The Book Place: Recent Episodes
Mercy and Salem
Today we hang up the microphone after a wonderful year of podcasting. We started this project in the middle of the COVID lockdown thinking maybe we'd get to 10 episodes. 34 episodes and over a year later, we were really flying by the seat of our pants most of the time, but what a ride! We have absolutely loved chatting books, reading and what's bringing us joy. But what we've loved most is hearing from and connecting with readers all over Australia, and a couple overseas (crazy!). So thankyou, thankyou, thankyou! We are still on Instagram @thebookplace.pod and you never know, we may pop back in your ears sometime in the future. But for now, happy listening :) Mercy's Current Reads - The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth - The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff - Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Salem's Current Reads - Know My Name by Chanel Miller - The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
We loved our first Unpopular Bookish Opinions back in episode 14 so much that we decided to make another one! And we're back with some spicy takes that you won't want to miss! We also have a very important announcement to share with you so make sure you tune in! Happy listening!
Salem's Current Reads
- The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
- I Survived: A True Story by Victoria Cilliers
Mercy's Current reads
- Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
- Before the Fall by Noah Hawley
What's Bringing Us Joy
- Iced Coffee
- Burt's Bees Vanilla Lip Balm
- Doterra Lavender Essential oil
- #206 'The Lazy Genius Guide to Giving Great Gifts' podcast episode
Hi there and welcome to episode 32 of The Book Place. This week we are talking about what books we keep, what ones we donate and what we might put in the bin. Bookshelf real estate is precious so what makes the cut? Is it cover vs content? Or something a little deeper? Listen to this week's episode to find out. Happy Listening!
Salem's Current Reads
- A Year in the Life of the Yorkshire Shepherdess by Amanda Owen
- The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy
Mercy's Current Reads
- The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
- Wild by Kristin Hannah
What's Bringing Us Joy
- The Undoing
- Flower 'Light Illusion Liquid Foundation'
- @ATFrenchies on Instagram
- Chocolate Covered Black Cats from Allen's
You've heard us touch on this topic before but in this episode we're doing a deep dive on the classic debate of fiction vs non-fiction: which we read more, what time of year we read one over the other and even what time of day you'll find us with our noses in each genre. Plus as usual we talk about our current reads and what's bringing us joy. Thanks so much for listening and happy reading!
Mercy's Current Reads - The Heart of the Crown by Hannah Currie - Dream Big by Bob Goff
Salem's Current Reads - Home Economics by Kate Singh - Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
What's Bringing Us Joy - Howard Smith Wharves - New Bookshelf from FB Marketplace - Weekend away at Hervey Bay - Firefly Lane on Netflix - Wavertree & London 'Prosecco' Candle - Kmart book shopping
There are literally millions of #bookstagram accounts out there, so how do you know which ones to follow and which to just look at? Well today's episode we go through some of our faves from those just talking about kids books, to friends bookstagrams; from light and simple to styled and prop-heavy, we talk about it all! This is a fun episode with lots of laughs and so much good bookish content. Happy listening!
Salem's Current Reads
- Lovely War by Julie Berry
- Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh
- Your Creative Work Space by Desha Peacock
Mercy's Current Reads
- That Sounds Fun by Annie F. Downs
- Fifty-Fifty by Steve Cavanagh
Bookstgram accounts
@childrensbooksdaily
@littlebirdiebooks
@kids.books.we.love
@randomhouse
@penguinbooksaus
@dymocksbooks
@whatshouldireadnext
@thenester
@hannah_currie_author
@kayemreads
@booksinsix
@pieladybooks
@theroamingreader
@officialagathachristie
@elleryadams
@ladies.getting.lit
@katieladyreads
@everydayreading
@tellmeastoryxx
@meredith.reads
@52weekswithbooks
What's Bringing Us Joy
- Obela Hummus
- Steph Pase Signature Planner
- Instagram @arrows and bow
- Quiz website: www.sporcle.com
After trying to record over Zoom for the last 2 episodes, today we're back in person because face-to-face is so much better! This episode we're talking about some of our favourite cookbooks and why Mercy owns over 20 of them! And like always we talk about some great current reads and of course, what's bringing us joy. Happy listening and happy reading! Salem’s Current Reads - The Ickabog by JK Rowling - Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz Mercy’s Current Reads - When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole - The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis Cookbooks - Magnolia Table by Joanna Gaines - Celebrations by Danielle Walker - Eat What You Love by Danielle Walker - Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat - The Happy Cookbook by Lola Berry - From Freezer to Table by Rachel Tiemeyer and Polly Conner - Half Baked Harvest: Super Simple by Tieghan Gerard - Simple Cake by Odette Williams - Hanna Family Cookbook
What's Bringing Us Joy Anna Sui - Romantica Exotica Perfume Go-To Clay Mask - The Removalist Broadchurch Seasons 1 & 2 Slow Cooker Pulled Beef Family Wedding
On today's episode we did a bit of research to find out which of our favourite authors (and some totally new and random authors) are bringing out new books this year and which ones we'll be waiting for with bated breath! From Kate Quinn to Brigid Kemmerer, we skim the surface of what are sure to be some of this year's favourites! Happy listening!
