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 out now.

In our Just Read segment we talk about books in several different genres. Emily finished a novel, Chris read a poetry collection and a work of literary criticism, and we did a joint read of a short story in our Penguin Classics collection of ghost stories:

LEAVING by Roxana Robinson

WHEN I WAS STRAIGHT by Julie Marie Wade

JANE AUSTEN’S BOOKSHELF by Rebecca Romney

“GREEN TEA” by Sheridan Le Fanu

We recap an exciting joint jaunt to NYC to meet up with Aunt Ellen, where we saw the Belle de Costa Green exhibit at The Morgan Library & Museum and attended Selected Shorts: Classics with a Twist with Meg Wolitzer and Friends at Symphony Space.

As always, there are more books and Biblio Adventures discussed than we mention in this blurb. Special thanks to Janet Clare author of TRUE HOME, for sponsoring this episode.

Happy Listening and Happy Reading!

https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2025/episode234

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 book, PARIS UNDERCOVER: A WARTIME STORY OF COURAGE, FRIENDSHIP, AND BETRAYAL, now available from Ballantine Books. The book is a narrative history about Etta Shiber and Kate Bonnefous, two middle-aged women who smuggled out British servicemen from behind enemy lines, their arrest, Etta’s best-selling memoir about their efforts, and the price Kate paid for that book. Don’t miss our conversation with Matthew at the end of this episode. Paris Undercover is about history, but it speaks to our current time.

Some highlights in this episode:

We both have started reading around in THE PORTABLE FEMINIST READER, edited by Roxane Gay, starting with “If Men Could Menstruate” by Gloria Steinem. Chris also read “Being Female” by Eileen Myles. Emily finished the novel FOOD PERSON by Adam Roberts, and Chris read the graphic memoir EPHEMERA by Briana Loewinsohn.

It was also time for another ghost story from THE PENGUIN BOOK OF GHOST STORIES: From Elizabeth Gaskell to Ambrose Bierce. We both thought “The Signal Man” by Charles Dickens was “meh,” although it had some good lines and moments.

In Biblio Adventures, we recap seeing Maura Casey at Bank Square Books in Mystic, our Independent Bookstore Day jaunts to Breakwater Books in Guilford and R.J. Julia Booksellers in Madison, CT, and Emily’s volunteer experience at Cherry Jubilee in NYC.

We had such a fun time recording this episode and hope you enjoy it.

Happy Reading!

https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2025/episode233

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 discuss “The North Mail” by Amelia B. Edwards from THE PENGUIN BOOK OF GHOST STORIES: from Elizabeth Gaskell to Ambrose Bierce. We gave this one four paws up. Or should it be eight paws? Whatever the rating system should be for cougars, we both enjoyed Edwards’s story. It has a good creep factor and atmosphere, both indoors and outside.

Other books we’ve enjoyed include novels HAPPY LAND by Dolan Perkins-Valdez and THE GRIFFIN SISTERS GREATEST HITS by Jennifer Weiner; a quartet of novellas, OLD NEW YORK by Edith Wharton; and two works of nonfiction: STORYWORTHY: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life Through the Power of Storytelling by Matthew Dicks and DEEP WORK: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport.

Big thanks to this episode’s sponsor, James Crews and Brad Peacock. The new poetry collection they co-edited is available on May 6: LOVE IS FOR ALL OF US: Poems of Tenderness and Belonging from the LGBTQ+ Community and Friends (with illustrations by Lisa Congdon).

We also recap a great Biblio Adventure to the Mark Twain House to hear Ethan Rutherford (author of NORTH SUN, OR THE VOYAGE OF THE WHALESHIP ESTHER) in conversation with Amity Gaige about her new novel, HEARTWOOD. Chris also got to attend THE MOUNT’S virtual book club discussion of Edith Wharton’s A SON AT THE FRONT and Willa Cather’s ONE OF OURS, led by Anne Schuyler and Julie Olin-Ammentorp.

As always, there are more books inside this episode than we can fit here! Enjoy, and be sure not to miss our conversation with Eowyn Ivey at the end.

Oh, and reminder: our second quarter readalong pick is THE GOOD HOUSE by Tananarive Due (Zoom discussion on 6/8 and also on Goodreads).

Thanks for listening, and happy reading!

https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2025/episode232

The Good House Goodreads readalong https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2025/episode231

Penguin Book of Ghost Stories Goodreads thread https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/23017532-ghost-stories

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 want to miss our conversation with Ruth. She is a fantastic writer and a great conversationalist. The interview begins at 01:13:25.

