The Bookish Life

This week, Sara dissects the ins-and-outs of book club meetings. Don't fret, there is something for everyone. Thanks to all of our Instagram friends who answered our poll questions. If you are interested in finding a book club and are in the Fort Smith area, come see us! We'll get you plugged in. Sara also talked about Isabel Wilkerson's Caste. Get your copy in the shop, online, or listen here! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sara-putman/support

Phil and Sara are back, and even though Phil told us he wasn't only going to read Shelby Foote's Civil War Narrative, he has been sucked in by Foote's wit and flowery language. So we talked a bit about that, as well as Tommy Orange's Wandering Stars and Michael Harriot's Black AF History. You can also listen to all of the books we talk about here! Lastly, you can go here and see a playlist of book we discuss on the podcast. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sara-putman/support

We're trying something a little different this week with a new segment we're calling "Bookish Bedtime Chat". Join Sara and Matthew (and their pets) as they discuss James by Percival Everett and Burn Book by Kara Swisher, all from the comfort of their bed. Listen Here Purchase Here --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sara-putman/support

This month, Sara and Phil talk about what they're reading. Snag any of these titles at Bookish, online or listen with librofm.com. Come and Get It by Kiley Reid The Darkness Manifesto: On Light Pollution, Night Ecology, and the Ancient Rhythms That Sustain Life by Johan Eklöf (Author)  Elizabeth Denoma (Translator) Letting in Air and Light by Teresa Tumminello Brader (Author) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sara-putman/support

Phil and I are good at reading books, we're not great at recording podcasts regularly. But we're finally back! It's 2024 and we're off to a great start. Check out what we've been reading and what we're excited about. You can find books in the shop, at Bookshop.org, or listen on Librofm! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sara-putman/support

In this throwback, we discuss Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus and a few other great books. Enjoy! Find all the books we discuss here! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sara-putman/support

First of all, apologies for the late episode. Sara's family had quite a bit going on this month, so editing was placed on the back burner. Nonetheless, this month's book club episode was a fun conversation. Phil and Sara discussed Dederer's book that sprung from an article published in The Paris Review shortly after the exposure of Harvey Weinstein. We clearly had a lot to say. If you have thoughts or questions, please send us an email: thebookishlifepodcast@bookishfs.com You can grab your copy of Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma in the shop, online here, or via audio here! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sara-putman/support

Phil and Sara talked about what they read in August. You can find those in the shop, or online. If audiobooks are you jam, check out our Bookish Life list on Librofm! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sara-putman/support

Emily and Sara talk answer a few questions about what it's like to work in a bookstore. We cover ordering for the shop as well as ordering through our website using Bookshop.org. PreOrders are a vital part of the bookselling world, so we touch on that a bit, too! Send any questions you might have for Sara, Emily, or Phil to TheBookishLifePodcast@bookishfs.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sara-putman/support

As the summer winds down, Phil and Sara take a look at what they read in July. You can purchase Sara's picks in the shop - just ask for the podcast bundle. Or you can shop online here or snag the audiobook version here! Happy Reading! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sara-putman/support

This month's book club discussion is centered around David Joy's book, Those We Thought We Knew. We are both big fans of Joy's writing and appreciate so much about how he tells stories. Joy's book comes out August 1st. Preorder yours here, or here, or email orders@bookishfs.com If you have questions or comments for Sara or Phil, send us an email: thebookishlifepodcast@bookishfs.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sara-putman/support

We had a great June! Phil finally read one of Sara's recommendations and was pleasantly surprised. You can find our podcast collection here. If audio is your thing, you can listen to them here! Visit the shop and snag our podcast bundle. Any 3 books for 10% off and 5 books for 15% off. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sara-putman/support

In this month's book club episode, Phil and Sara discuss Ozark Dogs by local author Eli Cranor. We are reading modern "grit lit" or "southern noir" this summer, and Cranor's newest work was a way to kick off the series close to home. You can snag your signed copy of Ozark Dogs in the shop or order online here. If audiobooks are your thing, Cranor reads his own books. You can listen AND support your favorite independent bookstore here. Next month we will preview David Joy's book, Those We Thought We Knew. Pre-Order yours today! If you have questions or comments about Ozark Dogs, you can email us at TheBookishLifePodcast@bookishfs.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sara-putman/support

