Book Cougars Podcast: Two Middle-Aged Women on the Hunt for a Good Read

Every tenth episode we do a giveaway and here we are again with not one, but TWO giveaways! All you have to do to be entered to win is be a newsletter subscriber. (Sign up here: https://www.bookcougars.com/subscriber) We announce our third quarter readalong (thanks to everyone who voted!) and, as always, we talk about what we’re reading, just read, and the biblioadventures we’ve been on.

We were thrilled to talk with Vince A. Liaguno and Rena Mason, editors of the highly anticipated OTHER TERRORS: AN INCLUSIVE ANTHOLOGY. Wow. The stories in this Horror Writers Association Anthology are amazing. It’s no surprise that Other Terrors has received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus, and Booklist. Even non-horror readers, like Emily, enjoy this anthology (even if she’s sleeping with the lights on). Available now!

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Happy Reading!

We have both done some traveling since the last episode. Emily was in Colorado and Utah and Chris was in North Carolina and Illinois. You know we hit some bookstores, which you’ll hear about in our Biblio-Adventures segment. We’ve also checked off two #BigBookSummer reads! Emily finished the Plainsong Series by Kent Haruf and Chris enjoyed her re-read of The Historian by Elisabeth Kostova.

Some of the other books we discuss in this episode include Vacationland by Meg Mitchell Moore, My Autobiography of Carson McCullers: A Memoir by Jenn Shapland, Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro (out 10/18/2022), Cat’s in the Navy by Scot Christenson, and The Local: A Legal Thriller by Joey Hartstone.

Some highlights in this episode: Emily and Chris have kicked off their reading for Sue Jackson’s Big Book Summer reading challenge! Both Book Cougars are starting off with re-reads: Chris is re-reading THE HISTORIAN by Elizabeth Kostova and Emily is reading Kent Haruf’s Prairie series. She’s already re-read the first novel, PLAINSONG, and is now into EVENTIDE.

In biblio adventures, we had a great time at Soho Press’s dinner celebrating two of their authors: Ramona Emerson (SHUTTER, coming out in August) and Marcie Rendon (SINISTER GRAVES, the third book in the Sue Grafton Award-nominated crime series set in the 1970s in the Red River Valley and featuring 19-year-old Cash Blackbear, an Ojibwe woman (pubbing in October). The event was held at Chef Sherry Pocknett’s world-famous Sly Fox Den Too indigenous restaurant in Charlestown, Rhode Island.

We had the great privilege of talking with award winning, legendary audiobook narrator SIMON VANCE. As we say in his introduction, if you don’t know Simon’s name, if you’re an audiobook listener, chances are good that you’ know his voice.

Happy Listening!

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We dedicate this episode to Jenny Colvin, host of the Reading Envy podcast. We were stunned and deeply saddened to learn of her sudden death. Jenny will be deeply missed by the book community. Our thoughts are with her loved ones and family.

On this episode we recap our biblioadventure to Manchester, VT for Booktopia at the Northshire Bookstore, which included stops at a charming library and several bookstores on the way there and back. Chris also attended two online events — one through the Maine Women Writers Collection featuring Dawn Potter, Elizabeth De Wolfe, and Carol A. Dana. The other online event was Mondays at Beinecke presentation by Gabrielle Colangelo about her exhibition, “We Are Everywhere: Lesbians in the Archive.”

Our second quarter readalong pick was a hit with listeners — TWO OLD WOMEN by Velma Wallis. Thumbs up all around. Emily also read Wallis’ memoir, RAISING OURSELVES: A GWITCH’IN COMING OF AGE STORY FROM THE YUKON RIVER and Chris dipped into BIRD GIRL AND THE MAN WHO FOLLOWED THE SUN. We’ll announce our third quarter readalong on episode 159.

Chris enjoyed THE FERVOR by Alma Katsu. We also read two forthcoming novels that we couldn’t wait to get to! Emily read THE LIES I TELL by Julie Clark (release date 6/21/22) and Chris SHUTTER by Ramona Emerson (release date 8/2/22).

Are you ready for the Big Book Summer Challenge? We are! It’s the 10th anniversary of this popular reading challenge and we had the pleasure of sitting down with creator and host, Sue Jackson.

We know half of the world is easing into winter, but here in the US we’re gearing up for summer. The Big Book Summer Challenge runs from Memorial day (May 27) to Labor Day (September 5, 2022). Emily is going to read Kent Haruf’s PLAINSONG SERIES and Chris will read THE WARMTH OF OTHER SUNS by Isabel Wilkerson. If you’d like to do buddy reads with either (or both!) of us, we’ll have discussion threads up on Goodreads on May 27th.

As for what we’re currently reading, listen and find out!

#BuddyRead! We had a fun time talking with our Mystery Man, JOHN VALERI, about Agatha Christie’s DEATH ON THE NILE, both her novel and Kenneth Branagh’s new adaptation. Spoiler alert: mixed reviews.

Other books we read and discuss in this episode did not have mixed reviews. We both had some good reads!

THOMAS MERTON: An Introduction to His Life, Teachings, and Practices by Jon M. Sweeney (audio)

THE YEAR OF THE HORSES by Courtney Maum

EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM WILL SOMEDAY BE DEAD by Emily Austin

MARRYING THE KETCHUPS by Jennifer Close

LUCKY GIRL, HOW I BECAME A HORROR WRITER: A KRAMPUS STORY by M. Rickert

PYTHON FOR EVERYBODY by Charles Severence

We also had some outstanding #biblioadventures both online and in person. We especially enjoyed celebrating Independent Bookstore Day close to home at Breakwater Books and Syd’s Book Shack.

What are we reading now? Several things, including the current Book Cougars readalong book, TWO OLD WOMEN by Velma Wallis.

We hope you enjoy! And if you do enjoy, please consider leaving a review wherever you listen to us. Reviews can help other listeners find the podcast. Thanks!

A big welcome back to JESS MONTGOMERY! We have a lovely chat about the new entry in her Kinship Series, THE ECHOES: A Novel.

Emily and Chris are both currently reading DEATH ON THE NILE by Agatha Christie for a buddy read with Our Mystery Man, John Valeri. Stayed tuned for our conversation with John about the novel and the new movie adaptation coming up on episode 155.

The big news in our lives is that we FINALLY got to head back to Manhattan for some BIBLIO-ADVENTURING with Aunt Ellen! It was so good to be back in the city that we love after a two-year pandemic-induced separation. We got our library cards renewed at the NYPL, walked to the Morgan Library & Museum to see their GWENDOLYN BROOKS exhibit, walked through Central Park for lunch, and then on to the NY Historical Society Museum & Library to see their exhibit, PICTURE THE DREAM: THE STORY OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT THROUGH CHILDREN'S BOOKS. A bonus surprise was walking through the ROBERT CARO exhibit showcasing his writing process. After that, we walked some more to check out a new-to-us bookstore, WESTSIDER RARE & USED BOOKS. What a day!

In our Just Read segment, Emily talks about HUNGRY HEART: ADVENTURES IN LIFE, LOVE, AND WRITING by Jennifer Weiner, PEARL by Tabitha King, and TRUE BIZ by Sara Nović. Chris read THE CHILDREN ON THE HILL by Jennifer McMahon, and three picture books: I AM AN AMERICAN: THE WONG KIM ARK STORY by Martha Brockenbrough, Grace Lin, and Julia Kuo; OSNAT AND HER DOVE: THE TRUE STORY OF THE WORLD'S FIRST FEMALE RABBI by Sigal Samuel and Vali Mintzi; WE ARE STILL HERE: NATIVE AMERICAN TRUTHS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW by Traci Sorell and Frane Lessac.

We also buddy read MAUD MARTHA by Gwendolyn Brooks, a novel we both highly recommend if you can find it! It is out of print but there is a new edition coming out in the UK in early May.

Emily and Chris were honored to have the opportunity to talk with author Amy Bloom about her new memoir, IN LOVE: A Memoir of Love and Loss about Amy and her husband Brian Ameche's love and his decision to end his life after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Both Book Cougars are captivated by this beautifully written memoir about love, the agony of dealing with Alzheimer’s, and choosing to end one's life in a society that has no viable options.

