The Bookshop Chronicles

Friends, we are back. It has been a whirlwind year that I am eager to tell you about, and we are starting back with new episodes, a new commitment to sassy and honest convos, and lots of fun, bookish moments for your ears. www.daisychainbook.co Find us on all the socials: @daisychainbookco

This was a fun one! Forgive us the wild peals of laughter and background noises as we recorded this podcast episode at my kitchen table after a leisurely brunch. Rachel Bergeron and Justine Mah spearheaded The Black Bookshelf Project, a collaborative initiative that provides BIPOC books for kids on a black bookshelf with coloring sheets, additional resources, and Indigenous affirmation cards for children to enjoy. Rachel and Justine do not hold back on why these stories are important, and why they believe these bookshelves will open conversations and generate an appreciation for perspectives and experiences from other cultures and experiences. These shelves are important, and we are proud to have one in each of our bookstores for our community to enjoy.   Starting in June 2023, will be raising funds to put a TBBP shelf in a school in both Edmonton and Beaumont. If you'd like to support our efforts, please visit our website for more details. If you would like to know more about The Black Bookshelf Project, please go to their website, and follow them on Instagram.   Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co Our bookstore offers audiobooks that you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS. If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful store in High Street, and if you are in the community of Beaumont, come and see us on Main St. as the only bookshop in town! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

I have received so many questions, and I thought of a fun way to answer some of them. I'm calling it a Five, 5 and 5: 5 books that changed me, 5 small biz bits, and 5 random things about me. Hope they are fun and insightful! 5 Books: Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith Don't Keep Your Day Job by Cathy Heller The Bible   5 Small Biz Bits: - Social Media Face - Vote with your dollars - It's hard but it's worth it and it's hard - passion costs $$ - copycats weren't cool in school and not in biz either   5 things about me: - smile - sunshine - heights - cheesecake - bull   Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co Our bookstore offers audiobooks that you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS. If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful store in High Street, and if you are in the community of Beaumont, come and see us on Main St as the only bookshop in town! Location and hours available on our website. For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

Hello, Friend. Would you believe that at the end of last month I achieved my goal of getting 4 days off IN A ROW?? Don't go into business for yourself if you want to have oodles of spare time. So, after a spell away from the microphone I am here to present a smattering of some of the books I have read since we last talked. Some great, some blah, and I am here to share the truth about them all. A bookstore owner who doesn't read a wide range of titles can't be trusted to make solid book recommendations, so I will keep reading outside my comfort zone and being wooed by compelling backlist titles and sparkly new releases so I can share them with you!   Books Discussed: Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes Pretty Things by Janelle Brown Forever... by Judy Blume We Spread by Iain Reid Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery The Change by Kirsten Miller The Family Game by Catherine Steadman Night Road by Kristin Hannah Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi Near the Bone by Christina Henry I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting by Evanna Lynch   Our bookstore offers audiobooks that you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful store in High Street, and if you are in the community of Beaumont, come and see us on Main St as the only bookshop in town! Location and hours available on our website. For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.  

One of our most popular Guests from the past year was Elise Eichmuller (Episode 44), a court reporter by day and an active bookstagrammer and reader in her spare time. She may read dark & twisty tales, but she is just the most sunshiney and giggly soul. To know Elise is to love her. She is instrumental in keeping the #yegbookstagrammer group together and intentionally creates friendships in the bookish social media world. She has created a brilliant balance - enjoy this episode and by all means, go to her Instagram and FOLLOW her! *heads up, we don't censor one another in this convo, so little ears may not want to listen in   Books we discussed: The Bad Seed (1954) by William March We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver The Wanderers by Chuck Wendig Brother by Ania Ahlborn Seed by Ania Ahlborn The Troop by Nick Cutter Precious Cargo by Craig Davidson The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline The Deep by Nick Cutter Still Life by Louise Penny Ghost Summer Stories by Tananarive Due Bad People by Craig Wallwork Someone to Watch Over Me - Yrsa Sigurðardóttir I Remember You - Yrsa Sigurðardóttir Let Me In - John Ajvide Lindqvist Eeny Meeny by M. J. Arlidge The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson Before He Knew Her by Peter Swanson Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson Karen Slaughter Grand County Series Pretty Girls by Karen Slaughter The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King Indians on Vacation by Thomas King   Our bookstore offers audiobooks that you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful store in High Street, and if you are in the community of Beaumont, come and see us on Main St as the only bookshop in town! Location and hours available on our website. For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.    

The world of Daisy Chain Book Co. has grown by about 1600 square feet. We opened our second indie bookstore in Beaumont, Alberta in July, 2022 and I am still in an exhausted state of disbelief. Don't let them tell you it's impossible, put your big girl panties on and show 'em how it's done. In this mini episode, I am giving you a wave from underneath the pile of chaos and a shout-out of gratitude for our incredible bookish community. Get out there and let your badassery shine. And have a Merry Christmas too.   Our bookstore offers audiobooks that you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful store in High Street, and if you are in the community of Beaumont, we welcome you to visit us on Main St! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co. 

