Thoughts from a Page Podcast

Anna and I discuss her new book The Three Mothers, the importance of black women and their stories and contributions, how she chose these three mothers, the direct connection between these women and the work their sons pursued, how we tell history and who is telling this history, and much more. The Three Mothers can be purchased at Murder by the Book.  Anna’s 2 recommended reads are: The Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart by Alicia Garza White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson If you enjoy reading nonfiction and want to listen to more podcast episodes like this one, try Ty Seidule, Eric Eyre, or Bridgett Davis.

Te-Ping and I discuss her short story collection Land of Big Numbers, how the people she met as a journalist in Beijing inspired some of these stories, what it is like for people who live in a society where many circumstances are outside their control, the universality of intergenerational family stories, and much more. Land of Big Numbers can be purchased at Murder by the Book.  Te-Ping’s 2 recommended reads are: Half in Love: Stories by Maile Meloy What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky: Stories by Lesley Nneka Arimah If you enjoy reading fiction and want to listen to more podcast episodes like this one, try Liese O’Halloran Schwarz, Nancy Johnson, Lisa Duffy or Julie Carrick Dalton.

Jane and I discuss her latest book The Survivors, how setting and plot drive her stories, creating a strong sense of place, her thoughts on the motion picture adaptation of The Dry and Eric Bana as Aaron Falk, how her journalism training helps her write thrillers, and much more. The Survivors can be purchased at Murder by the Book.  Jane’s 2 recommended reads are: The Mother Fault by Kate Mildenhall The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood Thanks to Gene Rontal for sponsoring this episode. His mystery A Pre-Existing Condition can be purchased here.    If you enjoy reading mysteries/thrillers and want to listen to more podcast episodes, try Wendy Walker, Alice Henderson, Lisa Gardner, or David Heska Wanbli Weiden.  

Nancy and I discuss her debut novel The Kindest Lie, the issue of identity in the United States today, her title’s dual meaning, how important it is for aspiring authors to write the story they want to write versus following publishing trends, her own publishing journey, and much more. The Kindest Lie can be purchased at Murder by the Book.  Nancy’s 3 recommended reads are: The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris Waiting for the Night Song by Julie Carrick Dalton The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner Interested in the Conversations from a Page online event with Julie Carrick Dalton and Nancy Johnson? Find more information here.    If you enjoy reading contemporary fiction and want to listen to more podcast episodes like this one, try Liese O’Halloran Schwarz, Jane Igharo, Mateo Askaripour or Julie Carrick Dalton.

Ty and I discuss his new book Robert E. Lee and Me, the myth of the Lost Cause of the Confederacy and its creation and perpetuation, how telling his own personal story is more impactful than just sharing his views, why questioning history distresses and unsettles people, and much more. Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southerner’s Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause can be purchased at Murder by the Book.  Ty’s 3 recommended reads are: The False Cause: Fraud, Fabrication, and White Supremacy in Confederate Memory by Adam Domby Reading the Man: A Portrait of Robert E. Lee Through His Private Letters by Elizabeth Brown Pryor The Broken Heart of America: St. Louis and the Violent History of the United States by Walter Johnson   Other books referenced in this episode are Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz and The British Are Coming by Rick Atkinson. Thanks to Gene Rontal for sponsoring this episode. His mystery A Pre-Existing Condition can be purchased here.    If you enjoy reading nonfiction and want to listen to more podcast episodes, try Eric Eyre, Joe Berkowitz, or Bridgett Davis.          

Lisa and I discuss her new mystery Before She Disappeared, the complexity of plotting a person’s disappearance in 2021, walking the streets of Mattapan for research and the delicious food item that she discovered there, the real-life inspiration for Frankie Elkin, and much more. Before She Disappeared can be purchased at Murder by the Book. Lisa’s recommended reads are: Home Before Dark by Riley Sager Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger The Silent Wife by Karin Slaughter The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab   Thanks to Danielle Martin for sponsoring this episode. Her novel Glimmer As You Can can be purchased here. If you enjoy reading mysteries and want to listen to more episodes like this one, try Alice Henderson, Halley Sutton, David Heska Wanbli Weiden, and/or Wendy Walker.

Liese discusses her new book What Could Be Saved, writing about Bangkok in both the 1970s and present day, pulling from her experiences as an expat, how her writing process has evolved over time, pandemic reading recommendations, and much more. What Could Be Saved can be purchased at Murder by the Book. Liese’s 4 recommended reads are: Long Bright River by Liz Moore Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano Clutter: An Untidy History by Jennifer Howard All the Ever Afters by Danielle Teller   The book we discuss about Pan Am is entitled Come Fly the World by Julia Cooke. If you enjoy reading literary and/or contemporary fiction and want to listen to more episodes like this one, try A.H. Kim, Julie Carrick Dalton, Ehsaneh Sadr, or Amy Poeppel.

