Welcome to our fourth annual Top Ten Reads of the Year episode with BookTuber Russell Gray of Ink and Paper Blog! We each talk about our top ten reads of 2023. Some books were published in 2023, and others are a bit older, but they all stirred our hearts and minds and we want to sing their praises. Russell, Emily, and Chris all have such different reading tastes that there is sure to be at least one book in this bunch of 30+ (some people cheated) that you will want to add to your TBR list. We don’t know one another’s lists beforehand, so this is always an exciting episode for us.

We also share some of our favorite Biblio Adventures and three books each that we are looking forward to in 2024. And we announce the first quarter pick for our 2024 Readalong theme, ROMANCE! 

Top Ten Lists are not just about us – we would love to know what your top 10 reads of 2023 were! If you’d like to share, please add them to this handy Google form: https://bit.ly/BookCougarsListenerTopTenBooksof2023. We’ll share Listener Top Ten Reads of 2023 in January.

Episode 198 -  Top Ten Reads of 2023 with BookTuber Russell Gray of Ink and Paper Blog

Chris and Emily discuss books and literary adventures

Arts

Literature

Performing Arts

Design

Food

Fashion & Beauty

Visual Arts

Books

Welcome to Episode 206 where we have a fantastic conversation with Rebecca Rego Barry, author of THE VANISHING OF CAROLYN WELLS: Investigations into a Forgotten Mystery Author. One reviewer referred to Barry’s book as a “process biography.” It is true, Barry takes you along on her investigation into the life of Carolyn Wells who, it turns out, wrote more than mysteries. She wrote poetry, plays, screenplays, puzzles, children's books, and a YA series. Wells was also a serious book collector in a time when that pursuit was considered the domain of men. With Mother’s Day just around the corner, this biography would make a great gift.

Along with our friend Kate, we did a buddy read of Carson McCullers’ novella, REFLECTIONS IN A GOLDEN EYE. This was part of our Biblio Adventure to Nyack, NY where McCuller’s lived for the last 30 years of her life (which wasn’t a very long long life: she died at 50, so she actually lived most of her life in Nyack). We explored the grounds of her home (it is not a public author home at this time) and paid our respects at the Oak Hill Cemetery where Carson is buried next to her mother. We visited Big Red Books, a Little Free Library, Pickwick Books, and the gorgeous Nyack Public Library. (Check out our social media for some pics.)

We also recap our Biblio Adventure to NYC which was metamorphosed by an earthquake in New Jersey that was felt throughout the Northeast.

As always, we talk about what we’ve read, are reading, and want to read. Highlights include PIGLET by Lottie Hazell, THE STOLEN CHILD by Ann Hood (out 5/7), MOBY DICK by Herman Melville, HOW TO READ by Monica Wood (out 5/7), SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY by Edgar Lee Masters, BLESS YOUR HEART by Lindy Ryan, THE EDITOR: How Publishing Legend Judith Jones Shaped Culture in America by Sara B. Franklin (out 5/28), and two short stories: “Touchless Bidet” by Omar El Akkad from the collection SMALL ODYSSEYS: Selected Shorts Presents 35 New Stories edited by Hannah Tinti and “A Simple Question” from the collection OLD CRIMES: And Other Stories by Jill McCorkle. 

If you’ve been enjoying our podcast, please share it with a friend and consider leaving a review on iTunes or whatever app you use to listen. 

Thanks for listening, and Happy Reading!

Chris & Emily

Episode 206 - Author Spotlight with Rebecca Rego Barry

Welcome to Episode 205! April is National Poetry Month and we are here for it. Emily is currently reading YOU ARE HERE: Poetry in the Natural World, a new anthology edited by Ada Limón, and Chris is reading BOATS FOR WOMEN by Sandra Yannone.

Since our last episode, Chris finished listening to WAKE UP WITH PURPOSE! What I’ve Learned in my First Hundred Years by Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt. She also enjoyed the first issue of DEPROG by Tina Horn, Gab Contreras, Dani Strips, and Lisa Sterle, and dipped into RIVER EAST, RIVER WEST by Aube Rey Lescure (long listed for the Women’s Prize). Emily read two suspense thrillers: INTIMACIES by Katie Kitamura and WHEN THE CICADAS CRY by Caroline Cleveland, and then went to a happier place with A BAKER’S YEAR: Twelve Months of Baking and Living the Simple Life at the Smoke Signals Bakery by Tara Jensen.

As always we talk about what we’re reading, what we want to read, and Biblio Adventures we’ve been on, like seeing Rachel Slade discuss her new book MAKING IT IN AMERICA: The Almost Impossible Quest to Manufacture in the U.S.A. and How It Got That Way, at R.J. Julia Booksellers in Madison, CT.

Happy Listening & Happy Reading!

