Bubbles and Books

By Dog•Eared BooksArts Books

Bubbles and Books episodes

November 11, 2025 Clued In with the NYT Crossword
When a familiar name of a longtime customer popped up in the Dog-Eared email asking about an event for a new book, we couldn't believe a celebrity had been walking amongst us!

Christina Iverson is an editor with the New York Times Games department, and of course we couldn't wait to collaborate on all things games and puzzles. The Dog-Eared staff is a big consumer of the NYT Games, and we're not ashamed to admit we solve while working.

We're excited to welcome Christina, who began her crossword journey about seven years ago, on this week's episode. We hope you listen along and check out Puzzle Mania!

Puzzle Mania is a new book that combines all your favorite brain games from The New York Times and some you have yet to discover, and has prompted the inception of a great event that we're planning for January. Plus, the book makes a great gift for the holidays.

Ellyn's Currently Reading | Darkrooms by Rebecca Hannigan
Amanda's Currently Reading | The Black Wolf by Louise Penny
Christina's Currently Reading | Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino & The World Within a Song by Jeff Tweedy

SHOW NOTES:
Follow Christina on Instagram: @christina.m.iverson
Sign up for Christina's newsletter: Easy Mode
Read the Vanity Fair Article about the NYT games editors: Inside The New York Times' Big Bet on Games
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Make sure to subscribe and rate the Bubbles & Books Podcast. And don't forget to share it with your friends.
Follow us on Instagram: @bubblesandbookspodcast
Follow Dog-Eared Books on Instagram: @dogearedbooksames
Shop Dog-Eared Books and pick up your books in store or have shipped HERE.
Interested in audiobooks? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE.
Interested in e-books? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE.
Learn more about a Dog-Eared Books book subscription HERE.
Visit us! www.dogearedbooksames.com
57 min
October 21, 2025 Witchiness and The Woo Woo
Today, we're getting into the witchy and the woo-woo. We're joined by Megan Lane, who owns her own small business, Violet Lane Florals, and also happens to be a Dog-Eared Books bookseller. Megan often reads Tarot at Dog-Eared events or helps people craft bouquets. Megan also helps to curate our Mind, Body, Spirit section.

For Megan, Tarot has been a powerful tool for self-reflection, and she has found that readings with others result in both people leaving uplifted by the exchange. She enjoys helping people on their journey to discovering a more authentic expression of their life.

