It's Christmas Book-Shopping Season, Bookcasters! Hey there Reader, It's December and that means it's time to think about what you're going to get for the readers in your life, especially the young readers. To help you out, I've put together a list of over 30 Oklahoma authors who write for children and middle-grade readers. The list includes links to their websites or other places where you can purchase their books to make it easy to support these local authors and grab some great fantastic...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
It's National Novel Writing Month! Hey there Reader, It's November and for many writers that means it's time to try to crank out 50,000 words on a project for National Novel Writing Month (NANOWRIMO for the cool kids). So remember to support / encourage your favorite author as they tackle the challenge. Since we're thinking about writers, this months recommendation list is 10 novels that feature writers as a main character. I've got everything from romance to horror and from brand new to...
3 months ago • 2 min read
It's Spooky Season, Bookcasters! Hey there Reader, Every October we ask past guests to share their favorite Halloween reads for spooky season. This year they went above and beyond! Here are 43 recommendations from 22 guests. I've put together a special shop on Bookshop.org where you can check out all of these titles. Click here to purchase these books From kids's books to horror novels, classics to comics, this should fill up your Spooky Season TBR list: Grace Filer, YNGR: Something Wicked...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Happy Autumn! Hey there Reader, I get it, it's only September and it's still hot in Oklahoma, but school (and football!) has started and eventually the season is going to turn. With the turning seasons come turning leaves, which made me think about colors - so here are eight books with colors in the title to check out this fall on your road trip to watch the leaves change color in Eastern Oklahoma! Remember - you can get any of these books (and help out the show!) by clicking on the link and...
5 months ago • 2 min read
It's Indie August! Hey there Reader, The Bookcast loves independent and self-published authors! August is a month dedicated to celebrating these folks and their work, so I've put together a list of Oklahoma indie authors and books for you to check out. This list includes a wide variety of topics and genres - definitely something for everyone. Pick up a couple of these titles and help us (and these authors) celebrate Indie August. Betsey Kulakowski: The King's Ransom (releases this week!)...
6 months ago • 1 min read
Stay Cool, Bookcasters! Hey there Reader, It seems like the story of the summer (so far) is this insane heat. Since we're all staying inside, you might as well be reading, right? To help you keep building that TBR pile, here are 7 books set in the summer to enjoy on the beach or wherever you might find yourself this July: Summer of '99 - J.L. Hyde: A decades-old mystery centered around a pre-teen camp sets the scene for this great book by friend of the podcast, J.L. Hyde. The Great Gatsby -...
7 months ago • 1 min read
Don't Call It A Comeback! Hey there Reader, After a three-month hiatus, we're back in action! I want to catch everybody up on a couple of things and then Hannah and I have some recommendations for you at the end. First - The Bookcast is back with new episodes, starting June 4! Chapter 60 features my conversation with Jeff Schmidt who wrote a fantastic book about ghost towns and other small towns across Oklahoma called Here Today. You're going to love hearing Jeff's stories and his passion....
8 months ago • 1 min read
Important Announcement! Hey there Reader, Happy March! As you know, I typically use the Bookcast Newsletter to give you recommendations for amazing reads, but this month I want to share a quick update about the podcast. Effective today the Bookcast is going on hiatus for a couple of months. Everything is fine. Everyone is well. I just need some time to focus on writing projects and some other fun stuff going on in the life of our family and taking a break from podcasting is the best way to...
11 months ago • 1 min read
Love Is in the Air, Bookcasters! Hey there Reader, It's February and that means we've been staring at heart-shaped candy and cards in the stores for about 5 weeks now. Of course it's time for Valentine's Day, so that means it's also a perfect time to think about love stories. I asked booksellers from all over the state to give me some of their favorite love stories to share with you. These aren't just "romance" novels, but books across multiple genres and levels that feature great love...
12 months ago • 1 min read