Bookish Flights: Books, Author Interviews & Must-Read Recommendations

Kara Infante
  • 5.0 (90)
  • BOOKS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Bookish Flights is the place to talk books and reading. This podcast focuses on connection, storytelling and the transformative power of books. Each episode invites guests to share the three books that have influenced them, unlocking their wisdom and how it changed their lives. Books are a bridge that connects us, a remedy for loneliness, and the best conversational currency to be the most interesting person in the room! Rooted in the belief that stories shape who we are, this podcast brings people together through a shared love of literature. Perfect for book lovers, Bookish Flights inspires listeners to discover the books that can shape their own lives. You will love this show If you have ever asked: What are the best fiction and non-fiction books to read?Which books should I add to my reading list?How can I find more time to read?What are the best books for exploring new genres?What books are perfect for my kids?What is the publishing journey like for authors?What books do my favorite authors love to read?Discover book recommendations across a wide range of genres, including historical fiction, romantasy, rom-coms, mysteries, thrillers and personal development. Check out the website www.bookishflights.com to see book club picks and the wide range of book flights. 

  1. Faith, History, and Forgiveness: Inside Historical Christian Romance with Tracie Peterson (E202)

    9H AGO

    Faith, History, and Forgiveness: Inside Historical Christian Romance with Tracie Peterson (E202)

    Send a text In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Tracie Peterson, often called the Queen of Historical Christian Fiction. An ECPA, CBA, and USA Today bestselling author of more than 110 books, Tracie has spent decades weaving together faith, history, and romance for readers around the world. Her guiding motto in both life and writing is Soli Deo Gloria — For God Alone the Glory. A Kansas native now living in the mountains of Montana with her husband, Jim, Tracie joins me to discuss her latest novel, Faithful of Heart, part of the Minnesota Legacy series. Episode Highlights: Her deep research process, especially her love of firsthand historical accounts.Why setting functions almost like a secondary character in her novels.The heart behind Faithful of Heart and what’s ahead for the Minnesota Legacy series.Balancing reading and writing, and how deadlines shape her reading life.The themes of hope and forgiveness that thread through her stories.Her book flight includes historical Christian romances that beautifully blend faith, perseverance, and love.This conversation is thoughtful, grounded, and rooted in a lifetime of faithful storytelling. Connect with Tracie: InstagramFacebookWebsiteShow Notes Some links are affiliate links, which are no extra cost to you but do help to support the show. Books and authors mentioned in the episode: Jane Austin booksTom Clancy booksJaime Jo Wright booksBook Flight A Song in the Dark by Kimberley WoodhouseMail Order Duchess / Mail Order Baroness by Misty M. BellarChristy by Catherine Marshall✨ Find Your Next Great Read! We just hit 175 episodes of Bookish Flights, and to celebrate, I created the Bookish Flights Roadmap — a guide to all 175 podcast episodes, sorted by genre to help you find your next great read faster. Explore it here → www.bookishflights.com/read/roadmap Support the show Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening! Instagram Facebook Website

    30 min
  2. That’s What Friends Are For: Aging, Authenticity, & Found Family with Wade Rouse (E201)

    2D AGO

    That’s What Friends Are For: Aging, Authenticity, & Found Family with Wade Rouse (E201)

    Send a text In today’s episode, I sit down with USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and internationally bestselling author Wade Rouse. Many readers know Wade by his pen name, Viola Shipman, his grandmother’s name chosen to honor the woman whose stories and heirlooms inspire his fiction. But this novel marks something new. That’s What Friends Are For is the first book he has published under his own name. Inspired by The Golden Girls, the novel follows four gay men “of a certain age” who have built a vibrant chosen family in Palm Springs, until an unexpected family arrival begins to unravel long-held secrets. Episode Highlights: Why Wade chose his grandmother’s name as his pen nameWhat publishing under his own name represents at this stage of his lifeThe Golden Girls inspiration behind “The Golden Gays”Writing about aging in AmericaThe power of found family and chosen friendshipHumor as a doorway to deeper emotional truthThe legacy behind his beloved Viola Shipman novelsIf you have ever built family beyond blood, navigated reinvention, or believe friendship carries us through life’s hardest seasons, this episode is for you. Connect with Wade: WebsiteInstagramFacebook Show Notes Some links are affiliate links, which are no extra cost to you but do help to support the show. Books and authors mentioned in the episode: Erma Bombeck booksDavid Sedaris booksI Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora EphronRunning with Scissors by Augusten BurroughsThe Last of the Savages by Jay McInerneyCatcher in the Rye by J.D. SalingerSo Old, So Young by Grant GinderBook Flight Awake by Jen HatmakerThe Forget-Me-Not Library by Heather WebberHazel Says No by Jessica Berger Gross✨ Find Your Next Great Read! We just hit 175 episodes of Bookish Flights, and to celebrate, I created the Bookish Flights Roadmap — a guide to all 175 podcast episodes, sorted by genre to help you find your next great read faster. Explore it here → www.bookishflights.com/read/roadmap Support the show Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening! Instagram Facebook Website

