Today’s guest has an multi-faceted story to tell. Fadhia Mohamud is a member of a women of color bookclub that meets monthly to discuss a wide range of books; from romantic comedies to thrillers. But she is also a Somali immigrant herself who has taken her experience growing up in multiple countries feeling a little bit out of place and using that knowledge to help her students face many of those same challenges.

When you think about taking English classes in college, do you envision heavy dusty textbooks written by old dead guys, like Thoreau, Chaucer, and Dickens? Well perhaps that was true 20 years ago, but colleges now have changed a bit and we have a real live English professor with us today to talk about how teaching university English has changed and what things have stayed the same. Dr. Jon Blandford is an associate professor of English at Bellarmine University and also leads their Honors Program.

Shannon and Cheryl talk to carrie and I about how the club integrates books and art at the museum, why reading a novel can make viewing art less intimidating, which book/art pairing involves a former president solving mysteries, and which gallery in the museum makes all the schoolchildren imagine Harry Potter. Our discussion today just reminds me that visual art and the art of words on the page are just two sides of the same coin. Its a day at the museum on Perks.

Most avid readers at some time or another have dreamed of working in a small neighborhood bookstore. Our guest today, Sam Miller, has done just that for over 20 years in different parts of the country, from Alaska to Philadelphia. She has now set roots at Carmichael’s Books in Louisville KY. This year she championed a 20-year-old book she loves, Jim the Boy by Tony Earley, and has been a superwoman handselling it to everyone she knows.

Today we talk with guest, Amanda Ciejko, the creator behind the book blog, The Lexington Bookie. She works with horses as part of her day job but being a voracious reader is her hobby. . She even has the horses listening to her audiobooks. Amanda shares with us how a New Year's resolution helped her create her blog, why sometimes she needs a recovery period after finishing a particularly wonderful book, and how publishers recruit readers to help create buzz for their new releases. The world of social media and the internet play a big part in our guest’s story.

Today Carrie and I speak to Holly McArthur, a former news producer now local high school teacher who specializes in media studies including tv, radio, and yearbook. She also happens to be a mother of 4 children and belongs to two different book clubs. We talk about how a personal tragedy nudged her into joining her first group 10 years ago.

We are so excited to introduce you to our guest today, Rheonna Nicole, a spoken word artist and poet. 4 years ago she started an all female poetry slam In Louisville KY called Lipstick Wars. She started in a small theater that holds 600. That filled up and the next year she filled another theater that held 1200

Today we welcome Brandon Vigliarolo, a freelance writer who shares his love and books and reading by giving a slice of history. He is a historical reenactor at Locust Grove, a 55 acre estate and mansion from the late 1700s. He felt he needed authentically made books to enhance his performance as an 18th century gentleman. So, he decided to make them himself. Thus began his bookbindery Strano Books.

Today on the show, we talk with Sherry Howard, a Kirkus starred children's book author who refuses to be defined by what society expects of someone with a spinal injury or of a more mature woman. Her creative mind knows no limitations.

Our guest today is Minda Honey, a woman who is talented and busy with lots of irons in the fire. She is a local writer, the new director of Spalding University's Creative Writing program, as well as the creator of LEO Weekly's advice column, Ask Minda Honey, where she gives her answers to all those relationship questions you've been dying to ask. She is currently busy writing a memoir that sounds like an updated version of Sex In The city with single black women making their way in California. We are going to talk all about the queen of Black American literature, Toni Morrison and what other books you should check out if you want to see Morrison's influence on the new generation of black writers. She also speaks to the best ways to make opportunities for yourself if you are a writer as well as her new plan to motivate people to read more with the age old incentive; money. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter at @MindaHoney and you can find her bi-weekly advice column on leoweekly.com.