The Bookstore

Hello, we are checking in to be culturally relevant and bring you research we did about Tyra Banks, Modelland, and Smize Cream 5-6 years ago. The majority of this episode was recorded for our Patreon in September 2021. Modelland Song DJ Splitz DJ Splitz Logo

Today we're talking about Juan Rulfo's novel Pedro Páramo . Originally published in 1955, we both read different English translations, which had an effect on how each of us understood the book.   Content warning: brief mentions of murder, rape, and incest. Our next book discussion will be   The Salt Eaters   by   Toni Cade Bambara .   You can find it at your local bookstore or library and read alo...

Years ago, I can't remember when, we read Katherine Dunn's Geek Love , by far her most famous work. We returned to Dunn to read Toad, which was published posthumously. Content Warnings: Self-harm and suicide, child loss, 1960s views of fat bodies Get two audiobook credits for the price of one at Libro.fm when you sign up using the code BOOKSTOREPOD. Website | Patreon

Today we are talking about The Wall by Austrian author Marlen Haushofer, published in the 1960s. In addition to the book, we also discuss how quickly we'd die in a similar situation due to our complete lack of survivalist skills. Content warning: animal death Our next book discussion will be Toad by Katherine Dunn . You can find it at your local bookstore or library and read along with us. Get two...

I, Becca, have been going through a big life transition, and that is why this episode is so incredibly late. I will be okay though! It also kind of fits because Olga Tokarczuk's House of Day, House of Night, is all about transition and liminal spaces. Content warning: we mention breasts and vaginas (more like vaginal art). Minnesota mutual aid Immigration law funds Get two audiobook credits for th...

Due to this being a weird year (Corinne had a baby!) instead of our usual wrap-up of the year's books, we decided to take a look at our historical Year in Reviews and talk about the books we remember, and the ones we don't.  We swear a bit and mention some adult topics briefly, so use caution when listening. Get two audiobook credits for the price of one at Libro.fm when you sign up using the code...

Content warning straight off the top for this one! Both for the actual content, in which Becca recommends a terrible tv show and for the book, which is described as being erotic, and then also a big warning for us being disorganized and confused. We are getting our groove back, please be patient. If you're still listening to us, we love you, and we are in love with you. Next episode will be our Ye...

We're back! We're a bit all over the place in this episode, but mostly it's me (Becca) recommending a few horror/scary books I've read. Most likely, we will be popping in once a month to update everyone until life settles down a little more. Thanks for listening! (Quick correction: I mention the movie The Devils by Ken Russell, and what I guessed what the outline of the plot. Since recording, I ha...

We are now officially on hiatus! Corinne is on maternity leave, although that's not why this episode is late, I just forgot about uploading it. Our second book for June is Wild Geese by Soula Emmanuel. If you want to read along with The Bookstore Challenge 2024, you can join us on The StoryGraph to see what others are reading for each month and get ideas for your TBR: The Bookstore Challenge 2025...

Today we discuss Nicole Dennis-Benn's novel Patsy , which won the 2020 Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Fiction. Content warning: brief mentions of miscarriage, sexual and physical assaults, abusive relationships Our next book discussion will be Wild Geese by Soula Emmanuel . You can find it at your local bookstore or library and read along with us. If you want to read along with The Bookstore Ch...

For the month of May, our prompt is to read a dystopia or post-apocalyptic work of fiction. Corinne's pick is  I Who Have Never Known Men   by Jacqueline Harpman . We have both read this book already and jumped at the chance to reread and discuss this book, that we describe as being "about what it is to be human." Content warning: captivity, death, disease, euthanasia, brief mentions of sexual awa...

Our first book for May's prompt to read a dystopian or post-apocalyptic novel is Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson. Set in a Toronto that has been abandoned by the government and anyone with means, Ti-Jeanne has to learn how to survive and how to protect the ones she loves. Content warning: mentions of violence, suicide, drug addiction Our next book discussion will be I Who Have Never Known...