When you are starting out in business, there are SO many hurdles, questions, and fears. Today, I am answering three questions I get asked regularly. 1. How do I know if being in a Market is the best way to start my business? 2. What is the difference between a Hobby and a Business? 3. How do I know where to start when it comes to social media/branding and content creation? I certainly do not have it all figured out and I mess up nearly every day, so please know that I am right in it with you, figuring it out as I go. I have, however, overcome a lot of objections, and risen to the top in areas I knew nothing about initially. Being your own Boss means you own 100% of the mistakes, and there is always so much to learn! I'm happy to share some of what I've learned with you. Please send me any questions or areas you'd like me to discuss in future Business Bar episodes. I hope this episode helps!   Our bookstore offers audiobooks that you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful store in High Street, and if you are in the community of Beaumont, we are opening a second store to serve your reading needs in July 2022! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.  

So much going on around here! Please enjoy this list of titles that I have read recently - many of them I have liked, even LOVED, and some I did not enjoy at all. Sigh. Thus is the reading life, right?   Books Discussed: The End of Men by Christina Sweeney-Baird Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid Book Lovers by Emily Henry Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman The Broken Girls by Simone St. James The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid Quit Like a Woman by Holly Whitaker The School For Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan   Thank you to Edmonton radio stations Cruz fm and Play 107 for the clip!   Our bookstore offers audiobooks that you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.  

When we started with the booktruck and then opened a brick & mortar bookstore, we hoped that we would build a community of readers. Actually, I was a little obsessed with the idea. Imagine my delight when Haylee Freake discovered our store and decided this was IT for her. She has been in our Book Club from day one, and she is also an active member of Write Night, our creative night for budding authors. Haylee dives into reading with the passion that must make her Newfoundland parents proud, since they surrounded her with books and the encouragement to read her whole life. Haylee doesn't want to know much about a book before she chooses it, she prefers to go in blind and be surprised - this trick has been very fruitful for her reading life.If you are curious about just how fantastic and well-read our community at DCBC is, take a listen to this convo with Haylee!   Books/Authors we discussed: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. MaasFinlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano Sarah Dessen John Green A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin Fredrik Backman The Maid by Nita Prose The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling Far From Home by Nellie Armstrong Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan City of Bones by Cassandra Clare Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard Kiera Cass Taylor Jenkins Reid Hatchet by Gary Paulsen Outlander by Diana Gabaldon From Blood and Ash by Jennifer Armentrout The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams   Our bookstore offers audiobooks that you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

When you get a chance to speak with someone who is passionate about the process of writing a book and getting it into the hands of readers, you pay attention. When that same person also boldly shares her well-crafted book reviews on her very own YouTube channel, you pay extra close attention. So, basically, this episode is one you don't want to miss. Stella Telleria is a Local Author of the book Across the Wire. Her second book will be out shortly. She is actively dedicated to good books, both the reading and writing of them and if you're like me, you will want to up your reading game after hearing this discussion. This was a fun and informative conversation and I can't wait for you to listen in! Find the link to her YouTube channel and more HERE!   Books We Discussed: Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë   Writing website: Critique Circle   Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.  

It's already the middle of February and I have read 13 books for the year, so I thought I'd break them down for you and help you add a couple more to your TBR. Happy Reading! Books Discussed: The Nix by Nathan Hill Know My Name by Chanel Miller The Summer Sail by Wendy Francis The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid The City Baker's Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston 101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think by Brianna Wiest One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid Empire Falls by Richard Russo The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes   Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

Reading may be an isolated activity, but like so many of us, we long for friendships with people that share our love of books and stories. Where do we find them? Kim Tanner is a teacher, and a dedicated reader who was determined to establish her own reading community of Kindred Spirits through #bookstagram. Kim has been a member of our Petal Club community and established a strong connection to our readers. Her desire to read widely and have solid friendships is something she has in common with SO many of us - I hope you enjoy her story and feel inspired to reach out, be your authentic self and find your people. Today's episode is brought to you by the 2022 DCBC Reading Challenge - get out of your reading funk and join us as we cross new categories off the list and discover new writers and titles. Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co to receive your free PDF and get reading!   Books Discussed: Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt The Guernsey and Literary Peel Pie Society by Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart Greenglass House by Kate Milford Anne of Green Gables  by L.M. Montgomery Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus   Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

We have some of the best Readers ever in our little Daisy Chain Book Co. community. Beth Harding is one of them. Beth is a testament to perseverance, grit, and passion. She and I first met when she visited the booktruck at the beginning of my travels, and we hung out, chatting and exchanging stories of service and inspiration cementing us as Kindred Spirits. Beth works as a communication manager for a non-profit, is one of our Petal Club's original members, and she is dedicated to service in parenting, business, and she's one of the all-time best huggers. She reads historical fiction for fun and non-fiction books about awareness and leadership that are actionable.    So, whether you want to discuss who would sit at your imaginary ideal dinner table, or you want to talk about pursuing passions, or you want to eavesdrop on two giggly middle-aged women fangirling for an hour... feast your ears, Friends. This is the episode for you. Today's episode is brought to you by the 2022 DCBC Reading Challenge - get out of your reading funk and join us as we cross new categories off the list and discover new writers and titles. Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co to receive your free PDF and get reading!   Books Discussed: The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah The Girl in His Shadow by Audrey Blake Kate Morton titles Elizabeth Hay titles Tennessee Williams titles My Policeman by Bethany Roberts Circe by Madeline Miller The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivel   Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