We are back for Season 3 of The Bookish Life Podcast. Our format is changing a bit, but we will still be bringing you great books along with book industry news, and a book club! For the next few months, we'll be diving into Southern Noir fiction starting with Eli Cranor's OZARK DOGS. You can find what we talked about here: You can listen to our picks on Libro.fm! You can send your questions, thoughts, ideas to thebookishlifepodcast@bookishfs.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sara-putman/support

Sara and Phil wrap up this season by reading some of our favorites. Sara talks about the Natalie Haynes book Stone Blind which is longlisted for the Women's Fiction award, and Phil reads a new-to-him book from one of his favorite authors, David Mitchell, Slade House. You can find these and all the other books we talked about HERE. You can listen to audiobooks and support Bookish HERE! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sara-putman/support

Phil and Sara are back and recording in the new Bookish brick and mortar space. We discuss books Sara has been reading for the next Stems & Stories event, and one of them happens to be a book Phil has just finished. We spend a lot of time with Patrick Bringley's All the Beauty in the World in this episode, but it deserves it. We also talked about The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell and American Mermaid by Julia Langbein. You can find all the books we discuss on our podcast here and here thanks to our partners at Bookshop.org and Librofm.com. Happy Listening. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sara-putman/support

In this special episode, Schuyler Brooks talks to Phil about Carlo Rovelli's Anaximander. You can snag your copy here or here --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sara-putman/support

Phil patiently listens as Sara gushes over her new favorite genre, literary horror. Then we discuss gateways to reading. (We all have a reluctant reader in our life!) Here's where you can find the books we discussed today: Bookshop.org Or you can listen with Libro.fm - our audiobook service that supports independent bookstores. Happy Reading, --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sara-putman/support

Here's what we are reading this week. Find them on our website or download the audio book here! Happy Reading, --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sara-putman/support

In this episode, Sara and Phil discuss - yet again - more book bans in the area. We try not to carry on too long, but I did want to clarify that Derrick Barnes was the author I was discussing in the first part of the episode. (His name got cut in the editing process, but his books are fantastic!) Also, sorry about the construction noises. It's the sound of progress! Here's where you can find what we discussed this week: Buy physical copies here Download audiobooks here --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sara-putman/support

Sara's husband, Matthew, joined her on the podcast this week. We recorded on Valentine's Day, so it just felt right. Matthew is a musician who is involved in multiple projects from all over the country. His reading life is centered around memoirs and biographies - especially that of musicians. Here's what we talked about this week: Dilla Time: The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, the Hip Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm by Dan Charnas Big Swiss by Jen Beagin How to Write One Song: Loving the Things We Create and How They Love Us Back by Jeff Tweedy Let's Go (So We Can Get Back) by Jeff Tweedy You can listen to the audiobooks HERE Or buy them HERE --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sara-putman/support

Phil and Sara are back - even though they're still frazzled. Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai Welcome Me to the Kingdom by Mai Nardone Find them all here! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sara-putman/support

Phil and Sara are joined by bookseller, Emily this week as she fills us in on all things Storygraph. If you like to track your reading and are interested in making the switch from larger monopolies, try The Storygraph! You can find what we are reading this week HERE Happy Reading! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sara-putman/support

Better late than never! We are finally here this week with some great books (and a lot of other things) to discuss. Don't forget to give us stars! If there's anything book or bookstore specific that you'd like to discuss, message us on any of the Bookish social media platforms, or send an email to sara@bookishfs.com. Be sure to put "Podcast" in the subject. Here's what we discussed this week: The Sun Walks Down by Fiona McFarlane Christine by Stephen King Salem's Lot by Stephen King Billy Summers by Stephen King Heart to Heart - the Dalai Lama illustrated by Patrick McDonnell Orphaned Believers by Sara Billups Jesus and John Wayne by Kristin Kobes Du Mez The Faraway World by Patricia Engel --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sara-putman/support

This week, we talk about what we're reading and what we're excited about reading. We also dive into the logistics of pre ordering books - Thanks, Prince Harry! - and Phil goes on a little rant about monarchies. Here's what we talked about: The Golden Ass The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff Out Next Week: I'm No Philosopher, But I Got Thoughts: Mini-Meditations for Saints, Sinners, and the Rest of Us by Kristin Chenoweth Jellyfish Age Backwards: Nature's Secrets to Longevity by Nicklas Brendborg How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sara-putman/support

Here's how we're starting our 2023. Phil is reading the first Western "novel" - The Golden Ass by Apuleius Sara has to take a break from Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, but here's what she's reading now: The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff and The Sun Walks Down by Fiona McFarlane --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sara-putman/support

