The Cookie Bookie Club | A Mother Daughter Book Club

Welcome Cookie Bookies! Today we are talking all things witchy and Practical Magic-SPOILERS ahead for the book (The Book of Magic) and movies. We also hear a great story from mom where she was caught (literally) with her pants down-just like Sandra Bullock in the movie-he he. Mom also adds a new saying to our toolbox and we will be expecting all listeners to say "It's a piece of piss" at some point in the near future-even if just in your head.

Does Practical Magic 2 capture the magic of the original—or is the book where the real spell is cast? Join the Cookie Bookie Club as we compare Alice Hoffman’s The Book of Magic with its movie adaptation, starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman.

We talk cozy fall nostalgia, the Owens sisters, new romance, and whether the sequel’s special effects and product placement distracted from the magic. Sandra shares why the book earned a whole-cookie rating, including the missing characters, deeper family stories, and magical libraries she wished had made it to the screen.

Along the way, we share family wedding laughs, imagine our own witchy powers, and reflect on aging and beauty. Then we catch up on our current reads, Dolly Parton’s Storyteller, plant-based cooking, and the latest Survivor drama—with a little Amazing Race and Dollywood chatter, too.

Spoiler warning: Includes spoilers for The Book of Magic, Practical Magic 2, and the Survivor episodes discussed.

Timestamps:
00:00 — Welcome & introducing Practical Magic 2
02:04 — Original-movie nostalgia, fashion & the returning aunts
05:40 — Family wedding recap & a failed Irish exit
10:53 — Midnight margaritas & the original movie’s iconic moments
13:49 — Movie reviews vs. our family favorites
17:22 — Why Practical Magic’s sisterhood means so much to us
18:19 — Sequel sister dynamics & Mom’s unforgettable spa story
23:04 — First impressions: visuals, atmosphere & special effects
26:33 — Product placement that broke the spell
27:14 — Sally’s new love interest & missing book characters
31:03 — Sandra’s whole-cookie book rating
31:52 — Protecting your children: sheltering vs. sharing the truth
35:08 — A spooky thrift-store encounter & choosing our magical powers
38:53 — Book vs. movie: missing storylines, magical libraries & family gifts
44:03 — Final movie thoughts & midnight margarita wedding plans
45:29 — Aging, beauty standards & our reactions to the cast
52:32 — Current reads: The Reformatory, Boom Town & Theo of Golden
55:34 — Dolly Parton’s Storyteller audiobook
1:00:52 — PlantYou’s Quickies cookbook & flexible plant-based eating
1:02:32 — Survivor reactions, favorite players & wild moments
1:10:01 — The Amazing Race: could we handle the challenges?
1:13:01 — Dollywood rides & dreams of going back
1:13:35 — Wrapping up & Chicago Marathon chatter

Spooky season is officially here! 🍂📚 In this episode of Cookie Bookie Club, we’re wrapping up our September reads, sharing what we’ve been watching, and talking about the books, movies, and TV shows we can’t stop thinking about.

We chat about our recent reads, including The Perfect Marriage, The Wild Beneath, and Dolly Parton’s Songteller: My Life in Lyrics — which earns a full cookie for Dolly Parton! We’re talking favorite characters, surprising plot twists, books about writers and storytelling, and the reads that worked for us (and the ones we wish we’d finished in time to discuss).

Then we move from the bookshelf to the screen with Verity, Practical Magic, Survivor, The Traitors, and more of what we’ve been watching lately. We discuss what makes a great story on the page versus the screen, memorable characters, binge-worthy television, and why some stories keep us thinking long after they’re over.

Plus, we catch up on life, recent adventures, the official start of spooky season, and what we’re planning to read and watch next.

If you love book recommendations, reading wrap-ups, thriller and mystery books, movies based on books, cozy fall reading, Survivor, The Traitors, Practical Magic, Dolly Parton, and conversations about books and pop culture, grab a cookie and join the club! 🍪📖

Books & topics mentioned: The Perfect Marriage, The Wild Beneath, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics by Dolly Parton, books about writers, favorite authors, September reading wrap-up, October TBRs, character development, plot twists, and storytelling.

Watching: Verity, Practical Magic, Survivor, The Traitors, and more of our current TV and movie favorites.

When a trip around the block can be dramatic for The Cookie Bookie mom, imagine what can happen on an entire trip to Paris! From a departure which sounds more like an SNL script than real life, to illness and fights with gravity, mom truly is always teaching us how to have a good time in the midst of chaos. We hope you enjoy her stories and may it inspire you to either be more prepared the next time you vacation or take the punches as they come.

What did we read in August? 📚🍪 In this episode of Cookie Bookie Club, we’re wrapping up our August reads—the books we loved enough to eat the whole cookie and some that we tasted and didn't enjoy as much.

We chat about some of our August books, including The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff, Buckeye, Calamity Club, Marriage at Sea, The Unknown, and more.

But it wouldn’t be Cookie Bookie Club without a few detours! Mom is back from France, so we get to see her amazing fashion accessory she brought back with her. We also catch up on what we’re watching lately, share the TV shows that have us hooked, and talk about what’s next on our reading lists.

