Fireside Lit Book Club

In this episode, we unpack the themes of love, identity, and the tension between selfhood and responsibility in The Awakening by Kate Chopin. Is fulfillment found in others, or in devotion to the self? Perhaps the answer lies somewhere in between.

In this episode of Fireside Lit, we explore some of the common themes across Greek tragedy, as emphasized by playwrights Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, and discuss how these themes or "lessons" are still applicable to modern life.

Join us by the fire as we discuss some of the best, most impactful, and influential authors who have contributed to the YA/coming-of-age genre through the years. We'll also discuss some of their most memorable books, taking a stroll down memory lane to literature that shaped us as we grew up.

W hat happens when we push others away as we bow at the altar of our own mind? How does worshipping our own insightfulness, our own ego, lead to cynicism and isolation? Fyodor Dostoevsky's Notes From the Underground explores these questions and more. As we become acquainted with the misanthropic Underground Man, we learn that suffering stems not only from external circumstances, but from the tendency to idolize that suffering. We see firsthand how living in one's own mind can become pathology rather than introspection. If you’ve ever overanalyzed yourself into paralysis, struggled with uncertainty, or mistaken cynicism for depth, join us by the fire.

(Correction: In the episode, I mistakenly refer to The Art of Loving as being by “Ethan Fromm.” The correct author is Erich Fromm).With Valentine’s Day as a backdrop, this episode of Fireside Lit Book Club takes a thoughtful, honest look at how literature portrays love — not as a fairytale, but as something lived, tested, and deepened over time.Join us as we reflect on how popular culture often narrows our understanding of romance into idealized “happily ever afters,” and contrast that with the richer, more realistic depictions found in classic literature. From marriages shaped by faith and sacrifice, to relationships strained by society, pride, grief, and growth, these stories reveal love as an action, a discipline, and a force that asks something of us.

Season 2 of Fireside Lit Book Club begins with a deep dive into Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus.In this episode, we explore themes of power, obedience, suffering, and moral integrity, drawing connections between Greek tragedy and Christian tradition. Through the stories of Prometheus and Io, we reflect on what it means to stay true to yourself in systems that reward compliance and punish resistance.This season premiere invites listeners to think about where they find meaning, how authority shapes belief, and whether peace is ever worth the cost of truth.Settle in, get cozy, and welcome back to Fireside Lit.

As the year comes to a close, I’m sharing what’s on my 2026 TBR (to-be-read) list — the novels, memoirs, and classics I’m most drawn to in the year ahead, and the reading intentions behind them.In this Season 1 finale of Fireside Lit, I talk through how I choose books, why I’m prioritizing slower, more intentional reading, and the themes I’m hoping to sit with in 2026. This episode is less about checking boxes and more about curiosity, return, and letting books meet us where we are.I’ll be taking a short break in January and will be back in February with Season 2. Until then, thank you for listening — and happy reading.

Not a list — just honest reactions to the books that held my attention this year, and the ones that didn’t.A quiet, reflective recap for readers who want opinions without hype.I talk through what I loved, what I struggled with, and which books stayed with me after the last page — without rankings or pressure to agree.This is an episode for readers who care more about how books feel than how many they finish ✨️

This episode explores the central themes of Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan, reflecting on the historical reality of the Magdalene Laundries as well as the tension between personal morality and institutional loyalty, and the difficult questions that arise when faith intersects with authority.I also share reflections from my own experience being raised Catholic and what it has meant to wrestle with belief, doubt, and spiritual autonomy in adulthood — with respect for those who remain devoted and honesty about the questions I'm still grappling with to this day. This is not an episode about abandoning faith.It’s about refusing to abandon your conscience.

In this episode, I share a meaningful tradition as a mother and a reader: choosing a special book for my daughter every year on her birthday. From timeless classics to modern stories that spark wonder, these twenty curated titles become a kind of literary time capsule—charting a girl’s growth, a mother’s hopes, and the power of stories to shape a life.Settle into this quiet, candlelit corner of the internet as we walk through each birthday pick, why it matters, and the themes it will one day help my daughter understand. Whether you’re a parent looking to begin your own tradition or a book lover who believes in the magic of gifting stories, this episode is a love letter to reading, motherhood, and the moments that make us who we are.