Mercy's Current Reads - Notes From a Blue Bike by Tsh Oxenreider - The Betrothed by Keira Cass
Salem's Current Reads - Sam Bloom: Heartache & Birdsong by Bradley Trevor Greive, Cameron Bloom, Samantha Bloom - We Are Wolves by Katrina Nannestad
2021 New Releases - The Rose Code by Kate Quinn - Win the Day by Mark Batterson - The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah - A Vow so Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer - Lazy Genius Way book by Kendra Adachi - Danielle Walker memoir - Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly - The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth - The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner - Girl A by Abigail Dean
What's Bringing Us Joy - Maple Mustard Salmon Glaze - Sandisk MP3 players & Headphones - Ultra Violette 'Supreme Screen' sunscreen - Among Us
Well, 2020 is over (finally) and after a summer break Salem and Mercy are back with our first episode of the year talking all about our summer reads, some reading goals for the year and of course, what's bringing us joy right now! Happy listening!
Salem's Current Reads:
- The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
- Agatha Christie: Inspiring Lives by Cathy Cook
Mercy's Current Reads:
- The Defence by Steve Cavanagh
- The Survivors by Jane Harper
What's Bringing Us Joy:
'The Dry' in cinemas right now
Park workouts with friends
Gingerbread House making, thanks Costco
Let me Try Before You Buy - Instagram
'Minty' Slides - Famous Footwear
'Bridgerton' - Netflix
Salem shares a 5 star read for her from December. Rich language and great character development. Sale may have even shed a happy tear or two at the end a rarity for her! A fantastic read. Highly recommend.
It's the Final Countdown! For our last big episode of the year we're talking about our favourite fiction and non-fiction of the year (which was a real struggle)! Plus we get real nerdy and talk about our reading stats from Goodreads. Make sure you subscribe to Apple Podcasts for some sneaky bonus episodes over the summer and we'll be back in January! And please excuse some interruptions to this episode, Salem's son Judah was keen to get involved with the recording. Follow us on Instagram @thebookplace.pod
Mercy's Top Fiction (in no particular order) Lovely War - Julie Berry American Royals - Katharine McGee The Silent Patient - Alex Michaelides Daisy Jones & the Six - Taylor Jenkins Reid Thirteen - Steve Kavanaugh
Salem's Top Fiction (in no particular order) The Way That Saved My Life - Kimberley Brubaker Bradley A Curse So Dark and Lonely - Brigid Kimmerer The Beekeeper of Aleppo - Christy Lefteri The Defense - Steve Kavanaugh The Survivors - Jane Harper
Fiction Honourable Mentions The Wife, the Maid & the Mistress - Ariel Lawhon Cilka's Journey - Heather Morris
Mercy's Top Non-Fiction Fall & Rise: The Story of 9/11 - Mitchell Zuckoff Skincare - Caroline Hirons Columbine - David Cullen Unnatural Causes - Richard Shepherd The Lazy Genius Way - Kendra Adachi Salem's Top Non-Fiction Fall & Rise: The Story of 9/11 - Mitchell Zuckoff Skincare - Caroline Hirons Welcome Home - Myquillyn Smith The Crossroad - Mark Donaldson The Happiest Man on Earth - Eddie Jaku
What's Bringing Us Joy Target Ayra Candle - Coconut and Elderflower Christmas Tree decoration & watching Christmas Movies Foxy Coffee T2 Giant Mug The Spanish Princess on Stan
This episode we're chatting about being in a reading slump and what are the comfort reads we reach for when we have some book burnout. And Mercy gushes about a book that she wants to give to everyone she knows. As usual we share our current reads and have lots of things that are bringing us joy this week! Also announing the dates for our summer breaks. Happy Listening!
