Bookish Flights: Themed Book Recommendations & Author Interviews

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In today’s episode, I am chatting with Sandra Schnakenburg. She is a dual American/Australian citizen. Sandy earned a BS in finance and international business at Arizona State University and an MBA specializing in finance and accounting at the University of Southern California. She left a career in corporate finance in 2010 to sutdy creative nonfiction. She has completed writing courses at Rice University. Writespace, and The Writers University in Houston. When not writing, you will find Sandra enjoying her family, nature, hiking, skiing, biking, cooking, yoga and walking her dogs. She and her husband, Karl, currently split their time between Houston, TX and Park City, Utah.

Episode Highlights:

• Sandy shares the deeply personal story behind The Housekeeper’s Secret, a memoir written from her point of view that uncovers the life of Lee, her beloved housekeeper and a guiding light in her youth.
• Reflections on childhood, identity and the privilege and responsibility of telling someone else’s story with care.
• A meaningful discussion on parenting and the importance of fostering a sense of purpose in our children’s lives.
• Insights into Sandy’s transition from a finance career to creative nonfiction writing and how she approaches the craft.
• Thoughts on perseverance in writing, including the staggering statistic that 97% of people who want to write a book don’t finish.
• Encouragement for aspiring writers about the ever-evolving journey of authorship and the humbling lessons each new project brings.
• Sandy’s book flight includes the books she devoured that influenced her voice and helped shape her memoir.

Connect with Sandra Schnakenburg:

• Instagram
• Website
• Facebook
• Purchase The Housekeeper’s Secret

Show Notes

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 War of Art by Stephen Pressfield
• Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
• The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer
• The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

Book Flight

• The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
• The Fact of the Body by Alex Marzano-Lesnevich
• The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho

The BFF Book Club is becoming a family affair! ❤️ This our FREE virtual book club, where we read together each month and have live author chats.

Each Family Book Flight pairs our BFF Book Club pick with:

• One chapter book for growing readers
• One picture book for our littlest readers
• A few family conversation starters + a simple activity

Three books. One common theme.

→ Join us here: https://bookishflights.kit.com/bfffamily

Support the show

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

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This episode marks the latest gathering of our BFF Book Club—a monthly celebration of reading, author conversations, and book-loving community. If you enjoy deep-dives into unforgettable stories and chatting with the minds behind them, you’re in the right place!

This month, we’re discussing The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski, an Edgar Award-nominated author of multiple books for both kids and adults. Claire lives in small-town Wisconsin with her husband and three children, where she splits her time between writing and bread dough wrangling.

Episode Highlights:

• How motherhood teaches us to value time and not waste it
• The importance of loving your neighbor and embracing community
• Real-life “funeral ladies” and the comforting food traditions of the Midwest
• Why Claire reads—and how reading enriches her craft
• Her book flight includes the three books that influenced the writing of The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County.

Whether you’ve read the book or just love great conversations about life, literature, and the magic that happens when they meet, this episode is for you.

📚 Next BFF Book Club Meeting: June 1st at 11:30 AM PST
We’ll be joined by Julia Kelly, author of The Dressmakers of London—a heartfelt novel about estranged sisters, a WWII-era dress shop, and the healing power of love, letters, and legacy. 👉 Register Here.

Connect with Claire Swinarski:

• Instagram
• Website
• Purchase Claire’s books

Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

• Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief  by Wendelin Van Draanen
• The Mitford Affair by Marie Benedict
• I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger

Book Flight

• The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradahl
• Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan
• Cloud Cuckoo Landby Anthony Doerr

The BFF Book Club is becoming a family affair! ❤️ This our FREE virtual book club, where we read together each month and have live author chats.

Each Family Book Flight pairs our BFF Book Club pick with:

• One chapter book for growing readers
• One picture book for our littlest readers
• A few family conversation starters + a simple activity

Three books. One common theme.

