Book Cougars Podcast: Two Middle-Aged Women on the Hunt for a Good Read
Chris and Emily, two middle-aged women, discuss books and share their literary adventures on the Book Cougars Podcast. Each episode features book recommendations, reviews, and conversations about reading. The podcast aims to connect with fellow book lovers and explore a variety of genres.
Episodes
Episode 270 - Talking about Empaths, Monsters, and Magic, oh my!
Episode 270 is another 10th episode, which means it's time for another giveaway! In the spirit of this being our year of reading Page-to-Screen adaptations, one lucky newsletter subscriber will receive movie-cover-related copies of Practical Magic 2 by Alice Hoffman, Dog Stars by Peter Heller, and Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko. The winner will be drawn on 10/15, so you have until then to subsc
Episode 269 - Min Jin Lee Triple Header!
Welcome to a special MIN JIN LEE triple header to celebrate her new novel, AMERICAN HAGWON.
Part 1: We talk about AMERICAN HAGWON in the first part of the episode. The novel publishes on 9/29, and if you haven’t already preordered or reserved a copy at your library, consider this your reminder to do so. It’s an excellent reading experience, from the characters to their situations to the writing
Episode 268 - Goodbye Big Book Summer, Hello Shorty September!
Welcome to Episode 268!
We recap our Big Book Summer reads, which were all good. There wasn’t a DNF among them, although Chris hasn’t yet finished ROOTS.
Wake Now in the Fire by Jarrett Dapier and AJ Dungo
All We Hide by Robyn Gigl
11/22/63 by Stephen King
Obstinate Daughters: The Rebels, Writers, and Renegade Women Who Ignited the American Revolution by Denise Kiernan
Land by Maggie O’Farrell
Episode 267 - Author Spotlight with Susan Gregg Gilmore
Welcome to Episode 267, featuring an Author Spotlight with Susan Gregg Gilmore. Her new novel, THE CURIOUS CALLING OF LEONARD BUSH, is the fiction winner of the 2025 Willie Morris Award for Southern Writing. The novel is available now in hardcover and pubs in paperback on September 8th, so pre-order now or ask your library to order a copy.
In our “Just Read” segment, we talk about:
All We Hide b
Episode 266 - Author Spotlight with Jennifer Putzi
Welcome to Episode 266, featuring an Author Spotlight with Jennifer (Jenny) Putzi, a leading scholar of nineteenth-century American women's writing. She talks with us about her captivating new book, THE RECONSTRUCTION DIARY OF FRANCES ANNE ROLLIN: A Critical Edition, which is out now from UNC Press. Jenny is also co-director of the Black Women's Diaries Project, an exciting digital humanities init
Episode 265 - In the grip of JAWS
Welcome to Episode 265!
Content warning: We talk a lot about JAWS in this episode, both the novel and the movie. We jest about the content warning (maybe), but there’ll be more JAWS talk in the next episode, too, because after we recorded this one, we jumped in our biblio-adventure-mobile and headed to Mystic Seaport for a related author event: Christopher Shaw Myers talking about his new nonfict
Episode 264 - Author Spotlight with Claire Fuller
Welcome to Episode 264!
We were thrilled to have a chance to speak with CLAIRE FULLER about her new novel, HUNGER AND THIRST. If you’re looking for an atmospheric, creepy, twisty, coming-of-age novel that’ll keep you wondering what’s really going on, look no further! Claire’s Author Spotlight follows our regular segments.
In our “Just Read” segment, we talk about:
📖 JAWS by Peter Benchley
📖 MA
Episode 263 - Author Spotlight with Denise Kiernan
Welcome to Episode 263!
We were excited to talk with Denise Kiernan about her timely new book on the eve of America’s 250th birthday, OBSTINATE DAUGHTERS: The Rebels, Writers, and Renegade Women Who Ignited the American Revolution.
In our “Just Read” segment, we talk about:
TABLE 4 AT THE RIVER CAFE: Conversations about Food and Life by Ruthie Rogers
11/22/63 by Stephen King
LAND by Maggie O’F
Episode 262 - Q2 Readalong: Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
lcome to Episode 262!
We had a fantastic discussion with an enthusiastic group of listeners about our second quarter readalong, Fannie Flagg’s novel FRIED GREEN TOMATOES AT THE WHISTLE STOP CAFE. We talk about both the book and the movie. If you’re curious about our Q3 readalong choice, you’ll have to wait a little longer; we will announce it on the next episode).
