I'm thrilled to share the first episode of what will be a new bonus podcast episode series for $5/mo patrons of the show. To hear these episodes every month, join the Sarah's Bookshelves Live Patreon Community!

BEYOND BOOKSTAGRAM is a bonus podcast series that highlights lesser known books that are not splashed all over Instagram (either backlist or under-the-radar newer books). A rotating featured patron shares 3 books she/he loves that are not splashed all over Bookstagram. And, I add my own commentary or research on the 3 books.

This post contains affiliate links, through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).

If you join our Patreon Community (sign up here!), you also get:

• Sarah's monthly Book Recommendations bonus podcast episode series…where I share my own book recommendations in the same format as the big show. I often share my thoughts on books here that I don't share anywhere else.
• Monthly Superlatives bonus podcast episodes…each big show guest shares their picks for 5 bookish superlative categories (and I add in my own picks for some categories via editing).
• Our semi-new quarterly bonus podcast episode series called BOOK PREVIEW EXTRAS! In these episodes, Catherine and I share at least 4 bonus books that we're excited about that we did not share in the regular Preview episode.
• Weekly Real-Time Reading Newsletter…I share the books I'm reading (and DNF'ing) in real time. And, patrons share their own current reads in a Facebook discussion. This is the only place I share every single book I read and DNF.

June Featured Patron

Kristi Phillips is a 46 year old pediatric nurse practitioner living in the Chicago suburbs. She's the mother of 3 kids ages 6-12. She reads pretty much anything except fantasy, science fiction, romance. Her favorite genres are literary fiction, literary mystery, memoir, and true crime. A couple of her all-time favorite books are: The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai, The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne, and The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. She doesn't mind crying when she reads!

Kristi's Beyond Bookstagram Recommendations [3:04]

• Dear Child by Romy Hausmann | Amazon | Bookshop.org [6:25]
• Plague Years: A Doctor's Journey Through the AIDS Crisis by Dr. Ross Slotten | Amazon | Bookshop.org [8:26]
• The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue | Amazon | Bookshop.org [12:17]

Other Books Mentioned

• The Great Believersby Rebecca Makkai | Buy from Amazon [5:38]
• The Heart's Invisible Furiesby John Boyne | Buy from Amazon [5:48]
• The Prettiest Starby Carter Sickels | Buy from Amazon [6:04]
• Sorrow & Blissby Meg Mason | Buy from Amazon [6:04]
• Last Callby Elon Green | Buy from Amazon [6:04]
• Who is Maud Dixon?by Alexandra Andrews | Buy from Amazon [6:04]
• Casteby Isabel Wilkerson | Buy from Amazon [6:04]
• The Dreamersby Karen Thompson Walker | Buy from Amazon [13:49]
• The Age of Miraclesby Karen Thompson Walker | Buy from Amazon [13:49]
• Station Elevenby Emily St. John Mandel | Buy from Amazon [13:49]
• The Glass Hotelby Emily St. John Mandel | Buy from Amazon [13:49]