Mercy's Current Reads
The Gown - Jennifer Robson
The Lazy Genius Way - Kendra Adachi
Kitchens of the Great Midwest - J. Ryan Stradal (DNF)
Salem's Current Reads
The Home Edit Life - Clea Shearer & Joanna Teplin
American Royals - Katherine McGee
Louise Penny (DNF)
What's Bringing Us Joy
The Birth of a King - Tommee Profitt
First-time Irish Dancing Competitions
Victoria Park Golf Club - Christmas Themed Putt Putt
Aldi Chocolate Licorice Logs
Bam Bam Bakehouse
So in our show’s new format (which it turns out feels very similar to the old format) this week we are talking about our current reads, a doorstop of a book, and a brief sidebar into the publicity surrounding JK Rowling’s tweeting and her latest book. And of course we talk about lots of our favourite things... plus the giveaway winner is announced!! Happy listening! Mercy’s Current Reads The Home Edit Life by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin Troubles Blood by Robert Galbraith Salem’s Current Reads Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier ‘Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas by Adam Kay
This week we chat about some little changes we're making to The Bookplace Podcast! Most importantly, this will now be a fortnightly podcast, dropping new episodes each Thursday. You'll still be hearing all about our current reads as well as some bookish discussion and we'll be expanding our What's Bringing Us Joy section, bringing more of our favourite things! Let us know what you think!
Salem's Current Reads
-
The Hidden Power of F***ing Up by The Try Guys
-
The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi
Mercy's Current Reads
-
The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
-
Queen of Hearts by Kimmery Martin
What's Bringing Us Joy
-
Finishing reading goals for the year!
-
New puppy, Lucy Buchanan
-
Derry Girls on Netflix
-
New Sheets from Amazon
Have you ever forced yourself to finish a book or gotten reader’s guilt over putting a book down and moving on to something else? This week, Salem and Mercy discuss the multiple reasons for not finishing books, how long they try before giving up and what is worth the push! Because life’s too short to read bad books! Happy listening!
Sadly, no new episode today folks. Thanks for sticking with us as we sort out a few scheduling issues. We’ll be back next week with a brand new episode in your earphones!
Reunited and it feels so good! Mercy’s back from holidays and we have so much holiday reading chats to catch up on! Lots of 5 star reads on this week’s episode so check it out! We also discuss Salem’s recent bookshelf change and all the many ways we arrange and display our own shelves. This one’s jam packed and lots of fun! Mercy’s Current Reads - The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides - American Royals by Katharine McGee - Majesty by Katharine McGee Salem’s Current Reads - Welcome Home: A Cozy Minimalist Guide to Decorating and Hosting All Year Round by Myquillyn Smith - The Plea by Steve Cavanagh What’s Bringing Us Joy ‘Get Organised With the Home Edit’ on Netflix and Instagram. The beautiful warm spring weather Thanks for listening!
This week we have a special co-host while Mercy is away and who better to replace a sister, than another sister! So Salem is joined this week by our older sister, Jordan Bariesheff! Jords is a recent convert to fiction and we talk about which book was the gamechanger for her transition from non-fiction to fiction lover!
Jordan Bariesheff - Honey & Gold
Jordan's Fave Books
The Great Alone - Kristin Hannah
Where the Crawdads Sing - Delia Owens
See You In September - Charity Norman
Current Reads
Code Name Helene - Ariel Lawhon
Giver of Stars - Jojo Moyes
Rules for Perfect Murders - Peter Swanson / Eight Perfect Murders (US version)
The Danish Way of Parenting: What the Happiest People in the World Know About Raising Confident, Capable Kids - Jessica Joelle Alexander & Iben Dissing Sandahl
The weather's warming up, the ocean's calling and Mercy's going on holiday so we're talking all about beach reading!! We both want slightly different things in our holiday reading and we talk about all of it and give some recommendations for some of our favourite beach reading authors!
