Bookish Flights: Themed Book Recommendations & Author Interviews

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Today, I’m chatting with Angela Bell. Angela is a 21st century lady with 19th century sensibilities who resides in Texas with her charming pup, Mr. Bingley Crosby. She describes her historical romances as “a cuppa Victorian whimsy,” & today we’re discussing her delightful novel A Lady’s Guide to Marvel and Misadventure, which she describes as Around the World in 180 Days meets The Nutcracker Ballet. We also chat about her upcoming novel, now available for preorder - A Lady’s Handbook to Gadgets and Guile, pitched as Little Women meets Inspector Gadget. Angela’s love of whimsy, quirky characters, & heartfelt storytelling shines through every page.

Connect w/ Angela:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website

Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

• Jen Turano books
• The Curious Inheritance of Blakely House by Joanna Davidson Politano
• Heather Kaufmann books
• Melissa Tagg books
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
• Wormwood Abbey by Christina Baehr
• The Dress Shop on King Street by Ashley Clark
• The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Brunsvold
• Of Silver and Secrets by Michelle Griep
• The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall by Jaime Jo Wright

Book Flight

• Positively Penelope by Pepper Basham
• Illuminary by Chawna Schroeder
• The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano

Ad: Jacqui Lents, featuring The Daphne Project: A fresh start, a budding romance, & a small-town mystery. 

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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In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Ginny Kubitz Moyer. Ginny is a California native with a lifelong passion for local history. A graduate of Pomona College and Stanford University, she taught high school English for 26 years and has written both fiction and nonfiction. Her love for California and its rich tapestry of stories inspired her debut novel The Seeing Garden, which won Silver in the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award in Historical Fiction. Her second novel, A Golden Life, continues her celebration of her home state’s unique history. Ginny is also the author of the nonfiction books Taste and See: Experiencing the Goodness of God with Our Five Senses and Mary and Me: Catholic Women Reflect on the Mother of God. An avid weekend gardener, Ginny lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, two sons, and one adorably stubborn rescue dog.

Episode Highlights:

• How 25+ years of teaching English shaped Ginny’s writing voice and storytelling process.
• Why all her books are rooted in California history and the moment she first dreamed up The World at Home.
• A glimpse into San Francisco life during WWII and the type of historical fiction she loves to craft.
• Her evolution from nonfiction to fiction and why the shift felt meaningful.
• How Ignatian Spirituality guides her reflections, using the daily questions “Where did I find life today?” and “What drained me?”

Connect with Ginny:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website
• Purchase Ginny’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:

• Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
• Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
• All the Beauty in the World by Patrick Bingley

Book Flight

• The Highland Witch (Corrag) by Susan Fletcher
• The Promise by Ann Weisgarber
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Dessert Pairing

• The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

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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In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Kay Smith-Blum. Kay is a former fashionista and Seattle School Board President, spends her days debunking the tropes of the mid-20th-century history. An odd dream and the recent upheaval over leaking radioactive waste tanks at the Hanford Nuclear site compelled her to write Tangles. Smith-Blum, a sunrise writer, has lived in Seattle for four decades. She works out her writer’s block in her sons’ gardens and the nearest lap pool.

Key Highlights:

• The extensive 8.5-month research process behind Tangles, including oral testimonies, archival histories, and peer-reviewed scientific research.
• The fascinating but troubling history of the Hanford Nuclear Plant, where workers were told their jobs were top secret and essential to the war effort.
• How officials repeatedly raised the “safe” level of radioactive waste in the water supply to downplay risks to surrounding communities.
• The long-term dangers and ethical concerns surrounding nuclear waste disposal.
• Her book flight includes dual-timeline historical fiction.

Connect with Kay Smith-Blum:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Website

Books and authors mentioned:

• Leon Uris books
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
• The Witch Elm by Tana French
• Happy-Go-Lucky by David Sedaris
• Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Book Flight

• Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult
• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• Horse by Geraldine Brooks

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
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In this solo episode, Kara explores the fascinating research behind how daily reading may support a longer, healthier life. She breaks down the landmark Yale study showing that people who read books for just 30 minutes a day lived an average of 23 months longer than non-readers, examines why book-length reading provides unique cognitive benefits, and discusses what current science says about print books versus audiobooks.

Listeners will walk away with a deeper understanding of how reading strengthens the brain, builds cognitive reserve, and may contribute to healthy aging - plus practical ideas for fitting more reading into everyday life.

Episode Highlights:

• Reading books for just 30 minutes a day was linked to 23 extra months of life, on average.
• Frequent reading is associated with reduced cognitive decline across multiple long-term studies.
• Print or visual reading tends to support stronger comprehension and memory - key components of brain reserve.
• Audiobooks activate many of the same language and emotional brain networks, though the depth of processing may differ.
• Regardless of format, regular engagement with stories supports cognitive health.

