Shelf Talkers

This week on the pod, Anneliese Judge stopped by to chat with Brett and Neema! She talked about her love of reading, her experience as an actor on Sweet Magnolias, and her inspiration for starting a book club (Who to Judge). We hope you enjoy!Anneliese's Recommendations:- The Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors- Daughter of Daring by Mallory O'Meara- Tell Me How You Really Feel by Betty CayouetteThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@villagewell.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

This week on the pod, Josh and Sam sat down with Professor Leah Litman to talk about her new book Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes. Leah is a professor of Law at the University of Michigan and co-host of the legal podcast Strict Scrutiny. She has a gift for breaking down complicated legal decisions into straightforward summaries, and she sprinkles in a healthy dose of pop culture along the way. We hope you enjoy!Grab your copy of Lawless HERELeah's Recommendations:- Dark Money by Jane Mayer- How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt- Lady Justice by Dahlia LithwickThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@villagewell.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

On this episode of the Village Well Podcast, we sat down with Dave Ehrlich, a Sales Rep from the book publisher Chronicle Books. We talked about the publishing world and exciting new releases for 2025.Dave's Picks for 2025:100 Afternoon Sweets by Sarah KiefferOne Week in January by Carson EllisTaste In Music by Luke Pyenson and Alex BleekerPalace Costume by Mimi HaddonThey Hold the Line by Dan Paley and Molly MendozaA Fearless Eye by Barbara Ramos, Sally Stein, and Steven HellerThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@villagewell.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

On this special live episode of the Village Well Podcast, Colin Hinckley sits down with author Philip Fracassi to talk Sci-Fi, Horror, and time travel in his new book The Third Rule of Time Travel. This was a fun one!The Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday. If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@villagewell.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

This week we sat down with Sophie and Andrea from Piece by Piece - a nonprofit that teaches those experiencing homelessness how to make mosaic art. We talk about the organization's founding, how its grown over time, and the healing power of art. If you'd like to learn more, head to piecebypiece.orgSophie and Andrea's Recommendations:- The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle- Art is the Highest Form of Hope by PhaidonThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday. If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@villagewell.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

In this week's episode, we had a lovely chat with local LA Poet Kim Dower. We talked about her new book What She Wants, her experience as an artist and as a businesswoman, and the way the literary world has changed over the decades.Kim's Recommendations:- Exit Opera by Kim Addonizio- Revolutionary Letters by Diane di Prima- Lunch Poems by Frank O'HaraThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday. If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@villagewell.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

Welcome to the Village Well Podcast. This week, we're recapping our SciFi/Fantasy Book Club's discussion of The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett. Special thanks to our lovely Village Well customers Roshni and Joe for joining us! If you'd like to join any of our Book Clubs, check out our events page on villagewell.com. You can also head there to order the titles discussed each episode.The Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday. If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@villagewell.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

This week on the Village Well Podcast we sat down with American Ninja Warrior host and former NFL player Akbar Gbajabiamila! We talked about his book Everyone Can Be a Ninja which covers family, faith, and positive masculinity. Enjoy!Akbar's Recommendations:- Will by Will Smith- A Promised Land by Barack Obama- Born a Crime by Trevor NoahThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday. If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@villagewell.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

Welcome to the Village Well Podcast. This week, we're recapping our Book Club's discussion of Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. Special thanks to our lovely Village Well customers Omari and Andy for joining us! If you'd like to join any of our Book Clubs, check out our events page on villagewell.com. You can also head there to order the titles discussed each episode.The Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday. If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@villagewell.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

This week's guest is Aida Davis, founder of Decolonizing Design and chief people officer of the Sierra Club. Jen and Neema sat down with Aida to discuss her book Kindred Creation and the work of reclaiming African heritage in the Black community.Aida's Recommendations:- Insight & Poems by Huey Newton and Ericka Huggins- By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept by Paulo Coelho- Things Fall Apart by Chinua AchebeThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday. If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@villagewell.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

Welcome to the Village Well Podcast. This week, we're recapping our Sci Fi/ Fantasy Book Club's discussion of Annihilation by Jeff Vander Meer. Special thanks to our lovely Village Well regulars Laura and Alex for joining us!If you'd like to join any of our Book Clubs, check out our events page on villagewell.com. You can also head there to order the titles discussed each episode.The Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday. If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@villagewell.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

