Thoughts from a Page Podcast

Steven and I discuss his new book The Guncle, including humor in his stories, how Auntie Mame and other magical caregivers inspired this story, the special message in his Acknowledgments, how The Editor came about, and much more. Steven’s recommended reads are: The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth Less by Andrew Sean Greer Better Luck Next Time by Julia Claiborne Johnson A Star is Bored by Byron Lane...

Ly and I discuss her new book House of Sticks, the extent to which her father’s PTSD shaped her childhood, immigrating to the United States through a humanitarian program when she was three, writing about her family, the multi-layered meaning of the book’s title, wanting to provide hope for others who may experience similar situations, and much more. Ly’s recommended reads are: Things We Lost to t...

Elizabeth and I discuss what constitutes a summer/beach read, reading habits and tackling our TBRs, finding diamonds in the rough, our favorite books of summer 2021, and more. Elizabeth’s 7 recommended summer reads: The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray The Ride of Her Life: The True Story if a Woman, Her Horse, and Their L...

Cate and I discuss her new book Mergers and Acquisitions, what she learned while writing for the wedding section of The New York Times, focusing on how people view commitment in today’s world, juxtaposing her own love story with the wedding announcements she created, and much more. Cate’s recommended reads are: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery Why Peacocks?: An Unlikely Search for Meaning i...

Genevieve and I discuss her latest book Letters Across the Sea, focusing on Canadian stories that have been long forgotten, where she got the inspiration for this book, the enormous responsibility that historical fiction writers have to teach the mind and touch the heart, and much more. Genevieve’s recommended reads are: The Rose Code by Kate Quinn The Woman with the  Blue Star by Pan Jenoff Yours...

Emiko and I discuss her latest book Tokyo Ever After, how drafting this book helped her reconcile her own identity, her writing process and how it has evolved, why it took her a while to write this book, what a privilege it is to blend in, how her stunning cover came about, viewing stories as “windows and mirrors,” and much more. Emiko’s recommended reads are: Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Bou...

Ayanna and I discuss her new book Blackface, her desire to encourage honest and sustained conversations about race, understanding the history of performing blackness and connecting these performances from Shakespeare to minstrel into one long arc, the need for the full rainbow of stories from black authors, the shocking number of blackface performances occurring in the 21st century, and much more....

Chanel and I discuss her latest book The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba, how this is the first time she has written about a real life heroine, the incredible amount of research she conducted for this novel, which book of hers holds a special place in her heart, bringing Cuban stories to life, and much more. Chanel’s recommended reads are: Island Queen by Vanessa Riley The Riviera House by Natasha Les...

Katherine and I discuss her new book The Siren, using three points of view to slowly disseminate information to the reader, how she enjoys writing about the messiness of life, taking unexpected life paths, how lives are lived in chapters, and much more. Katherine’s recommended reads are: Life’s Too Short by Abby Jiminez Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano The Photographer by Mary Dixie C...

Georgia and I discuss her new rom-com It Had to Be You, why she switched to the rom-com genre, how her own wedding inspired her to write this story, her fascination with weddings, teasing out a balance between tradition versus modernity, and much more. Georgia’s recommended reads are: Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam Vampires in the Lemon Grove: Stories by Karen Russell One Last Stop by Casey...

Tovah and I discuss her new book Lilyville, her difficult relationship with her mother and their generational chasm, how she came up with the delightful format of the book, incorporating “Lilysisms” into her story, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro after her mother died, her upcoming show, and much more. Tovah’s recommended reads are: The Watergate Girl by Jill Wine-Banks Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain...

Flynn and I discuss her new mystery Northern Spy, how she creates such a strong sense of place, writing about a place where turmoil is always just under the surface, the roots of radicalization, being selected as a Reese Book Club pick, and much more. Flynn’s recommended reads are: Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason Intimacies by Lucy Caldwell Being Various: New Irish Short Stories edited by Lucy Caldw...

