Bookstore Explorer

This week, we’re heading to Kilmarnock, Virginia, to talk with Lisa McLaughlin, the owner of The Bookshelf on Church. Books We Talk About: Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian Weiss, The Summer We Ran by Audrey Ingram, Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line by Elle Cosimano, Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

On this episode, Matt is joined by Aimee Chipman of Bluestocking Bookshop in Holland, Michigan. Books We Talk About: The works of Jacqueline Carey, Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, and The World Gives Way by Marissa Levien

In this episode, Sisters Sarah Krammen and Rachel Rattenborg take us on a tour of their family-owned bookshop, Dragonfly Books in Decorah, Iowa. Books We Talk About: Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle, Bog Queen by Anna North, Hound Triptych by Dani Janae, Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman, and the works of H.P. Lovecraft and Patrick Rothfuss

Today we head to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, to talk with Margaret Magle, owner of OtherWords Books & More. Books We Talk About: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman, Amish Vampires in Space by Kerry Nietz, and 1984 by George Orwell

Today I'm joined by Rae Gosling, owner of Hidden Nook Booksellers in Grayling, Michigan. Books We Talk About: Anxious People by Fredrik Backman, Redwall by Brian Jacques, Hogfather by Terry Pratchett, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Andy Corren, Dirtbag Queen by Andy Corren, and Zeal by Morgan Jerkins

Today I'm joined by Jesi Crawford, owner of the new shop Indie Darling Bookstore in Lander, Wyoming. Books We Talk About: Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir and Martyr by Kaveh Akbar.

This week I'm joined by Kathleen Madden of Sassafras on Sutton in Black Mountain, North Carolina. Books We Talk About: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, The Last Castle by Denise Kiernan, and Man's Search for Meaning by Vicktor Fankl

On this episode, I'm joined by Kevin Coolidge, owner of From My Shelf Books & Gifts in Wellsboro, PA. With 20 years of experience in bookselling, Kevin shares everything from the changes in genre popularity he's seen over the years to the close bonds we form with our customers.

I love a mobile bookshop, and today I’m joined by Melanie LaBorwit, owner of Burque Books & Art in Alburquerque, NM! Books We Talk About: Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley, The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafrón, Ahab’s Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund, and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

On this episode, we head to sunny California to learn about Ink Spell Books with owner Cindi Whittemore. Books We Talk About: The books of Shawn Harris, Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman, Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen, The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, the works of Jane Austen, The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan

From shortbread to bookshop, owner Cori Theroux walks us through her journey of opening the Green Dragon Bookshop, as well as creating the Iowa Bookshop Tour.Books We Talk About: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree, Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis, The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong

On this episode, I’m joined by Meg O’Brien, owner of Good & Golden Books in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Books We Talk About: Tomes & Tea Rebecca Thorne, Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

On this episode, I’m joined by Amy Ford and Lindsey Gartman, sisters who own Woven Words Bookshop, a book and craft shop in Akron, Ohio. Books We Talk About: Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson, The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman, Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane, A Place Called Home by David Ambroz

On this episode, I’m joined by Brittany Haynes, owner of Book Bar in Palmyra, Pennsylvania. Books We Talk About: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Remnants of a Scarlet Flame by Cindy L. Sell

On this episode, we head to the Pacific Northwest to visit with Sascha and Gem Schaudies, owners of Bundok Books in Puyallup, Washington. Books We Talk About: Gender Swapped Fairy Tales by Karrie Fransman and Jonathan Plackett, Saints of Storm and Sorrow Gabriella Buba, Battle of the Butts Jocelyn Rish, The Last Gifts of the Universe by Riley August, The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley, The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

This week we visit with Linda Kass, novelist and owner of Gramercy Books in Bexley, Ohio. Located in suburban Columbus, Gramercy is known for its series of fantastic author events and much more. Books We Talk About: The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa, The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead, Stoner by John Williams, The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis, A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, The Waiting by Michael Connelly, The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis and more!

Last week, we welcomed to the pod Evan Friss, author of The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore. This week, we visit with his wife, Amanda Friss, owner of Parentheses Books in Harrisonburg, Virginia.Books We Talk About: The works of Kevin Brockmeier, West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman and Once More Upon a Time by Roshani Chokshi

This week, we talk with Evan Friss, author of The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore, out now from Penguin Random House. Starting with Benjamin Franklin and moving up to the present day, it is a love letter to bookstores that The New York Times calls "A spirited defense of this important, odd and odds-defying American retail category."Books We Talk About: The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs and the works of Donna Tartt, Haruki Murakami, Kurt Vonnegut and George Saunders.

