Category Archives: Uncategorized

Episode 116: Happy Halloween!

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Welcome to the Two Lit Mamas’ Halloween episode, the episode in which the Mama’s cast some spells, haunt some kids, and kill some vampires all through the medium of spooky books for grown ups and kids. (It’s also the episode in which Heather forgot to hit the record button the first time around. Yikes!)

Book Chat:

Grown Up Book:

The Late Night Witches by Auralee Wallace

Middle Grade Books:

Ghost of the Harvest by Lindsey Duga

The Last Sleepover by RL Stine

Masks by Margaret Rae and Brian Nathanson, Beck Kubrick and Thomas Philipson

Episode 115: Spooky New Releases

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The Mamas are cauldron deep in brand new spooky season reads. Margie has 2 grown up books and Heather has 2 middle grade books that will make your wicked little hearts happy. 

Book Chat:

Grown Up Books:

Play Nice by Rachel Harrison

Another Fine Mess by Lindy Ryan (Sequel to Bless Your Heart)

Middle Grade Books (ages 8-12):

Moonleapers by Margaret Peterson Haddix

The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey Hartman

Episode 99: 2024 Holiday Gift Guide

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The Mamas have made their list and checked it twice to ensure you have the perfect book gifts for all the readers in your life, from ages 2 to 107. Now, snuggle up with your favorite pup, open your bookshop app, and start your holiday shopping.

Picture Books:

  • If Animals Went to Work by Ann Whitford Paul, art by David Walker
  • Finnegan Fox by Katie Gilstrap, art by Lori Nichols
  • Penguin’s Egg by Anna Kemp and Alice Courtley

Middle Grade Books:

  • The Sherlock Society by James Ponti
  • Not Nothing by Gayle Forman
  • Let It Glow by Marissa Meyer 

Young Adult Books:

  • Sunderworld Vol 1, The Extraordinary Disappointment of Leopold Berry by Ransom Riggs
  • The Inheritance Games series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
  • Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay

Grown Up Books:

  • Sandwich by Catherine Newman  
  • Medea  by Elish Quinn
  • The Funeral Ladies of Ellery County by Claire Swinarski
  • We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
  • I Will Show You How It Was by Illia Ponomarenko
  • Zero Stars Do Not Recommend by MJ Wassmer
  • Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten
  • The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
  • Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Thurton
  • Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan
  • Cackle by Rachel Hrarison

Episode 87: New MG Fantasy

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The total eclipse (of the sun not the heart) inspired the Mamas to explore gilded worlds and travel through time (and party like it’s 1999) with new Middle Grade fantasy books for ages 8-12. As you may have suspected, the Mamas were once just two farm girls waiting to be picked from obscurity for a special quest like all the best main characters of their favorite fantasies, towel capes and all.  

Book Chat:

No Ordinary Thing by G.Z. Schmidt

Sona and the Golden Beasts by Rajani LaRocca

Episode 86: March Mysteries

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In episode 86, the Mamas party like it’s 1999 with their favorite genre, mysteries. Heather brings you a new Middle Grade mystery and rebel Mama, Margie, shares  one of her favorite newer grown up series. The Mamas also explore the mystery of the Middle Grade slump and follow up the book chat with a list of new Middle Grade books with boy main characters that will hopefully put an end to Margie’s whining.

Book Chat:

The World-Famous Nine by Ben Guterson (MG)

Suburban Dicks and Self-Made Widow by Fabian Nicieza (Grown Up)

Pick 6: New MG books with boy MCs

The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly  

Walkin’ the Dog by Chris Lynch

Max in the House of Spies by Adam Gidwitz  

Olivetti by Allie Millington

Race to the Truth series

Show Links:

Post on fromthemixedupfiles.com

The Middle Grade Slump

Episode 78: Holiday Gift Guide, Part 2

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Stuff your mouth with turkey while the Mama’s share their opinions on funny, sexy, and murdery Grown Up books that made the top of their lists in 2023. Heather went for fantasies filled with dragons and angry gods, while Margie nabbed myths, space murders, and, of course, zombies. 

You can’t go wrong when a nerd and an outcast team up – that’s when the Two Lit Mamas are at their finest. Happy Thanksgiving! And, don’t forget to hit your local bookstores on Small Business Saturday or you’ll end up on the Mamas’ naughty list.

