The Book Snug Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Julia and Stephany are sharing reading experiences that go beyond the books to include related experiences, settings and simple serendipitous moments which elevate the stories to the Exceptional level. Julia's Books Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech The Murderer's Maid: A Lizzie Borden Novel by Erika Mailman Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling Eragon by C...

Send us Fan Mail Due to that thing called life, Stephany is flying solo this week.  She's talking about books that give good, happy, uplifting vibes.   These books are great for counteracting all the negative aspects of life we face in the modern world.  if you are looking for a feel -good story, you've come to the right place.  And don't worry - Julia will be back in  the next epis...

Send us Fan Mail In celebration of Mother's Day, we've invited Jo Hart back to the show . Jo is Julia's Nana and Stephany's mom.  We talk about how our mothers have impacted and encouraged our reading lives.  It's a fun, informal chat that covers a variety of books.  Books, Etc. Great Lion of God by Taylor Caldwell Dear and Glorious Physician by Taylor Caldwell Captains an...

Send us Fan Mail We're deviating from the original plan for this week's episode (for reasons we discuss in the show).   Instead of offering fictional worlds we'd like to visit, we're sharing our suggestions for books that would make great adaptions for the big or small screen. Julia's Wishlist Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech Fairest by Gail Carson Levine Revolution by Jenn...

Send us Fan Mail We're having a stellar reading year so far in 2024.  In this chapter, we're sharing some of our best (and worst) books of January, February and March.   Fiction and non-fiction showed up and delivered in a big way for us and we're excited to share our favorites with you. Julia’s Books: Elizabeth by Margaret George Snow and Rose by Emily Winfield Martin The 100-Year-...

Send us Fan Mail Hi, Friends!  We are back in The Book Snug for the newest chapter of our "3 Peas in a Pod" series.  In this series, we invite a guest to join us on the show to discuss a book of their choosing.  Our guest for this episode is Jay Yoder, Stephany's husband and Julia's dad.  Jay chose Outside, a thriller by Ragnar Jonasson, for us to read together and talk about. ...

Send us Fan Mail We are having such a great start to reading year that we decided to share some of our not-quite-cream-of-the-crop-but still-great reads of 2024.  Join us as we gush about some historical fiction, fantasy, middle grade, non-fiction and mystery books that have kept us enthralled and entertained during these first few months of the new year.   Julia’s Books: The Scribe by Matthew Gui...

Send us Fan Mail As readers, we are almost required to say "the book was better" any time we encounter a movie adaptation.  Here in the Book Snug, we are going out on a limb and saying that sometimes the movie is the better experience.  Take a listen to this episode to find out which movies surpass the books they're based on and the reasons why we think so.    Happy listening!  The...

Send us Fan Mail We are in the deep, dark, middle of winter here in the Northern hemisphere.  Our coping mechanism is to embrace the cold, grey and snowy vibes by settling into books with a frosty setting.  In today's chapter, we share some books with fantastic wintry settings that will have you craving a warm blanket and a cup of hot chocolate.        Julia’s Books: For the Wolf  by Hannah W...

Send us Fan Mail 2024 has a treasure trove of book releases that we can't wait to read.  In this chapter, we discuss our most highly anticipated books of the year.      Julia’s Books: These Deadly Prophecies by Andrea Tang American Daughters by Maurice Carlos Ruffin A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen Murder Road by Simone St. James The Mythical Cookbook by Josh Scherer James by Perci...

Send us Fan Mail It's time for one of our favorite shows of the year!  In this episode we're gushing about our very best books of 2023.    Julia’s Books: Holes by Louis Sachar Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt The Memory  Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia...

