POPULARITY
This week, Amy Allen Clark, host of the Book Gang Podcast and the Book Gang Book Club, joins me and shares 5 non-thriller books she thinks thriller lovers would love!Books Amy RecommendsWe Are Watching Eliza BrightRust StardustThe WarehouseAll's WellOne's Company
From talking about friends old and new, how to meet new friends, and rekindle old friendships that have fallen by the wayside, this is a heartfelt chat on the significance of friendships in adulthood. Amy and I unravel the complex yet rewarding nature of friendships by sharing our experiences over the years. Plus, Amy shares a treasure trove of book recommendations! So whether you're seeking to revive a past company or yearn for new kindred spirits, this episode is a heartwarming invitation to explore the profound impact of friendship amidst life's ebb and flow, all while discovering your next great read.SHOW NOTES & BOOKLIST:Find the episode show notes and a list of all the books mentioned here.MORE RESOURCES:Visit bibliolifestyle.com for more information and resources to help you in your reading journey.JOIN THE COMMUNITY:Join the BiblioLifestyle Community & the Bring Your Own Book (BYOB) Club for a fun, online book club experience! Come and share books you've read, get inspiration for what to read next, make friends, and encourage each other along the way. Learn more and join the community: bibliolifestyle.com/community.THE BIBLIOLIFESTYLE 2024 WINTER READING GUIDEWarm yourself up with a good book this winter! Download your free copy of the guide when you visit winterreadingguide.com. This year's guide has twenty-one books organized across six categories, plus fun recipes, winter activities, lifestyle tips, and a coupon code to the shop. So download your free copy and discover your next favorite book!
In lieu of my January Behind the Scenes episode, today I am running a joint episode with Victoria Wood, founder of Bibliolifestyle and The Reader's Couch, and Amy Allen Clark, founder of MomAdvice.com and the Book Gang podcast. We are excited to be launching this collaboration for 2024. Books mentioned in this episode: Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene Trixie Belden The Secret of the Mansion by Julie Campbell The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett Six Months to Live by Lurlene McDaniel Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll Enid Blyton Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Turn of the Screw by Henry James A Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure Shark Heart by Emily Habeck The Girls We Sent Away by Meagan Church The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos Homecoming by Kate Morton I Could Live Here Forever by Hannah Halperin The Last Word by Taylor Adams The Three of Us by Ore Agbaje-Williams Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf The Dissonance by Shaun Hamill A Cosmology of Monsters by Shaun Hamill A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall The Great Divide by Cristina Henriquez The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez Real Americans by Rachel Khong Goodbye Vitamin by Rachel Khong Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange There There by Tommy Orange The Angel of Indian Lake by Stephen Graham Jones My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones Don't Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones The Husbands by Holly Gramazio Northwoods by Amy Pease The Turtle House by Amanda Churchill Amy can be found at Momadvice.com, the Book Gang Podcast, and on Instagram. Victoria can be found at Bibliolifestyle, The Reader's Couch, and on Instagram. Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2024? Check out the new Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead. Join my Patreon group to support the podcast. Other ways to support the podcast can be found here. Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This episode is a get-to-know-us chat trio edition! Joining me on the couch is Cindy Burnett from the Thoughts from a Page Podcast and Amy Allen Clark, who runs the momadvice.com blog and the Book Gang Podcast. In this episode, you'll get to know us more, from childhood reading experiences to our present-day relationship with books and reading, how we started sharing content online, and much more. You can also expect some book recommendations, books we're looking forward to reading, and what you can expect from us in the year ahead. This episode is truly a celebration of our love for books, and it will have you reflecting on your reading journeys, too.- Cindy Burnett is the host of the Thoughts from a Page Podcast- Amy Allen Clark is the host of the Book Gang PodcastSHOW NOTES & BOOKLIST: Find the episode show notes and a list of all the books mentioned here.MORE RESOURCES:Visit bibliolifestyle.com for more information and resources to help you in your reading journey.JOIN THE COMMUNITY:Join the BiblioLifestyle Community & the Bring Your Own Book (BYOB) Club for a fun, online book club experience! Come and share books you've read, get inspiration for what to read next, make friends, and encourage each other along the way. Learn more and join the community: bibliolifestyle.com/community.THE BIBLIOLIFESTYLE 2024 WINTER READING GUIDEWarm yourself up with a good book this winter! Download your free copy of the guide when you visit winterreadingguide.com. This year's guide has twenty-one books organized across six categories, plus fun recipes, winter activities, lifestyle tips, and a coupon code to the shop. So download your free copy and discover your next favorite book!