Resources Mentioned:

• Episode 116: Do Audiobooks Count as Reading?
• Bavishi, Slade & Levy (2016). A Chapter a Day: Association of Book Reading With Longevity. Published in Social Science & Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.07.014
• Pan, Liu, Zhang, Chen & Chen (2021). Reading Activity Prevents Long-Term Decline in Cognitive Function in Older People. Published in BMC Geriatrics. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-021-02357-y
• Baranowska-Łyda, Białek & Gortych-Michalak (2019). The Impact of Presentation Mode on Reading Comprehension: Text vs. Audio. Published in Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00636
• Michael, Keller, Carpenter & Just (2001). fMRI Investigation of Sentence Comprehension by Eye and by Ear. Published in NeuroImage. https://doi.org/10.1006/nimg.2000.0662

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 Arlon Jay Staggs. Arlon is a native of Florence, Alabama, and a Southern storyteller with deep roots, a sharp sense of humor, and a heart for connection. His novel Leta Pearl’s Love Biscuits is his debut work of fiction. He holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of California, Riverside, a JD from the Mississippi College School of Law, and is an adjunct English professor at Northwest Florida State College. Arlon divides his time between Santa Rosa Beach, Florida and San Diego, California.

Episode Highlights:

• The challenges and joys of weaving magical realism into contemporary Southern fiction.
• Arlon’s favorite character to write and why that character surprised him.
• What he discovered about himself while writing Leta Pearl’s Love Biscuits.
• The theme of “coming home” and how this novel became a love letter to the South.
• How sports can function as a powerful (and underused!) literary device.
• His transition into teaching English at the college level and how it differs from his MFA program.
• Why, as an author, reading for pure pleasure now feels like a double-edged sword.

Connect with Arlon:

• Instagram
• Website

Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

• Jesmyn Ward books
• Double Fault by Lionel Shriver
• The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
• The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
• How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
• Untamed by Will Harlan
• Southern by Design by Grace Helena Walz

Book Flight

• The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
• The Motion of the Body through Space - Lionel Shriver
• The Resisters by Gish Jen

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’m chatting with Sarah Monzon. Sarah is the winner of the Holt Medallion and Selah Award. Sarah is a stay-at-home mom who makes up imaginary friends to have adult conversations with (otherwise known as writing novels). As a Navy chaplain’s wife, she resides wherever the military happens to station her family and enjoys exploring the beauty of the world around her. We are here today to discuss her latest novel, Hearts in Circulation. 

In this episode, Sarah shares all about her latest novel in the Checking Out Love librarian series. She writes about representation in fiction, including her book flight of books that include this theme. We talked about being a military spouse and the beauty of collecting multiple library cards as we move around. There is also a DOD library, so make sure if you are not sleeping on that. Lastly, she shares about how to request books from your local library if they do not have them.

Episode Highlights:

• We discuss Sarah’s latest novel, Hearts in Circulation, part of her Checking Out Love librarian series.
• Sarah shares why representation in fiction is such an important theme throughout her writing.
• We chat about life as a military spouse and the unexpected joy of collecting multiple library cards across duty stations.
• Sarah offers a great reminder about the DOD library system—don’t sleep on it if you have access!
• She walks us through how to request books from your local library to support authors and expand your community’s collection.

Connect with Sarah:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website
• Buy Sarah’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:

• The Mandie series by Lois Gladys Leppard

Book Flight

• All for Anna by Nicole Deese
• The Curious Inheritance of Blakely House by Joanna Davidson Politano
• How to Find Love When You’re Weird by Camilla Evergreen

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’m chatting with Marina Rubin, author of Knockout Beauty and Other Afflictions. Born in Vinnitsa, Ukraine, Marina immigrated to the United States in 1989 and has since published work in more than eighty magazines and anthologies. She serves as an associate editor of Mudfish, and her acclaimed short story collection earned an Honorable Mention for the 2020 Miami Book Fair Emerging Writer Fellowship. One of its centerpiece stories, Man in a Fedora, was even adapted for the Nightshift Radio Storyteller Series - bringing Marina’s words to life through the voices of eleven actors. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Key Highlights:

• The themes behind Knockout Beauty and Other Afflictions - lust, longing, family, and unexpected friendships.
• How Marina balances inspiration with discipline in her creative process.
• Growing up in the former Soviet Union and the cultural importance of being well-read.
• Finding time to read and write amidst daily life, including sneaking in reading during her commute.
• What she’s learned about writing, publishing, and persistence along the way.
• Her book flight features short story collections.

Marina reminds us that if you want to write great literature, you must first read great literature, a lesson that resonates with readers and writers alike.