Welcome to the Village Well Podcast (formerly Shelf Talkers). After devastating wildfires swept through Los Angeles, we decided to dedicate an episode to cover the extent of their impact on our community. We interviewed staff and customers about their experiences going through the fires. Whether affected directly or indirectly, we all feel the grief caused by such a generational disaster. We hope that by sharing these stories, our listeners find a sense of solidarity and understanding. We also compiled a list of books on fire and grief. Take a look below for our recommendations. We love you LA ❤️Recommendations - FireThe Last Fire Season by Manjula MartinFire Weather by John VaillantThe Pyrocene by Stephen J. PyneFire in Paradise by Alastair GeeThe State of Fire by Obi KaufmannRecommendations - GriefAnxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief by Claire Bidwell SmithThe Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis WellerBearing the Unbearable by Joanne CacciatoreWhat Looks Like Bravery by Laurel BraitmanThe Grieving Brain by Mary-Frances O'ConnorSelf-Compassion by Kristin NeffThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday. If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@villagewell.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

This week's guest is author, anthropologist, and MacArthur Foundation Fellow ⁠Jason de León. We discuss his book Soldiers and Kings (winner of the National Book Award), which covers the world of immigrant smuggling across North and South America. We had a wide-ranging conversation covering US Immigration, Jason's work as an anthropologist, and how the 2024 election will reshape American history. Recommendations - Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward - Cities of the Plain by Cormac McCarthy - The Horse by Willy Vlautin Shelf Talkers is a podcast from⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors on their books, their process, and their favorite reads. New episodes are released every other Wednesday. If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@villagewell.com⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider leaving us a review!

This week's guest is Mirin Fader, sports journalist and author of biographies on Giannis Antetokounmpo and Hakeem Olajuwon. We cover Hakeem's legacy on the court, his devotion to Islam, and Mirin's experience in journalism. Recommendations - ⁠⁠⁠⁠Beloved by Toni Morrison - ⁠The Friend by Sigrid Nunez - The Sentence by Louise Erdrich - ⁠Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA Champion by Mirin Fader Shelf Talkers is a podcast from⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors on their books, their process, and their favorite reads. New episodes are released every other Wednesday. If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠podcast@villagewell.com⁠⁠⁠. If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider leaving us a review!

On this special holiday episode, the staff of The Village Well recommends gifts for 2024! See what we picked out below: Fiction American Rapture by CJ Leede We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell Nonfiction The Light Eaters by Zoë Schlanger Cherished Belonging by Father Greg Boyle The Creative Act by Rick Rubin Hitler in Los Angeles by Steven J. Ross Kids Scythe by Neil Shusterman Charlotte's Web by E.B. White All About U.S. by Jenny Volvoski and Matt Lamothe The Name of this Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch Gifts Bananagrams Accidentally Wes Anderson by Amanda and Wally Koval Ornaments for Orphans Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook by Wizards of the Coast Shelf Talkers is a podcast from⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors on their books, their process, and their favorite reads. New episodes are released every other Wednesday. If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠podcast@villagewell.com⁠⁠⁠. If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider leaving us a review!

This week's guests are David A Romero and Matt Sedillo, poets, authors, and co-founders of El Martillo Press. We talked about the creative process, making a living as an artist, and the world of indie publishing. Recommendations - ⁠Real Americans by Rachel Khan - Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut - City on the Second Floor by Matt Sedillo Shelf Talkers is a podcast from⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors on their books, their process, and their favorite reads. New episodes are released every other Wednesday. If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠podcast@villagewell.com⁠⁠. If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider leaving us a review!

This week's guest is Father Greg Boyle, a Jesuit priest, founder of Homeboy Industries, and author of the new book Cherished Belonging. In this episode, he shares stories and spiritual lessons from 40 years of working with Homeboy industries. Father Boyle's Recommendations - Ordinary Mysticism by Mirabai Starr - Somehow by Anne Lamott - Falling Upward by Richard Rohr - ⁠The Healing Path⁠ by James Finley - Turning to the Mystics with James Finley (podcast) Shelf Talkers is a podcast from⁠⁠⁠⁠ Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors on their books, their process, and their favorite reads. New episodes are released every other Wednesday. If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠podcast@villagewell.com⁠. If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider leaving us a review!

This week's guest is Jesse Katz, a Pulitzer Prize winner and author of The Rent Collectors. We cover his research for the book, the history of street vending in Los Angeles, and issues with the criminal justice system. Jesse's Recommendations - Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky - Evicted by Matthew Desmond - Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond Shelf Talkers is a podcast from⁠⁠⁠ Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors on their books, their process, and their favorite reads. New episodes are released every other Wednesday. If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at podcast@villagewell.com. If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider leaving us a review!