Salem's Current Reads The Flatshare - Beth O'Leary How Do You Find The Time - Pat King
Mercy's Current Reads The Vanishing Half - Brit Bennett Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup - John Carreyrou
Beach Reads The Alice Network - Kate Quinn Kate Morton Lianne Moriarty Jane Harper Mary Kay Andrews Elin Hildebrand Jenny Colgan Taylor Jenkins Reid
What's Bringing Us Joy The Strike Series - Google Play Instagram Account @thenester
Even though we can't travel overseas right now, who says we can't read about it? We talk about what makes the difference between a great travel memoir and just an average one and then we recommend some that we love. Warning: get your passport ready because these books will make you want to jump on a plane as soon as borders open! Happy listening!
Mercy's Current Reads Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh Any Ordinary Day by Leigh Sales
Salem's Current Reads The Defence by Steve Cavanagh The Happiest Man On Earth by Eddie Jaku
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel A. van der Kolk
Travel Memoirs Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World by Anthony Doerr Confessions of a Qantas Flight Attendant: True Tales and Gossip from the Galley by Owen Beddall Wild Life: Travel Adventures of a Worldly Woman by Lisa Alpine Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman by Alice Steinbach The Year of Living Danishly: My Twelve Months of Unearthing the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country by Helen Russell Down Under by Bill Bryson At Home in the World: Reflections on Belonging While Wandering the Globe by Tsh Oxenreider
Straying from our usual formula this week with our first author interview with Hannah Currie! We talk about what moved Hannah from dreaming of writing to being a published author, how her characters take on a life of their own, and some behind the scenes on her Daughters of Peverell series. We had such a great time talking to Hannah and we could've talked for another hour at least! (Also enjoy the funny noise contributions by Hannah's son...you know we always keep it real!) Enjoy listening to this special episode and happy reading! FInd out more about Hannah and her work at www.hannahcurrie.com Heart of a Royal (Daughters of Peverell #1) Heart of a Princess (Daughters of Peverell #2)
Some of Hannah's fave books A Noble Masquerade by Kristi Ann Hunter Shadows Over England series by Rosanna White The Codebreakers series by Rosanna White P.S. I Like You by Kasie West
What's Bringing Us Joy Growing a Herb garden Deleting Netflix and Amazon Prime apps
Bujo's and Goodreads and Spreadsheets, oh my! If you struggle to remember what books you've read, what you want to read and just what you thought of a book, then this week's episode is for you! Or if you just love a good spreadsheet, Mercy does a little nerd out on how to apply Excel to the reading life. Happy listening!
Salem's Current Reads The Crossroad - Mark Donaldson The Switch - Beth O'Leary
Mercy's Current Reads The Jane Austen Society - Natalie Jenner They Do It With Mirrors (Miss Marple #6) - Agatha Christie
Goodreads The Ultimate Reading Spreadsheet
What's Bringing Us Joy Go-To Silk Pillowcase That Sounds Fun: Enneasummer 2020 Sixes podcast
Like most of us, we have a love/hate relationship with book to movie adaptations and we barely scratched the surface but this was so much fun! Plus, we talk to Mercy's husband Brad, for some sci-fi/fantasy recommendations! There were too many movie titles to tag so below is a short list of some we talked about. Happy listening!
Brad's Books
Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett
I, Jedi - MIchael Stackpole
Seven Ancient Wonders (Jack West Junior #1) - Matthew Reilly
Courageous Leadership - Bill Hybels
Assassin's Apprentice (Farseer Chronicles #1) - Robin Hobb
Books to Movies
Pride & Prejudice (1995) BBC
Pride & Prejudice (2005)
Sense & Sensibility (1995)
Sense & Sensibility (2008) BBC
Emma (2009) BBC
Cranford (2007) BBC
North & South (2004) BBC
Persuasion (2007) BBC
Jane Eyre (2011)
Little Women (2019)
Bride & Prejudice (2004)
Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001, 2002, 2003)
Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
Crooked House (2017)
Ordeal by Innocence (2018)
Murder, She Wrote (1984-1996)
Agatha Raisin (2014)
Aurora Teagarden Mysteries (2015-)
Mary Higgins Clark movies
Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
The Dressmaker (2015)
Anne of Green Gables (1985)
Big Little Lies (2017)
Do you flip to the last page of a book to find out what happens before you begin? Do you think the classics are overrated? Are you baffled by what books come out on top in awards season? Well this episode is for you and all your strong unpopular bookish opinions!
