The Bookstore

Hello, this is our first episode of the year! January's prompt for The Bookstore Challenge 2023 is to read a book from a year ending in 3. Corinne's pick is  Maud Martha  by Gwendolyn Brooks , published in 1953. It's out of print in the US but you can still buy in the UK, and you should! Bernardine Evaristo says it's wonderful and do you need a better endorsement than that? If you want to read alo...

Hello, this is our last episode of the year. We made it! This Year in Review is much like the ones from past years, we go over what we did, what we accomplished, any surprising trends we noticed, and have some fun with picking superlatives.  If you want to read along with The Bookstore Challenge 2023, you can find I nstagram graphics for your story or grid in this Google Drive folder . You can als...

It's the Bookstore's third annual reading challenge! For the last two years it has proven to be a fun way to read in a way that is vaguely thematic for the podcast, as well as a very helpful tool for two painfully indecisive people who need to choose what to read. Keep in mind, also, that we not only accept your accommodations and creative interpretations of these prompts, but we encourage them. M...

Our last pick for December's prompt to Read a Book Published in 2022 is Becca's choice,  You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi. It's also our last book for 2022! While we are not romance fans, as you will be able to tell in this episode, we still enjoyed discussing the wild journey this book took us on. Explicit content and spoiler warnings all-around! We'll be releasing an ep...

Here is our first 2022 published book for The Bookstore Challenge! You might remember, we interviewed the author of  The Old Place ,  Bobby Finger, back in September, so check out that episode if you haven't! Next time we will be discussing You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi, as the last book for December's prompt to Read a Book Published in 2022. You can find it at your lo...

Apologies for the late release! I would blame it on the holiday but that would be a lie.  We discussed Corinne's pick for Nonfiction November,  Republic of Lies: American Conspiracy Theorists and Their Surprising Rise to Power  by Anna Merlan . Most of the episode we spend talking about the depressing reality of how dangerous conspiracies have been allowed to flourish in the US, but we do get a li...

First up for Nonfiction November is Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop by Danyel Smith . It's part memoir, part musical history of the often invisible, always culturally significant Black women who made pop music what it is. Corinne has COVID and also a bit of trouble with her audio up top, so yeah, It's her, hi, she's the problem, it's her. Next time we will be discussing...

October's prompt for  The Bookstore Challenge 2022 is to read a book that's a retelling of a folktale or fairytale. Our second book is Becca's pick, Love in Color by Bolu Babalola .  Next book discussion episode will be on Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop by Danyel Smith . Find it at your local bookstore or library and read along with us! Get two months for the price of...

October's prompt for The Bookstore Challenge 2022 is to read a book that's a retelling of a folktale or fairytale. Our first book is Corinne's pick, Baba Yaga Laid an Egg by Dubravka Ugrešić .  Next book discussion episode will be on  Love in Color  by Bolu Babalola . Find it at your local bookstore or library and read along with us! Get two months for the price of one at  Libro.fm  with code 'boo...

For our second and final book of September we read the paranormal YA novel, Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger. Would you notice if your best friend of 16 years had elf ears? Let's talk about it. October's book prompt is to read a retelling of a Folk or Fairy Tale. Corinne's pick is up first and it is Baba Yaga Laid an Egg by Dubravka Ugresic. And Becca's will be  Love in Color   by Bolu Babalola. Yo...

Episode 130.5 Today we have a very special Between the Books episode! We are thrilled to be interviewing Bobby Finger, the author of The Old Place , which is Corinne's pick for December's prompt to read a book published in 2022. Yes, we will also be discussing the novel in depth in December, but for now, to encourage you to buy it, we have a little chat with Bobby about this heartbreaking and hear...

Episode 130 September's prompt for The Bookstore Challenge 2022 is "Read a YA or Banned Book." Our first book for the prompt is Corinne's,  The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline. Next book is  Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger , find it at your local library or bookstore and read along with us! Get two months for the price of one at  Libro.fm  with code 'bookstorepod' at checkout.  Website  |  Patre...