In our Just Read segment, we discuss “The Cold Embrace” by Mary Elizabeth Braddon, the current story from THE PENGUIN BOOK OF GHOST STORIES. Note: we spoil some plot points so read this ten-page short story prior to listening (unless you don’t care, then feel free to listen with abandon). Head to the shownotes, where you’ll find a link to the story available to read online.

Rejoice, for Chris has finally finished SWANN’S WAY by Marcel Proust! However, this won’t be the last you hear about Proust. She has committed to reading the next book in his longer work, IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME, with Robin Gustafson’s group in Feb/Mar 2026. After Proust, Chris found a delicious palate cleanser in THE STOLEN QUEEN by Fiona Davis.

Emily finished CARE AND FEEDING: A Memoir by Laurie Woolever and THE CLIFFS by J. Courtney Sullivan, which marks off another square on her Ghost Stories Bingo Card. She also attended the virtual ALL CT READS 2025 Adult Author Talk with Monica Wood who penned HOW TO READ A BOOK, which was one of her Top 10 Reads of last year.

Thanks to our two sponsors this episode, authors Lise Mayne (TIME ENOUGH) and Aline Weiller (FUN: Essays on a Life Embraced).

As always, we talk about more books and Biblio Adventures than we list here. We hope you enjoy listening and that your next book is a great read.

Happy Reading!

https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2025/episode231

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 the season, CARELESS PEOPLE: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynn-Williams, and is telling everyone to believe the hype. She also read THE EXTENDED MIND: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain by Annie Murphy Paul, and devoured WOMAN, EATING: A Literary Vampire Novel by Claire Kohda.

Emily read two novels that have an unexpected connection, MURDER UNDER HER SKIN: A Pentecost and Parker Mystery by Stephen Spotswood and THE GHOSTWRITER by Julia Clark. She also read two less murdery novels, TELL ME EVERYTHING by Elizabeth Strout and TILDA IS VISIBLE by Jane Tara. One of these she loved and the other was a bit of a departure for a well-loved writer.

We discuss the third short ghost story – “The Haunted and the Haunters; Or, The House and the Brain by Edward Bulwer Lytton – in THE PENGUIN BOOK OF GHOST STORIES: From Elizabeth Gaskell to Ambrose Bierce. This one didn’t grab us like the last one (pun intended) but we can see how it contributes to the haunted house tradition.

In Biblio Adventures, Chris made a guest appearance on Shawn Breathes Books where they discussed FINGERSMITH by Sarah Waters; it is ready for viewing on his BookTube channel. Emily was in Colorado visiting new grandbaby #2, and got to visit two local bookstores: White River Books in Carbondale and Alpenglow Books and Gifts in Glenwood Springs. During a long layover in O’Hare, she also visited several Barbara’s Bookstores in the airport.

As always, there is more in this episode than we can highlight here, like upcoming reads and jaunts (e.g., THE CAT’S MEOW: How Cats Evolved from the Savanna to Your Sofa by Jonathan Losos, All CT Reads with author Monica Wood, and the Willa Cather Spring Conference).

We were so happy to be back together talking about books across the table! We hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed recording it.

Happy Reading!

https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2025/episode230

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 this, too!

Emily checked off the Western square on her Ghost Stories Bingo Card by reading LONE WOMEN by Victor LaValle. She also read TWENTY-FOUR SECONDS FROM NOW…A Love Story by Jason Reynolds and SWEPT AWAY by Beth O’Leary, and two cookbooks: THE FISHWIFE COOKBOOK by Becca Millstein and Vilda Gonzalez and THE HEBRIDEAN BAKER by Coinneach Macleod.

Chris had some concentration issues and found comfort reading two wonderful picture books: THE LEAF DETECTIVE: How Margaret Lowman Uncovered Secrets in the Rainforest by Heather Lang, illustrated by Jana Christy, and HOW BIRDS SLEEP by David Obuchowski, illustrated by Sarah Pedry. She also finished listening to the audio version of A WEB OF OBSIDIAN by Lydia M. Hawke.

We recap some notable Biblio Adventures including a Buzz Books 2025 Horror panel and an event at Hickory Stick Bookshop, and of course we talk about a bunch more books and bookish things. We hope you enjoy this episode.

Happy Reading!

https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2025/episode-229

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 back for updates.

