Bookstore Explorer

If you're a regular listener to the show, you know that host Matt Browning recently opened his own bookshop, Plot Twist Books in South Charleston West Virginia. Podcaster and author Sarah Royal steps into the host seat this week to turn tables on Matt and interview him about what it's like to go from bookstore explorer to bookstore owner. 

Books We Talk About: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, Shark Heart by Emily Habeck, Homestead by Rosina Lippi, and Fresh Water for Flowers by Valerie Perrin

This week, Matt welcomes author and podcaster Sarah Royal to the show to discuss her love of indie bookshops! Sarah is the author of the new book A.K.A. Lucy: The Dynamic and Determined Life of Lucile Ball, which features a foreward from Amy Poehler! She also co-hosts the popular Enough Wicker podcast, which takes a scholarly look at The Golden Girls. 

Books We Talk About: A Bestiary of Booksellers by Aaron Cometbus, The End of My Career by Martha Grover, Going Somewhere by Brian Benson, A Little Devil in America by Hanif Abdurraqib, Slice Harvester by Colin Atrophy Hagendorf, and Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal.

Tom Batterson’s love of books and bookselling started young – decades before opening New Story Community Books in Marshall, Michigan. He tells us his journey – including his 20 years working at a chain bookstore and how that differs from running an indie shop – in this fun episode!

Books We Talk About: The Murderbot Diaries: System Collapse by Martha Wells, Holly by Stephen King, Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, and Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead.

It's part two of our deep dive with author and bookseller Danny Caine, part owner of The Raven Book Store in Lawrence, Kansas. In this episode, we discuss Danny's viral sensation, "How to Resist Amazon and Why," and his bran new book, "How to Protect Bookstores and Why," available now!

On this episode, Matt is joined by bookseller and author Danny Caine. Danny is part owner of The Raven Book Store in Lawrence, Kansas, and author of the viral sensation "How to Resist Amazon and Why," as well as the new book, "How to Protect Bookstores and Why." In the first of a two-part episode, Danny discusses the history of The Raven. Next week, we deep dive into his books!

Books We Talk About: The novels of James McBride and Nathan Hill and Lunch Poems by Frank O'Hara.

We're back in Oregon to visit Beach Books! Owner Karen Emmerling and manager Alexa Butler share the story of this wonderful shop from Seaside, Oregon, from their active social media presence to their inventory of what they call "potato chip reads" -- and that one odd customer who collects...cat whiskers? 

Note: A few audio glitches in this one!

Books We Talk About: The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow, The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, Still Life by Louise Penny, Tom Lake by Ann Patchett, Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister, Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, and Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto.

We're back in Oregon to visit Beach Books! Owner Karen Emmerling and manager Alexa Butler share the story of this wonderful shop from Seaside, Oregon, from their active social media presence to their inventory of what they call "potato chip reads" -- and that one odd customer who collects...cat whiskers? 

Note: A few audio glitches in this one!

Books We Talk About: The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow, The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, Still Life by Louise Penny, Tom Lake by Ann Patchett, Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister, Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, and Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto.

This week, we visit Cortney Hornyak, owner of The Bookworm, a used bookshop in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In addition to a vast inventory of over 20,000 books, Cortney's shop offers beautiful handmade literary lamps and other awesome items. (Check out our Insta to see the one Matt brought home.) We talk about what it was like to open a shop without any prior experience, being a bookseller in a tourist town, and weathering the pandemic. 

Matt talks with Joseph Shearer, owner of Basecamp Books and Adventure, in Colorado Springs, CO, a shop offering one of the largest inventories of used books in the Pikes Peak Region: a blend of new titles, rare, and collectible books with the goal of bringing bibliophiles and outdoor enthusiasts together to explore more through Books and Adventure.

Books We Talk About: The Thief of Always by Clive Barker and The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey.

This week, I’ve got another special guest – filmmaker Mason Engle. Mason is someone I’ve wanted to talk to for a while, because his work is similar to my own, in that he too explores the world of indie bookstores – but in film.

He is the author of the novel “2084” and “How to Improve Your Writing," and director of the fantastic documentary “The Bookstour.” He’s now raising funds to release his latest project, “Books Across America” – a road trip documentary where he travels to 50 states, reading 50 books and interviewing 50 authors, all in 50 days. You can learn more about Mason's projects at masonengel.com.

You can also support the Books Across America Kickstarter campaign! Visit the campaign page and make a pledge before the deadline of August 8 at 11:59 p.m. ET.