Bubbles and Books

Poppin' Off is a bonus episode of Bubbles & Books! This episode is featuring Raygun's (THE GREATEST STORE IN THE UNIVERSE) owner Mike Draper. He may not capitalize his letters when he sends an email, but he has capitalized on brining his fantastic store to Main Street Ames. We are so excited to welcome Raygun to the neighborhood, and couldn't wait to bring Mike on the podcast to chat about Raygun,...

Poor Amanda, she was without Ellyn and Rachel for a week while they were on vacation. However, she now gets to hear all about the incredible indie bookstores each of them visited. Ellyn was visiting the Apostle Islands and stopped at many bookstores along the way. Rachel visited Washington and Oregon and made time to check out Elliott Bay Book Co. as recommended by Amanda and Ellyn. Subscribe and...

Today we take to the streets and are asking strangers what they're reading. Amanda, along with the help of Rachel and Lovie, head up and down Main Street in Ames to discover what the people are reading. This is a fun episode, and we hope you enjoy it. If you want to purchase a ticket for Cocktails & Convos with Paul Kix or buy a signed copy of his book, you can do that here.  If you want to purcha...

Fresh off of one of our biggest author events, we are so excited to share all about the authors that will be visiting Dog-Eared Books.  Grab an inside look at upcoming or recent books and the authors who wrote them! The Cocktails & Conversations Author Series is Dog-Eared Book’s primary way of introducing readers to authors, whether that’s beloved scribes or new ones. Each Cocktails & Conversation...

We have the judg-y wench Mariah on the podcast, her name according to Ellyn. She's joining us to share all about the Adult Bingo Summer Reading Challenge she's put together for Dog-Eared Books. Stop in the store to participate! You also get to hear about the excitement of the Hanson concert they are attending and find out which Hanson brother Mariah is most like. There are tons of exciting things...

This is a very cheesy episode. We have the lovely Joan, co-owner of Great Plains Pizza Sauce & Dough Co., on today's episode of Bubbles & Books. We are so excited to have her as our first Main Street guest. The best part is Dog-Eared Books and Great Plains are teaming up again for the kids Cheesy Reading Challenge. The challenge begins Saturday, May 27. Stop in, purchase a book to receive your cha...

We're getting more nuanced into the discussion of banned books. While we've talked about banned books many times before, this time we're going a bit deeper. We can keep saying we read banned books and sell banned books, but let's really chat about the books that are in the conversation right now and the voices that banning books are trying to silence.    As heard in the podcast: Want to sponsor a...

We have bookseller Jess and youth book club host and receiving manager Tanvi on the podcast! These two are putting their reading power together to curate the books for our newest subscription offering "The Dog Pack Middle Grade".  There's lots of chaos, lots of bubbles (some spilled), and two chambongs happened. It's one you won't want to miss because it's pure fun. Learn more about Dog-Eared's Bo...

It's a two bottle day for Amanda & Ellyn and they're talking all about Indie Bookstore Day and our Bookstore Passport!!  Don't miss all the excitement of celebrating your local indie on Saturday, April 29. We will have many Dog-Eared Books Exclusives, activities and more! But Indie Bookstore Day isn't all that's happening this week. Listen to find out what else is happening at Dog-Eared Books.  P....

Last week was all fun and games. This week, Ellyn and Amanda are getting real. They're talking about the B.S. coming from Iowa's government and Kim "Diva Bullshit" Reynolds. They are going through some of the harmful laws that are on the table and potentially being signed into law. This is not the Iowa that Amanda and Ellyn want. Help us support our Trans and Gender Non-conforming individuals in I...

Things have been hard with our state passing harmful laws, innocent lives being taken and the sadness we're all feeling each day. So in this episode Amanda & Ellyn want to bring a little bit of lightness and humor to your day. We hope that you can find a moment of escape in this episode.

It's middle school bitches, the more things change, the more they stay the same... According to Ellyn that is.  In this episode we take you back to 1997 when Amanda and Ellyn were two young middle schoolers who mostly likely never spoke to each other. They go through the memories of growing up in the 90's. Don't miss the exciting new releases and find out what fun things are happening at Dog-Eared...

Amanda & Ellyn have now returned from the PNW after attending a professional development conference where they learned all the best practices, met amazing authors and of course met with fellow booksellers!  Hear about their adventures of bookstore visits, the chambong, and how an author ended up buying bookseller Amy her book!  There are also so many great new releases out today that you won't wan...

Ellyn & Amanda are away at a really cool conference in Seattle, which means it's a free for all for the employees of Dog-Eared Books! And just because they're, doesn't mean the podcast won't go on this week.  Today you have Emily playing the part of Ellyn, and Rachel takes on the role of Amanda. The two do all the fun things you love about the Bubbles & Books podcast (like drinking and talking boo...

Amanda is away, which means Ellyn is being mean to Rachel and forced her to be part of today's podcast episode. However, Britt our School Sales & Support Manager also joined the episode with a cameo from our Event Coordinator Emily.  The three discuss popular books that many know and love and the perfect book comparison we think you should also read. Get your notepads out and be ready to write dow...

Amanda and Ellyn have been tirelessly scrolling through all the publisher catalogs to pick out the best books to bring into our store this year. They share how the process works, books they're extra excited about and some other fun facts about the curation of a bookstore.  We have several events to look forward to such as Blind Date With A Book, Postcard writing event and of course some book clubs...

Ellyn is away which means Amanda and Rachel take on Bubbles & Books and craziness ensues. In this episode the two discuss romance books, the romance genre and what to expect on Valentine's Day at Dog-Eared Books this year. With special appearances by our Events Coordinator Emily, you'll hear about some fun things happening at the store this month. This is an episode you won't want to miss. But don...

Ellyn is leaving us for a much-deserved vacation. But before she does, the podcast duo share what they pack when heading on vacation, and how they plan our their reads.  We read the winning story from last week's episode story prompt! Shout out to Abby and her book bag. Really great events are happening this week including a signing with author Rabia Chaudry. Want a signed and personalized copy of...

Ellyn is back with another game for Amanda, and Rachel gets to join in too! And don't forget, when you listen to the podcast, make sure you listen to the story prompts we share, and then tell us your 2 minute story! Also, it's Rachel's birthday so tell her how amazing she is and that Ellyn stinks. Want to play the roll the dice game to write your story? Here's the link! https://davebirss.com/story...

This is a fun episode because we have the wonder Emily on the podcast! Emily is our Events Coordinator extraordinaire, and we wanted her to share with you all the fun events we have coming up in the first part of the new year! As always we also share exciting new releases, and Amanda & Ellyn discuss their current reads as well.  Emily wants to share that if you have any event requests or feedback...

The chilled bubbles were forgotten at the Dog House, and since we're recording at the store for this episode we made do with the bubbles out of our beverage fridge. Which means, no pop of bubbles, but not to worry because we are drinking them!  Today we are talking about reading resolutions. Do you set reading goals for yourself every year? Do you follow along with goals set by someone else? Find...

In our last episode we shared the lists of other peoples "best of the year" books. This week we're telling you what the Dog-Eared team has deemed  the "best of the year". Yes we know 2022 isn't quite over yet, but we're just so excited about these books that we must share them with you now.  Please share this episode with everyone, and spread the word about the Bubbles & Books Podcast so that othe...

The "Best of the Year" lists have been rolling in. And we have some thoughts. Amanda & Ellyn go through four different best of the year lists and see how they compare to books we've sold this year. Let us know if you find any of these top books surprising, or share what books you think are missing.  Don't miss next week's episode where we will be sharing OUR best books of the year. Want to read th...

Finding the perfect gift for someone else, and occasionally yourself, can be difficult. In this week's episode Amanda & Ellyn share how they help shoppers discover the perfect book to gift.  Share with us what books you plan to give this season, or what books you're hoping to receive!

With the talk of thankfulness that always happens this season, we can't help but reflect on all the things we at Dog-Eared Books are grateful for. The books that bring us joy, those we work with and especially our customers! It's so special we get to have a space to share with readers.   This coming Saturday is Small Business Saturday. We hope you shop small and shop local this holiday season. And...