Libsyn Directory

Marjan Kamali: The Lion Women of Tehran

Release Date: 07/10/2024

Bookaccino Live Book Group: Anna Quindlen

Bookreporter Talks To

Anna Quindlen joined us for March’s “Bookaccino Live” Book Group to discuss AFTER ANNIE, a New York Times bestseller that is now available in paperback. The novel is told from the perspectives of three characters following Annie’s sudden death, and Anna explains why she felt this was the most effective way to tell the story. Anna talks about Annie’s oldest child, Ali, and how she copes with the reality of her mother’s passing. She also offers insight into the structure of the novel, which is divided by seasons, and what she hopes readers will take away from Annie’s story. We...

Jeff Hobbs: Seeking Shelter

Bookreporter Talks To

Jeff Hobbs has been on Carol Fitzgerald’s radar since she first interviewed him 11 years ago at a pre-publication event for THE SHORT AND TRAGIC LIFE OF ROBERT PEACE. So, she was happy to catch up with him about his latest work, SEEKING SHELTER: A Working Mother, Her Children, and a Story of Homelessness in America, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Jeff explains how he approached the book and why he wrote it through the eyes of three characters: Evelyn, Wendi, and Evelyn’s teenage son, Orlando. He discusses writing it as reconstructive journalism and why he felt that would be...

Clare Leslie Hall: Broken Country

Bookreporter Talks To

Clare Leslie Hall joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller, BROKEN COUNTRY, which is both a Reese’s Book Club selection and a Barnes & Noble Book Club pick, as well as a Bookreporter Bets On title. Clare explains the early inspiration for the novel and shares that she worked on it for four years, coming back to it again and again. She discusses the layers of the story while being careful not to reveal any spoilers. The setting is such a big part of the book, as well as the characters, and she notes that the farms near her...

Charmaine Wilkerson: Good Dirt

Bookreporter Talks To

Charmaine Wilkerson talks to Carol Fitzgerald about her latest novel, GOOD DIRT, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. She explains how the character of Ebby Freeman came to her, and from there the idea of the clay jar that has been in the family for generations. Charmaine shares the research she conducted about the work of slaves in the South who created pottery with clay, tracing how an item like this could have made its way from the South to Connecticut with slaves who worked on sailing vessels. And she muses that what happened to Ebby would have implications on the rest of her life....

“Bookaccino Live” Book Group: Lisa Wingate

Bookreporter Talks To

Lisa Wingate joined us for February’s “Bookaccino Live” Book Group to discuss SHELTERWOOD, a Bookreporter Bets On selection that is now available in paperback. She explains what sparked the idea for her novel and why she chose to set it in two time periods: 1909 and 1990. We also learn about the research she did into the “elf children,” the Dawes Act and the formidable Kate Barnard, as well as the life of forest rangers who work in national parks. Lisa believes that listening to stories from our past matter --- and she shares how her work has inspired readers to reach out to find...

Marie Benedict: The Queens of Crime

Bookreporter Talks To

Marie Benedict joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest book, THE QUEENS OF CRIME, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Marie read classic women’s mysteries at a young age, as she was introduced to them by her aunt. Her love for the genre influenced this book, as well as her earlier work, THE MYSTERY OF MRS. CHRISTIE. Marie discusses the case that the five crime writers in the novel set out to unravel, explains why a case like this might have taken long to solve, and talks more about the legendary Detection Club. She also shares what she is working on now and notes a future...

Joseph Finder: The Oligarch's Daughter

Bookreporter Talks To

Joseph Finder joins Carol Fitzgerald to discuss his latest thriller, THE OLIGARCH’S DAUGHTER, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Joe talks about writing the novel’s two time frames and how the awareness of what oligarchs are has become a lot more timely in the past few years. He did some wilderness training for part of the book, and then vaulted to learn more about superyachts that are owned by the uber-wealthy. Joe explains the process of building his characters and what drives them. And yes, he shares what is next for him. Our Latest “Bookreporter Talks To” Interviews: Scott...

“Bookaccino Live” Book Group: Ashley Elston

Bookreporter Talks To

Ashley Elston joins us for our first “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event of 2025 to discuss her debut novel for adults, FIRST LIE WINS. This #1 New York Times bestseller and Bookreporter Bets On selection is now available in paperback. Ashley talks about her writing process, which includes the brown butcher paper that lines her walls along with colored Post-it notes, and working with the software program Scrivener. Her past career as a wedding photographer enhanced her writing skills, and she explains how. She shares how the story’s twists and turns came to her, as well as the...

Scott Turow: Presumed Guilty

Bookreporter Talks To

Scott Turow joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about his latest legal thriller, PRESUMED GUILTY. This Bookreporter Bets On selection marks the return of Rusty Sabich, following his starring roles in PRESUMED INNOCENT and INNOCENT. Scott explains his decision to write the book and why this may be the last time we see Rusty as a protagonist in one of his novels. He also shares the reason that he chose to make Aaron a young Black man who was adopted by white people. Scott and Carol talk about the mantle of “accused murderer” and what that means to a person, which is something that two of his...

Michelle Horton: Dear Sister: A Memoir of Secrets, Survival, and Unbreakable Bonds

Bookreporter Talks To

Michelle Horton joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about DEAR SISTER: A Memoir of Secrets, Survival, and Unbreakable Bonds, which has just released in paperback with bonus content and is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Michelle shares the harrowing story of how her sister, Nikki, a victim of domestic violence for years, was imprisoned after she killed her long-time partner. Two police officers knocked on Michelle’s door one night and told her that she needed to come to the station to take Nikki’s two- and four-year-old children to her home. She explains what that meant for her --- and her...

More Episodes

Marjan Kamali joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest novel, THE LION WOMEN OF TEHRAN, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. We are told the genesis of the story and how Marjan built on it from there. She delves into her personal history coming to the US as a child and what it means to be a “lion woman.” We learn about how class and culture mattered in the relationship between Ellie and Homa, as well as how motherhood would change Homa. Marjan also discusses how she parsed some of the story to add intrigue --- and what her writing/editing process was like.

Persian food is mentioned throughout the book, and Marjan talks about what food means beyond just nourishment. There is one recipe that Carol is keen on making. Book groups, take note!

Our Latest “Bookreporter Talks To” Interviews:

Lisa Wingate: https://youtu.be/Ob8T6DGotYA

Ruth Reichl: https://youtu.be/SUUOB2pcY2E

Genevieve Kingston: https://youtu.be/ZoQXByI0XMU

Terah Shelton Harris: https://youtu.be/9wmUdzlRuJ4

Ann Hood: https://youtu.be/KvHoLDZQSAQ

Mary Kay Andrews: https://youtu.be/fPgCOM0Dfxg

Simone Gorrindo: https://youtu.be/pgg46TW63SY

Megan Miranda: https://youtu.be/VqZ_EEV5JbE

Anna Quindlen: https://youtu.be/JiOt8pz9kLo

Tamron Hall: https://youtu.be/XIgoGu-Qpc4

Our Latest “Bookaccino Live” Book Group Events: