Podcasts about bookstores

Sometimes we read a book and we're not sure we liked it, but we can't stop thinking about it. Sometimes we deeply hated it and we want to talk about it. Sometimes we LOVED it, despite it being the most devastating read of our lives. Will we ever handsell them to you? Only if you ask really, really nicely.  Books Mentioned During This Episode [I'm still building the list, it'll be ready tomorrow - Ryan] Gibson's Merch on our Bonfire Shop! 2025 Reading Challenge on Storygraph! OTHER LINKS Gibson's Bookstore Website Purchase Gift Certificates!  Browse our Website by Category! Donate to the Bookstore! Check out our Events Calendar! Buy Gibson's Merch Gibson's Instagram The Laydown Instagram Facebook BlueSky TikTok Libro.fm  Use the code LAYDOWN for 2 audiobooks for the price of 1!  Jack of All Graves Book Club Email us at thelaydownpodcast@gmail.com

This week we're diving into Desperado (1995), Robert Rodriguez's bullet ballet of blood, guitars, and grit. Antonio Banderas is the slickest mariachi with a mission, Salma Hayek sets the screen on fire, and every shootout feels like a rock concert with a body count. It's tequila-soaked mayhem, slow-mo carnage, and enough style to make your sunglasses sweat. Lock the case. Load the guns. Let's blow the roof off. Did you enjoy the episode? Don't forget to hit that subscribe button and join us for more retro movie discussions! Want even more? Get bonus content and connect with us directly by supporting the show on Patreon. For additional episodes and exclusive insights, head to www.30podcast.com. And if you love what you hear, leave us a glowing review on your favorite podcast app—especially Apple Podcasts. Your support keeps the show going!

This week's Book Picks comes from James Conrad from The Golden Notebook in Woodstock, New York and Matt Tannenbaum from The Bookstore in Lenox, Massachusetts.

Megan Schmitke is a bookkeeping expert who works specifically with inventory-based businesses. Today, Megan and I are talking about what you should do if your business is a mess and you know you need a bookkeeper. How do you clean things up so you can move forward? Get a FREE MONTH with the Inventory Genius Calculator - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/inventory-genius-calculator Work with Me - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/work-with-meVisit the Bookstore - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/bookstoreSign Up for Free Weekly Tips and Trainings - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/subscribe Connect with Megan:Take Megan's Bookkeeping Basics Course (https://www.findingfreedomfinancial.com/bookkeeping-basics-course/) Book a consultation: https://www.findingfreedomfinancial.com/work-with-me/ Instagram: @findingfreedomfinancial Free Training: https://www.findingfreedomfinancial.com/masterclass/

Australian author Linda Margolin Royal wrote the novel"The Star on the Grave" based on the true story of the "JapaneseSchindler"-- the Japanese diplomat who rescued many Jews in Lithuaniaagainst the orders of his government. (Her father was one of these Jews.) Inthis interview she exposes that bookstores in Australia have becomeincreasingly unwilling to promote and sell the book, as well as books by otherJewish authors, after pushback following October 7th. Correction: Sugihara, working in Russia afterWWII, only saw his family once a year for 20 years.

Emma Friedman

A father has been arrested in Arizona after allegedly leaving his four children inside a sweltering car while he browsed an adult store.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gillian is joined by Pat McMahon of Quay Books as they receive a grant as part of a €100,000 fund to bring Community Ideas to life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Part 2 of 3 in our “Main Streets, Villages, Historic Downtowns & Plazas” series celebrating Independent Retailer Month! This episode of Big Blend Radio features a lively panel discussion exploring the vital role of Main Streets and historic downtowns in shaping community identity, boosting local economies, and enhancing cultural tourism. From the preservation of architecture and museums to the rise of food trails, local bookstores, and festivals, our guests highlight how small-town authenticity and community engagement drive revitalization and lasting impact.

Luis Rodriguez credits reading and writing for keeping him resilient his whole life. He's best known for his 1993 memoir Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A., which chronicles how he joined a gang at age 11, found himself homeless and using heroin, and wound up in the juvenile justice system. He went on to write 17 books of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction, and he served as poet laureate of Los Angeles from 2014 to 2017. As part of our series on resilience, host Sasha Khokha sits down with Luis Rodriguez to talk about his life and work, and what advice he has for getting through tumultuous times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Mark shares clips and highlights from a talk he'll be giving at the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) Summer Virtual Conference 2025. Ready to take your children's book career to the next level? Wherever you are in your publishing journey, the Virtual Summer Conference provides an opportunity for growth, creativity, and connection. Dive into every aspect of the children's book world, from writing and illustrating to translating, marketing, and self-publishing. Put your art in front of industry pros in the career-launching Portfolio Showcase. And get inspired by sessions tailored for illustrators, picture book authors, nonfiction writers, graphic novel creators, and more—no matter your path or publishing background. Best of all? You'll have access to all 50+ sessions until September 14th, so you can learn and grow at your own pace. Join us and invest in your passion. It's time to bring your stories to life! REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN. You can register for the full conference, which takes place July 31st through August 3, 2025 online at scbwi.org. Links of Interest: SCBWI Virtual Summer Conference 2025 Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link) Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Mark's YouTube channel Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City Only Monsters in the Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation   The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This week, Hannah is on vacation, Sam is working hard, but both have two books to talk about and we mostly like them. Yes, there's some embarrassing stuff where Sam has no idea about major biographical elements of the authors he's praising profusely, but let's pretend it's not happening in the moment.  On the agenda this week: "A Marriage at Sea," by Sophie Elmhirst, which is a real-life story about a couple who decided to just drop out of society and "live a more interesting life." So, they bought a boat, then crashed it against a whale, and then somehow survived for months in a life raft. It's wild. But ultimately a treatise on fame. "Death of the Author," by Nnedi Okorafor, which Sam thinks is the best book he's read this year so far and criminally under-talked-about. It's sci-fi, family drama, social commentary, and so much more. Also, Sam was wrong. Nnedi is 51. Older than him. He's dumb. "A Dog in Georgia," by Lauren Grodstein, which Hannah likes a lot, and not just because she was in a writing class with Lauren a while back. It's lighter than "We Must Not Think of Ourselves," which is more to her skillset. And, yes, it's about looking for a lost dog in the country of Georgia, but, yes, everyone agrees that's weird. "The Third Rule of Time Travel," by Philip Fracassi, which Sam mostly enjoyed, but was sort of a "Netflix original" of a time-travel novel. Very readable! Entertaining! But maybe doesn't stick the landing. And it's a dude writing a woman, but it's a fine. 

This week's episode comes with poor sound quality and excellent vibes. For the first time ever, Paul and Trevor met in person! Join us as we take the show on the road—through bookstores, libraries, and one unforgettable day of literary wandering. From the cozy aisles of The King's English to the rarified shelves of Moon's Rare Books, with stops at Poppy's Books and the Salem City Library (Trevor's wife makes as cameo!), this episode is a roving celebration of bookish friendship. We apologize in advance for the audio, but we hope you enjoy this day out with us. We'll be back to our usual mischief in the next episode.We've got some fantastic author-focused episodes lined up for the foreseeable future, and we want to give you plenty of time to dive in if you'd like to read along with us. These episodes come around every ten episodes, and with our bi-weekly release schedule, you'll have a few months to get ready for each. Here's what we have in store:* Episode 115: Kazuo Ishiguro* Episode 125: Flannery O'Connor* Episode 135: William Faulkner* Episode 145: Elizabeth Taylor* Episode 155: Naguib MahfouzThere's no rush—take your time, and grab a book (or two, or three) so you're prepared for these as they come!Join the Mookse and the Gripes on DiscordWant to share your thoughts on these upcoming authors or anything else we're discussing? Join us over on Discord! It's the perfect place to dive deeper into the conversation—whether you're reading along with our author-focused episodes or just want to chat about the books that are on your mind.We're also just now in our second novella book club, where we're reading Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin. It's a fantastic book, and we'd love to have you join the discussion. It's a great space to engage with fellow listeners, share your insights, and discover new perspectives on the books you're reading.ShownotesBooks* Sun City, by Tove Jansson, translated by Thomas Teal* The King of a Rainy Country, by Brigid Brophy* Rhine Journey, by Ann Schlee* I Am Alien to Life: Selected Stories, by Djuna Barnes* Waiting for the Fear, by Oguz Atay, translated by Ralph Hubbell* Last Stories, by William Trevor* Chronicle of a Death Foretold, by Gabriel García Márquez, translated by Gregory Rabassa* Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel García Márquez, translated by Edith Grossman* One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel García Márquez, translated by Gregory Rabassa* The Adventures of China Iron, by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara, translated by Fiona Mackintosh and Iona Macintyre * The Sea, the Sea, by Iris Murdoch* Schattenfroh, by Michael Lenz, translated by Max Lawton* Miss MacIntosh, My Darling, by * The Stronghold, by Dino Buzzati, translated by Lawrence Venuti* The Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro* Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro* The Buried Giant, by Kazuo Ishiguro* The Unconsoled, by Kazuo Ishiguro* Nocturnes, by Kazuo Ishiguro* An Artist of the Floating World, by Kazuo Ishiguro* A Pale View of Hills, by Kazuo Ishiguro* When We Were Orphans, by Kazuo Ishiguro* As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner* A River Runs Through It, by Norman Maclean* On the Clock, by Claire Baglin* Your Absence Is Darkness, by Jón Kalman Stefánsson, translated by Philip Roughton* Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, by Susanna Clarke* The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien* Moby Dick, by Herman Melville* Songs of Innocence, by William Blake* Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen* Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. MontgomeryThe Mookse and the Gripes Podcast is a bookish conversation hosted by Paul and Trevor. Every other week, we explore a bookish topic and celebrate our love of reading. We're glad you're here, and we hope you'll continue to join us on this literary journey!A huge thank you to those who help make this podcast possible! If you'd like to support us, you can do so via Substack or Patreon. Subscribers receive access to periodic bonus episodes and early access to all new episodes. Plus, each supporter gets their own dedicated feed, allowing them to download episodes a few days before they're released to the public. We'd love for you to check it out! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mookse.substack.com/subscribe

