JAM Podcasts & Audiobooks

Each bookseller reviews a short book for those phases when you have a limited amount of time, or when your book club just needs something quick. Welcome to Shelf Help, a podcast where booksellers help you answer one of life’s trickier – and we’d argue extremely important – questions: What should you read next?  Shelf Help is a collaboration between the Book Jam , a nonprofit designed to inspire re...

Each bookseller describes one book that is either funny and/or combines a superb balance between fun and thought based on an instagram question from Karen. Welcome to Shelf Help, a podcast where booksellers help you answer one of life’s trickier – and we’d argue extremely important – questions: What should you read next?  Shelf Help is a collaboration between the Book Jam , a nonprofit designed to...

We appeal to the inner Sam as we discuss a question left for us on Instagram: please discuss “Ottessa Moshfegh-ish literary fiction. Something grotesque and damaged but beautiful.” Welcome to Shelf Help, a podcast where booksellers help you answer one of life’s trickier – and we’d argue extremely important – questions: What should you read next?  Shelf Help is a collaboration between the Book Jam...

Episode 9 originates with an email from Cindy, “I am a first grade teacher and want to teach a unit on graphic novels. I have some graphic novels, but it is hard to find ones that are appropriate for little ones and that the reading level is not too challenging. Help!!” Each bookseller discusses one book, ok maybe two or three. And, we have an opportunity to shout out the Center for Cartoon Studie...

The bookstore owners attempt to answer our good friend Shari Altman’s (from a great book resource Literary North) question: “I am looking for strange and beautiful novels about middle age.” We note that Shari is nowhere near approaching middle age; we then debate what defines middle age. Allie, Sam, Emma, and Kari recommend a few books in response to her query, including House in the Cerulean Sea...

Booksellers answer an anonymous question from instagram in which one desperate listener asks for the “best ways to get out of a reading slump”. For this question, Lisa adds an idea for the first time – Hunting and Gathering, a “fun to read” gem by France’s best-selling author Ana Gavalda. Kari suggests reading short stories as a great way to get reading again; she singles out St. Lucy’s Home for G...

Tom uses FB to ask the longest question we have received thus far, “So I could use some advice! I sorta fell out of reading regularly for fun. Due to the events of the world, I’ve focused more on reading educational topics. I used to read a lot of sci-fi and fantasy. Some of my favorite novels are the Dune series (and prequels), and growing up I LOVED the Lost Years of Merlin. I got the book serie...

The booksellers tackle a question about great books for younger readers when the instagram handle courtpilling asked for “Middle Grade historical fiction set in 1700s-1800s”.  Kari started us off with The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich, Allie wants everyone to read Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix, Lisa remembered two classics by Robert Lawson – Mr. Revere and I and Ben and Me. E...

We are back from our summer recess with a list of books to enjoy as summer wanes. Specifically, we answer a question from Sarah on Instagram, “Looking for a light summer read this is well written, but is not a romance or set on a beach”. Luckily, even though we proved a bit rusty on our recording abilities, the ability of Sam, Emma, Kari and Allie to recommend good books did not wane during our re...

This episode is for all those readers who love Lauren Groff. You will not be disappointed as Kari, Allie, Emma, and Sam tackle an anonymous question from Instagram, “what/who to read once you’ve read all of Lauren Groff”. Welcome to Shelf Help, a podcast where booksellers help you answer one of life’s trickier – and we’d argue extremely important – questions: What should you read next?  Shelf Help...

This request, via Instagram from a special group of Dartmouth alums, to find books about “magical cosmic beings like toads and fairies and butterflies with special superpowers!!!” had Sam perplexed but able to rise to the occasion and Allie thrilled to respond. Enjoy a bit of magic with this episode. Welcome to Shelf Help, a podcast where booksellers help you answer one of life’s trickier – and we...

A very specific request from Emma’s mom – “I am always looking for books to read. They can be romantic (but not mushy), suspenseful (but not scary), historical (but not boring), and preferably available on audio. My last “must have” in a book is that it must end happily. I do not want to cry at the end of a book. I can get that watching the news!” – had the bookstore owners searching their vast kn...