Today on the podcast, Joe talks with Amy Clark from MomAdvice.com. Amy shares about her career as a blogger, her book club, and her brand-new podcast- Book Gang. Then, Amy and Joe recommend some wintry titles to curl up with as the season gets a bit more biting. Books Mentioned in This Episode: Amy's Titles: The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven by Nathaniel Ian Miller A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant Fingersmith by Sarah Waters Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan Joe's Titles: One by One by Ruth Ware Sofi and the Bone Song by Adrienne Tooley Cold by Mariko Tamaki Breathless by Amy McCulloch Midwinter Murder by Agatha Christie Here's more about Amy! Amy Allen Clark has been the driving force behind the MomAdvice.com community since 2004. Her website has helped thousands of families learn to live a good life on a small budget. She leads the MomAdvice Book Club and a brand-new podcast, Book Gang, that caters to the literary tastemakers of the world. The show focuses on debuts, under-the-radar book choices, and helping you expand your stack with backlist selections. We hope you enjoy this episode of the Professional Book Nerds podcast. Be sure to rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! You can follow the Professional Book Nerds on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @ProBookNerds. Want to reach out? Send an email to professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com. We've got merch! Check out our two shirts in The OverDrive Shop (all profits are donated to the ALA Literacy Clearinghouse). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It has been over five years since Amy Allen Clark brought her amazing book recommendations and reader insights to Sorta Awesome, but this is no trick, it's all treat - she's back! Amy sits down with Meg this week to discuss the health and medical challenges she has overcome, and that ultimately led her to lauch her brand new podcast MomAdvice Book Gang, and she has brought a list of can't-miss under-the-radar books that are perfect for autumn reading. Plus a BUNCH of beauty fun in Awesome of the Week!Wanna get in on that texting fun with Meg and the Sorta Awesome team? Come join the Super Star Awesomes and get the texting perk along with bonus episodes, ad-free episodes, a Super Stars-only Facebook group, and more!THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:Best Fiends: Download Best Fiends FREE on the App Store or Google PlaySHOW NOTES:Olive & JuneMaking Mauves by ColourpopExtraordinary life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni (Bookshop link)Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger (Bookshop link)Setting Free the Kites by Alex George (Bookshop link)How Lucky by Will Leitch (Bookshop link)In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner (Bookshop link)My Sweet Girl by Amanada Jayatissa (Bookshop link)You can find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!You can find Amy on her blog, on Twitter, and Instagram! Check out the MomAdvice Book Club on Facebook. You can find the MomAdvice Book Gang podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. Check out all the BONUSES on the Book Gang Patreon!Visit sortaawesomeshow.com for show notes on this and every episode. And don't forget to find us in the Sorta Awesome Hangout on Facebook or @sortaawesomeshow on Instagram, and @sortaawesomepod on Twitter!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
*Please note that many products linked are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!* Oh, y'all! We are super pumped about this episode. Reading is near and dear to us, but book clubs make reading even better! Join us as we chat with Amy Allen Clark about book clubs and the benefits for moms, working, homeschooling, or anything! You'll get some tips and suggestions along with some Homeschooling Moments of the Week, ways to make the topic personal, and encouragement. You may also hear Project Hail Mary a few times! Enjoy Season 2, Episode 13 now. Amy Allen Clark of MomAdvice.com 1:43 Homeschooling Moments of the Week 3:45 Betsy Jenkins guest Bookend Homeschoolers S2E2 4:07 Bookmans in Flagstaff 4:13 Jurassic Park 5:08 Topic Talk: Book Clubs for us? 5:42 Amy on Bookstagram Book Gang on MomAdvice 8:08 Mom Advice Book Club 10:13 Benefits of being in a book club 11:45 Tips to being in a book club 14:22 Hamnet Spotify Playlist (yeah, yeah… Amy didn't mention a specific one, but I couldn't pass this chance up!) 22:06 Leave the World Behind 23:58 The Midnight Library 24:01Project Hail Mary 26:00 A Cup of Joe blog 26:04 Article club idea! 28:00 Hamnet (Hi, Liz! My precious Hamnet Pusher) 28:01 Harry's Trees 28:44 Make It Personal: Near Bookends 30:04 The high bar set by Rachel's first book club 30:36 What Rachel walked away with from being a part of her first book chat 33:05 Make it Personal: Far Bookends 33:37 Take This With You: Mindy (benefits of daily reading time) 34:16 Take This With You: Rachel (personal pizzas) Bookend Homeschoolers on Instagram Mindy at gratefulforgrace Rachel at colemountainhomeschool Amy Allen Clark on IG momadvice and at Mom Advice.com Our Zazzle store!
