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
In Episode 63, Helen Dea Bala (author of Craigslist Confessional) shares why she started Craigslist Confessional, how she decided to quit her job to pursue Craigslist Confessional full-time, and shares her own story of immigrating to the U.S. from Albania.
This post contains affiliate links, through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
Announcement [00:55] Y'all know I had always planned to air the podcast bi-weekly through the summer. As the summer has progressed, I've realized how burned out I am (this probably isn't a surprise to y'all if you've been reading between the lines of my recent posts). The last couple months of quarantine with 2 young children, having to manage all their distance learning, and lacking any childcare completely drained me. I pushed through because there was an end point. It's now becoming apparent that school will not resume as normal in the Fall, which will require me to put structure in place to make sure our lives can run smoothly for the longer-term. I need some time and space to be able to think clearly (rather than frantically turning my wheels to keep churning out content) and plan for how the podcast will look and how my family's life will run in the future. So, I've decided to take a FULL break from the podcast following today's episode…most likely until mid-August.Two OLD Books She Loves
Two NEW Books She Loves
One NEW RELEASE She's Excited About
Helena Dea Bala immigrated to the United States as a child. To make ends meet during those difficult first years, she helped her mother clean houses on the weekends. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from George Washington University and worked to become a lawyer and lobbyist in Washington, DC. After her day job left her feeling disconnected and unfulfilled, she deferred her student loans, applied for a credit card, and gave herself one year—one year to just listen. Five years in, she now does Craigslist Confessional full time. Find out more at CraigslistConfessional.com.
Next EpisodeThe podcast will be on hiatus through mid-August.
Support the PodcastIn Episode 62, Morgan Hoit (Associate Marketing Manager at Avid Reader Press & @nycbookgirl) and I go behind-the-scenes of book marketing…including read-alikes, celebrity book clubs, author blurbs, and cover art. Morgan also shares some of her favorite memoirs, a genre she's been loving lately.
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
Two Books She DIDN'T Like
One NEW RELEASE She's Excited About
Prior to joining Avid Reader Press, Morgan worked as an Associate at Jill Furman Productions for two and a half years, where she assisted in the producing of new plays and musicals for Broadway and the NYC theater industry. At Avid Reader Press, Morgan is the voice of the imprint on social media and also manages title marketing campaigns, working closely with authors on their digital presence and social media strategy. In her free time, Morgan is also the content creator and book worm behind nycbookgirl – a blog dedicated to book recommendations, guides to NYC, and more. She was born in NYC and raised in New Jersey, and she graduated from Duke University magna cum laude with degrees in English and Theater Studies.
Next EpisodeThere will not be a new episode next week since the podcast is on its bi-weekly summer schedule.
The following week, there will be a full length episode featuring Helena Dea Bala, author of Craigslist Confessional (airing July 8).
Support the PodcastA lot has happened in the world over the past couple weeks that hasn't been reflected on the podcast because June episodes were recorded in mid-May. So, I wanted to bring you this special bonus episode to highlight some books by black authors that I've loved over the past couple years.
These are stories of the lives of particular black characters and people that have stuck with me (in many cases for years) since I read them.
I'm also looking to highlight more stories by and about black people moving forward on the podcast.
This post contains affiliate links, through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
Favorite Books by Black Authors (Fiction) [3:04]2 Auto-Buy Authors
An Old-Time Favorite Author (Stephen L. Carter)
Under the Radar Gems
Super Buzzy Books You've Probably Already Heard Of
2 Memoirs I Loved
Super Buzzy Books You've Probably Already Heard Of
A full length episode featuring Morgan Hoit (@nycbookgirl), Associate Marketing Manager at Avid Reader Press (airing June 24).
Support the PodcastSpecial Note
This episode was recorded on May 14, 2020. A lot has happened since then, so I wanted to time-stamp this to provide appropriate context for our discussion. Next Wednesday, I'm releasing a special bonus episode sharing my favorite books by black authors.
In Episode 61, Kimberly McCreight (author of A Good Marriage) shares her 11 year journey to publishing her first novel, why she wanted to focus on marriage in this book, how working during coronavirus has been, and a possible sequel to A Good Marriage!
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 Like
One NEW RELEASE She's Excited About
Kimberly McCreight is the New York Times bestselling author of Reconstructing Amelia, which was nominated for the Edgar, Anthony, and Alex Awards and was called Entertainment Weekly's Favorite Book of the Year. Reconstructing Amelia has been optioned for film by HBO and Nicole Kidman's Blossom Films. Ms. McCreight's second adult novel, Where They Found Her, was a USA Today bestseller and a Kirkus Best Mystery of the Year.