How to sit down and finish a book rather than just starting a new one? from Andrew via IG. For the first time in the history of Shelf Help, one of our bookstore owners, Allie sent another bookseller, Jack, in her place. And Sam relied on Emma to represent the Norwich Bookstore alone, as someone had to actually stay in the store and work. Very quickly the three booksellers, Kari, Emma, and Jack, bo...

Children’s books for young readers who have high reading levels and have difficulty finding just right books in terms of content (being sensitive enough with an engaging enough reading level) from Rowan via IG Realizing Shelf Help rarely gets questions dealing with books for children, the three booksellers – Emma, Jack and Kari – had a ton of fun discussing their answers to this very common questi...

Anya via IG was looking for “Historical Fiction with an engaging story and characters (I’ve enjoyed Kristin Hannah)”  Our three booksellers, Kari, Jack and Emma, started with the query: Are you sure you have read everything Kristin Hannah has written? They then took off, recommending books such as Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus, Sharks in the Time of Saviors: A Novel, by Kawai Strong Washb...

“I’ve read all of Shirley Jackson’s work. I loved it! What should I read that’s similar?” – from mrsmorganbakestoomuch via IG. Once again our booksellers began their recommendations with the query, “Are you sure you have read everything Shirley Jackson has written? There is a lot.”  Assuming mrsmorganbakestoomuch had, they jumped in. The discussion highlighted Shirley Jackson’s connections to Benn...

The question: “Not necessarily a dilemma, but I would like books to be paired with your astrological sign!” – came via Instagram from Nicole; and it had the booksellers so excited we delayed discussing it for a month so that Allie, Emma, and Kari could all be present to discuss. This query also resulted in our longest episode yet. To start, we discussed personal charts and learned that Allie is a...

A listener asked via instagram for “new cozy mysteries.” The booksellers admitted they’re not big cozy mystery readers themselves, yet they had good tips for books in the genre including Shady Hollow Series, by Juneau Black; Death in Door Country, by Annelise Ryan, and Killers of a Certain Age, by Deanna Raybourn. Welcome to Shelf Help, a podcast where booksellers help you answer one of life’s tri...

Sara was on instagram looking for modern Native American fiction.  And the booksellers were brimming with books to recommend. These included anything, anything, anything – fiction for adults, fiction for children, short stories – by Louise Erdrich, A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger, and for kids both Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac and Sea in Winter by Christine Day. Listen to the entire e...

“Not Christmas books!” Our first question we’ve received that required clarification resulted in very unique interpretations this episode. The query arrived via instagram from Sara who wrote she needs books that help her in “getting away from the encroaching Christmas.” When asked for clarification, she came back with –  “Christmas dominates the popular narrative starting late fall, hard to get aw...

Beyond Goodnight Moon : Board books for infants and the people who love them:  The bookstore owners had fun thinking about books for the youngest among us and the people who love them, which led to a debate about who are board books really for – kids or adults? Consensus was board books are for both, and then the recommendations flew. Kari recommended books by Il Sung Na such as Book of Sleep , an...

Shelf Help’s Inaugural Holiday Gift Guide:  Each bookstore owner chose one fiction, one nonfiction, and one kids book to help listeners find the perfect gift for everyone on their lists. They picked far too many to list them all here. And when you listen, you will hear them discuss why books such as Marple: 12 new mysteries , Olga Dies Dreaming , Inciting Joy: Essays , The Phantomwise Tarot: A 78-...

Books for High Schoolers Who Seem to Have Become Nonreaders: For Sam, these include narrative nonfiction in the sociology, history, and travel sections. Allie recommended dystopian fiction. Kari chose books that have protagonists who are the same age as the reluctant reader. And, Emma recommended series. All referenced Shelf Help’s previous reading slump episode . Specific books to ponder include:...

What is your favorite “snack” book – a book that is great “because no matter what is going on, you can pick it up and enjoy it even if it’s only a chapter or two.”?  The bookstore owners fully embraced the concept of a snack book. Well, with the exception of Emma who confessed she does not pick books up and down, unlike her partner Sam who has multiple books going at all times. So Emma used this q...

Tolstoy and great books about unhappy families:   For this episode and its question from our friend and superb librarian Lucinda wanting more books about unhappy families, we were joined by Jen from Still North Books & Bar as Allie had a conflict. Jen was succinct, delightful, and forthcoming about her senior thesis with one recommendation – Abolish the Family by Sophie Lewis. Emma had a long...