In our “Just Read” segment, we
Episode 261 - Still in the Grip of Frankenstein, and Now Gyllenhaal's The Bride!
Welcome to Episode 261!
It looks like our first quarter readalong title, FRANKENSTEIN by Mary Shelley, has not lost its grip on us. We both finally watched and in this episode discuss The Bride!, written and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal. Wow. It is a wild ride of a movie and, much like the original novel, not for the faint of heart.
Emily watched Remarkably Bright Creatures, based on the novel
Episode 260 - Buddy Reading with Our Mystery Man John Valeri
Welcome to Episode 260! It’s another 10th episode, which means we have a GIVEAWAY for newsletter subscribers. One lucky subscriber of our free monthly newsletter will win hardcover copies of:
Agnes Sharp and the Wedding to Die For by Leonie Swann, translated by Amy Bojang
Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line by Elle Cosimano
Missing Sister by Joshilyn Jackson
Subscribe by May 21 to be entered to wi
Episode 259 - Busted by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Welcome to Episode 259!
We got a lot of reading done since the last episode:
📖 Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum, translated by Shanna Tan
📖 The Body Farm: Scarpetta #5 by Patricia Cornwell
📖 The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
📖 All the World Can Hold by Jung Yun
📖 Blunt Instrument by Amy Bloom
📖 Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
In Biblio Adventures, Chris celebrated I
Episode 258 - Author Spotlight with Heather Harper Ellett
Welcome to Episode 258!
In a first for Book Cougars Author Spotlights, we welcome back an author not to discuss their next book, but to learn about why and how their first novel is being published for a second time – with a new publisher and a new ending! We enjoyed Heather Harper Ellett’s debut novel, AIN’T NOBODY NOBODY, and were thrilled to invite her back to talk about the new life being brea
Episode 257 - Author Spotlight with Emily Franklin
We have a fascinating Author Spotlight with EMILY FRANKLIN whose new novel comes out today! LOVE AND OTHER MONSTERS is historical fiction at its finest – engaging and well researched – that tells the story of Claire Clairmont, Mary Shelley’s stepsister, who was very much a part of the group that spent time in that Swiss villa writing (or not writing) ghost stories to pass the time during the Year
Episode 256 - Author Spotlight with Sara Catterall & Q2 Readalong Announcement
Welcome to Episode 256 featuring our Author Spotlight with biographer Sara Catterall! Sara’s new book, AMELIA BLOOMER: Journalist, Suffragist, Anti-Fashion Icon, was on Chris’s Top Ten list, and Emily was so into it that she cried at the end. We think biography lovers, history buffs, women’s rights advocates, and activists of all stripes will enjoy this biography. We had a great time talking with
Episode 255 - Q1 Readalong: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Welcome to Episode 255, where we dig into talking about FRANKENSTEIN by Mary Shelley! We also discuss two adaptations that we’ve watched. We both plan to watch more adaptations and remain fascinated by Shelley and her work, so we are not done with FRANKENSTEIN. Thanks to everyone who attended the Zoom discussion and to those who have chatted with us via email, Goodreads, and social media.
Books w
Episode 254 - Author Spotlight with Tiya Miles
Welcome to Episode 254! We are so excited to welcome Tiya Miles to the podcast to discuss her most recent book, NIGHT FLYER: Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People. Don’t miss our conversation, which immediately follows our regular segments. [Should we put in a time stamp?]
Chris has finished FRANKENSTEIN by Mary Shelley, and Emily is #currentlyreading the novel, so we talk about it
Episode 253 - Author Spotlight with Sharon M. Harris
Welcome to Episode 247!
Can you believe it is already time to share our annual Holiday Gift Ideas?? Each year, starting with Episode 2 back in 2016, we share some bookish (or biblioadventuring) gifts. We hope you benefit from these in the form of presents for loved ones and/or for yourself!
We also discuss our fourth quarter readalong pick – the last in our year of reading ghost stories – HOW T
Episode 252 - Listener Top Tens of 2025 and New Year Reading Intentions
Welcome to Episode 252, where we share LISTENER TOP TEN READS of 2025! In past years, there hasn’t been much of a spread between the first and second place books on the list. But this year there is a 15-point spread between the first and second books! As usual, the first-place book was a novel, but the second-place book was nonfiction—a first ever for that. Usually, nonfiction doesn’t show up unti
Episode 251 - Top Ten Reads of 2025 with Russell of Ink and Paper Blog
Welcome to Episode 251 – Another Annual Top Ten Celebration with Russell of Ink and Paper Blog!