Earlier this year, I introduced you to Melissa Ahmed. Your response to that conversation was outstanding. It was the most shared and downloaded episode of our podcast EVER, and I received the most DMs about it. Melissa's ability to say what's on her mind and on her heart in a bold, refreshing "I don't care" attitude is what we need.  Once again, please listen to this episode and then SHARE IT. This conversation with Melissa Ahmed is too good not to share. She is an avid reader, a Muslim mother of 2 young girls, a Homeschooling teacher, and advocate for social justice, a feminist who seeks to intelligently raise the bar for women, and speaks boldly about what matters most. Melissa and I talk about the challenge to find a Bosom Friend when you are older, the reality of being understood and valued for what makes us different. She believes strongly, loves fiercely and fights daily. I am sure you will love her almost as much as I do.    Today's episode is brought to you by the 2022 DCBC Reading Challenge - get out of your reading funk and join us as we cross new categories off the list and discover new writers and titles. Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co to receive your free PDF and get reading!   Books Discussed: For the Love by Jen Hatmaker Blubber by Judy Blume That Was Then, This is Now  by S.E. Hinton Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid Cruel Prince by Holly Black The Bookshop of the Brokenhearted by Robert Hillman The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters Will by Will Smith Call of the Wild and Free by Ainsley Arment Gwendy's Button Box by Richard Chizmar The Twenty One Rules of Love by Matthew Dicks     Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

At Daisy Chain Book Co., we are led by creativity, passion and curiosity. That means finding new ways to serve our reading community as we tell our own story in the marketplace. For a firstborn like myself, that means doing what no one else is doing because copying others is just not how we roll. It is not boastful or cocky to recognize areas of achievement and pat yourself on the back. I can say these things confidently because I did not do any of it alone. I have the most incredible team and the dedicated support of our online community that has cheered for us every step of the way. Thank you so much!   So, here are some ways we have led the way: 1. 1st booktruck in the province 2. 1st bookstore in YEG to partner with Libro.fm for audiobooks 3. 1st bookshop podcast in YEG 4. 1st bookstore in YEG to reach 10k followers on Instagram 5. 1st bookstore in YEG to launch a monthly book subscription - The Petal Club 6. 1st bookstore in YEG to get on TikTok (for better or worse) 7. created the "Booktruck Quote of the Day" - which became "Bookshop Quote of the Day" for social media AND NOW... 8. we are the 1st bookish community in YEG to launch our own book awards - The Daisy Chain Book Awards!! Stay tuned to our social media for updates and chances to VOTE! 9. In January 2022 we are launching the DCBC Reading Challenge - you can vote from anywhere in the world for 12 fun categories that we will announce on social media and our website. Join us and vote for the Winners! #DCBCReadingChallenge   The booktruck was on the road for 2 years and the bookstore has only been open for 1 year. Don't let anyone tell you it can't be done! To read our Core Values, go HERE.       Our bookstore offers audiobooks that you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music was created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

I think I need to take a sec and brag a little on our incredible community at Daisy Chain Book Co. We are so fortunate to have gathered some of the most stimulating and diverse readers in the area. They encourage me to read outside my comfort zone, they remind me why it is so special to be a Reader, and they excite me with moments of togetherness that have been so vital during a time when the world has gotten more used to staying apart. In the bookstore, we run Book Clubs that meet in person. The chance for humans to sit together and find commonalities while they discuss the complex story ideas in a fictional novel is a precious thing. One of the Readers who has become a valued member of our Book Club is Karen Irwin. Karen is a teacher who is fiercely dedicated to the literacy of students. She has also been a determined role model for reading to her kids, and her High School aged daughter is also a member of Book Cub on a different night! When Karen talks about books, I pay attention. I hope her suggestions of titles and passion for books inspire you. Books Discussed: The Weird Sisters The Secret Garden The Island of Sea Women The Mountain Story The Girls This Little Light The Spirits Up The Space Between Us The World That We Found The Egypt Game Black Dog, Dream Dog Where the Red Fern Grows   Our bookstore offers audiobooks that you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music was created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

One of our mantras at Daisy Chain Book Co. is "Creating a Community of Readers". I am passionate about humans connecting over books, stories, and our diverse experience with both. In today's episode, I am pleased to share a special person in our DCBC community with you. Rachelle Lee is an Electrical Engineering student and a reader of all things Fantasy and Imagination. She reads broadly, she loves movies, and she truly appreciates a fun story in any format. We have loved having her be a part of our Book Club which she calls her "favorite day of the month", and she has recently joined The Petal Club, our monthly book subscription. Rachelle's feelings about the books she reads are so contagious, and I have written down new titles she speaks about every single month!   The "Murder Van" meme I mentioned can be found here.   This episode has been brought to you by Book Clubs. Wherever you are, find other people who want to discuss books and feed your bookish delights. Reading may be a solitary activity, but discussing them is not - find your bookish community!   Books Discussed: Harry Potter Series The House in the Cerulean Sea The Passengers The One Library of the Unwritten Sharp Objects I'll Be Gone in the Dark The Push The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue Percy Jackson series The Extraordinaries The School For Good & Evil Series Wish You Were Here   Podcasts Discussed: My Favorite Murder Podcast   Our bookstore offers audiobooks that you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music was created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.  