Meredith and Kaytee are giddying up with a new episode of spicy opinions. You’ll hear a “bookish moment of the week” from each host: a new, most favorite ever, local bookshop win, and a triumphant return to the library. Next, we discuss our current reads for the week. There’s a whole slew of goodness in here, as well as a plea for a certain title from a certain author, and reflections on re-reading a decades-old favorite. We’ve got a brief Slow But Steady update to share with you and then it’s onward to our deep dive. For our deep dive this week, we are chatting about cozy mysteries. Why read them? What makes a mystery cozy? What are Meredith’s favorite titles in the canon? Do they require baking and puns? Inquiring minds need to know. Finally, this week, we are Pressing Books into Your Hands: we’ve got a tale reminiscent of the old west and a fun bookish fictional title that we both adore. As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you’d like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don’t scroll down! *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!* . . . . . Bookish Moments: 2:01 - Fabled Bookshop in Waco, TX 4:23 - Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer 4:33 - Currently Reading’s Top 10 Reads of 2019 Current Reads: 5:19 - Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore 5:45 - The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare 8:15 - The Long Call by Ann Cleeves 8:27 - Raven Black (the Shetland Series) by Ann Cleeves 8:49 - Louise Penny Interview with Ann Cleeves 12:58 - The Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan 17:10 - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 17:11 - The Home Maker by Dorothy Canfield 18:19 - Beauty by Robin McKinley 18:22 - A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer 18:25 - The Piper’s Pursuit by Melanie Dickerson 21:01 - The Hunger by Alma Katsu 22:09 - Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson 24:14 - Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson 25:10 - The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff 25:12 - The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas 26:20 - Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat 26:24 - The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett 28:25 - The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan 29:26 - Salt Fat Acid Heat on Netflix 29:42 - Somebody Feed Phil (and I’ll Have What Phil’s Having) on Netflix Slow But Steady: 30:14 - Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell 30:30 - Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry 31:13 - The Dutch House by Ann Patchett 32:01 - Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry Deep Dive - Cozy Mysteries: 34:15 - Louise Penny (ahem, NOT cozy) 38:58 - Aunt Dimity Series by Nancy Atherton 40:18 - The Secret, Book, and Scone Society by Ellery Adams (Book 2) (Book 3) 41:20 - Catering to Nobody by Diane Mott Davidson 41:31 - On What Grounds (The Coffeehouse Mysteries) by Cleo Coyle 41:43 - Death by Darjeeling by Laura Childs 42:09 - The Cat Who Could Read Backwards (The Cat Who… Series) by Lillian Jackson Braun 42:24 - Agatha Raisin series and Hamish MacBeth series by M.C. Beaton 42:53 - The Unexpected Mrs. Polifax (Mrs. Polifax series) by Dorothy Gillman 43:05 - A Murder At the Vicarage (Miss Marple series) by Agatha Christie 43:24 - Death on Demand by Carolyn G. Hart 43:56 - Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters 46:00 - @howjessreads on Instagram (check out her #sillysundayshelf collections!) Books We Want to Press Into Your Hands: 46:53 - Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry 47:02 - Miss Jane by Brad Watson 47:09 - MomAdvice Book Club with Amy Allen Clark 47:18 - Amy’s Interview with the author, Brad Watson 49:39 - The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan
Kaytee and Meredith are excited for a new year and some new bookish recommendations! As always, we start out with a “bookish moment of the week” from each host. Some fame-treatment and bonus reading time. Next, we discuss our current reads for the week. We’ve got five-star books and strong opinions and all the things you love in this segment this week, so it’s a fun one! We are skipping our Slow But Steady check-in this week, but be sure to chime in with your picks on Instagram or Facebook for this challenge! For our deep dive, we are throwing some serious side-eye at the Goodreads Best Books of 2019 lists and the ways these collections are put together. We have STRONG opinions about the winners for a number of these categories, but it’s not all negative. We’ll also share our picks for “best lists that actually reflect good 2019 reading” with you. Finally, this week, we are Pressing Books into Your Hands: we’re trying something a little different with a “guest press” this week, and including a category of book that has never shown up on the press list before. As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you’d like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don’t scroll down! *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!