We each share our list of Top Ten books read in 2025 and a favorite Biblio Adventure. Of course, more than 30 books were mentioned during this conversation. It seems impossible to narrow it down to ten books, and we remind ourselves that these are our top ten that day, but it is a fun exercise.
Don’t
Episode 250 - In podcasting years, we’re older than America250
Welcome to Episode 250!
We joke that we turned “250” before “America250,” the moniker given to the United States’s anniversary celebration. The country is celebrating 250 years in 2026.
This is also our last episode of 2025, and we want to thank you for listening and making this another fantastic year filled with good books and good friends!
Some highlights:
We have our usual segments in this
Episode 249 - It’s Our Ninth Anniversary!
Welcome to Episode 249–we are now NINE!
That’s right, December is our anniversary month. Episode 1 launched on December 6, 2016, and we’ve published a new episode every other Tuesday since then. Thank you so much for listening and all your encouragement along the way.
We always wonder, especially around our anniversary: how did you discover our podcast?? Let us know in the comments or send us
Episode 248 - Author Spotlight with Natalie Dykstra
Welcome to Episode 248!
This episode is a bit different. We have an Author Spotlight with biographer Natalie Dykstra. If you’ve been listening to the podcast since this summer, you know that we both read her fascinating biography, CHASING BEAUTY: THE LIFE OF ISABELLA STEWART GARDNER. We also visited the exceptional, impressive, excellent – let’s go with indescribable – Isabella Stewart Gardner M
Episode 247 - 2025 Holiday Gift Ideas & Q4 Readalong (How to Sell A Haunted House)
Episode 246 - A Flock of Words
Welcome to Episode 246!
We recap some fun Biblioadventures in this episode. Emily got to see Mel Rosenthal in conversation with Virginia Evans about her debut novel The Correspondent at an event hosted by RJ Julia Booksellers. Chris had a research visit to Columbia University’s Rare Book and Manuscript Library, where she enjoyed their book arts exhibit and admired the mantel in front of which Edg
Episode 245 - Henry James is dead (to us)
Welcome to Episode 245!
A highlight of this episode, if you want to call it that, is our discussion of Henry James’s ghost story, “The Jolly Corner,” from THE PENGUIN BOOK OF GHOST STORIES. Chris also read his novella, “The Turn of the Screw,” so we actually talk about two Henry James stories. We’re sorry. Haha. We jest, but in all honesty, we struggled with James’s writing style, even if we thou
Episode 244 - Spooky Stories with Our Mystery Man
Welcome to Episode 244!
In years past, the cooler temps and changing leaves were indicators that the year was winding down. This year, we also have THE PENGUIN BOOK OF GHOST STORIES: From Elizabeth Gaskell to Ambrose Bierce as a gauge. After this episode, we have only three more stories left to read – can you believe it? (We can guess the mixed responses to this question! haha.) We both enjoyed “
Episode 243 - Ghosts, Ghosts, and More Ghosts
Welcome to Episode 243!
Rejoice, it's officially fall, which we think is the best time of the year to read ghost stories! In the last episode, when we announced our fourth quarter readalong pick – HOW TO SELL A HAUNTED HOUSE by Grady Hendrix – for our year of reading ghost stories, we said we’d share some of the other novels we considered in this episode, and we do, eight of them.
We also discu
Episode 242 - Announcing the Q4 Readalong!
Welcome to Episode 242!
It’s great to know we have some risk takers among us! We dared readers of our monthly newsletter to sign up for the fourth quarter readalong prior to knowing what the book was and a handful of adventurous readers took us up on it. Thank you for trusting us, and listen to this episode to hear the announcement about the Q4 readalong book.
Some of the recent reads we discus
Episode 241 - The Yellow Wallpaper
Welcome to Episode 241!
Some highlights of this episode include a discussion of our third quarter readalong, THE UPSTAIRS HOUSE by Julia Fine, and its companion read, Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s 1892 short story, THE YELLOW WALLPAPER. Thanks to the readers who joined us for the Zoom conversation and helped deepen our appreciation of both stories.
We also discussed “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W.Jacob
Episode 240 - The Nightmare Touch
Welcome to Episode 240!
