(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.