* . . . . . Current Reads: 6:52 - Bookshelf Thomasville Shelf Subscriptions 7:01 - The Last by Hannah Jameson 9:37 - Stephen King’s books 9:38 - Agatha Christie’s books 9:56 - Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel 11:10 - The Dutch House by Ann Patchett 11:20 - Bel Canto by Ann Patchett 11:21 - Run by Ann Patchett 11:22 - State of Wonder by Ann Patchett 11:23 - This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett 11:27 - The Magician’s Assistant by Ann Patchett 11:32 - Commonwealth by Ann Patchett 18:18 - The Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Carlson 18:30 - Read Aloud Revival 20:05 - The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 21:19 - Over the Top by Jonathan Van Ness 21:22 - Naturally Tan by Tan France 24:57 - @girlaboutlibrary on Instagram 25:04 - The Fact of a Body by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich 26:46 - Furious Hours by Casey Cep 30:05 - Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat 30:13 - Magnolia Table by Joanna Gaines Deep Dive: 34:35 - Goodreads Best of 2019 List: 35:18 - The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides 36:10 - Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston 36:18 - Audible’s Best of 2019 List 37:08 - Recursion by Blake Crouch 37:31 - Dark Matter by Blake Crouch 37:49 - The Testaments by Margaret Atwood 38:40 - The Tyrant’s Tomb by Rick Riordan 39:43 - Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis 40:07 - Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid 40:20 - Book of the Month (DJ&TS is their Book of the Year) 40:38 - The Five by Hallie Rubenhold 40:45 - The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff 41:11 - Five Feet Apart by Rachel Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry, and Tobias Iaconis 41:13 - American Royals by Katherine McGee 41:25 - Over the Top by Jonathan Van Ness 43:14 - New York Times Best of 2019 List 43:16 - NPR’s Best of 2019 List 43:24 - Libraryreads.org Best of 2019 List 44:03 - Lithub.com best of best of lists 44:33 - Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout 44:34 - The Dutch House by Ann Patchett 44:36 - Normal People by Sally Rooney 45:00 - Amy Allen Clark at Momadvice.com best of 2019 List Presses: 47:37 - The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon 50:14 - El Deafo by CeCe Bell
Kaytee and Meredith are back in your earbuds with strong opinions and bookish concoctions! You’ll hear a “bookish moment of the week” from each host, and we are TEASES this week. We both have books that we cannot wait to talk about… but we’re not telling you what they are! Next, we’ll remind you about our Bookshelf Thomasville coupon code for you: CURRENTLYLOVING will get you 10% off from our friends over there through the month of August! You’ve got just a few days left before this code expires, so get on it! Moving forward, we discuss our current reads for the week. We are mostly GLOWING about our books this week, and we have lots of words about each of them. We’ve got an update for you on our Slow But Steady reads as well, and we’ve loved having you chime in for what you’re reading for this challenge. Today, we’re also rethinking what Slow But Steady means in terms of content. For our deep dive, we are discussing book clubs. All the different kinds of book clubs there are. How we feel about them personally. What we enjoy about the idea of book clubs. And some other weird tangents. What are your thoughts on book clubs? Finally, this week, we finish the episode by Bellying Up to the Book Bar! Our drinking buddy this week is Angie Dawson, and we have LOTS of titles to throw her way. The show notes for this episode are bananas, friends. B-A-N-A-N-A-S. As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you’d like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don’t scroll down! . . . . . 5:39 - Save Me The Plums by Ruth Reichl 5:56 - Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl 9:50 - The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen Flynn 10:02 - Want to get in on the Patron action? Patreon! 