This week's guest is the current Mayor of Culver City, Yasmine-Imani McMorrin. She talks about her book club, Los Angeles and country-wide politics, and a whole lot more! SHELF TALKERS is a podcast from⁠⁠⁠ Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA, where we interview authors on their books, writing process, and what they are themselves reading. A new episode is released every other Wednesday! Need to reach out or have questions? Feel free to email us at podcast@villagewell.com. If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider leaving us a review!

This week's guest is the best-selling author of the murder-mystery-puzzle series Murdle, GT Karber. Murdle has won many awards, including the 2024 British Book Award, and has been a bestseller internationally (and at VW) for over a year! We talk puzzles, mystery writing, and a whole lot more! SHELF TALKERS is a podcast from⁠⁠ Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA, where we interview authors on their books, writing process, and what they are themselves reading. A new episode is released every other Wednesday! Need to reach out or have questions? Feel free to email us at podcast@villagewell.com. If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider leaving us a review!

Today's episode is a fun experiment of format; we have a wonderful roundtable discussion among employees of the Village Well about the NYT article, "The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century". Click the link to follow along or to see which you have read! We hope you enjoy this new episode. SHELF TALKERS is a podcast from⁠⁠ Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA, where we interview authors on their books, writing process, and what they are themselves reading. A new episode is released every other Wednesday! Need to reach out or have questions? Feel free to email us at podcast@villagewell.com. If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider leaving us a review!

What do you get when a film critic and acclaimed video essayist writes a sci-fi series set in an alternate reality contemporary America? Complex aliens, three dimensional romance, societal critique, and a lot of pop-culture references. This week's guest is ⁠Lindsay Ellis, author, media critic, and Hugo-nominated video essayist. Her debut novel, Axiom's End, published in July 2020, became an instant New York Times Best Seller, and today we are here to discuss Linday's third novel Apostles of Mercy, the third book in the Noumena series. Lindsay also writes and produces video essays and documentaries on her popular nebula.tv channel. SHELF TALKERS is a podcast from⁠ Village Well Books & Coffee⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA, where we interview authors on their books, writing process, and what they are themselves reading. A new episode is released every other Wednesday! Need to reach out or have questions? Feel free to email us at podcast@villagewell.com. If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider leaving us a review!

This week's guest is Jesse Byrd, a children's book author, children's book developer with his company Moonbeam Literary and Media, and a literary agent, as well as a board member of the NPR foundation. Jesse had a career in tech at Google but decided to quit that life -- twice -- to pursue telling stories that make a difference in the world. His newest book, The Switch, is a children's book teaching kids the importance of service in the midst of teams, even if they're the best on the team. Books recommended by Jesse Byrd This Is the Honey An Anthology of Contemporary Black Poets by Kwame Alexander Bunso Meets a Mumu by Rev Valdez Hello Sweet Baby: An Adoption Story Written by Janine Jackson, Illustrated Brittanie Gaja  

Our first graphic novelist on the pod! Our first fellow podcaster on the pod! Our first fellow comedian on the pod! Our first fellow recovering youth group go-er on the pod! This week's guest is Jordan Morris! Jordan is a graphic novel writer and long-time comedy writer/podcaster. He is the host of the popular podcast Jordan Jesse Go, cohosted by NPR's Jesse Thorn, as well as recurring cast member on Youtube's premier daily talk show, Good Mythical Morning. Jordan's newest graphic novel, Youth Group (First Second Books, 2024), dropped July 16. Illustrated by Bowen McCurdy, the graphic novel explores a group of Orange County evangelical youths who must team up with youth of other religions to exorcize demons!  Books recommended by Jordan Morris Lunar New Year Love Story Written by Gene Luen Yang,  Illustrated by LeUyen Pham Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell The Worst Ronin Written by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Illustrated by Faith Schaffer SHELF TALKERS is a podcast from Village Well Books & Coffee in downtown Culver City, CA, where we interview authors on their books, writing process, and what they are themselves reading. A new episode is released every other Wednesday! Need to reach out or have questions? Feel free to email us at podcast@villagewell.com. If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider leaving us a review!