Episode 205 - Author Spotlight with Yulin Kuang

We begin Episode 204 with the announcement of our second quarter readalong in our year of reading romance and end with a delightful conversation with author Allison Pataki about her fabulous new novel, FINDING MARGARET FULLER.

Since our last episode, Emily has continued with her intention of reading a short story every Monday. She read  “Lot” by Bryan Washington from the story collection LOT: Stories and “Postcards from Heaven” from REUNION BEACH: Stories Inspired by Dorothea Benton Frank. Chris also read a short story,  “Consequences” by Willa Cather from the story collection UNCLE VALENTINE AND OTHER STORIES. 

We each read an excellent novel – we’re talking Top 10 contenders! Emily read THE FROZEN RIVERr by Ariel Lawhon and Chris finished WE GOT THE BEAT by Jenna Miller. 

In Biblio Adventures, Chris has rekindled a childhood fascination with Mary Stuart (aka Mary I of Scotland or Mary, Queen of Scots). She watched two movies:  Mary, Queen of Scots starring Vanessa Redgrave, and Mary Queen of Scots starring Saoirse Ronan based on John Guy's biography QUEEN OF SCOTS: The True Life of Mary Stuart. She plans to read Antonia Fraser’s biography, Mary, Queen of Scots for Big Book Summer.
 
Emily took a trip to Wilmington, NC where she tried unsuccessfully to shop at Papercuts Bookshop because it was closed for inventory. She did find two Little Free Libraries where she picked up THIRTEEN MOONS by Charles Frazier, INTIMACIES by Katie Kitamura, and EACH PEACH PEAR PLUM by Janet and Allan Ahlberg. Back in CT, Emily went to the North Haven public library where she purchased LOTt: Stories by Bryan Washington and WHO’S IRISH?: Stories by Gish Jen from the Friends of the Library sale, and attended a presentation with Linda Civitello author of BAKING POWDER WARS: The Cutthroat Food Fight That Revolutionized Cooking.

Episode 204 - Author Spotlight with Allison Pataki

Welcome to Episode 203! 

Some highlights of this episode: Emily dives into the pages of THE FROZEN RIVER by Ariel Lawhon and the delicious world of baking with THE COOKIE THAT CHANGED MY LIFE cookbook by Nancy Silverton and Carolynn Carreno. Meanwhile, Chris is back in high school with Jenna Miller's new sapphic YA romance, WE GOT THE BEAT. 

Emily devoured Elle Cosimano's new release, FINLAY DONOVAN ROLLS THE DICE, and was deeply moved by Suleika Jaouad's memoir BETWEEN TWO KINGDOMS. She also read three short stories: "Itinerary" by Lucia Berlin in EVENING IN PARADISE and "Los Angeles" and "Office Hours" by Ling Ma in BLISS MONTAGE: Stories.  

Chris highly recommends the new and first biography of a once hugely popular woman writer, THE VANISHING OF CAROLYN WELLS by Rebecca Rego Barry. She also revisited ETHAN FROME before reading SUMMER by Edith Wharton.

We also discuss INDIGO by Beverly Jenkins, our first-quarter readalong pick. A question for those of you who read it: do you think Hester’s name could be a nod to Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter?

In Biblio Adventures, Chris explored The Library of Congress in Washington, DC. Over On Ingredient One, Emily sat down with Louise Miller, author of THE CITY BAKER’S GUIDE TO COUNTRY LIVING AND THE LATE BLOOMER’S CLUB.

Episode 203 - Romance Readalong with INDIGO by Beverly Jenkins

Welcome to Episode 202 of the Book Cougars, featuring an Author and Editor Spotlight with Jessica Pryde.

Chris and Emily are enjoying and learning from Jess’s ground-breaking anthology, BLACK LOVE MATTERS: REAL TALK ON ROMANCE, BEING SEEN, AND HAPPILY EVER AFTERS. Thanks to listener Katie for putting this book on our radar.

We’re both currently immersed in audiobooks.
– Chris is reading a new biography, THE VANISHING OF CAROLYN WELLS by Rebecca Rego Barry (available now from Vibrance Press and narrated by Laura Jennings).
– Emily is reading a memoir, BETWEEN TWO KINGDOMS: A MEMOIR OF LIFE INTERRUPTED, by Suleika Jaouad (out 3/1 from Penguin Random House Audio and read by the author).

And we are both #currentlyreading INDIGO by Beverly Jenkins, the first book in our year of Reading Romance.

Thanks to this episode's sponsor, Catherine Oni, whose new romance novel, IF HER LOVE WAS ENOUGH, is available now. Meet Catherine at Bank Square Books in Mystic, CT, on Saturday, March 2nd, from 1-3 pm ET. 

As always, we talk about what we’ve read, what we want to read, and Biblio Adventures.

Thanks for listening, and Happy Reading!

https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2024/episode202

Episode 198 - Top Ten Reads of 2023 with BookTuber Russell Gray of Ink and Paper Blog

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