Bookish Flights: Themed Book Recommendations & Author Interviews

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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!

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• Facebook
• Website

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In today’s episode, I am chatting with Denise Smith Cline. Denise grew up in a textile town in Upstate South Carolina before the world got so complicated. The youngest of 5 spirited siblings, Denise realized early on to survive, she’d need to master the dual arts of watchfulness and eavesdropping. A shy kid, she buried her face in books and found a few fine friends for company. Denise started her writing career as a newspaper reporter fresh out of Davidson College. Denise still practices employment law in the firm she founded in Raleigh, North Carolina. She reads constantly and has an abiding interest in people from big families and small places. When she’s not working, reading or writing, she loves good conversations with her beloved family and friends. We are here today to discuss her latest novel, The Resettlement of Vesta Blonik. 

Episode Highlights:

• Denise shares how her day job as a lawyer and her night job as a novelist complement each other.
• Why her legal background helps her craft compelling, character-driven stories.
• The surprising history behind New Deal resettlement programs and mental health institutions that inspired parts of her novel.
• The humorous (and humbling!) amount of research she did to accurately portray farm life and livestock.
• Her book flight features novels with strong female protagonists set in harsh climates.

Connect with Denise:

• Instagram
• Website

Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

• Elizabeth Strout books
• Jane Austen books
• Wellness by Nathan Hill
• Claire Keegan books
• Tana French books
• Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner
• Peace Like a River by Scott Gould

Book Flight

• The House of Doors by Tan Twan Ing
• The Last Whaler by Cynthia Reeves
• The Resettlement of Vesta Blonik by Denise Smith Cline

Dessert Pairing

• Salt Houses by Hala Alyan

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 Kaci Curtis. Kaci is a military spouse and mom of two. She just spent two years living on the island of Guam, where she loved to explore the jungles and beaches with her husband and kids. She loves all things National Parks, hiking, camping, reading while sipping coffee, and cackling with her bookclub. She also contributes a monthly blog to the nonprofit, Mission:Milspouse. Her debut novel, Along the Trail, released today, congratulations Kaci!

Episode Highlights

• How Kaci balances motherhood with her writing life and fits creativity into a busy season.
• The inspiration behind Along the Trail and how growing up in Independence, Missouri—the starting point of the Oregon Trail—shaped her fascination with this story.
• The realities of military life, frequent moves, and finding creative grounding in new places.
• The importance of validation, persistence, and courage when tackling big, intimidating projects.
• Her book flight, featuring historical fiction with fantastical and speculative elements.

Connect with Kaci:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website

Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

• The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
• Night by Elie Wiesel
• The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind
• The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
• Iron Flame/Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
• Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

Book Flight

• Outlander by Diane Gabaldon
• Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carlson
• Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

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, we have not just one incredible guest—but two! I’m joined by Hilary Jacobs Hendel and Juli Fraga, co-authors of Parents Have Feelings, Too: A Guide to Navigating Your Emotions So You and Your Family Can Thrive.

This practical, compassionate guide helps parents understand and process their own emotions—and teaches them how to pass this essential life skill of emotional intelligence on to their children. Hilary is a certified psychoanalyst and AEDP psychotherapist and supervisor, while Juli is a psychologist specializing in maternal mental health with nearly 20 years of experience.

Highlights:

• The education of emotions and why most of us never learned how to understand them in school.
• The Change Triangle, a core concept from the book, and how it helps you identify, validate, and work through emotions.
• The myth that dealing with emotions takes more work - when, in fact, recognizing & validating them actually makes life easier.
• How reworking neural networks leads to lifelong healing and emotional freedom.
• The difference between healthy and poor use of emotions—and how to tell them apart.

Even if you’re not a parent, this episode is for anyone living in community. Understanding your emotions transforms how you connect with others, at home and beyond. Tune in to hear how emotional awareness can change your relationships, and your life.

