Stay ConnectedSarah’s Bookshelves Live is a bi-weekly show featuring real talk about books and book recommendations from a featured guest. Each week, Sarah of the blog Sarah’s Bookshelves will talk with her guest about:
– 2 OLD BOOKS THEY LOVE
– 2 NEW BOOKS THEY LOVE
– 1 BOOK THEY DON’T LOVE
– AND 1 NEW RELEASE THEY’RE EXCITED ABOUT
I’m getting real about all things books and serving you up a bit of snark on the side.
Copyright: © Sarah Dickinson | Sarah's Bookshelves
Welcome to the Spring 2022 Book Preview with Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books!
In this episode, Catherine and I share our most anticipated books coming out in April – May 2022.
This post contains affiliate links, through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
AnnouncementsApril
Sarah's Picks:
Catherine's Picks:
May
Sarah's Pick:
Catherine's Picks:
*Book's release date changed since the time of recording.
About Catherine GilmoreBlog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Catherine started The Gilmore Guide to Books over 6 years ago after wrapping up a career as a corporate librarian. She loves books and reading (surprise!) and currently lives in Ann Arbor, MI.
In the Winter 2022 Book Preview (Ep. 102), Catherine (Gilmore Guide to Books) and I shared our most anticipated books set to release January – March 2022 (with one early April release). Today, we're giving an update on the books we shared in the Winter Preview — now that we've had the chance to read them.
This post contains affiliate links, through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
HighlightsSarah's Picks:
Catherine's Picks:
January
Sarah's Pick:
Catherine's Picks:
February
Sarah's Picks:
Catherine's Pick:
March
Sarah's Pick:
Catherine's Picks:
April
Sarah's Pick:
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Catherine started The Gilmore Guide to Books over 6 years ago after wrapping up a career as a corporate librarian. She loves books and reading (surprise!) and currently lives in Ann Arbor, MI.
In Episode 107, Barbara Feinman Todd (author of Pretend I'm Not Here) takes me behind the scenes of ghostwriting after a career of writing for many top names in Washington, DC. Barbara is wonderfully candid and we have a fascinating discussion all about the nuts and bolts of ghostwriting, and the emotional and personal side of the business.
This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
HighlightsTwo OLD Books She Loves
Two NEW Books She Loves
One Book She DIDN'T LOVE
One NEW RELEASE She's Excited About
Last 5-Star Book Barbara Read
Barbara Feinman Todd is the author of the 2017 memoir Pretend I'm Not Here. She taught journalism at Georgetown University for 25 years, where she was the founding Journalism Director and is currently professor emerita. Cofounder of the Pearl Project, she coauthored the e-book The Truth Left Behind: Inside the Kidnapping and Murder of Daniel Pearl. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Glamour, the Huffington Post, the Daily Beast, Newsweek, and on NPR.
Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books joins me for a special Superlatives episode where we are answering from the fourth bucket of questions submitted for the Ask Me Anything episode of Sarah's Bookshelves Live. We give you a little taste of the bonus Monthly Superlative episodes Catherine and I often do for the Patreon community. This format is a favorite of mine, allowing for a bit more candor and a lot of fun. Today we tackle questions about our all-time favorite books, re-reads, auto-buy authors, favorite audiobooks, and more! This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). Announcements If you like this episode, consider joining the Patreon Community ($5/mo) to get our bonus Monthly Superlative podcast episode series! In these episodes, I feature a continued discussion with every big show episode guest from the current month where they answer 5 bookish "superlative" questions. One of my favorite things I hear from patrons about this series is how much they love listening to the same guests from the big show, but with a laid-back and relaxed vibe. Get more details about all the goodies available to all patrons (Stars and Superstars) and sign up here! Highlights Behind-the-scenes info on the Monthly Superlative podcast episode series for patrons. Our all-time favorite books Our auto-buy authors How Catherine and Sarah feel about re-reading Books from Sarah's and Catherine's childhoods Immediate bookish turn-offs What Catherine and Sarah find in a book that makes it easy to read Superlatives ALL-TIME FAVORITE BOOKS [03:15] Catherine: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles | Amazon | Bookshop.org [04:01] Skeltons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian | Amazon | Bookshop.org [05:27] Sophie's Choice by William Styron | Amazon | Bookshop.org [06:32] Sarah: The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne | Amazon | Bookshop.org [07:33] The Lords of Discipline by Pat Conroy | Amazon | Bookshop.org [08:15] Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed | Amazon | Bookshop.org [09:10] AUTO-BUY AUTHORS [09:59] Catherine: Anna Quindlen [10:13] Alice Hoffman [10:23] Kevin Kwan [10:39] Sarah: Ann Patchett [12:12] Tayari Jones [12:14] Meg Wolitzer [12:58] Megan Abbott [13:13] Brit Bennett [13:34] FAVORITE AUDIOBOOKS [14:03] Catherine: Smacked by Eilene Zimmerman | Amazon | Bookshop.org | Libro.fm [14:31] Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer | Amazon | Bookshop.org | Libro.fm [15:04] A Very Punchable Face by Colin Jost | Amazon | Bookshop.org | Libro.fm [15:08] Sarah: Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed | Amazon | Bookshop.org | Libro.fm [15:40] Untamed by Glennon Doyle | Amazon | Bookshop.org | Libro.fm [15:48] The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff | Amazon | Bookshop.org | Libro.fm [17:12] FIRST BOOK THAT SPARKED YOUR JOY OF READING [18:09] Catherine: Laurie and Company by Eleanor Frances Lattimore (currently out of print) [18:21] Sarah: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett | Amazon | Bookshop.org [20:16] The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin | Amazon | Bookshop.org [20:38] Flowers in the Attic by V. C. Andrews | Amazon | Bookshop.org [20:45] Jaws by Peter Benchley | Amazon | Bookshop.org [21:00] ALL ABOUT RE-READING [21:23] Catherine: Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin | Amazon | Bookshop.org [21:45] The Longings of Women by Marge Piercy | Amazon [24:05] Sarah: The Great Santini by Pat Conroy | Amazon | Bookshop.org [22:39] The Lords of Discipline by Pat Conroy | Amazon | Bookshop.org [22:41] The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy | Amazon | Bookshop.org [22:44] & [26:07] I Miss You When I Blink by Mary Laura Philpott | Amazon | Bookshop.org [23:00] From the Corner of the Oval by Beck Dorey-Stein | Amazon | Bookshop.org [23:15] SIGNIFICANT / IMPACTFUL BOOKS [28:00] Catherine: Inventing the Rest of Our Lives by Suzanne Braun Levine | Amazon | Bookshop.org [28:25] Untamed by Glennon Doyle | Amazon | Bookshop.org [30:04] Sarah: The Mindbody Prescription by John E. Sarno, M.D. | Amazon | Bookshop.org [31:20] The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D. | Amazon | Bookshop.org [32:00] Fear Less by Dr. Pippa Grange | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:00] BOOKS THAT MADE YOU FEEL SEEN [33:47] Catherine: Forty Rooms by Olga Grushin | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:56] Sarah: Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan | Amazon | Bookshop.org [35:41] SARAH'S FAVORITE LITERARY MYSTERIES & SLOW-BURN SUSPENSE [36:48] Literary Mysteries: [37:14] When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain | Amazon | Bookshop.org The Witch Elm by Tana French | Amazon | Bookshop.org Miracle Creek by Angie Kim | Amazon | Bookshop.org The Current by Tim Johnston | Amazon | Bookshop.org Long Bright River by Liz Moore | Amazon | Bookshop.org If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio | Amazon | Bookshop.org Mystic River by Dennis Lehane | Amazon | Bookshop.org The Cutting Season by Attica Locke | Amazon | Bookshop.org Slow-Burn Suspense: [35:41] The Push by Ashley Audrain | Amazon | Bookshop.org Megan Abbott books The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz | Amazon | Bookshop.org You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz | Amazon | Bookshop.org Who is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews | Amazon | Bookshop.org Unraveling Oliver by Liz Nugent | Amazon | Bookshop.org Based on a True Story by Delphine De Vigan | Amazon | Bookshop.org The Dinner by Herman Koch | Amazon | Bookshop.org FAVORITE SPORTS FICTION [38:44] Catherine: The Falconer by Dana Czapnik | Amazon | Bookshop.org [38:50] Sarah: Beartown by Fredrik Backman | Amazon | Bookshop.org [40:42] Trophy Son by Douglas Brunt | Amazon | Bookshop.org [40:51] FAVORITE BOOKS IN LEAST FAVORITE GENRE [41:55] Catherine (Horror): The Road by Cormac McCarthy | Amazon | Bookshop.org [42:45] Sarah (Horror & Romance): Fantasticland by Mike Bockoven | Amazon | Bookshop.org [43:31] One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:06] Seven Days in June by Tia Williams | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:09] Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:13] American Royals by Katharine McGee | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:17] The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:29] IMMEDIATE TURN-OFFS [46:14] WHAT MAKES A BOOK EASY TO READ [49:34] SENIOR MAIN CHARACTERS [51:44] Catherine: Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf | Amazon | Bookshop.org [52:16] Margreete's Harbor by Eleanor Morse | Amazon | Bookshop.org [52:19] The Spectator Bird by Wallace Stegner | Amazon | Bookshop.org [52:23] Sarah: Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney | Amazon | Bookshop.org [52:36] Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift | Amazon | Bookshop.org [53:06] Other Books Mentioned The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian [06:17] The Sleepwalker by Chris Bohjalian [06:20] The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy [08:29] Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan [10:39] A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne [11:38] A Traveler at the Gates of Wisdom by John Boyne [11:54] Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones [12:44] An American Marriage by Tayari Jones [12:46] The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer [13:00] The Wife by Meg Wolitzer [13:02] The Mothers by Brit Bennett [13:50] The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett [13:53] Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown [19:44] The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard [27:24] South of Broad by Pat Conroy [27:43] Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan [36:37] The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe [40:13] You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott [41:11] Lord of the Flies by William Golding [43:52] Vladimir by Julia May Jonas [47:34] Honor by Thrity Umrigar [51:22] Other Links Glennon Doyle's podcast: We Can Do Hard Things [16:15] About Catherine Gilmore Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Catherine started The Gilmore Guide to Books over 6 years ago after wrapping up a career as a corporate librarian. She loves books and reading (surprise!) and currently lives in Ann Arbor, MI.