Connect with Marina Rubin:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Buy Marina’s books: 
  • Stealing Cherries
  • Knockout Beauty and Other Afflictions

Books and authors mentioned:

• Alina Adams episode
• Honoré de Balzac books
• Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

Book Flight

• This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz
• No One Belongs Here More than You by Miranda July
• Selected Stories by Guy de Maupassant

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’m chatting with Tessa Afshar. Tessa’s award-winning novels have been on Publishers Weekly and CBA bestseller lists and have been translated into 13 languages. Winner of the ECPA Bronze Milestone award, the Christy, the INSPY, and the ECPA Christian Book Award for her Bible study, The Way Home. Tessa holds a Master of Divinity from Yale, where she served as co-chair of the Evangelical Fellowship for one year. Born in the Middle East to a nominally Muslim family, Tessa converted to Christianity in her twenties. She is a devoted wife, a mediocre gardener, and an enthusiastic cook of biblical recipes. 

We talked about the power of deep connections and how books can be a bridge to those relationships. Tessa shared how recreating biblical recipes has helped her bring her stories to life in new and meaningful ways. We also discussed how biblical fiction can make scripture feel more relatable and give readers something to strive for in their own lives. I especially loved her reflection:

Tessa also shared about her series on Queen Esther, her experiences growing up in the Middle East, and the way literature was taught there. We’re here today to dive into her latest novel, The Royal Artisan. 

Episode Highlights:

• Using books as a tool for connection and spiritual growth.
• Cooking biblical recipes and bringing ancient stories to life.
• Finding rest and identity beyond productivity.
• Writing about Queen Esther and exploring courage in faith.
• Growing up in the Middle East and the role of literature in shaping worldview.

Connect with Tessa:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website
• Buy Tessa’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:

• Leo Tolstoy books
• Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
• My Friends by Fredrik Backman

Book Flight

• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
• Embergold by Rachelle Nelson
• Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay

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’m chatting with Kelly Jo Wilson, Kelly lives in the woods of Pennsylvania with her husband, two boys, and sweet Rottweiler. As a Christian romance author, she creates love stories that delve into many forms of brokenness, showcasing God’s incredible grace and love. God’s never-ending grace through Jesus Christ has given her a heart to serve those seeking the transformational love only He can give. Her debut novel, Finding Forevermore was published on October 25th.

Key Highlights:

• Kelly’s path from medical writing to publishing her debut Christian romance.
• The importance of surrender and listening to God’s direction in creative work.
• The spectrum of faith representation in Christian romance novels.
• How disability representation in children’s books is changing for the better.
• Kelly’s book flight of contemporary Christian recommendations you won’t want to miss

Connect with Kelly Jo Wilson:

• Website
• Podcast
• Instagram

Books and authors mentioned:

• The Berenstain Bears by Mike Berenstain
• Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
• Ramona by Beverly Clearly
• The Babysitter’s Club by Ann M. Martin
• Rachel Hauck books
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K.Rowling
• Always on My Mind by Susan May Warren

Book Flight

• Take a Chance on Me by Susan May Warren
• Someone Like You by Karen Kingsbury
• Just Between You and Me by Jenny B. Jones

Episode Sponsor

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

• The Rules of Falling for You by Mollie Rushmeyer
• A Song in the Dark by Kimberley Woodhouse
• A Moment to Love by Tracie Peterson

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

This episode brings you the latest gathering of our BFF Book Club—a monthly celebration of reading, meaningful author conversations, and book-loving community. This month, we’re joined once again by Amanda Cox, author of The Bitter End Birding Society. You might remember Amanda from Episode 95, and in this return conversation, she shares how visiting the real Bitter End, TN shaped her dual-timeline story, why her creative process doesn’t fit neatly into outlines, and how she wove themes of connection and second chances throughout her work. Amanda, a therapist-turned-novelist from Tennessee, also gives us a peek into her upcoming 2026 release, Things We Cannot Keep, and the bird-inspired titles that make up her book flight.

Episode Highlights:

• Inspiration behind The Bitter End Birding Society and its dual-timeline structure
• How visiting the real Bitter End, TN changed the story
• Writing without outlines and embracing creative flow
• Why Amanda chose to feature a bird-watching group
• The themes of hope, healing, and belonging in her novels
• Sneak peek at her upcoming release, Things We Cannot Keep (Summer 2026)
• Amanda’s bird-themed book flight selections

Connect with Amanda Cox:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website

Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

• Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
• The Atlas of Untold Stories by Sara Brunsvold

Book Flight

• The Hudson Collection by Jocelyn Green
• The Nature of Small Birds by Susan Finkbeiner
• When Stone Wings Fly by Karen Barnett

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