Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Welcome to Episode 238 which features an Author Spotlight with the wonderfully creepy Clare Beams! To clarify: it’s her work that’s creepy, in a good way. As you’ll hear in the interview, Clare is lovely, smart, feminist, and fun. We both enjoyed her latest book, THE GARDEN, which is part historical fiction, part ghost story, and part pregnancy horror story all wrapped up in a novel about a woman who finds herself in a place she never imagined with results that . . . well, you’ll have to read it yourself to find out.
Show notes for this episode: bookcougars.com/blog-1/2025/episode238
We also talk about what we’re currently reading. Chris is enjoying a re-read of SUMMER ON THE LAKES, IN 1843 by Margaret Fuller and Emily is relishing BUCKEYE by Patrick Ryan (pubs on 9/2)
Those of you who’ve been reading along with us in the PENGUIN BOOK OF GHOST STORIES: From Elizabeth Gaskell to Ambrose Bierce will be happy to hear we did our homework. We discuss two stories from the collection: “Thrawn Janet” by Robert Louis Stevenson and “The Open Door” by Margaret Oliphant.
In #BiblioAdventures, Emily recaps recent writing workshops she has attended, one with Shuly Cawood and the other with Betsy Lerner. Chris watched the 1997 mini-series adaptation of Stephen King’s 1979 novel, THE SHINING, which she compares to the 1980 movie adaptation. Spoiler alert: the novel is best.
As always, there’s more bookish goodness in the episode than we mention here. We hope you enjoy it and wish you lots of Happy Reading!
Sign up for our monthly newsletter: bookcougars.com/subscriber
We are an affiliate of Bookshop. org. Your purchase made through our link is greatly appreciated: bookshop.org/shop/bookcougars
Thanks for listening!
Chris & Emily
p.s. If you enjoy our content and would like to support the Book Cougars, become a Patreon patreon.com/BookCougars
OTHER PLACES TO FIND US:
Website: bookcougars.com
Blue Sky: @bookcougars.bsky.social
Facebook: @bookcougars
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Threads: @bookcougars
#bookcougars #authorinterview #authorspotlight #bookpodcast #podcast #podcastepisode #booktube #books #booksbooksbooks #reading #booksof2025 #bookish #fiction #currentlyreading #bookrecommendations #amreading #newepisode #biblioadventures #literarytravel
Welcome to Episode 238 which features an Author Spotlight with the wonderfully creepy Clare Beams! To clarify: it’s her work that’s creepy, in a good way. As you’ll hear in the interview, Clare is lovely, smart, feminist, and fun. We both enjoyed her latest book, THE GARDEN, which is part historical fiction, part ghost story, and part pregnancy horror story all wrapped up in a novel about a woman who finds herself in a place she never imagined with results that . . . well, you’ll have to read it yourself to find out.
Show notes for this episode: bookcougars.com/blog-1/2025/episode238
We also talk about what we’re currently reading. Chris is enjoying a re-read of SUMMER ON THE LAKES, IN 1843 by Margaret Fuller and Emily is relishing BUCKEYE by Patrick Ryan (pubs on 9/2)
Those of you who’ve been reading along with us in the PENGUIN BOOK OF GHOST STORIES: From Elizabeth Gaskell to Ambrose Bierce will be happy to hear we did our homework. We discuss two stories from the collection: “Thrawn Janet” by Robert Louis Stevenson and “The Open Door” by Margaret Oliphant.
In #BiblioAdventures, Emily recaps recent writing workshops she has attended, one with Shuly Cawood and the other with Betsy Lerner. Chris watched the 1997 mini-series adaptation of Stephen King’s 1979 novel, THE SHINING, which she compares to the 1980 movie adaptation. Spoiler alert: the novel is best.
As always, there’s more bookish goodness in the episode than we mention here. We hope you enjoy it and wish you lots of Happy Reading!
Sign up for our monthly newsletter: bookcougars.com/subscriber
We are an affiliate of Bookshop. org. Your purchase made through our link is greatly appreciated: bookshop.org/shop/bookcougars
Thanks for listening!
Chris & Emily
p.s. If you enjoy our content and would like to support the Book Cougars, become a Patreon patreon.com/BookCougars
OTHER PLACES TO FIND US:
Website: bookcougars.com
Blue Sky: @bookcougars.bsky.social
Facebook: @bookcougars
Instagram: @bookcougars
Threads: @bookcougars
#bookcougars #authorinterview #authorspotlight #bookpodcast #podcast #podcastepisode #booktube #books #booksbooksbooks #reading #booksof2025 #bookish #fiction #currentlyreading #bookrecommendations #amreading #newepisode #biblioadventures #literarytravel