Jennifer and I discuss her debut novel Ariadne, putting women from Greek mythology at the center of their stories, the complexity of building a Bronze Age world, ensuring that readers are not pulled out of the story and instead stay immersed in the world she has created, her favorite Greek myths, and much more. Jennifer’s recommended reads are:  The Stranding by Kate Sawyer A Dark and Secret Place...

Heather and I discuss our latest book club recommendations, some books we have read recently and loved, and some titles we have not loved. Heather's blog post with our book club recommendations can be found here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christina and I discuss her debut novel The End of Men, publishing a book about a pandemic during the current pandemic, how the pandemic in the book is reverse engineered for her purposes, writing speculative fiction, what happens when there is a huge gender imbalance, and much more. Christina’s recommended reads are: The Push by Ashley Audrain The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab Seve...

Sanjena and I discuss her debut novel Gold Diggers, the responsibilities that come with assimilation, conceptual orphans, writing the research problem she encountered into Gold Diggers, her background as a journalist, Mindy Kaling optioning her story for a TV series, and much more. Sanjena’s recommended reads are: All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews Groundskeeping by Lee Cole The...

Renee and I discuss her new book The Social Graces, how she decided to write about the legendary feud between Caroline Astor and Alva Vanderbilt, the research she conducted, the way her title and cover came about, and much more. Renee’s recommended reads are: The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner The Children’s Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin  The Invisible Woman by Erika Robuck The Women of...

Karen and I discuss her new book The Last Night in London, her inspiration for this story including her time living in London, how the title of this book came about, highlighting the unsung heroes of World War 2, Tradd Street series news, and much more. Karen’s recommended reads are: Band of Sisters by Lauren Willig The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray Ghosted by Rosie Walsh Thanks to...

Lisa and I discuss her new book Eternal, the secret reason she named the book Eternal, what she learned when switching genres, how Philip Roth helped inspire her to write this story, how her research led her to purchase a special item, and much more. Lisa’s recommended reads are: Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian  When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain The...

Elizabeth and I discuss her job as a book buyer at the indie bookstore Fabled Bookshop and Café, what the job entails, the fortuitous way she landed the job, her favorite genres, how she decides what to buy, how bookstores should be “windows and mirrors,” and more. Listen to the episode to hear Elizabeth’s 8 recommended reads! Support the podcast here. For more information about sponsoring an epis...

Stephanie and I discuss The Women of Chateau Lafayette, writing three timelines and weaving them together, what she discovered while researching one of the characters for this novel that required her to rewrite the book several times, the highlight of writing the story, the character she identifies with the most, and more. Stephanie’s 3 recommended reads are: 1.     The Rose Code by Kate Quinn 2. ...

Katie and Desiree join me today to discuss bookstagram (book accounts on Instagram), how they got started, developing relationships with publishers, the best and worst things about the platform, the books they loved and some they didn’t, and much more. Katie can be found at @katieneedsabiggerbookshelf, and Des is at @theboozy.reader. Support the podcast here. For more information about sponsoring...

Danielle and I discuss Glimmer As You Can, bringing 1960s Brooklyn to life, the inspiration for the Starlight, women’s experiences in the 1960s, her reading recommendations, and more. Danielle’s 3 recommended reads are: The Queen’s Fortune by Allison Pataki Glamour Girls by Marty Wingate The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline Support the podcast here. For more information about sponsoring an episode,...

Kathleen and I discuss Are We There Yet?, how social media and cell phones play such major roles in teens’ lives today, parents who believe their self-worth and social standing are tied to their children’s, parenting in 2021, balancing oversight and privacy as a parent, and more. Kathleen’s 5 recommended reads are: The Second Home by Christina Clancy The Chicken Sisters by KJ Dell’Antonia Death in...

Bianca and I discuss If You Want to Make God Laugh, creating cultural context and awareness in her writing, her podcast and why she launched it, how to become a more responsible traveler, the importance of Own Voices stories, the advent of writing partnerships, and more. Bianca’s 4 recommended reads are: The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman The Quee...