Episode 129 Our second book for Women in Translation Month is Négar Djavadi 's Disoriental . It's a novel about an Iranian family's history, relationships, and tragedies in both Iran and France. Next book is The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline. Find it at your local library or bookstore and read along with us! Get two months for the price of one at  Libro.fm  with code 'bookstorepod' at checkout...

Episode 128. Our first book for Women in Translation Month is Adania Shibli's Minor Detail . This book contains heavy subject matter including violence and sexual assault, so please be aware of that before listening.  Next book is Disoriental by Négar Djavadi . Find it at your local library or bookstore and read along with us! Get two months for the price of one at  Libro.fm  with code 'bookstorep...

Our second book for July's prompt "Read a Book Under 200 Pages" is the first book translated from Catalan that we've read for the podcast. Death in Spring by Merce Rodoreda trippy, nightmarish, but ultimately an interesting read.  Next book is  Minor Detail by Adania Shibli . Find it at your local library or bookstore and read along with us! Get two months for the price of one at  Libro.fm  with c...

Our first book for July's prompt "Read a Book Under 200 Pages" is also the third James Baldwin book we've read for the podcast. Giovanni's Room is charmingly Parisian but also heartbreaking.  Next book is  Death in Spring by Merce Rodoreda . Find it at your local library or bookstore and read along with us! Get two months for the price of one at  Libro.fm  with code 'bookstorepod' at checkout.  We...

Apologies for the audio on this one!  We read (Becca reread) Haruki Murakami's  Norwegian Wood for the June prompt of Reread a Book You Haven't Read in Years. Content warning for discussion of suicide, rape, and sexual assault. Next book is  Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin. Find it at your local library or bookstore and read along with us! Get two months for the price of one at  Libro.fm  with co...

First up for June's prompt "Reread a Book You Loved" is Corinne's pick,  The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers. Published in 1940, this novel is about several characters in a small southern American town.  Get two months for the price of one at  Libro.fm  with code 'bookstorepod' at checkout.  Website  |  Patreon

Last book for May's prompt of Award Winning Book is Patreon's pick of Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. Next book is  The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers, as picked by our Patreon. Get two months for the price of one at  Libro.fm  with code 'bookstorepod' at checkout.  Website  |  Patreon

Our next award-winner is  Celestial Bodies  by Jokha Alharthi, winner of the International Booker Prize. Check out photos of Oman in NYT. Next book is  Song of Solomon  by Toni Morrison, as picked by our Patreon. Get two months for the price of one at  Libro.fm  with code 'bookstorepod' at checkout.  Website  |  Patreon

We read Pulitzer Prize-winning novel  So Big by Edna Ferber. Beautiful cabbages! Midwest farmers! Rich Chicagoans!  Next book is Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi. Get two months for the price of one at  Libro.fm  with code 'bookstorepod' at checkout.  Website  |  Patreon

Our last book for April's prompt "read a book by an author who shares your zodiac sign or birthday" is Corinne's fellow Capricorn, Patricia Highsmith's novel Deep Water. Next book is  So Big by Edna Ferber. Get two months for the price of one at  Libro.fm  with code 'bookstorepod' at checkout.  Website  |  Patreon

First book for our April prompt (read a book by an author who shares your birthday month or zodiac sign) is Becca's pick of  Outline , by fellow Aquarian Rachel Cusk. Next episode will be on  Deep  Water by Patricia Highsmith. Get two months for the price of one at  Libro.fm  with code 'bookstorepod' at checkout.  Website  |  Patreon

Corinne's pick for our March prompt (a book published by an indie press) is  Little Blue Encyclopedia (for Vivian) by Hazel Jane Plante.  Get two months for the price of one at  Libro.fm  with code 'bookstorepod' at checkout.  Website  |  Patreon

For our first pick for the March prompt, A Book Published By an Indie Press, Becca chose  Strange Beasts of China by Yan Ge. Get two months for the price of one at  Libro.fm  with code 'bookstorepod' at checkout.  Website  |  Patreon