15:04 - The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna by Juliet Grames 20:34 - The Whisper Network by Chandler Baker 20:39 - Reese Witherspoon Book Club 24:18 - The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan 24:36 - The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan 29:35 - Lock Every Door by Riley Sager 29:44 - Final Girls by Riley Sager 34:29 - Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry 35:03 - North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell 35:16 - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 36:04 - The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt 36:05 - The Stand by Stephen King 36:20 - 11/22/63 by Stephen King 36:27 - War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells 36:49 - The Complete Stories of Flannery O’Connor 37:32 - Les Miserables by Victor Hugo 37:36 - War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy 37:42 - Stamped From the Beginning: A Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibraham Kendi 38:33 - Middlemarch by George Eliot 38:36 - The Fiery Cross (Outlander #5) by Diana Gabaldon 40:35 - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot 43:13 - Silent Book Club 45:04 - Episode 14 with Amy Allen Clark 45:48 - Have opinions about a CR buddy read? Join the Patreon 47:19 - Us Against You by Fredrick Backman 47:33 - Red Rising by Pierce Brown 47:37 - A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas 47:39 - Outlander by Diana Gabaldon 47:46 - Twilight by Stephanie Meyer 47:58 - Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys 48:08 - Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys 48:10 - Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah 48:23 - The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan 48:24 - The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang 48:25 - The Bride Test by Helen Hoang 48:26 - The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren 48:27 - Joshilyn Jackson Books 48:38 - The Line That Held Us by David Joy 48:39 - The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir 48:41 - A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams 48:46 - We Were Liars by E. Lockhart 49:02 - Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert 49:03 - Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn 49:05 - The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger 49:37 -This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel 50:19 - A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman 50:54 - A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer 51:07 - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 51:35 - The Paper Magician (series) by Charlie Holmberg 52:01 - The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen Flynn 52:09 - Scythe by Neal Schusterman 53:00 - The Red Tent by Anita Diamant 53:52 - A Bridge Across the Ocean by Susan Meissner 53:57 - The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor 54:05 - The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 54:17 - Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly 54:18 - Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly 55:02 - Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston 55:17 - The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai 55:23 - Christina Lauren books 55:37 - Jasmine Guillory books 56:05 - Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson 56:30 - The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare 57:23 - Want some extra Belly Up to the Book Bar? Patreon! *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!*
Kaytee is chatting with her bookish friend, Jessica Howard, this week while Meredith celebrates her birthday! You’ll hear a “bookish moment of the week” from each host: a meta podcast moment in which Jess hears herself mentioned on the podcast, and a dentist/book overlap that will leave you scratching your head! Next, we’ll remind you about our Bookshelf Thomasville coupon code for you: CURRENTLYLOVING will get you 10% off from our friends over there through the month of August! One more week for this fun code! Moving forward, we discuss our current reads for the week. We’re stuffing some extra titles into this segment this week, because we just couldn’t help ourselves. We’ve got an update for you on our Slow But Steady reads as well. We’re also shouting out a few readers and their own Slow But Steady reads. Have you told us about yours yet? For our deep dive, Jessica and I chat about what it’s like to work at Bookmans in Tucson, AZ. She has lots of fun stories to share, some that make you go hmmm, and some interesting behind-the-scenes book review talk that you’ll love! Finally, this week, we finish with The Book that we’d like to press into your hands, readers. We’ve got a favorite author that doesn’t get enough love and a Southern novel that’s anything but slow. As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you’d like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don’t scroll down! . . . . . 