Life of Plenty

Lisa and Ashley are joined by Lettie Collier, who talks about how she learned English and to read at the same time, and how she's always had a book on her ever since. She talks about how her wild Little House on the Prairie obsession influenced her early fashion decisions. Her first favorite, however, was the classic The Monster at the End of This Book. She also discusses her love of Joan Didion, beautiful covers, and how she chooses books for her local speakeasy-style book club, The Literary Libations Society.

Ashley sits down with Cigi England of Cigi's Boutique and The Exceptional Bean to discuss her entrepreneurial journey and the books that helped shape it; starting with The Baby-Sitters Club. Then they go on to discuss more books like Shopkeeping by Peter Miller, Ina Garten's memoir, and what Cigi calls a must-read for all women over 40, We Might Just Make it After All. 

For the fiftieth episode of Life of Plenty, Lisa and Ashley host two incredible guests, Calvin Crosby of The King's English and Brain Food Books, along with Ann Kjellberg of Book Post.   Together they discuss the books that shaped their lives, ranging from comic books and Beverly Cleary's Ramona series, to Peter Pan, Ginger Pye in their childhoods all the way to Salmon Rushdie, Toni Morrison, and Michael Cunningham's books later on. Ann discusses what led her to writing the Book Post, and Calvin talks about his journey in the bookselling and book awards world.    Then they talk about what reading means to them: Infinite possibilities and life, itself.

This episode is part of a four-part series as partners with Restoring Childhood Putnam County, an initiative to help families "hit pause on constant screen time and press play on the kind of childhood that builds imagination, confidence, and real connection."    On this episode of the Life of Plenty Podcast, Lisa goes solo to provide a breakdown of Putnam County's community read, The Anxious Generation, showing why it's such an important read. If you've been considering joining in with the community in reading and studying the book, this is an insightful guide that breaks down why too much cell phone use is having a negative impact on teens, and what we, as a community, can do about it. 

This episode is part of a four-part series as partners with Restoring Childhood Putnam County, an initiative to help families "hit pause on constant screen time and press play on the kind of childhood that builds imagination, confidence, and real connection."  In this episode of Life of Plenty, Ashley and Lisa talk with educator Ryan Dalton and leader of the community-wide deep dive into The Anxious Generation. Together Plenty has partnered with Ryan and Restoring Childhood Putnam County to study the research on the long term effects of social media and cell phones on today's kids. But they're also questioning what we, as a community, can do to change it. 

This episode is part of a four-part series as partners with Restoring Childhood Putnam County, an initiative to help families "hit pause on constant screen time and press play on the kind of childhood that builds imagination, confidence, and real connection."  In this latest episode of Life of Plenty, Lisa and Ashley discuss the upcoming community read of The Anxious Generation, spurred on by Ryan Dalton of Restoring Childhood in Putnam County. They discuss the adverse effects prolonged cell phone addiction has had on children's lives since cell phones became increasingly poplular — along with the negative effects it has on our own.    Lisa and Ashley also look at the possibility of coming together as a community to tackle the issue, and how we can spend time away from technology and reconnect with our families and each other. Join us for the episode, and then join us for our community read of a book that could have a really positive impact on the way we live. 

This episode is part of a four-part series as partners with Restoring Childhood Putnam County, an initiative to help families "hit pause on constant screen time and press play on the kind of childhood that builds imagination, confidence, and real connection."  On this episode of Life of Plenty, Ashley is in the studio with none other than her husband, Tony Michael. Tony is a therapist and a professor at Tennessee Tech and dives into attachment theory and the benefits of reading with children.They discuss how just ten minutes a day can help form bonds, provide an emotional boost, and increase vocabulary, while providing structure — and why that matters. 

On the latest episode of Life of Plenty podcast, Ashley and Lisa dive into the benefits of writing and how writing is an important aspect of book culture. They discuss how we are all writers, and the importance of writing by hand, along with the writing tools available at Plenty. 

On this episode of Life of Plenty podcast, Lisa and Ashley talk about Independent Bookstore Day, happening April 26th, this Saturday! 

Life of Plenty host Lisa Uhrik talks with Jodi Pitts on her reading journey, from The Babysitter's Club, the dictionary, and how reading Charlotte's Web led her to steal a pig that would become a pet. Jodi also discusses reading multiple books at once, her favorite reads, and what she'd take on a trip to a deserted island.      

On this episode of Life of Plenty, Ashley and Lisa sit down with Emily Liner of Friendly City Books. Emily talks about how she decided she wanted to make a difference, and how that took her from working for the government in DC to opening a nonprofit bookstore in Columbus, Mississippi.  They discuss connecting even "non-readers" with books, and how The Monster at the End of this Book may be the perfect book for anyone. Then Emily leans into how books can teach us about things we haven't experienced, and that growing up in the 90s, she read Zlata's Diary — a first person account of a child growing up in war torn Bosnia.  Then the three of them discuss one of Lisa's favorite books, Strengthsfinders 2.0, and how working within your strengths will help you at work and life before going into more books and how Dispatches from Pluto got her thinking about going home.

