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This week on Bookish Flights, internationally bestselling author Anna Johnston of The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife and she  returns to discuss her heartfelt new novel, When Lemons Give You Life. Inspired by her years working in aged care, Anna shares why she loves writing older characters who remind us that every stage of life still has purpose, dignity, and the capacity for joy. 

Episode Highlights:

• The inspiration behind When Lemons Give You Life and why she calls it "an antidote to despair"
• Writing Lisa's character from her own experience of receiving an adult ADHD diagnosis
• The misconceptions surrounding ADHD in women and why she hopes readers feel seen
• Researching the unique challenges older LGBTQ+ adults can face in aged care
• Why cooking can become its own love language and a powerful way to care for others
• How stories help us build empathy and compassion—especially for older generations
• Anna's book flight features 3 memoirs

Connect with Anna:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website

Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

• Maureen Fry and the Angel of the North / The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
• My Friends by Fredrik Backman

Book Flight

• Don’t Buy What I’m Selling by Lu Chekowsky
• Imogen in Waiting by Lindsay Bartels
• The Happiest Man on Earth by Eddie Jaku

This episode is sponsored by Baker Book House, they brought a sweet, summer contemporary book flight. Enjoy 30% off and free shipping on any books ordered directly through their website.

• Bookmarked for Love by Sarah Monzon
• In a Word, Yes by Kit Tosello
• Almost by Design by Jenny Erlingsson

✨ Find Your Next Great Read! We just hit 175 episodes of Bookish Flights, and to celebrate, I created the Bookish Flights Roadmap — a guide to all 175 podcast episodes, sorted by genre to help you find your next great read faster.

Explore it here → www.bookishflights.com/read/roadmap

Support the show

Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!

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This week on Bookish Flights, I'm joined by Ginny Kochis, author of Quirky Catholic Kids. Ginny shares what inspired her to write a practical guide for parents raising neurodivergent children through the lens of faith, while reminding us that many of these lessons apply to parenting children of all ages.

We discuss what neurodivergence really means, why emotional regulation begins with us as parents, and how learning to respond instead of react can transform our homes. Ginny also offers practical next steps for families who suspect their child may be experiencing developmental or learning differences, including resources available through schools, Child Find, and neuropsychological evaluations.

Above all, this conversation is an encouraging reminder to celebrate the unique children God has entrusted to us rather than comparing them to someone else's expectations.

Episode Highlights:

• What inspired Ginny to write Quirky Catholic Kids
• What neurodivergence is—and what it isn't
• Why emotional regulation can't be taught in the middle of a meltdown
• Practical ways parents can respond instead of react
• Learning to embrace your child's unique gifts
• Finding evaluations and support through schools, Child Find, and neuropsychologists
• Parenting with faith, grace, and confidence instead of comparison

Connect with Ginny:

• Website
• Purchase Quirky Catholic Kids
• Instagram

Some links are affiliate links, which are no extra cost to you but do help to support the show.

Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

• Episode 46: A Book Flight Representing Neurodivergent Teens with Ginny Kochis
• Raising Your Spirited Child by Mary Scheedy Kurcinka
• A Million Junes by Emily Henry
• Annabel Monaghan’s books
• Ashley Poston books
• Katherine Center books

Book Flight

• Physica by Hildegaard van Bingen
• A Call to a Deeper Love: The Family Correspondence of the Parents of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus by Louis and Zelie Martin
• God Loves the Autistic Mind by Father Matthew Snyder

✨ Find Your Next Great Read! We just hit 175 episodes of Bookish Flights, and to celebrate, I created the Bookish Flights Roadmap — a guide to all 175 podcast episodes, sorted by genre to help you find your next great read faster.

Explore it here → www.bookishflights.com/read/roadmap

Support the show

Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!

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As a physical therapist, I spent years helping people build habits that would improve their lives long after they left the clinic. Those experiences taught me that lasting change doesn't happen in one big moment—it happens through small, consistent choices.

Lately, I've found myself asking that same question about reading.

What makes someone a reader?

As a lifelong reader and mom of three, I wanted to know what the research actually says about why some people develop a lifelong love of books while others struggle to make reading a habit.

In this solo episode, we're diving into the science behind reading habits and the practical ways we can create environments where reading becomes a joyful, natural part of everyday life.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why enjoyment matters more than pressure when it comes to lifelong reading
• The powerful role parents and caregivers play by modeling reading
• How your environment influences your reading habits more than motivation alone
• Why giving children—and adults—the freedom to choose their own books makes all the difference
• Practical ways to encourage a lifelong love of reading at any age

Whether you're hoping to read more yourself or you're raising the next generation of readers, this episode is filled with encouraging, research-backed ideas that you can start putting into practice today.

