The Books We Loved

Today the gals chat about a podcast favorite, Ann Patchett, and her newest novel: Whistler. 
A couple readalikes Olivia shared:
Little Fires Everywhere, Celeste Ng
Anything by Liane Moriarty
The Vanishing Half, Brit Bennett

Today the ladies make recommendations based on two patron requests. Titles discussed are below:
Station Eleven, Emily St. John Mandel
Klara and the Sun, Kazuo Ishiguro 
This Is How You Lose the Time War, Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin
Circe, Madeline Miller
Babel, R.F. Kuang
Mistborn: The Final Empire, Brandon Sanderson
A Rover’s Story, Jasmine Warga
Anything by Gordon Korman 
The Second Life of Snap, Erin Entrada Kelly
When You Reach Me, Rebecca Stead
Pax, Sara Pennypacker
Stranded, Probst
Mob Squad, Dawson
City of Ember series, DuPrau
Hatchet, Paulsen
The Last Kids on Earth series, Brallier
Anything by Margaret Peterson Haddix 

Today the ladies take on C.S. Lewis' beloved 1950 classic, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, as part of their Summer Book Club series.
Shoot the girls a message if you'd like tailored book recommendations. 

Today the ladies share a few titles of books they've recently read, or are currently enjoying. Titles included:
James, Everett
A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping, Mandanna
Here Lies the Librarian, Peck
Villa Coco, Greer
Adult Braces: driving myself sane, West
Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I've Cried About: a memoir, Klee
Go Gentle, Semple

Today Olivia and Manda are joined by Cassie, for a trip to the past, as the ladies discuss Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved, Little House on the Prairie series.  
SOURCES:
Various PBS articles
The Pioneer Girl Art Project, South Dakota Historical Society Press
The Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home & Museum website
A Kids Britannica biography
"The Little House Books: a historical slap upside the head," article from the blog, "A Bestiary of Books: Odds and Interesting Children’s Novels, 1900 – 1975”
Several Minnesota Public Radio articles
https://pioneergirlproject.org/2023/08/30/helen-sewell-the-first-little-house-illustrator/
https://lauraingallswilderhome.com/
"Where the Wilder Things are: the Laura Ingalls Wilder roadtrip
 

Today the ladies are joined by local picture book connoisseur, Ben, for a chat about summer-themed picture books your family will love! To check out Ben's picture book recommendations, he can be found on Substack or Instagram  . 
Titles discussed include:
Big Mama's, Donald Crews
Blueberries for Sal, Robert McCloskey 
It Began with Lemonade, Gideon Sterer
Summer is for Cousins, Rajani LaRocca
I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean, Kevin Sherry
Jabari Jumps (and it's sequel, Jabari Tries), Gaia Cornwall
Walking Trees, Marie-Louise Gay
Fireworks, Matthew Burgess
Flotsam, David Wiesner

Today the gals discuss author, Margaret Wise Brown, creator of the beloved classic, Goodnight Moon, and many other books. 
Recommended reads:
Kids:
The Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown, Mac Barnett
Adults: 
Margaret Wise Brown: awakened by the moon, Leonard Marcus
In the Great Green Room: the brilliant and bold life of Margaret Wise Brown, Gary
Sources:
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
The Traditional and Fine Arts Organization
Online exhibits on several of the illustrators discussed, taken from the University of Minnesota Libraries
MOMA’s website
https://www.esphyrslobodkina.org/
Encyclopedia Britannica online
An article titled: “Margaret Wise Brown’s Celebration of the Seasons,” by Danielle Ridolfi which was featured on Washington University’s library website
2026 article titled, “The Tao of Margaret Wise Brown,” which was featured in the Brooklyn Downtown Star

Today Olivia and Manda share their thoughts on The Correspondent by Virginia Evans; a 2025 release that continues to appear in the New York Times Best Sellers list (Hardcover Fiction). 
Also, in case you couldn't jot it down, Olivia announced this year's Summer Reading list, aka the Brit Lit edition, and titles are as follows:
June: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis
July: Emma, Jane Austen
August: Matilda, Roald Dahl

A speedy episode where each of the ladies share two titles apiece. Books recommended:
Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March, Lynda Blackmon Lowery
How to Read a Book, Monica Wood
A Woman of No Importance: the untold story of the American spy who helped win World War II, Sonia Purnell
This Story Might Save Your Life, Tiffany Crum

Today the gals racked their brains and came up with recommendations of books they think would be a great choice for your Book Club! Books discussed:
Death of the Author, Nnedi Okorafor
Survive the Night, Riley Sager
The Rachel Incident, Caroline O'Donoghue 
Belonging, Nora Krug
Hello Beautiful, Ann Napolitano
Daughter of Fortune, Isabel Allende