She is also the author of The New York Times bestselling young adult trilogy The Outliers (The Outliers, The Scattering and The Collide), optioned for film by Lionsgate and Reese Witherspoon's Pacific Standard. Her next novel, an adult mystery set in Park Slope, is forthcoming in 2020.
Ms. McCreight attended Vassar College and graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and two daughters.
Next EpisodeThere will not be a new episode next week since the podcast is on its bi-weekly summer schedule.
The following week, there will be a full length episode all about book marketing featuring Morgan Hoit, Associate Marketing Manager at Avid Reader Press and the woman behind @nycbookgirl (airing June 24).
Support the PodcastWelcome to the Summer 2020 Book Preview with Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books! Catherine and I share our most anticipated books coming out in June and July 2020. Also, stay tuned for my Most Anticipated Books of Summer 2020 blog post, which is coming out tomorrow. I'll share some of the books I talked about in this podcast, but also some that 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!). Sponsor Sudio (earphones and speakers), Ett model Use Code SBL15 for 15% off Highlights Catherine and my success rate for books we shared in our Spring 2020 Preview episode. Our Best and Worst picks from the Spring 2020 Preview episode. Sarah's and Catherine's #1 Summer book picks. Summer 2020 Book Preview [9:02] June Sarah's Picks: The Vanishing Halfby Brit Bennett (June 2) | Buy from Amazon [9:37] Catherine's Picks: Parakeet by Marie-Helene Bertino (June 2) | Buy from Amazon [14:32] What's Left of Me is Yours by Stephanie Scott (June 23) | Buy from Amazon [22:17] Destination Wedding by Diksha Basu (June 30) | Buy from Amazon [29:40] July Sarah's Picks: Craigslist Confessional by Helena Dea Bala (July 7) | Buy from Amazon [16:51] The Golden Cage by Camilla Lackberg (July 7) | Buy from Amazon [25:51] Fast Girls by Elise Hooper (July 7) | Buy from Amazon [32:41] The Bright Lands by John Fram (July 7) | Buy from Amazon [38:46] The Loyalties by Delphine de Vigan (July 21) | Buy from Amazon [48:35] Catherine's Picks: Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan (July 14) | Buy from Amazon [36:05] Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell (July 14) | Buy from Amazon [45:21] The Butterfly Lampshade by Aimee Bender (July 28) | Buy from Amazon [52:26] Other Books Mentioned The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [4:53] If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha (April 21) | Buy from Amazon [5:21] All Adults Here by Emma Straub (May 4) | Buy from Amazon [6:19] Commonwealthby Ann Patchett (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [7:12] Godshot by Chelsea Bieker | Buy from Amazon [8:04] The Mothers by Brit Bennett (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [10:16] The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [12:35] 2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino| Buy from Amazon [15:44] Nothing to See Hereby Kevin Wilson (My Review)| Buy from Amazon [16:12] Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed | Buy from Amazon [19:37] A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [27:38] Quicksand by Malin Persson Giolito | Buy from Amazon [27:38] You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [28:17] The Windfall by Diksha Basu | Buy from Amazon [30:09] Seating Arrangementsby Maggie Shipstead (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [31:22] The Hours Count by Jillian Cantor | Buy from Amazon [32:57] The Other Alcott by Elise Hooper | Buy from Amazon [33:05] The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [33:23] A Room With a View by E.M. Forster | Buy from Amazon [36:36] Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [38:30] Out East by John Glenn (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [39:38] Beartown by Fredrick Backman (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [41:25] Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell | Buy from Amazon [45:48] The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell | Buy from Amazon [45:48] Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [46:05] Based on a True Story by Delphine de Vigan (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [49:24] The Dinner by Herman Koch (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [51:26] The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender | Buy from Amazon [52:42] The Deeper the Water the Water the Uglier the Fish by Katya Apekina | Buy from Amazon [54:01] Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [54:15] Other Links Spring 2020 Book Preview 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. Next Episode There will not be a new episode next week since the podcast is on its bi-weekly summer schedule. The following week, there will be a full length episode featuring Kimberly McCreight, author of A Good Marriage (airing June 10). Support the Podcast Support on PatreonWhen you support the podcast on Patreon for $5/month, get bonus podcast episodes and other goodies! ShareIf you like the podcast, I'd love for you to share it with your reader friends…in real life and on social media (there's easy share buttons at the bottom of this post!). Subscribe …wherever you listen to podcasts, so new episodes will appear in your feed as soon as they're released. Rate and ReviewSearch for "Sarah's Bookshelves" in Apple Podcasts…or wherever you listen to podcasts!
