.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
Virginia Pye on Historical Fiction of the Recent Past & Infusing Joy into Tough Topics (E219)
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
This week on Bookish Flights, I’m joined by Virginia Pye, author of Marriage and Other Monuments, to discuss writing stories set in what she calls “the recent past” and why she’s drawn to exploring moments of cultural and personal change through fiction. We talked about the emotional balance of writing difficult subjects while still leaving space for hope, the surprising role the river played while shaping the novel, and her path to becoming a novelist after raising young children. Virginia also shares a book flight featuring three recent reads she’s loved lately.
Episode Highlights:
- Why twists and surprises matter in her storytelling
- Her favorite character to write in Marriage and Other Monuments
- How setting can evolve into its own presence within a story
- The marathon-like reality of writing book-length fiction
- Balancing literary work with teaching, editing, and reading
- A reading life centered around curiosity and craft
Connect with Virginia:
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:
- The Literary Undoing of Victoria Swann by Virginia Pye
- Historical Fiction: Remarkable Women and the Rich History of the South with Katherine Scott Crawford (Ep. 203)
- Lad: a Dog by Albert Payson Terhune
- Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
- Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson
- I Felt My Life with Both My Hands by Jessica Treadway
- Kin by Tayari Jones
Book Flight
- Dream State by Eric Puchner
- This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman
- Small Town Girls by Jayne Anne Phillips
✨ 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!