A Bookish Home

This week, I'm revisiting a recent episode and announcing a new project. A Bookish's Home new Substack Newsletter launched this week.  If your favorite way to discover new books is hearing from the authors themselves (and you're short on time!) this newsletter is for you. The first edition is On Writing and Resistance: An Interview with Author Maria van Lieshout. This week on the podcast we're also revisiting one of my favorite episodes of the year with bestselling author Marjan Kamali in which we discussed The Lion Women of Tehran, a heartfelt, epic new novel of friendship, betrayal, and redemption set against three transformative decades in Iran. For folks in the New England area, Marjan will be appearing at the upcoming Newburyport Literary Festival on Saturday, April 26th in this event: On Friendship and Freedom: Marjan Kamali in Conversation With Jenna Blum

This week, Deanna Raybourn is here to discuss her new novel Kills Well With Others. Deanna's first book in this series, Killers of a Certain Age, was dubbed “Golden Girls meets James Bond” by Buzzfeed and  was an instant New York Times bestseller, garnering rave reviews and landing on many “best of the year” lists. Now, readers' favorite foursome of elite middle-aged assassins is back in Kills Well With Others. After the events of the previous novel and laying low for more than a year, Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie are called back into action, embarking on a globetrotting wild ride to root out a mole within their organization.

I'm so happy to share that Patti Callahan Henry returns to the podcast this week to discuss her new novel!   The Story She Left Behind is a beautiful, hopeful historical novel that explores female creativity, second chances, mother/daughter relationships, and a real-life literary mystery while also whisking us off to England's Lake District and the world of Beatrix Potter.   Listen in as we dive into the kernels of curiosity and inspiration that led to the novel.

This week my guest is J.C. Cervantes, author of The Anatomy of Magic, about a young woman who learns to embrace all the messy imperfections of life and love with some help from her magical family. Perfect for fans of Encanto and Practical Magic, this is the companion novel to her adult debut, The Enchanted Hacienda,  which the New York Times Book Review dubbed "like dipping your brain into a jar of serotonin.”

This week my guest is Francesca Segal, author of Welcome to Glorious Tuga, the literary comfort read we all need right now. A complete and vivid world to escape to, Welcome to Glorious Tuga celebrates a fictional island, and the eccentric community who live there. Enchanting, uplifting and very funny, this is a captivating novel about love, belonging, and what it really means to come home.

Calling all my fellow recovering people pleasers - Amy Wilson, host of the What Fresh Hell podcast, is here this week to discuss her new book of essays from Zibby Books, which explores how women and mothers are conditioned to be "happy to help" and how we might try to do things a bit differently.

This week, Julia Kelly is back with us to discuss her new novel, The Dressmakers of London, about estranged sisters who inherit their late mother's dress shop in World War II London.  We discuss unearthing women's everyday experiences in history, how rationing affected women's fashion during World War II, the lasting impact on clothing design,  ties to today's slow fashion movement, and much more.

Just in time for Valentine's Day —Melissa Ferguson is here this week to give us the inside scoop on "The Perfect Rom-Com" for writers and bibliophiles to pick up next. We discussed turning moments from her own writing journey into this romcom about an aspiring novelist, chronicling life with her family on Our Friendly Farmhouse, carving out a writing routine as a busy mom, the dilemmas of ghostwriting, and much more. Past guest of the podcast RaeAnne Thayne raves that with The Perfect Rom-Com, "Melissa Ferguson delivers yet another sparkling, laugh-out-loud romance!" 

This week, Tara Dorabji shares the path to publishing her debut novel, Call Her Freedom. A sweeping family saga and intergenerational love story, the book was also the winner of Simon & Schuster's Books Like Us First Novel Contest, a competition for underrepresented writers to submit their manuscripts and win a book deal. A deeply moving novel about one woman's love for her family, this is an epic investigation of colonialism, militarization, and the loss and innocence on the journey to creating home. 

 Today one of my favorite authors, Fiona Davis is back on A Bookish Home to tell us all about her dazzling new novel, The Stolen Queen.  For nearly a decade, Fiona Davis has introduced readers to the fascinating and often little known histories behind some of New York City's most iconic landmarks through the eyes of female characters seeking the truth about themselves and the world around them. Now, in her enthralling eighth novel, The Stolen Queen, Fiona Davis delights readers with a story centered on the Metropolitan Museum of Art and its famed Met Gala, while for the first time, exploring a territory beyond New York City—Egypt's Valley of the Kings.

This week my guest is Nancy Reddy, author of The Good Mother Myth: Unlearning Our Bad Ideas About How to Be a Good Mom. Timely and thought-provoking, Nancy Reddy unpacks and debunks the bad ideas that have for too long defined what it means to be a "good" mom.

This week my guest is New York Times bestselling author Tracey Lange, author of What Happened to the McCrays?, a poignant story about the resilience of family, the importance of community, and the magic of middle school hockey. Full of love and hope, What Happened to the McCrays? takes an intimate look at both sides of a failed marriage and two people who must finally confront the awful pain of their past or risk being consumed by it.

