Buzz Summer Camp Directory
BELLAIRE • MEMORIAL • RIVER OAKS • TANGLEWOOD • WEST UNIVERSITY

Conversations from a Page

Cindy Burnett
Click the Buzz Me button to receive email notifications when this writer publishes a new article or a new article in this column is published.
Cindy Burnett, Krista Hensel, Lynda Cohen Loigman, Madeline Martin

Cindy Burnett (top left) and Krista Hensel (top right) from Conversations from a Page hosted Lynda Cohen Loigman (bottom right) and Madeline Martin (bottom left) earlier this month. (Photo: Kristen Flores)

People frequently tell me that I am lucky that I have a career where I get to read and chat about books regularly, and I am always quick to agree; I absolutely love what I do. I could literally discuss books all day long, and some days I truly end up doing so. 

One of my favorite bookish things that I do (aside from writing Page Turners and Buzz Reads, of course) is host a literary salon with my good friend Krista Hensel called Conversations from a Page. We launched the salon in October 2018 with authors Amy Poeppel and Susan Orman Schnall and have hosted 7-8 events a year since then.

The group meets first thing in the morning as a casual and engaging alternative to author events at bookstores that are almost always at night, but we gather early enough that people can stop by on their way to work. We moved online for Covid and have been back up and running in person since September 2021.These events bring me so much joy because I love seeing readers of all ages come together to listen to authors talk about their books as well as to make new friends who share the same interests.

The salon has been on my mind a lot lately because our November event was outstanding. We hosted authors Lynda Cohen Loigman for The Matchmaker’s Gift and Madeline Martin for The Librarian Spy, and they were a huge hit. It has been a rough year for me, and this event was the first time that I felt at ease for a short while, both with my own personal grief and with everything we are dealing with in the world.

Anne Byrn

Anne Byrn, the Cake Doctor, joined the salon in September for a special baking event. (Photo: Kristen Flores)

The salon is not a book club but is instead a great way to learn more about particular books, the writing process, behind-the-scenes publishing details, and much more. Most people have not read the book(s) when they attend, and the events are spoiler free. Krista and I have hosted all sorts of fabulous authors including Elin Hilderbrand, Fiona Davis, and Mary Kay Andrews as well as countless others. In February, we are hosting Australian author Jane Harper for her latest Aaron Falk novel, Exiles, and I am already counting down the days because she is at the top of my favorite authors list.

This December 6th we are hosting a fun holiday event where Valerie Koehler, owner of Blue Willow Bookshop, comes and recommends gift ideas for the holidays as well great reads to get you through the winter. If you are interested in joining us for this or other events, you can sign up here. We meet in West U, but have people who attend from all over the city, and we would love to have you join us. Hopefully it can be a reprieve for you as well.

For more book recommendations and bookish thoughts, see Cindy’s monthly Buzz Reads column, her Thoughts from a Page Podcast or follow @ThoughtsFromaPage on Instagram. Find upcoming Conversations from a Page events here.

To leave a comment, please log in or create an account with The Buzz Magazines, Disqus, Facebook, or Twitter. Or you may post as a guest.