JAM Podcasts & Audiobooks

Shelf Help booksellers answer a question from Caleb –”some of my favorite books are ones with allusions to other literary works, like the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. What other books like that series would the co-hosts recommend?” Recommendations included the unexpected – a picture book – A Child of Books by Oliver Jeffers, as well as other novels the Wayward children series by Seanan McGuire, Check out 19 by Claire Louise Bennett, The Idiot by Elif Batuman, Mr. Penumbra’s 24 hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill, and the Magpie Murders series by Anthony Horowitz.

Welcome to Shelf Help, a podcast where booksellers help you answer one of life’s trickier – and we’d argue extremely important – questions: What should you read next?  Shelf Help is a collaboration between the Book Jam, a nonprofit designed to inspire readers; JAM – Junction Arts & Media; three Upper Valley bookstores: Yankee Bookshop in Woodstock, VT; the Norwich Bookstore in Norwich, VT; and Still North Books & Bar in Hanover, NH.

This episode was guided by a question from Shelf Help’s friend KJ, an author herself, who was looking for great books for her mom that feature protagonists who are older and not depressed about it. Her question led of course to the Thursday Murder Club mysteries by Richard Osman, and quickly veered away from those as KJ’s question specifically said don’t recommend those because her mom is not yet in assisted living.  The Group – Kari, Allie and Emma (still no Sam who was busy at the Norwich Bookstore) – came up with the following: The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen by Hendrik Groen, If You Ask Me And Of Course You Won’t by Betty White, Auntie Poldi And The Sicilian Lions (An Auntie Poldi Adventure #1) by Mario Giordano and Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, among others. They all had us looking forward, at least a bit more, to aging.

Welcome to Shelf Help, a podcast where booksellers help you answer one of life’s trickier – and we’d argue extremely important – questions: What should you read next?  Shelf Help is a collaboration between the Book Jam, a nonprofit designed to inspire readers; JAM – Junction Arts & Media; three Upper Valley bookstores: Yankee Bookshop in Woodstock, VT; the Norwich Bookstore in Norwich, VT; and Still North Books & Bar in Hanover, NH.

Some books that provide feminist rethinkings and revisionings of the hero cycle/”hero’s journey”, or said another way books that explore the heroine’s journey: We were joined by Allie for this episode, and bid a fond goodbye to Still North’s Jen, hoping to hear from her again soon. This question from Devon was interpreted widely by the group – Allie, Emma, and Kari (still no Sam). Their picks include: Circe by Madeline Miller, The Shame by Mckenna Goodwin, The Heroine with 1001 Faces by Maria Tatar, How to be Eaten by Marion Adelmann, and Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes. We hope these help Devon (and you) find what she was looking for.

Welcome to Shelf Help, a podcast where booksellers help you answer one of life’s trickier – and we’d argue extremely important – questions: What should you read next?  Shelf Help is a collaboration between the Book Jam, a nonprofit designed to inspire readers; JAM – Junction Arts & Media; three Upper Valley bookstores: Yankee Bookshop in Woodstock, VT; the Norwich Bookstore in Norwich, VT; and Still North Books & Bar in Hanover, NH.

Fun, yet clever books for college kids: Jen joined us again from Still North; and, Sam and Allie were still unable to be with us. But Jen, Kari, and Emma discussed great ideas to answer a question from Laura looking for great books for her kid in college. Their picks included, but were not limited to, The Idiot by Elif Batuman, Bunny by Mona Awad, Long Way To Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, Hamster Princess by Ursula Vernon, and What Moves The Dead by T. Kingfisher. We all remarked we were grateful we had an actual college student – Jen – recommending today.

Welcome to Shelf Help, a podcast where booksellers help you answer one of life’s trickier – and we’d argue extremely important – questions: What should you read next?  Shelf Help is a collaboration between the Book Jam, a nonprofit designed to inspire readers; JAM – Junction Arts & Media; three Upper Valley bookstores: Yankee Bookshop in Woodstock, VT; the Norwich Bookstore in Norwich, VT; and Still North Books & Bar in Hanover, NH.

Tolstoy and great books about unhappy families:  For this episode and its question from our friend and superb librarian Lucinda wanting more books about unhappy families, we were joined by Jen from Still North Books & Bar as Allie had a conflict. Jen was succinct, delightful, and forthcoming about her senior thesis with one recommendation – Abolish the Family by Sophie Lewis. Emma had a long list that included Normal Family by Chrysta Bilton, Fun Home by Allison Bechtdel, Priest Daddy by Partricia Lockwood and Dominicana by Angie Cruz. Kari split the difference and chose two books – Inheritance by Dani Shapiro and Bastards by Mary Anna King. Have fun with these unhappy families.

Welcome to Shelf Help, a podcast where booksellers help you answer one of life’s trickier – and we’d argue extremely important – questions: What should you read next?  Shelf Help is a collaboration between the Book Jam, a nonprofit designed to inspire readers; JAM – Junction Arts & Media; three Upper Valley bookstores: Yankee Bookshop in Woodstock, VT; the Norwich Bookstore in Norwich, VT; and Still North Books & Bar in Hanover, NH.