Send us Fan Mail It's the end of 2023 which means it's time to talk about our bookish superlatives for the year.  Get ready for a fun discussion and a long list of books to either avoid or add to your TBR. Julia’s Books: The Binding by Bridget Collins Verity by Colleen Hoover In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant The Midnight Library by Matt Haig The Demon Trapper's Daught...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the newest chapter of our "3 Peas in a Pod" series.  In this series, we invite a guest to join us on the show to discuss a book of their choosing.  Our guest for this episode is Aaron Yoder.  Aaron chose Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad for us to read together.  The reading experience was traumatic, but the book discussion isn't.  We loved having Aaron...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the first show of Season 2!  We're discussing the signature components of gothic literature and we're using Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë to illustrate each one. Jane Eyre is Julia's favorite book of all time so this was an extra fun episode to record.  One small warning:  the recording quality isn't the greatest  - we had some technical difficulties...

Send us Fan Mail We've made it to one year of podcasting here at The Book Snug and we want to celebrate!  Join us as we reflect on our experiences of the last year and share our hopes and dreams for the next  12 months.   As always, we end up talking about books and we even share a bit more about ourselves in the process.    Julia’s Books: House Rules by Jodi Picoult The Night Circus by Erin...

Send us Fan Mail Ghosts are the topic of the day!  We share some of our favorite books containing ghosts as main characters, side characters or narrators.  Some of the recommendations are pretty terrifying and some aren't scary at all.  One thing is certain - we enjoyed every one of these books!     Julia’s Books: The Seer of Shadows by Avi Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn The...

Send us Fan Mail It's autumn here in Pennsylvania and we couldn't be happier.  On the show today, we talk about all our reading plans for this apple cider sipping, chunky sweater wearing, ghost story telling season.  Books Mentioned in the Show:  Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl A Secret History of Witches by Louisa Morgan Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova F...

Send us Fan Mail We are sharing some of our best (and worst) books of July, August and September in this chapter.   Our books cover a wide variety of fiction and a little bit of non-fiction.  Things are looking up in our reading lives and we couldn't be happier about it! Julia’s Books: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine Holes by Louis Sachar Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief by Wendelin Van D...

Send us Fan Mail It's the third episode of our "3 Peas in a Pod" series.  In this series, we invite a guest to join us on the show to discuss a book of their choosing.  Our guest is Paige Haldeman (a special family friend).  Paige chose The Secret History by Donna Tartt for our discussion and we a had a great time digging into the story and sharing our thoughts.  Beware - there are...

Send us Fan Mail We have a bit of a longer chapter today.  In recognition of the start of another school year, we've decided to talk about books we were required to read in high school using a comprehensive  Goodreads list to structure our discussion.  The list contains 800 books, but we only look at the top 50.  You can find the list here: Required Reading in High School Other books mentione...

Send us Fan Mail Julia has been struggling through a reading slump this summer so we thought is was time to address the elephant in the room.  In this chapter, we talk about her disinterest in reading and then discuss some ways to overcome reading malaise. Books/authors Julia mentions: Dan Brown Because of Wynn Dixie by Kate Dicamillo Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl Holes by Louis...

Send us Fan Mail Hop into the Time Machine with us as we head way back to elementary school.   We're discussing books we discovered and fell in love with because our teachers read them to us first.  We cover beloved children's classics as well as unknown gems published from the 1950s to the 1990s.  Nostalgia reigns supreme in this chapter. Julia’s Books: Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cra...

Send us Fan Mail What do you do when you're suffering from wanderlust, but have no imminent travel plans?  You read books with a vivid or evocative setting.  In today's episode, we share many book recommendations that are sure to satisfy that craving to explore someplace new, even if you can't make the trip in your real life. Julia’s Books: The Lights of Prague by Nicole Jarvis (Pra...

Send us Fan Mail We are sharing some of our best (and worst) books of April , May and June in this chapter.   The books we discuss range from beloved middle grade to newly released YA fantasy romance (what?!) to adult contemporary fiction.  It's been an interesting quarter, to say the least. Julia’s Books: Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech The  Trials of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor #1) by Jessica Tow...

Send us Fan Mail It's the second episode of our "3 Peas in a Pod" series.  We've invited a special guest to join us to discuss a book of their choosing.  Our guest is Mark Yoder (Stephany's son and Julia's brother).  Mark chose Dune by Frank Herbert for our discussion and we a had a great time digging into the story and sharing our thoughts.  Beware - there are many s...