It’s another 10th episode, which means we’re giving away a book as we do every tenth episode. One lucky newsletter subscriber will receive a copy of CHASING BEAUTY: The Life of Isabella Stewart Gardner by Natalie Dykstra. If you’re not yet subscribed to our monthly newsletter, you can sign up on our website (go to the “support/subscribe” tab). Dykstra will be our guest on
Episode 239 - Playwright Spotlight with Laura Thoma
Welcome to Episode 239!
Playwright Laura Thoma joins us to talk about her first commissioned play, Letter to My Soul, which will premiere at the GreenStage Guilford Live Arts Festival on August 10th.
We discuss another story from THE PENGUIN BOOK OF GHOST STORIES, “At the End of the Passage” by Rudyard Kipling, which didn’t seem very ghostly to us. Other stories we’ve read and discuss include BU
Episode 238 - Author Spotlight with Clare Beams
Welcome to Episode 238 which features an Author Spotlight with the wonderfully creepy Clare Beams! To clarify: it’s her work that’s creepy, in a good way. As you’ll hear in the interview, Clare is lovely, smart, feminist, and fun. We both enjoyed her latest book, THE GARDEN, which is part historical fiction, part ghost story, and part pregnancy horror story all wrapped up in a novel about a woman
Episode 237 - From Connecticut to Carbondale
Welcome to Episode 237 where we DO NOT talk about the scheduled ghost story, “Thrawn Janet” by Robert Louis Stevenson due to human error. We’ll discuss it on the next episode along with “The Open Door” by Margaret Oliphant.
Now, on to what we DID discuss.
What we’re currently reading:
THE GARDEN by Clare Beams, SILAS MARNER by George Eliot, and COOKING IN REAL LIFE by Lidey Heuck.
What we’ve j
Episode 236 - From Nyack to Nebraska
Welcome to Episode 236, where we are both back at Book Cougars HQ and happy to be sitting across the table from one another again.
We did some Biblio Adventuring since the last episode! Emily joined the Pride celebration in Middletown, CT which kicked off with Drag Storytime at Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore. She also had a lovely visit to Big Red Books in Nyack, NY. Chris was back in the Midwest w
Episode 235 - Hello, Pittsburgh Calling!
Chris and Emily recorded Episode 235 over Zoom. Emily was holding down the fort at Book Cougars HQ in Connecticut and Chris dialed in from Pittsburgh, PA. She was on the road back to Connecticut from Illinois and had some fun Biblio Adventures to share including a visit to Van Wert, Ohio where she visited The Brumback Library and had lunch with Linda, the BC’s librarian. She also visited the Carne
Episode 234 - Author Spotlight with Elissa Altman
Welcome to Episode 234, featuring an Author Spotlight with memoirist Elissa Altman. We talk about her writing process, including the use of two particular desks that she sits at depending on the focus of her work. We also get into the specifics of journals vs. diaries and, of course, we asked her about writing implements! Her new book, PERMISSION: THE NEW MEMOIRIST AND THE COURAGE TO CREATE, is ou
Episode 233 - Author Spotlight with Matthew Goodman
On Episode 233, we are thrilled to welcome back, MATTHEW GOODMAN! We are so grateful that Zoom and, before them, Skype (remember them?) opened up the world to conversations with authors. That said, there’s still nothing like sitting in the same room with other humans talking about books, ideas, and historic happenings. Matthew joined us at Book Cougars HQ here in Connecticut to discuss his new boo
Episode 232 - Author Spotlight with Eowyn Ivey
We were thrilled to talk with author Eowyn Ivey about her new book, BLACK WOODS BLUE SKY. During our conversation, Eowyn shared her writing habits, including a description of her writing cottage, and tells us about her reading life. Topics ranged from motherhood on the page and in real life, her family’s literary life in Alaska, and Proust vs Joyce.
In our own reading lives, we both read and dis
Episode 231 - Author Spotlight with Ruth Franklin
We were thrilled and a little nervous to sit down with Ruth Franklin to talk about her work and share our origin story. The Book Cougars may not have been born without Ruth Franklin. Or, come to think of it, Shirley Jackson. We were excited to talk with Ruth about her brilliant new work, THE MANY LIVES OF ANNE FRANK, and her previous biography, SHIRLEY JACKSON: A RATHER HAUNTED LIFE. You won’t wan
Episode 230: "Come for the Skiing, Stay for the Library"
Welcome to Episode 230 where we talk about some books.