What is your favorite “snack” book – a book that is great “because no matter what is going on, you can pick it up and enjoy it even if it’s only a chapter or two.”?  The bookstore owners fully embraced the concept of a snack book. Well, with the exception of Emma who confessed she does not pick books up and down, unlike her partner Sam who has multiple books going at all times. So Emma used this question as a reason to reference Shirley Jackson again. Specific book recommendations from all the booksellers included the Best American Series (essays, fiction, travel), Mythologies by Roland Barthes, and We are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby.

Welcome to Shelf Help, a podcast where booksellers help you answer one of life’s trickier – and we’d argue extremely important – questions: What should you read next?  Shelf Help is a collaboration between the Book Jam, a nonprofit designed to inspire readers; JAM – Junction Arts & Media; three Upper Valley bookstores: Yankee Bookshop in Woodstock, VT; the Norwich Bookstore in Norwich, VT; and Still North Books & Bar in Hanover, NH.

Books for High Schoolers Who Seem to Have Become Nonreaders: For Sam, these include narrative nonfiction in the sociology, history, and travel sections. Allie recommended dystopian fiction. Kari chose books that have protagonists who are the same age as the reluctant reader. And, Emma recommended series. All referenced Shelf Help’s previous reading slump episode. Specific books to ponder include: the Saga Series, Endurance by Alfred Lansing, Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Serpent King by Jeff Zentner, and We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach.

Welcome to Shelf Help, a podcast where booksellers help you answer one of life’s trickier – and we’d argue extremely important – questions: What should you read next?  Shelf Help is a collaboration between the Book Jam, a nonprofit designed to inspire readers; JAM – Junction Arts & Media; three Upper Valley bookstores: Yankee Bookshop in Woodstock, VT; the Norwich Bookstore in Norwich, VT; and Still North Books & Bar in Hanover, NH.

Shelf Help’s Inaugural Holiday Gift Guide:  Each bookstore owner chose one fiction, one nonfiction, and one kids book to help listeners find the perfect gift for everyone on their lists. They picked far too many to list them all here. And when you listen, you will hear them discuss why books such as Marple: 12 new mysteries, Olga Dies Dreaming, Inciting Joy: Essays, The Phantomwise Tarot: A 78-Card Deck and Guidebook, The Legend of the Christmas Witch, A Very Mercy Christmas, and A Child’s Christmas in Wales. Enjoy! We hope this episode helps you find the perfect gift for everyone on your list.

Welcome to Shelf Help, a podcast where booksellers help you answer one of life’s trickier – and we’d argue extremely important – questions: What should you read next?  Shelf Help is a collaboration between the Book Jam, a nonprofit designed to inspire readers; JAM – Junction Arts & Media; three Upper Valley bookstores: Yankee Bookshop in Woodstock, VT; the Norwich Bookstore in Norwich, VT; and Still North Books & Bar in Hanover, NH.

Beyond Goodnight Moon: Board books for infants and the people who love them:  The bookstore owners had fun thinking about books for the youngest among us and the people who love them, which led to a debate about who are board books really for – kids or adults? Consensus was board books are for both, and then the recommendations flew. Kari recommended books by Il Sung Na such as Book of Sleep, and Emma says you can’t go wrong with Natalie Nelson and Dog’s First Baby and Cat’s First Baby. Allie’s recommendations were more interactive with puppets including selections like Little Ghostie, and Sam went slightly more classic with More More More by Vera B Williams and Sheep in a Jeep.

Welcome to Shelf Help, a podcast where booksellers help you answer one of life’s trickier – and we’d argue extremely important – questions: What should you read next?  Shelf Help is a collaboration between the Book Jam, a nonprofit designed to inspire readers; JAM – Junction Arts & Media; three Upper Valley bookstores: Yankee Bookshop in Woodstock, VT; the Norwich Bookstore in Norwich, VT; and Still North Books & Bar in Hanover, NH.

“Not Christmas books!” Our first question we’ve received that required clarification resulted in very unique interpretations this episode. The query arrived via instagram from Sara who wrote she needs books that help her in “getting away from the encroaching Christmas.” When asked for clarification, she came back with –  “Christmas dominates the popular narrative starting late fall, hard to get away from. Stories that aren’t about Christmas or anti-Christmas are few and far between. I’m sure there’s exciting new fiction or old comfort food stories that get ‘the rest of us’ through.”

Welcome to Shelf Help, a podcast where booksellers help you answer one of life’s trickier – and we’d argue extremely important – questions: What should you read next?  Shelf Help is a collaboration between the Book Jam, a nonprofit designed to inspire readers; JAM – Junction Arts & Media; three Upper Valley bookstores: Yankee Bookshop in Woodstock, VT; the Norwich Bookstore in Norwich, VT; and Still North Books & Bar in Hanover, NH.