Shelf Aware Podcast

Welcome back, Literary Slummers, to another Morph Monday episode of Shelf Aware! This week, we're covering book #24 in K.A. Applegate's Animorphs series: The Suspicion, the last book written without ghostwriters. What exactly IS the suspicion? How do you even spell "laser"? And have we actually found the worst book in the series, or are there more duds awaiting us further on down the line…? Join u...

cw: Sexual abuse, suicide Welcome back, Literary Slummers, to another episode of Shelf Aware, the podcast where we delve into books outside our comfort zone. This week, we’re starting the first book in Em’s haunted house unit with a book she read in her childhood. And it dealt with some surprisingly heavy topics. How will it stand up on a reread? And can we learn to appreciate spooky books in this...

Apologies for the late episode. We had some problems with audio and had to rerecord parts of this one, so things might sound a teensy bit disjointed. Welcome back, Literary Slummers, to another Morph Monday episode of Shelf Aware! This week we’re getting deep into some lore, learn about the eating habits of the vile Taxxons, and follow along as Elfangor becomes an eventual war prince. Join us next...

Welcome back, Literary Slummers, to another episode of Shelf Aware, the podcast where we delve into books outside our comfort zone. And this week, we’re finally here to discuss the almost 700 page teenage romance involving sparkly, brooding Edward, and lol-I’m-so-clumsy Bella. That’s right. We read Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer, the first book in Anna’s new unit on parallel novels. Hope you’re r...

Welcome back, Literary Slummers, to another Morph Monday episode of Shelf Aware! This week, we’re discussing the 23rd book in the Animorphs series, The Pretender. Finally! A Tobias POV! Full of angst and self-doubt and romance. It’s everything we wanted and more - K.A. Applegate drops a huge lore moment on us, and we were not prepared. Join us next week for the first book in Anna’s new unit. We’re...

Welcome back, Literary Slummers, to another episode of Shelf Aware, the podcast where we delve into books outside our comfort zone. This week we wrapped up Em’s unit on books where the animal dies with The Guest Cat. This book was not exactly what we planned on reading, and not a lot happened in it, but Anna was surprisingly successful with her choice. Join us next week for another Morph Monday ep...

Welcome back, Literary Slummers, to another Morph Monday episode of Shelf Aware! This week, we’re discussing the third and final book in the David Trilogy: The Solution, a book that Anna has declared her favorite of the Animorphs series (so far). How do the Bandalites decide to deal with David once and for all? And do they remember that the President’s freedom is at stake? And how many bugs will t...

Welcome back, Literary Slummers, to another episode of Shelf Aware, the podcast where we delve into books outside of our comfort zone. This week we're wrapping up Anna's unit on cross-class royal romances with one of Em's favorite books. Did Anna enjoy it as well? Also included: very important Garbage Boy classification and if we can feel ok with our ships. Join us next week for another Morph Mond...

Welcome back, Literary Slummers, to another episode of Shelf Aware, the podcast where we gush about our favorite middle grade sci-fi series: Animorphs! This week, we’re discussing the second book in the David Trilogy. What is David’s secret? What kind of name is Saddler? And will the Animorphs be able to save the president? The importance of some of these questions may surprise you. Join us next w...

Welcome back, Literary Slummers, to another episode of Shelf Aware, the podcast where we delve into books outside our comfort zone. This week, we're reading another of those sad sack books where the animal dies, and this time it's a big yellow dog. We're reading the classic, Old Yeller, a book that made us question the existence of The Yearling fanfiction. Join us next week for another Morph Monda...

Welcome back, Literary Slummers, to another episode of Shelf Aware, the podcast where we gush about our favorite middle grade sci-fi series: Animorphs! This week we've got a Marco POV and… a new morph??! Tune in to hear about all of the discoveries we discovered in The Discovery. Join us next week for another sad sack book where an animal dies. A very special thank you to Ben Cope for our theme so...

Welcome back, Literary Slummers, to another episode of Shelf Aware, the podcast where we delve into books outside our comfort zone. This week we're reading the second book in Anna's unit involving royal romances. Will this more traditional example of the trope make Anna feel justified in her hatred? If this isn't your first time here, I'm sure you can guess how it'll turn out.  Join us next week f...

Welcome back, Literary Slummers, to another episode of Shelf Aware, the podcast where we gush about our favorite middle-grade sci-fi series: Animorphs! This week we read a Cassie POV that dealt a lot with the morality of the war against the Yeerks and dropped some lore bombs on us. And then ended in a completely ridiculous way. Typical. Join us next week for the next book in Anna’s royal romance u...

Welcome back, Literary Slummers, to another episode of Shelf Aware, the podcast where we delve into books outside our comfort zone. This week, we’re starting Em’s new sadsack unit on the most depressing trope ever: The One Where the Animal Dies. We’re kicking off the unit by discussing the classic bestseller, The Yearling, by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. Getting real Little House flashbacks with this...

Welcome back, Literary Slummers, to another episode of Shelf Aware, the podcast where we gush about the best middle-grade sci-fi series ever: Animorphs! This week, we’re traveling back 65 million years to the time of dinosaurs… and also aliens? Join us next week for the first book in Em’s new unit! A very special thank you to Ben Cope for our theme song! Check out his YouTube channel: youtube.com/...

Welcome back, Literary Slummers, to another episode of Shelf Aware, the podcast where we delve into books outside our comfort zone. This week we’re starting a new unit on a trope that Anna dislikes, but we’re giving it a new twist. We’re starting with the one example of it that Anna actually loves. Can Em find more books with this trope that Anna can appreciate? Recommended Reading: On the Edge by...

Welcome back, Literary Slummers, to another episode of Shelf Aware, the podcast where we gush about the best middle-grade sci-fi series ever: Animorphs! This week brings us our first Ax POV in a long time and a ton of lore to go with it! Too bad they had to go and ruin it all with another freaking bug morph. Join us next week for the start of a brand new unit! A very special thank you to Ben Cope...

Welcome back, Literary Slummers, to another episode of Shelf Aware, the podcast where we delve into books outside our comfort zone. This week, we’re wrapping up our listener slubmitted unit (thanks, Elliot!) with an absolutely befuddling book. We’ve got time travel, the most bonkers student-directed play, and so, so many assumptions made about everyone’s sexuality. It’d been a while since we read...

Welcome back, Literary Slummers, to another episode of Shelf Aware, the podcast where we gush about the best middle-grade sci-fi series ever: Animorphs! This week, Rachel gets shafted with this completely nonsensical tale of the power of oatmeal. We’ve also got some carefully non-Monty Python facts about what birds can carry. And do tarantulas eat bananas? Join us next week for the last book in ou...

Welcome back, Literary Slummers, to another episode of Shelf Aware, the podcast where we delve into books outside our comfort zone. This week, we’re wrapping up Em’s magical realism unit with a book involving death gods and the jazz age. Some could argue that maybe this book doesn’t quite fit all the qualifications, but a good book is a good book, right? Join us next week for another Morph Monday!...

Welcome back, Literary Slummers, to another episode of Shelf Aware, the podcast where we gush about the best middle-grade sci-fi series ever: Animorphs! This week, we get a glimpse into what the World Wide Web was like in the late 90s, the Bandalites learn the dangers of catfishing, and there is another traumatizing bug morph. Will the Bandalites ever learn? Spoiler alert: Probably not. Join us ne...

Welcome back, Literary Slummers, to another episode of Shelf Aware, the podcast where we delve into books outside our comfort zone. How do you get Anna to love any genre of book out there? Just see if Terry Pratchett has written one. We’re finally wrapping up our Robinsonade unit with an amazing book. Join us next week for another Morph Monday. A very special thank you to Ben Cope for our theme so...

Welcome back, Literary Slummers, to another episode of Shelf Aware, the podcast where we gush about the best middle-grade sci-fi series ever: Animorphs. This week, the Bandalites ruin the reputation of a local business, are reunited with a character we thought would never return, and get their brains drilled by the Yeerks. Join us next week for the final episode in Anna’s Robinsonade unit. A very...

Welcome back, Literary Slummers, to another episode of Shelf Aware, the podcast where we delve into books outside our comfort zone. This week, we read the second book in our listener slubmitted unit on plays coming to life. Anna was pleasantly surprised to find this was a book she massively enjoyed as a child, and unpleasantly surprised about all the sexual tension she picked up on as an adult. Th...

Welcome back, Literary Slummers, to another episode of Shelf Aware, the podcast where we gush about the best middle-grade sci-fi series ever: Animorphs. This week, we read a book from the spin-off series called The Hork-Bajir Chronicles. Hope you’re in the mood for a little bit of genocide! Join us next week for the next book in our listener slubmission unit, King of Shadows by Susan Cooper! A ver...