This week we chat with Katherine Marsh, author of The Lost Year, a finalist for the 2023 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. I recently discovered this book after one of our book club members selected another Katherine Marsh book, Nowhere Boy, for our August read. The Lost Year is middle-grade historical fiction and it is super timely because part of it is set in Ukraine in the 1930s. The story introduced me to a topic in Ukraine history I knew nothing about called the Holodomor. Katherine tells us all about her novel which was inspired by her relationship with her grandmother who was from Ukraine. It is a perfect book selection if you are curious about Ukrainian history that influences current events; reading this book would also allow you to check off having read something for Middle Grade March. 

For our book recommendations in this episode, we’re talking about books in which cats are a central part of the story. We have some nonfiction selections, as well as literary fiction and graphic novels that will definitely appeal to your inner cat. If you don’t love cats, you can check out these books anyway for their compelling stories OR you can wait around for Amy to muscle Carrie into a future dog episode. 

Books Mentioned in this Episode:

1- The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh

2- Nowhere Boy by Katherine Marsh

3- Medusa (The Myth of Monsters #1) by Katherine Marsh

4- The God's Revenge (The Myth of Monsters #2) by Katherine Marsh

5- The Fountain Overflows by Rebecca West

6- Leslie F***ing Jones by Leslie Jones

7- Bog Myrtle by Sid Sharp

8- The Wolf Suit by Sid Sharp

9- A 5 star Read recommended by fellow book lover Elaine Hoystead @bookmadlibrarian - Hall of Smoke by Hannah M. Long

10- Pineville Trace by Wes Blake

11- Cat's People by Tanya Guerrero

12- The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuka Natsukawa

13- Cat Tale: The Wild, Weird Battle to Save the Florida Panther by Craig Pittman

14- The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean

15- The Cat’s Meow: How Cats Evolved from the Savanna to Your Sofa by Jonathan B. Losos

16- Katie the Catsitter by Colleen AF Venable, illustrated by Stephanie Yue

17- The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Shawn Harris

Media mentioned--

1- Kaos (Netflix, 2024)

2- Are Cats Actually Liquid - 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/are-cats-actually-liquid/

3- Jeff Bezos and the Washington Post

https://apnews.com/article/washington-post-bezos-opinion-trump-market-liberty-97a7d8113d670ec6e643525fdf9f06de

We chat this week with Sariah Wilson, the author of many, many rom-coms, who recently published her first romantasy titled A Tribute of Fire. A Tribute of Fire is inspired by the myth of Cassandra who, if you remember, is the Trojan princess who was cursed with the ability to see the future but no one believes her. Sariah’s story focuses on Cassandra’s assault in Athena's temple by Greek hero Ajax and the resulting punishment which is that two maidens from Ajax’s home, Locris, will be sacrified. How exactly, this punishes Ajax, I’m not sure, but such is Greek myth. 

Sariah talks to us about her favorite romance trope (which she hardly ever writes herself), the whirlwind backstory to the publishing of this book, and how the popularity of The Fourth Wing series really cracked open a whole new world for romance writers.

And for our book recommendations, we’re going to share some children’s picture books that have stories and illustrations we love. Earlier this month was National Picture Book Authors & Illustrators Week, but we don’t think you need a special week as an excuse to read a delightful picture book. 

Books Mentioned in this Episode:

1- A Tribute of Fire by Sariah Wilson

2- The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks

3- A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes

4- The Schwa was Here by Neal Shusterman

 5- Greek and Roman Warfare: Battles, Tactics, and Trickery by John Drogo Mortagu

6- A Monsoon Rising by Thea Gaunzon

7- Roland Rogers Isn't Dead Yet by Samantha Leigh Allen 

8- A Book Recommended by Fellow Book Lover Corinne @she.loves.bookshelves - A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