On this episode of the Life of Plenty podcast, Ashley and Lisa sit down with therapist, author, reader, and tea enthusiast Marissa Fike. They discuss how books teach us to be listeners, and how books can be used in therapy.   Marissa talks about her own podcast, Herbal or Verbal, which combines her love of books and tea, and how books can help us recognize issues in our lives.

Clarissa Murphy joins Lisa Uhrik on this episode of Life of Plenty to discuss the books that made her and how she chose a career in books.  She discusses the impact books had on her at a young age, especially Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce and The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman.  Then Lisa and Clarissa get into a discussion about non-readers — and whether or not they actually exist.

On this episode of Life of Plenty, Lisa sits down with Jason Rice of Ingram, who helps bookstores set their initial inventory. They discuss books he believes should be in every store, and then some of his favorite reads. From On Beauty by Zadie Smith, to a book he credits himself with making popular — Tom Rachman's The Imperfectionists, to one of the hardest books he's ever read and can't unread, The Road by Cormac McCarthy. 

Lisa and Ashley sit down with Riley Forssell of Delicately Dressed on this episode of Life of Plenty to discuss how she got into her pressed flower business — by not wanting to work a typical "teenage" job. They discuss her entrepreneurial spirit and how her business got its name, from the book of Luke.  She then talks about how her family are readers, sometimes reading together. And then she talks about how she and her sisters line up with the March sisters, which makes Little Women one of her favorite books. Then she and Ashley discover they share another favorite author.

Lisa Uhrik and Ashley Michael talk about books that make great gifts, because books make the best gifts. They discuss how to choose books based on what people love and enjoy, or by sharing part of ourselves. 

On this episode of Life of Plenty, Ashley and Lisa are joined by Ali Olsen. Ali started off as a Plenty volunteer and board member, but now works part-time at the store just because she loves it so much. She talks about how her mother got into reading with The Velveteen Rabbit and encyclopedias. She read what she found in the house and then moved onto popular novels, before getting into historical romance. And then she talks about the books she's really connected with, both on her own and with her kids. 

In this episode of the Life of Plenty Podcast, Lisa and Ashley discuss meaningful books with Heather Babcock, formerly of Whirlwind Book Bar in Oklahoma. When Whirlwind closed, inventory and chairs from the store made their way to Plenty, so the store has lived on here in Cookeville. Heather shared some of the books that have impacted her, starting Nikki Erlick's The Measure, a novel that asks if it was possible, would you want to know exactly how long you had to live? That question of time became more personal after she received a stage four cancer diagnosis.   Other books discussed include The Harry Potter series, The Little Prince, The Little Liar,  A Man Called Ove, and Radical Acts of Love, all of which have held meaning to Heather during different aspects of her life.

Lisa and Ashley sit down and chat with Tracey Hackett, the Book Pharmacist. Tracey talks about learning to read despite being diagnosed with dyslexia, and how she grew fond of books at an early age.   Then she discusses how during the pandemic, she obtained a certificate in bibliotherapy, the art of matching someone with a book prescribed to their situation, thus becoming the Book Pharmacist. Together they discuss finding hope and healing in books, and how it's not always self-help books that we need to read to learn something about ourselves.

This Life of Plenty episode features a special guest, Ashley's daughter, Wren! A voracious reader, Wren talks about books she remembers from earlier in her childhood, all the way back to board books and Dr. Seuss, to what she's reading now. (The Keeper of Lost Cities series.)    Lisa, Ashley, and Wren discuss traveling through reading, and how books can help you connect with what you're learning in school, like how Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series makes mythology come alive.    Wren also talks about rereading books and series that she loves, and starting off the day right with a good book.

On this episode of A Life of Plenty podcast, Lisa and Ashley do a deeper dive into The Pursuit of Happiness by Jeffrey Rosen, and talk about the fact that America was founded on virtues. Lisa briefly discusses her own book, America Becoming, and then they look forward to Jeffrey Rosen's upcoming appearance here in Cookeville. 

Plenty volunteer, Sara Kruszka, joins Ashley Michael on this episode of The Life of Plenty Podcast. She talks about books that shaped her, including Home for a Bunny that she couldn't remember the name of. And then discusses wanting to live in the woods like Laura Ingalls Wilder, be a detective like Nancy Drew, and the various book clubs she's a part of. Her and Ashley also talk about a Goodreads alternative that's so much more fun to use, Storygraph. 

On this episode of Life of Plenty, Lisa and Ashley do a deep dive into David Brooks' How to Know a Person. They discuss how important it is to be present in each others lives, and how to be a deep listener in order to really know someone. And inversely, Brooks describes how not to get to know a person.    This was the first staff-wide Plenty Bookshop read, because Lisa and Ashley believe in the importance of the book that much. 