Today, we’re visiting Happy Magpie Book & Quill in Ogden, Utah. I’m joined by owner Patrick Ramsay, who operates the shop on a unique pay-what-you-want model. Books We Talk About: Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed, Red Rising by Pierce Brown, Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles, and Instructions for Traveling West by Joy Sullivan.

John Evans opened Lemuria Books in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1975 and joins me to discuss his five decades in bookselling. Books We Talk About: From Moby Dick to Eudora Welty, we cover a lot in this one!Our theme music is Whiskey River II by Erin Eades. Check her out wherever you stream music or visit ErinEadesMusic.com.

After 14 years, Dane Ferguson knows a thing or two about the bookselling business, and he walks me through the ups and downs of the trade as we visit Ferguson Books & More in West Fargo, ND.Books We Talk About: The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah, Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid, The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michallon. Our theme music is Whiskey River II by Erin Eades. Check her out wherever you stream music and visit ErinEadesMusic.com.

Long-time podcast listener Thalia Lewandowski and her business partner visited Matt’s bookstore Airbnb in January to learn all they could about opening their own bookshop. Now they’ve done it! Thalia joins the pod to discuss Paper & String Books, a shop that seamlessly blends reading and crafts.Books We Talk About: Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau, North Woods by Daniel Mason, James by Percival Everett, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, and the works of Jane Harper and Amor Towles.Our theme music is Whiskey River II by Erin Eades. Find Erin's music wherever you stream or visit ErinEadesMusic.com.

We're back for Season 3! Today, we are in Capser, Wyoming, to visit Wind City Books. Owner Miranda Berdahl and her bookseller son, Rhys, discuss taking over ownership of the shop during the pandemic, what it's like working for your mother, and more!Books We Talk About: Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, Monkey King: Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en, Intermezzo by Sally Rooney, I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom by Jason Pargin, Shad Hadid by George Jreije.Our new theme music is Whiskey River II by Erin Eades. Hear her music wherever you stream and visit ErinEadesMusic.com.

Queer Haven Books is a new shop whose mission is to provide a place of safety and refuge for the queer community in the South. Owner Baker Rogers joins me to discuss what inspired the shop and what's ahead for its future.Books We Talk About: The Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar, Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg, Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake, Less by Andrew Sean Greer, The Guncle by Steven Rowley, Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown, Polysecure and Polywise by Jessica Fern

This week, we visit with Jessie Canute, owner of Canute Books in Portland, Tennessee, and her daughter, Sessily. Their brand-new shop is located inside of Bloomin’ Deals, a 4,000 square foot thrift boutique home to more than 40 vendors. They tell us how they want from being "book dragons" to bookshop owners!

This week, we're joined by author Jonathan Corcoran to discuss his new memoir, No Son of Mine, and his lifelong love of bookstores! In addition to No Son of Mine, Corcoran is the author of the short story collecction The Rope Swing, which was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Awards and long-listed for The Story Prize. His essays and stories have been published and anthologized widely, including in Salvation South, Still: The Journal, Best Gay Stories, and the Oxford University Press textbook, How Writing Works.Books We Talk About: Sugar Run by Mesha Maren, The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickels, Black Tickets by Jayne Anne Phillips, and Fierce Attachments by Vivan Gornick

This week, we're in Huntington, WV, to visit Cicada Books & Coffee. This family-owned spot was opened in 2018 by mother-daughter duo Dawn Hylbert and Katie Norman, who join me to discuss the store’s history, its place in community, and its unique blend of books, coffee, and art.Books We Talk About: Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin, Devil House by John Darnielle, Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters, The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias, and Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts by Crystal Wilkinson

This week, we're in Mount Airy, NC, known as "the real Mayberry!" The original home of Andy Griffith is now home to Pages Books & Coffee, and owner Cynthia Taylor joins us to discuss the shop. We're also joined by Barb Collins, organizer and promoter of the Writers Roadshow Tour, a new series of events that's bringing authors to rural North Carolina through a partnership between the Northwest Regional Library System and Pages.