On today's podcast, Phil and Sara talk about their favorite books of 2022! We can't wait to see what your favorites were. Vagabonds by Elaghosa Osunde Horse by Geraldine Brooks Albert and the Whale by Philip Hoare I Came All This Way to Meet You by Jami Attenberg Tracy Flick Can't Win by Tom Perrotta To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara Now is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson Up From the Depths by Aaron Sachs Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Garcia-Moreno --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-putman/support

Phil and Sara discuss what they're reading, which leads to a whirlwind conversation about Grace. Interested in what we talked about this week? You can find it here: Command: The Politics of Military Operations from Korea to Ukraine by Lawerence Freedman Grace: President Obama and Ten Days in the Battle for America by Cody Keenan --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-putman/support

Phil and Sara talk military history for a minute and a few other things. Here's what we're reading and what we're excited about this week! Command by Lawrence Freedman Trespasses by Louise Kennedy The Tutors in Love by Sarah Gristwood Scatterlings by Resoketswe Martha Manenzhe --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-putman/support

We are back from a restful Thanksgiving and Phil has finished Cormac McCarthy's newest book, The Passenger. Needless to say, we had to talk about it. Sara finished Weyward - a debut novel about three generations of women who use their family histories to find their own empowerment. It's woodsy and witchy and a really fun read. Here's what Sara's looking forward to next week! A Left-Handed Woman by Judith Thurman Noone Left to Come Looking for You by Sam Lipsyte Stella Maris by Cormac McCarthy --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-putman/support

This week, Sara and Phil talk about all the books they haven't read; the books on the National Book Award winners and finalists. Fiction: The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty Nonfiction: South to America by Imani Perry Poetry: Punks by John Keene Young People's Literature: All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-putman/support

Check out what we're reading this week: The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy Ozark Dogs by Eli Cranor - PreOrder today! and check out Don't Know Tough while you wait. Have I Told You This Already?: Stories I Don't Want to Forget to Remember by Lauren Graham Real Bad Things by Kelly J Ford Dickens and Prince by Nick Hornby --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-putman/support

Our bookish conversation this week centered around Phil's book, Russia: Revolution and Civil War, 1917 - 1921, and a few snippets from our friends at The Guardian where writer Murakami asks "Who would I be if I weren't seeking anything?" We are both really excited about his new book coming out this week, Novelist as a Vocation. We talked about all of this stuff, too! The Secret History by Donna Tartt Now is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson - finally hits the shelves this week! The Grimkes: The Legacy of Slavery in an American Family by Kerri Greenidge Hanged: Mary Suratt and the Plot to Assassinate Abraham Lincoln by Sarah Miller Eve Bites Back by Anna Beer How it Went by Wendell Berry Scattered Showers by Rainbow Rowell Galatea by MADELINE MILLER - We are VERY excited to read something new from Miller. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-putman/support

Phil is back and ready to talk books. Here's what we discussed this week: The Trees by Percival Everett Starry Messenger by Neil DeGrasse Tyson Civil Wars and Reconstructions in the Americas: The United States, Mexico, and Argentina, 1860-1880 Trespasses by Louise Kennedy We Are the Light by Matthew Quick --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-putman/support

Phil is out this week, but our friend Blake Taylor joined Sara for this week's podcast. Here's what we talked about: Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro Selected Poems of Wendell Berry The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis The Scandal of Holiness by Jessica Hooten Wilson --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-putman/support

Sara goes back and talks more about the new Kevin Wilson book, Now Is Not the Time to Panic! Phil talked about The Trees by Percival Everett and what makes it a great book club pick. Here is what we're excited about the week of October 18th! Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro Accidental Gods: On Race, Empire, and Men Unwittingly Turned Divine by Anna Della Subin --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-putman/support

Phil and Sara talk about what they're reading this week. The Trees by Percival Everett (October's Book Club Pick!) Now is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-putman/support

In this week's podcast, Phil hesitantly talks about his latest read, THE CASE AGAINST THE SEXUAL REVOLUTION by Louise Perry. Sara discusses Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen which was our book club pick for September. New Releases this week: Grace: President Obama and Ten Days in the Battle for America by Cody Keenan Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese Billie Starr's Book of Sorries by Deborah Kennedy Phil also mentioned this article from The Guardian about Celeste Ng. Snag her newest book, Our Missing Hearts, out this Tuesday! Also, stay tuned for new books by Cormac McCarthy and John Irving this fall! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-putman/support