→ Join us here: https://bookishflights.kit.com/bfffamily

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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Today’s guest is Lindsay Flanagan. Lindsay writes fantasy adventures that empower girls to embrace their unique traits and weave their own spells into the world. Her debut novel, AnnaGrey and the Constellation, is the first runner-up in the middle reader category of the Eric Hoffer Book Award and a First Horizon Medal Finalist. Her newest novel, Little Red Wraith, is her debut young adult book. She is also an award-winning editor and has edited fiction and nonfiction, and is currently a senior editor at Eschler Editing. Additionally, she took on the role as co-publisher of Mad Cat Books, the young adult Imprint at Roan and Weatherford Publishing.

Highlights:

• The inspiration behind AnnaGrey and the Constellation and Little Red Wraith.
• What developmental and substantive editing really mean.
• Empowering young girls through storytelling.
• The importance of audiobooks in a reader’s life
• Behind the scenes in the world of publishing
• Her book flight features books with an alternate history set in the American West.

Connect with Lindsay Flanagan:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Website
• Purchase:
  • AnnaGray and the Constellation
  • Little Red Wraith

Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

• Embrace the Beautiful Chaos of Motherhood by Stacey Pereira
• Luck of the Titanic by Stacy Lee
• The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn
• Horseman by Christina Henry
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
• A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber
• Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray
• Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Book Flight

• Red Rabbit by Alex Grecian
• Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee
• Elysium Girls by Kate Pentecost

The BFF Book Club is becoming a family affair! ❤️ This our FREE virtual book club, where we read together each month and have live author chats.

Each Family Book Flight pairs our BFF Book Club pick with:

• One chapter book for growing readers
• One picture book for our littlest readers
• A few family conversation starters + a simple activity

Three books. One common theme.

→ Join us here: https://bookishflights.kit.com/bfffamily

Support the show

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

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• Facebook
• Website

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Today’s guest is Dr. Irene Daria, a developmental psychologist and passionate literacy advocate who has helped hundreds of children learn to read—including the children of celebrities. She’s also trained teachers in the science of reading and created the Steps to Reading program for parents.

Before entering the world of psychology, Dr. Daria worked as a journalist and editor, with bylines in The New York Times, Parents, Money, and more. She joins us to talk about what actually works when teaching kids to read—and what doesn’t.

Highlights:

Why balanced literacy and sight word learning often fall short

• What the Science of Reading says really works
• The five key components of reading:
  1. Phonemic Awareness
  2. Phonics
  3. Vocabulary
  4. Fluency
  5. Comprehension
• How parents can advocate for change—and teach reading at home if needed
• Reading myths debunked
• The power of parent advocacy
• Tools to help your child become a confident reader

Connect with Irene Daria:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Website
• Purchase I Didn’t Believe Him

Show Notes

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:

• Why Johnny Can’t Read by Rudolf Flesch
• Colleen Hoover books
• The Idea of You by Robinne Lee

Book Flight

• This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett
• Year of Yes by Shonda Rimes
• Ninth Street Women by Mary Gabriel

Dessert Pairing

• Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro

The BFF Book Club is becoming a family affair! ❤️ This our FREE virtual book club, where we read together each month and have live author chats.

Each Family Book Flight pairs our BFF Book Club pick with:

• One chapter book for growing readers
• One picture book for our littlest readers
• A few family conversation starters + a simple activity

Three books. One common theme.

→ Join us here: https://bookishflights.kit.com/bfffamily

Support the show

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

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• Facebook
• Website

Send us Fan Mail

Joanna Davidson Politano is the award-winning author of 8 novels. She loves tales that capture the color, exquisite details in ordinary lives and is eager to hear anyone’s story. She lives with her husband and children in a house in the woods near Lake Michigan. Her latest novel, The Curious Inheritance of Blakely House, was released yesterday.

