“Every book leaves a mark. This is where we talk about it.”

In this episode of Offbeat Journeys, I discuss the books that showed courage in the most human way.

I talk about how existing in silence is powerful, how courageous it is to live a life no one expects you to, and how courage is not always an act of bravery. Sometimes it's the opposite. In this episode, I talk about:

· The book written in the most drastic circumstances that lead to the most amazing act of courage

· The one that shows us what it is to courageously live a life society does not expect

· And the book that shows that courage comes in many forms, and from many origins
 

If you’ve ever felt understood by a book… if you love stories that linger… or if you’re curious about how writers are shaped by the books they read — you’re in the right place.

Subscribe, settle in, and join the journey.

📚 Books Mentioned

(Some links may be affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through them, it supports the show at no extra cost to you.)

· The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

· The Story of My Life by Helen Keller

· The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

✍️ Connect with Me

Newsletter → Offbeat Journeys by James

My Books → Wednesday’s Child
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/molloywrites 

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/molloywrites

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-molloy-23a9b822b

TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@molloywrites

Bluesky → https://bsky.app/profile/molloywrites.bsky.social

🎵 Intro/Outro Music

The Beat of Nature by folk_acoustic on Pixabay

“Every book leaves a mark. This is where we talk about it.”

In this episode of Offbeat Journeys, I discuss the books that inspired anger in me. 

I talk about how these books make you think about collective responsibility, holding others to account and about the willingness to not stay silent when it matters. In this episode:

· The book that made me think about collective responsibility

· The one that brought industrial cruelty to the forefront of our minds

· And how far we've come in mental health treatment and how far we still must go

I talk about how silence, even though it can sometimes be powerful, when used incorrectly, can inadvertently allow harm to continue. 

If you’ve ever felt understood by a book… if you love stories that linger… or if you’re curious about how writers are shaped by the books they read — you’re in the right place.

Subscribe, settle in, and join the journey.

📚 Books Mentioned

(Some links may be affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through them, it supports the show at no extra cost to you.)

· Night by Elie Weisel

· A Child Called 'It' by Dave Pelzer

· The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini
. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

✍️ Connect with Me

Newsletter → Offbeat Journeys by James

My Books → Wednesday’s Child
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/molloywrites 

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/molloywrites

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-molloy-23a9b822b

TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@molloywrites

Bluesky → https://bsky.app/profile/molloywrites.bsky.social

🎵 Intro/Outro Music

The Beat of Nature by folk_acoustic on Pixabay

“Every book leaves a mark. This is where we talk about it.”

In this episode of Offbeat Journeys, I discuss the books that taught me about resilience. 

I talk about how these books helped me define personal responsibility, patience and meaning. In this episode I discuss:

· The book that reminded me about personal accountability

· The one that taught me about patience and taking the long view

· And how one who endured the most horrific conditions still found a way to make meaning. 

I talk about how, no matter the scale of the difficulty, some books remind us that it is all about stepping back, re-evaluating, and going again.

If you’ve ever felt understood by a book… if you love stories that linger… or if you’re curious about how writers are shaped by the books they read — you’re in the right place.

Subscribe, settle in, and join the journey.

📚 Books Mentioned

(Some links may be affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through them, it supports the show at no extra cost to you.)

· Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins

· Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela

· Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
. Unkindness by James Molloy (Upcoming, 2026)

✍️ Connect with Me

Newsletter → Offbeat Journeys by James

My Books → Wednesday’s Child
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/molloywrites 

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/molloywrites

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-molloy-23a9b822b

TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@molloywrites

Bluesky → https://bsky.app/profile/molloywrites.bsky.social

🎵 Intro/Outro Music

The Beat of Nature by folk_acoustic on Pixabay

“Every book leaves a mark. This is where we talk about it.”

In this episode of Offbeat Journeys, I discuss the books that changed how I see people. 

I talk about how these books helped me reframe resilience, bravery, self-respect and empathy. In this episode I discuss:

· The book that made re-evaluate quiet strength

· The one that made me see how different the system can be for different people

· And how judging people based on external first impressions might be a mistake

I talk about how books can make us take a moment to re-evaluate judgements we felt sure about and help us to see people and the systems we all must live inside, in an entirely new perspective.  

If you’ve ever felt understood by a book… if you love stories that linger… or if you’re curious about how writers are shaped by the books they read — you’re in the right place.

Subscribe, settle in, and join the journey.

📚 Books Mentioned

(Some links may be affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through them, it supports the show at no extra cost to you.)

· Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

· Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington

· Ego Is The Enemy by Ryan Holiday

✍️ Connect with Me

Newsletter → Offbeat Journeys by James

My Books → Wednesday’s Child
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/molloywrites 

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/molloywrites

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-molloy-23a9b822b

TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@molloywrites

Bluesky → https://bsky.app/profile/molloywrites.bsky.social

🎵 Intro/Outro Music

The Beat of Nature by folk_acoustic on Pixabay

“Every book leaves a mark. This is where we talk about it.”

