How does a writer decide to take a risk when it comes to using an out-of-the-box form or idea? And when they do, how does their agent, editor, and publisher respond?

Today Shawn and Cade catch up with Daniel Kraus, author of many books including Whalefall and Angel Down. He's also worked with one of our favorite directors, Guillermo del Toro, on the book and movie, The Shape of Water. Whalefall takes place inside a whale's stomach. Angel Down is a book made up of one sentence.

We talk about fathers and sons and how that relationship plays out in his novels. "If your dad's life is a road, then you have to branch off from that road." Also, how writing this book taught him something about himself.

With a shoutout to the bookshop Exile!

Books Mentioned:

Whalefall by Daniel Kraus Angel Down by Daniel Kraus The Shape of Water by Daniel Kraus The Brothers K by David James Duncan Blood Sugar by Daniel Kraus The Bee Sting by Paul Murray Mother Eating by Jess Hagerman Wolf at the Table by Adam Rapp

Connect with us!

Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Switch from Audible to Libro.fm and support Nooks! Upcoming Book Clubs at Nooks! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page

Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard

*All book links connect you to our Bookshop.org site where our book shop will receive a generous portion of your purchase.

What is the role of the bookshop during times of political upheaval? We talk about how we try to contribute to the community around us during difficult times. And Maile reflects on how books can help us better understand loved ones who have passed away. As she reads a book about a man who went blind, she reevaluates her relationship with her deceased dad and how a book she's reading is helping her to connect deeper with him.

Books Mentioned:

The Day the Angels Fell by Shawn Smucker The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke Tom's Crossing by Mark Danielewski The Country of the Blind by Andrew Leland Flashlight by Susan Choi This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar

Connect with us!

Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Switch from Audible to Libro.fm and support Nooks! Upcoming Book Clubs at Nooks! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page

Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard

*All book links connect you to our Bookshop.org site where our book shop will receive a generous portion of your purchase.

Today we're joined by author Christie Purifoy! We start by discussing a movie that has recently had Shawn sobbing in the theatre and how art helps us process life. Which leads us to discuss how Christie's favorite books and films have domestic spaces or settings that communicate to us. We also talk about Christie's new book, how she realized it wasn't working, and why not.

And we share some big news regarding Nooks.

We also introduce a new service at Nooks: our monthly book subscriptions! You can check those out HERE.

Books Mentioned:

A House to Call Home by Christie Purifoy Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

Connect with us!

Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Switch from Audible to Libro.fm and support Nooks! Upcoming Book Clubs at Nooks! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page

Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard

*All book links connect you to our Bookshop.org site where our book shop will receive a generous portion of your purchase.

As humans, winter (and wintering seasons) can provide a season of much-needed rest and recuperation. But as shop owners, it can also be a bit scary when January arrived and business slows. Today we're talking about the importance of taking breaks, resting, and refortifying our souls for the busy seasons ahead.

"It was a condensed explanation, but I came to understand him to mean you could stop at, not all, but most of the moments of your life, stop for one heartbeat and, no matter what the state of your head or heart, say 'This is happiness,' because of the simple truth that you were alive to say it." Niall Williams

We also introduce a new service at Nooks: our monthly book subscriptions! You can check those out HERE.

Books Mentioned:

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer Wintering by Katherine May Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton Something in the Woods Loves You by Jarod Anderson This is Happiness by Niall Williams Four Letters of Love by Niall Williams Time of the Child by Niall Williams History of the Rain by Niall Williams

Connect with us!

Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Switch from Audible to Libro.fm and support Nooks! Upcoming Book Clubs at Nooks! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page

Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard

*All book links connect you to our Bookshop.org site where our book shop will receive a generous portion of your purchase.

Today Maile and I share some game-changing, exciting news for Nooks, make a few embarrassing confessions about how judgy we can often be, and then talk about the books that are impressing us so far this year.

