I was so thrilled to welcome back Sara Hildreth! Sara was gracious enough to join me to discuss the 2023 year in books and we had so much to say! We both agreed that this was a banner year, no matter what type of fiction you love. From short story collections to unique historical fiction to stories of what motherhood is REALLY like, we covered a lot of ground. Sara is the curator of @fictionmatters bookstagram account and the Fiction Matters Book Club. She also cohosts the Novel Pairings podcast and writes one great Substack newsletter. There is no one better to talk fiction with; join us for this reflective conversation!

Find us on Instagram!

Sara https://www.instagram.com/fictionmatters/

Deb https://www.instagram.com/lonestarwords/

Sophie https://www.instagram.com/sophievcoco/

Generations https://www.instagram.com/_generationspod/

On today’s episode, we get an insider look of what happens behind the scenes during a celebrity auction at a major auction house.  Sophie’s job is incredibly interesting and she’s had a busy fall due to some very unique estates going up for sale.  Today she shares what happens when the art and ephemera of big name figures go to auction!

This episode is a bit shorter than usual because Mr Wiggins got very wiggly!  We chatted briefly about a couple books - one of Deb’s 2023 favorites and one of Sophie’s beloved classic favs. Join us!

Today’s episode is Deb’s October book wrap up!  Of the 9 books I read this month, there is only one that left me flat - the others I both highly recommend and connected deeply with for many reasons - this is an eclectic bunch!  From 600 page tomes to TWO short story collections, and some absolutely beautiful novels about motherhood, it was a good month!  

Join me!

Find us on Instagram!

Deb: https://www.instagram.com/lonestarwords/

Sophie:  https://www.instagram.com/sophievcoco/

Generations: https://www.instagram.com/generationspod/

We had a lot to talk about today. Given the horrific events unfolding in Israel, it’s hard to know what to say. Sophie and I talked it through and she discussed how the terrorism is affecting life in the city.

Wiggins has now been in NYC for one month! Hear the highs and lows of puppyhood and apartment life, and why we both won't be choosing singing as a career...this will make sense at the end of the episode!

Fall reading is the best. Sophie just listened to one of the biggest books of the fall literary scene - hear what she has to say!

SHOWNOTES

Sophie’s book mentions:

https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-slip-the-new-york-city-street-that-changed-american-art-forever-prudence-peiffer/19258109?aid=4835&ean=9780063097209&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

https://bookshop.org/p/books/tom-lake-ann-patchett/19520433?aid=4835&ean=9780063327528&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

Deb’s book mentions:

https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-thirteenth-tale-diane-setterfield/10902463?aid=4835&ean=9780743298032&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

https://bookshop.org/p/books/let-us-descend-jesmyn-ward/19820516?aid=4835&ean=9781982104498&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

NYT article Deb mentioned:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/13/magazine/jesmyn-ward-let-us-descend.html

Find us on Instagram!

Deb https://www.instagram.com/lonestarwords/

Sophie https://www.instagram.com/sophievcoco/

Generations https://www.instagram.com/_generationspod/

Sophie and I were thrilled to welcome Evelyn McDonnell, author of The World According to Joan Didion, published last Tuesday by Harper One Books.

We both fell hard for this very unique biography that reads with the pace of a novel and gives readers new insights into the life of this literary icon. 

Evelyn shared the origins of her book, how she went about her research, and where her own obsession with Didion originated.

Join us for this bonus episode!

https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-world-according-to-joan-didion-evelyn-mcdonnell/19602146?aid=4835&ean=9780063289079&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

Episode 53

Today’s episode is Deb’s September book wrap up!  Although this month didn’t surpass August, Deb read some gems that will make her top of 2023 list.  There were also some real duds!  Come find out what Deb recommends to read, and what to avoid!

Shownotes:

Books mentioned:

https://bookshop.org/p/books/glaciers-alexis-m-smith/8964723?aid=4835&ean=9781953534903&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

https://bookshop.org/p/books/no-two-persons-erica-bauermeister/18738125?aid=4835&ean=9781250284372&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

https://bookshop.org/p/books/land-of-milk-and-honey-c-pam-zhang/19729816?aid=4835&ean=9780593538241&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

https://bookshop.org/p/books/bleak-house-charles-dickens/14923803?aid=4835&ean=9780307947192&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

https://bookshop.org/p/books/an-honest-living-dwyer-murphy/17651856?aid=4835&ean=9780593489260&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

https://bookshop.org/p/books/bright-lights-big-city-jay-mcinerney/11256539?aid=4835&ean=9780394726410&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

https://bookshop.org/p/books/let-us-descend-jesmyn-ward/19820516?aid=4835&ean=9781982104498&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

https://bookshop.org/p/books/north-woods-daniel-mason/19507917?aid=4835&ean=9780593597033&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

https://bookshop.org/p/books/omega-farm-a-memoir-martha-mcphee/19811107?aid=4835&ean=9781982197995&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

On today’s episode, Sophie and I reconnect after not having talked in weeks!  We chat about her end of summer getaway to our old home city, our trip to NYC, and we get all kinds of excited about her puppy pick up day! We also share some books we just read and loved. This was one of those episodes where one thing led to another and before you knew it, we'd talked for an hour!