Books are great. Of course they are. But the business side of running a bookshop has been a wild ride, and like all businesses, we have been impacted by a pandemic in ways we couldn't have imagined. In 2019 I was a Guest on a podcast called "Keeping Shop: A Brick and Mortar Podcast" hosted by Rachel Wentworth. We had such a fun conversation, and I decided it was time to rekindle this connection. During what Rachel calls "the before time", we talked about customer connections and serving your people well. Now that we are in a pandemic, our conversation is still about our customers, but also about how to adjust your business model to serve your people well when the world is wonkypants. Rachel and her business partner, Meredith, have adopted new ideas, re-prioritized and took some risks that are still centred on the same "why the heck not?" POV. I hope this convo inspires you and encourages you to SUPPORT LOCAL because these small businesses are the core of a thriving community - support them to keep them. Today's episode has been brought to you by FORTY WINKS. If you are in the Cambridge, Massachusetts area, shop for intimate wear at Forty Winks. "if you have boobs you want to put in something safe and cozy, visit Forty Winks!" (not endorsed by Forty Winks, just shared because I want to support them)   Books Discussed: Disappearing Earth Circe Daisy Jones and the Six   Podcasts Discussed: Retail For the Rest of Us Being Boss Here Lies Me     Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

Well, hello again! It's been a crazy month at the bookstore, but I am back again for another installment of "What Has Brandi Been Reading?". I read 11 books in October and I am here to break them all down for you, the hits and the misses. If you'd like to find my up-to-date reviews on the books as I go, please become a Friend on Goodreads!   Today's episode is brought to you by THE PETAL CLUB, a monthly book subscription through Daisy Chain Book Co. - a surprise book wrapped and delivered to you each month with a local small business bonus thrown in? Yes, please! Go to Daisy Chain Book Co. to sign up!   Books Discussed: A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow Flower Crowns & Fearsome Things by Amanda Lovelace When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller The Last Days of John Lennon by James Patterson The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles   Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

Here's what I want you to do. You trust me, right? I'm not going to ask to to dance in the street singing New Kids in The Block in your underwear, come on. I want you to listen to this episode and then SHARE IT. This conversation with Melissa Ahmed is too good not to share. She is an avid reader, mother of 2 young girls, a Homeschooling teacher, and advocate for social justice, a feminist who seeks to intelligently raise the bar for women, and a Muslim. She was homeless for a period of time in her young life, and she has always turned to books as her safe place, her refuge and ally against a hard world. Melissa and I have become friends at the bookstore and I cannot imagine the space without her. She believes strongly, loves fiercely and fights daily. I am so grateful for you, Melissa. Thank you for sharing some of your story with me and for being my Friend. xo   Books Discussed: Starlight Tour: The Last Lonely Night of Neil Stonechild   by Susanne Reber That Was Then, This is Now   by S.E. Hinton No Promises in the Wind  by Irene Hunt Highway of Tears: A True Story of Racism, Indifference and the Pursuit of Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls   by Jessica Diarmid Five Little Indians  by Michelle Good   Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

Daisy Chain Book Co. has had so many firsts. Like looking back through our bookshop baby book in which we record milestones and firsts, here is one I am super proud of: in Edmonton, we were the first bookstore that partnered with Libro.fm as an audiobook provider for our Readers. From Day One I have been amazed at how this company supports independent bookstores and provides outstanding customer service, all the while making it possible for us to fit books into our very active lives.   Today it's my pleasure to share a conversation with Jenna Clark, a software developer with Libro.fm and avid audiobook listener. This was a fun convo, and if it doesn't make you want to sign up with Libro.fm and/or SWITCH from an ama*on's Audible subscription, then I don't know what will! Books discussed: The Final Girl Support Group The Rural Diaries Between Two Kingdoms Finlay Donovan is Killing It Fight Night    Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.    

It's time to talk books, no bookstore or booktruck business, let's just chat about what I've been reading lately, shall we?   Books Discussed: The Shadow Sister The Plot The Dutch Wife All The Beautiful Lies 84, Charing Cross Rd. Her Every Fear Before She Knew Him The Girl in His Shadow The Girl With a Clock For a Heart   Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.  

Last week we were having some tech challenges, but this week we are BACK! And what a conversation to come back with - to hear Gail Sidonie Sobat speak about her passion for young writers and reading books in a wide range of literary titles is to be inspired, encouraged and (be warned) the urge to pump your arm in the air may occur. I hear ya. Gail is celebrating YouthWrite's 25th year of preparing young aspiring writers to creatively launch their imaginations in a wild assortment of ways. I would have LOVED this as a teen, and I'm so excited to support them and shout them out to you all! Find out all about YouthWrite here: Website Instagram   Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.    

As promised, this episode will not feature bookshop business, booktruck details, the entrepreneur life or any other non-bookish content you can often find on this podcast. Today, we are only talking about books. I am sharing books I've read recently, and discuss how my reading experience is changing for this particular Summer season. Get your note-taking, TBR-adding self ready, let's talk some books (and there are more  in my next "nothin; but the books" episode, so stay tuned)! Books Discussed: Eight Perfect Murders Every Vow You Break Beach Read Madam The Soulmate Equation Mirrorland Malibu Rising The Pearl The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane   Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.  

Sometimes a book makes me hungry. Sometimes a Guest reminds me what I love about local business communities. And sometimes both of those happen at once! Today I enjoy sharing a conversation with you that I had with Peter Keith. Peter is a Red Seal Chef, an entrepreneur, a foodie, and an avid reader, so you KNOW we had lots to discuss. If you are in the Edmonton area, you absolutely MUST check out Meuwly's to satisfy your taste buds AND Support Local. Meuwly's is also on Instagram & Facebook The 124th Market Community is also worth looking into... trust me. And let's not forget about The Public   Books Discussed: The Dutch Wife The Dorito Effect The Hundred Foot Journey Under the Tuscan Sun   Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.  

Running a bookstore means I have to wear many hats. Most people think it's all relaxing, bookish delights in the bookstore biz, and whereas that is true sometimes, there is a crazy amount of work behind the scenes to make it all flow smoothly. One of the things we rely on is getting new books from publishers that we can count on. Ordering new books for customers seems like a no-brainer, but not all book distributors or publishers are created equal, my Friend. It can sometimes be a tedious and exhausting chase for a title or a delivery ETA that is acceptable to our customers. That is why I am so grateful to have found Jessica Price at Ampersand Inc., one of the companies that provide books and puzzles that make our readers happy. I can always count on them, and knowing that they share a close business relationship with our favorite (and incredibly reliable) book distributor, Raincoast Books, means I have even more reason to appreciate them. What does a Sales Rep do? What makes her job especially grand? Listen here to find out!   Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's talk books, podcasting & the indie bookshop biz! Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

Ok, who is a fan of thriller reads? Maybe horror reads? Possibly a serial killer book or two? You are not alone! The pandemic may be making the world extra uncertain, but the growth of true crime and thriller/horror reads has proven that we like a little thrill in our reading lives. Elise Eichmuller is a dedicate reader, and as you will discover in this conversation, she is wildly passionate about surrounding herself with as many bookish pleasures as possible. She is such a delight, and we are grateful to have her be a part of our community of readers at Daisy Chain Book Co. Here is a list of the books discussed: Jigsaw Man Bunny J.D. Barker's Four Monkeys Trilogy My Sister, the Serial Killer The Deep The Bright Lands The Chestnut Man The Son Lars Kepler's Joona Linna Series The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Karen Slaughter - The Grand County Series The Relatives A Darker Shade of Magic What Alice Forgot   Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's talk books, podcasting & the indie bookshop biz! Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

Young Readers Will Change the World. At DCBC, that is our mantra for what motivates us to provide the best selection and experience to enhance the reading life of a young reader. In today's episode, I am speaking with Tara Foxcroft and Suzy Peacocke from Bluefish Learning a passion project that aims at selecting books that will inspire readers from all levels to dive deeper into reading. Tara is a Literacy Teacher and Suzy is a retired Teacher, and both share a love of what is possible if children get hooked by reading. We have also just launched our "World Changers Literary Society", an opportunity for kids to read more and feel that their reading is not only valuable to them and their parental units, but for each book they read and tell us about, a book will be donated to a child in Foster Care here in Edmonton. Kids helping kids read. What is better than that? Get more info about the World Changers Literary Society HERE.   Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's talk books, podcasting & the indie bookshop biz! Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

If you are tuning into this podcast, books are obviously important to you. Maybe they are your respite, your Happy Place, your imagination inspiration... so I am sure that this episode will resonate with you. The world continues to be a place loaded with frustration, uncertainty, fear and the newsfeed reads like something out of a wonky dystopian novel. I want this podcast to be a space where you can relax, add to your TBR and maybe smile a little. You will always hear about what I am FOR and not what I am against because there is already enough negativity and bashing out there. I am for Readers, their community of imagination addicts and the books they love. It's that simple. Thank you for choosing to spend time wth me today!   Books Discussed: The Soul of a Woman Crossing to Safety The Girl in His Shadow The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake Disgrace   Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's talk books, podcasting & the indie bookshop biz! Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

After spending just a little bit of time in the company of Jaima Fixsen and Regina Sirois, you will feel motivated to call your BFF and gush on each other for a while. Not only are they two individual, talented authors in their own right, but as a writing duo, they become the irrefutable pen name, Audrey Blake, and they have co-authored their debut title, The Girl in His Shadow. This historical work of fiction focuses on a young woman named Nora and her passion to study medicine in 1840's London, when women were not permitted to pursue such professions. It is a fresh, innovative story and I could not be more pleased to put it on my shelves in the bookshop.   Books we discussed: Dancing to the Precipice: Lucie de la Tour du Pin and the French Revolution A Company of Swans Broken Horses Crossing to Safety Women Don't Owe You Pretty     Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's talk books, podcasting & the indie bookshop biz! Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.  

Why didn't I post this episode on Monday? Because running a bookshop is a lot of work, and this girl doesn't have a producer or editor - I am doing all this podcast stuff myself. And I know you're the graceful sort who is not hemmed in by legalistic rules and dates, so I appreciate you. Today we are talking about Non Fiction, Canadian Non Fiction more specifically, and our Guest is someone who is so excited about the books she's been reading that you will undoubtedly hear that in her words. Mel MacGregor is a frequent Guest in the bookshop and has very definite opinions about the books she prefers - have a listen and see if you and Mel are Book Twins. I know that for NF readers, there is a great deal of enthusiasm about discovering inspiring new titles, so get ready because Mel mentions quite a few you'll want to get your hands (or ears) on. This is our 40th episode, and I cannot believe it. We are now being listened to in 10 countries consistently, and every DM, email or review we get means so much. Thank you for tuning in, telling others about this podcast, and for adding some WOW to our bookish community!   Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's talk books, podcasting & the indie bookshop biz! Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

Today is a first for this podcaster - I get to talk with 2 Guests at the same time! It was an absolute delight to talk with Sarah Chan & Jhenifer Pabillano about their new anthology, Midlife. If we are fortunate enough to reach middle age then we also know it comes with as many victories as challenges, especially during a pandemic when so many things are escalated. This book is a collection of essays, and just about as local as you can get - ya gotta love when literary talent is grown on your own home soil. More about Midlife on their website, social media and their very own YouTube channel!    Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's talk books, podcasting & the indie bookshop biz! Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

It's been awhile since we have discussed the business side of bookshop life, and since I have received a significant number of requests for more info about the booktruck and WHY I switched to a brick & mortar business instead of a mobile bookshop, this is the episode for answering ALL the questions! I also discuss the books I'm currently reading because, well, I can't NOT talk about books. Books discussed: Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morely   Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's talk books, podcasting & the indie bookshop biz! Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

How do you determine if your reading is valuable? How do you get more out of what you are already reading? How do you choose books that make you a better human? Today's chapter is all about you and your reading life, and how to make it the best it can be! Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Let's talk books, podcasting & the indie bookshop biz! Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.  