On this episode we do a deep dive on Shirley Jackson’s THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE which is our first quarter readalong. Chris has read the novel numerous times; this was Emily’s first time, and she is now a Shirley Jackson devotee. During the conversation, they mention other complimentary readings, podcasts, and film adaptations, including the biography SHIRLEY JACKSON: A Rather Haunted Life by Ruth Franklin.

Chris and Emily both had #CouchBiblioAdventures. Emily watched the movie Lee starring Kate Winslet about photographer Lee Miller. It reminded her of Whitney Scharer’s novel THE AGE OF LIGHT. Chris watched Season One, Episode Four of ROAR: The Woman Who Found Bite Marks on Her Skin based on the book of short stories by Cecelia Ahern. Emily also attended an in-person event via RJ Julia’s Booksellers in Madison, CT with Kristan Higgins in conversation with Charmaine Wilkerson and her new novel GOOD DIRT.

Of course, we also talk about what we’re currently reading, hope to read, upcoming jaunts, and scary neighbors, after all it is the year of the ghost story.

We wish you lots of Happy Reading!

Show notes for the episode: https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2025/episode228

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 day this episode drops–purchase your copy post-haste or request it at your library.

We have been enjoying a “real” New England winter this season, which has kept us hunkered down and reading on our respective couches. The books in our Just Read segment are:

A New Home, Who Will Follow? by Caroline Kirkland

The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny

Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spottswood

How We Learn to Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith by Mariann Edgar Budde

My Life in France by Julia Child and Alex Prud’homme

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano (release date 3/4/25)

The Vanishing Kind by Alice Henderson (release date 3/4/25)

I’ll Be Right Here by Amy Bloom (release date 6/24/25)

In short stories, we discuss “The Old Nurse’s Story” by Elizabeth Gaskell, the first story in The Penguin Book of Ghost Stories: From Elizabeth Gaskell to Ambrose Bierce, which we will be reading throughout 2025 for our year of reading Ghost Stories. Chris also read the ghost story The Inn by Guy De Maupassant.

We did get out and about for a Biblio Adventure to the New York Society Library to see a reading of Lord Byron’s Manfred by The New Relic Theatre. While there we also watched a virtual event via the Yale Program for the Study of Antisemitism featuring Ruth Franklin in conversation about her new book The Many Lives of Anne Frank.

And we had two couch biblio adventures. Emily watched the film The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse based on the book by Charlie Mackesy, and Chris participated in the Women’s Prize Book Club with Sarah Waters in conversation with Simon Savidge about her novel Fingersmith.

Of course, we also talk about what we’re currently reading, hope to read, upcoming jaunts, Simon & Schuster’s news about book blurbs, and more.

There’s a whole lot of yuck in the world now, and we are grateful for good books and bookish friends. Thank you, friends, for listening and connecting with us on social media, email, or Zoom.

We wish you lots of Happy Reading!

https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2025/episode227

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 the TOP TEN.

Chris and Emily both enjoy ushering in the new year with nonfiction. Our “Just Read” segment includes several self-help/self-improvement titles. The fiction we’ve read ranges from literary fiction, thrillers, horror, and a classic.

Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout by Cal Newport

Getting Unstuck: Breaking Your Habitual Patterns and Encountering Naked Reality by Pema Chödrön

The Book of Shadow Work: Unlock the True You: The Must-Have Guide to Inner Healing and Authenticity by Keila Shaheen

Speak to Me of Home by Jeanine Cummins

The Last Room on the Left by Leah Konen

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy

Lucy Undying: A Dracula Novel by Kiersten White

The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman

The Militia House by John Milas

Heartwood by Amity Gaige

A Son at the Front by Edith Wharton

What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez

We also had some fabulous Biblio Adventures to recap, including a joint jaunt to the gorgeous Providence Athenaeum, the featured image for this episode.

The Zoom conversation for our first quarter readalong of Shirley Jackson’s THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE is coming up on February 16th. We also invite you to read the THE PENGUIN BOOK OF GHOST STORIES with us this year. Listen to the episode for details, or check out the show notes.

Thanks for listening!

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 “game the system,” we still manage to talk about over 40 books in this episode. Oh well. So it goes. #booksbooksbooks

We would love to know your top ten reads of 2024. If you’d like to share them, please fill out this simple Google form, which asks only for the book title and author name. We will sort through the results and share our Listener’s Top Ten Reads on the next episode.

Thank you so much for listening. We wish you lots of Happy Reading in 2025!

https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2025/episode225