Grab your ear buds and join us.

SHOWNOTES:

Sophie’s book mentions:

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31622156930&ref_=ps_ggl_17721428148&cm_mmc=ggl-_-US_Shopp_Trade_20to50-_-product_id=COM9780375414374USED-_-keyword=&gclid=CjwKCAjwr_CnBhA0EiwAci5sigZsYI6pHwiDXFl-mlLRwZ8Iu6KxrkqntOdt56XwdMsgMDPpAokGSxoCkmUQAvD_BwE

(Joan Mitchell, Lady Painter is out of print so unavailable at Bookshop)

https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-years-winner-of-the-2022-nobel-prize-in-literature-annie-ernaux/18969887?aid=4835&ean=9781609807870&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

Deb’s book mentions:

https://bookshop.org/p/books/omega-farm-a-memoir-martha-mcphee/19811107?aid=4835&ean=9781982197995&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-power-broker-robert-moses-and-the-fall-of-new-york-robert-a-caro/11251293?aid=4835&ean=9780394720241&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

Find us on Instagram!

Deb is https://www.instagram.com/lonestarwords/

Sophie is https://www.instagram.com/sophievcoco/

And Generations is https://www.instagram.com/_generationspod/

On today's episode, Deb shares everything she read in August. This month was packed with very long books (3 of them over 600 pages) and I found a new-to-me author who became auto-buy. I read big buzzy books, books that are coming this fall that you need to put on your radar, and some incredible backlist too. Join me for great recommendations!

Shownotes:

Links to Deb’s books

https://bookshop.org/p/books/wellness-nathan-hill/19598608?aid=4835&ean=9780593536117&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

https://bookshop.org/p/books/wellness-nathan-hill/19598608?aid=4835&ean=9780593536117&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

https://bookshop.org/p/books/wellness-nathan-hill/19598608?aid=4835&ean=9780593536117&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

https://bookshop.org/p/books/covenant-of-water/18668163?aid=4835&ean=9780802162175&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-parisian-isabella-hammad/12473156?aid=4835&ean=9780802148803&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

https://bookshop.org/p/books/absolution-alice-mcdermott/19724062?aid=4835&ean=9780374610487&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

Find us on Instagram!

Deb: https://www.instagram.com/lonestarwords/

Sophie: https://www.instagram.com/sophievcoco/

Generations: https://www.instagram.com/_generationspod/

On today’s episode we close out our conversation about The Postcard by Anne Berest.  We found this book to be incredibly powerful, readable, and very important.  It is also a special mother-daughter story and opened up a great conversation with Deb’s mom about where her interest in researching genealogy originated.  We also share some news about a change in programming, talk about Sophie's soon to arrive puppy (tune in for his name), and Deb has a new favorite find!

Join us!

SHOWNOTES:

Articles we mentioned:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/16/books/review/anne-berest-the-postcard.html

Sophie’s current read:

https://bookshop.org/p/books/on-womanhood-bodies-literature-choice-sophie-gilbert/18502203?aid=4835&ean=9781638930662&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

Deb’s current read:

https://bookshop.org/p/books/wellness-nathan-hill/19598608?aid=4835&ean=9780593536117&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

Deb’s new favorite:

https://www.mykitsch.com/collections/shampoo-conditioner-bars

Find us on Instagram!

Deb is https://www.instagram.com/lonestarwords/

Sophie is https://www.instagram.com/sophievcoco/

And Generations is https://www.instagram.com/_generationspod/

Today is our July Faves & Flops!  Join Deb and Alexandra as we share the books we loved and a few we did not!  Spoiler: July was a very good reading month!

Books we both loved:

https://bookshop.org/p/books/thirst-for-salt-madelaine-lucas/18584309?aid=4835&ean=9781953534651&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-road-to-dalton/18900738?aid=4835&ean=9781609459260&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

Alexandra’s books:

https://bookshop.org/p/books/talking-at-night-claire-daverley/18815534?aid=4835&ean=9780593653487&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-guest-emma-cline/18762095?aid=4835&ean=9780812998627&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

https://bookshop.org/p/books/pete-and-alice-in-maine-caitlin-shetterly/19218368?aid=4835&ean=9780063242661&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

Deb’s books:

https://bookshop.org/p/books/juno-loves-legs-karl-geary/18657202?aid=4835&ean=9781646221134&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-world-according-to-joan-didion-evelyn-mcdonnell/19602146?aid=4835&ean=9780063289079&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

https://bookshop.org/p/books/how-to-love-your-daughter-hila-blum/19108724?aid=4835&ean=9780593539644&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

https://bookshop.org/p/books/tom-lake-ann-patchett/19520433?aid=4835&ean=9780063327528&listref=books-mentioned-on-my-generations-podcast

Find us on Instagram!

Deb: https://www.instagram.com/lonestarwords/

Sophie:  https://www.instagram.com/sophievcoco/

Generations: https://www.instagram.com/_generationspod/Alexandra: https://www.instagram.com/thebookishglow/