Books Mentioned:

Every Moment Holy by Douglas McKelvey Hell Bent: How the Fear of Hell Holds Christians Back from a Spirituality of Love by Brian Recker I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman The Life of Lucy Gault by William Trevor A Month in the Country by JL Carr Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke The Scout and Barnaby Mysteries by Becca Wierwille The Correspondent by Virginia Evans The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett MiddlemanBooks.Store

Connect with us!

Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Switch from Audible to Libro.fm and support Nooks! Upcoming Book Clubs at Nooks! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page

Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard

*All book links connect you to our Bookshop.org site where our book shop will receive a generous portion of your purchase.

2026, here we come! After a refreshing holiday, we're ready to head into the new year at Nooks. We talk about why this January feels different than last, what makes local bookshops different (from each other and from big box stores), and what we're looking forward to reading in the new year. How do we, as booksellers, choose the books we're going to read?

Books Mentioned:

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl Late Migrations by Margaret Renkl The Country of the Blind by Andrew Leland Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower Flashlight by Susan Choi Tom's Crossing by Mark Danielewski The Correspondent by Virginia Evans Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Connect with us!

Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Upcoming Book Clubs at Nooks! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page

Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard

*All book links connect you to our Bookshop.org site where our book shop will receive a generous portion of your purchase.

Winnie Li has given us a road trip book that delves deep into the heart of what it means to be on the road, what it means to live in a post-Covid world, and, perhaps more deeply, what it means to be American.

And we're honored that we get to have a conversation with her, ranging from how she ended up taking a Route 66 road trip to how victims of sexual assault often lose their ability to tell their side of the story. It's a deeply thoughtful conversation with a wonderful author.

Books Mentioned:

What We Left Unsaid by Winnie M Li

Connect with us!

Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Upcoming Book Clubs at Nooks! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page

Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard

*All book links connect you to our Bookshop.org site where our book shop will receive a generous portion of your purchase.

Maile hates Top 10's so this is not our Top 10 Books of 2025, this is each of us picking five memorable books from the year that we loved probably more than the others. But definitely not a top 10 list. Even if it looks and sounds like one.

Books Mentioned:

Here One Moment by Lianne Moriarty Time of the Child by Niall Williams The Bookshop by Evan Friss Erasure by Percival Everett Finding Me by Viola Davis A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr Fast Like a Girl by Mindy Pelz Monsters by Claire Dederer Heating and Cooling by Beth Ann Fennelly The Elements by John Boyne

Connect with us!

Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Upcoming Book Clubs at Nooks! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page

Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard

*All book links connect you to our Bookshop.org site where our book shop will receive a generous portion of your purchase.

Claire Dederer wrote a book called, Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma, and in it she wrestles with the question, "What do we do with the art of monstrous men?" What happens when we love a particular book or painter or piece of music only to discover that the creator was actually a terrible human being?

Today we bring in Andi Cumbo to wrestle through this topic with us, and we bring our own favorite monsters into the conversation. What will we do with the art we love that was created by awful people?

Books mentioned during the conversation:

Monsters by Claire Dederer East of Eden by John Steinbeck Lolita by Nabakov Connect with us!

Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Upcoming Book Clubs at Nooks! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page

Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard

*All book links connect you to our Bookshop.org site where our book shop will receive a generous portion of your purchase.

Today we're joined by Kaitlin Curtice, excited to talk about her new book, Everything is a Story: Reclaiming the Power of Stories to Heal and Shape Our Stories. We explore how stories impact us within Kaitlin's framework of examining stories: liminal, lethal, and loving.

We invited her on to talk about her new book, but we also delve into the book Fast Like a Girl, Kaitlin's diagnosis of PCOS, and how understanding their cycles has been revolutionary for Maile and Kaitlin.

Kaitlin will be at our shop in October! We'd love for you to join us! (Details HERE.)

Books mentioned during the conversation:

Everything is a Story by Kaitlin Curtice Fast Like a Girl by Mindy Pells The Care of the Soul by Thomas Moore Connect with us!

Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Upcoming Book Clubs at Nooks! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page

Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard

*All book links connect you to our Bookshop.org site where our book shop will receive a generous portion of your purchase.