BOOKSTORM

Join us for an important and absolutely riveting discussion with Brendan Slocumb  about his best-seller, The Violin Conspiracy!   This interview was a no-holds-barred discussion about race, appearance, bias … and the world of classical music. How can we respond to racism and oppression - is respectful discussion enough? What about the role of anger? You don’t want to miss Brendan’s thoughtful commentary on the power of music, and the importance of mentoring young people. He offers a musician’s perspective on how we can experience music to its fullest. We cover dysfunctional families, pursuing your gifts, and overcoming obstacles. “Remember why you started doing what you’re doing!” 

You can find more of your favorite bestselling authors at BOOKSTORM Podcast! We're also on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube!

Join us as we discuss The Secret Keeper of Jaipur with best-selling author Alka Joshi! This story, although it stands alone, is a follow up to The Henna Artist, her immensely popular novel that was published in 2020. We explore universal themes of power, class, respect, corruption, and parenthood … all against the backdrop of 1960s India. We were fascinated by Alka’s thoughts on Indian society (did you know that families may work with a jeweler for generations?), the natural world, and western versus eastern medicine. Are these different approaches to medicine mutually exclusive? We broached the study of healing plants, biodiversity, and ethnobotany. We also addressed finding your way in life, the importance of mentors, integrity, and letting go of our children to allow them to be who they were meant to be. Beautiful and riveting! 

You can find more of your favorite bestselling authors at BOOKSTORM Podcast! We're also on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube!

Join us as we tackle The Lost Girls of Willowbrook, Ellen Marie Wiseman’s powerful, heartbreaking, and complex novel about young people institutionalized in a New York “school” that was anything but. Senator Robert Kennedy once called Willowbrook a “snake pit.” Ellen talks about how children were essentially warehoused for years in this understaffed, overcrowded, filthy, and corrupt facility. Urban legends swirled around this place - especially about some of the (possibly murderous) staff members. We talk about the historical treatment of people with special needs or mental health issues, and what we’ve learned over the decades. Are we doing better? How do we stand up to injustice? The underlying facts about Willowbrook were first brought to light when Geraldo Rivera did an expose in 1972 - and it STILL took more than fourteen years for this facility to be shut down. Why didn’t anyone go to jail? We talk about justice - and hope.

You can find more of your favorite bestselling authors at BOOKSTORM Podcast! We're also on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube!

Katherine Center (The Bodyguard) is on the Radar! 

Want to talk about LOVE? Join us for a lively discussion with the delightful Katherine Center as we dive deep on The Bodyguard! Her newest bestseller is pure joy - a much needed breath of fresh air in today’s challenging world. We cover the universal themes of love, grief, jealously, escapism, balance, and self-doubt. What are the hallmarks of love? How do you know when you’re in it? What’s the danger in judging someone before you get to know them? What’s it like to meet the sexiest man alive … and be a bit starstruck(!?)

You can find more of your favorite bestselling authors at BOOKSTORM Podcast! We're also on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube!

People tell us who they are, don’t they? How do we recognize when someone’s motivations are way off … evil even? How do we telegraph our vulnerabilities? The thrills don’t stop in Karin Slaughter’s Girl, Forgotten, her gripping follow up to Pieces of Her (now a Netflix hit series!) Join us for a deep discussion about some fascinating topics, including the clarity that comes with being in the veil between life and death, maturity, psychopaths, narcissists, and strong, strong women. So much will ring true, especially if you remember the 80’s!

You can find more of your favorite bestselling authors at BOOKSTORM Podcast! We're also on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube!

We’re talking revenge, justice, and The Lies I Tell with Julie Clark! Con artists are often charismatic and intelligent … they’re also good at being whoever you need them to be. On this episode, we deconstruct them - what drives these scammers? What are the hallmarks of one? How do we avoid them? Do we telegraph our weaknesses to others? We talk about accountability and blame, transferred anger, forgiveness, and the ways in which hurt people often hurt people. What’s wrong with taking justice into our own hands, especially when it involves a powerful man who took advantage of a woman!? What happens when the legal system fails us?

You can find more of your favorite bestselling authors at BOOKSTORM Podcast! We're also on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube!

We're talking with Jamie Brenner about her fabulous novel Gilt! This glittering story has it all -- love, gems, antiques, beach towns, family dysfunction, and, of course, guilt. Are you someone who believes in love . . . but not happy endings? You think you don't deserve happiness? You'll love to hear what these characters and Jamie have to say. If you grew up in a family with siblings (especially if you have sisters!), you'll identify with so many topics in our meaty discussion -- what happens when parents leave a legacy of competition and unforgiveness? Why is it so destructive to categorize our children (the smart one, the pretty one, the athletic one)? What happens when you place an object over the worth of a human being?  Where's your treasure? Join us!

You can find more of your favorite bestselling authors at BOOKSTORM Podcast! We're also on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube!

Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen are here to chat about The Golden Couple! This novel kept us on the edge of our seats - we encounter some master manipulators! We've all encountered them in real life, haven't we? People who seem charming and charismatic, but who have their own agenda.  People who deceive.  We shine some light on that dysfunctional behavior! But we also cover the type of courage it takes to change the way we respond to these people . . . . perhaps even to establish better boundaries. To live our lives from a different angle. We also explore the interesting angle of what happens when we cast off the restraints of a professional counseling license and really  deal with people head on?  We go deep on this one - stability, narcissism, building a trusting relationship. And more!

You can find more of your favorite bestselling authors at BOOKSTORM Podcast! We're also on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube!

“Words are the resistance among oppressors, words rivaling heavy artillery, seemingly insignificant and yet still efficacious…” Powerful words from a powerful novel! This WWII story has it all - the French resistance, secret codes, women moving into non-traditional roles, intelligence gathering, the plight of displaced persons, and the necessity of the written word…inspiring, hopeful, compassionate, and so much more. What a beautiful discussion with Madeline Martin! 

You can find more of your favorite bestselling authors at BOOKSTORM Podcast! We're also on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube!

Power, politics, narcissism, and revenge … yes, we cover it all in this wonderful discussion with Chris Pavone about TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON, his newest international thriller! We talk about fame – including its burdens, dangers, and pitfalls. Are people aware of the price they may have to pay for that lifestyle? What happens when the cost is you? What happens when people have more fame and power than they have maturity? We talk about societal pressures, and the addictive nature of affirmation through social media attention … as fleeting as it may be. We talk about courage, hope, and regret. We also discuss “the system,” and feeling like it might be stacked against you. Can you use unethical means to right those wrongs? Doesn't everyone have a justification for wrongdoing? Are some excuses better, or more legitimate, than others? Are there objective rights and wrongs, or is morality subjective?  Who doesn’t tell lies, especially white lies? And wait until you hear our discussion about truth.

You can find more of your favorite bestselling authors at BOOKSTORM Podcast! We're also on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube!