Burned By Books

Booksellers’ Best 2024

Listen Later

Lisa Swayze has been the General Manager at Buffalo Street Books for 7 years and will transition to becoming the Executive Director of the bookstore’s new literary nonprofit in 2025. Lisa is on the board of directors of the American Booksellers Association and the Downtown Ithaca Alliance.

Jessica Stockton-Bagnulo is the owner and co-founder of Greenlight Bookstore in Brooklyn, New York, where she also currently serves as the Events & Marketing Manager (because she loves hosting parties). She has worked in independent bookstores in New York City since 2000, has served on the board of NAIBA and various other book industry boards and committees, and is currently on the board of the American Booksellers Association (along with lovely colleagues Lisa and Jake). She lives with her husband and daughter (both avid readers, thankfully) in Brooklyn.

Lisa's Favorites: 

  • James - Percival Everett
  • The Sapling Cage - Margaret Killjoy
  • Not for the Faint of Heart - Lex Croucher (YA)
  • Swift River - Essie Chambers
  • American Daughters - Maurice Carlos Ruffin
  • God of the Woods - Liz Moore
  • Where They Last Saw Her - Marcie Rendon
  • Anita de Monte Laughs Last - Xochitil Gonzalez
  • Blue Light Hours - Bruna Dantas Lobato
  • Catalina - Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
  • The Pairing - Casey Mcquiston
  • Shred Sisters - Betsy Lerner
  • A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy - Nathan Thrall


    • Jessica's favorites:

    • The Book of Love by Kelly Link — Best Literary Novel Featuring Complex Magic Systems, Diverse Love Stories, Unexpected Beauty, and Karaoke
    • Hum by Helen Phillips — Best Near-Future Dystopia that is Also About Parenting
    • Help Wanted to Adelle Waldman — Best Novel About Capitalism
    • The Light Eaters by Zoe Schlanger — Best Science Writing / Best Book About Plant Intelligence and Scientist Drama
    • The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman — Best Doorstop Literary/Historical Fantasy (With Philosophical Caveats)
    • In Universes by Emet North — Best Queer Multiverse Novel
    • Playground by Richard Powers — Best Nature Writing as Fiction
    • Far Sector by N. K. Jemisin — Best Socially Aware Superhero Graphic Novel
    • Orbital by Samantha Harvey — Best Sentences About Earth
    • non-frontlist / rereads:
    • Space Crone by Ursula LeGuin — Best Essays by Best Essayist
    • The Privilege of a Happy Ending by Kij Johnson — Best Quest Narrative
    • Berlin: City of Stones, City of Smoke, City of Light — Best Epic of Quotidian Life Before the Abyss

      • Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

      ...more
      View all episodesView all episodes
      Download on the App Store
      Burned By BooksBy New Books Network
      • 5
      • 5
      • 5
      • 5
      • 5

      5

      54 ratings

      More shows like Burned By Books

      View all
      The New Yorker Radio Hour by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

      The New Yorker Radio Hour

      6,951 Listeners

      Pop Culture Happy Hour by NPR

      Pop Culture Happy Hour

      11,614 Listeners

      The Book Review by The New York Times

      The Book Review

      3,950 Listeners

      Book Riot - The Podcast by Book Riot

      Book Riot - The Podcast

      1,020 Listeners

      Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang by Big Money Players Network and iHeartPodcasts

      Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

      9,107 Listeners

      The New Yorker: The Writer's Voice - New Fiction from The New Yorker by The New Yorker

      The New Yorker: The Writer's Voice - New Fiction from The New Yorker

      2,126 Listeners

      10% Happier with Dan Harris by 10% Happier

      10% Happier with Dan Harris

      12,741 Listeners

      Pod Save America by Pod Save America

      Pod Save America

      87,991 Listeners

      The Daily by The New York Times

      The Daily

      113,468 Listeners

      Totally Booked with Zibby by Zibby Owens

      Totally Booked with Zibby

      633 Listeners

      Life Kit by NPR

      Life Kit

      4,823 Listeners

      The Shit No One Tells You About Writing by Bianca Marais, Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra

      The Shit No One Tells You About Writing

      789 Listeners

      The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

      The Ezra Klein Show

      16,554 Listeners

      Poured Over by Barnes & Noble

      Poured Over

      317 Listeners

      NPR's Book of the Day by NPR

      NPR's Book of the Day

      681 Listeners