Mateo discusses his debut novel Black Buck, using a creative format to tell the story, fiction’s incredible power to teach empathy and understanding, his unique (and very cool) cover and the story behind it, having his novel chosen as a Read with Jenna book club selection, and much more. Black Buck can be purchased at Murder by the Book.  Mateo’s 2 recommended reads are: How to Make a Slave and Other Essays by Jerald Walker The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr.   If you enjoy reading contemporary fiction and want to listen to more episodes like this one, try Ehsaneh Sadr, Julie Carrick Dalton, A.H. Kim, and Liese O'Halloran Schwarz.

Julie discusses her debut Waiting for the Night Song, why she loosely based the plot line on a cherished children’s book, choosing New Hampshire for the book’s setting, the importance and urgency of climate fiction, how every region of our planet is interconnected, and much more. Waiting for the Night Song can be purchased at Murder by the Book.  Julie’s 4 recommended reads are: The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner Hades, Argentina by Daniel Loedel Wild Women and the Blues by Denny S. Bryce   Interested in the Conversations from a Page online event with Julie Carrick Dalton and Nancy Johnson? Find more information here.    Thanks to Densie Webb for sponsoring this episode. Her novel When Robins Appear can be purchased here. If you enjoy literary fiction and want to listen to more episodes like this one, try Liese O'Halloran Schwarz, Sarah McCraw Crow, and Ava Homa.

Nick discusses his latest mystery The Breaker, incorporating cutting edge technology into some of his stories, the long-range implications and societal changes resulting from new technology such as cell phones and social media, writing about PTSD, the progression and development of his current book covers, and much more. The Breaker can be purchased at Murder by the Book.  Nick’s 2 recommended reads are: The Matthew Scudder series by Lawrence Block Murder at the Mena House by Erica Ruth Neubauer   If you enjoy reading mysteries and want to listen to more episodes like this one, try Wendy Walker, Julie Clark, Alice Henderson, and Lisa Gardner.

Julia discusses her latest book The Last Garden in England, the pros and cons of choosing a popular topic like gardening to write about, the importance of creating a strong sense of place, recruiting her father to help her research English gardens, writing a story set in three time periods, and much more. The Last Garden in England can be purchased at Murder by the Book.  Julia’s 4 recommended reads are: Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia The Kew Garden Girls by Posy Lovell   Thanks to Densie Webb for sponsoring this episode. Her novel When Robins Appear can be purchased here. If you enjoy reading historical fiction and want to listen to more episodes like this one, try Hazel Gaynor, Judithe Little, Susie Orman Schnall, Kristin Harmel, and Sadeqa Johnson.

Sadeqa discusses her latest novel Yellow Wife, how the story spoke to her, switching from contemporary fiction to historical fiction for this book, tackling a tough and timely topic, how she loves to hike when she has free time, and much more. Yellow Wife can be purchased at Murder by the Book.  Sadeqa’s 2 recommended reads are: Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett   Other books mentioned are Heaven, My Home by Attica Locke and The Mothers by Brit Bennett. Yellow Wife is one of my She Reads Winter's Most Anticipated Historical Fiction Books. If you enjoy reading historical fiction and want to listen to more episodes like this one, try Hazel Gaynor, Judithe Little, Nguyen Phan Que Mai, Kristin Harmel, and Marie Benedict.

Melissa discusses her book Single and Forced to Mingle, how her story went viral, creating the fun format she used in the book, why millennials are choosing to not have children, debunking the myth that there is one path that a life should follow, and much more. Single and Forced to Mingle can be purchased at Murder by the Book.  Melissa’s 3 recommended reads are: Last Tang Standing by Lauren Ho An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo True or False: A CIA Analyst’s Guide to Spotting Fake News by Cindy L. Otis

Molly discusses her novel The Heiress, writing Austen-inspired fiction, creating a story around a fictional character from Pride & Prejudice, her favorite Jane Austen book, researching Regency-era England, and much more. The Heiress can be purchased at Murder by the Book.  Molly’s 2 recommended reads are: Conjure Women by Afia Atakora The Mercies by Kirin Millwood Hargrave   Thanks to my sponsor We Came Here to Shine by Susie Orman Schnall.  You can purchase the book here.   If you enjoy reading historical fiction and want to listen to more episodes like this one, try Hazel Gaynor, Judithe Little, Gill Paul, Fiona Davis, and Asha Lemmie.

Judithe discusses her novel The Chanel Sisters, why she chose Antoinette to tell the sisters’ story, how Coco Chanel’s early years influenced her designs and fabrics, the unique research Judithe conducted, and much more. The Chanel Sisters can be purchased at Murder by the Book.  Judithe’s 2 recommended reads are: The Woman Before Wallis by Bryn Turnbull The Age of Light by Whitney Scharer   Thanks to We Came Here to Shine by Susie Orman Schnall for sponsoring this episode.  You can purchase the book here.   If you enjoy reading historical fiction and want to listen to more episodes like this one, try Hazel Gaynor, Tori Whitaker, Susie Orman Schnall, Kristin Harmel, Natalie Jenner, and Sadeqa Johnson.