Connect with Hilary & Juli:

• Instagram
  • Hilary
  • Parents Have Feelings, Too
• Hilary’s website
• Purchase Parents Have Feelings, Too

Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

• It’s Not Always Depression by Hilary Jacobs Hendel
• Mothering without a Map by Kathryn Black
• Attachment-Focused EMDR by Laurel Parnell
• Dream School by Jeffrey Salingo
• The Power of Parting by Eamon Dolan

Book Flight

• Fawning: Why the Need to Please Makes Us Lose Ourselves--and How to Find Our Way Back by Dr. Ingrid Clayton
• Who Gets In and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions by Jeffrey Salingo
• The Psychology of Shame by Gershen Kaufman
• Shame and Pride by Donald L. Nathanson

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’m joined by Scott Gould, award-winning author of the new novel Peace Like a River. Scott has published five additional books, including The Hammerhead Chronicles (winner of the Eric Hoffer Award for Fiction) and Things That Crash, Things That Fly (winner of the 2022 Memoir Prize for Books). His work has also earned a Next Generation Indie Book Award, an IPPY Award for Fiction, the Larry Brown Short Story Award, and the S.C. Arts Commission Artist Fellowship in Prose. He lives in San Souci, South Carolina, and teaches at the S.C. Governor’s School for the Arts & Humanities.

Episode Highlights:

• How Peace Like a River lets readers experience South Carolina like locals.
• Why the Lowcountry remains Scott’s writing comfort zone.
• The generational themes of fathers and sons woven throughout the novel.
• The importance of setting as a character in storytelling.
• A sneak peek at Scott’s forthcoming book set in Northern Alabama.
• Scott’s book flight featuring short novels he loves.

Connect with Scott:

• Instagram
• Website
• Buy Scott’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:

• Music of the Swamp by Lewis Nordan
• Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
• Jack Reacher series by Lee Child
• Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
• The Water Method Man by John Irving
• Ulysses by James Joyce
• Sophie’s Choice by William Styron
• Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins
• The Milagro Beanfield War by John Nichols

Book Flight

• Here to Get My Baby Out of Jail by Louise Shivers (1983)
• Edisto by Pagett Powell (1983)
• Norwood by Charles Portoise (1966)

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. If you enjoy diving deep into unforgettable stories and connecting with the minds behind them, you’re in the right place!

This month, we’re discussing What the Silent Say with its author, Emerson Ford. Emerson is a multi-award-winning writer dedicated to resurrecting the stories of unsung heroes. She teaches creative writing and literature at both the high school and university level, happily putting her English degrees to work. At home, she treasures conversations with her husband and four teenagers and hiking mountain trails with her labradoodle, Miso.

Episode Highlights:

• How Emerson researched her book alongside her father to uncover the stories of her great-uncle and grandfather.
• What it was like to craft What the Silent Say with family history at its heart.
• Her book flight includes some of her favorite reads.
• The joy of immersive reading, listening to the audiobook while reading the text.

📚 Next Meet the Author Event
🗓️ October 26th | 🕓 2 pm PST / 4 pm CST / 5 pm EST

We’re thrilled to welcome Amanda Cox, author of The Bitter End Birding Society, to our next BFF Book Club gathering!

This immersive, faith-based novel explores belonging, reconciliation, and new beginnings. With its themes of friendship and community, it makes the perfect book club pick.

Come for the conversation, stay for the community—and don’t forget to bring your questions for Amanda! 👉 Register Here.

Connect with Emerson Ford:

• Instagram
• Website
• Purchase her latest novel - Every Bend in the River

Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

• The Silent Canary by Angela Bricker

Book Flight

• These is my Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine by Nancy Turner
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy

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 SK Horton, a physician by day and book lover by night. She lives in sunny Arizona with her husband and two daughters, where she can often be found planning the next great family vacation, experimenting with a new recipe, or indulging in her love of fancy coffee and tea.

Key Highlights:

• Her younger YA series Heir of Earth and Sky, beginning with Book 1: The Concealed.
• Balancing a full-time career as a radiologist with writing.
• Genres of audiobooks we both enjoy.
• How YA continues to expand as more adults are reading it.
• Why authors feel like celebrities to us.
• Her book flight featuring younger YA reads (ages 12+).

Connect with SK Horton:

• Website
• Instagram
• Buy SK’s books

Books and authors mentioned:

• Finley Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
• Finley Donovan ‘Em Dead by Elle Cosimano

Book Flight

• The Selection series by Kiera Cass
• The Nevermoor series by Jessica Townsend (Middle Grade)
• Once Upon a Broken Heart series by Stephanie Garber

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. 