Books Mentioned

• Atomic Habits by James Clear

I'd Love to Hear From You - What made you a reader?

Come join the conversation on Instagram and Threads @bookishflights, and let me know the book, person, or moment that sparked your love of reading.

If you enjoyed this episode, I'd be so grateful if you'd follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a fellow book lover.

Happy reading, my friends!

✨ Find Your Next Great Read! We just hit 175 episodes of Bookish Flights, and to celebrate, I created the Bookish Flights Roadmap — a guide to all 175 podcast episodes, sorted by genre to help you find your next great read faster.

Explore it here → www.bookishflights.com/read/roadmap

Support the show

Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!

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This week, I’m joined by Erin Kirschenmann—lifelong reader, wine educator, and founder of Novel Pairings, an online book and wine membership that brings together thoughtfully curated books, wine pairings, playlists, community, and in-person events.

Whether you're a wine enthusiast or someone who has no idea what to order, Erin makes wine feel approachable and fun. We talk about why books and wine pair so naturally and how to take the intimidation out of choosing a bottle. Erin and I also issued a challenge for all of us: a few times each day, reach for your book instead of your phone. Slow down. Be intentional. And maybe even pour yourself a glass of wine while you're at it.

Special Offer

Erin is generously offering Bookish Flights listeners their first month of Novel Pairings completely free. Use the code BOOKISHFLIGHTS when you join.

Whether you're looking for your next great read, your next favorite bottle of wine, or simply an excuse to slow down and enjoy both, I think you're going to love this conversation.

Connect with Erin:

• Instagram
• Website

Some links are affiliate links, which are no extra cost to you but do help to support the show.

Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

• The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
• The Ex Hex by Erin Stirling
• Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• Rites of the Starling by Devney Perry
• Lands of Lost Borders by Kate Harris
• The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan
• Plot Pending
• Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
• The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
• Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein
• The Astral Library by Kate Quinn
• The Wedding People by Alison Espach

Book Flight

• The Science of Wine by Jaime Goode
• Big Macs and Burgundy by Vanessa Price
• Wine and War by Don & Petie Kladstrup

✨ Find Your Next Great Read! We just hit 175 episodes of Bookish Flights, and to celebrate, I created the Bookish Flights Roadmap — a guide to all 175 podcast episodes, sorted by genre to help you find your next great read faster.

Explore it here → www.bookishflights.com/read/roadmap

Support the show

Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!

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• Website

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This week, I'm joined by Julie Carrick Dalton, journalist, former organic farmer and beekeeper, and author of The Forest Becomes Her. Julie's novels are deeply rooted in the natural world, exploring the relationship between people, place, and the communities we build together.

Inspired by her own experience watching a beloved forest disappear to development, The Forest Becomes Her is ultimately a story about what a community loses when a forest is gone. Through the lives of three women navigating grief, motherhood, and identity, Julie invites readers to consider our connection to the land beneath our feet and the lasting impact of the choices we make.

In this episode, we talk about how Julie's years running an organic farm shaped every one of her novels, the decision to purchase a 220-acre forest to preserve it, why fiction allows her to explore life's biggest truths, and the joy of listening to audiobooks while tending her garden

Episode Highlights:

• How Julie's years running an organic farm continue to inspire her writing & real-life experience behind The Forest Becomes Her
• Parenting, motherhood, and raising children with a connection to nature
• How fiction helps us understand the world in ways journalism sometimes cannot
• Julie's love of gardening with an audiobook playing in the background
• Julie's Book Flight and fictional books that help us see the world differently

Connect with Julie:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

Some links are affiliate links, which are no extra cost to you but do help to support the show.

Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

• The Last Beekeeper by Julie Carrick Dalton
• Red Clocks by Leni Zumas
• The Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
• The Afterlife Project / The Gatepost by Tim Weed

Book Flight

• Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
• A Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
• Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

✨ Find Your Next Great Read! We just hit 175 episodes of Bookish Flights, and to celebrate, I created the Bookish Flights Roadmap — a guide to all 175 podcast episodes, sorted by genre to help you find your next great read faster.

Explore it here → www.bookishflights.com/read/roadmap

Support the show

Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!