1:35 - Season 1, Episode 42 of Currently Reading 3:12 - The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry 3:26 - The Giver (quartet) by Lois Lowry 4:21 - Dark Age by Pierce Brown 4:27 - Red Rising by Pierce Brown 4:41 - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 5:41 - Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enwright 5:49 - The Saturdays (Melendy Quartet) by Elizabeth Enright 5:54 - Four Story Mistake (Melendy Quartet) by Elizabeth Enright 6:03 - Return to Gone-Away by Elizabeth Enwright 7:26 - Fingersmith by Sarah Waters 7:43 - Season 1, Episode 14 with Amy Allen Clark 9:36 - The Long Call by Ann Cleeves 9:47 - Raven Black (The Shetland Books) by Ann Cleeves 9:54 - The Crow Trap (Vera Books) by Ann Cleeves 11:45 - Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren 13:28 - The Woman Who Smashed Codes by Jason Fagone 13:45 - Imitation Game (movie) 15:30 - The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal 15:38 - Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal 19:32 - The Wondering Years by Knox McCoy 20:08 - Savor by Shauna Niequist 20:37 - North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell 21:11 - 11/22/63 by Stephen King 21:23 - War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy 21:27 - Serial Reader App 21:46 - Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 22:26 - Bookman’s Entertainment Exchange 24:20 - The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo 28:14 - Liver Let Die by Liz Lipperman 28:31 - Lord of the Wings by Donna Andrews 28:34 - Gone Gull by Donna Andrews 31:42 - Shelf Awareness 34:38 - NetGalley 37:31 - Frederica by Georgette Heyer 37:33 - The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer 38:26 - The Conqueror: A Novel of William the Conqueror by Georgette Heyer 38:27 - My Lord John by Georgette Heyer 41:49 - The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson 43:35 - Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson 45:00 - Find Jessica: @howjessreads on Twitter, Instagram, and Litsy, or Quirky Bookworm on Facebook *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!*
We’re back to regularly scheduled programming around here and happy to welcome so many new listeners! You’ll hear a “bookish moment of the week” from each of us: a TV-show experience that only happened because of bookish friendships, and a win in the “raising readers” world, one of our favorite places to report about! Next, we discuss our current reads for the week: brand new titles, buzzed about books and ones we think need more play in the book world. For our deep dive this week, we are focusing on Brick books for the Currently Reading challenge. We qualify these as books over 700 (or maybe 650) pages, and we’ve got a lot of them for you to choose from. As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we’d like to press into every reader’s hands. This week’s picks include two more giant tomes: an unforgettable, series that defies genre categorization, and a non-fiction biography. As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you’d like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don’t scroll down! . . . . . 7:26 - Washington Black by Esi Edugyan 9:40 - Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead 10:44 - Heartland by Sarah Smarsh 10:48 - Episode 14 with Amy Allen Clark 11:01 - Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance 12:57 - He Said/She Said by Erin Kelly 17:48 - Lucy & Andy Neanderthal by Jeffrey Brown 18:00 - Diary of A Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney 20:15 - Darth Vader and Son by Jeffrey Brown 20:17 - Goodnight, Darth Vader by Jeffrey Brown 20:55 - Inheritance by Dani Shapiro 24:15 - Interview with Dani Shapiro on the Happier Podcast 24:54 - The Current by Tim Johnston 29:27 - Bookshelf Thomasville Shelf Subscription 32:10 - 11/22/63 by Stephen King 32:39 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling 32:55 - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 33:02 - The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet 33:33 - The Physician by Noah Gordon 34:48 - A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara 35:04 - The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt 35:46 - Shogun by James Clavell 35:56 - Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin 36:32 - East of Eden by John Steinbeck 35:38 - Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry 37:02 - Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke 37:45 - Les Miserables by Victor Hugo 38:00 - I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb 38:39 - The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy 38:58 - What Should I Read Next episode about big books 39:09 - Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell 39:38 - The Passage (trilogy) by Justin Cronin 40:33 - It by Stephen King 40:35 - The Stand by Stephen King 40:35 - The Shining by Stephen King 40:36 - Needful Things by Stephen King 40:59 - Outlander by Diana Gabaldon 43:18 - Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson 44:27 - Bad Blood by John Carreyrou 45:26 - Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!*