If you love monthly reading wrap-ups, book reviews, book recommendations, contemporary fiction, literary fiction, book club picks, mother-daughter podcasts, cozy conversations, TV recommendations, or just chatting about books with friends, grab a cookie and join the club!

The three of us have some different opinions on this one! We debate what “reading” actually means, whether listening affects retention and learning, the science and history behind audiobooks, narration and performance, accessibility, and even the pressure to track how many books we’ve read.

Plus, we share listener opinions and some of our favorite audiobook recommendations.

So… do audiobooks count as reading? Listen and decide for yourself! 🎙️

#Audiobooks #Reading #BookPodcast #BookDiscussion #BookLovers #ReadingCommunity #BookRecommendations #ReadersOfInstagram #BookTok #Storytelling #Books

Do Audiobooks Count as Reading? The Great Audiobook Debate

Do audiobooks count as reading? In this episode, we dive into the ongoing debate about audiobooks vs. reading, what it really means to “read” a book, and whether listening to an audiobook provides the same benefits as reading a physical or digital book.

We discuss the rise of audiobooks, how listening compares with traditional reading, and why people choose audiobooks for everything from multitasking and commuting to enjoying more books. We also explore common arguments on both sides: Does listening to a book count toward your reading goal? Is audiobook listening a different form of literacy? And does the format change how we experience and remember a story?

Whether you're a devoted audiobook listener, a lifelong print reader, or someone who loves both, this conversation explores what it actually means to be a reader in the modern world.

Topics include: audiobooks, audiobook vs. reading, do audiobooks count as reading, reading habits, book culture, literacy, listening to books, reading goals, physical books vs. audiobooks, and the future of reading.

#Audiobooks #Reading #BookDiscussion #BookLovers #ReadingGoals #BookPodcast #AudiobookListener

This week on The Cookie Bookie Club, we’re discussing The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff—a moving family story about marriage, memory, caregiving, loss, and what happens when the life you’ve built starts to change.

Our podcast editing platform changed their interface and I apologize if this affects the audio because I had a heck of a time working on it!

We start with our overall thoughts on The Burning Side and dig into some of the novel’s biggest themes: growing apart in a marriage, Alzheimer’s and memory loss, the complicated role of being a caregiver, family dynamics, and the question at the heart of the book’s opening—if your house were on fire, what would you grab?

And, of course, it wouldn’t be Cookie Bookie Club without cookies! 🍪 This episode we’re trying cookies from Yummee Treats in Madison, Wisconsin while talking all things books.

Then we move into spoiler-free book club conversation starters, so you can listen even if you haven’t finished the book yet. After that, we give a clear spoiler warning and dive into our full The Burning Side spoiler discussion, including the characters, relationships, major events, and the choices that left us with plenty to talk about.

Finally, we wrap up with what we’re currently reading and watching and what might be coming up next on our TBRs.

📚 In this episode:

• Overall thoughts and review of The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff

• Marriage, communication, and growing apart

• Alzheimer’s, memory, and caregiving

• What it means to care for someone you love

• What would you save if your house were on fire?

• Cookies from Yummee Treats in Madison, WI

• Spoiler-free book club discussion questions

• Full spoiler discussion of The Burning Side

• What we’re reading and watching

Books + cookies + conversations that go way beyond the page. 🍪📚

#TheBurningSide #SarahDamoff #BookPodcast #BookClubPodcast #BookReview #BookDiscussion #BookClub #Alzheimers #Caregiving #Marriage #CookieBookieClub #ReadingPodcast

Welcome Cookie Bookies! What books have earned five stars so far this year? In this episode, we’re rounding up all of our five-star /Whole Cookie reads of 2026—the books that we ATE UP! What makes a book qualify for whole cookie status for us is discussed as well.

From historical fiction and contemporary stories to memoir, romance, mystery, and science fiction, this episode covers a little bit of everything. We’re talking about beloved books including The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, Road to Tender Hearts, The Bandit Queens, Beth Is Dead, A Marriage at Sea, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, Becoming by Michelle Obama, The Correspondent, Yesteryear, and many more.

If you’re looking for your next five-star book, book club pick, or must-read recommendation, this is the episode for you. We’ll share what made these books stand out, which stories surprised us, and the reads we think deserve a spot on your TBR.

The Cookie Bookies get an A for reading in July! We chat about all the books we read this month with a quick synopsis and rating, books we are reading now, shows we watched and what are we excited to read about next. Also, mom tries to get a free ticket to Mary Kate's future honeymoon. (This is not TLCs S'mothered mom) Some books mentioned (plus more!)

The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff

The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett

War and Peace

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

Beautiful Ugly Alice Feeney

Badit Queens

The Housewife by Natalie Barelli

Beneath the Broken Sky

A book by Karin Slaughter

Back to you by BK Borison

and more!

Cookie Bookies and Em Hens unite! We are talking all People We Meet on Vacation Book V Movie. Spoilers ahead! This was so fun to chat about and we have to mark it explicit just because mom talks about butts and recreates a famous scene from When Harry Met Sally-there's no taming her! Stick around to the end when we quickly discuss current reads and tv shows we are obsessing over. Did you read this one or watch the movie? What are your thoughts and what did we forget to bring up in our convo?

#EmilyHenry #peoplewemeetonvacation #whenharrymetsally #romcom #bookvsmovie #vacation #romance