Shelf Care Society By @Brian.Reads

Cecily Mak joins Shelf Care Society for a deeply thoughtful conversation about alcohol-free living, unwanted habits, and the clarity that becomes possible when we stop dimming ourselves. Cecily is the author of Undimmed: The Eight Awarenesses for Freedom from Unwanted Habits , a founding General Partner at Wisdom Ventures, a breast cancer survivor, mother of two, and an advocate for a more honest...

What does it really mean to be “selfish”… and why are so many of us afraid of it? This week on Shelf Care Society , I sit down with Kerry Docherty, co-founder of Faherty and author of Selfish , a sharp, deeply personal memoir about unlearning the roles that keep us small. We start where the book does: on a therapist’s couch, where Kerry and her husband are negotiating Kerry's salary. From ther...

What do we owe the people who made us? This week on Shelf Care Society , I sit down with Tayari Jones to talk about her stunning new novel, Kin , an Oprah's Book Club selection. Tayari has a way of writing families that feel both intimate and expansive. In Kin , she turns her attention to legacy and inheritance through the lives of two girls, Niecy and Annie, and the bond that connects them ac...

What if the thing that determines your success isn’t how smart you are, but how quickly you can adapt? This week on Shelf Care Society , I’m joined by Liz Tran, executive coach and author of AQ: The Agility Quotient . We talk about why agility is becoming the defining skill of our time and how to build it in a world that rarely slows down. Liz shares how AQ shows up in your career, your relationsh...

Why are the Kardashians so famous—and what does that say about us ? In this episode of Shelf Care Society: The Podcast , I sit down with M.J. Corey (@mjcorey) to talk about her new book, D econstructing the Kardashians: A New Media Manifesto —a sharp, surprisingly expansive look at the most influential family in modern media. What starts as a conversation about Kim, Kris, and the empire they’ve bu...

What does it actually look like to build a creative life—and pay the bills? In this episode of Shelf Care Society: The Podcast , I sit down with Mason Currey (@masoncurrey) to talk about his new book, Making Art and Making a Living: Adventures in Funding a Creative Life —a fascinating look at how artists across history have navigated the tension between creative ambition and financial reality. We...

Why do we keep repeating patterns we know aren’t serving us? In this episode of Shelf Care Society: The Podcast , I sit down with Dr. Nicole LePera (@the.holistic.psychologist) to talk about her new book, Reparenting the Inner Child: The New Science of Our Oldest Wounds and How to Heal Them —a deeply practical guide to understanding where our behaviors come from and how to actually change them. We...

What if the objects we lose, keep, or overlook are quietly telling the story of who we are? In this episode of Shelf Care Society: The Podcast , I sit down with Michelle Maryk to explore her debut novel The Found Object Society , a layered and inventive story that moves through time, memory, and the artifacts we leave behind. We talk about the emotional architecture of the novel, the way objects c...

What if the life you want is already waiting for you and the only thing left to do is become the version of yourself who believes it is possible? In this episode of Shelf Care Society: The Podcast , Brian Larson talks with manifestation coach Matt Cooke , whose work centers on a powerful idea: You don’t attract what you want. You attract what you are. Matt shares the story of leaving corporate lif...

This week, Brian sits down with Dr. Khameer Kidia, a writer, anthropologist, and global health physician on the faculty at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. A Rhodes Scholar from Zimbabwe, Kidia has spent more than a decade working on mental health research and advocacy in his home country, and his writing has appeared in outlets including The New England Journal of Medicine...

On this episode of Shelf Care Society, Brian Larson sits down with #1 New York Times bestselling author Virginia Evans to talk about her breakout novel, The Correspondent . Together, they explore Sybil Van Antwerp’s unforgettable voice, the ethics of saying exactly what we mean, and the emotional architecture of letters both sent and unsent. Virginia opens up about writing six novels before findin...

Malala Yousafzai joins Shelf Care Society to discuss her new memoir, Finding My Way . In this fun, insight-packed chat, we talk about identity, belonging, ambition, and what it takes to keep evolving when the world has an opinion on who you should be. Come for the warmth, stay for the perspective shift.

Shelf Care Society by @Brian. Reads is a book-rooted podcast for anyone who treats their TBR as self-care. Host Brian Larson invites you into the conversations that have shaped his life, blending thoughtful chats about books with honest discussions on sobriety, creativity, identity, belonging, and what it takes to build a life that feels like yours.