In this episode of Offbeat Journeys, I discuss the books and stories that made my last 12 months. 

In a podcast coming to you a little later than I would have liked we talk about the books that carried me through a turbulent year including: 

· The book that made me turn inward

· The one that turned my attention toward the wider world

· And how each book became a kind of arc to perfectly sum up the last year

I talk about how books often carry us through some of the most turbulent times in our lives and how they become the anchor we use when they are most needed. 

If you’ve ever felt understood by a book… if you love stories that linger… or if you’re curious about how writers are shaped by the books they read — you’re in the right place.

Subscribe, settle in, and join the journey.

📚 Books Mentioned

(Some links may be affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through them, it supports the show at no extra cost to you.)

· The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

· The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

· Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton

· The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka

· A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

· Unkindness by James Molloy (Upcoming, 2026)

· “The Cocoon Memoirs” by James Molloy (Upcoming, TBC)

✍️ Connect with Me

Newsletter → Offbeat Journeys

My Books → Wednesday’s Child
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/molloywrites 

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/molloywrites

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-molloy-23a9b822b

TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@molloywrites

Bluesky → https://bsky.app/profile/molloywrites.bsky.social

🎵 Intro/Outro Music

The Beat of Nature by folk_acoustic on Pixabay

“Every book leaves a mark. This is where we talk about it.”

In this second episode of Offbeat Journeys, I discuss the books and stories that stay. The ones that nestle in behind the ribs and never leave. In this episode I talk about:

•  The book that still haunts me
•  The 'other' one that flipped everything I knew
•  And the book that made me feel seen

I talk about how books often find us when we need them most and the best ones never leave us. They find a way to stay — whether we ask them to or not. 

If you’ve ever felt understood by a book… if you love stories that linger… or if you’re curious about how writers are shaped by the books they read — you’re in the right place.

Subscribe, settle in, and join the journey.

📚 Books Mentioned

(Some links may be affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through them, it supports the show at no extra cost to you.)

• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
• A Prisoner of Birth by Jeffrey Archer
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
• Unkindness by James Molloy (Upcoming, 2026)

✍️ Connect with Me

Newsletter → Offbeat Journeys

My Books → Wednesday’s Child
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/molloywrites 

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/molloywrites

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-molloy-23a9b822b

TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@molloywrites

Bluesky → https://bsky.app/profile/molloywrites.bsky.social

🎵 Intro/Outro Music

The Beat of Nature by folk_acoustic on Pixabay

“Every book leaves a mark. This is where we talk about it.”

In this first full episode of Offbeat Journeys, I answer the same three questions I’ll soon be asking independent authors on the show:

•  The book that sparked my love of writing
•  The one that broke me open
•  And the one that flipped everything I thought I knew

I also introduce my upcoming novel Unkindness, share why I chose the independent publishing route, and talk about what this podcast hopes to become — a space for thoughtful readers, quiet rebels, and anyone who believes stories can reveal who we really are.

If you’ve ever felt understood by a book… if you love stories that linger… or if you’re curious about how writers are shaped by the books they read — you’re in the right place.

Subscribe, settle in, and join the journey.

📚 Books Mentioned

(Some links may be affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through them, it supports the show at no extra cost to you.)

• Where Rainbows End by Cecilia Ahern
• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
• Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less by Jeffrey Archer
• Wednesday’s Child by James Molloy
• Unkindness by James Molloy (Upcoming, 2026)

✍️ Connect with Me

Newsletter → jamesmolloyauthor.substack.com/

My Books → Wednesday’s Child
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/molloywrites 

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/molloywrites

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-molloy-23a9b822b

TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@molloywrites

Bluesky → https://bsky.app/profile/molloywrites.bsky.social

🎵 Intro/Outro Music

The Beat of Nature by folk_acoustic on Pixabay

“Every book leaves a mark. This is where we talk about it.”

In this short trailer, I share what Offbeat Journeys is all about. It's a podcast where we explore the books that shape us, the stories behind the stories, and what it really means to live a creative life.

Each week, I’ll sit down with independent authors to talk about the books that changed their perspective, the words that stuck with them, and the moments that made them want to write. Sometimes, it’ll just be me sharing my own offbeat path as a writer.

If you love books, if you’ve ever felt like an outsider, or if you’re just curious about how writers think, subscribe now and join the journey.

📚 Books Mentioned

(No books mentioned in this trailer — first titles coming soon!)

✍️ Connect with Me

• Newsletter → Offbeat Journeys
• My Books → Wednesday's Child
• Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/molloywrites
• LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-molloy-23a9b822b  
• TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@molloywrites
• Bluesky → https://bsky.app/profile/molloywrites.bsky.social

🎵 Intro/Outro Music

The Beat of Nature by folk_acoustic on Pixabay