Rosanna Xia gives us perspective. A fresh and thoughtful conversation with the busiest Los Angeles Times' environmental reporter, Rosanna was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2020 for explanatory reporting. She wrote “California Against the Sea: Visions for Our Vanishing Coastline" (Heyday 2023), which won the 2023 California Independent Booksellers Alliance Golden Poppy Award for best nonfiction, the 2023 California Book Awards gold medal, and was recently selected by the Library of Congress as part of its 2024 “Great Reads from Great Places” program. Books recommended by Rosanna Xia An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in an Age of Extinction by Michelle Nijhuis   Mill Town: Reckoning with What Remains by Kerri Arsenault   SHELF TALKERS is a podcast from Village Well Books & Coffee in downtown Culver City, CA, where we interview authors on their books, writing process, and what they are themselves reading. A new episode is released every other Wednesday! Need to reach out or have questions? Feel free to email us at podcast@villagewell.com. If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please leave us a review!

Did Julia or Jared win in trivia? Guess which co-host is better at retaining obscure knowledge… Find out on this episode!  This week's guest is Buzzy Cohen - the 9-time "Jeopardy!" winner. Buzzy later won the 2017 "Jeopardy!" Tournament of Champions. In 2021, Buzzy Cohen served as a guest host for Jeopardy's Tournament of Champions. On this episode, Buzzy discusses his newest book full of trivia - Baby Got Facts: Totally 90s Trivia, released April 2024. Books recommended by Buzzy Cohen Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs by Ken Jennings A Swim in the Pond in the Rain by George Saunders What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver The Dharma Bums Guide to Western Literature by Dean Sluyter Book recommended by Village Well Bookseller, Peggy The Women by Kristin Hannah SHELF TALKERS is a podcast from Village Well Books & Coffee in downtown Culver City, CA, where we interview authors on their books, writing process, and what they are themselves reading. A new episode is released every other Wednesday! Need to reach out or have questions? Feel free to email us at podcast@villagewell.com. If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please leave us a review!

We have the honor and privilege of talking with writer/author/poet/folklorist GennaRose Nethercott. Gennarose gives us the lowdown on all things magical realism and weird fiction. Her 2024 release, Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart, is a collection of short stories that show the uncanny yet spooky nature of human affection. Gennarose wrote the 2022 fantasy release, Thistlefoot, declared one of NPRs best books of the year. In this episode, we also talk to Village Well's owner, Jen Caspar, about the upcoming Village Well Expansion! Stay tuned to the end for the scoop! Books recommended by Gennarose Nethercott: The Black Lord by Colin Hinckley The Book of Love by Kelly Link Tender by Sofia Samatar The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter SHELF TALKERS is a podcast from Village Well Books & Coffee in downtown Culver City, CA, where we interview authors on their books, writing process, and what they are themselves reading. A new episode is released every other Wednesday! Need to reach out or have questions? Feel free to email us at podcast@villagewell.com. If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please leave us a review! ⁠Village Well Books & Coffee⁠ is an independent book and coffee-shop in the heart of downtown Culver City. Come through, grab a drink, and read a book!

We are joined by award-winning anthology editor and author and blogger Jared Shurin, editor of the new, massive, absolutely sleek and dope-looking cyberpunk anthology book The Big Book of Cyber Punk! He has edited or co-edited over 12 anthologies in his life, and has been a finalist for the Hugo and British Science Fiction awards, and founded and led the geek culture website Pornokitch for many years. Books recommended by Jared Shurin: The Immortal King Rao by Vauhini Vara Sweet Harmony by Claire North Desert Rain by Pat Murphy (unavailable) Recommended by Art Nomura: Mizuko: True Spirit by Art Nomura SHELF TALKERS is a podcast from Village Well Books & Coffee in downtown Culver City, CA, where we interview authors on their books, writing process, and what they are themselves reading. A new episode is released every other Wednesday! Need to reach out or have questions? Feel free to email us at podcast@villagewell.com. If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please leave us a review! ⁠Village Well Books & Coffee⁠ is an independent book and coffee-shop in the heart of downtown Culver City. Come through, grab a drink, and read a book!

Samara Bay is a downright truth-giver. She is the author of Permission to Speak: How to Change What Power Sounds Like, Starting With You (Penguin Random House, 2023). Samara coaches rising business leaders, political hopefuls, and public figures. In Hollywood, Samara worked as a speech and dialect coach on Wonder Woman 1984 with Gal Gadot, American Crime Story: Versace with Penelope Cruz and Edgar Ramirez, and Avengers: Infinity War. Her work has been featured in The New York Times Magazine, TIME, Fast Company, Glamour, Entrepreneur Magazine. Books recommended by Samara Bay: Cassandra Speaks: When Women Are the Storytellers, the Human Story Changes by Elizabeth Lesser Women and Power: A Manifesto by Mary Beard How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell Recommended by VW bookseller/co-host, Julia: How Much of These Hills Is Gold by C Pam Zhang SHELF TALKERS is a podcast from Village Well Books & Coffee in downtown Culver City, CA, where we interview authors on their books, writing process, and what they are themselves reading. A new episode is released every other Wednesday! Need to reach out or have questions? Feel free to email us at podcast@villagewell.com. If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please leave us a review! Village Well Books & Coffee is an independent book and coffee-shop in the heart of downtown Culver City. Come through, grab a drink, and read a book!