Ellyn's Currently Reading | We Survived the Night by Julian Noise Bravecat & A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar
Amanda's Currently Reading | The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown
Megan's Currently Reading | Word Witch by Kate Belew
Books coming out this week | Finding My Way by Malala Yousafzai & Good Spirits by B.L. Borison
SHOW NOTES:
Follow Megan on Instagram @violetlaneflorals
Visit Violet Lane Florals' Website HERE
Check out The Witch Wave Podcast HERE
Check out the Magick and Alchemy Podcast HERE
Waking the Witch by Pam Grossman
Magic Maker by Pam Grossman
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
I Don't Believe in Astrology by Debra Silverman
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Make sure to subscribe and rate the Bubbles & Books Podcast. And don't forget to share it with your friends.
Follow us on Instagram: @bubblesandbookspodcast
Follow Dog-Eared Books on Instagram: @dogearedbooksames
Shop Dog-Eared Books and pick up your books in store or have shipped HERE.
Interested in audiobooks? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE.
Interested in e-books? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE.
Learn more about a Dog-Eared Books book subscription HERE.
Visit us! www.dogearedbooksames.com
1 hr 27 min
October 14, 2025Indigenous Lit You Should Be Reading
Today, Amanda and Ellyn are highlighting Indigenous authors and stories in celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day. The history of replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous People’s Day goes back to the 1970's! In 1977, the International Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in the Americas, sponsored by the United Nations, first began discussing this change. It is a challenge to the notion that Christopher Columbus “discovered” a land that had actually been populated for tens of thousands of years. Dog-Eared Books is on the ancestral homelands of the Meskwaki Nation and Baxoje ich’e - also known as the Ioway (from which we take our state name) - peoples.
Amanda and Ellyn have put together a list of some of their favorite Indigenous authors to share with you. We hope you listen and pick up Indigenous Stories year round.
Ellyn's Currently Reading | The Separation of Church and Hate by John Fugelsang
Amanda's Currently Reading | The Optimists by Brian Platzer & The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown
Books coming out this week | We Survived the Night by Julian Brave NoiseCat & Bog Queen by Anna North
SHOW NOTES:
Rethinking How We Celebrate American History - Indigenous Peoples Day
Learn About and Donate to the Meskwaki Nation
Learn More About the Baxoje
Learn About and Donate to the First Nations
Birchbark Books
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Indigenous Authors you NEED to be Reading:
Louise Erdrich - member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians (ND)
“The Round House”
“The Night Watchman”
“The Sentence”
Tommy Orange - member of Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes (OK)
“There There”
“Wandering Stars”
Stephen Graham Jones - member of the Blackfeet Nation (MT)
Mongrels
My Heart is a Chainsaw
I Was a Teenage Slasher
Joy Harjo - member of the Muscogee Creek Nation (OK)
An American Sunrise
Poet Warrior
Washing My Mother’s Body
Cherie Dimaline - member of the Metis Nation of Ontario
Venco
The Marrow Thieves
Funeral Songs for Dying Girls
Robin Wall Kimmerer - member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation (OK)
Braiding Sweetgrass
Recent Reads by Indigenous Authors You Need to Check Out:
“The Mighty Red” by Louise Erdrich
“The Only Good Indians” by Stephen Graham Jones
“The Serviceberry” by Robin Wall Kimmerer
“Shutter” by Ramona Emerson (Dine aka Navajo Nation of the SW United States)
“The Berry Pickers” by Amanda Peters (Mi’kmaq from the Glooscap First Nation in the Canadian Atlantic provinces)
“Firekeeper’s Daughter” by Angeline Boulley (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Michigan)
Brand New/Upcoming Reads:
“To the Moon and Back” by Eliana Ramage (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma)
“The Devil is a Southpaw” by Brandon Hobson (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma)
“The Buffalo Hunter Hunter” by Stephen Graham Jones
“Girl Warrior” by Joy Harjo
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Make sure to subscribe and rate the Bubbles & Books Podcast. And don't forget to share it with your friends.
Follow us on Instagram: @bubblesandbookspodcast
Follow Dog-Eared Books on Instagram: @dogearedbooksames
Shop Dog-Eared Books and pick up your books in store or have shipped HERE.
Interested in audiobooks? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE.
Interested in e-books? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE.
Learn more about a Dog-Eared Books book subscription HERE.
Visit us! www.dogearedbooksames.com
1 hr 9 min
October 07, 2025 It's Brandi B*tch
