Bubbles and Books

Gabbie Hanks, author, former Floridian, and now Iowa transplant, joins Amanda and Ellyn on Today's podcast. They're chatting all about her debut novel Nasty Little Secret, moving to Iowa, how her book became published, and even a little about her next novel.  Order Nasty Little Secret by Gabbie Hanks HERE Follow Gabbie Hanks on Instagram HERE _______________________________________________________...

It's almost the official dog days of summer, and today we're sharing with you some great reading suggestions to plan out your reading for these long hot days. We’re going to tell you about what’s new and hot this summer, what’s on our reading lists, plus some suggestions for titles that can help you complete our Adult Summer Bingo challenge. And don't miss joining us for the first official podcast...

Today we are joined by author Tessa Yang whose debut published novel The Jellyfish Problem instantly captivated Ellyn and Amanda. Most you know if it's got a touch of monster and magical realism it's likely to have that special sauce and become a Dog-Eared favorite.  For as long as she can remember, two things have been fundamentally true about Jo Ness: she is fascinated by jellyfish, and she is m...

Emily Jane is not only one of our favorite authors, but also a friend of Dog-Eared Books. Emily has one of the most unique voices in literature, and her delightfully weird and entertaining novels are always instant favorites. We are thrilled to have her back on the podcast chatting about her upcoming novel Mr. Yay. Emily Jane has the Bubbles & Books special sauce, and you're going to want to p...

Today we are joined by the incredible Paige Lewis, author of the debut novel Canon . An instant Dog-Eared favorite, Amanda and Ellyn were so excited to choose it as a subscription pick and to have Paige on the podcast. We are also joined today by Bookseller Mariah who describes Canon as a story with a playfulness that is undeniably modern and a weightier sensibility reminiscent of any classic, Lew...

This week, we’re kicking off a new Bubbles & Books podcast series Book Shop Talk! In this series, we’ll introduce you to the incredible booksellers across the country whom we consider invaluable peers. For our very first episode, we’re thrilled to welcome Austin, one-third of the badass trio behind Pocket Books Shop in Lancaster, PA. Pocket Books connected with us early in their journey, and s...

Today’s special episode celebrates Mother’s Day, as Amanda and Ellyn each welcome their moms to the Bubbles & Books podcast for the very first time. Together, they chat about Amanda and Ellyn’s journey opening Dog-Eared, reflect on parenting, share when their love of reading, and discuss how they passed the reading bug onto their daughters.   MOTHER’S DAY RECS: These are recs that we feel spea...

Ellery Adams. This one is for you. Today, Ellyn brings back one of our favorite games, Good Books Bad Reviews. She has scoured Goodreads for some of the most outrageous reviews left on some iconic and favorite books. See if you can guess along with Amanda. Books featured in today's episode aka books we loved and books people wrote bad reviews about.  Dear Monica Lewinsky by Julia Langbein Invasive...

The biggest day of the year is coming up and we can't wait! We are celebrating with all of our Central Iowa Indie Bookstore friends and bringing back the Indie Bookstore Day passport! Listen along, and hear about all the fun things we have going on, and from the bookstores participating in the passport. Order your Readers For Liberty T-shirt HERE Central Iowa Indie Bookstore Day Passport Stores: D...

Ellyn has spent many a Bubbles & Books episode talking about one of her favorite reads Invasive Species, and today we are thrilled to have the author Ellery Adams join us! We're all about weird books and monsters, and Invasive Species is right in that wheelhouse. Listen and enjoy and make sure to follow Ellery on Instagram and grab her latest novel Invasive Species today! Order your copy of In...

Dear Julia Langbein, we are honored to have you grace us with your presence on the Bubbles & Books podcast. We are not worthy of such greatness, but are incredibly glad to be discussing your new novel Dear Monica Lewinsky. Your masterful storytelling has once again brought a top-tier book to our shelves.  Truly, we are so excited to have one of our favorite authors Julia Langbein back on Bubbl...

Want a chance to win a $1,000 dollar gift card to Dog-Eared Books? Yes. One. Thousand. Dollars. Download our 2026 Dog-Eared Books Spring Silliness Books Bracket, and submit your picks online by 8 AM on March 19th for a chance to win. Click HERE to download a bracket and to submit your 2026 Spring Silliness book bracket. ______________________________________________________________________ Make su...