Pearl AuYeung is the absolutely delightful author and illustrator of the 2022 children's picture book The Best Kind of Mooncake (Page Street Kids).  Based in Los Angeles, born in Hong Kong, and raised in Shanghai, China, Pearl works as a Mattel Toy Designer. She is the illustrator of the upcoming children's picture book Nearly Almost Exactly Like Me (Simon and Schuster, 2025).  Books recommended by Pearl AuYeung: Babel by R F Kuang These Olive Trees by Aya Ghanameh Recommended by VW bookseller, Akosa: shima by sho yamagushiku SHELF TALKERS is a podcast from Village Well Books & Coffee in downtown Culver City, CA, where we interview authors on their books, writing process, and what they are themselves reading. A new episode is released every other Wednesday! Need to reach out or have questions? Feel free to email us at podcast@villagewell.com. If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please leave us a review! Village Well Books & Coffee is an independent book and coffee-shop in the heart of downtown Culver City. Come through, grab a drink, and read a book!

Brian Sonia-Wallace is a multifaceted author and poet raised in Culver City, California and Santiago, Chile. His memoir, The Poetry of Strangers (Harper Collins, 2020), details his experiences engaging with the world through poetry. Brian has contributed to notable publications like the Guardian, LitHub, and Rolling Stone. His latest publication is Maze Mouth (Moontide Press, 2023). Brian fosters LGBTQ+ voices through a poetry column for The Pride LA and teaches creative writing at UCLA Writers' Extension and the nonprofit Get Lit—Words Ignite. Sonia-Wallace's impact on the literary community is further recognized by his role as the fourth poet laureate of West Hollywood. Books recommended by Brian Sonia-Wallace: A poem is a house by Linda Ravenswood When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities by Chen Chen Gay Bar: Why We Went Out by Jeremy Atherton Lin  Recommended by VW community member, Buzzy Cohen: Tenth of December by George Saunders   SHELF TALKERS is a podcast from Village Well Books & Coffee in downtown Culver City, CA, where we interview authors on their books, writing process, and what they are themselves reading. A new episode is released every other Wednesday! Need to reach out or have questions? Feel free to email us at podcast@villagewell.com. Village Well Books & Coffee is an independent book and coffee-shop in the heart of downtown Culver City. Come through, grab a drink, and read a book!

An LA native mystery author of 20 novels and short story collections, a television writer on the acclaimed FX series Snowfall, Gary Phillips is the real deal. The sequel to his most recent novel, One Shot Harry (2022), will come out in April 2024, entitled Ash Dark as Night. Gary's classic 1994 LA-based Noir fiction novel Violent Spring has its 30th anniversary edition release in May of 2024. Books mentioned on this podcast: To Protect and To Serve: The LAPD's Century of War in the City of Dreams By Joe Domanick City of Quartz by Mike Davis  Fire this Time by Gerald Thorn Recommended by VW bookseller, Avery Weinman: James by Percival Everett SHELF TALKERS is a podcast from Village Well Books & Coffee in downtown Culver City, CA, where we interview authors on their books, writing process, and what they are themselves reading. A new episode is released every other Wednesday! Need to reach out or have questions? Feel free to email us at podcast@villagewell.com. Village Well Books & Coffee is an independent book and coffee-shop in the heart of downtown Culver City. Come through, grab a drink, and read a book!

Kayla Min Andrews is the daughter of Katherine Min, author of The Fetishist, a book both the LA Times and Washington Post are calling “ahead of its time.” Katherine Min received a National Endowment of the Arts writer's grant, a Pushcart Prize, and attended 8 different writers residencies. The Katherine Min MacDowell Fellowship exists in her name.  Kayla wrote the afterword to The Fetishist. Her forthcoming essay to be published in The Massachusetts Review. Books mentioned by Kayla Min Andrews: Little Rabbit by Alyssa Songsiridej Fiona and Jane by Jean Chen Ho    Holding Pattern by Jenny Xie Recommended by community member and local author, Kim Purcell: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarro SHELF TALKERS is a podcast from Village Well Books & Coffee in downtown Culver City, CA, where we interview authors on their books, writing process, and what they are themselves reading. We release bi-weekly. Need to reach out or have questions? Feel free to email us at podcast@villagewell.com. Village Well Books & Coffee is an independent book and coffee-shop in the heart of downtown Culver City. Come through, grab a drink, and read a book!