    42 min
  3. An Invitation to Slow Down: The Sacred Work of Showing Up in Everyday Conversations with Matt Mattson (E200)

    FEB 25

    An Invitation to Slow Down: The Sacred Work of Showing Up in Everyday Conversations with Matt Mattson (E200)

    Send a text I’m chatting with Matt Mattson, a writer, speaker, social mystic, & spiritual leader dedicated to cultivating sacred human connection. Matt is the founder of BETWEEN, an innovative and deeply inclusive global faith community that invites people into curiosity, conversation, and shared moments of meaning. His work blends ancient wisdom with modern insight, helping people notice and name the sacred woven into everyday encounters. We are here today to celebrate the release of his newest book, Cathedrals of Connection. Connect with Matt: InstagramFacebookWebsiteBooks mentioned: Kitchen Confidential by Anthony BourdainHow to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale CarnegieEverything is a Story by Kaitlin B. CurticeBook Flight Aflame by Pico IyerThe Healing Power of the Santuario de Chimayó by Brett HendricksonHoly Envy by Barbara Brown Taylor✨ Find Your Next Great Read! We just hit 175 episodes of Bookish Flights, and to celebrate, I created the Bookish Flights Roadmap — a guide to all 175 podcast episodes, sorted by genre to help you find your next great read faster. Explore it here → www.bookishflights.com/read/roadmap Support the show Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening! Instagram Facebook Website

    1h 10m
  4. BFF Book Club - The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett (E199)

    FEB 20

    BFF Book Club - The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett (E199)

    Send a text Today is our latest BFF Book Club. This month, we’re joined by by Annie Harnett, author of The Road to Tender Hearts. Annie is the award-winning author of two additional novels, Rabbit Cake and Unlikely Animals.  Episode Highlights: The inspiration behind The Road to Tender Hearts and how Annie transformed personal anxiety into sharp, heartfelt fiction.Her writing process of “going for the joke first” and then layering in what she calls the “emo copy” to bring emotional depth.Why humor is her entry point into heavier themes.How her experience as a former bookseller shaped her storytelling and reading life.Annie’s book flight featuring four of her all-time favorite books.Connect with Annie: InstagramWebsite📚 Next Meet the Author Event 🗓️ March 15th | 🕓 3 pm PST / 5 pm CST / 6 pm EST We’re thrilled to welcome Carmela Dutra, author of A Murder Most Fowl, a cozy food truck murder mystery, to our next Book Club gathering! Come for the conversation and stay for the community. 👉 Register Here. Books and authors mentioned in the episode: Karmen Somers episode featuring The Road to Tender Hearts (E168)Moby Dick by Herman MelvilleGone Girl by Gillian FlynnSave the Cat by Blake SnyderEmily Henry’s bookMargo’s Got Money Trouble by Rufi ThorpeShark Heart by Emily HabeckThe Wedding People by Alison EspachRemarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van PeltAnxious People by Fredrik BakmanBook Flight Lincoln in the Bardo by George SaundersThe Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee BenderSwamplandia! by Karen RussellJohn Irving’s books✨ Find Your Next Great Read! We just hit 175 episodes of Bookish Flights, and to celebrate, I created the Bookish Flights Roadmap — a guide to all 175 podcast episodes, sorted by genre to help you find your next great read faster. Explore it here → www.bookishflights.com/read/roadmap Support the show Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening! Instagram Facebook Website

    46 min
  5. Remembering Sicily: War, Family, and Forgotten Italian American History with Lindsay Marie Morris (E198)

    FEB 18

    Remembering Sicily: War, Family, and Forgotten Italian American History with Lindsay Marie Morris (E198)