As this is another tenth episode, we are also hosting a giveaway! One lucky newsletter subscriber will win a paperback copy of our second quarter readalong pick, THE GOOD HOUSE by Tananarive Due. Newsletter subscribers are automatically entered to win our recurring tenth episode giveaways.
Chris unexpectedly read the surprise hot book of th
Episode 229 - Announcing our 2nd Quarter Readalong in our year of reading Ghost Stories
Welcome to Episode 229!
We kick off this episode with the announcement of our second quarter readalong pick for our year of reading Ghost Stories. We hope you’ll read along with us!
Speaking of which, we also have an in depth conversation about “What Was It?” by Fitz-James O’Brien, the second story in the PENGUIN BOOK OF GHOST STORIES that we’ll be buddy reading throughout the year. Join us on
Episode 228 - Q1 Readalong: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Welcome to Episode 228!
2025 is the year of the Ghost Story. We’ve created a tab on the website to keep you up-to-date on our quarterly readalongs, the schedule for the year-long buddy read of THE PENGUIN BOOK OF GHOST STORIES: From Elizabeth Gaskell to Ambrose Bierce, and there is a downloadable Ghost Story Bingo Card; we would love for you to play along. Be sure to bookmark the page and check b
Episode 227 - Spotlight with Pulitzer Prize-winning Author Megan Marshall
Welcome to Episode 227, featuring an author spotlight with Megan Marshall discussing her new collection of essays, After Lives: On Biography and the Mysteries of the Human Heart. Megan is a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer who turns her writerly gaze and historical imagination on her own life, her family and friends, and the “after lives” of her biographical subjects. After Lives publishes the da
Episode 226 - A Book-Packed Episode including Listener Top Ten Reads of 2024
This is a book-packed episode! Because we had not recorded a regular episode in a month due to our annual top ten with Russell (see Episode 225), we had a pile-up of books to discuss.
But first, we share our LISTENER TOP TEN reads of 2024. There were several ties, so we had a top fourteen list. The first three books were not tied, and each received a substantial number of votes to place them in t
Episode 225 - Top Ten Books of 2024 with Russell from Ink and Paper Blog
Welcome to Episode 225, featuring our Top Reads of 2024 with Russell from Ink and Paper Blog. This is an annual tradition, and we’ve been doing this long enough that we think we know
that someone else will put a particular book on their list so that we can include some other book on our own list. It came down to the wire this year for one particular book that we all loved! As much as we try to “g
Episode 224 - Author Spotlight with Pamela D. Toler
We are thrilled to feature Dr. Pamela D. Toler who joined us to talk about her new book, THE DRAGON FROM CHICAGO: THE UNTOLD STORY OF AN AMERICAN REPORTER IN NAZI GERMANY. In a time when women were a rarity in the field, Sigrid Schultz was a print and broadcast journalist and the Chicago Tribune’s Berlin office bureau chief. She covered news from Europe and Germany from WWI through WWII and post-w
Episode 223 - Author Spotlight with Brian D. Kennedy
Episode 222 - 2024 Holiday Gift Ideas
The Holiday Season is upon us! In Episode 222, we continue our annual tradition of sharing bookish holiday gift ideas. We’ve given these items to loved ones or treated ourselves to them (or received them as gifts!). We hope you find our ideas helpful.
Since our last episode, we’ve had some fun biblio adventures. Two highlights: Chris took a leisurely drive through the back roads of Connecticut to
Episode 221 - Trial by Ambush with Marcia Clark and John Valeri
We had the good fortune to talk with Marcia Clark and John Valeri about TRIAL BY AMBUSH, Marcia’s first foray into the true crime genre, for which John served as her researcher. TRIAL BY AMBUSH is an investigation into the 1953 trial of Barbara Graham, a petty criminal whose life took a hard turn the night of a home burglary that ended in murder.
Graham’s trial was sensational, and the press cov
Episode 220 - A Shocking Buddy-Read with Our Mystery Man John Valeri
Welcome to Episode 220 – It’s another 10th episode, which means it’s giveaway time! One lucky newsletter subscriber will win copies of The Gardener’s Plot: A Mystery by Deborah J. Benoit and The Author’s Guide to Murder by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White. We send one newsletter per month, and it is free. Sign up on our website, and good luck!
