Off the Shelves Podcast

It's time to dig in to another banned book — but plot twist: this one isn’t a dystopian novel. This week we’re diving into Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, the powerful story of a girl who endures a traumatic summer, finds herself shunned by her peers, and turns inward to cope. And you know we’ll be catching you up on the latest in our sourdough adventures, Debbie’s new “Home Safety Tips” series, a...

Hey hey! We’re shaking things up today and kicking off a brand-new mini-episode series. These short catch-up and vent sessions will drop every other week — no books on the table this time, just real life, business chatter, a little venting, and our best attempts at solving the world’s problems. Grab your favorite bevvy, have a listen, and let us know what you think!

We’re back with another banned book — and it’s a big one. Chances are you first met this classic in high school or college: Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. Published in 1953, this isn’t just a story about banning books — it’s about burning them. All of them. We dive into Bradbury’s fire-hot cautionary tale and explore themes about censorship. And because it wouldn’t be an Off the Shelves episode wi...

This week, we’re switching things up with a very different kind of book—one Carey picked entirely by its cover (and because BookTok wouldn’t shut up about it). We’re talking about John Green’s Everything Is Tuberculosis. Green educates the reader about a disease that still kills over a million people each year, despite there being a cure since the 1950s. Through the story of Henry, a young man who...

This week, we’re stepping away from banned books and diving into a story that’s been sitting on Deb’s shelf for a longtime—a gift from Carey that finally got its moment. We’re talking about Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead, her modern retelling of Dickens’ classic David Copperfield. This unforgettable novel follows Damon—aka Demon—a boy born into poverty who faces the harsh realities of foste...

This week on Off the Shelves, we get into the wild, frustrating, and hot conversation around menopause. Where’s the healthcare? Where’s the support? Why is it still so hard to get help in 2025? We read The New Menopause by Dr. Mary Claire Haver—OBGYN, badass, and a woman on a mission to create the resources she and her patients never had. As two women entering this next chapter of life, this book...

This week, we read Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams—a memoir that chronicles her years working for Mark Zuckerberg from 2011 to 2017. It’s an inside look at the disconnect between Facebook’s public image and what was really happening behind the scenes. There’s a lot we want to say in this episode—so we’ll let the conversation speak for itself. Grab a beverage (maybe a strong one), because th...

This week, we’re diving into Chelsea Handler’s newest book, I'll Have What She's Having—an unfiltered, hilarious, and surprisingly heartfelt look at her journey to becoming the woman she wants to be. It's about self-discovery, sisterhood, and showing up for the people you love. One thing’s for sure: we both want to be Chelsea when we grow up. Tune in as we chat about this gem of a book—and also en...

This week, we read Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler—a powerful, thought-provoking novel and the first in her Earthseed series. It’s our second banned book selection, and we were surprised to learn it’s been restricted in some prisons and schools due to its “controversial” themes, including race, politics, religion, and violence. We also loved and talk about this NPR interview where Butler...

In this episode, we talk about Miranda July’s award-winning, “wild, sexy, shocking” autofictional novel, All Fours. While this book isn’t banned, it’s been getting a lot of attention—and we had to find out why. We loved its unhinged glory. All Fours explores relationships, marriage, midlife, identity, motherhood, and a surprising theme: menopause. Listen in as we also dive into current fashion tre...

It’s our first full episode, and we’re so excited! Today, Carey and Deb discuss Oryx and Crake, Margaret Atwood’s 2003 dystopian novel that has been banned at the state level in public schools. But why? That’s what we set out to find. Grab a coffee—or your favorite beverage—and listen in! We’ll also dive into Carey’s obsession with pre-ordering books. How much has she spent? And will we read the s...

Off the Shelves is a new podcast with Carey Van Wagoner & Debbie Farka where we invite you in to our conversations about books, kids, careers, life, and anything that's on our minds. In each episode, we will explore a recent read, catch up on daily events of life, share favorite things and tackle the age old dilemma of what's for dinner. We promise you'll laugh and learn with us. Pour yourself...