Key Highlights:

• Joanna’s experience as a writer, homeschool mom, and leader of a church writing group
• Co-writing her latest novel with her husband—his engineering skills, her storytelling flair
• The power of surrender in creativity and how it shapes her writing journey
• Her surprising approach to writing endings before beginnings
• Fitting reading into a full life and nurturing a love of books at home

Connect with Joanna:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

Books and authors mentioned:

• Mo Willems books
• Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene
• The Love Note by Joanna Davidson Politano
• Lady Jayne Disappears by Joanna Davidson Politano
• Mary Higgins Clark books
• John Grisham books
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
• Vienna Prelude by Bodie and Brock Thoene
• The Bright Unknown by Elizabeth Byler Younts
• Kristy Cambron books
• All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes

Book Flight

• Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
• Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery
• Roald Dahl books

Episode Sponsor

This episode was sponsored by Bethany House with a Featured Book Flight, head over to their website and get a generous 30% off, as well as free shipping. 

• The Indigo Heiress by Laura Frantz
• Midnight on the Scottish Shore by Sarah Sundin
• The Curious Inheritance of Blakely House by Joanna Davidson Politano

The BFF Book Club is becoming a family affair! ❤️ This our FREE virtual book club, where we read together each month and have live author chats.

Each Family Book Flight pairs our BFF Book Club pick with:

• One chapter book for growing readers
• One picture book for our littlest readers
• A few family conversation starters + a simple activity

Three books. One common theme.

→ Join us here: https://bookishflights.kit.com/bfffamily

Support the show

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

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website

Send us Fan Mail

In today’s episode, I am chatting with Rosanne Parry, the bestselling author of  A Wolf Called Wander, A Whale in the Wild, A Horse Named Sky, and her most recent novel, A Wolf Called Fire. Her Voices of the Wilderness series brings to life the struggles of wild animals, focusing on the life cycle of animals and their fight for survival in a changing world. Based on real animals of the western United States, these stories resonate with readers of all ages.

Rosanne, a former teacher turned writer and bookseller, shares her thoughts on the school system’s approach to teaching writing and why it doesn’t allow for the time and depth that creative writing needs. She also tells a funny story about the differences between American and European badgers, highlighting how attention to detail is key when working with illustrators from around the world. Rosanne’s novels are especially meaningful to readers aged 10-12, though they can be enjoyed by anyone who loves a heartfelt story.

Episode Highlights:

• Inspiration behind Voices of the Wilderness and the life cycle of animals.
• The challenges of teaching writing in schools.
• A humorous tale about the American vs. European badger.
• Why her books resonate best with readers aged 10-12, but can be enjoyed by all.
• Rosanne’s creative process from her treehouse in Portland.

Connect with Rosanne Parry:

• Instagram
• Website
• Facebook
• Purchase Rosanne’s books

Show Notes

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:

• Jack Kerouac books
• Steering the Craft by Ursula K. Le Guin
• Rick Kotani’s 400 Million Dollar Summer by Waka T. Brown

Book Flight

• The Emotional Lives of Animals by Marc Bekoff
• When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill
• Safiyyah’s War by Hiba Noor Khan

The BFF Book Club is becoming a family affair! ❤️ This our FREE virtual book club, where we read together each month and have live author chats.

Each Family Book Flight pairs our BFF Book Club pick with:

• One chapter book for growing readers
• One picture book for our littlest readers
• A few family conversation starters + a simple activity

Three books. One common theme.

→ Join us here: https://bookishflights.kit.com/bfffamily

Support the show

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

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• Facebook
• Website

Send us Fan Mail

In today’s episode, I am chatting with Leah Koskinen, a mom of two whose life changed six years ago when she was diagnosed with stage III melanoma. Now, as she navigates mom life and recovery, she devotes her time to promoting sun safety awareness on Instagram, chasing her kids around, and reading as many books as she can!

Leah shares her passion for sun safety, her favorite sunscreens, and essential skincare tips. We also discuss books—how reading throughout the day creates a sense of accomplishment and how certain books provided her an escape from the mental load of recovery and motherhood.

