Shelf Motivated

Summer Reading is drawing to a close. On this episode we talk whaling, nature writing, southern gothic novels, and housecats. We discuss some exciting to-be-reads, and as always, a cozy mystery.    Books discussed in this episode: Sharon On Lighthouses by Jazmine Barrera trans. by Christina McSweeney The Outermost House by Henry Beston The Whale by Philip Hoare TBR- Soundings by Doreen Cunningham...

Deep into the summer reading season we discuss how bookstores and libraries find their way into our vacation plans. Sarah pays tribute to the recently deceased, editor extraordinaire, Robert Gottlieb through her recent reading of his autobiography Avid Reader: A Life . Eric talks about a summer reading recommendation from Sharon and shares another great reading experience from UK independent press...

Librarians Eric and Sharon discuss their reading plans for the summer, re-reading books from our past and the mental health benefits of slow and deliberate reading. Eric's Summer Reading List:  Flannery O'Connor - The Complete Short Stories, and The Violent Bear it Away Sarah Orne Jewett - The Country of the Pointed Firs   Recent Readings:  Ronald Johnson - The Book of the Green Man  Shelf Inflict...

Eric, Sarah and Sharon discuss the eternal reader's dilemma "to finish or not to finish" a book once begun. Sarah discusses a recent Joyce Carol Oates selection as a comfort read and questions Sharon's gift of a book about a woman on the eve of her wedding having second thoughts as she is approaching her big day. Sharon reviews books from her month of reading Booker International Prize nominations...

Sarah, Sharon and Eric discuss strategies on how to read outside your comfort zone. Eric treats us to a beautiful reading from Sarai Walker's Cherry Robbers, and Sharon discusses the magic of folklore.  Eric The Cherry Robbers by Sarai Walker The Taliban Cricket Club: a Novel by Timeri N. Murari  The Kebab Kitchen Mysteries by Tina Kashian The Year of Reading Dangerously by Andy Miller Sarah Front...

A discussion of reading journeys followed by a productive shelf motivated month of reads with some cracked open TBR's (To Be Reads). Hooray for the cold months! Sharon: A Mountain to the North, a Lake to the South, Paths to the West, a River to the East by Laszlo Krasznahorkai Cold Enough to Snow by Jessica Au TBR: The Colony by Audrey Magee Sarah: Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth Secret History by...

We discuss Colson Whitehead's John Henry Days and other books that we have been enjoying in February.  John Henry Days by Colson Whitehead; Rattlebone by Maxine Clair; Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au; The Employees by Olga Raven, Translated by Martin Aitken; My Kind of Girl Buddhadeva Bose by Arunava Sinha; The First Edition Library Mysteries by Marty Wingate; The Survivalists by Kashana Cauley...

With a new year of reading in mind, we discuss our love/hate relationship with reading challenges, our best reads of 2022 and our reading aspirations for the early part of 2023. 

This episode we discuss what kinds of books we read most, A Christmas Carol , reading to our partners, and our ever-growing to-be-read lists. Books include Rock Crystal: A Christmas Story by Adalbert Stifter (translated by Marianne Moore),  True Biz by Sara Nivoc, A Killing in Costumes by Zac Bissonnette, The Great Beanie Baby Bubble by Zac Bissonnette, Twelve Nights by Urs Faes (translated by Lee...