.png)
Bookish Flights: Books, Author Interviews & Must-Read Recommendations
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.
Bookish Flights: Books, Author Interviews & Must-Read Recommendations
The Not-So-Secret Writing Life: Second Careers & Secret Societies with Karen Winn (E193)
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Karen Winn. Karen is the author of two novels: The Society (Dutton, 2026), and Our Little World (Dutton, 2022). She earned her MFA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. For her undergraduate studies she attended the University of Pennsylvania, where she may or may not have belonged to a secret society.
Writing is her first love and second career; she worked as a nurse for many years. Karen lives in the charming Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston with her husband, two children, and their 100-pound Bernedoodle.
Karen and I chatted about all this things - including switching careers and how her nursing skill set translated into her novel writing. Her book flight includes books about secret society and outsider protagnoists who get access.
Episode Highlights:
- Transitioning from nursing to fiction writing—and navigating a second career.
- How medical training shapes character development and emotional realism.
- Writing as a “secret identity” before stepping fully into the role of author.
- The influence of place and setting, especially Boston’s Beacon Hill, on creativity.
- Exploring secret societies in fiction.
- Outsider protagonists who suddenly gain access to hidden worlds.
Connect with Karen:
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:
- Lucy Foley books
- Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
- The Found Object Society by Michelle Maryk
Book Flight
- The Cloisters by Katy Hays
- Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
- The Secret History by Donna Tartt
✨ 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
Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!