This week my guest is Rebecca J. Sanford, author of The Disappeared, a dazzling historical tale of one woman's fight for survival, a grandmother's search for her child and grandchild, and an adoptee's journey of self-discovery. Seamlessly moving from 1970s Buenos Aires (at the heart of the Dirty War) to early 2000s New York, Rebecca creates a delicate portrait of the consequences of war and the power of women's resistance.

Today Megan Tady is back with us to discuss her new hilarious and heartwarming new novel from Zibby Books, Bluebird Day -about  a mother-daughter celebrity skiing duo who must learn to manage the bumps in their own estranged relationship when an avalanche in a dreamy Swiss village forces them together.  

This week my guest is RaeAnne Thayne, author of The December Market, her 75th book and a delightful second chance holiday romance. Hallmark holiday movie fans look no further, you'll want to curl up by the fire with this book and some hot chocolate this season.

Signe Pike is back this week to discuss The Shadowed Land, the third installment of The Lost Queen series, which is being made into a tv series and resurrects the real historical figures who inspired one of the most epic legends: King Arthur.

Today  Shelley Noble is here to tell us all about her new novel, a stunning, Gilded Age NYC-set story about the inception of The Colony Club, the first women's club of its kind.  Come for the dazzling setting and stay for an unforgettable story of female ambition. The novel is perfect for fans of Alison Pataki, Fiona Davis, and historical TV shows like The Gilded Age and Downton Abbey.  

This week my guest is Georgia Clark, author of Most Wonderful, a charming queer holiday romance that's a must purchase this December.

Today my guest is Rosa Kwon Easton, author of the evocative debut novel, White Mulberry. Set against the backdrop of the 1930s in Japan-occupied Korea, it tells a rich & deeply moving portrait of a young Korean girl who is torn between two worlds and must reclaim her true identity to provide a future for her family.

Aimie K. Runyan is back on the podcast this week to discuss Mademoiselle Eiffel, which tells the little-known story of Claire Eiffel, and her significant, though overlooked, contributions to the city of Paris. Claire was Gustave Eiffel's daughter, illustrious architect of many global landmarks, including  the Eiffel Tower. Mademoiselle Eiffel contains sweeping themes of love, devotion, and family legacy, and is sprinkled with impeccably researched tidbits of French culture and historical events and figures. It is an absolute delight for historical fiction readers!

Today my guest is a nationally-acclaimed Vietnamese-American playwright, performer, and author of her debut memoir, The Manicurist's Daughter, in which Susan shares the story of losing her mom during a routine plastic surgery, her mother's—and her own—fraught relationship with her body, and the revelations that came from searching for answers in her family's past as refugees of the Vietnam War.

Crystal King is back on the podcast to discuss In the Garden of Monsters, a glorious literary feast for the senses—a modern reimagining of the classic myth of Persephone and Hades, set in a real-life garden of stone statues in Italy featuring food, art, literature, and architecture.

Emily Layden is here this week to discuss her addictive new novel, Once More From the Top. Think a Taylor Swift style rise to fame—plus a possible murder.

Today my guest is Kimberly Brock, author of The Fabled Earth, a sweeping, beautiful written novel inspired by the little-known history of Cumberland Island. The gentle magic of Alice Hoffman meets the rich details of Kate Morton, all wrapped in southern folklore and charm in this dual-timeline story of three women connected in different ways to the ghosts and secrets of the past.

Lynda Cohen Loigman is back this week to discuss The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern, a heartwarming dual timeline historical novel that will have you believing in second chances and wishing for even more time with this charming cast of characters.

This week, Olivia Rose Darling is here to discuss the debut romantasy novel and Book Tok sensation that is perfect for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses and The Fourth Wing. Fear the Flames follows an exiled princess who must enlist the help of the most dangerous man in the kingdom to free her dragons.

Shawntelle Madison is here today to discuss The Fallen Fruit, which follows a woman who travels through time to end a family curse that has plagued her ancestors for generations.

This week's guest is Michael Callahan, author of The Lost Letters from Martha's Vineyard, a captivating page-turner about two women bound by blood but divided by a long-buried secret, and the island that holds the key to the fateful summer that changed everything forever.

This week, Sarah C. Johns is here to discuss her gem of a debut novel, The Sirens of Soleil City, a multi-generational story that follows four women, a decaying apartment complex in West Palm Beach and a Senior Synchronized Swimming Competition in South Florida.

What a treat to have one of my favorite historical fiction writers, Madeline Martin, back this week to discuss her new novel, The Booklover's Library, a heartwarming story about a mother and daughter in wartime England and the power of the books that bring them together.

This week, author Sue Mell is back on the podcast to discuss A New Day. Linked by their personal and professional relationships, the characters in these thirteen stories—all set between 1982 and 2012—struggle to achieve happiness and success.

This week, bestselling author Marjan Kamali joins us to discuss The Lion Women of Tehran, a heartfelt, epic new novel of friendship, betrayal, and redemption set against three transformative decades in Iran.

This week's guest is  Marc Guggenheim, author of In Any Lifetime, a heartfelt story of a devoted husband who defies fate, attempting to find the one universe where his wife is still alive.