We also announce our Patreon giveaway
Episode 219 - Exploring Picture Book Art
Welcome to Episode 219! In this episode, we recap some exciting Biblio Adventures, including trips to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, the Montague Book Mill, the Montague Center Library, and an author event at RJ Julia Booksellers with Betsy Lerner.
Chris talks about a handful of picture books she read:
The Tower of Life: How Yaffa Eliach Rebuilt Her Town in Stories and Photographs – w
Episode 218 - Playwright Spotlight with Laura Thoma
Welcome to Episode 218, featuring a Playwright Spotlight with Laura Thoma about her new Christmas play, MISS MARGARET’S BARTON COTTAGE CHRISTMAS SURPRISE, coming this December to Drama Works Theatre in Old Saybrook.
We made up for lost time with a slew of Biblio Adventures, starting with a discussion with James R. Benn at the Mystic & Noank Library, after which we dashed over to see the new home
Episode 217 - Author Spotlight with James R. Benn
We are thrilled to welcome James R. Benn, author of the Billy Boyle World War II mystery series. The nineteenth book in the series, THE PHANTOM PATROL, is out today! It’s Winter 1944, and Boyle is on a mission that takes him from the beleaguered art world of Paris to the front lines of the Battle of the Bulge.
Some of the novels we discuss in this episode include THE MOST by Jessica Anthony, THE
Episode 216 - Guest Spotlight with Michael Kelleher, Director of the Windham Campbell Prizes
Emily is back in Connecticut, which means she and Chris were able to record this episode together at Book Cougars HQ. We are grateful for long-distance recording technology, but talking about books in person is much more fun!
Our special guest is Michael Kelleher, Director of the Windham Campbell Prizes. Mike explains that these awards are given to writers, not for a particular book, but in four
Episode 215 - The Midwest Episode
We’re calling this episode “The Midwest Episode” because we recorded it while both of us were visiting the Midwest. Emily is spending time with her daughter and granddaughter in Michigan, and Chris was visiting her mom in Chicago. Newer listeners might not realize that although we both now live in Connecticut, we are transplants from the Midwest. Emily is originally from Ohio, and Chris is from Il
Episode 214 - Biblio Adventure Extravaganza
Welcome to Episode 214!
This episode contains a lot of biblio adventuring. Emily is in Traverse City, Michigan, helping her daughter, getting to know her new granddaughter, and discovering the many excellent Little Free Libraries in the area. She also shopped at Horizon Books and has been spending time at the Traverse City Library.
Meanwhile, back in New England, Chris and “Colleen from Chicag
Episode 213 - "I'll Have What You're Reading" with Booktuber Shawn Breathes Books
Welcome to Episode 213!
BookTuber Shawn Breathes Books joins us to celebrate Jenny Colvin and “I’ll Have What You’re Reading,” the memorial buddy read we jointly hosted with him the last few months. We also discuss Andrea Robbin Skinner’s recent revelation about her mother, Alice Munro, and how it has impacted us as readers.
Some other highlights:
In #CurrentlyReading, we are each reading anot
Episode 212 - Author Spotlight with Juliet Grames
Welcome to Episode 212!
This episode is different from all of our previous shows because Emily was unexpectedly called out of town to attend her granddaughter’s birth! Baby Neena arrived three weeks early. She and her mom, Rachel, are doing great. And yes, Emily has already read a book to her, SPOT GOES TO THE FARM, by Eric Hill.
Instead of recording our regular segments, we share reminders abou
Episode 211 - Deep Dive Into Summer Reading
We dove into summer with our first big Biblio Adventure of the season! It involved art by kids inspired by Emily Dickinson’s poem, “Hope is the thing with feathers,” lobster, a little free library, and Bank Square Books. A great day! In other Biblio Adventures, Emily went to see Ann Leary talk about her new essay collection, I’VE TRIED BEING NICE, at R.J. Julia Booksellers in Madison, CT. She also
Episode 210 - Getting Cozy with Our Mystery Man, John Valeri
Welcome to Episode 210, where we have the pleasure of welcoming back Our Mystery Man, John Valeri! For those of you who are new to the Book Cougars, John is a frequent guest. He’s a reader, professional reviewer, and interviewer extraordinaire (check out his BookTube channel, CENTRAL BOOKING). John joins us to not only recommend some hot new mystery/thrillers but also to share insights on the guid
Episode 209 - Author Spotlight with Sara Paretsky
Welcome to Episode 209! We were thrilled and honored to talk with New York Times bestselling author, mystery legend, and social justice advocate Sara Paretsky. We talk with Sara about her newly published novel, PAY DIRT, the 22nd installment in her V.I. Warshawski series, founding Sisters in Crime, and so much more. Don’t miss our conversation at the end of the episode.
