Welcome to Episode 236, where we are both back at Book Cougars HQ and happy to be sitting across the table from one another again.

We did some Biblio Adventuring since the last episode! Emily joined the Pride celebration in Middletown, CT which kicked off with Drag Storytime at Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore. She also had a lovely visit to Big Red Books in Nyack, NY. Chris was back in the Midwest where she visited the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum, and Boyhood Home in Abilene, Kansas before heading to Red Cloud, Nebraska for the 70th Annual Willa Cather Spring Conference.

We managed to read a few books between/during our adventures (love those audiobooks on road trips!):

FINDING GRACE by Loretta Rothschild (release date 7/8/2025)

THE PROFESSOR’S HOUSE by Willa Cather

THE BOOKSTORE FAMILY by Alice Hoffman

STILL WRITING by Dani Shapiro

THE EMPEROR OF GLADNESS by Ocean Vuong

THE GOOD HOUSE by Tananarive Due, our second quarter readalong pick

Thanks to the sponsors of this episode: Deb Miller, author of FORGET THE FAIRY TALE AND FIND YOUR HAPPINESS, and Jen Michalski, author of ALL THIS CAN BE TRUE.

Continuing our year of reading Ghost Stories, we are excited to announce the third quarter readalong pick. Because we chose a shorter novel this time, we decided to include the story that inspired it as a companion read for Q3: “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. The novel that is the official pick is another one with the word “House” in the title. You’ll have to listen to find out or peek at the show notes.

As always, thank you so much for listening and we wish you lots of Happy Reading!

https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2025/episode236