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This week on Bookish Flights, I'm joined by beloved children's author Kate DiCamillo for a conversation about something much bigger than writing. We explore what it means to be a reader, why stories shape us long after childhood, and how a love of books can become one of the greatest gifts we pass from one generation to the next.

Kate's stories, including Because of Winn-Dixie, The Tale of Despereaux, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, and Flora & Ulysses, have become treasured companions for millions of readers and families. As The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane celebrates its 20th anniversary with a beautiful collector's edition this fall, Kate reflects on the enduring power of children's literature and the stories that continue to find us at every stage of life.

Together, we talk about reading aloud, protecting time to read in a busy world, why literature helps us tell and bear the truth, and how simply showing up each day can transform both our reading lives and our creative lives.

Whether you've loved Kate's books since childhood, are discovering them with your own children, or simply want to rekindle your love of reading, this conversation is a beautiful reminder of why stories matter at every age.

Episode Highlights:

• Why Kate has always identified first and foremost as a reader.
• The magic of reading aloud and why it allows us to meet one another without our armor.
• The children's books every adult should revisit.
• Kate's daily reading habit, including putting her phone on Airplane Mode.
• The surprising lesson she's learned from showing up to write every day.
• Kate's Book Flight includes books she routinely re-reads and she wants everyone to read

Connect with Kate:

• Website
• Facebook

Some links are affiliate links, which are no extra cost to you but do help to support the show.

Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

• Ribsy by Kate DiCamillo
• Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
• The Once and Future Kingby T.H. White
• Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
• Isak Dinesen by Judith Thurman
• Same as it Ever Wasby Claire Lombardo
• Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson

Book Flight

• Foster by Claire Keegan
• Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
• Old Filth by Jane Gardham

✨ Find Your Next Great Read! We just hit 175 episodes of Bookish Flights, and to celebrate, I created the Bookish Flights Roadmap — a guide to all 175 podcast episodes, sorted by genre to help you find your next great read faster.

Explore it here → www.bookishflights.com/read/roadmap

Support the show

Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!

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In this episode of Bookish Flights, I’m joined by middle grade author and podcaster Becca Wierwille. She is the author of the Road Trip Rescue series and the Scout and Barnaby Mysteries. Becca writes stories that help kids embrace what makes them unique and discover the adventures waiting for them. Together, we discuss the power of children's books, how stories help build empathy, the importance of reading aloud, and why the middle grade years are such a pivotal time in a reader's life. We also chat about her podcast, Ice Cream with Authors, and the books that helped shape her journey from young reader to published author.

Episode Highlights:

• Why “work-life harmony” matters more than work-life balance
• The power of small actions and intentional pauses
• Career reinvention and starting over in different seasons of life
• How burnout often disconnects us from our own needs
• Recognizing the through-lines in your personal and professional journey
• Building a life that prioritizes flexibility, family, and fulfillment

Connect with Becca:

• Website
• Purchase:
  • Road Trip Rescue series (ages 8-12 years old)
  • Scout and Barnaby (ages 6-10 years old), Kickstarter campaign for Book 4
• Instagram

Some links are affiliate links, which are no extra cost to you but do help to support the show.

Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

• Writing Off Social podcast
• The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie
• Secrets at Sparhawk Point by Anna Rose Johnson
• Into a Golden Era by Gabrielle Meyer
• To Love a Lady by Gabrielle Meyer

Book Flight

• Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (Contemporary Realistic Fiction, ages 9-12)
• Beyond Mulberry Glen by Millie Florence (Fairy Tale Fantasy, ages 8-12; featured on Ep. 4 of Ice Cream with Authors) 
• The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry by Anna Rose Johnson (Historical, ages 8-12; featured on Ep. 38 with Ice Cream for Authors)

✨ Find Your Next Great Read! We just hit 175 episodes of Bookish Flights, and to celebrate, I created the Bookish Flights Roadmap — a guide to all 175 podcast episodes, sorted by genre to help you find your next great read faster.

Explore it here → www.bookishflights.com/read/roadmap

Support the show

Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!

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This week on Bookish Flights, I’m joined by award-winning author Martha Engber for a thoughtful conversation about storytelling, curiosity, and the power of fiction to help us better understand ourselves and others. We chat about her Mary Donahue Chronicles, including Winter Light and Scattered Light, and explore themes of trauma, healing, self-worth, and the experiences that shape us throughout our lives. Drawing from her background in journalism, Martha shares how observation and asking questions have shaped her writing, why curiosity matters more than judgment, and how stories can offer readers a safe space to explore difficult topics. 

Episode Highlights:

• Martha's journey from journalism to novelist and screenwriter
• How journalism taught her the art of observation and asking better questions
• Why curiosity is essential for both writers and readers
• The role fiction plays in helping us understand our own lives and experiences
• Writing about trauma, healing, and the hard things we face as humans
• The conversation around trigger warnings in books
• Giving ourselves grace and letting go of unrealistic expectations
• Reading what you love instead of what you think you should read
• Martha's book flight featuring small press books and authentic human stories

Connect with Martha:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website

Some links are affiliate links, which are no extra cost to you but do help to support the show.

Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

• Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Book Flight

• Perfect Little Worlds by Clifford Mae Henderson
• A Little Lifeby Hanya Yanagihara
• The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

Dessert Pairing

• The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

✨ Find Your Next Great Read! We just hit 175 episodes of Bookish Flights, and to celebrate, I created the Bookish Flights Roadmap — a guide to all 175 podcast episodes, sorted by genre to help you find your next great read faster.

Explore it here → www.bookishflights.com/read/roadmap

Support the show

Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!

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In this episode of Bookish Flights, I am joined by author and podcaster Landis Wade. A recovering trial lawyer, Landis is the author of the award-winning Indie Retirement Mystery series, including his newest release, Deadly Gold Rush. He is also the founder of the Charlotte Readers Podcast, where he has interviewed more than 500 authors.

Our conversation goes beyond mystery writing as we discuss finding a meaningful "third act" after a successful career, the surprising similarities between law and storytelling, the value of writing communities, and why it's never too late to learn something new. Landis shares wisdom from both sides of the microphone and offers encouragement for writers at every stage of the journey.

Episode Highlights:

• Transitioning from trial lawyer to author and podcaster
• Building a creative "third act" after a successful career
• Why lawyers often make strong writers
• Lessons learned from interviewing more than 500 authors
• The importance of finding a writing group and literary community
• Why rejection is a shared experience among all writers
• How persistence can help writers navigate setbacks
• Embracing lifelong learning and new challenges
• A look at Deadly Gold Rush and the history that inspired the novel

Connect with Landis:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Get Landis’ books:
  • The Writing Life
  • Indie Retirement series

Some links are affiliate links, which are no extra cost to you but do help to support the show.

Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

• David Baldacci books
• Steve Berry books
• A Time to Kill by John Grisham
• Old Schoolby Gordon Korman
• The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
• The Eighteenth Green by Webb Hubbell
• Revelation by Robert Parker

Book Flight

• Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
• The Sackett Family saga by Louis L’Amour
• All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy

✨ Find Your Next Great Read! We just hit 175 episodes of Bookish Flights, and to celebrate, I created the Bookish Flights Roadmap — a guide to all 175 podcast episodes, sorted by genre to help you find your next great read faster.

Explore it here → www.bookishflights.com/read/roadmap

Support the show

Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!

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This week on Bookish Flights, I'm joined by Joanna Davidson Politano to discuss her latest novel, The Life She Forgot. Known for her atmospheric historical fiction and layered mysteries, Joanna shares the inspiration behind the novel, the first in a new series set around a house built into the cliffs of Cornwall. We talk about her love of creating immersive settings and why she believes there's a difference between a romance and a true love story.

We also talk about writing while raising young children, the twists and turns of crafting a mystery, and how books allow us to travel the world without ever leaving home.

Episode Highlights:

• Why Joanna believes "it is fun to travel through fiction"
• The difference between a romance and a love story
• What it means to truly love someone well 
• How she builds twists and surprises into her novels
• Becoming a "naptime novelist" while raising young children

Connect with Joanna:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website

📚 Next Meet the Author Book Club - Spies, Lies and Alibis with Natalie Walters

🗓️ Aug 24th | 🕓 5 pm PST / 7 pm CST / 8 pm EST

This romantic suspense novel is packed with danger, secrets, second chances, and plenty of twists. We'll be reading it together and then welcoming Natalie Walters for a live author conversation. Register Here.

Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

• Kristy Cambron books
• The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Book Flight

• The Splendor Falls by Susanna Kearsley
• This Promise Remains by Darcy Schock
• The Bookshop of 99 Doors by Jaime Jo Wright

✨ Find Your Next Great Read! We just hit 175 episodes of Bookish Flights, and to celebrate, I created the Bookish Flights Roadmap — a guide to all 175 podcast episodes, sorted by genre to help you find your next great read faster.

Explore it here → www.bookishflights.com/read/roadmap

Support the show

Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website