9- Little Golden Book, The Christmas Story 

10-  Little Golden Book, Colors Are Nice 

11- Little Golden Book Riddles, Riddles From A to Z

12- Little Golden Book,  Mickey Mouse Picnic

13- Disney’s World of Wonders The Magic Grinder

14- The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

15- Ferdinand the Bull by Munro Leaf

16- The Mitten by Jan Brett

17- Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett

18- The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone

19- The Water Hole by Graeme Base

20- Uno's Garden by Graeme Base 

21- Animalia by Graeme Base

22- The Verts: A Story of Introverts and Extroverts by Anne Patchett, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glaser

23- Quiet by Susan Cain

24- Mimi’s Dada Catifesto by Shelley Jackson

25- Oh, Bear by Melissa Nelson Greenberg. illustrated by Ruth Hengeveld

26- Boobies by Nancy Vo

27- The Cafe at the Edge of the Woods by Mickey Please

28- The Cave Downwind of the Cafe by Mickey Please

29- Shakespeare The Tempest by Georghia Ellinas, illustrated by Jane Ray

 Media mentioned--

1- Stephen King/Maurice Sendak upcoming children's book - https://apnews.com/article/stephen-king-maurice-sendak-hansel-gretel-c9f8c7e18254d1e406b59e0ebe3cd20b

2- Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey - coming in 2026 - 

https://variety.com/2025/film/news/the-odyssey-matt-damon-odysseus-christopher-nolan-1236311018/

3- The Return (2024)

Have you ever wanted to try a book club but they just seem too peopley?  Or maybe you don’t want to be told what book you have to read. OR maybe you are looking for a place away from kids and responsibilities where nothing else but the words in front of you are vying for your attention.  If any of these apply, then a Silent Book Club might be for you.  Silent Book Club began in 2012 and is, according to their mission statement, a “global community of readers, with more than 1500 chapters in 54 countries around the world led by local volunteers. SBC members gather in public at bars, cafes, bookstores, libraries, and online to read together in quiet camaraderie.”  

This week we chat with Brittany Brar, the leader of a local chapter of the Silent Book Club in Louisville, Kentucky.  Brittany started the local chapter here in 2019, right before the pandemic with 5 people.  She was new in town and didn’t know where to find a booklcub to join.  Now the group has over 2000 members of their FB group and as many as 60 people have shown up to their monthly meetings. Brittany talks to us about how people have developed a new sense of community, when a powerpoint presentation can be regarded as fun, and her go-to  genres

After our chat with Brittany, we will give you our recommendations for big honking books that meet not only your reading but also strength training goals. 

Books Mentioned In This Episode:

1- Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe

2- The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

3- Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma by Claire Dederer

4- Rakesfall by Vajra Chandrasekera

5- The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson

6- Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson

7- That's Not My Name by Megan Lally

8- Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

9- It by Stephen King

10- Leviathan Wakes by SA Corey (592 pages) 

11-The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (704 pages) 

12- Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin (944 pages
13- Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett  (976 pages) 

14- Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (546 pages) 

15- When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson (528 pages)

16- East of Eden by John Steinbeck (601 pages)

17- A Five Star Read Recommended By Fellow Book Lover Kim Wells @the_salty_islander - A Home for Friendless Women by Kelly E. Hill.

Media mentioned--

1- Say Nothing (Hulu, 2024)

2- The Dark Secrets Behind the Neil Gaiman Abuse Accusations --https://www.vulture.com/article/neil-gaiman-allegations-controversy-amanda-palmer-sandman-madoc.html

3- The Expanse (Prime, 2015)

This week we chat with Wes Browne, a Michigan transplant who has been a Kentucky attorney for over 20 years. When he’s not lawyering, he writes crime fiction, and his most recent novel is called They All Fall the Same. In this novel, he picks up with a character who readers met in his first novel, Hillbilly Hustle. While Wes’s new book is not a sequel, readers were so intrigued by the character, Burl Spoon, that Wes felt like he could make an entire book around him. Burl is a character you love to hate, but readers also feel his humanity, which always makes for a more interesting bad guy. 

We chat with Wes about how his job as a defense attorney has prepared him to write books that make you root for a bad guy, his passion for soft serve ice cream, and why a timeshare ended up giving him a book idea.

And in the second half of the show, we each give you 3 book recommendations on the theme of books about the art world.

