A Bookish Home

Ep. 96: Patti Callahan Henry, Author of Once Upon a Wardrobe

Bestselling novelist and Friends & Fiction co-host Patti Callahan Henry joins the show this week to tell us about her new book Once Upon a Wardrobe, which pulls back the curtain on the early life of C. S. Lewis. 

We discussed what the Narnia books have meant to Patti, how the pandemic set this novel in motion,  soaking up the magic of the setting on a research trip, and much more.

Ep. 95: Catherine Ostler, Author of The Duchess Countess

This week, I’m speaking with Catherine Ostler about her new book, The Duchess Countess: The Woman Who Scandalized Eighteenth-Century London, which explores the life of the stylish and infamous Elizabeth Chudleigh, Duchess of Kingston.

We discuss Elizabeth Chudleigh's notoriety and what it reveals about the Georgian era, writing the book you want to read, the literary characters the Duchess Countess inspired, transporting readers to the past, and much more.

Ep. 94: Fiona Davis, Author of The Magnolia Palace

This week, Fiona Davis is back on the podcast to discuss her new novel, The Magnolia Palace, which reveals secrets, betrayal, and murder within one of New York City’s most impressive Gilded Age mansions.

Ep. 93: Eve Rodsky on Find Your Unicorn Space: Reclaim Your Creative Life in a Too-Busy World

Today I’m excited to share an interview with an author  changing the way we think about the mental load, invisible labor, and equality at home. In her new book Find Your Unicorn Space, Eve Rodsky helps women carve out time for creativity and gives overworked moms “permission to be interesting”⎻minus the guilt.  “Magnificent! Eve Rodsky … Continue reading Ep. 93: Eve Rodsky on Find Your Unicorn Space: Reclaim Your Creative Life in a Too-Busy World →

Ep. 92: Suzanne Park, Author of So We Meet Again

Today my guest is Suzanne park, whose new romantic comedy  is called So We Meet Again. In this book a young Korean American woman’s journey to finding a new career and new love means learning to embrace the awkward and unexpected—exploring familial expectations, finding your voice, and unimaginably falling for your childhood rival. “Heartwarming and empowering…Jess … Continue reading Ep. 92: Suzanne Park, Author of So We Meet Again →

Ep. 91: Debbi Michiko Florence on Just Be Cool, Jenna Sakai

Today my guest is Debbi Michiko Florence, whose new middle grade novel Just Be Cool, Jenna Sakai is sure to fly off library and classroom shelves and into the hands of young readers. Debbi Michiko Florence is also the author of Keep It Together Keiko Carter, the Jasmine Toguchi chapter book series, and the co-author … Continue reading Ep. 91: Debbi Michiko Florence on Just Be Cool, Jenna Sakai →

Ep. 90: Sarah McCraw Crow, Author of The Wrong Kind of Woman

Today I’m sharing an inspiring conversation with author Sarah McCraw Crow. Her debut novel The Wrong Kind of Woman, is about a woman who finds her way through grief when she helps bring the women’s movement to an all male college campus in the early 1970s.  Sarah McCraw Crow’s articles and short stories have run in … Continue reading Ep. 90: Sarah McCraw Crow, Author of The Wrong Kind of Woman →

Ep. 89: Soman Chainani, Author of Beasts and Beauty

I’m thrilled to share an episode today with author Soman Chainani. I’ve seen firsthand the way his School for Good and Evil series hooked kids on reading and young people will be excited to pick up his new collection of fairy tales, Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales.  Soman Chainani’s debut series, The School for Good … Continue reading Ep. 89: Soman Chainani, Author of Beasts and Beauty →

Ep. 88: Christina Baker Kline, Author of The Exiles

If you love reading (or writing!) novels that bring untold women’s stories to life, this week’s episode is for you. Tune into my conversation with Christina Baker Kline, whose brilliant, captivating novel The Exiles is now out in paperback. A #1 New York Times bestselling author of eight novels, including The Exiles, Orphan Train, and … Continue reading Ep. 88: Christina Baker Kline, Author of The Exiles →

Ep. 87: Fade Into the Bright with Jessica Koosed Etting & Alyssa Embree Schwartz

Today we have a special episode with writing partners, Jessica Koosed Etting and Alyssa Embree Schwartz, authors of the new young adult novel Fade Into the Bright, about two sisters, one summer, and a diagnosis that changes everything.  Alyssa Embree Schwartz, from Virginia Beach, and Jessica Koosed Etting, a Los Angeles native, met at the … Continue reading Ep. 87: Fade Into the Bright with Jessica Koosed Etting & Alyssa Embree Schwartz →