Today's book discussion is on Underground Barbie by Maša Kolanović, translated from Croatian by Ena Selimović. We get slightly off-topic talking about the top news stories from the 90s and reminiscing about playing with Barbies. Content warning: war (mentions of bombing and snipers), swearing Our next book discussion will be Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson. Find it at your local library o...

Becca's pick for April's prompt to read a book based on its cover or title is  Nonfiction: A Novel by Julie Myerson, because the contradiction between the title and genre was too compelling to pass up.  Content warning: drug addiction Our next book discussion will be Underground Barbie by Maša Kolanović . You can find it at your local bookstore or library and read along with us. If you want to rea...

The March prompt is to read a book published by an indie press, and Corinne's pick is  Witches by Brenda Lozano , translated by Heather Cleary, and published by Catapult. Content warning: brief mentions of violence, including sexual violence Our next book discussion will be Nonfiction by Julie Myerson . You can find it at your local bookstore or library and read along with us. If you want to read...

Becca's pick for March's prompt to read a book published by an indie press is Earthlings by Sayaka Murati, translated from the Japanese by Ginny Tapley Takemori, and published by Grove Atlantic.   Content warnings: sexual assault, death, murder, violence, cannibalism   Our next book discussion will be Witches by Brenda Lozano . You can find it at your local bookstore or library and read along with...

February's prompt is to read a book with a non-human narrator or from a non-human perspective. Corinne's pick, that we'll be discussing today, is Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck, which is about a house/plot of land. Content warning: swearing, Nazism, repressive regimes, book has sexual and physical violence March prompt is to read a book published by an indie press, our first book is Becca's pick, E...

Romantic Goat sex on today's episode. We read The Story of a Goat by Perumal Murugan. Next time we will read Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck Content Warnings: Violence, sexual violence If you want to read along with The Bookstore Challenge 2024, you can join us on The StoryGraph to see what others are reading for each month and get ideas for your TBR: The Bookstore Challenge 2025 . Get two audiobook...

Last episode for January is  Pastoralia by George Saunders, this is a book of short stories that all have the trademark Saunders satirical edge. Content warning: swearing, brief mentions of death and a sick child Our next book discussion will be The Story of a Goat by Perumal Murugan. You can find it at your local bookstore or library and read along with us. If you want to read along with The Book...

New year, same us. We discuss (more like complain about, to be honest) Maggie O'Farrell's novel After You'd Gone . January's prompt is to read a book published in the year 2000. Our next book discussion will be Pastoralia by George Saunders. You can find it at your local bookstore or library and read along with us. If you want to read along with The Bookstore Challenge 2024, you can join us on The...

We are back and we have a recap of our reading in 2024, along with the challenge prompts for 2025, since I don't know how we chose books before we starting following these prompts. The challenge prompts start around 37:04.  Prompts from past years. Our books for January are  After You'd Gone by Maggie O'Farrell and  Pastoralia by George Saunders. If you want to read along with The Bookstore Challe...

Unfortunately, we are not releasing an episode today because we're going on hiatus. We are fine in terms of physical health and have not experienced personal family tragedy, we just need to take a break right now. I am sorry to be springing this on everyone without advance notice, it's just something we have to do right now. Thank you to all of you who subscribe, who have ever listened to any of o...

We were in Chicago during the week we should have been recording and editing this episode, so apologies for the lateness! Today we talk about  The Empusium: A Health Resort Horror Story by Olga Tokarczuk.  Next time we'll be talking about our first choice for November's prompt to read a book about a lost city or civilization, and that is  Hav by Jan Morris. The second November book is Four Lost Ci...

Google Doc for Helene Recovery Resources LESBIAN. VAMPIRES.  We read The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez for October's prompt to read a book in one of the following genres: monster/vampire/gothic.  Content warning: We briefly talk about violence and murder. The book also contains scenes of the main character experiencing racism. Our next book is  The Empusium: A Health Resort Horror Story  by Olga...

This book has everything, except for an idea of how novels are formulated. Our next read will be The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez.