The Bookshop Podcast

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In this episode, I chat with author KJ Dell'Antonia about her new novel In Her Boots, her podcast #amwriting, and books!

KJ Dell'Antonia is the author of The Chicken Sisters, a New York Times bestseller, a Reese Witherspoon book club pick, and a timely, humorous exploration of the same themes she has long focused on in her journalism: the importance of finding joy in our families, the challenge of figuring out what makes us happy, and the need to value the people in front of us more than the ones in our phones and laptops, every single time.

KJ wrote and edited the Motherlode blog at the New York Times and is also the author of the viral essay Why I Didn't Answer Your Email and the book How to Be a Happier Parent. 

Her new novel, In Her Boots, is about the gap between the adults we think we have become, the child our mother will always see, and our horrible fear that our mother is right.


KJ Dell’Antonia

In Her Boots, KJ Dell’Antonia

The #AmWriting Podcast

The Change, Kirsten Miller

The Truth About Ben And June, Alex Kiester

The Other Bennet Sister, Janice Hadlow

The Murder of Mr. Wickham, Claudia Gray

The Boys, Katie Hafner

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Mandy Jackson-Beverly
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In this episode, I'm chatting with Carrie Morris, co-owner of Booka Bookshop in Oswestry, UK, about bookish events, the stunning county of Shropshire, the future of indie bookshops, and books!

Booka Bookshop is an award-winning independent bookshop located in the center of Oswestry, a thriving UK market town on the border where Shropshire meets Wales.

Since opening in October 2009, Booka quickly established a reputation as a destination shop, renowned for the quality of its book stock and its strong community focus. They host a wide and varied range of author events and work closely with schools, libraries, and other organizations to promote a passion for books and reading. 

In 2015, 6 years after opening, Booka was named UK & Ireland Independent Bookshop of the Year and is now recognized as one of the leading independent bookshops in the UK.

BookaBookshop is owned and run by ‘wife and husband team’ Carrie and Tim Morris.

Booka Bookshop

This Time Tomorrow, Emma Straub

Breadsong: How Baking Changed Our Lives, Kitty Tait, Al Tait

Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival and Hope in New York City, Andrea Elliott

Barbara Pym Books

Wilfred Owen, Poet

Young Mungo, Douglas Stuart

Shuggie Bain, Douglas Stuart

At Home With 4 Indies

Making It, Jay Blades

Emma Straub on The Bookshop Podcast

Mary Laura Philpott on The Bookshop Podcast

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Mandy Jackson-Beverly
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In this episode, I chat with Tamar Haspel about her new book, To Boldly Grow, eating for a healthier planet and you, the beef industry, and getting your hands in dirt!

Tamar Haspel writes the James Beard Award-winning Washington Post column Unearthed, which tackles food from every angle: agriculture, nutrition, obesity, and the environment. She is the author of the book To Boldly Grow. If she tells you a wild mushroom is OK to eat, you can believe her. 

Along with Michael Grunwald, Tamar co-hosts Climavores, a podcast for eaters who don’t want to cook the planet. It cuts through the hype and ideology, explores the stories behind our perceptions of food, and empowers listeners to make food choices that are actually good for the planet.

Tamar Haspel

To Boldly Grow: Finding Joy, Adventure, and Dinner in Your Own Backyard, Tamar Haspel

Tamar Haspel on Twitter

Climavores

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Mandy Jackson-Beverly
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In this episode, I chat with Mary Ellen Hartje, the owner of Old Town Books, about reinventing retirement, the San Angelo community, the ASU Writers Conference, and books!

Old Town Books came about, as most independent bookstores do, as a labor of love—love of books, love of bookstores, and love for the “book community.” This labor of love also includes a love for the broader community since we believe that no town should be without the joys that a bookstore brings. 

In addition to offering books for all ages in a wide range of interest areas, Old Town Books strives to be a community center, a gathering place where people can share their common ideas, concerns, interests, passions, and dreams. 

Old Town Books

The Maid, Nita Prose

French Braid, Anne Tyler

Good Company, Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney

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Mandy Jackson-Beverly
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In this episode, I'm chatting with author Ashley Poston about her new novel The Dead Romantics, ghostly encounters, and switching from writing Young Adult to adult fiction.

Ashley Poston is a national best-selling author who writes stories about true love and found families for both teens and adults. She studied English at the University of South Carolina and now lives with her bossy cat and a mountain of books in her hometown. 

 In her latest novel, The Dead Romantics, Ashley brings humor to the dirge of death. The Dead Romantics is the perfect read for anyone wanting to escape the news and step into the heads of a few quirky, lovable characters.

Ashley Poston
The Dead Romantics, Ashley Poston
Howl's Moving Castle, Diana Wynne Jones

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Mandy Jackson-Beverly
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In this episode, I'm chatting with Anne Holman and Calvin Crosby, co-owners of The King's English Bookshop, about diversity in Salt Lake City, what led them both to bookselling, the food scene in Salt Lake City, and Books!

Over the bookshop's 33 years of existence, the staff has created a welcoming environment for readers, a carefully selected inventory, a staff-wide ability to match books with readers, and active engagement with both their local community and the larger community of independent booksellers. The King's English philosophy has always been simple: pick good books, pass them on.