Step into Stars Hollow for a cozy literary detour. In this episode, we reflect on the books, reading culture, and witty references woven throughout Gilmore Girls. Together, we’ll explore how the series celebrates the intimacy of reading, the comfort of stories shared between generations, and the way books become a love language all their own. Pour a cup of coffee, curl up with your current read, and join me for a nostalgic look at what it means to “read like a Gilmore.”

Beneath the gothic mystery of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde lies a timeless truth about human nature — the battle between the self we show the world and the one we keep hidden.Together, we’ll explore the psychology of repression, moral duality, and Carl Jung’s concept of the “shadow self” — the parts of us we deny, yet cannot escape. What happens when virtue becomes vanity, or when denial of our darkness gives it even more power?Join me by the fire as we reflect on what Dr. Jekyll’s downfall reveals about the cost of perfection, the necessity of self-integration, and the danger of separating our humanity into good and evil.

In this episode of Fireside Lit Book Club, we slow down with Ann Napolitano’s Hello Beautiful to examine the fine line between devotion and enmeshment. Through the story of the Padavano sisters, we explore how love can become control, how self-sacrifice can disguise itself as care, and how breaking away from family bonds can feel like both freedom and loss.Join us by the fire as we unpack the beauty and the ache of this novel — the way it asks us to look honestly at our own families, the roles we play, and the boundaries we fear setting.

There’s something about autumn that invites us to slow down, pour a warm drink, and slip into a good book. In this special seasonal episode of Fireside Lit Book Club, I’m sharing ten books that capture the spirit of fall — stories full of atmosphere, reflection, and depth.Whether you’re looking for gothic classics, heartwarming tales, or thought-provoking reads to pair with crisp evenings and candlelight, you’ll find inspiration here for your autumn reading list.✨ Curl up, listen in, and let’s celebrate the season together. 🍂

Join us as we step into George Saunders’ Booker Prize-winning novel, Lincoln in the Bardo—a work that blends history, grief, and the supernatural into an unforgettable meditation on love, loss, and what lingers after death. Together, we explore how Saunders captures Abraham Lincoln’s private mourning, the chorus of ghostly voices that shape the novel’s unique form, and the larger questions it raises about mortality, compassion, and the human longing for connection beyond the grave.Pull up a chair by the fire as we reflect on how Lincoln in the Bardo illuminates both the intimacy of personal sorrow and the universality of what comes after.

In this episode, slow down, light a candle, and rediscover reading as a ritual rather than a race. Together, we’ll explore how to select books that truly matter to you, create seasonal or personal TBR lists, and even curate your own “personal canon” of works to return to over the years.You’ll also hear practical ideas for deepening your relationship with books—through marginalia, reading journals, or simply carving out intentional spaces and rhythms in your daily life. From “working copies” and “trophy editions” to playful ways of choosing your next read, this episode is full of inspiration for weaving literature into the fabric of who you are.If you’ve ever wanted to move from occasional reading to a steady, meaningful practice, this is your invitation to let words shape you—one ritual, one page, one season at a time.

Yann Martel’s Life of Pi is more than a tale of shipwreck and survival — it’s a meditation on faith, truth, and the mysteries that don’t fit neatly into either/or categories. In this episode, we explore Pi Patel’s choice to embrace Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam all at once, his refusal to limit God to one tradition, and the novel’s famous ending with two stories of survival. What does it mean to live with both/and — both religion and reason, both fact and myth, both brutal reality and transcendent meaning? Join us as we unpack the spiritual invitation of Life of Pi: to see truth not as a single box to check, but as a vast, layered mystery that gives life.

In this episode, we step into the luminous world of Virginia Woolf to explore how she dismantles fixed notions of gender, identity, and truth. Through a close look at "Orlando" and "A Room of One’s Own," we unravel Woolf’s radical vision of selfhood—not as something static, but as something shifting, performative, and deeply entangled with power, illusion, and creative freedom. What does it mean to live beyond the binary? To write without a fixed form? And how do illusions shape—and liberate—our sense of who we are? Join us for a journey through Woolf’s timeless questions and the bold, beautiful answers she offers.

In this opening episode of Fireside Lit, I invite you to settle in and reflect on the power of stories -- not just the ones we read, but the ones that shape us. This is my personal love letter to literature, and the ways it helps us make sense of life, identity, and emotion. Join me as we explore what draws us to books in the first place, why reading is never as solitary as it seems, and how this podcast hopes to become a cozy gathering place for lovers of both timeless classics and contemporary fiction -- by the firelight.