The Watchung Booksellers Podcast

In this episode, we feature an event with Yotam Ottolenghi in conversation with Ina Garten for the launch of Ottolenghi's Simple Too. 

Yotam Ottolenghi is the chef-patron of the Ottolenghi restaurant group, encompassing eight UK-based delis, as well as the NOPI, ROVI, Ottolenghi Geneva and Ottolenghi Amsterdam restaurants. He is the author and co-author of eleven bestselling cookbooks that have garnered many awards, including the National Book Award for Ottolenghi SIMPLE and James Beard Awards for both Jerusalem and NOPI. Yotam has been a columnist for The Guardian since 2006 and is a regular contributor to The New York Times. His commitment to the championing of vegetables, as well as ingredients once seen as ‘exotic’ has led to what some call ‘The Ottolenghi effect.’ This is shorthand for the creation of a meal which is full of colour, flavor, bounty and sunshine. Yotam lives in London with his family.  

Ina Garten is a New York Times bestselling author of 13 cookbooks. Her 14th cookbook, Simply Ina, publishes October 20, 2026. She is also the host of the James Beard Award and Emmy Award Winning tv shows Barefoot Contessa and Be my Guest, both on Food Network and Discovery+. Her memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens, spent 20 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. She is also the host of the podcast Happy Hour with Ina, streaming on Apple, Spotify and more. She lives in East Hampton and New York City with her husband, Jeffrey.  

Resources:

NYT 50 Best Thrillers Book Club

WB Podcast Liv November Event

NYT Best Books of the 21st Century Book Club

Nopi restaurant 

Zuni Cafe

Tony film

Books:
A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here.

Register for Upcoming Events.

The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, NJ. 

The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell.

Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff.

Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids’ Room!

If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share!

Stay in touch!
Email: [email protected]
Social: @watchungbooksellers

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In this week's episode of The Watchung Booksellers Podcast, our neighbors Charles, Alice, and Hannah Liu—three published authors in the same family—discuss their love of education, writing, and our community.

Charles Liu is a professor of astrophysics at the City University of New York’s College of Staten Island and an associate with the Hayden Planetarium and Department of Astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History. His research focuses on colliding galaxies, starburst galaxies, quasars, and the star formation history of the universe. In addition to his research publications, he writes books and online content for students and general audiences, The Cosmos Explained and The Handy Quantum Physics Answer Book. He hosts The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles Liu, a half-hour dose of cosmic conversation with scientists, educators and students about the cosmos, scientific frontiers, scifi, comics, and more. 

A.G.G. Liu is a writer and online educator based in New Jersey. Liu has reached millions of online learners on YouTube-both as the lead script writer for the AI and futurism channel Rational Animations, and through their own educational channel, Signore Galilei, which was started during college at Harvard. Liu co-authored the book 30-Second Space Travel with Dr. Charles Liu and Dr. Karen Masters and co-hosts the podcast The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles Liu. Residing in Bloomfield, New Jersey, Liu also enjoys singing, amateur radio, and strategy games.

Hannah Liu is an author, teacher, inclusion and belonging advocate, and founder of the Mixed Identity Project, which provides resources and mentorship to help adolescents embrace their multiracial heritage. Her experience growing up mixed race in Montclair helped shape her journey as a DEI leader, and her passion for working with students and helping them embrace their identities with pride and joy. Today, Hannah works as a DEI student programs leader at Pingree School in Massachusetts, and has previously taught at New Canaan Country School in New Canaan, Connecticut, as well as at Reach Prep and A Better Chance.

Resources:

SignoreGalilei Youtube

https://signoregalilei.com

The LIUniverse

MIXED Guided Journal

Toni Morrison ‘Write the book you would want to read quote from 1981 speech to Ohio Arts Council'

Rational Aminations

The Wild Gifting Projects

The Odyssey movie

PW 2026 Bookstore of the Year

2026 PW Publishing Stats

Books:
A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here.

Register for Upcoming Events.

The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, NJ. 

The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell.

Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff.

Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids’ Room!

If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share!

Stay in touch!
Email: [email protected]
Social: @watchungbooksellers

Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!

In this week's episode of The Watchung Booksellers Podcast, authors Judith Lindbergh and Stephanie Cowell discuss their decades long writers' group, the importance of writing with other writers, and how to find your own writing community.

Judith Lindbergh’s award-winning new novel, Akmaral, about a nomad woman warrior on the ancient Central Asian steppes, was called “crackling” by Publishers Weekly and “a gripping saga” by Christina Baker Kline. Her debut, The Thrall’s Tale, about women in Viking Age Greenland, was an IndieBound Pick praised by Pulitzer Prize winners Geraldine Brooks and Robert Olen Butler. She has published with the Smithsonian and provided expert commentary for History Channel documentaries. Judith received a 2024 Fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. She is the Founder/Director of The Writers Circle, a creative writing center based in New Jersey.