For me, it's all about Community. While we read it is a private thing between you and the book, but once you close that book, you NEED PEOPLE. Especially when the world is struggling with so many social challenges at one time, we need to find a way to connect with other humans. We are pack animals, even if we often prefer to hide out in our caves alone to recharge. Today I am thrilled to share a conversation I had with Jennifer McKinlay, a fellow booklover in Aberdeen, Scotland. A little distance, and maybe a slight time difference didn't interfere with us having a fun chat about books. Listen in, and maybe you will feel as I do that Aberdeen is a MUST on your travel bucket list.   Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS.   Want to be a Guest on my Podcast? Want to tell me about what you're reading? Let's talk! Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.  

Hey, You! The reading life is a beautiful, solitary, peaceful thing, is it not? However, many of us encounter dilemmas that cause a tiny bit of stress or uncertainty - you are not alone! We touch on a few of those today because I am about keeping it real, we don't paint life with a rainbow sparkly brush here. We know there are bumps in the road. Sit next to me, Friend. Let's chat.   Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store.   Want to be a Guest on my Podcast? Want to tell me about what you're reading? Let's talk! Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.  

Our bookstore has been open for 5 months now, and I cannot believe it. I've been caught up in this glorious whirlwind and have met the most wonderful people! Today I am sharing a conversation I had with Scott Messenger, author of Tapping the West, a book about the craft beer industry right here in Alberta. Since it has been on our shelves, Scott's book has resonated with our readers in such a huge way that I just knew he was someone you would want to hear more from on this podcast. As a parent, an author, and someone with a day job, Scott shares his process for managing his time and the value in persevering in the publishing business when you have something great to share with readers. As well, I offer a little encouragement for those of you stuck in the reading rut of SHOULDS. Let it go, Friend!     Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store.   Want to be a Guest on my Podcast? Want to tell me about what you're reading? Let's talk! Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co Follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on all Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co. Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

When you meet a Kindred Spirit in the mobile retail space, it is a very special feeling. We are kind of a niche community. When I was still operating the booktruck, I connected with Latanya from Bronx Bound Books who desired to bring books to the people of the Bronx - a city with only ONE brick & mortar bookstore, can you believe it? Latanya saw a need and did what any entrepreneur with grit & hootspa does - she did all the work to see her vision become a reality. I could not be more excited for her and for the Bronx to experience her bookbus. I also discuss an update of our Buddy Read, The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. Join in on the discussion - get a copy at your local fave indie bookstore and tell us your thoughts as you go!   Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store.   Want to be a Guest on my Podcast? Want to tell me about what you're reading? Let's talk! Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co Follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on all Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co. Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.    

There has been so much going on in our little world of bookish delights, one of which is the Polar Vortex that has taken over our city. While we are all trying to manage the -36 degree temps, it seems like a good time to talk books, whaddya say? As well, I go a little deeper into the question about what happened to the booktruck and what the transition from bookshop on wheels to bookshop with an address has been like. This is something that will come up in future episodes as well as I continue to answer the questions that come in each week about this from around the globe. Y'all are very interested! Books Discussed: Pretty Girls Circe The Island of Sea Women The Four Winds All the Devils Are Here (Inspector Gamache #16) Finders Keepers (Bill Hodges #2) Memoirs and Misinformation Wolfpack The Jane Austen Society Oona Out of Order     Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store.   Want to be a Guest on my Podcast? Want to tell me about what you're reading? Let's talk! Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co Follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on all Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co. Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

As always, I am so thrilled to have you along on this crazy book adventure! The idea of starting a booktruck was wild enough, but then to leave that to switch to a brick & mortar bookshop - WTH? In this episode, I touch on that transition and will continue to bring up different parts of that decision in future episodes. Let's talk books. I have been reading a lot since we last talked, and I can't wait to share some of the titles with you! Fierce, Free and Full of Fire Willa's Grove The Exiles Dark Matter The Song of Achilles The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue Anxious People   Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Want to be a Guest on my Podcast? Want to tell me about what you're reading? Let's talk! Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co Follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on all Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.   Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.  