This week, we head to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to visit a store that’s been serving its community for 40 years. Co-owner Shannon Guinn-Collins and Store Manager Robert Flippo take us behind the shelves of Bookworks. We discuss the store’s long history, the amazing authors who have passed through its doors, and a recent change to an LLC structure for ownership.Books We Talk About: Titanium Noir by Nick Harkaway, Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry, We Don't Eat our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins, Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin, Life After Life by Kate Atkinson, Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley, H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald, The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey

This week, we visit Skylark Bookshop in Columbia, MO, named one of 150 bookstores you need to visit before you die. Owner and novelist Alex George discusses the inspiration and mission of Skylark, as well as the city's prominent Unbound Book Festival, which he founded, happening this spring.Books We Talk About: Splinters by Leslie Jamison, Still Life by Sarah Winman, Now is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson, and The Book of Delights by Ross Gay.

This week, we visit Hearthside Books & Toys in Juneau, Alaska. Owner Olga Lijó Seráns has owned Hearthside since 2022, but the store has been serving the people of Juneau for nearly 50 years. She takes us through its rich history and how things have been going since she took over.Books We Talk About: If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska by Heather Lende, 90 Short Walks Around Juneau by Mary Lou King, Homestead by Melinda Moustakis, and Jimmy Bluefeather by Kim Heacox

This week, Stan Zimmerman joins the show to discuss his new book, The Girls: From Golden to Gilmore, all about his career writing for such shows as The Golden Girls, Gilmore Girls, Roseanne, and many more. We chat about those and other projects, plus some of his favorite books and bookshops. The Girls: From Golden to Gilmore is available now!

This week, we head to Biddeford, Maine, where owner Michael Macomber shares the story behind Elements: Books | Coffee | Beer. The combination bookshop, bar and cafe has been serving the people of Biddeford for more than a decade and helped usher in a new wave of downtown revitalization. Books We Talk About: Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon

Beth Merrick of Sunshine Book Co. in Clermont, Florida, discusses her journey from Disney employee to bookshop owner, and offers up some excellent ideas for bookshop events that drive customers into the shop. Books We Talk About: A Land Remembered by Patrick D. Smith

First opened in 1972 by Willard Williams and family, The Toadstool Bookshop - currently with locations in Peterborough and Keene -  has been serving the people of New Hampshire for decades. One of its longtime customers was Emerson Sistare, who began visiting The Toadstool at age 7. Today, he owns it. Emerson discusses the history of The Toadstool and what it has been like taking over the reigns of a beloved community institution. Books We Talk About: North Woods by Daniel Mason and The MANIAC by Benjamin Labatut. 

My guest this week is Stacy Hardin of the Peoria Book Rack in Peoria, Illinois. Stacy tells us how she went from drawing her dream bookshop layouts in a childhood journal to now owning a decades-old shop that she has visited since she was 12 years old. Books We Talk About: The works of Stephen King, John Saul, Rebecca Yarros, and Sarah J. Maas.

The Bookhouse Hotel is a 4-room boutique hotel nestled in the heart of downtown Kennett Square, PA. Housing over 5,000 books, it is a haven for bookworms or anyone else looking for a uniquely cozy place to relax and unwind. Co-owner Stephanie Olenik joins the podcast to tell us how this historic building, which had most recently been a bookstore, is keeping the book magic alive. Learn more and book your stay at https://thebookhousehotel.com.Books We Talk About: A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

The Potter’s House is a nonprofit café, bookstore, and event space in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Since opening in 1960, it has been a key place for deeper conversation, creative expression, and community transformation. Joining me to share the shop's story are Executive Director Andrea Lewis and bookseller Eliza Cohen. Just a heads up: We did have some audio and connectivity issues here and there that I've done my best to minimize.Books We Talk About: Kindred by Octavia Butler, Pleasure Activism by Adrian Marie Brown, The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin, and the works of Jesmyn Ward, James McBride, and K. O'Neill.

This week, we head back to Michigan once more to chat with Joanna Brookshire, owner of Brooks Books in Wyandotte. Books We Talk About: The works of Johnathan Rands, Ronald Malfi and Kate Morton.

This week, we're in Mentone, Indiana, to visit with Maddie Anweiler, the "Pete" in Pete & Freddy's Pages Aplenty. In this open and candid conversation, we discuss Maddie's shift from a partnership to a one-person shop, the importance of bookstores to small towns, and of course who the heck are Pete and Freddy! Books We Talk About: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Annie Barrows, I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, Heartstopper by Alice Oseman, the Saga series by Brian K. Vaughan, and the works of Eva Ibbotson and TJ Klune.

