Episode 246 - A Flock of Words

Welcome to Episode 246! We recap some fun Biblioadventures in this episode. Emily got to see Mel Rosenthal in conversation with Virginia Evans about her debut novel The Correspondent at an event hosted by RJ Julia Booksellers. Chris had a research visit to Columbia University’s Rare Book and Manuscript Library, where she enjoyed their book arts exhibit and admired the mantel in front of which Edgar Allan Poe wrote “The Raven.” She also had an impromptu browse at New Haven’s used bookstore, Grey Matter Books. We also had some Couch Biblioadventures. Because we recently read Daphne Du Maurier’s excellent short story, “The Birds,” we thought we’d also watch Alfred Hitchcock’s movie of the same name, which was inspired by the written word. Spoiler alert: the movie is nothing like the short story. PSA: the birds are LOUD. Other literary-related movies we watched include The Turn of the Screw, starring Michelle Dockery and Dan Stephens. Emily made an exciting discovery about A Star is Born—did you know some famous writers penned the screenplays for various incarnations of this classic story? Some of the books we discuss include: – All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley – Amelia Bloomer: Journalist, Suffragist, Anti-Fashion Icon by Sara Catterall – Death at the Door: A Ruby and Cordelia Mystery by Olivia Blacke – A Marriage at Sea: A True Story of Love, Obsession, and Shipwreck by Sophie Elmhurst And we discuss our second-to-last ghost story from The Penguin Book of Ghost Stories: From Elizabeth Gaskell to Ambrose Bierce: “The Readjustment” by Mary Austin. Chris has finished, and Emily is currently reading our Q4 readalong book, How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix. The Zoom conversation is on Sunday, November 9th, at 7 pm ET. It is free and open to all, but registration is required. We still have a few spots available, so email us if you’re interested (bookcougars@gmail.com). Special thanks to this episode’s sponsors: Epic and Lovely by Mo Daviau and Paper Roses by Debby Show. Happy Listening and Happy Reading! https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2025/episode246