Full show notes at the publisherIn Episode 105, Sarah and Thrity (author of Honor) tackle some hard-hitting questions related to the themes in her emotional book: religion, women's rights, and identity. Thrity discusses the complicated relationship an immigrant often has with their homeland and the complex duality of human nature.
This post contains affiliate links, through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
HighlightsTwo OLD Books She Loves
Two NEW Books She Loves
One NEW RELEASE She's Excited About
Last 5-Star Book Thrity Read
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Thrity Umrigar is the bestselling author of eight novels, including The Space Between Us, which was a finalist for the PEN/Beyond Margins Award, as well as a memoir and three picture books. Her books have been translated into several languages and published in more than fifteen countries. She is the winner of a Lambda Literary Award and a Seth Rosenberg Award and is Distinguished Professor of English at Case Western Reserve University. A recipient of the Nieman Fellowship to Harvard, she has contributed to the Boston Globe, the Washington Post, the New York Times, and Huffington Post.
In Episode 104, hotly anticipated guest, Catherine Ryan Howard (author of The Nothing Man and 56 Days), joins me to discuss her journey to becoming an author, behind-the-scenes of making of her books, her process for writing successful crime thrillers, and how much real-life crimes and circumstances influence her stories. Be ready for some non-graphic dead body talk. Plus, Catherine shares some breaking news about her upcoming novel!
This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
HighlightsTwo OLD Books She Loves
Two NEW Books She Loves
One NEW RELEASE She's Excited About
Last 5-Star Book Catherine Read
In Episode 103, Catherine Gilmore (@gilmoreguide) and I share the best backlist books we read in 2021. We each share our top 5 backlist books from 2021, as well as some underrated backlist gems. Catherine and I both had a lot of success in 2021 with backlist reading, and this was especially true for me in comparison to my overall reading for the year. This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). Announcements
Sarah
Catherine
Sarah
Catherine
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Catherine started The Gilmore Guide to Books over 6 years ago after wrapping up a career as a corporate librarian. She loves books and reading (surprise!) and currently lives in Ann Arbor, MI.
Catherine and I share our most anticipated books coming out January – March 2022 (and one early April release).
Also, stay tuned for my Most Anticipated Books of Winter 2022 blog post, coming out soon. On there, I'll share some of the books I talked about in this episode, but also some I didn't.
This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
AnnouncementJanuary
Sarah's Picks:
Catherine's Picks:
February
Sarah's Picks:
Catherine's Pick:
March
Sarah's Pick:
Catherine's Picks:
April
Sarah's Pick:
*Book's release date changed since the time of recording.
About Catherine GilmoreBlog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Catherine started The Gilmore Guide to Books over 6 years ago after wrapping up a career as a corporate librarian. She loves books and reading (surprise!) and currently lives in Ann Arbor, MI.
In the Fall 2021 Book Preview (Ep. 93), Catherine and I shared our most anticipated books that were coming out August – December 2021. Today, we're updating you on the books we shared in the Fall Preview…now that we've had the chance to read — or at least attempt them. Many Fall books lean more literary, which hasn't been working well for me lately, and overall, the Fall 2021 books didn't turn out quite how we'd hoped.
This post contains affiliate links, through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
AnnouncementSarah's Picks:
Catherine's Picks:
August
Catherine's Picks:
September
Sarah's Picks:
Catherine's Picks:
October
Sarah's Picks:
Catherine's Picks:
November
Sarah's Picks:
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Catherine started The Gilmore Guide to Books over six years ago after wrapping up a career as a corporate librarian. She loves books and reading (surprise!) and currently lives in Ann Arbor, MI.
Today, we're celebrating the 100th episode of Sarah's Bookshelves Live with a very special Ask Me Anything episode co-hosted by Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books. Catherine turns the tables to ask me all the questions you submitted. We go behind the scenes of the podcast, talk about my reading life, and my life outside of reading. Plus, Catherine answers a few questions!
This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
AnnouncementsBehind the Scenes of the Podcast [05:47]A few of the questions answered:
Reading Life & History [37:37]A few of the questions answered:
Life Outside of Reading [50:30]A few of the questions answered:
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Catherine started The Gilmore Guide to Books over 6 years ago after wrapping up a career as a corporate librarian. She loves books and reading (surprise!) and currently lives in Ann Arbor, MI.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