Key Highlights:

• Leah’s journey with melanoma and the importance of sun safety awareness.
• Her go-to sunscreens: Elf Face Screen, Melan Spray, and Daily Shade for Kids. We also talked about Solar Buddies applicators.
• Sun safety tips: Reapply sunscreen every 2 hours and use a makeup brush for easy application on kids.
• The importance of yearly dermatology checkups and what to watch for on your skin.
• The role of books in her healing journey and how they provide an escape from the mental load.
• Leah’s book flight includes books that helped her “drift off” and unwind.

Connect with Leah:

• Instagram
• Website

Books and authors mentioned:

• The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley
• The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
• Happy Place by Emily Henry
• Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty

Book Flight

• Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• Long Bright River by Liz Moore
• Sylvia’s Second Act by Hillary Yablon

Dessert Pairing

• Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

The BFF Book Club is becoming a family affair! ❤️ This our FREE virtual book club, where we read together each month and have live author chats.

Each Family Book Flight pairs our BFF Book Club pick with:

• One chapter book for growing readers
• One picture book for our littlest readers
• A few family conversation starters + a simple activity

Three books. One common theme.

→ Join us here: https://bookishflights.kit.com/bfffamily

Support the show

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

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website

Send us Fan Mail

There is an unspoken rule of being an author: "if you can't find the book you want to read, write it." That's exactly what Stephanie Storm did. Now, she prides herself on creating unique stories in action packed worlds full of strong female characters and inclusivity. Her books include plot twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat and a touch of romance too. With the stories being fast paced, she always tries to keep the books focused on being a quick and easy read. Now based in Amsterdam with her husband, Stephanie spends her days immersed in the world of technology at her day job. In her spare time, you can find her planning her next travel adventure, going to Barre classes and writing the next story in her very intense publishing schedule. 

Episode Highlights:

📖 How moving across continents shaped her mindset
 🔥 Her Titan Syndicate Series: The Rule of the Damned & The Clash of the Damned (coming 09/11/2025)
✍️ The benefits of hiring a book coach for indie authors
📝 Finding the balance between plotter and pantser writing styles
🚀 Marketing, imposter syndrome, and what it takes to succeed in indie publishing

Plus, while we didn’t chat about it in this episode, Stephanie is also a newly minted podcast host—so be sure to check out The Fantasy Grimoire Podcast!

Connect with Stephanie Storm:

• Instagram
• Website
• Purchase Stephanie’s books

Show Notes

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:

• Grave Matter by Karina Halle
• Never After series by Emily McIntyre
• The Dark Artifices series by Cassandra Clare
• Anathema by Keri Lake
• One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
• Burning Glass (book #2 in series) by Elle Kaelee

Book Flight

• Relentless by Karen Lynch
• The Bombshell Devil’s Advocate by Nikkita Bell
• Spark of the Everflame by Penn Cole
• Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman

The BFF Book Club is becoming a family affair! ❤️ This our FREE virtual book club, where we read together each month and have live author chats.

Each Family Book Flight pairs our BFF Book Club pick with:

• One chapter book for growing readers
• One picture book for our littlest readers
• A few family conversation starters + a simple activity

Three books. One common theme.

→ Join us here: https://bookishflights.kit.com/bfffamily

Support the show

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

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome to today’s episode of Bookish Flights! This episode is the latest meeting of the BFF Book Club! If you love books, author meet-and-greets, and in-depth conversations, the BFF Book Club is for you. Each month, we dive into a new book, and this month’s selection is What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange. Tracey was born and raised in New York City before heading west to graduate from the University of New Mexico with a degree in psychology. After owning and operating a mental health services company with her husband for fifteen years, she completed the Stanford University novel writing program while working on her first novel, the New York Times bestseller, We Are the Brennans. Tracey currently lives in beautiful Bend, Oregon with her husband, two sons, and beloved German Shepherd.

