Thoughts from a Page Podcast

In this episode, Kelly and I chat about our favorite books of 2021. Kelly’s top 12 reads of 2021: These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker Bad Muslim Discount by Syed M. Masood The Push by Ashley Audrain Will by Will Smith The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray Landslide by Susan Conley The World Played Chess by Robert Dugo...

Olga and I chat about book cover designing, what the process looks like from start to finish, all of the parties that must sign off on a book cover, trends in book cover design, her fabulous Instagram book cover showcase account, and much more. Support the podcast by becoming a Page Turner on Patreon (including more conversation with Olga about cover designing). Other ways to support the podcast c...

Wiley and I chat about When Ghosts Come Home, why he chose to set the book in 1984, how good stories come from tension, why he is comfortable writing female characters, how the title came about, and much more. Wiley's recommended reads are: My Autobiography of Carson McCullers by Jenn Shapland Hell of a Book by Jason Mott Reprieve by James Han Mattson Severance by Ling Ma Support the podcast by be...

Karen and I chat about her new book The Lightmaker's Manifesto, her studying and writing about the intersection of joy and activism, her own claiming of the term activism, how stories provide an amazingly resonant way to connect with people, performance activism, and much more. Karen's recommended reads are: Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown You Are Your Best Thing by Tarana Burke Becoming Better...

Mark and I chat about Libro.fm, how the company began, how audiobooks are the fastest growing segment of publishing, the way the relationship between Libro.fm and bookstores works, the importance of local bookstores, curated audiobook lists on the platform, and much more. Mark's recommended audiobooks are: The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven by Nathaniel Ian Miller Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson Dirt by...

Anne and I chat about her latest cookbook A New Take on Cake, why she decided to do this cookbook, how cake mix baking is more common today than when she first started out with this concept, updating some of her favorite recipes, how she approached this project, and much more. Support the podcast by becoming a Page Turner on Patreon (Anne answers more questions for a bonus episode).  Other ways to...

Nicole and I discuss Everything We Didn't Say, researching cold cases for inspiration, rewriting this book three times, setting books in her home state, being selected as one of the October Book of the Month selections, what she has learned while writing ten books, and much more. Nicole's recommended reads are: Lightning Strike by William Kent Krueger For the Wolf by Hannah F. Whitten Support the...

Jenna and I discuss Woodrow on the Bench, what Woodrow taught her and others that interacted with him, how each chapter of the book contains a lesson from Woodrow, writing a memoir versus fiction, the book that inspired her cover, A Mighty Blaze and what's on tap for it in 2022, and much more. Jenna's recommended reads are: The Guide by Peter Heller  Godspeed by Nickolas Butler The Liz Taylor Ring...

For this special episode, Carol Ann Tack of Top Shelf at Merrick Library and I interview Kimmery Martin together. We talk about her new book Doctors and Friends, writing the book pre-pandemic, how it changed post-pandemic, her wonderful website, and so much more. Kimmery’s recommended read: My Year Abroad by Chang-Rae Lee. Carol Ann interviews Chang-Rae Lee here Support the podcast by becoming a P...

Kimi and I discuss These Silent Woods, living off the grid, the book's original title, her tweak to the cover design, how writers need to have both the thickest and the thinnest skin, her writing process and how it has changed, and much more. Kimi's recommended reads are: Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel The Guide by Peter Heller Support the podcast by b...

Laurence and I discuss Capote's Women, the illusion these women created for the world and how happiness was elusive for them, what surprised him the most while writing this book, the carefully chosen cover photo, his favorite of the books he has written, and much more. Laurence’s recommended reads are: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Support...

Deborah and I discuss her book The Tell-All Guide to Airbnb Hosting, her encore career, serving as an Airbnb Superhost by renting rooms in her home, some crazy Airbnb stories, tips for being a great host and a fabulous guest, her podcast Calm the Chaos, and much more. Deborah's recommended read is: The Listening Path by Julia Cameron Support the podcast by becoming a Page Turner on Patreon.  Other...