• Girl Lost by Kate Angelo
• On the Edge of Trust by Patricia Bradley (pre-order now for 40% off, publish date 11/04/25)
• Dark Design by Nancy Mehl (pre-order now for 40% off, publish date 10/21/25)

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’m chatting with Kate Angelo, an autodidactic polymath with a remarkable story. As a child, Kate was a bookworm, dog groomer, exotic pet wrangler, horse trainer, and even a teenage pool shark. At one point, her family even owned a lion, though they quickly learned that lions don’t make great house pets! After aging out of foster care, Kate broke into tech during the height of the dot-com boom before stepping into her next chapter as a Publishers Weekly bestselling author. Alongside her husband, she champions stronger marriages through their nonprofit, Marriage Minute, and her romantic suspense novels reflect her belief that hope and healing can be found even in life’s fiercest trials. We are here today to discuss her latest novel, Girl Lost. In our conversation, Kate and I talk about the importance of learning how to have real, face-to-face conversations—especially in close relationships. We also explore:

Episode Highlights:

• Writing romantic suspense with emotionally rich, flawed characters.
• Mentorship for young people navigating tough beginnings.
• Why hard conversations are key to building healthy relationships.
• Tips for approaching those conversations with empathy and clarity.
• Why she loves the freedom of reading on her Kindle.

Kate’s perspective is full of wisdom, honesty, and encouragement. As she reminds us: “You are not broken beyond repair. A hard start doesn’t mean you can’t have a healthy future—it just takes intentional work.”

Connect with Kate:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website

Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

• Misery by Stephen King
• The Other Sister by Jessica R. Patch

Book Flight

• The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
• The Brands of Justice series by Lisa Phillips
• The Joy of Falling by Lindsay Harrel

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

 Julie Berry is the New York Times bestselling author and award-winning storyteller. Julie’s works span across genres and age groups, from the NCTE Walden Award–winning Lovely War to the Printz Honor novel The Passion of Dolssa, to middle grade adventures like The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place and the Wishes and Wellingtons trilogy, to heartwarming picture books. Her brand-new YA novel, If Looks Could Kill, just released yesterday—congratulations, Julie! Julie also owns Author’s Note, a charming independent bookstore in Medina, New York, where she fosters community, conversation, and a love of reading.

In this rich conversation, we explore:

• How Julie chose the monster and villain at the heart of her latest novel
• Why mythology, symbols, and metaphors are essential for making sense of the world
• The surprising and powerful benefits of book clubs—especially for middle grade readers
• Why cultivating lifelong readers matters so deeply
• The joys and positive ripple effects Julie has noticed since opening her bookstore

Julie’s insights remind us of the transformative power of stories, the importance of keeping curiosity alive, and the role books play in shaping thoughtful, imaginative communities.

Connect with Julie:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website

Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

• P.G. Wodehouse books
• Terry Pratchett books
• Dave Barry books
• Erma Bombeck books
• The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
• Agatha Christie books
• Jane Austen books
• The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell
• Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Book Flight

• The Raging Erie: Life and Labor Along the Erie Canal by Marc S. Ferrara
• Heaven's Ditch: God, Gold, and Murder on the Erie Canal by Jack Kelly
• New York’s Burned-over District by Spencer W. McBride & Jennifer Hall Dorsey

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 Karmen Somers, owner of the indie bookstore Court Street Books in Florence, Alabama.  If you’ve ever dreamed about opening your own bookstore or just want a peek into the indie bookselling world, this conversation will inspire you.

Episode Highlights:

• How Karmen balances running an online bookstore and a physical storefront.
• The role of community events in bringing readers together.
• The most popular genres readers are buying right now.
• The challenges (and joys) of indie bookselling.
• Karmen’s specially curated book flight featuring her favorite handsell picks.

Connect with Karmen:

• Instagram
• Court Street 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:

• Taylor Jenkins Reid books
• Emily Henry books
• Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
• Green Tea: And Other Weird Stories by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
• Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
• 84, Charing Cross by Helen Hanff
• The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower
• The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
• The Summer We Ran by Audrey Ingram

Book Flight

• Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
• Just Business by Jenny Cross
• The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett

Dessert Pairing

• The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

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