Here's what we talked about in this week's podcast. Happy Listening! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-putman/support

Phil and Sara talk each other out of their reading slumps this week. Here's what we talked about: All things Larry McMurtry Troy by Stephen Fry. Listen to it HERE! The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead The Magician by Colm Toibin Man of Iron by Troy Senik Sex with Presidents by Eleanor Herman The Frederick Sisters are Living the Dream by Jeannie Zusy --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-putman/support

Today, Sara touches on the pick for this year's Big Read. The Big Read is a community reading program sponsored by the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith. This year's featured novel is Colson Whitehead's The Nickel Boys. In this Pulitzer Prize-winning follow-up to The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead brilliantly dramatizes another strand of American history through the story of two boys unjustly sentenced to a hellish reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida. Also this week: Up From the Depths by Aaron Sachs The big idea: why relationships are the key to existence by Carlo Rovelli How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz Life's Work by David Milch Happy Reading, --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-putman/support

Happy September! Here's a look at what we talked about on this week's episode. Happy Reading! Up from the Depths: Herman Melville, Lewis Mumford, and Rediscovery in Dark Times by Aaron Sachs Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty Fairy Tale by Stephen King Ithaca by Claire North I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (audiobook)

Here's what Sara and Phil talked about this week: Up From the Depths by Aaron Sachs Acne by Laura Chinn Tesla: Wizard at War by Marc Seifer The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky What Doesn't Kill Us Makes Us by Mike Mariani The Wandering Earth by Cixin Liu Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Here's what we talked about this week. As always, you can snag your copy from our shop in Fort Smith, Arkansas, or you can order from Bookshop or Libro.com. Ash Tuesday by Ariadne Blayde Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer Happy-Go-Lucky by David Sedaris MadWoman by Louisa Treger Haven by Emma Donoghue

Here's what we talked about this week: Ithaca by Claire North Joan by Katherine J. Chen Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng Painting Time by Maylis de Kerangal All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers The Feeling of Falling in Love by Mason Deaver All The Living and the Dead: From Embalmers to Executioners, an Exploration of the People Who Have Made Death Their Life's Work by Hayley Campbell Elizabeth Finch by Julian Barnes Happy Birthday, Bookish!

Sara forces Phil to bring up Douglas MacArthur one more time, but then we get into some fantastically feminist retellings. One today's episode, we discuss Joan: A Novel of Joan of Arc by Katherine Chen, Ithaca by Claire North, The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean, If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal: What Animal Intelligence Reveals about Human Stupidity by Justin Gregg, Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi and translated by David Boyd and Lucy North, We Should Not Be Afraid of the Sky by Emma Hooper, and Kiki Man Ray: Art, Love, and Rivalry in 1920s Paris by Mark Braude. Find these in the shop, at Bookshop.org or on Librofm.com for audiobook versions.

Phil is back from vacation, so we catch up with our reading and discuss burning questions like "What do you read on vacation?" In today's episode we discuss William Manchester's book AMERICAN CAESAR: DOUGLAS MCARTHUR 1880-1964, David Sedaris' HAPPY-GO-LUCKY, Sandra Newman's THE MEN, Adam Langor's CYCLORAMA, THE BOOK EATERS by Sunyi Dean, MERCURY PICTURES PRESENTS by Anthony Marra, and THE MANY DAUGHTERS OF AFONG MOY by Jamie Ford. All books are available at https://bookshop.org/shop/bookish

While Phil's on vacation, Sara and Jen talk about books, new releases, and the Delia Owens controversy gripping some bookish folks. Today we discussed: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, Brood by Jackie Polzin, and Beasts of Ruin by Ayana Gray.

We are including Phil's passage from William Manchester's book about Douglas MacArthur here. Do you have a passage that moved you this week? Tell us about it! "Captain Arthur McArthur was more austere than Judge MacArthur - he was, in fact, something of a stuffed shirt - but now and then he displayed flashes of wit. As Douglas told the story late in life, his father was serving on a military court in New Orleans when a cotton broker, urgently needing the loan of army transport facilities, attempted to suborn him. The bribe was to be a large sum of cash, which was left on his desk, and a night with an exquisite Southern girl. Wiring Washington the details, Arthur concluded: "I am depositing the money with the Treasury of the United States and request immediate relief from this command. They are getting close to my price." - Manchester

Phil Blackburn joins Sara this season as we talk about books, bookstore life, and focus on specific passages that get us through each week.