019 "Good Gracious, We Have it Stacked Against Us"
Release Date: 05/26/2025
025 Laura Tremaine Thinks You Should Read Horror
So, We Bought a Book Shop
Today we're chatting with Laura Tremaine, long-time host of the podcast "10 Things to Tell You." Where does her profound love for Stephen King's writing come from and what makes his stories so engaging? If you don't love horror but want to read a book by King, where might you start? And why does Laura think women should read more horror? We also delve into creativity, writing, the vulnerability (and occasional pain) of friendship, and what it's like to write nonfiction about your own life. A little bit about Laura: From the podcast came Laura's first book Share Your Stuff. I’ll Go...
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024 Five of Us Debate Our "Family Favorites" Book Shelf
So, We Bought a Book Shop
Maile, our three oldest kids (Cade, Lucy, and Abra) and I try to establish what books we're going to include on our upcoming "Family Favorites" bookshelf. Join us as we attempt to winnow down our list of favorites to some kind of manageable number... Books mentioned during the conversation: by David James Duncan by Fyodor Doeskoevsky by Toni Morrison by Percival Everett by Percival Everett by Barbara Kingsolver by Lois Lowry by Abraham Verghese by John Steinbeck by Fredrik Backman by Rebecca Stead by Marcus Zusak by Marcus Zusak by Kate DiCamillo by John Irving by Angie...
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023 A Son of the Bookshop
So, We Bought a Book Shop
Today Maile and I are joined by our son Cade who occasionally works in the bookshop this summer while home from college. He shares the book series that changed his mind about chapter books when he was young, the first four books Shawn gave him when he was old enough for the general market, and we do a deep-dive into one of his favorite authors: Fredrik Backman (and his latest book, My Friends). Books mentioned during the conversation: by John Erickson by S.E. Hinton by William Golding by Daniel Keyes by Katherine Applegate by Fredrik Backman by Fredrik Backman by Fredrik Backman ...
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022 Evan Friss, Being Human, and The Bookshop
So, We Bought a Book Shop
"Book-selling has always been precarious with different challenges along the way." What happens when a historian delves into the journey of the American bookshop? You get a beautiful, indepth tale of ideas, community, and the role of the book. What was it like to browse the old corner bookstore in the 1840s? What's the story behind some of our quirkiest bookshops? And how does the history of the bookshop perhaps chart a path for today's stores? We spent time chatting with Evan Friss, author of The Bookshop, and what a conversation! Books mentioned during the conversation: by Evan Friss ...
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021 Jeff Chu, Compost, and His New Book Good Soil
So, We Bought a Book Shop
Today we're pulling back the curtain on one of our recent events and releasing the recording of our live conversation with Jeff Chu about his new book, Good Soil. Jeff is kind, gracious, and has some really wise things to say about how farming, death, and how to interact with those we deeply disagree with. Books mentioned during the conversation: Good Soil by Jeff Chu Connect with us! Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard *All book links connect you to our Bookshop.org site where our book shop will receive a generous portion of your purchase.
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020 Married With Children...and a Book Shop
So, We Bought a Book Shop
Depression. Traditional Gender Roles. Marriage and a business. Today we take a personal turn and talk about a few of the hard aspects of running a business with your spouse. What do you do when one of you needs to check out because of grief or depression or weariness or life chaos? When it comes to running a business, how can traditional gender roles lead to burnout? And what does it take for a family to press reset on the day-to-day responsibilities that everyone bears? Books mentioned during the conversation: by Eve Rodsky by Gary Schmidt and Ron Koertge by Gary Schmidt by Pedro...
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019 "Good Gracious, We Have it Stacked Against Us"
So, We Bought a Book Shop
Why did Maile think, after finishing The Bookshop, "Good gracious, we have it stacked against us"? Last week we went to a Fredrik Backman author event and he spoke about writing, how mental health issues have inspired his book, and his process (chaos, chaos, chaos, book!). Backman wondered if he still has the ability to keep going, and we wonder what it's like for an author to retire. We also talk about violence in literature--what's its purpose? Does it have a place in books for young people? Books mentioned during the conversation: by Fredrik Backman by Carola Dunn by...
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018 When Water Comes Through the Ceiling
So, We Bought a Book Shop
One week ago, Maile heard water coming into the book shop through the ceiling. By the time she came back with a bucket, water was pouring down and pieces of the ceiling were coming with it. Today we're talking about hitting low points during the pursuit of your dream, and what to do next. Books mentioned during the conversation: by Han Kang by Han Kang by John Green by William Gay by Viola Davis by Elizabeth Strout by Pedro Martin by Fredrick Backman by Evan Friss by Gary Schmidt by Ron Koertge by Taylor Jenkins Reid Connect with us! Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned...
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017 What We Learned In Our First Year
So, We Bought a Book Shop
Today, Maile and I are talking about our first year as book shop owners. How has this year changed us? Do we view books differently than we did before owning a book store? We also chat about a book we've both read that is a beautiful example of what a book written in the 1st person can accomplish--it's quirky and haunting and unexpected. Happy one year to Nooks! Books mentioned during the conversation: by Olga Tokarczuk by David James Duncan by Han Kang by Han Kang by William Gay by Viola Davis Connect with us! Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard *All book links...
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016 "If You Don't Do This," He Said, "Your Book Shop Will Fail"
So, We Bought a Book Shop
Recently we had a customer come into the shop and tell us that if we didn't begin using this new tool, we would go out of business while other bookstores raced ahead into the future. But what's the true cost of using AI when it comes to creative endeavors? And can we still run businesses and make a living without it, or will those of us who decide against using it fall by the wayside? We also talk about the upcoming Indie Bookstore Day, the cost of not shopping local, and, as usual, the books we've recently finished or are currently reading. Books mentioned during the conversation: by...
info_outlineWhy did Maile think, after finishing The Bookshop, "Good gracious, we have it stacked against us"?
Last week we went to a Fredrik Backman author event and he spoke about writing, how mental health issues have inspired his book, and his process (chaos, chaos, chaos, book!). Backman wondered if he still has the ability to keep going, and we wonder what it's like for an author to retire.
We also talk about violence in literature--what's its purpose? Does it have a place in books for young people?
Books mentioned during the conversation:
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
Death at Wentwater Court by Carola Dunn
The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander
Outer Dark by Cormac McCarthy
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Book Shop by Evan Friss
Little Sister Death by William Gay
I Hate to See That Evening Sun Go Down by William Gay
Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout
Connect with us!
Order From Our Bookshop.org Page!
Upcoming Book Clubs at Nooks!
Nooks' Substack
Maile's Substack
Shawn's Substack
Nooks' Instagram Page
Nooks' Events Page
Music by Copcar Karaoke
Art by Ned Bustard
*All book links connect you to our Bookshop.org site where our book shop will receive a generous portion of your purchase.