Today we are heading down memory lane and looking back at the last five years and all the funny moments, best books, and favorite memories we've experienced. As we approach out fifth birthday, we are forever grateful to every person who has supported us. Without you, we couldn't do what we love. Thank you and here's to many more five years of bookselling! Ellyn's Currently Reading | The Keeper by...

This episode is a lot of laughs and a lot of fun. Mariah and Rachel join Ellyn and Amanda to participate in Ellyn's totally tubular game. The premise of the game? Ellyn has changed one word in the top ten Dog-Eared best-sellers and Amanda, Rachel and Mariah have less than two minutes to write a synopsis of a fictional book based on the new title. Ellyn's judges whose story she would read and whose...

Buckle up. Today we have debut author Rebecca Novack on the podcast, and her book Murder Bimbo (out today!) is going to take you for a wild ride. Amanda and Ellyn chose her book as their Dog-Eared February subscription pick, and just knew this was going to be one of their favorite books.    Buy your copy of Murder Bimbo by Rebecca Novack HERE   Follow Rebecca on Instagram HERE Check out Rebecca's...

Today, Ellyn and Amanda are joined by our newest book club host Alex Kretzinger. We're so excited to learn more about Alex's new book club and hear which books he's recommending. Cultural expectations around masculinity pose many challenges for boys and men as they struggle to find belonging and healthy connections in relationships, family roles, education, and the workforce. The BetterMENt Book C...

Please note: This episode was recorded on Friday, January 23 2026. Recently, Dog-Eared Books shared a reading list designed to help deepen our understanding of fascism, full of titles we believe are essential for thoughtful learning. We paired that list with a quote from George Orwell's 1984 as part of a window display at the store, and the response was overwhelming. Comments poured in from across...

We've turned the page into a new year, and we're looking ahead to a few books we are excited about this year. This list is unbeatable in our opinions. Discussing books that are coming out between now and June of this year. Listen along, and don't forget if you pre-order with us you'll receive 10% off your order.  Ellyn's Currently Reading | Why Fascists Fear Teachers by Randi Weingarten, The Typew...

We're joined today by romance favorites Denise Williams, Julie Murphy, and Sierra Simone! We're talking about their upcoming romance novels, the strength of the romance community, how romance authors show up for fellow romance authors, and so much more. Listen, enjoy, and don't forget to pre-order The Re-Do List by Denise Williams and The Fundamentals of Being a Good Girl by Julie Murphy & Sie...

2025 is coming to a close, and we're reflecting on our reading goals for the year. We're looking at what we set out to accomplish, what we actually achieved, and how we each approach goal-setting in our reading lives. Members of the Dog-Eared team shared what goal-setting looks like for them, how they measure their reading successes, and what matters most when it comes to making reading a meaningf...

By now, many of us have seen our Spotify Wrapped... but now it's time for the bookish edition. In today's episode, we're diving into a year's work of bookstore data to reveal our most-read genres, best-sellers, biggest surprises, and interesting trends. It's our official Bookstore Wrapped. Listen along, and let us know if anything of these stats surprised you! Plus, listen to see what our #1 selli...

When Amanda traveled to Australia earlier this year, she was introduced to her new favorite mystery series. As soon as she came home she handed her copy to Ellyn and said that we had to carry "The Bookshop Detectives" at Dog-Eared Books. We are so lucky to be joined on today's episode of Bubbles & Books by the authors and fellow indie bookstore owners Gareth and Louise Ward. Trust us, you're g...

Today’s Poppin' Off episode of Bubbles & Books is an absolute delight and reminds us why we love what we do. We are beyond thrilled to welcome debut author Lovell Holder, who joins us to chat about his thoroughly entertaining new novel, The Book of Luke. Whether you're a reality TV addict or not, you're going to be swept away by this bingeworthy book and its main character, Luke. And after lis...

Small Business Saturday is the perfect time to show love to our local businesses on Main Street and in our community. In today's episode we're highlighting a few new and familiar voices from Downtown Ames. We hope you'll stop by and shop all of these wonderful stores, as well as the many others that make Downtown Ames such a special place to visit, this holiday season. SHOW NOTES: Browse the Dog-E...

We recently launched our holiday gift guide, and we're going through the books our booksellers submitted as their favorite reads of 2025. Each bookseller sent in a short clip about why they loved their pick, and the mix of genres amongst everyone is fantastic. We know there is something for everyone, and we hope you enjoy listening. Don't forget to browse our Holiday Gift Guide and find something...