We pay tribute to the late
Episode 208 - Author Spotlight with Sara B. Franklin
Welcome to Episode 208, which features a fantastic author spotlight with Sara B. Franklin. Her new biography, THE EDITOR: HOW PUBLISHING LEGEND JUDITH JONES SHAPED CULTURE IN AMERICA, is a must-read. It is not hyperbole to say that everyone reading and eating today has been touched by Judith Jones’s work, and Franklin’s writing is a delight to read.
We had a great Biblio Adventure to Brooklyn wi
Episode 207 - Spotlight with Author & Rare Book Dealer Rebecca Romney
Welcome to Episode 207. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to talk with rare book dealer and author Rebecca Romney. Her first book was PRINTER’S ERROR: Irreverent Stories from Book History, and she made a significant contribution to the world of romance fiction with her collection, THE ROMANCE NOVEL IN ENGLISH: A Rare Book Survey, 1769-1999. You won’t want to miss our conversation with Rebecc
Episode 206 - Author Spotlight with Rebecca Rego Barry
Welcome to Episode 206 where we have a fantastic conversation with Rebecca Rego Barry, author of THE VANISHING OF CAROLYN WELLS: Investigations into a Forgotten Mystery Author. One reviewer referred to Barry’s book as a “process biography.” It is true, Barry takes you along on her investigation into the life of Carolyn Wells who, it turns out, wrote more than mysteries. She wrote poetry, plays, sc
Episode 205 - Author Spotlight with Yulin Kuang
Welcome to Episode 205! April is National Poetry Month and we are here for it. Emily is currently reading YOU ARE HERE: Poetry in the Natural World, a new anthology edited by Ada Limón, and Chris is reading BOATS FOR WOMEN by Sandra Yannone.
Since our last episode, Chris finished listening to WAKE UP WITH PURPOSE! What I’ve Learned in my First Hundred Years by Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt. She als
Episode 204 - Author Spotlight with Allison Pataki
We begin Episode 204 with the announcement of our second quarter readalong in our year of reading romance and end with a delightful conversation with author Allison Pataki about her fabulous new novel, FINDING MARGARET FULLER.
Since our last episode, Emily has continued with her intention of reading a short story every Monday. She read “Lot” by Bryan Washington from the story collection LOT: Sto
Episode 203 - Romance Readalong with INDIGO by Beverly Jenkins
Welcome to Episode 203!
Some highlights of this episode: Emily dives into the pages of THE FROZEN RIVER by Ariel Lawhon and the delicious world of baking with THE COOKIE THAT CHANGED MY LIFE cookbook by Nancy Silverton and Carolynn Carreno. Meanwhile, Chris is back in high school with Jenna Miller's new sapphic YA romance, WE GOT THE BEAT.
Emily devoured Elle Cosimano's new release, FINLAY DON
Episode 202 - Author & Editor Spotlight with Jessica Pryde
Welcome to Episode 202 of the Book Cougars, featuring an Author and Editor Spotlight with Jessica Pryde.
Chris and Emily are enjoying and learning from Jess’s ground-breaking anthology, BLACK LOVE MATTERS: REAL TALK ON ROMANCE, BEING SEEN, AND HAPPILY EVER AFTERS. Thanks to listener Katie for putting this book on our radar.
We’re both currently immersed in audiobooks.
– Chris is reading a new bi
Episode 201 - A Great Last Night with Luanne Rice
Welcome to Episode 201 featuring an Author Spotlight with LUANNE RICE recorded at the beautiful and welcoming Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library in Old Lyme, CT. Luanne’s new novel, LAST NIGHT, is out now. You’ve heard us rave about it in recent episodes and we do our best to keep our conversation with Luanne spoiler free.
Some highlights of this episode:
After recording with Luanne, we headed to Bank
Episode 200 - Two Books We Can't Wait for You to Read (times 18!)