Salem's Current Reads How to Bullet Plan: Everything You Need to Know About Journalling With Bullet Points by Rachel Wilkerson Miller Cozy Minimalist Home by Myquillyn Smith
Mercy's Current Reads Unnatural Causes by Dr. Richard Shepherd Columbine by Dave Cullen
Other Books Mentioned: Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach Fall and Rise by Mitchell Zuckoff An American Marriage by Tayari Jones The River by Peter Heller Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
What's Bringing Us Joy Salem's new Reading Chair Food Parcels Mercy's new 'Cinco De Mayo' Earrings from Lovisa
Salem interviews our friend Jo for her thoughts on the reading life, and then we talk about the effects isolation has had on our book buying!
We've danced around this topic since the beginning and we finally decided to just dive in and dedicate a whole episode to our favourite WW2 books and we discuss why the reading community is so intrigued by this genre! NB. Mercy got ahead of herself and said this was episode 13 instead of episode 12 at the very beginning. Whoops!
Current Reads The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes - Suzanne Collins In the Bleak Midwinter - Julia Spencer-Fleming Downton Abbey: The Official Film Companion - Emma Marriott Skincare - Caroline Hirons
World War 2 Keith Lowe TED Talk Code Name Verity - Elizabeth Wein Lilac Girls - Martha Hall Kelly The Secret Keeper - Kate Morton The Alice Network - Kate Quinn A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute White Coolies - Betty Jeffrey (Inspired the movie Paradise Road) The War That Saved My Life - Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
More WW2 titles on Instagram highlights
What's Bringing Us Joy Caroline Hirons' Instagram Lives Joanna V-neck Knit - Feather & Noise (comes in many colours)
What's better than a book? A book about books! We're talking all our favourite non-fiction BAB's (Books About Books, obvs) plus our 2nd guest interview with friend of the show, Kim Saunders!
Kim's Books
Bittersweet - Shauna Niequist
Any Ordinary Day - Leigh Sales
Only Time Will Tell (The Clifton Chronicles) - Jeffrey Archer
Inklings (The Oxford Chronicles) - Melanie M. Jeschke
Whisper - Lynette Noni
Cupcake Jemma Youtube page
Books About Books
I'd Rather Be Reading - Anne Bogel
Bibliophile - Jane Mount
Honey for a Child's Heart - Gladys Hunt
The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary - Simon WInchester
The Read-Aloud Family - Sarah Mackenzie
Book Girl - Sarah Clarkson
Give Your Child the World: Raising Globally Minded Kids One Book at a Time - Jamie C. Martin
Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks - Annie Spence
What's Bringing Us Joy
Downton Abbey movie
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga movie
Celebrating making it to 10 episodes this week with our best episode yet!! Talking all about those hidden gems on our bookshelves and libraries and why the best-sellers are not always our favourite books!
Mercy's Current Reads:
Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner
Sea Wife by Amity Gaige
Salem's Current Reads:
Beneath the Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan
The Accidental Beauty Queen by Teri Wilson
Hidden Gems:
The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff
Gift From the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy
The Artful Parent by Jean Van't Hul
The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott
What's Bringing Us Joy:
Dressing Gown (Mint green version)
Hello Fresh subscription
Sale's weekend alone
Today's episode is jampacked and we have our 1st live guest, Anastasia Lambert, a friend of the show and fellow reader. She's eloquent and lovely and we had so much fun! Plus we started a new series called Reading Around the World and this week's focus is on Rural and Countryside England. What a week!