Books Mentioned in This Episode:

1- If You Lived Here, You’d Be Here by Now: Why We Traded the Commuting Life for a Little House on the Prairie by Christopher Ingraham

2- The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

3- They All Fall the Same by Wes Browne

4- Hillbilly Hustle by Wes Browne

5- Enter the Aardvark by Jessica Anthony

6- Asides: Occasional Essays on Dogs, Food, Restaurants, Bars, Hangovers, Jobs, Music, Family Trees, Robbery, Relationships, Being Bought Up Questionably, Et Cetera by George Singleton

7- Blizzard by Marie Vingtras

8- A Five Star Read Recommended by a Fellow Book Lover Amy Borchadt @rn_bookworm - The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal

9- Carrington: A Life by Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina

10- The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith

11- Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough

12- The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose

13- Claude & Camille: A Novel of Monet by Stephanie Cowell

14- Get the Picture: A Mind-Bending Jourey Among the Inspired Artists and Obsessive Art Fiends Who Taught Me How To See by Bianca Bosker

15- All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley 

Media mentioned—

1- Come From Away —

https://comefromaway.com/

2- Zoltan Kaszas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vSGbslfLQM

3- Justified ( 2010-2015 HULU)

4- Carrington (1995)

This week we officially begin Season 12 so we have both a guest and book recommendations on a particular theme. Our guest this week is Meg Shaffer, NYT best-selling author of The Wishing Game and The Lost Story. She talks to us about shifting gears to write books for adults that read a lot like the cool fantasy books we read as kids (think The Chronicles of Narnia in The Lost Story). And for our book recs, we will each be sharing 3 books related to libraries. 

Books mentioned—

1- The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

2- The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer

3- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

4- The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

5- Lord of the Flies by William Golding

6- Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero

7- Night of the Hunter by Davis Grubb

8- The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Eugene Yelchin 

9- The Hollow Places T. Kingfisher

10- The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfishe 

11- The Willows by Algernon Blackwood

12- Carter and Lovecraft by Jonathan L. Howard

13- A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher

14- We are Experiencing a Slight Delay by Gary Janneti

15- Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs

16-Magical Thinking: True Stories by Augusten Burroughs

17- A Five Star Read Recommended by Fellow Book Lover Marisa Zane @Marisa_reads_books - The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

18- The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami

19- Nightbooks by JA White

20- The Library of Borrowed Hearts by Lucy Gilmore

21- The Nightmare Man by JH Markert

22- The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai

23- The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

24- I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai

25- Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck

26- A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck

27- A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck

28- Reading Behind Bars: A True Story of Literature, Law, and Life as a Prison Librarian by Jill Grunenwald

29- Lonely Planet Hidden Libraries: The World's Most Unusual Book Depositories by DC Helmuth

30- The Godwick series by Tiffany Reisz

Media mentioned—

Perks episode with Lily Raiti

https://www.perksofbeingabooklover.com/episodes/cxkpp8gtbmn5gf7-8mb73-52ylr-gs3nl-82m49-xr9s4-z4hhh-pm7gw-skgey-bjmtw-4dl76-hn7yl-we4y4-cfzjz-5f9x8-y93dj-7l4je-8667a

 Pacific Palisades Fire—Will Rogers ranch —

https://www.parks.ca.gov/NewsRelease/1346

Squid Games (Netflix, 2021 - present)

Cunk on Life (Netflix, 2024)

Black Doves (Netflix, 2024)

Night of the Hunter (Tubi, 1955)

This week we are doing our 2024 recap, covering the books that earned 5 stars. We’ve also got some audio interspersed in the episode from 2024 guests to The Perks who also share their favorite books of the year. This is always one of our most popular episodes of the year.

And don’t forget, this new season is a whole new bag.  We are going to every other week episodes and each one will include an interview with a bookish guest plus some book recommendations by us on a particular topic.  