Episode Highlights:

📖 How Tracey's background in mental health influences her storytelling and helps her understand complex characters.
📖 Why she is drawn to exploring the gray areas of human nature.
📖 Her writing process and what she has learned about herself.
📖 The books that shaped her as a young reader and have impacted her writing style.
📖 Her book flight, featuring stories with tragically flawed characters you can't help but root for.

If you’d like to join us next month, we will be reading an amazing contemporary fiction, The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski. This is a heartwarming story of love, life, casseroles and community set in Wisconsin.

Esther Larson has been cooking for funerals in the Northwoods of Wisconsin for seventy years. Known locally as the “funeral ladies,” she and her cohort have worked hard to keep the mourners of Ellerie County fed. But, after falling for an internet scam that puts her home at risk, the proud Larson family matriarch is the one in need of help these days. Register to join us on Apr. 27th at 1:00 pm PST!

Connect with Tracey:

• Instagram
• Website
• Purchase Tracey’s books

Books and authors mentioned:

• Pet Semetary by Stephen King
• The Stand by Stephen King
• Creating Character Arcs by K.M. Weiland
• Dream State by Eric Puchner

Book Flight

• I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb
• House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III
• All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

The BFF Book Club is becoming a family affair! ❤️ This our FREE virtual book club, where we read together each month and have live author chats.

Each Family Book Flight pairs our BFF Book Club pick with:

• One chapter book for growing readers
• One picture book for our littlest readers
• A few family conversation starters + a simple activity

Three books. One common theme.

→ Join us here: https://bookishflights.kit.com/bfffamily

Support the show

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

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website

Send us Fan Mail

In today’s episode, I am chatting with Katy Hays. Katy is a Californian, writer and cake aficionado. She lives in the shadow of the Sierra with her husband and their dog, Queso. In addition to writing, Katy works as an adjunct Art History Professor teaching rural students from Truckee to Tecopa. Her academic writing has been published by Ashgate, an imprint of Routledge. Her fiction explores how far humans are willing to go to believe the unbelievable, strange-but-real worlds, and complex female friendships. 

We chatted about Katy being an ex-academic having moved to the mountains to write the novel she always wanted to write. She talks about writing her sophomore novel and all that goes into it. Saltwater is not just about rich people behaving badly, Katy loves looking at family dynamics and the length people are willing to go to maintain appearances. If you are a writer, she suggests using a process journal when you get stuck to include the date, number of words written, where you are at in the writing and how you are feeling. Her book flight features thrillers/upmarket suspense fiction that will transport you somewhere. 

Key Highlights:

• Katy shares her journey as an ex-academic who moved to the mountains to write the novel she always wanted to write.
• She discusses the process of writing her sophomore novel and the unique challenges that come with it.
• Saltwater is not just about rich people behaving badly—it delves into family dynamics and the lengths people go to maintain appearances.
• Katy offers advice for writers: she suggests keeping a process journal when stuck. This journal should include the date, number of words written, where you are in the writing process, and how you are feeling.
• Katy’s book flight features thrillers and upmarket suspense fiction that will transport you somewhere intriguing.

Connect with Katy Hays:

• Instagram
• Website
• Purchase Saltwater

Books and authors mentioned:

• The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani
• The Keep by Jennifer Egan
• The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz
• Scrap by Calla Henkle
• Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra
• Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Book Flight

• A Beautiful Crime by Christopher Bollen (Venice)
• Other People’s Clothes by Calla Henkle (Berlin)
• Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins (South Pacific island)

The BFF Book Club is becoming a family affair! ❤️ This our FREE virtual book club, where we read together each month and have live author chats.

Each Family Book Flight pairs our BFF Book Club pick with:

• One chapter book for growing readers
• One picture book for our littlest readers
• A few family conversation starters + a simple activity

Three books. One common theme.

→ Join us here: https://bookishflights.kit.com/bfffamily

Support the show

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

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website