This week we’re talking brand new titles, some oldies but goodies and a few bookish surprises. You’ll hear a “bookish moment of the week” from each of us: a brand new release finally in hand, and a bookish Christmas tradition. Next, we tackle what we are currently reading, a few brand new releases as well as a bunch of goodness from the back list. This week we spend some time discussing how our reading habits change during the holidays, both in amount and substance. As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we’d like to press into every reader’s hands: a rich-family inheritance drama, and a time-travel-esque (no actual time travel involved) book that surprised me. Time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you’d like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don’t scroll down! . . . . . 1:30 - Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny 3:53 - The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg 4:10 - Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree by Robert Barry 5:04 - Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend 5:55 - Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend 9:45 - Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty 9:58 - Episode 14 with Amy Allen Clark 11:19 - Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty 12:18 - Who Thought This Was A Good Idea? by Alyssa Mastromonaco 15:09 - A Curious Beginning by Deanna Reybourne 15:19 - A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas 15:21 - The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King 18:10 - Crimes Against a Book Club by Kathy Cooperman 20:42 - Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah 20:49 - Nightingale by Kristin Hannah 22:39 - The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey 23:28 - The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah 25:27 - Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling 26:13 - Jenny Colgan books 27:52 - Shogun by James Clavell 28:39 - A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 28:43 - The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey (again!) 30:21 - The Heirs by Susan Rieger 30:38 - The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney 33:58 - How to Stop Time by Matt Haig *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!*
You’ll hear a “bookish moment of the week” from each of us: a surprise book present, an accessory to make binge-reading the next big thing, and choosing books for a trip. Next, we tackle what we are currently reading, just two titles from each of the three of us because that still gives you a whole stack to check out. Our deep-dive this week delves deep into the ins and outs of running a book club. And this episode is for you whether you have a group of friends that meet at a coffee shop each month or you are looking for a group of bookish friends on the internet so you can “book club” in your PJs! We even toss around some ideas for those of us (like Meredith and Kaytee) who are “book-club challenged” in that our inner rebel shows up whenever someone says we have to read a certain title. As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we’d like to press into every reader’s hands. This week we have some classic dude-friendly literature, a lovely little fun romp, and a sweeping American and African family story. Time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you’d like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don’t scroll down! . . . . . 0:45 - MomAdvice.com 0:58 - The MomAdvice Book Club on Facebook 2:59 - idealbookshelf.com 3:40 - Ideal Bookshelf on Instagram: @idealbookshelf 4:21 -LEVO G2 Tablet Clamp Stand 9:13 - Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss 9:31 - The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 12:46 - Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert 12:53 - East of Eden by John Steinbeck 13:28 - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 14:14 - Serial Reader App 14:35 - Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas 15:39 - Heartland by Sarah Smarsh 15:49 - Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance 19:00 - Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend 19:18 - The Selection (Series) by Kiera Cass 19:44 - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 21:24 - The Hating Game by Sally Thorne 21:38 - Wundersmith (Second book in Nevermoor series) by Jessica Townsend 22:34 - Elevation by Stephen King 25:42 - River Of Stars by Vanessa Hua 28:39 - Ghosted by Rosie Walsh 31:29 - Liane Moriarty books (specifically: Nine Perfect Strangers and Truly Madly Guilty) 32:50 - Seven Tips for Hosting a Successful Book Club article on MomAdvice.com 37:07 - Lucky Boy by Shanthi Sekaran 39:11 - meetup.com - LOL it still exists!! 