Anastasia's Books: Lenny's Book of Everything by Karen Foxlee Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl Revelation (The Passion Translation) My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions by Arthur Bennett Going Solo by Roald Dahl Little People, Big Dreams series The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom
Reading Around the World Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson Emma by Jane Austen Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen Persuasion by Jane Austen Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte The Mitford Murders by Jessica Fellowes The Peacock Emporium by Jojo Moyes Me Before You by Jojo Moyes The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken Poldark by Winston Graham
Win the Wilderness series Moo Goo Dry Shampoo
We’re back after a sneaky week’s break and today’s bookish discussion is all about re-reading! Do you find yourself coming back to the same books? Is there a book you read every year at a certain time? Listen to us chat about all of it, plus our current reads and what’s been bringing us joy! Happy Reading!
Mercy's Current Reads:
Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen
Lovely War by Julie Berry
Salem's Current Reads:
Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener (Agatha Raisin #3) by M.C. Beaton
The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri
Books We Mentioned:
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
The Best of Christmas In My Heart by Joe L. Wheeler (compiler)
Shauna Niequist
Rose In Bloom by L.M. Montgomery
Eight Cousins by L.M. Montgomery
Jane of Lantern Hill by L.M. Montgomery
An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott (not L. M. Montgomery, whoops!)
What Katy Did by Susan Coolidge
Christy by Catherine Marshall
The Family Nobody Wanted by Helen Doss
The Kensington Chronicles by Lori Wick
Dee Henderson
Matilda by Roald Dahl
The BFG by Roald Dahl
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
Yes Please by Amy Poehler
What's Bringing Us Joy
Salem's Birthday Week
Whisky Business breakfast - 1st time since restrictions lifted
This week we're talking about some of our all-time favourite authors and which of their books are our cream of the crop. From Kate Morton to Jodi Picoult and so many others, this episode will fill your TBR list!!
Salem's Current Reads:
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Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris
-
On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson
Mercy's Current Reads:
-
Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity and Love by Dani Shapiro
-
A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie
Favourite Authors and Their Books We Mentioned:
Jane Harper
- The Dry
Kate Morton
-
The Secret Keeper
-
The Forgotten Garden
-
The Shifting Fog
Liane Moriarty
-
Nine Perfect Strangers
-
What Alice Forgot
Agatha Christie
-
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
-
Murder on the Orient Express
-
And Then There Were None
James Herriot
- All Creatures Great & Small
Shauna Niequist
-
Cold Tangerines
-
Bread & Wine
Jojo Moyes
-
The Ship of Brides
-
Me Before You
Ariel Lawhon
-
The Wife, the Maid and the Mistress
-
Flight of Dreams
Kristin Hannah
-
The Nightingale
-
The Great Alone
Jodi Picoult
-
A Spark of Light
-
Small Great Things
Emily P. Freeman
-
The Next Right Thing podcast
-
A Million Little Ways
What's Bringing Us Joy:
-
The Mentalist
-
The Best Instrumental Movie Soundtrack Spotify playlist
-
Two Steps From Hell
We get nostalgic this week about some of our favourite book series we read as kids and our earliest reading memories. If you’ve run out of book suggestions for your kids, you might find some more here...and we finally talk about Harry Potter!!
Mercy's Current Reads:
-
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
-
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson (Did Not Finish)
Salem's Current Reads:
- So Much I Want To Tell You: Letters to my Little Sister by Anna Akana
Children's Series:
-
Famous Five series by Enid Blyton
-
What Katie Did by Susan Coolidge
-
A Life of Faith: Elsie Dinsmore by Martha FInley
-
In Grandma's Attic series by Arletta Richardson
-
Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
-
Milly-Molly-Mandy by Joyce Lancaster Brisley
-
The Green Ember series by S.D. Smith
-
Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
-
The Melendy Quartet by Elizabeth Enright
-
The Shoe books by Noel Streatfield
-
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
-
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
What's Bringing Us Joy:
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Friends Visiting
-
Kmart Insider instagram account
-
Zoom Family Call
Continuing on our non-fiction series, this week we talk about some that fall in the self-help and motivational non-fiction category. Disclaimer:self-improvement is not guaranteed or even necessary after reading these books!