Stephanie Cowell has been an opera singer, balladeer, founder of Strawberry Opera and other arts venues including a Renaissance festival in NYC. She is the author of seven novels, including Marrying Mozart, Claude & Camille: a novel of Monet, The Boy in the Rain, and The Man in the Stone Cottage: a novel of the Brontë sisters. Her work has been translated into several languages and adapted into an opera. Stephanie is the recipient of an American Book Award. She has lived in NYC all her life.

Resources:

Writers Circle Workshop

Casey Kelly

Montclair Literary Festival

Books:
A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here.

Register for Upcoming Events.

The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, NJ. 

The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell.

Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff.

Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids’ Room!

If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share!

Stay in touch!
Email: [email protected]
Social: @watchungbooksellers

Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!

In this episode, we feature an event with Colm Tóibín in conversation with Garth Risk Hallberg, held at the Montclair Literary Festival for the launch of Toibin's latest book, The News from Dublin.

Colm Tóibín is the author of eleven novels, including Long Island, an Oprah’s Book Club Pick; The Magician, winner of the Rathbones Folio Prize; The Master, winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; Brooklyn, winner of the Costa Book Award; and Nora Webster, winner of the Hawthornden Prize, as well as three story collections and several books of criticism. He is the Irene and Sidney B. Silverman Professor of the Humanities at Columbia University and was named the 2022–2024 Laureate for Irish Fiction by the Arts Council of Ireland. In 2021, he was awarded the David Cohen Prize for Literature.

Garth Risk Hallberg's first novel, City on Fire, was a New York Times and international bestseller and was selected as one of the best books of 2015 by The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, and Vogue. It was the basis for the Apple TV+ series of the same name. His second novel, The Second Coming, about a troubled teen whose father is a recovering addict, was released in 2024 and is in paperback now. He is also the author of the novella A Field Guide to the North American Family. In 2017, Granta named him one of the Best of Young American Novelists. His work has been translated into seventeen languages.

Resources:

Seamus Heaney 1995 Nobel Prize Speech ( Poetry in Conflict quote)

Thomas Mann’s Brother Hitler Essay

Books:
A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here.

Register for Upcoming Events.

The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, NJ. 

The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell.

Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff.

Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids’ Room!

If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share!

Stay in touch!
Email: [email protected]
Social: @watchungbooksellers

Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!

In this episode of the Watchung Booksellers Podcast, authors Alice Elliot Dark and Dagmara Domińczyk reunite to lead a discussion of The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante. Recorded live from The Kids' Room, the two dive into the book as well as the Academy Award-nominated film adaptation, which featured an amazing performance by Dagmara.

Alice Elliott Dark is the author of the novels Fellowship Point and Think of England, and two collections of short stories, In The Gloaming and Naked to the Waist. A new novel, Wherever You Are, will be published in May 2027. She is the director of the Rutgers-Newark MFA program.

Dagmara Dominczyk is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama, and has starred in films, television, and on/off Broadway plays for the past twenty years. Dag was a series regular on the HBO hits Succession and We Own This City. She is the author of The Lullaby of Polish Girls and her essays have appeared in Huffington Post and in the book, Pretty Bitches. She is currently working on her memoir, which centers around the life of her father and his sudden death. Dag can be seen in the upcoming series The Savant opposite Jessica Chastain. She is an avid reader and fierce library supporter, and lives in Montclair with her husband and two teenage sons.

Resources:

The Lost Daughter Film

Normal People

Priscilla 

Higher Ground

The Deuce

Books:
A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here.

Register for Upcoming Events.

The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, NJ. 

The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell.

Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff.

Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids’ Room!

If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share!

Stay in touch!
Email: [email protected]
Social: @watchungbooksellers

Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!

In this episode of the Watchung Booksellers Podcast, we opened the mic to our wonderful customers to read haikus on Independent Bookstore Day! Some read published works and some came up with their own on the spot! Enjoy this short episode from these loyal independent bookstore fans! 

Books:
A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here.

Register for Upcoming Events.

The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, NJ. 

The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell.

Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff.

Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids’ Room!

If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share!

Stay in touch!
Email: [email protected]
Social: @watchungbooksellers

Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!

In this repeat episode of the Watchung Booksellers Podcast, authors Tom Perrotta and Warren Zanes discuss the process of adapting their books into film and television. 

Tom Perrotta is the author of eleven works of fiction, including Election and Little Children, both of which were made into Oscar-nominated films, and The Leftovers and Mrs. Fletcher, which were adapted into acclaimed HBO series. His new novel is Ghost Town.

Warren Zanes is the NY Times bestselling author of Petty: The Biography. He holds a PhD in visual and cultural studies from the University of Rochester and presently teaches at NYU. He is a Grammy-nominated producer and he has served as a vice president at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His latest work is Deliver Me From Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska, which was made into a feature film.