40:14 - The Lazy Genius Podcast episode #72: The Lazy Genius Hosts a Book Swap 45:40 - All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - and Amy’s interview with Anthony 46:18 - MomAdvice Book Club on Facebook 48:00 - Shogun by James Clavell 50:54 - The Book of Polly by Kathy Hepinstall 52:42 - Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 55:13 - Amy on Instagram: @momadvice *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!*
What did we read on summer vacation? Megan invited regular co-host Laura and returning guest Amy Allen Clark of MomAdvice.com to come talk all things books and reading to get your brain geared up for fall. They give their honest thoughts on some of the most buzzed-about books right now, as well as non-fiction and fiction selections that have kept them turning pages. All of that plus a great gift idea, a fantastic hair tip, and a wonderful kid care idea in Awesome of the Week! Also! We would love for you to check out a new podcast project from Laura and Megan: Smartest Person in the Room! Find it now in your favorite podcast app or on the website. This week's episode is brought to you by Eat At Home dinner plans. Use code "awesome" for 20% off of your meal planning membership! Find the recipe from today's episode here: 15 Minute Creamy Chicken Florentine Quesadillas at Eat At Home. SHOW NOTES: Framebridge Love Taza: How I Style My Bangs! Spontaneity Kid Care (Oklahoma CIty) Mom Advice Reading Round-Ups Mom Advice author interviews The Nest; Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeny All Things Cease to Appear; Elizabeth Brundage (Amy's interview with Elizabeth Brundage) Dark Matter; Blake Crouch The Girls; Emma Cline The City of Mirrors; Justin Cronin Truly Madly Guilty; Liane Moriarty Hillbilly Elegy; J.D. Vance (American Conservative interview) The Glass Castle; Jeannette Walls American Heiress; Jeffrey Toobin A Mother’s Reckoning; Sue Klebold Columbine; Dave Cullen The Mysterious Benedict Society; Trenton Lee Stewart This Must Be The Place; Kate Racculia A Murder in Time; Julie McElwain A Thousand Pieces of You; Claudia Gray All the Missing Girls; Megan Miranda Love Warrior; Glennon Melton The Trespasser; Tana French Before the Fall; Noah Hawley Lilac Girls; Martha Hall Kelly The Underground Railroad; Colson Whitehead MomAdvice Hangout Group Global Book Club (Big Library Read) Find Laura on her blog, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Find Amy at MomAdvice.com and on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest! You can find Megan on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! Visit sortaawesomeshow.com for show notes on this and every episode. And don’t forget to find us in the Sorta Awesome Hangout on Facebook or @sortaawesomeshow on Instagram!
Ready to beat those winter blues? We have such a fun show full of so much awesome for you this week! Amy Allen Clark of MomAdvice.com joins Megan as guest co-host, and Amy has brought with her some perspectives on fashion, reading, and technology that just might change your life. From capsule wardrobes to rearview mirror conversations, they cover some fascinating topics that are sure to surprise you. All of that, plus Awesome of the Week! HealthyMoving.com is offering a free guide to healthy movement you can practice while listening to your favorite podcasts. Text SortaAwesome to 33444 to sign-up or go to HealthyMoving.com/sortaawesome ! SHOW NOTES Awesome of the WeekHymns for Hipsters on SpotifyA Little Life, Hanya Yanagihara1. MomAdvice.com: Winter 2016 Fashion Capsule Wardrobe2. Be More With Less: Project 333unfancy3. The True CostThredUp (Megan's referral link)4. MomAdvice.com: Sundays with Writers series5. Three Life-Changing BooksThose Who Save Us, Jenna BlumMy Notorious Life, Kate ManningThe Book of Unknown Americans, Cristina Henriquez6. Disney's CircleFind Amy at MomAdvice.com and on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest! You can find Megan on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! Visit sortaawesomeshow.com for show notes on this and every episode. And don’t forget to find us in the Sorta Awesome Hangout on Facebook or @sortaawesomeshow on Instagram!