We are currently doing a buddy read of MAUD MARTHA by Gwendolyn Brooks. We also have an upcoming buddy read in the works with Our Mystery Man, John Valeri. The three of us will discuss DEATH ON THE NILE by Agatha Christie and the new Kenneth Branagh movie adaptation. If you’d like to join us in either of these buddy reads, we have discussion threads on our Goodreads group page.

Reminder that our next readalong is TWO OLD WOMEN: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage, and Survival by Velma Wallis.

Check out our show notes for a list of all the books, places, and dates mentioned in this episode: https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2022/episode153.

Shoutouts!

—The Children on the Hill, Jennifer McMahon (forthcoming April 26, 2022)

—Hungry Heart, Jennifer Weiner (audio)

—Miss Grief and Other Stories by Constance Fenimore Woolson, ed Anne Boyd Rioux

—The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner (forthcoming May 10, 2022)

—Stellaluna by Janell Cannon

—Vampenguin by Lucy Ruth Cummins

—Fiona and Jane by Jean Chen Ho

—The Murder of Mr. Wickham, Claudia Gray (forthcoming May 3, 2022)

—Learning America: One Woman's Fight for Educational Justice for Refugee Children by Luma Mufleh

—Hurricane Girl by Marcy Dermansky (forthcoming June 14, 2022)

—The Wise Women by Gina Sorell

—Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow

—A Tiny Upward Shove by Melissa Chadburn

—Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

—Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives by Mary Laura Philpott

—House of Books in Kent, CT

Announcing our second quarter readalong! TWO OLD WOMEN: An Alaskan Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival by Velma Wallis.

Emily recaps her trip to Washington, D.C. where she was able to visit three awesome bookstores and came across a lovely memorial Little Free Library.

We talk about some books we READ. Shout outs to Huma Abedin (BOTH/AND) Dolly Parton & James Patterson (RUN, ROSE, RUN), Erica Ferenick (GIRL IN ICE), Larry McMurtry (DEAD MAN’s WALK), Jasmine Guillory (BY THE BOOK), Renate L. Chancellor (E.J. JOEY: Transformational Leader of the Modern Library Association), Anne Tyler (FRENCH BRAID), Megan Padalecki (SUDAN) and more!

Last but not least, don’t miss our Author Spotlight with Kathleen Courtnay Stone. Her new book, THEY CALLED US GIRLS: Stories of Female Ambition from Suffrage to Mad Men, is available now.

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Spring is in the air and the Book Cougars are on the prowl! Translation: Biblioadventures are ramping up as the weather gets better and Covid rates continue to fall.

We can’t remember the last time we had two joint jaunts in the same week, so it was a special treat to visit Riverbend Bookshop in Glastonbury, Connecticut and the New Bedford Whaling Museum in Massachusettes. Emily took a solo bibiloadventure to check out the Westport Public Library’s renovation and Chris attended a Zoom event with the Society for the Study of American Women Writers.

A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger, our first quarter readalong book, generated a lively zoom discussion. Thanks to Emily S, Colleen O, Kim, Melinda O, Julie S, Robin G, Nancy M, Aunt Ellen, Sue D, Katie S, Karen N, Kate G, Robey T, Linda P, and Linda J for joining us!

Books discussed in this episode include This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub (out 5/17/22), Salt by Catrin Kean, The Gloaming by Melanie Finn, Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford & Floyd Cooper, Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America by Carole Boston Weatherford & Jamey Christoph, Such a Library: A Yiddish Folktale Reimagined by Jill Ross Nadler,

It Could Always Be Worse by Margot Zemach,

Bubbe & Bart’s Matzoh Ball Mayhem by Bonnie Grubman & Deborah Melmon.

Audiobooks we’re currently listening to via Libro.fm:

Emily: Both/And: A Life in Many Words by Huma Abedin

Chris: Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton & James Patterson

Check out our show notes for links to all of the above and more info about upcoming jaunts and what we’re reading next.