    Send a text In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Lindsay Marie Morris, a novelist and journalist based in Los Angeles whose work is deeply rooted in her Sicilian-American heritage. Lindsay’s debut novel, The Last Letter from Sicily, was inspired by her grandmother’s story and explores love, resilience, and long-held family secrets during World War II. Her second novel, Beneath the Sicilian Stars, returns to this era, following a family divided between California and Sicily as the war forces them to confront questions of loyalty, belonging, and sacrifice. Episode Highlights: The often-overlooked history of Sicilians and Italian Americans during World War II, including the impact of the Alien Enemy Act and the internment of Italian Americans, history rarely taught in American schools.How family stories are often passed down in fragments, and the role fiction can play in uncovering the fuller, more complicated truth.Exploring Sicilian culture through food, including why arancini are shaped differently depending on where you are on the island.A Sicily-focused book flight, plus additional reading recommendations on Italian and Italian-American history.How Lindsay connects with readers through her newsletter, sharing behind-the-scenes insights, upcoming events, and travel notes from the road. Connect with Lindsay: WebsiteFacebookInstagram Show Notes Some links are affiliate links, which are no extra cost to you but do help to support the show. Books and authors mentioned in the episode: Una Storia Segreta by Lawrence DiStasiLaura Ingalls Wilder booksNeopolitan Quartet by Elena FerranteEternal by Lisa ScottolineRenata Tebaldi: The Voice of an Angel by Carlamaria CasanovaBook Flight The Peoples of Sicily by Louis Mendola & Jacqueline AlioThe Leopard by Giovanni Di LampedusaSicily on My Mind by Joseph Cione✨ Find Your Next Great Read! We just hit 175 episodes of Bookish Flights, and to celebrate, I created the Bookish Flights Roadmap — a guide to all 175 podcast episodes, sorted by genre to help you find your next great read faster. Explore it here → www.bookishflights.com/read/roadmap Support the show Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening! Instagram Facebook Website

    48 min
  6. Building Something That Is Ours: Creativity, Community, and Military Life with Ashlee Sullivan (E197)

    FEB 11

    Building Something That Is Ours: Creativity, Community, and Military Life with Ashlee Sullivan (E197)

    Send a text In today’s episode, I am chatting with Ashlee Sullivan. Ashlee, CEO and founder of woman + warrior®️THE first OFFICIAL APPAREL BRAND line of it’s kind, made for the military family! Because we deserve to be seen, look good, and feel great while doing this thing called the military.  This episode is part of our Military Spouse Series, and Ashlee shares her journey transitioning from a Coast Guard Reserve family to an Active Duty Army family. We talk about starting a business rooted in representation, using creativity and humor to cope during hard seasons, and the challenge of finding support in a transient military lifestyle. Resources Mentioned Military One SourceInDependent, for military spouse wellnessStronghold Food Pantry, to help military families facing food insecurity.  Episode Highlights: Starting a mission-driven business as a military spouse.Using creativity and humor to cope during difficult seasons.Why finding military resources can feel so hard.Building real community in a constantly changing lifestyle.Mental health, burnout, and giving yourself permission to rest.Reading as both a luxury and a necessity.Showing up online with intention and influence.Her book flight is for those with big dreams and how to get you there. Connect with Ashlee: InstagramFacebookWebsite Show Notes Some links are affiliate links, which are no extra cost to you but do help to support the show. Books and authors mentioned in the episode: Wisdom Takes Work by Ryan HolidayOriginals by Adam GrantBook Flight Steal Like an Artist by Austin KleonDiscipline is Destiny by Ryan HolidayCourage is Calling by Ryan HolidayThe Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday✨ Find Your Next Great Read! We just hit 175 episodes of Bookish Flights, and to celebrate, I created the Bookish Flights Roadmap — a guide to all 175 podcast episodes, sorted by genre to help you find your next great read faster. Explore it here → www.bookishflights.com/read/roadmap Support the show Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening! Instagram Facebook Website

    49 min
  7. Writing Courageous Women into History: Saving Vincent, A Novel of Jo van Gogh (E196)

    FEB 6

    Writing Courageous Women into History: Saving Vincent, A Novel of Jo van Gogh (E196)