The Mamas’ Top Just-for-Fun Reads

Heather’s Faves:

Circe by Madeline Miller 

An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

Margie’s Faves:

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

The Push by Ashley Audrain

Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica


Holiday Gift Guide Grown Up & YA Recs:

Heather’s Picks:

The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman

Accountable by Dashka Slater

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

Fourth Wing  and Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

Margie’s Picks:

Eat Your Heart Out by Kelly deVos

Into The Light  by Mark Oshiro

The Only Girl in Town by Ally Condie 

Daughters of Sparta and The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Heywood

Starter Villain by John Scalizi

The Midsolar Murders by Mur Lafferty

Episode 46: Diverse Fantasy Books for Middle Grade

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The Mamas are split over their MG Fantasy Reads (for ages 8-12) but it’s not surprising since Heather loves flying horses and all things magical while Margie would rather read true crime stories unless a Sasquatch is involved. Find out where your loyalties lie by joining the debate. Plus, you can jump start your summer reading with six great new recommendations for all ages from the Mamas. 

Book Chat:

Solimar by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Amira & Hamza: The War to Save the World by Samira Ahmed


Pick 6: Summer Reads for All Ages

Margie’s Picks:

  1. Lower Middle Grade: The Orphans of St. Halibuts by Sophie Wills
  2. Teen/YA: Just Our Luck by Julia Watson
  3. Grown Ups: A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers

Heather’s Picks:

  1. Preschool: Roar! I’m a Dinosaur by Merrill Rainey
  2. Middle Grade: Northwind by Gary Paulsen
  3. Grown Ups: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

Episode 41: Celebrating Black Authors in Kidlit

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In this episode, The Mamas celebrate Black Authors in Middle Grade Lit. (Really it’s more like worshipping, bordering on stalking, you know how they can get, but anyway…) The Mamas showcase some of their favorite writers across diverse genres including, fantasy, historical fiction, realistic fiction, poetry, and horror (oh, my!). Get ready to grow your TBR piles!

Book Chat:

The Girl in the Lake by India Hill Brown

Some Places More Than Others by Renee Watson

Root Magic by Eden Royce

Pick 6: More Fantastic Books

 1. Paradise on Fire by Jewell Parker Rhodes

2. Amari & the Great Game by BB Alston 
     (Amari and the Night Brothers reviewed here)

3. The Hill We Climb, Change Sings & Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman

4. Take Back the Block by Chrystal D. Giles

5. Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler by Ibi Zoboi

6. When the World Turned Upside Down by K. Ibura

Episode 36: Holiday Gift Guide for Middle Graders

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The Mamas Top Faves from 2021:

Planet Earth is Blue by Nicole Panteleakos (Episode 15) 

City Spies Series by James Ponti (Episode 20)

The Whispers by Greg Howard (Episode 26)

Fave Fantasy Reads:

The Hatmakers by Tamzin Merchant (Episode 29)

The Elephant’s Girl by Celesta Rimington

Fave Sports-themed Books

Ten Thousand Tries by Amy Makechnie. (Episode 32)

Chunky by Yehudi Mercado 

Fave Mythology Stories:

Amari and the Night Brothers by BB Alston (Episode 18)

Charlie Hernandez and the League of Shadows by Ryan Calejo. (Episode 17) 

Fave Nonfiction Books: 

Poisoned Water by Candy J Cooper and Marc Aronson (Episode 21)   

I Am Not a Label: 34 Disabled Artists, Thinkers, Athletes and Activists from Past and Present by Cerrie Burnell

A History of Dessert by Victoria Grace Elliot

Fave Fiction Books for Foodies:

All you Knead is Love by Tanya Guerrero (Episode 27)

Midsummer’s Mayhem by Rajani LaRocca (Episode 27)

Fave Older Series: (grab the box set)

The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stuart (Episode 30)

The Greystone Secrets series by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Moon Base Alpha Series by Stuart Gibbs (Episode 31)

Episode 26: Happy Pride Month!

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In this episode of Two Lit Mamas podcast, the Mamas join forces with Uncle Johnny to discuss the latest in LGBTQIA+ books for Middle Graders. They look at how far we’ve come and how far we have to go through the lens of two great novels about love, loss and growing up queer in America. 

Book Discussion:

One True Way by Shannon Hitchcock

The Whispers by Greg Howard

Pick 6: Grown Up Books We’re Reading Now (Yes, we read do read them)

  1. The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
  2. Four Lost Cities by Annalee Newitz
  3. The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune
    1. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
  4. The Sacred Band by James Romm
  5. When I Ran Away by Ilona Bannister
  6. My Life with Women by Thomas E. Kennedy

Reference Links:

Trockadero Ballet

Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden

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