Hello again!! We may have a new name, a new pic and a new focus, but our love for reading, sharing a good story and talking about the business of books has not changed. We have traded in our license plate for an address and now run a bookshop in the incredible High Street community in Edmonton. More on that little change in upcoming episodes... Today I am psyched to share my conversation with Rick MacDonnell, a virtuoso in the booktube world and a genuinely nice guy who just loves books. He has a vibrant youtube channel to discuss book reviews, and he is excellent at diving into titles you may not have heard about.   Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen. Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Want to be a Guest on my Podcast? Want to tell me about what you're reading? Let's talk! Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co Follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on all Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  

Hey, YOU! Today I am back with another bookish episode, and it's ALL about the books! No Business talk this time. I have been getting so many email & DM questions about the right book for the right mood, how to work through your To Be Read pile and so many more... today I am tackling a few of your questions and then sharing what books I have been reading lately. Keep in mind that I am not only going to share books with you that I want you to buy - my goal is to provide honest opinions about the books I've read, not sugar-coat them to make you spend your money. As a bookseller, I have to be honest or my opinions aren't worth trusting, right? Get out your pen and paper so you can write some of these titles down! Books I Have Read Recently: The Forgetting Time The Almost Sisters Mr. Mercedes The Return (Released on Sept 29, 2020) The History of Bees The Dilemma   Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen. Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Want to be a Guest on my Podcast? Want to tell me about what you're reading? Let's talk! Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co Follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on all Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Online calendar of upcoming booktruck events and an online database of all our marvelous books at Daisy Chain Book Co.

OK, so I missed posting an episode last week. I know you can forgive me because well, life happens. As posts about my bookshop on wheels are being shared widely on social media, there has been a significant increase in the number of requests I receive about duplicating my business idea. So, as much as I feel like it is similar to the last episode's rant about Copycats and pursuing a unique and personal business model, this is clearly what y'all are wanting to hear so I will respond accordingly. Here are answers to the top questions I have been asked recently about booktruck life and the business of running a mobile retail company. I want to hear what you think so please leave comments, questions, and feedback so I can help you in your pursuit of the ideal business idea. I am by NO means an expert in this field, just someone who is figuring it out as I stumble along and I'm happy to share my journey with you. Next week we'll talk about books, I promise!!     Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen. Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Want to be a Guest on my Podcast? Want to tell me about what you're reading? Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co Follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on all Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Online calendar of upcoming booktruck events and an online database of all our marvelous books at Daisy Chain Book Co.

As much as I love talking about the books, there is so much behind-the-scenes about the business of bookselling that I want to talk about today. I get so many emails and in-person questions about booktruck life, and there are a ridiculous amount of uninformed opinions or assumptions about what I do, so I thought I would tackle a few of them here. Last episode, I ranted. This time - I do so again. Straight talk, unedited, from me to you.  I discuss the valuable impact of the right photos and being vulnerable in social media, the realities of the Cost of Doing Business (CDB), my intense dislike for Copycats and focusing on WHO you are serving in your business. So many people are just too nice to be honest about this stuff, or they don't know how to answer the questions, but you know by now that with me you will get the truth as I see it every time. Enjoy!   Keeping Shop Podcast: The Impact of  Powerful Customer Experience   Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.   Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store.   Want to be a Guest on my Podcast? Want to tell me about what you're reading? Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co Follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on all Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Online calendar of upcoming booktruck events and an online database of all our marvelous books at Daisy Chain Book Co.

So, if you know me at all, you know that sometimes I go off on a topic, unhinged and passionate... I did that today. I have some very strong opinions about body image and the language we use to talk about how we look or how we think someone else SHOULD look. Daisy Chain Book Co. was featured in a very fun video created by the talented Brandon Mattice and as I watched myself in this video, I had some thoughts. Since we're friends, I thought I'd share them with you here.  Awhile ago, I recorded a fun Rapid Fire 30 with Carrie Thunder, a neighbor, fellow Book Club member and friend. She is an inspired Reader and I couldn't wait to share her with you! You're welcome.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen. Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Want to be a Guest on my Podcast? Want to tell me about what you're reading? Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co Follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on all Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Online calendar of upcoming booktruck events and an online database of all our marvelous books at Daisy Chain Book Co.

I am so incredibly blessed to have discovered such inspirational and dynamic women entrepreneurs on my Booktruck journey. One of this women is Colleen Heidecker, of Colleen's Chocolates. If you have been around Edmonton for the last couple of years and discovered her amazing chocolate delights at any of the locations lucky enough to sell them, then you KNOW. She is not just a chocolate master - there is far more to this sweet lady than just chocolate. In today's episode, Colleen shares with us her fascination for all things food, the sustainability and wonder of organic, homegrown tastes from all around the world. She is also a huge reader, so you know we talked books - get a pen and paper and write down the titles from her Rapid Fire 30!   AND, in this episode, I announce some pretty big news for Daisy Chain Book Co. I am over the moon, but you can find out more on my social media and website... and sign up for our emails to get all the deets on upcoming info you don't want to miss! Find out more about Colleen on Instagram, Facebook and her website!   Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen. Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Want to be a Guest on my Podcast? Want to tell me about what you're reading? Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co Follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on all Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest & The Booktruck Chick BLOG! Online calendar of upcoming booktruck events and an online database of all our marvelous books at Daisy Chain Book Co.

Hey there! I find that this COVID time for me is all about lists: the lists of things I want to get done, the lists of things I have to get done and the list of things I have not finished... I'll give you one second to guess which one of these lists I have excelled at.      Uh-huh.   There are days I am successful and many that I am not. I know I am not alone in this, and let's face it - I can't blame all of this on CV19. This is just my life. Today I am sharing the list of books I stopped reading for whatever reason, the couple books I have read recently that hit the mark and a few things I have noticed about Booktruck Life lately. There is so much going on that I have NOT said, and I will touch on those things in future chapters but like all books, this one is told one chapter at a time and it is a beautiful thing to keep this audio chronicle of my journey as a booktruck owner and Reader. Books Discussed: The World According to Garp The Bear and the Nightingale The Beautiful and Damned The Invisible Man Prodigal Summer The Great Alone The Nickel Boys   Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen. Our bookstore offers audiobooks which you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Want to be a Guest on my Podcast? Want to tell me about what you're reading? Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co Follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on all Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest & The Booktruck Chick BLOG! Online calendar of upcoming booktruck events and an online database of all our marvelous books at Daisy Chain Book Co.  