    Send a text In today's episode, I am chatting with Joan Fernandez. Joan is a brings to light brilliant women’s courageous deeds in history. She is a former senior marketing executive general partner of the financial powerhouse Edward Jones. In 2018, she retired from a 30+ year career to be a full-time writer. In April 2020, she founded a Historical Fiction affinity group within WFWA that grew from a handful of people to nearly two hundred authors. Her short story, “A Parisian Daughter,” is published in the anthology, Feisty Deeds: Historical Fiction of Daring Women. Her debut novel, Saving Vincent, A Novel of Jo Van Gogh, published in April 2025. Joan calls both St. Louis and Sedona, Arizona home, enjoys foodie meals with her Cuban husband and antics with grandkids. Episode Highlights: How Joan’s first career shaped her writing life and the confidence that comes from starting something new after years of expertise.Applying the skills, discipline, and mindset from a long, successful career to the creative work of writing.Discovering the story of Jo van Gogh and what inspired Joan to center her debut novel on a woman often overlooked in art history.The realities of raising a child while running a business—and advocating relentlessly for Vincent van Gogh’s work.Using personal letters and historical documents as research, including the powerful reminder that “art must touch your soul.”A book flight focused on characters searching for identity and learning how to live authentically, carrying who they are into every part of life. Connect with Joan: InstagramFacebookWebsite Show Notes Some links are affiliate links, which are no extra cost to you but do help to support the show. Books and authors mentioned in the episode: Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow LindberghSong of Belonging by Michelle St. Romain (coming 04/21/26)Book Flight The Hate U Give by Angie ThomasSuch a Fun Age by Kiley ReidOona, Out of Order by Margarita Montimore✨ Find Your Next Great Read! We just hit 175 episodes of Bookish Flights, and to celebrate, I created the Bookish Flights Roadmap — a guide to all 175 podcast episodes, sorted by genre to help you find your next great read faster. Explore it here → www.bookishflights.com/read/roadmap Support the show Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening! Instagram Facebook Website

    35 min
  8. Scary, Funny Books and Finding Light in Hard Seasons with Theory Knight (E195)

    FEB 4

    Scary, Funny Books and Finding Light in Hard Seasons with Theory Knight (E195)

    Send a text In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Theory Knight—a sci-fi lover, aspiring pilot, and thoughtful storyteller with a deep love of humor, humanity, and connection. Theory dreams of flying someday, loves Hawaii, and believes in the therapeutic value of road trips. She’s only organized because of technology, is thankful for good vacuum cleaners, and would absolutely rent an apartment inside Canadian Tire if they’d let her. We’re here today to discuss her new book, Jingle Bells, Sasquatch Smells, and the stories that help reset our nervous systems—especially during hard seasons. Theory’s reading life leans toward what she calls scary, funny books: stories that hold darkness with humor and leave you feeling more grateful for what you have. Episode Highlights: What Canadian Tire is (for those of us who didn’t grow up with it).Why being among others during hard times can be incredibly grounding.How humor helps us sit with scary or uncomfortable moments.Setting boundaries with dark books and knowing your limits.The sci-fi stories that shaped Theory’s reading life.Writing with intention and bringing only what you truly love into a book.Working creatively with a spouse (her husband is her cover designer, go check them out). Connect with Theory: InstagramWebsiteBook Playlists (how fun!)Buy Tiger in My Tank Books and authors mentioned in the episode: Ender’s Game by Orson Scott CardThe Complete Works of Oscar WildeDungeon Crawler Carl by Matt DinnimanBook Flight The Street Lawyer by John GrishamAll My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews Jingle Bells, Sasquatch Smells by Theory Knight✨ Find Your Next Great Read! We just hit 175 episodes of Bookish Flights, and to celebrate, I created the Bookish Flights Roadmap — a guide to all 175 podcast episodes, sorted by genre to help you find your next great read faster. Explore it here → www.bookishflights.com/read/roadmap Support the show Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening! Instagram Facebook Website

    37 min
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5
out of 5
90 Ratings

About

Bookish Flights is the place to talk books and reading. This podcast focuses on connection, storytelling and the transformative power of books. Each episode invites guests to share the three books that have influenced them, unlocking their wisdom and how it changed their lives. Books are a bridge that connects us, a remedy for loneliness, and the best conversational currency to be the most interesting person in the room! Rooted in the belief that stories shape who we are, this podcast brings people together through a shared love of literature. Perfect for book lovers, Bookish Flights inspires listeners to discover the books that can shape their own lives. You will love this show If you have ever asked: What are the best fiction and non-fiction books to read?Which books should I add to my reading list?How can I find more time to read?What are the best books for exploring new genres?What books are perfect for my kids?What is the publishing journey like for authors?What books do my favorite authors love to read?Discover book recommendations across a wide range of genres, including historical fiction, romantasy, rom-coms, mysteries, thrillers and personal development. Check out the website www.bookishflights.com to see book club picks and the wide range of book flights. 

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