Calvin Crosby
My reading was happily never curtailed by peers, grown-ups, or anyone that felt I should be reading something else or something more appropriate for boys. Today I still read across genres and look for strong characters—male, female, and transgender (read Real Man Adventures by T Cooper, a book that speaks of the trans experience from an intimate, honest, and humorous perspective.) 

I am glad that I didn't listen to "what I should be reading" as a boy, and I know I am a better man for having been able to read books that appealed to me because they are well written with intriguing characters and not because of my gender.

Anne Holman
My mom used to tell me to get out of bed, go outside, and play with my friends! It wasn't that I didn't want to play; it was just that a book—pretty much any book—caught my attention and carried me away. 

A reader since I was old enough to hold a book, it never occurred to me that a person could have a job where books and people could come together, and one could earn money doing it. A brief stint at Waldenbooks at the old Crossroads Mall in Salt Lake City cemented my love for working in a bookstore. Even processing "returns" was fascinating to me. Next came a job at the circulation desk at the Salt Lake City public library, which was fun but not the same as retail. Many years and two kids later, I found myself back in Salt Lake. The King's English has been my home away from home for over 20 years, and I can't imagine doing anything else.

 The King's English Bookshop

The House in the Cerulean Sea, TJ Klune

Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus

My Grandmother’s Hands, Resmaa Menakem

The Quaking of America, Resmaa Menakem

Woman of Light, Kali Fajardo-Anstine

Sabrina & Corina, Kali Fajardo-Anstine

Calling for a Blanket Dance, Oscar Hokeah

Night of the Living Rez, Morgan Talty

Vinegar Hill, Colm Tóibín

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Mandy Jackson-Beverly
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In this episode, I'm chatting with author Lucy Clarke about her becoming story, writing in notebooks, Tasmania, and her new novel One Of The Girls.

Sunday Times bestseller, Lucy Clarke, is the author of seven psychological thrillers - THE SEA SISTERS, A SINGLE BREATH, THE BLUE/NO ESCAPE, LAST SEEN, YOU LET ME IN, THE CASTAWAYS, and ONE OF THE GIRLS. Her debut novel was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick, and her books have been sold in over 20 territories. THE BLUE is currently being filmed for a seven-part television series for ParmountPlus, due for release in 2023.

Lucy is a passionate traveler, beach hut dweller, and fresh air enthusiast. She's married to a professional windsurfer, and, together with their two children, they spend their winters traveling and their summers at home on the south coast of England. Lucy writes from a beach hut, using the inspiration from the wild south coast to craft her stories.

Lucy Clarke

Saltwater in the Blood, Easkey Britton

Dirt Music, Tim Winton

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The Bookshop Podcast
Mandy Jackson-Beverly
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In this episode, I’m chatting with Jennifer Caspar, the owner of Village Well Books & Coffee, about community, books, and moving through tragedy.

Village Well Books & Coffee is a community-focused & impact-driven bookstore-café in the heart of Downtown Culver City, California. Supporting the community is part of their DNA as they regularly explore various social causes and encourage the community to learn, share ideas, and lend a hand.

Owner Jennifer Caspar says Village Well Books & Coffee is a third place to go for rest and nourishment between home and work. A place where neighbors have surprise encounters and people who might otherwise feel lonely at home can be surrounded by the comfort of lively, friendly human interaction.

Village Well Books & Coffee

 100 Best Book Podcasts

 Crying In H Mart, Michelle Zauner

The Power Of Now, Echhart Tolle

 The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion

Charlotte’s Web, E.B. White

Harry Potter, K.K. Rowling

Like a House on Fire, Lauren McBrayer

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street, Karina Yan Glaser

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The Bookshop Podcast
Mandy Jackson-Beverly
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In this episode, I chat with author Fiona Barton about her life as a journalist, volunteering in Sri Lanka where she worked with journalists facing exile, and her latest novel, Local Gone Missing.

Fiona Barton is the New York Times bestselling author of The Widow, The Child, and The Suspect. She has trained and worked with journalists all over the world. Previously, she was a senior writer at the Daily Mail, news editor at the Daily Telegraph, and chief reporter at the Mail On Sunday, where she won Reporter of the Year at the British Press Awards. Fiona lives in England, and her latest novel, Local Gone Missing is about Detective Elise King and her investigation into a man’s disappearance in a seaside town where the locals and weekenders are at odds.  

Fiona Barton
Reporters Without Frontiers
Olive Kitteridge, Elizabeth Strout
Olive Again, Elizabeth Strout
Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus

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The Bookshop Podcast
Mandy Jackson-Beverly
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In this episode, I chat with Deon Stonehouse about books, dogs, the magic of writing with an exquisite pen, and the beauty of Sunriver, Oregon.

Sunriver Books & Music is located in Sunriver, Oregon, about 17 miles from the city of Bend. The bookshop is owned by Deon and Rich Stonehouse, who believe books are a wonderful way to experience the world through someone else's perceptions and that reading is a fabulous way to expand your horizons from the serious to the silly to the sublime.   
Fencing with the King, Diana Abu-Jaber

Les Miserables, Victor Hugo

Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus

Remarkable Creatures, Tracy Chevalier

The Soul of an Octopus, Sy Montgomery

Nowhere for Very Long: The Unexpected Road to an Unconventional Life, Brianna Madia

The Seed Keeper, Diane Wilson

Salman Rushdie books

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The Bookshop Podcast
Mandy Jackson-Beverly
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