Welcome to the "Bramily!" Today’s Bubbles & Books Podcast episode is a celebration of the one and only Brandi Carlile. Inspired by Ellyn's request to pop a bottle of Brandi’s own XOBC Cellars Sparkling Wine. Brandi isn’t just a once-in-a-generation talent, she’s also one of the truly good ones, and always has been.
Right now we could all use a little more light and inspiration, so we’re diving into the essential Brandi Carlile — pairing her songs with books Ellyn thinks match their spirit and soul. Let’s raise a glass and get into it.
Ellyn's Currently Reading | Truth and Beauty by Ann Patchett & One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
Amanda's Currently Reading | Life, and Death, and Giants by Ron Rindo
Books coming out this week | Mate by Ali Hazelwood & The Intruder by Freida McFadden
Listen to Ellyn’s Essential Brandi Fucking Carlile Playlist
Brandi Songs and Ellyn's Book Pairing:
Song: The Eye from the album The Firewatcher’s Daughter
Book: Run For the Hills by Kevin Wilson
Song: Party of One from the album By the Way, I Forgive You
Book: Same as it Ever Was by Claire Lombardo
Song: Wherever is Your Heart from the album The Firewatcher’s Daughter
Book: Here Beside the Rising Tide by Emily Jane
Song: Broken Horses from the album In These Silent Days
Book: Anita De Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez
Song: The Joke from the album By the Way, I Forgive You
Book: The Safekeep by Yael Van der Wouden
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Make sure to subscribe and rate the Bubbles & Books Podcast. And don't forget to share it with your friends.
Follow us on Instagram: @bubblesandbookspodcast
Follow Dog-Eared Books on Instagram: @dogearedbooksames
Shop Dog-Eared Books and pick up your books in store or have shipped HERE.
Interested in audiobooks? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE.
Interested in e-books? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE.
Learn more about a Dog-Eared Books book subscription HERE.
Visit us! www.dogearedbooksames.com
56 min
September 30, 2025 A Very Unhinged and Sticky Episode
Okay, hear us out... this episode of the Bubbles & Books podcast might sound slightly ridiculous (or completely unhinged), but it dives into some truly wild and weird bookish territory. We’re talking attractive cryptids, romances with sentient objects, and just how far the romance genre is willing to go in the name of pure, chaotic entertainment.
So now we’re asking you, If you had to pick a sentient object, cryptid, or other characters to feature in a romance, who or what would it be? Share it with us! No judgment. Probably.
Ellyn's Currently Reading | Caraval by Stephanie Garber & Legendary by Stephanie Garber
Amanda's Currently Reading | The Reservation by Rebecca Kaufman
Mariah's Currently Reading | Hot Wax by M.L. Rio & Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson
Books coming out this week | Twilight by Stephenie Meyer Deluxe Hardcover Boxset, The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osmon, and Soul Searching by Lyla Sage
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Make sure to subscribe and rate the Bubbles & Books Podcast. And don't forget to share it with your friends.
Follow us on Instagram: @bubblesandbookspodcast
Follow Dog-Eared Books on Instagram: @dogearedbooksames
Shop Dog-Eared Books and pick up your books in store or have shipped HERE.
Interested in audiobooks? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE.
Interested in e-books? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE.
Learn more about a Dog-Eared Books book subscription HERE.
Visit us! www.dogearedbooksames.com
1 hr 10 min
September 23, 2025 Hoa Hoa Hoa
Today, we’re singing our hoa hoa's and driving up the 101 of the Pacific Northwest to the iconic town of Forks, Washington. Why, you ask? Because it’s almost the 20th anniversary of Twilight, and we’re celebrating like it’s 2005!
Dog-Eared Books is throwing a Twilight-themed Prom, and we’re embracing all the sparkly vampire vibes. In this episode, we’re joined by bookseller (and resident Twilight expert) Bailey to give us all the fun facts about the series that stole our hearts.
We’re talking, the cultural impact of Twilight, everything cringey, what holds up... and what doesn't, and of course what to expect at our Twilight Prom.
Whether you are Team Edward, Team Jacob, this episode is a fun discussion on the series that made us all believe in sparkly eternal love.
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You're Invited: Come to Dog-Eared's Twilight Prom on Friday, October 10. Get your ticket HERE.
Order the Twilight 20th anniversary boxed set from Dog-Eared Books HERE.
Order the 20th anniversary special edition from Dog-Eared Books HERE.
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Make sure to subscribe and rate the Bubbles & Books Podcast. And don't forget to share it with your friends.
Follow us on Instagram: @bubblesandbookspodcast
Follow Dog-Eared Books on Instagram: @dogearedbooksames
Shop Dog-Eared Books and pick up your books in store or have shipped HERE.