 Books mentioned--

1- The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

2- Woodworm by Layla Martinez

3- North Woods by Daniel Mason

4- Six Truths and a Lie by Ream Shukairy

5- Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

6- Greenwood by Michael Christie

7- Prophet Song by Paul Lynch

8- A Heart That Works by Rob Delaney 

9- Tortilla Curtain by TC Boyle

10- The Library Book by Susan Orlean 

11- The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

12- The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner

13- One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus 

14- Intimacies by Katie Kitamura

15- I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai

16- The Wedding People by Alison Espach

17- The Huntress by Kate Quinn

18- Finding Langston by Lesa Cline-Ransom

19- The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley

20- All the Sinners Bleed by SA Cosby

21- Being Henry by Henry Winkler

22- The Weather Woman by Sally Gardner

23- Un Lun Dun by China Mieville

24- Border Crossings: A Journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway by Emma Fick

25- The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin

26- All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Brynn Greenwood

27- That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming

28- The Husbands by Holly Gramazio

29- Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy

30- Arroyo Circle by JoeAnn Hart

31- Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our World , Change Our Minds, & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake

Media mentioned--

1- Dune: Prophecy (HBO Max, 2024)

2- Shrinking (Apple+, 2024)

3- What We Do in the Shadows (Hulu)

4- The Professor and the Madman (Tubi, 2019)

5- Your Friend by Nate Bargatze (Netflix, 2024)

6- The Skinny by Jim Gaffigan (Hulu, 2024)

7- Catastrophe (Prime, 2015)

8- Three Body Problem (Netflix, 2024)

The delightful Sam Miller, store manager at Carmichael’s Book Store, comes to save the day. She has, as usual, tons of great new reads that are already on shelves and would make perfect gifts this holiday for the book lovers in your life.

Books Mentioned in this Episode:

1- The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante

2- The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

3- Sky Full of Elephants by Cebo Campbell

4- Women's Hotel by Daniel M. Lavery

5- The Hypocrite by Jo Hamya

6- This is Happiness by Niall Williams

7- Time of the Child by Niall Williams

8- Jim the Boy by Tony Early

9- The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

10- The Fortnight in September by RC Sherriff

11- The Movement: How Women's Liberation Transformed America, 1963-1973 by Clara Bingham

12- Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel

13- The Elements of Madame Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science by Dava Sobel

14- The Universe in Verse by Maria Popov

15- Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

16- The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer

17- Heartbreak is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Revived Pop Music by Rob Sheffield

18- The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel

19- We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

20- Karla's Choice by Nick Harkaway

21- William by Mason Coile

23- Dangerous Visions by Harlan Ellison

24- Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

25- House of Frank by Kay Synclaire

26- Pride and Prejudice in Space by Alexis Lampley

27- Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten

28- From Here to the Great Unknown: A Memoir by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough

29- Cher: The Memoir (Part One) by Cher

30- The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates

31- Hot Mess by Jeff Kinney

32- The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science by Kate McKinnon

33-Baking in the American South: 200 Recipes and Their Untold Stories by Ann Byrn

34- Kentucky Ya'll: A Celebration of the People and Culture of the Bluegrass by Blair Thomas Hess and Cameron Ludwick

35- The Stackpole Legend by Wendell Berry

36- In Praise of Mystery by Ada Limon, illustrated by Peter Sis

37- Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid

38- A Five Star Read recommended by fellow Book Lover Perin @mjreadsmagic - Sir Callie and the Dragon's Roost by Esme Symes-Smith

39- Gather by Kenneth Cadow

40- The Horse by Willy Vlautin

41- Committed: On Meaning and Madwomen by Suzanne Scanlon

42- How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals by Sy Montgomery

43- The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery

Media mentioned--

1- A Real Pain (2024)

2- Wicked Little Letters (Netflix, 2023)

3- The Lost Daughter (Netflix, 2021)

4- The Return (2024)

November is Native American Heritage month so in this episode, we’re sharing some books written by Native American authors. There are so many great texts to choose from if you’re interested in broadening your reading. We bring your memoirs, poetry, Pulitzer Prize winners, and more. When we do these thematic episodes, we enjoy hearing from listeners who have their own recommendations within that theme so be sure to shoot us a message or comment on any of our socials.

