Hello again, one and all. Hope you have had a wonderful Easter! Here at Books & Looks, I used this time to get ready for upcoming episodes, and selecting books & authors for future dates in 2025. I cannot believe it, but I am fully booked through the end of August.
Since I began Books & Looks I have received over 2,600 free books from numerous resources. And while that is an impressive number of books, the bigger problem is what to choose to read, and which books will be featured on the Podcast/YouTube.
The longer I have been doing the show I find that my reading choices have changed. Gone are the days of solely mystery or novels, and in come more History, Non-Fiction & Science books. But what should the ratio be so as to keep your interest. In 2024 I began introducing a few Middle Grade/YA books, as well a Children’s book. But, at the same time there are only so many weeks in a year and so selecting a book becomes critical.
What are my criteria, and what can you expect from this website as well as the show? I have always loved to learn, and so I try and select books that will teach me something, and learning can come in any genre of books. I have always been fascinated with the Evangelist period in the 1920’s and so when books like “Sister, Sinner” along with “A Dangerous Idea” became available, I jumped on them! Same with books about the Gilded Age – a fascinating period in US History filled with amazing people and stories.
Victorian Era India also fascinates me, and so I was happy to select the Mystery novel, “A Silversmith’s Puzzle,” and author Nev March will be on the show to discuss her 4th book in the Captain Jim, Lady Diana series.
I also enjoy books that transport me to other countries, and so when I find fascinating books that are set in Mexico, Sweden, India, Iceland, Russia, and the EU then I will pay special attention to those and hope that the writing is as good as the description – usually it is!!!
I took a chance when I decided to have author Mike Stark on the show to discuss his new book “Starlings,” and lo and behold, it became the most-watched episode to date in 2025. Those amazing birds and how they grew from about 20 birds to over 200 million birds is just mind-boggling.
So this lays out what I try to do with the show. I have also decided to add book reviews to this site for quality books that do not make it onto the show. There are hundreds of superb books out there, and so between the show and this site, I will try and highlight as many as possible.
Please feel free to subscribe to the Newsletter, as I will keep you abreast on what is going on with the show, as well as some outstanding new books that have crossed my path. Until next time – may all your leaves be pages in a book!
