Sharing Our Stories: Get to Know Victoria, Cindy and Amy

APPLE | GOOGLE | SPOTIFY | AMAZON

This episode is a get-to-know-us chat trio edition!  Joining me on the couch is Cindy Burnett from the Thoughts from a Page Podcast and Amy Allen Clark, who runs the momadvice.com blog and the Book Gang Podcast.  In this episode, you’ll get to know us more, from childhood reading experiences to our present-day relationship with books and reading, how we started sharing content online, and much more.  You can also expect some book recommendations, books we’re looking forward to reading, and what you can expect from us in the year ahead.  This episode is truly a celebration of our love for books, and it will have you reflecting on your reading journeys, too.

– Cindy Burnett is the host of the Thoughts from a Page Podcast
– Amy Allen Clark is the host of the Book Gang Podcast

Exploring the Power of Literature: A Deep Dive into Our Lifelong Love of Books

Literature has an extraordinary ability to shape our lives, evoke memories, and forge connections that span a lifetime.  So in this episode, I’m joined alongside Cindy Burnett from the Thoughts from a Page Podcast and Amy Allen Clark, who runs the momadvice.com blog and the Book Gang Podcast.  We all had a heartwarming discussion about our early reading experiences and how those moments have led to who we are today.

Childhood Reading Nostalgia

The episode begins with a trip down memory lane as we share our childhood reading experiences.  I shared the influence of my grandparents and the beloved bookshop and library where I first discovered the magic of books.  Cindy shares her constant companionship with books during her frequent moves as a child which offered comfort and continuity. Amy shares her memories of her father, the bookmobile and her love for Scholastic Book Fairs.

Reading as a Lifeline Through Change

The conversation also highlights how much reading has served as a constant lifeline through the changes in our lives and how books have been a source of solace and a means of connection.  We also share how we got started creating content, from starting book clubs and interacting with authors to creating spaces for literary discussions through podcasts and online communities.

Book Recommendations and Literary Delights

Our course, no conversation with book lovers is complete without sharing book recommendations.  We shared childhood favorites, books we loved reading in 2023, and books we are excited to read in 2024.

BOOKS MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder (Amazon or Bookshop)

Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene (Amazon or Bookshop)

(Trixie Belden) The Secret of the Mansion by Julie Campbell (Amazon)

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (Amazon or Bookshop)

Six Months to Live by Lurlene McDaniel (Amazon or Bookshop)

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (Amazon or Bookshop)

Enid Blyton Malory Towers (Amazon)

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (Amazon or Bookshop)

Turn of the Screw by Henry James (Amazon or Bookshop)

A Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure (Amazon or Bookshop)

Shark Heart by Emily Habeck (Amazon or Bookshop)

The Girls We Sent Away by Meagan Church (Amazon or Bookshop)

The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo (Amazon or Bookshop)

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters (Amazon or Bookshop)

The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos (Amazon or Bookshop)

Homecoming by Kate Morton (Amazon or Bookshop)

I Could Live Here Forever by Hannah Halperin (Amazon or Bookshop)

The Last Word by Taylor Adams (Amazon or Bookshop)

The Three of Us by Ore Agbaje-Williams (Amazon or Bookshop)

• Listen to my chat with Ore on the podcast: The Three of Us by Ore Agbaje-Williams

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (Amazon or Bookshop)

• If you’re interested in reading Virginia Woolf check out: Virginia Woolf’s Must-Read Books: Where to Start Reading

The Dissonance by Shaun Hamill (Amazon or Bookshop)

A Cosmology of Monsters by Shaun Hamill (Amazon or Bookshop)

A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall (Amazon or Bookshop)

The Great Divide by Cristina Henriquez (Amazon or Bookshop)

Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez (Amazon or Bookshop)

Real Americans by Rachel Khong (Amazon or Bookshop)

Goodbye Vitamin by Rachel Khong (Amazon or Bookshop)

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange (Amazon or Bookshop)

There There by Tommy Orange (Amazon or Bookshop)

The Angel of Indian Lake by Stephen Graham Jones (Amazon or Bookshop)

My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones (Amazon or Bookshop)

Don’t Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones (Amazon or Bookshop)

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio (Amazon or Bookshop)

Northwoods by Amy Pease (Amazon or Bookshop)

The Turtle House by Amanda Churchill (Amazon or Bookshop)

What did you think about this episode collaboration?

Did you enjoy listening to us sharing our stories?  Have you read any of the books we mentioned in this episode?  Let’s talk all about this episode in the comments below.