On today's episode of Life and Plenty, Ashley and Lisa talk to Dr. Kathryn Wisinger about her reading ritual, and the books that got her into reading. She mentions favorites characters from childhood like Laura Ingalls Wilder and Harriet the Spy.  More recent favorite authors include Amor Towles and Carlos Ruiz Zafón. And she also talks about her love of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and how the young adult novel is good for all ages teen and above.   

In this Life of Plenty episode, Lisa Uhrik sits down with Angie Wells, who talks about her lifelong love of reading, which she credits partly to the excitement of the Scholastic Book Fairs she attended in elementary school. From the devastating Where the Red Fern Grows to time traveling with Philippa Gregory's historical fiction, Angie discusses books she's loved.  Angie is a member of the advisory board for Plenty Downtown Bookshop, a nonprofit bookstore in Cookeville, Tennessee. 

This episode of Life of Plenty Podcast welcomes back Ashley Michael as she and Lisa Uhrik host Chris McMichael, author of an 800+ page book focusing on botany and the Bible. This book, which Chris considers a calling, took him years to write and research and dives deep into the remarkable symbology of the plants found in the Bible. 

On this Life of Plenty podcast, Lisa Uhrik is joined by radio host Emily Paton of the The Emily Paton Show and The Forgotten Song project. Emily talks about some of her favorite books, falling asleep to Harry Potter, reading in Braille, and how audiobooks are easier to comprehend. She also discusses how a good narrator can really make an audiobook.   Check out Libro.fm to listen to audiobooks and support the Life of Plenty podcast.  

On this episode of Life of Plenty, Lisa Uhrik and special guest Laura Clemons debate who loves books more. A writer and lifelong reader, Laura talks about the books and authors she loves.  She raves about southern writers Silas House, Ann Patchett, Monic Ductan, and Barbara Kingsolver and discusses why a book of poetry would help her get through being stuck on a deserted island. Laura talks about the 28-page rule and how reading has granted her sanity and the ability to understand the people around her, contributing to her life of plenty. 

This episode may have been made for the holidays, but the books that Lisa recommends make amazing gifts year-round. Join her as she brainstorms gifts that can go to all sorts of people in your life, depending on their interests. Books make the best gifts with the ability to speak to the recipient's soul. Find your book to gift at Plenty Downtown Bookshop in Cookeville, Tennessee. 

Lisa Garcia, the Colon Queen, joins Ashley and Lisa to talk about the importance of detoxing not just the body but the mind. Lisa mentions some of her favorite books including the classics, Where the Wild Things Are and Where the Sidewalk Ends. Then they talk about raising kids, and her best advice for parents who want to raise their kids as readers: Make time for reading.

The holidays may be over, but as Lisa and Ashley point out, books make meaningful gifts year-round. From gifting a well-loved book to a family member to finding the right book for someone you might not know well, like for corporate gifting, or a child's teacher or friend, Lisa and Ashley discuss how to choose the perfect book.   And you can also visit Plenty Downtown Bookshop in Cookeville's historic westside where our booksellers are eager to help you find the right book, no matter who you are buying for.

In this episode of the Life of Plenty podcast, Ashley talks about her book gifting traditions, and she and Lisa discuss why books make the best gifts. They then discuss books that make fantastic gifts, from Frog and Toad to cookbooks and some of their favorites. 

Plenty Bookseller and Social Media Coordiantor Eliza Eldridge stops by the Life of Plenty Podcast to discuss books that have had an impact on her, as well as working as a bookseller to connect people with books that they will love. (Which she shines at!) She also talks with Ashley and Lisa about running monthlong write-ins and how Plenty supports writers. 

In this episode, Lisa welcomes Bill Wheelock and children's author Marlena Uhrik onto the show to discuss how books have influenced their lives. Bill discusses how characters like Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer instilled in him a lifelong pursuit of adventure. Marlena discusses her book The Magic of Making a Difference: One CAN Make a Difference, drawn from life experience and why she considers it her legacy. And Lisa muses on how Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet connected cousins who'd never met, demonstrating how books can have a far-reaching impact.

Lisa Uhrik spends this episode of the Life of Plenty podcast diving into the health benefits of reading, stretching from early child development all the way to reducing the chances of dementia and living longer.    The benefits are helpful to both individuals and society, demonstrating the importance of literacy and book culture and why Plenty Downtown Bookshop in Cookeville, Tennessee is a nonprofit dedicated to improving both within the region. Come listen in and join us on our quest for a life of plenty. 

In this episode of the Life of Plenty Podcast it's host Lisa Uhrik's turn to interview her cohost, Ashley Michael, about what books have influenced her and what a life of plenty means to her.

On this first episode of the Life of Plenty podcast, hosts Lisa Uhrik and Ashley Michael discuss what they mean by a life of plenty. Then, Ashley digs into Lisa's history with books that have influenced her over the course of her life.