Books Mentioned In this Episode:

1- A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes

2- Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes

3- Sharks Don't Sink: Adventures of a Rogue Shark Scientist by Jasmin Graham

4- A Quantum Life: My Unlikely Journey from the Streets to the Stars by Hakeem Oluseyi

5- A Book Recommended by Fellow Booklover Vero Garcia @booksandcoffeemx - All This and More by Peng Shepherd

6- Th Blessing Way and all books in the Leaphorn & Chee series by Tony Hillerman

7- Bad Indians: A Memoir by Deborah Miranda

8- Two Old Women: An Alaskan Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival by Velma Wallis

9- House Made of Dawn by N. Scott Momaday

10-Buffalo Dreamer by Violet Duncan

11- An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo

12- Code Talker: The First and Only Memoir by One of the Original Navajo Code Talkers of WWII by Chester Nez 
13- Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

14- The Fertile Earth and the Ordered Cosmos: Reflections on the Newark Earthworks and World Heritage edited by M. Elizabeth Weiser, Timothy RW Jordan, and Richard D. Shiels

15- Man Made Monsters by Andrea L. Rogers

16- The Game of Silence by Louise Erdrich (Birchbark House series #2)

17- The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich

18- Shutter by Ramona Emerson

19- Exposure by Ramona Emerson

20- Even As We Breathe by Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle

21- The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

22- There, There by Tommy Orange

23- The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

24- The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland

Media mentioned--

1- Reservation Dogs (Hulu, 2021-2023)

2- Dark Winds (AMC and Neflix, 2022 - present)

This week we chat with Alice Kaltman about her latest book, Alice’s Big Book of Mistakes. She has written books of linked short stories, novels for various ages, and more, but she decided to try her hand at a graphic memoir all about silly and not-so-silly mistakes she has made throughout the course of her life. Her book aims to make both young and old embrace their missteps in life as building blocks for a life well lived.

Books Mentioned In This Episode:

1- Alice’s Big Book of Mistakes by Alice Kaltman

2- Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

3- Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson

4-- Salem’s Lot by Stephen King

5- The Keeper by Kelsey Ervick

6- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

7- To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

8- Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

9- Middlemarch by George Eliot

10- Drinking at the Movies by Julia Wertz

11- Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

12- A 5 Star Read Recommended by Fellow Book Lover Emily Craddick - Hotel Splendide by Ludwig Bemelmans

13- Winterset Hollow by Jonathan Edward Durham

14- Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

15- Look in the Mirror by Catherine Steadman

16- Sociopath by Patric Gagne

Media mentioned—

Small Things Like These (2024)

Harold and the Purple Crayon (2024)

Salem’s Lot (Max, 2024)

Will & Harper (Netflix, 2024)

This week our topic is philosophical. No, we’re not discussing those dull philosophy textbooks, but rather novels or nonfiction that ask big questions, such as “Who am I?” and “What is happiness?” and “Do we have free will?”. We will give you 10 books that will get you thinking with your big brains.

Books Mentioned In This Episode:

1- Carrie by Stephen King

2- A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes

3- Faith, Hope, and Carnage by Nick Cave and Sean O’Hagan

4- Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea by Guy Delisle

5- A Book Recommended by Fellow Book Lover Larissa @laralucretia - The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne

6- Bartleby the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street by Herman Melville

7- Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner

8- Nasty, Brutish, and Short: Adventures in Philosophy with Kids by Scott Hershovitz

9- Lotería by Karla Arenas Valenti

10- The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

11- How to be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Any Moral Question by Michael Schur

12- The Naked Neanderthal by Ludovic Slimak

13- If Cats Disappeared From the World by Genki Kawamura

14- The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

15- If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal: What Animal Intelligence Reveals About Human Stupidity by Justin Gregg

16- Walking Shadows by Faye Kellerman

Media mentioned—

1- Trap (2024, Max)

2- Carrie (2013, Tubi)

3- Carrie (1976)

4- Penny Dreadful (2014-2016 Pluto)

5- The Little Prince (2015, Pluto)