This week's guest is Sara Shukla, author of Pink Whales, a fun smart romp about a mom who relocates to a preppy New England beach town- think "Mean Girls clad in Lilly Pulitzer."

This week, Dr. Amra Sabic-El-Rayess is here to discuss Three Summers: A Memoir of Sisterhood, Summer Crushes, and Growing up on the Eve of War, an epic middle-grade memoir in the three years leading up to the Bosnian Genocide. Amra shares the story behind Three Summers and more about her work at Teachers College, Columbia on hate prevention, storytelling, and building empathy. 

This week's guest is Joselyn Takacs, author of Pearce Oysters, a lush, evocative, finely-drawn debut novel set on the Louisiana coastline during the historic 2010 oil spill, following local oyster farmers whose business, family, and livelihood are all on the brink of collapse.

Today Brooke Lea Foster is here to discuss her new novel, All the Summers in Between.  Set in the dual timelines of 1967 and 1977, All the Summers In Between is at once a mesmerizing portrait of a complex friendship, a delicious glimpse into a bygone Hamptons, and a powerful coming-of-age for two young women during a transformative era.

This week, author Dawn Tripp joins me to discuss her new novel, Jackie. This vivid, exquisitely written novel is at once a captivating work of the imagination and a window into the world of a woman who led many lives: Jackie, Jacks, Jacqueline, Miss Bouvier, Mrs. Kennedy, Jackie O. Dawn shares what drew her to Jackie's story, how she went about the research and finding the narrative voice, carving out a rich creative life, and much more.

This week, I'm thrilled to have Namrata Patel back on the podcast to discuss her latest novel, The Curious Secrets of Yesterday, about a family of spice healers in Salem Massachusetts. Namrata gives us this inside scoop on crafting this comfort read, which is chock full of secrets, surprises, and relationships you'll root for. This is a book you'll want to slow down and savor this summer. 

What a joy to have bestselling author Kristy Woodson Harvey back on the podcast to discuss a must have book for your beach bag this summer- A Happier Life-about a woman who discovers the family she has always longed for when she spends a life-changing summer fixing up her grandparents' mysterious house in North Carolina.   This is a big-hearted, feel good novel with mystery and romance plus a small town summer setting you won't want to leave. I highly recommend picking up a copy.

This week, award-winning author Hena Khan returns to the podcast. Known for her compassionate and relatable books for children that draw on her experiences as a Pakistani-American Muslim, Hena has 5 new books releasing in 2024.  We discuss the creative process behind this banner year of books, what she hopes young readers take away from these stories, the impact of book bans, and much more. If you're a teacher, librarian, or parent looking for summer reading titles for your kids, this would be a great episode to tune into.

This week, Clare McHugh is here to discuss The Romanov Brides, a novel of the last tsarina and her sisters. This is a fascinating story about two young princesses–granddaughters of Queen Victoria– who become intertwined with the Romanov family in the years preceding their downfall.

This week, I'm delighted to have one of my favorite authors, Annabel Monaghan, back on the podcast to discuss Summer Romance, another heart-tugging, hilarious love story about a recent divorcee and professional organizer whose life is a mess, and the summer she gets unstuck with the help of someone unexpected from her past. This book is just the comfort read I needed - it's hopeful and funny and warm and you won't want to leave this world or the characters.

This week my guest is Sarah T. Dubb, author of the delightful new romcom, Birding with Benefits, in which a newly-divorced, almost-empty-nester embarks on a “year of yes” and becomes the fake girlfriend and bird-watching competition partner of a man who changes her life.

This week,  New York Times bestselling author Ruth Ware is here to discuss One Perfect Couple, a high-tension and ingenious thriller that follows five couples who start out filming a reality tv show and end up trapped on a storm-swept island as a killer stalks among them.

This week my guest is Eve J. Chung, author of the powerful new novel, Daughters of Shandong, which tells the story of a mother and daughters caught up in China's communist revolution, based on the author's family story.

This week I'm excited to share a conversation with Jilly Gagnon, author of the delightful new romcom Love You Mean It, featuring dueling delis, fake dating, and just the right amount of amnesia.

Yukiko Tominaga is here this week to discuss her debut novel, See Loss, See Also Love, which follows a Japanese widow raising her son between worlds with the help of her Jewish mother-in-law as she wrestles with grief, loss, and—strangest of all—joy.

This week, New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Dray discusses her captivating new historical novel, Madam Secretary, about Frances Perkins, one of the greatest political figures of the twentieth century, and an unsung heroine whose legacy is woven into the fabric of every American life.

This week, A.H. Kim is here to discuss her enormously entertaining new novel Relative Strangers, a modern feminist spin on Sense and Sensibility featuring two half-Korean sisters and their ex-hippie mother, multiple messy love affairs and one explosive secret that could ruin everything.   This is one of the most delightful reading experiences I've had in ages. Relative Strangers feels so true to the spirit of the original, but utterly fresh as well.

This week, Amy Tector is back on the podcast to discuss Honor the Dead, the third book in her captivating Dominion Archives Mysteries series, which is perfect for Louise Penny fans.