Heaney Key Conversation Points: When's the last time you've let yourself escape with a book for a long period of time? We have a plan for you as summer ends! Sources of inspiration are coming your way! We're talking all things awkward and awesome about meeting authors, from screaming in the airport...

Today's Out of the Ordinary Book: The Big House: A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home by George Howe Colt Key Conversation Points: How does dripping sweat get us to dripping beauty?  When is it right to say goodbye and to let something go?  If you're envious about people having summer homes, this book will help you.  Referring to our book choice Christie says, "I just want...

Today's Out of the Ordinary Book: Too Small to Ignore , Wes Stafford Key Conversation Points: How did Lisa-Jo and Christie's recent trip to Lancaster, PA remind Christie of Narnia? A Virtual Event is coming! Listen for details about this incredible unique celebration to see into Christie and Lisa-Jo's friendship and life. We must believe children in what they tell us about abuse. "...

Today's Out of the Ordinary Book: The Book of Common Prayer Bonus books mentioned today: The 1662 Book of Common Prayer A Child's First Book of Prayer Key Conversation Points: A secret bookstore How to borrow someone else's prayers  What Christie DIDN'T steal from her church pew What Lisa-Jo didn't know was ALLOWED to live outside of church pews How to help your children pray P...

Today's Out of the Ordinary Book: Fantastic Mr. Fox , Roald Dahl Key Conversation Points: Christie shocks Lisa-Jo with a 20-year old revelation What Lisa-Jo's dad has in common with Fantastic Mr. Fox The one thing Christie's dad most wanted to do while at Maplehurst this week What children know that grownups often won't admit Where this book falls on the Roald Dahl sliding scale of...

This week is the first in a special series we'll be dipping into every now and again that we're calling "Behind the Books"-- a chance for us to hear from authors and learn more about the story behind their books. This week Christie is in the hot seat with a big new reveal. Today's Out of the Ordinary Book: Garden Maker: Growing a Life of Beauty and Wonder with Flowers , Christi...

Today's Out of the Ordinary Book: Amelia Peabody's Egypt: A Compendium , Elizabeth Peters & Kristen Whitbread Key Conversation Points: What makes the American Girl dolls so appealing? Why Christie is not a fan of the Tolkien or Rowling extended books and worlds The spoonful of sugar history that Lisa-Jo likes  Meet Christie's creepy twins and the story behind them Why we care about...

Today's Out of the Ordinary Book: Cover Her Face: An Adam Dalgliesh Mystery , P.D. James Key Conversation Points: The psychological benefits of rereading Why we think that the antihero is a lazy trope The role of religious figures in detective novels How detectives teach us to see the people around us Podcast links: Mare of Easttown The Body in the Library , Agatha Christie The Secret of the O...

Today's Out of the Ordinary Book: Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan Key Conversation Points: How Lisa-Jo first met Jim Gaffigan What it's like to have a fourth child What we all do when we can't imagine an experience someone else is having What humility and laughter have in common Click here to join the conversations we have with listeners every week around the podcast. _______ Sponsor apprec...

Today's Out of the Ordinary Book: Tasha Tudor's Garden by Tovah Martin Key Conversation Points:   Lisa-Jo and Christie have mini panic attacks related to the admin of life What's lurking beneath Christie's garden (and you'd never know from her Instagram photos) What if you didn't have to deal with the business of being human? Is there a downside? The one thing NOT to say to...

Today's Out of the Ordinary Book: Perelandra (Voyage to Venus), CS Lewis This is the second book in Lewis's Space Trilogy  Key Conversation Points:   Why this is the Narnia series, but for grownups Why CS Lewis called earth, "the silent planet" and what it means for us What if you could be a fly on the wall in the garden of Eden. Spoiler: You can! And here's a clip. When and wh...

Today's Out of the Ordinary Books: Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy , Karen Foxlee The Ocean at the End of the Lane , Neil Gaiman      Once Upon a River , Diane Setterfield "Instructions" by Neil Gaiman (poem) The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley How the Books We Read Help Us Better Understand the Lives we Lead:  Why Lisa-Jo has a very "non-magical...

Today's Out of the Ordinary Book: All Fall Down by Ally Carter Book 1 in the Embassy Row series How the Books We Read Help Us Better Understand the Lives we Lead: Lisa-Jo is suspicious of her own point of view and here is why Christie asks what YA spy novels have to say about real, ordinary, grown up lives They dip into Lisa-Jo's former life as a diplomat Why we learn more from fiction tha...

Today's Out of the Ordinary Book: Friends, Lovers, Chocolate , by Alexander McCall Smith What this story teaches about your story: How to understand the choices we've made What to do when life feels like it's narrowing in, rather than widening out The power of choosing what you already chose Click here to join the conversations we have with listeners every week around the podcast. ____...

Today's Out of the Ordinary Book: A Prayer for Orion: A Son's Addiction and a Mother's Love , by Katherine James Key Conversation Points: Why Lisa-Jo was jealous of a mother living through every parent's worst nightmare? Whether Lisa-Jo or Christie tends to be the more judgey and what the antidote is Christie's honest response to hard headlines How books help us decode our own...

INTRODUCING: Out of the Ordinary BOOKS! Where we believe that the books we read help us better understand the lives we lead. Every week we will share an out of the ordinary book and how it can help you make sense of your story too. These aren't book reviews or recommendations, these are conversations about some of our best friends, worst enemies, toughest coaches, most passionate lovers, and k...

This is a story about something new growing out of the podcast. We're entering our third season of The Out of the Ordinary Podcast. Christie and Lisa-Jo have poured out hundreds of stories grown out of the soil of their ordinary lives. Today they share about how the podcast has grown and is about to branch out into a new area. We're so grateful you've been with us on this journey. And...

This is a story about a spring tradition. With each new change of the seasons, it's become our tradition to record a new intro to celebrate what we love about that particular turn of the earth. So come March 20 we had to share a new intro with our favorite ordinary spring things. These are the stories behind them. Come on in, get comfy, here we go. Links from this week's episode: Unicorn c...

This is a story about finally being back in the same place one year later! This podcast has always been rooted in a specific place, Christie's 100 year old farmhouse, Maplehurst. It's where all the episodes have been recorded in person until 2020 when everything went into lock down. Today Lisa-Jo and Christie welcome all their listeners back into this moment of finally being reunited in pe...

This is a story about crossing the line in the sand, the threshold we've all stepped over that now marks one full year of pandemic life. This is the third and final installment of our short "Re-entry" series. Here is how two storytellers unpack the complicated feelings surrounding re-entry. By telling the stories of what that line physically looked like for each of us. Christie and Lis...

This is a story about what being suspended with toddlers at 30,000 feet teaches you about reentry. And how road trips across states can surprise you into thinking about where you best belong. As the world slowly steps back into March and crosses the one year mark since it shut down, we're all bound to process that differently. Join us today as we continue our short series of stories about what...

This is a story about a mom sitting in her car staring into space in the school parking lot surprised by how badly she just needed to sit and cry for a moment. As the world slowly steps back into March and crosses the one year mark since it shut down, we're all bound to process that differently. Join us today as we begin a short series of stories about what re-entry looks like. Teachers, thera...