This week, we welcome Shane Gottwals, owner of Gottwals Books, a shop that began as a used and new bookstore in 2007 and has developed into a chain of stores carrying a wide range of genres for all age groups and interests. Go deeper into the story of Gottwals Books with Chapter By Chapter: The Gottwals Books Story, available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Znsfw_2G_Fk. Books We Talk About: The works of C.S. Lewis, Wendell Berry, Andrew Peterson, Rick Bragg, Rabbit Room Press and Wolfbane Books.

This week, we visit with Nannette Crane-Post, owner of Black Ribbon Books in Hot Springs, Arkansas. This unique bookshop is located inside the historic Arlington Hotel. Nannette shares the town's and the hotel's rich history and discusses the balancing act of running  a bookshop while juggling another full-time job.Books We Talk About: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese, Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, Upstream by Mary Oliver, The Vapors by David Hill, and the books of Marilynne Robinson, Katherine May and T.C. Boyle.

It's a Very Special Bookstore Explorer as we welcome essayist, radio personality and podcaster Julia Pistell to go bookstore exploring. Julia is cohost of Literary Disco, alongside actor and filmmaker Rider Strong and novelist and critic Tod Golderg. We discuss that show, her other impressive literary credentials, and her favorite bookstore explorations. Listen to Literary Disco wherever you get podcasts!Books We Talk About: Circe by Madeline Miller, Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang, American Wolf by Nate Blakeslee, and the books of Anthony Horowitz. (And, okay, several others!)

Happy Halloween! Books Around the Corner is the perfect business to spotlight this time of year. It's an online store specializing in spooky reads. Guest Stephanie Rose discusses taking her woman- and disability-owned bookshop from a successful brick and mortar to a successful online store. Books We Talk About: Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree, Starter Villian by John Scalzi, Into the Mist by P.C. Cast, Holly by Stephen King, Blood Sugar by Sascha Rothchild, This Delicious Death by Kayla Cottingham, The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, The Pledge by Cale Dietrich, Nestlings by Nat Cassicy, Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie, Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant by Darci Hannah, and My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine.

This week, we head back to Michigan and talk with Beth Dumity, owner, and Marissa McVety, manager, at R&B Used Books in Grand Blanc. We discuss giving back to the community and how they're still learning after 20 years in the business. Books We Talk About: The books of Mariana Zapata, Chloe Liese, John Sandford, John Grisham, Jonathan Kellerman and Robyn Carr.

If you're a regular listener to the show, you know that host Matt Browning recently opened his own bookshop, Plot Twist Books in South Charleston West Virginia. Podcaster and author Sarah Royal steps into the host seat this week to turn tables on Matt and interview him about what it's like to go from bookstore explorer to bookstore owner. Books We Talk About: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, Shark Heart by Emily Habeck, Homestead by Rosina Lippi, and Fresh Water for Flowers by Valerie Perrin

This week, Matt welcomes author and podcaster Sarah Royal to the show to discuss her love of indie bookshops! Sarah is the author of the new book A.K.A. Lucy: The Dynamic and Determined Life of Lucile Ball, which features a foreward from Amy Poehler! She also co-hosts the popular Enough Wicker podcast, which takes a scholarly look at The Golden Girls.  Books We Talk About: A Bestiary of Booksellers by Aaron Cometbus, The End of My Career by Martha Grover, Going Somewhere by Brian Benson, A Little Devil in America by Hanif Abdurraqib, Slice Harvester by Colin Atrophy Hagendorf, and Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal.

Tom Batterson’s love of books and bookselling started young – decades before opening New Story Community Books in Marshall, Michigan. He tells us his journey – including his 20 years working at a chain bookstore and how that differs from running an indie shop – in this fun episode!Books We Talk About: The Murderbot Diaries: System Collapse by Martha Wells, Holly by Stephen King, Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, and Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead.

It's part two of our deep dive with author and bookseller Danny Caine, part owner of The Raven Book Store in Lawrence, Kansas. In this episode, we discuss Danny's viral sensation, "How to Resist Amazon and Why," and his bran new book, "How to Protect Bookstores and Why," available now!

On this episode, Matt is joined by bookseller and author Danny Caine. Danny is part owner of The Raven Book Store in Lawrence, Kansas, and author of the viral sensation "How to Resist Amazon and Why," as well as the new book, "How to Protect Bookstores and Why." In the first of a two-part episode, Danny discusses the history of The Raven. Next week, we deep dive into his books!Books We Talk About: The novels of James McBride and Nathan Hill and Lunch Poems by Frank O'Hara.