Interested in audiobooks? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE.
Interested in e-books? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE.
Learn more about a Dog-Eared Books book subscription HERE.
Visit us! www.dogearedbooksames.com
1 hr 10 min
September 22, 2025 Good Books Bad Reviews
We're bringing back one of our favorite games, reading hilariously bad reviews of some truly great books! This time, Amanda has picked out books that Ellyn read and loved this year. She’ll be reading one-star reviews to Ellyn, who has to guess which book they’re roasting. Listen along and see if you can figure it out before she does!
Books coming out this week | American Werewolves by Emily Jane, Replaceable You by Mary Roach, & Good Things by Samin Nosrat
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Make sure to subscribe and rate the Bubbles & Books Podcast. And don't forget to share it with your friends.
Follow us on Instagram: @bubblesandbookspodcast
Follow Dog-Eared Books on Instagram: @dogearedbooksames
Shop Dog-Eared Books and pick up your books in store or have shipped HERE.
Interested in audiobooks? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE.
Interested in e-books? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE.
Learn more about a Dog-Eared Books book subscription HERE.
Visit us! www.dogearedbooksames.com
1 hr 3 min
September 09, 2025 Poppin' Off with Annie B. Jones
Today we welcome Annie B. Jones, bookstore owner, author, and podcast host to today's Bubbles & Books episode! Annie is the owner of the indie bookstore The Bookshelf in Thomasville, Georgia, and the voice behind the popular podcast From the Front Porch. We’re convinced she belongs on the (imaginary but totally necessary) Bookstore Owners Walk of Fame. In this episode, we dive into the joys and challenges of bookstore ownership and the experience of publishing her first book Ordinary Time: Lessons Learned While Staying Put.
Follow Annie B. Jones on Instagram HERE
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Make sure to subscribe and rate the Bubbles & Books Podcast. And don't forget to share it with your friends.
Learn more about a Dog-Eared Books book subscription HERE.
Follow us on Instagram: @bubblesandbookspodcast
Follow Dog-Eared Books on Instagram: @dogearedbooksames
Interested in audiobooks? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE.
Visit us! www.dogearedbooksames.com
1 hr 6 min
August 26, 2025Books You CAN'T Miss
As you know, this podcast is called Bubbles and Books, so naturally, every episode comes with a good read and a glass of bubbly in hand. But with so many books on our shelves, we can't talk about them all. So in this episode, we're hitting pause and spotlighting the ones we just can’t let slip by. These are the books we would be remiss to miss sharing with you.
Books mentioned in this episode:
Ellyn:
Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson
America’s Best Idea by Randall Balmer
The Carpool Detectives by Chuck Hogan
Amanda:
Last Call at the Savoy by Brisa Carleton
Cheesecake by Mark Kurlansky
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Make sure to subscribe and rate the Bubbles & Books Podcast. And don't forget to share it with your friends.
Follow us on Instagram: @bubblesandbookspodcast
Follow Dog-Eared Books on Instagram: @dogearedbooksames
Shop Dog-Eared Books and pick up your books in store or have shipped HERE.
Interested in audiobooks? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE.
Interested in e-books? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE.
Learn more about a Dog-Eared Books book subscription HERE.
Visit us! www.dogearedbooksames.com
1 hr 21 min
August 19, 2025 Birding with Dog-Eared
Everyone could use a little birding in their life! That’s why we’re so excited to welcome Brenda, host of Dog-Eared’s Better Birding book club, along with bookseller Eloise, who’s just getting started with birding and already loving the journey. Birding is taking off among both adults and younger generations, so today we’re diving into the joys of birdwatching, the best apps for identifying birds, some of our favorite bird-themed books, and gorgeous covers that feature our feathered friends.

*Please note: Unfortunately a setting was on during the recording of this episode. We apologize for the background sounds, but hope you enjoy this episode.
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Make sure to subscribe and rate the Bubbles & Books Podcast. And don't forget to share it with your friends.
Learn more about a Dog-Eared Books book subscription HERE.
Follow us on Instagram: @bubblesandbookspodcast
Follow Dog-Eared Books on Instagram: @dogearedbooksames
Interested in audiobooks? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE.
Visit us! www.dogearedbooksames.com
1 hr 10 min

About Bubbles and Books

From the publisher's feed

A podcast about two of the best things in life: books and champagne. Hosted by Ellyn Grimm and Amanda Lepper, co-owners of Dog-Eared Books in Ames, Iowa.