Where to begin? First of all, let me just say that the Booktruck world right now is SUPER crazy. There is so much going on and plates are spinning all over the place! Amidst all that is happening, and other things I cannot share with you just yet (wink-wink), it is so nice to take a deep breath and spend time here with you on the podcast for a brief moment because I love this podcast community and it is one of my fave things to prepare and record these chapters of this Booktruck story for you. Today I am beyond thrilled to share with you a conversation I had with Kelly Buckley, a reader I met while delivering books and we just began talking and talking and I knew right away I had made a friend. Isn't it wonderful when that happens? So, naturally, I wanted to share her with you because I don't believe in keeping beautiful and inspiring things all to myself... Kelly is a Social Worker, a Reader, a Traveler and so much MORE! Enjoy her Reader Rapid Fire 30. In this chapter, I mention that I want to include audio clips from YOU in an upcoming episode about Literary Comfort Food - share with me one or two of your most comforting titles in a brief audio clip recorded on your phone and email it to brandi@daisychainbook.co or record an audio text message and text it to 780-977-4210 because I would love to share you and your bibliotherapy suggestions with everyone.   Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen. Want to be a Guest on my Podcast? Want to tell me about what you're reading? Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co Follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on all Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest & The Booktruck Chick BLOG! Online calendar of upcoming booktruck events and an online database of all our books at Daisy Chain Book Co.

Friends, it's raining here. Raining HARD. All I want to do is hunker down with a good book and a hot cup of tea! On days like this I am grateful for the comforts of home, and editing this podcast was such a fun process to do while I listen to my girls laughing and reach down to scratch Mr. Benson as he lays at my feet. Today I am sharing with you a convo I had with Kerri Brigden, a young woman I have known for awhile and had the pleasure of watching her grow into a stellar woman, wife and mother. She is incredibly talented musically as well, and it was the most natural decision in the world to approach Kerri and ask her to create a song for this podcast. Many have asked me about who the voice is behind the song, so here she is! Enjoy my discussion with Kerri. And today in The Business Bar I am talking about what it means to pivot as a mobile retail business in a world that demands something different than you had intended. Be ready to try new things, people! Your audience demands it. Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen. Want to be a Guest on my Podcast? Want to tell me about what you're reading? Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co Follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on all Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest & The Booktruck Chick BLOG! Online calendar of upcoming booktruck events and an online database of all our books at Daisy Chain Book Co.    

Today's episode is a mixture of silly and motivational. Last week, I introduced you to the segment of the podcast I am calling the Reader Rapid-Fire 30. 30 questions about your fave books, details about your reading life and a sneak peek into the fabulousness of people I meet on my booktruck journey. Today I am sharing the raw, unedited piece that my daughters and I recorded about MY Rapid-Fire 30. There are some giggles, some accents and maybe one or two whoops moments. I hope you enjoy it! The motivational part is entirely due to my Guest, Janelle Dudzic, a local entrepreneur, photographer, urban beekeeper and education enthusiast. Her talent for visual storytelling is evident if you check out her wedding photographs online, and we talk about how her desire for photography was born and how she is incorporating it into her other shared interests. Janelle is proof that you can be good at so many things, so you don't have to only do one thing. She wears many creative hats and at such a young age, she inspires others to chase their dreams and be constantly striving to learn more along the way. I also admire how honest Janelle is about her reading life and yes, even admitting that Harry Potter is used to put her to sleep at night... enjoy our convo! Connect with Janelle on Instagram, Facebook and her website: Janelle Dudzic Photography Books discussed: You are a Badass Harry Potter Why Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? Never Split the Difference Emotional Intelligence Cell The Stand Master of the Game Swimming Lessons   Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen. Want to be a Guest on my Podcast? Want to tell me about what you're reading? Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co Follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on all Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest & The Booktruck Chick BLOG! Online calendar of upcoming booktruck events and an online database of all our books at Daisy Chain Book Co.

Apparently, as the pace of life has become very different lately, so is my podcast scheduling! After a couple weeks away, it is so good to talk with you again. Today it is my profound pleasure to introduce you to Hannah Morpurgo. She is an avid booklover, a dedicated English Major training to become a High School music teacher, a young woman likely to say the funniest thing at the drop of a hat and my firstborn daughter. As the newest member of the Daisy Chain Book Co. team, Hannah is doing everything from inventory management, bookselling and now being a podcast Guest. I am beyond thrilled to share her with you! We are starting something new, I'm calling it the Reader Rapid-Fire 30. 30 questions I came up with about your reading life, books that have made an impact on you and quirky details about your habits, bookshelves and favourites. Each Guest will be asked the same 30 questions, and it's just a fun and casual way to get to know each other and dive into what we are really curious about: their bookish picks. So today, we are kicking it off with Hannah's Rapid-Fire 30. Enjoy! Books mentioned: All Adults Here The One We Need to Talk About Kevin Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen. Want to be a Guest on my Podcast? Want to tell me about what you're reading? Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co Follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on all Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest & The Booktruck Chick BLOG! Online calendar of upcoming booktruck events and an online database of all our books at Daisy Chain Book Co.