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

Hi from Chicago Cookie Bookies!

This week on the Cookie Bookie Club, we’re diving into Beneath a Broken Sky for a book discussion that goes way beyond the book. 📚🍪

We break down the novel, its small-town setting, crime, characters, queer representation, and the author behind the story. And, as usual, the conversation takes a few detours. We talk about gay cops, why we desperately need a queer version of Love Island or Love Is Blind, and how the book connects to bigger conversations around immigration, ICE, and what’s been happening in Minneapolis.

Then we catch up on everything we’re reading and watching right now—including Big Brother, Married at First Sight, our current books, and our love for those wonderfully unhinged ’90s thrillers.

Whether you’ve read Beneath a Broken Sky or you’re just here for books, reality TV, pop culture, true-crime-adjacent conversations, and three women getting wildly off topic, there’s plenty to join in on.

🍪 In this episode:
• Beneath a Broken Sky book discussion and review
• Small-town crime and the stories hiding beneath the surface
• Queer characters and gay cops in fiction
• Why reality TV needs a queer Love Island or Love Is Blind
• Immigration, ICE, and Minneapolis
• The author behind Beneath a Broken Sky
• What we’re currently reading
• Big Brother and Married at First Sight
• Our ’90s thriller obsession
• And plenty of Cookie Bookie Club tangents

Perfect for listeners searching for: Beneath a Broken Sky review, Beneath a Broken Sky book discussion, Beneath a Broken Sky book club, book podcast, book club podcast, queer books, LGBTQ+ representation in books, small-town crime novels, reality TV podcast, Big Brother discussion, Married at First Sight, ’90s thriller movies, and what to read next.

Grab a cookie, settle in, and join the club! 🍪📖

Love Island and The World Cup is coming to a close-time to go outside again I suppose! What have you read and watched this month? On this episode we summarize the books and shows we finished this month and share them with you because who doesn't love a good recommendation? Some of the books we discuss are Yesteryear, The Correspondent, as always a Bailey Hannah book, Kindred, Beth is dead, Secret Lives, This Story Might Save your Life, Judge Stone, The Only One Left, Guess Again, This is Me and Counterfeit.

We chat about Love Island, the new Harley Coban show, America's Sweethearts, The World Cup, Toy Story 5, and more-including a movie recommendation from Mary Kate that I'm excited to see.

Enjoy!