Cozy Up to a Good Mystery [Guest Star Lori Merricks]

Virginia is for Readers [July Challenge 2026]

Russell, Rachael, and Rachel discuss the July Reading Challenge, Virginia Is for Readers, reading books set in Virginia, by a Virginia author, or perhaps by an author named Virginia. We discuss the rich history of Virginia, the beauty of reading about tough topics, and of course, vampires. Books/Authors we discuss include: * “A Princess of Mars” by Edgar Rice Burroughs * “The Red Badge of Courage” by Stephen Crane * “Big Stone Gap” by Adriana Trigiani * “Bearskin” by James A. McLaughlin * S.A. Cosby  * “The Jackal’s Mistress” by Chris Bohjalian * “The Awakening” by L.J. Smith * “Blood on the River” by Elisa Carbone * “Bridge to Terabithia” by Katherine Paterson * “My Monticello” by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson * “Children of the Wild” by Kevin Powers * “The Book Club for Troublesome Women” by Marie Bostwick * “Mrs. Murphy” series by Sneaky Pie Brown & Rita Mae Brown Extras: * Jenna Elfman starred as Iva Lou, book mobile librarian, in Big Stone Gap (2015). Read more about her visit to my friends’ bookstore here. [https://wendy-welch.com/2013/10/30/if-birds-could-fly-then-jenna-elfman-would-cuddle-max-the-foster-cat/] * Locals in Crozet, Virginia do pronounce it Cro-zay, the French way, in honor of Colonel Claudius Crozet, the civil engineer who directed the construction of the Blue Ridge Tunnel.

Cozy Up to a Good Mystery [Guest Star Lori Merricks]

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat with our guest Lori Merricks, Director of Marketing and Communications at Danville Regional Foundation. We discuss the simple pleasure of little golden books, the joys of a good cozy culinary mystery, and why sometimes you need a spreadsheet to keep up with all your reading. Books/Authors we discuss include: * “Little House” series by Laura Ingalls Wilder * “Fudge” series by Judy Blume * “The Little Engine That Could” by Watty Piper * “Elephant and Piggie” series by Mo Willems * “Charlie & Lola” series by Lauren Child * “Curious George” series by H.A. Rey, Margaret Rey * “Secret, Book, & Scone Society” series by Ellery Adams * “Library Lover’s Mystery” series by Jenn McKinlay * “Bibliophile Mystery” series by Kate Carlisle * “Monster Hunter” series by Annelise Ryan * “‘Til Death” by Jason Anspach * “Father Brown” series by G.K. Chesterton * “Chief Inspector Armand Gamache” series by Louise Penny * “Flavia de Luce” series by Alan Bradley * “Golden Girls Cozy Mystery” series by Rachel Ekstrom Courage * “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens * “Anne of Green Gables” by Lucy Maude Montgomery * “Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes” by Edith Hamilton * “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series by Rick Riordan * “Yesteryear” by Caro Claire Burke * “Bearskin” by James A. McLaughlin

Yes, It Counts! [June Challenge 2026]

Russell, Rachael, and Rachel discuss the June Reading Challenge, “Yes, It Counts!” reading audiobooks. In celebration of Audiobook Appreciation Month, we discuss the many things there are to love about reading books on audio. Books/Authors we discuss include: * “The Green Ember” by S.D. Smith, read by Joel Clarkson * “The Great Library” series by Rachel Caine, read by Julian Elfer * “Mr. Tucket” by Gary Paulsen, read by John Randolph Jones * “The Last Battle” by C.S. Lewis, read by Patrick Stewart * “The Shadow of the Gods” by John Gwynne, read by Colin Mace * “Cold Burn” by A.J. Landau, read by Gregory Abbey * “The First Law” series by Joe Abercrombie, read by Steven Pacey * “Listen for the Lie” by Amy Tintera, read by January LaVoy and Will Damron * “The Girl Who Drank the Moon” by Kelly Barnhill, read by Christina Moore * “The Astral Library” by Kate Quinn, read by Saskia Maarleveld * “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid, read by Julia Whelan, Alma Cuervo, and Robin Miles * “Chomp” by Carl Hiaasen, read by James Van Der Beek * “The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife” by Anna Johnston, read by Tim Carroll * “Charlotte’s Web” by E.B. White, read by the author * “Jane Austen’s Bookshelf” by Rebecca Romney, read by author * “One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This” by Omar El Akkad, read by the author * “The Cooper Kids Adventures” series by Frank Peretti, read by the author * “Rules” by Cynthia Lord, read by Jessica Almasy Rachael’s Fun Fact: *Deuteragonist refers to the second most important character in a narrative.

Reading With Our Eyes Shut [Guest Star Adrian Nester]

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat with our guest Adrian Nester, English Department chair at Tunstall Highschool, and self-admitted library girlie. We discuss cutting edge reading technology such as audiobooks on cassette and magazines on sticks, our newest idea for a party bus for reading(™), and the importance of formats like audiobooks and graphic novels to make reading accessible and enjoyable for all. Books/Authors we discuss include: * “Nancy Drew Mystery Stories” series by Carolyn Keene (a pseudonym for various ghostwriters, notably Mildred Wirt) * “Sweet Valley Twins” series by Jamie Suzanne, created by Francine Pascal * “Horse” by Geraldine Brooks * “The Marriage Portrait” by Maggie O’Farrell * “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck * “Their Eyes Are Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston * “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë * “Tess of the D’Urbervilles” by Thomas Hardy * “Tuck Everlasting” by Natalie Babbitt * “Goosebumps” series by R.L. Stine * “The Buffalo Hunter Hunter” by Stephen Graham Jones * “Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders” by Vincent Bugliosi * “Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad * “They Called Us Enemy” by George Takei, illustrated by Harmony Becker * “Vanity Fair” by William Makepeace Thackeray * “Patron Saints of Nothing” by Randy Ribay * “Knuffle Bunny” by Mo Willems

I MAY Have Read This Book [May Challenge 2026]

Russell, Rachael, and Rachel discuss the May Reading Challenge to read books that we MAY or MAY NOT have read in the past. This could include books you lied about for an assignment in school, books you’ve been too embarrassed to read, or books you just cannot remember if you have actually read. We chat about the delightful discoveries we made delving into books we may have missed in the past! Books/Authors we discuss include: * “The Call of the Wild” by Jack London * “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy * “This Is How You Lose the Time War” by Amal El-Mohtar, Max Gladstone * “Old Yeller” by Fred Gipson * “Where the Red Fern Grows” by Wilson Rawls * “Pippi Longstocking” by Astrid Lindgren * “Anne of Green Gables” by Lucy Maud Montgomery * “One Heart To Win” by Johanna Lindsey * “Charlotte’s Web” by E.B. White * “Cyrano de Bergerac” by Edmond Rostand * “The Courtship Plan” by Kathleen Fuller * “Walden or, Life in the Woods” by Henry David Thoreau * John Muir