Resources:

The Montclair Literary Festival

PW Bookstore of the Year

Election

Little Children

Mrs. Fletcher 

The Leftovers

Deliver Me From Nowhere

Soundbreaking 

20 Feet from Stardom

Shine a Light

Crazy Heart

A Complete Unknown

The Remains of The Day

Books:
A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here.

Register for Upcoming Events.

The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, NJ. 

The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell.

Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff.

Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids’ Room!

If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share!

Stay in touch!
Email: [email protected]
Social: @watchungbooksellers

Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!

In this episode of the Watchung Booksellers Podcast, we are sharing last year's live book club recording with authors Alice Elliott Dark and Dagmara Domińczyk, who led a discussion of Loved and Missed by Susie Boyt with a group of avid readers. It was a fantastic evening and we hope you'll join us for another live event with Alice and Dag to discuss The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante on Thursday, May 7! Tickets are available now! 

Alice Elliott Dark is the author of the novels Fellowship Point and Think of England, and two collections of short stories, In The Gloaming and Naked to the Waist. She is a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and is a professor at Rutgers-Newark in the English department and the MFA program.

Dagmara Domińczyk is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama, and has starred in films, television, and on/off Broadway plays for the past twenty years. Dag was a series regular on the HBO hits Succession and We Own This City. She is the author of The Lullaby of Polish Girls and her essays have appeared in Huffington Post and in the book Pretty Bitches. She is currently finishing her second novel and working on a memoir. She is an avid reader and fierce library supporter, and lives in Montclair with her husband and sons.

WBP Book Club Live Tickets

Episode 44 Video Recording

Books:
A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here.

Register for Upcoming Events.

The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, NJ. 

The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell.

Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff.

Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids’ Room!

If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share!

Stay in touch!
Email: [email protected]
Social: @watchungbooksellers

Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!

In this week's episode of The Watchung Booksellers Podcast, author and book doctor Arielle Eckstut talks with debut author and life-long educator Dan Gill about developing his story No More Chairs from a one-minute pitch to a beautiful children's book.

Arielle Eckstut is co-founder of The Book Doctors. She is the author of nine books including The Secret Language of Color: The Science, Nature, History, Culture and Beauty of Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue & Violet. She is also an agent-at-large at the Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency, where for over 20 years, she has been helping hundreds of talented writers become published authors. Lastly, Arielle co-founded the iconic company, LittleMissMatched, and grew it from a tiny operation into a leading national brand, which now has stores from coast to coast, everywhere from Disneyland to Disney World to Fifth Avenue in New York City.

Daniel Gill was born and raised in New York City. He graduated from Iona College with a B.A. in psychology. He served in Vista, the national peace corps. During this time, he counselled young inmates at Rikers Island Prison. He attended Columbia University and graduated with a masters degree in urban education and curriculum. Mr. Gill came to the Montclair School System in September of 1970 and retired in 2023 after completing 53 years of teaching. He was part of the committee to redesign the middle schools of Montclair in order to desegregate the schools to comply with a court order. In 2004, Mr. Gill and his students wrote a book on the history of Glenfield. It celebrated the Brown vs Board of Education ruling and its effect on desegregating the Montclair Public Schools. The focus of the book was to look at Glenfield as a microcosm of that decision. His illustrated children’s book No More Chairs was selected by the National Education Association for its 2026 Read Across America Program. 

Register here for The Book Doctors workshop at the bookstore!

Pitchapalooza

Books:
A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here.

Register for Upcoming Events.

The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, NJ. 

The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell.

Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff.

Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids’ Room!

If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share!

Stay in touch!
Email: [email protected]
Social: @watchungbooksellers

Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!

This week on the Watchung Booksellers Podcast, four of our booksellers/book club hosts, Asia, Aubrey, Caroline, and Marni, discuss their clubs and what makes a great club an essential part of a book-lover’s community.

Asia Jannah has been a bookseller/gift buyer for 11 years and is the host of the Thought Daughter book club, which features undiscovered books under 300 pages.

Aubrey Cece is the Kids' Room manager and host of two book clubs: Books in Translation, reading books in translation, and Just the T, which features fiction and non-fiction books by trans authors. 

Caroline Shurtleff manages school events and hosts the middle reader book club for kids ages 8-11. They discuss the books, have snacks, and do a themed craft! 

Marni Jessup is a the co-producer of the Watchung Booksellers Podcast and hosts the NYT 100 Best Books of the 21st Century book club, which is working its way through that entire list.

Books:
A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here.

Register for Upcoming Events.

The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, NJ. 

The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell.

Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff.

Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids’ Room!

If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share!

Stay in touch!
Email: [email protected]
Social: @watchungbooksellers

Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!