Salem's Current Reads:
-
This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor by Adam Kay
-
Introverted Mom: Your Guide to More Calm, Less Guilt, and Quiet Joy by Jamie C. Martin
Mercy's Current Reads:
- Seven Ancient Wonders by Matthew Reilly
Self-Improvement & Motivation
-
Atomic Habits by James Clear
-
The Fringe Hours: Making Time For You by Jessica N. Turner
-
168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam
-
The Road Back To You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Cron & Suzanne Stabile
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The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
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Finish: Giving Yourself the Gift of Done by Jon Acuff
-
The Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
-
Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
-
The Barefoot Investor: The Only Money Guide You'll Ever Need by Scott Pape
What's Bringing Us Joy:
-
The Favorites File from the Lazy Genius Podcast
-
Visiting local bookshops
A little bonus episode talking about some of our most anticipated books from Modern Mrs Darcy’s 2020 Summer Reading Guide
Books We Mentioned:
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Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon
-
Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
-
The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton
-
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
-
The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner
-
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
-
Sea Wife by Amity Gaige
-
The End of October by Lawrence Wright
-
The Switch by Beth O'Leary
-
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
This week starts our non-fiction series and we’re discussing some of our favourite memoirs and biographies. And like always, we talk about what books we are currently reading and what’s bringing us joy. Happy Reading!
Mercy's Current Reads:
-
The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal
-
The Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason
-
Sadie by Courtney Summers
Salem's Current Reads:
-
As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of the Princess Bride by Cary Elwes
-
Beholding and Becoming: The Art of Everyday Worship by Ruth Chou Simons
Memoirs & Biographies:
-
Becoming by Michelle Obama
-
Beneath the Surface: Killer Whales, Seaworld and the Truth Beyond Blackfish by John Hargrove
-
Educated by Tara Westover
-
The Cross & the Switchblade by David Wilkerson
What's Bringing Us Joy:
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Target V-Neck T-Shirt
-
Jack Ryan
-
Peppermint Tea
This week we’re talking about our tried and true ways of getting book recommendations and Salem gets on her soapbox about the library.
Mercy's Current Reads:
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Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas by Adam Kay
-
Is It Just Me? by Miranda Hart
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Normal People by Sally Rooney (Did Not Finish)
Salem's Current Reads:
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All Dressed in White by Mary Higgins Clark & Alafair Burke
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Fall and Rise: The Story of 9/11 by Mitchell Zuckoff
Other books mentioned:
- This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor by Adam Kay
Where to find your next book recommendation:
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Local Library
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Audible
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Modern Mrs Darcy
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Everyday Reading
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Mom Advice
-
Goodreads
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What Should I Read Next podcast
-
One Great Book podcast
-
Popcast Green Lights
-
Currently Reading podcast
-
Diving In podcast
-
He Read She Read podcast
-
Novel Pairings podcast
-
Sarah's Bookshelves Live podcast
-
Read Aloud Revival podcast
What's Bringing Us Joy:
-
Go-To Skincare
-
DIY Anniversary Dinner
We’re talking some of our favourite adult and YA book series we love and a couple we definitely don’t! Plus what’s bringing us joy this week.
Mercy's Current Reads
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Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
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Mr. Nobody by Catherine Steadman
Salem's Current Reads
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A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner
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Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
Adult series we love:
-
Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith
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Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
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The Mark of the Lion series by Francince Rivers
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Empyrion by Stephen Lawhead
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Veronica Speedwell Mysteries by Deanna Raybourn
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Aaron Falk series by Jane Harper
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Hercule Poirot series by Agatha Christie
Young Adult series we love:
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Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
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Divergent by Veronica Roth
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The Selection series by Kiera Cass
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The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
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Cursebreakers by Brigid Kemmerer
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Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness
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Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard
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The Gender Game by Bella Forrest
Welcome to Episode 1 of this bookish podcast, where we talk some of our favourite books, what we’re reading at the moment and what’s saving our life right now. We hope this will bring some fun and joy to your day!
Here you'll find the books we talked about:
Mercy's Faves
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The Lost Man by Jane Harper
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The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore
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Recursion by Blake Crouch
Salem's Faves
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The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom
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The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
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And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
What we're currently reading:
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Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman
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The Likeness (Dublin Murder Squad #2) by Tana French
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The Resilience Project: Finding Happiness through Gratitude, Empathy & Mindfulness by Hugh Van Cuylenberg
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The Stationery Shop of Tehran by Marjan Kamali
What's Bringing Us Joy Right Now:
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Happy Color app
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Upworthy Instagram account