Thank you for listening over the years and helping us reach our 200th episode! To celebrate this milestone, we invited special guests to call the Book Cougars hotline and recommend two forthcoming books they can’t wait for all of us to read. This idea was inspired by Ann Kingman and Michael Kindness, hosts of the podcast Books on the Nightstand, who had a segment called “Two Books We Can’t Wait fo
Episode 199 - Our 2024 Reading Intentions
Welcome to Episode 199! We have read A LOT since our last regularly recorded episode in December, so be prepared! In our “Just Read” segment, we talk about books by Lois Hamill, Hisashi Kashiwai, Martha Dickinson Bianchi, Josie Silver, James R. Benn, Alice Hoffman, Kate Jacobs, Tiago Forte, Julie Alvarez, Luanne Rice, Elizabeth Acevedo, Ann Hood, and Abraham Verghese. Phew! Spot any of your favori
Episode 198 - Top Ten Reads of 2023 with BookTuber Russell Gray of Ink and Paper Blog
Welcome to our fourth annual Top Ten Reads of the Year episode with BookTuber Russell Gray of Ink and Paper Blog! We each talk about our top ten reads of 2023. Some books were published in 2023, and others are a bit older, but they all stirred our hearts and minds and we want to sing their praises. Russell, Emily, and Chris all have such different reading tastes that there is sure to be at least o
Episode 197 - Author Spotlight with Pip Williams
Welcome to our last episode of the year! We reflect on our 2023 reading intentions, announce our 2024 readalong theme, and have a delightful conversation with Australian author Pip Williams to cap off our year of reading Books About Books.
Some of the books we just read & discuss:
– THE HELSINKI AFFAIR by Anna Pitoniak
– THE QUEEN OF DIRT ISLAND by Donal Ryan
– UNNATURAL DEATH by Patricia Cornwel
Episode 196 - Trying Not To Go Viral
Once again, we are grateful for the miracle of modern technology that allowed us to record this episode from two locations. Chris was recovering from the flu and, to keep Emily healthy, we recorded over Zoom.
In our Just Read segment, we talk about nine very different books in a variety of genres: epic poetry, memoir, biography, and novels, including a graphic novel. Both Cougars finished THE BOO
Episode 195 - Hooked by Nonfiction November & 2023 Holiday Gift Ideas
Welcome to our 8th Annual Bookish Holiday Gifts episode!
The first time we recommended holiday gift ideas was on Episode 2, way back in December 2016. Listeners enjoyed it so much that we’ve done it every year since. We hope you enjoy our ideas this year. Links to items discussed are in the show notes. We would like to note that none of our suggestions are ads or affiliates. They are things we ha
Episode 194 - Author Spotlight with Sarah MacLean
Episode 194 is bookended by Poetry and Romance.
We begin with the poem “Only Love” by James Crews from the poetry collection, THE PATH TO KINDNESS: Poems of Connection and Joy.
We end with an Author Spotlight with Sarah MacLean. Sarah is a powerhouse reader, advocate, and writer of romance fiction. Her new release is KNOCKOUT, book three in her Hell’s Belles series. We had a great time talkin
Episode 193 - Book Club Fundamentals with Davina Morgan-Witts Founder & Publisher of BookBrowse
Chris and Emily were thrilled to sit down and talk with Davina Morgan-Witts, the Founder and Publisher of BookBrowse. Founded in 1998, BookBrowse is one of the earliest independent online book resources. Davina and her team of editors and reviewers are committed to being “Your guide to exceptional books.” If you are not yet familiar with BookBrowse, check it out. It is a helpful and fun resource f
Episode 192 - Author Spotlight with Fancy Feast
Author Spotlight: Chris and Emily have a great time talking with Fancy Feast about her new (and debut) essay collection, NAKED: ON SEX, WORK, AND OTHER BURLESQUES.
We bid adieu to Scarlet Summer with a recap of our Biblio Adventure to Boston where we visited sites related to Nathaniel Hawthorne. The first stop was the land upon which Brook Farm operated in West Roxbury, MA where we hiked to the
Episode 191 - Something So Good It Can Never Be Enough with Poet Shuly Cawood
Chris and Emily are happy to welcome back author SHULY CAWOOD to talk about her new poetry collection, SOMETHING SO GOOD IT CAN NEVER BE ENOUGH. Shuly reads a poem and talks about her poetic process, and we ask her to discuss our favorite(s) in the collection. We enjoy Shuly’s poetry in part because it is so accessible.
Biblio Adventures are always fun and interesting, and we went on one that ope
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