Olivie Blake is the massively prolific and impressive New York Times best-selling fantasy and young adult author of The Atlas Six, and it's sequel, The Atlas Paradox, Alone with You in the Ether, My Mechanical Romance, and many more books. Her newest book, The Atlas Complex, released on January 9th, concludes the Atlas trilogy. SHELF TALKERS is a podcast from Village Well Books & Coffee in downtown Culver City, CA, where we interview authors on their books, writing process, and what they are themselves reading. We release bi-weekly. Need to reach out or have questions? Feel free to email us at podcast@villagewell.com Village Well Books & Coffee is an independent book and coffee-shop in the heart of downtown Culver City. Come through, grab a drink, and read a book! Books mentioned by Olivie Blake: I Never Promised You a Rose Garden by Joanne Greenberg An Impossible Thing to Say by Arya Shahi Recommended by Amri: Finding Fish by Antwone Fisher Follow us on Instagram Our Website Our Events This episode of Shelf Talkers is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee. It was produced, edited, and hosted by Jared Kassebaum and Julia Elizabeth Evans, and our theme music is from Noah Viklund.

CJ LEEDE is a horror writer based in Los Angeles. Her debut novel, Maeve Fly, won this year's Octavia E. Butler 2023 Golden Poppy Award. CJ has an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University, and a BA from NYU's Gallatin School, where she studied Mythology and the Middle Ages. When she is not driving around the country, she can be found in LA with her boyfriend and rescue dogs.  Village Well Books & Coffee is an independent book- and coffee-shop in the heart of downtown Culver City. Come through, grab a drink, and read a book! Check out our events! SHELF TALKERS is a podcast from Village Well Books & Coffee in downtown Culver City, CA, where we interview authors on their books, writing process, and what they are themselves reading. We release bi-weekly. The hosts are Village Well booksellers Julia Elizabeth Evans and Jared Kassebaum. Mentioned by CJ Leede in the episode: Story of the Eye by Georges Bataille Camp Damascus Night's Edge by Liz Kerin   Jeff Morrical as our Culver & Duquesne community member recommendation: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Francesca Lia Block is the wildly prolific author of over 25 books, including her newest novel House of Hearts, and her writing memoir, The Thorn Necklace, and the YA classic Weetzie Bat. We discuss how writing is a source of healing, her parallel career as an MFA instructor, and her position as editor of Lit Angels, an online literary journal. SHELF TALKERS is a podcast from Village Well Books & Coffee in downtown Culver City, CA, where we interview authors on their books, writing process, and what they are themselves reading. We release bi-weekly. The hosts are Village Well booksellers Julia Elizabeth Evans and Jared Kassebaum. Village Well Books & Coffee is an independent book- and coffee-shop in the heart of downtown Culver City. Come through, grab a drink, and read a book! Check out our events! Mentioned by Francesca Lia Block in the episode: Lit Angels Invisible Man Their Eyes Were Watching God Beloved House of the Spirits One Hundred Years of Solitude Mentioned by Abby as our bookseller staff recommendation: Birnam Wood

Colin Hinckley is both a bookseller and an author here at Village Well, and he is joining us on the podcast to talk about his 2023 release, The Black Lord. We discuss his process, journey, and his love for the genre of Cosmic Horror. We are honored to have him with us for our inaugural episode! SHELF TALKERS is a podcast from Village Well Books & Coffee in downtown Culver City, CA, where we interview authors on their books, writing process, and what they are themselves reading. We release bi-weekly. Village Well Books & Coffee is an independent book and coffee-shop in the heart of downtown Culver City. Come through, grab a drink, and read a book! Purchase The Black Lord. Mentioned by Colin Hinckley in the episode: The House of Small Shadows Follow us on Instagram Our Website Our Events This episode of Shelf Talkers is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee. It was produced by Jared Kassebaum and Julia Elizabeth Evans, edited by Julia Elizabeth Evans, additional mixing provided by Akaash Tumuluri, and our theme music is from Noah Viklund.