Category Archives: Uncategorized

Episode 119: Happy Cozy Holidays!

Leave a reply

The Mamas bring you mystery, mayhem and murder for the coziest of holidays! In their year-end party episode, the Mamas share holiday-themed books with (not-too) dark mysteries for adults and middle graders (ages 8-12). Get your hot cocoa and soft blanket and snuggle up for a cozy book chat with your favorite Gen-Xers. Happy Holidays and justice for Tupac!

Book Chat:

Middle Grade Books

The Clockwork Crow by Catherine Fisher

North for the Winter by Bobby Podesta

Grown Up Books

Christmas Corpse by Mona Marple (aka Katie Forrest)

Book 1 in the Candy Cane Hollow Christmas Cozy Mystery Series

Episode 118: 2025 Gift Guide

Leave a reply

The Mamas are back with opinions and hot takes in their annual holiday gift guide. Their book recs are for little ones, big kids, and picky older readers like themselves. Grab a cup of cheer and make your list! Happy Holidays!

Heather’s Picture Book Recs (ages 3-5):

  • On the Air with Dr. Doodlebug by Susan E. Goodman and Merrill Rainey
  • Woodland Dreams by Karen Jameson 
  • Snuggle Season by Jaimie MacGibbon

Margie’s Middle Grade Recs (ages 8-12):

  • A Brush with Magic by Flora Ahn
  • The Myth of Monsters series by Katherine Marsh
  • We Built this City by Cat Patrick
  • Blood City Rollers by V. P. Anderson
  • Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies and Winston Chu vs. the Wingmeisters by Stacey Lee
  • Kwami Crashes the Underworld by Craig Kofi Farmer

Heather’s YA Recs (ages 13-18):

  • Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray 
  • Hekate – The Witch by Nikita Gil 
  • Game Changers, Inspirational Sports Stories by Dan Gold

Margie’s Murdery and Weird Grown Up Recs:

  • The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
  • Murder by Cheesecake by Rachel Ekstrom (Golden Girls Murder series)
  • The Impossible Fortune by Richard Ossman (Thursday Murder Club series) 
  • Kills Well With Others by Deanna Raybourn (Killers of a Certain Age series)
  • Finnlay Donnavan series by Elle Cosimano
  • Sirens and Weyward by Emilia Hart
  • Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez
  • The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister
  • Book of Witching by CJ Cooke
  • Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson
  • Suburban Hell by Maureen Kilmer
  • Bless Your Heart and Another Fine Mess by Lindy Ryan
  • Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World by Mark Waddel

www.twolitmamas.com

Episode 117: Let’s Get Cozy

Leave a reply

The Mamas get cozy with their favorite topic, murder. From just okay assistants to dysfunctional families, the Mamas dig into Middle Grade, YA, and Grown Up books full of cozy vibes and mysteries to solve.    

Book Chat:

The Dysfunctional Family’s Guide to Murder by Kate Emery ( Upper Middle Grade)

The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer (YA)

The World’s Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant by Liza Tully (Grown Up)

www.twolitmamas.com

Episode 116: Happy Halloween!

Leave a reply

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

Leave a reply

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

Leave a reply

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

Leave a reply

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

Leave a reply

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

Leave a reply

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

Leave a reply

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