Full show notes at the publisherIn Mini Episode 59, Alyssa Hertzig (@alyssahertzig, @alyssaisbooked) shares how she got back into reading after a long hiatus and we do an impromptu deep dive on Ann Patchett (one of my all-time favorite authors)…plus, celebrity memoirs.
This post contains affiliate links, through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
SponsorThis episode is sponsored by Book of the Month. Use the code SARAHSBOOKSHELVES at checkout to get your first book for just $9.99!
HighlightsTwo OLD Books She Loves
Two NEW Books She Loves
One Book She DIDN'T Love
One NEW RELEASE She's Excited About
Personal Instagram | Bookstagram | Blog | Twitter
Alyssa spent over a decade as a beauty editor at various magazines such as Allure, Brides, and Good Housekeeping.
She left the magazine world about 4 years ago to become a freelance writer.
She now splits her time as a freelance writer and editor covering primarily beauty topics…and as a blogger at The Sparkly Life, a lifestyle blog covering books, parenting, fashion, and more.
She lives in Hoboken, New Jersey (that's right across the river from NYC), with my husband and two kids.
Next EpisodeSummer 2020 Book Preview with Catherine from Gilmore Guide to Books (airing Wednesday, May 27).
Support the PodcastIn Episode 58, Susie Boutry (@NovelVisits) and I share our favorite books that missed last year's Summer Reading Guides, books set in cool travel destinations, and our #1 picks for the four categories featured in Sarah's 2020 Summer Reading Guide.
This post contains affiliate links, through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
AnnouncementSarah
Susie
Sarah
Susie
Something Light / Fun
Something Intense / Fast-Paced
Something with a Bit More Substance
Something Different
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Susie has loved reading for as long as she can remember. Some of her fondest childhood memories involve long afternoons at the library and then reading late into the night. More than ten years ago, she began journaling about the books I read and turned that passion into writing about books. Her first forays were as a guest reviewer on a friend's blog, but she soon realized she wanted to be reviewing and talking about books on a blog of my own. From there, Novel Visits was born. That was in 2016 and, though the learning curve was steep, she loves being a part of the book community. Novel Visits focuses on new novel reviews (print and audio), previews of upcoming releases, and musings on all things bookish.
Next EpisodeMini Episode featuring Alyssa Hertzig (@alyssahertzig and @alyssaisbooked)…airing May 20.
Support the PodcastIn Mini Episode 57, Liz Hein (@lizhein89) and I talk about two old books we both love and a beloved campus novel Liz didn't love.
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
Liz went to college to become an English teacher to spend all day talking about books! That transitioned to an administrative position at a high school in Milwaukee, WI. Even though she doesn't teach books anymore, she is consistently and perhaps obnoxiously recommending books to students and really anyone that will listen.
Next EpisodeSummer Reading Guide Special episode with Susie from Novel Visits (airing Wednesday, May 13).
Support the PodcastIn Episode 56, Holly Root (Literary Agent and Owner of Root Literary) talks about the rise of the rom-com and publishing in the coronavirus era…plus, the story of selling Jasmine Guillory's debut novel to publishers.
This post contains affiliate links, through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
AnnouncementTwo OLD Books She Loves
Two NEW Books She Loves
Discussion About Reading Books You Don't Like [38:17]
Two NEW RELEASES She's Excited About
Holly is the founder of Root Literary, which opened in 2017. Prior to opening her agency, she worked at Waxman Leavell Literary, Trident Media Group, and William Morris. Based in Los Angeles, her clients include #1 New York Times bestsellers, international bestsellers, RITA winners and nominees, and numerous titles named to Best Books of the Year lists by Publishers Weekly, The Washington Post, NPR, the American Library Association, RT Book Reviews, Kirkus, and Amazon. She represents authors of commercial fiction for adults and kids, as well as select nonfiction.
Next EpisodeMini Episode featuring Liz Hein (@lizhein89)…airing May 6.
Support the PodcastIn Mini Episode 55, Sarah Saba Cetra (@bookedinadvance) shares Middle Eastern books on her TBR list, books from a publisher we both love (Riverhead), and we both share how coronavirus is impacting our reading.
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
Full length episode featuring Holly Root, Literary Agent and Owner of Root Literary (airing Wednesday, April 29).
Support the Podcast
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