Alice and I discuss A Blizzard of Polar Bears, working as a wildlife researcher and bioacoustician, how she believes strongly in including accurate science in her novels, the animal she is focusing on in her third book in the series, Barnes and Noble's selection of A Solitude of Wolverines as its October mystery pick, and much more. Alice's recommended reads are: What We Think about When We Try No...

Tabitha and I discuss Paper Airplanes, telling this very personal story, how 9/11 transformed the United States, the chapter she found the most difficult to write, participating in Pitch Wars, her publishing journey, and much more. Tabitha's recommended reads are: The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki Matrix by Lauren Groff Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr Support the podcast by becoming...

Laura and I discuss The Stolen Lady, her decades-long fascination with the Mona Lisa, how the Nazis sought to steal all of Leonardo da Vinci's paintings and drawings during World War 2, that the Mona Lisa was never delivered to its patron and instead how da Vinci brought it to France with him, and much more. Laura’s recommended reads are: Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi Anticipat...

Todd and I chat about his book Little Pieces of Hope, celebrating all of the things that bring us joy in life, how and why he started these lists the day WHO declared a global pandemic, looking to his daily life for inspiration, the bright and sunny cover, working in book publicity, and much more. Todd's recommended reads are: The Good Left Undone by Adriana Trigiani Still Life by Louise Penny The...

We discuss their new book The Anxiety Sisters' Survival Guide, how they became Anxiety Sisters, living with anxiety in today's world, the questions they are most frequently asked, how they want to provide a comprehensive understanding of what anxiety is, and much more. Abbe's recommended reads are: The Guncle by Steven Rowley Notes on a Silencing by Lacy Crawford Maggie's recommended reads are: Di...

Kristy and I discuss Christmas in Peachtree Bluff, writing a holiday story versus a non-holiday story, returning to Peachtree Bluff after a hiatus and whether she will write more in the series, Friends and Fiction, and much more. Kristy’s recommended reads are: The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan In Polite Company by Gervais Hagerty Support the podcast by beco...

We discuss We Are Not Like Them, how they started writing the book together and what their writing process looked like, encouraging people to have more in-depth conversations on race, why storytelling induces empathy, being selected as the October Good Morning America book club selection, the editorial process, and much more. Their joint recommended reads are: Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead No C...

Patti and I discuss Once Upon a Wardrobe, finding the source of Narnia and its inhabitants in C.S. Lewis’ life, creating such a strong sense of place, how her title and cover came about, having her book launch the new Harper Muse imprint, the beautiful letter she received from Lewis’ stepson about this book, and much more. Patti’s recommended reads are: The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Har...

Matt and I discuss the Texas Book Festival, what his job as Literary Director entails, the festival’s origins and how it has evolved, the hybrid schedule for this year, how authors are selected, what the Texas Book Festival learned from the pandemic, some of our favorite Texas independent bookstores, and much more. Support the podcast by becoming a Page Turner on Patreon.  Other ways to support th...

Tracey and I discuss her debut novel We Are the Brennans, her writing process, the characters she enjoyed writing the most and the least in the book, writing from multiple points of view, the Little Free Library drops coordinated by Celadon Books, and much more. Tracey’s recommended reads are: The Truth about Ben and June by Alex Kiester Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis...

The Loves and I discuss their book The Redemption of Bobby Love, telling their story to Humans of New York and the amazing response they received, how Bobby had to get used to a new name, the importance of forgiveness, and more. Support the podcast by becoming a Page Turner on Patreon.  Other ways to support the podcast can be found here.   Thanks to Maggie Garza of HTX Real Estate Group for spons...

David and I discuss his new book Food Americana, creating Diners Dives, and Drive-Ins, his attempt to define American cuisine, choosing the foods and the food outlets to include in this book, the death of regionalism, the renaissance in artisanal bagel making, how COVID revolutionized certain aspects of the restaurant business, and much more. David’s recommended reads are: Black Smoke: African Ame...

Jayne and I discuss her unusual and ultimately rewarding publishing journey, her new role at Zibby Books, how her background involves working in industries at a time of significant upheaval, her trilogy, and much more. Jayne's recommended reads are: In Every Mirror She's Black by Lola Akinmade Akerstrom What Passes As Love by Trisha Thomas Support the podcast by becoming a Page Turner on Patreon. ...