In this interview, I chat with Judith Viorst about Making the Best of What's Left, living the fifth fifth of your life, dealing with loneliness and redefining happiness, what surprised her the most when writing this one, her cover, the importance of community, reader response, and much more.
Judith's recommended reads are:
Avid Reader by Robert Gottlieb
The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann
Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar
Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page 2025 Winter Reading Guide with 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this winter. I also include mystery series recommendations, new releases in a next-in-the-series section and fiction and nonfiction pairings.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2025? Check out our fourth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead.
Making the Best of What's Left can be purchased at my Bookshop storefront.
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Link to my articles about older protagonists in fiction and Gifting Books for Mother's Day.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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36:49
Elisabeth Dini - BEARER OF BAD NEWS
In this interview, I chat with Elisabeth Dini about Bearer of Bad News, the idea of a bearer of bad news, what surprised her the most when writing this one, how she settled on the format, honoring real women through her character names, her job at the International Criminal Court and how it informed the story, and much more.
Elisabeth's recommended reads are:
Tartufo by Kira Jane Buxton
I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue
The Expert of Subtle Revisions by Kirsten Menger-Anderson
Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page 2025 Winter Reading Guide with 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this winter. I also include mystery series recommendations, new releases in a next-in-the-series section and fiction and nonfiction pairings.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2025? Check out our fourth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead.
Bearer of Bad News can be purchased at my Bookshop storefront.
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Link to my article about older protagonists in fiction.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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31:24
Friends & Fiction - Celebrating 5 Years
Friends & Fiction authors Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey, and Patti Callahan Henry join me to chat about celebrating their fifth anniversary. We discuss how the group formed originally, centering independent bookstores on their platform, impact of Friends & Fiction on their writing, how inclusive they are, how they handle disagreements, and more.
Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page 2025 Winter Reading Guide with 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this winter. I also include mystery series recommendations, new releases in a next-in-the-series section and fiction and nonfiction pairings.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2025? Check out our fourth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead.
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Link to my article about older protagonists in fiction.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Friends & Fiction links:
Subscribe to their PODCAST.
Subscribe to their YOUTUBE channel.
Join their FACEBOOK group.
Follow them on INSTAGRAM.
Find details about everything F&F on their WEBSITE.
Shop their MERCH STORE.
Find out about their LIVE EVENTS.
Join the F&F Official BOOK CLUB with Brenda & Lisa.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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46:43
Kelly Hooker - April's Real Time Reading
Kelly Hooker joins me for the April's Real Time Reading episode where we highlight our current, past and upcoming reads.
Kelly’s Selections:
Last:
Slanting Towards the Sea by Lidija Hilje
King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby
Now:
The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb
This American Woman: A One-in-a Billion Memoir by Zarna Garg
Next:
The Midnight Estate by Kelly Rimmer
The Other Side of Now by Paige Harbison
DNFs or Didn't Like:
Notes on Infinity by Austin Taylor
The Marigold Cottage Murder Collective by Jo Nichols
Book Mail Highlights:
Mean Moms by Emma Rosenblum
Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding by Lian Dolan
Cindy's Selections:
Last:
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
Valley So Low: One Lawyer’s Fight for Justice in the Wake of America’s Great Coal Catastrophe by Jared Sullivan
Now:
Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green
The Names by Florence Knapp
Next:
The Passengers on the Hankyu Line by Hiro Arikawa
All the Glimmering Stars by Mark Sullivan
DNFs or Didn’t Like:
Aftertaste by Daria Levelle
Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston
Book Mail Highlights:
A Most Puzzling Murder by Bianca Marais
The Last Assignment by Erika Robuck
Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page 2025 Winter Reading Guide with 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this winter. I also include mystery series recommendations, new releases in a next-in-the-series section and fiction and nonfiction pairings.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2025? Check out our fourth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead.
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Join my Patreon group to support the podcast. Other ways to support the podcast can be found here.
Connect with Kelly Hooker on Instagram.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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54:00
Virginia Evans - THE CORRESPONDENT
In this interview, I chat with Virginia Evans about The Correspondent, how her blurbs helped her encapsulate the book's description, the role Ann Patchett has played in her life, Sybil's story arc, her lengthy cover story, the power of human connection, and much more.
Virginia's recommended reads are:
The Boy From the Sea by Garrett Carr
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
Looking for some great winter reads? Check out my printable 17-page 2025 Winter Reading Guide with 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this winter. I also include mystery series recommendations, new releases in a next-in-the-series section and fiction and nonfiction pairings.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2025? Check out our fourth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead.
The Correspondent can be purchased at my Bookshop storefront.
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Link to my article about older protagonists in fiction.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thoughts from a Page is hosted by me, Cindy Burnett, a voracious reader and book columnist who provides you with casual author conversations and insider information on all of the newest releases that I have read and personally recommend. With so many books coming out weekly, it can be hard to decide what to read so I find the best ones and share them with you. Listen to find your next great book.
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