Let's Chat!Have you ever woken up to find yourself performing a version of your life that feels foreign, even as others applaud? "The Key to Everything" explores this modern dilemma through an intimate story of reconnection and authenticity.When a man stumbles upon Lena—a woman who once knew him better than he knew himself—in a quiet bookstore after a year apart, something shifts. Their reunion isn't dramatic or orchestrated; it's quiet, tentative, and profoundly real. As they navigate coffee shops, museums, and park benches, they rebuild a connection that challenges everything he thought he had become."The denial of death" becomes more than just a book title they share—it becomes the metaphor for how we deny our authentic selves when we curate our lives for others' consumption. Through their conversations, we witness what happens when performance falls away and presence takes its place.The most powerful revelation comes when we understand that Lena wasn't just a character in his story but a mirror "held steady until he was ready to look without flinching." Their journey reminds us that real connection doesn't demand perfection—it requires honesty.This episode asks questions that linger long after listening: Who was the last person that made you feel truly seen? What version of yourself are you performing for applause? What would it look like to show up today, not to prove you're better, but simply to be real?We all have had a "Lena" in our lives—someone who sees us clearly beyond our carefully constructed personas. This story is a gentle reminder to recognize these precious connections before they fade, and to remember who we were before we learned how to perform.Listen now and rediscover what it means to say someone's name "not as an idea, not as a memory, but as a person, real, alive, and choosing to be seen.""True mastery is found in the details. The way you handle the little things defines the way you handle everything."

From the July/August 2025 edition of The Scottish Rite Journal.  Any accompanying photographs or citations for this article can be found in the corresponding print edition.Make sure to like and subscribe to the channel!  Freemasons, make sure you shout out your Lodge, Valley, Chapter or Shrine below!OES, Job's Daughter's, Rainbow, DeMolay?  Drop us a comment too!To learn how to find a lodge near you, visit www.beafreemason.comTo learn more about the Scottish Rite, visit www.scottishrite.orgVisit our YouTube Page: Youtube.com/ScottishRiteMasonsJoin our Lost Media Archive for only $1.99 a month!https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv-F13FNBaW-buecl7p8cJg/joinVisit our new stores:Bookstore: https://www.srbookstore.myshopify.com/Merch Store: http://www.shopsrgifts.com/

For the Nevada Author Network, Cassidy Carson and JT Hume interview Dr. Danny Nielsen, a postdoctoral researcher and author of “Straight Flossin' and Other Stories of the American West.”Dr. Nielsen discusses his background in ecology and conservation biology, his writing journey, the challenges of memoir writing, and the profound influence of Nevada's landscapes on his work. He shares insights on his creative process, the beauty of the night sky, and offers advice for aspiring writers.You can learn more about Dr. Nielsen at his website.You can find him on Instagram, Threads, and Twitter/X.You can find his book at Whistling Rabbit Press, the Sierra Arts Foundation Depot Gallery and Bookstore, and Amazon.You can learn more about the Sierra Arts Foundation at ⁠https://sierraarts.orgYou can contact Two Moore Books, LLC via their main website at ⁠https://www.carsonhume.com

Traversing teeming metropolises and tiny towns, Prose to the People: A Celebration of Black Bookstores (Random House, 2025) explores these spaces, chronicling these Black bookstore's past and present lives. Combining narrative prose, eye-catching photography, one-on-one interviews, original essays, and specially curated poetry, Prose to the People is a reader's road trip companion to the world of Black books. Thoughtfully curated by writer and Black bookstore owner Katie Mitchell, Prose to the People is a must-have addition to the shelves of anyone who loves book culture and Black history. Though not a definitive guide, this dynamic book centers profiles of over fifty Black bookstores from the Northeast to the mid-Atlantic, the South, and the West Coast, complete with stunning original and archival photography. Interspersed throughout are essays, poems, and interviews by New York Times bestsellers Kiese Laymon, Rio Cortez, Pearl Cleage, and many more journalists, activists, authors, academics, and poets that offer deeper perspectives on these bookstores' role throughout the diaspora. Complete with a foreword by world-renowned poet and activist Nikki Giovanni, Prose to the People is a beautiful tribute to these vital pillars of the Black community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

This week's Book Picks comes from Tara Ludwin from Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga Springs, NY and Manchester Center, VT and we also welcome Kira Wizner from Merritt Bookstore in Millbrook, NY.

I've got great news for you: YOU can manage your Open to Buy without spending thousands of dollars on a program, without having an accountant on your team, without having a designated specific buyer - I'm talking you through the why and the how on today's episode! There's a simple formula and some really easy-to-use tools that you can start implementing today to create your Buying Budget. Let's go! Click here to try the Inventory Genius Calculator for FREE! (https://www.ciarastockeland.com/inventory-genius-calculator) Click here to take the FREE Open to Buy Workshop. (https://www.ciarastockeland.com/open-to-buy-workshop-evergreen) Work with Me - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/work-with-meVisit the Bookstore - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/bookstoreSign Up for Free Weekly Tips and Trainings - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/subscribe

Traversing teeming metropolises and tiny towns, Prose to the People: A Celebration of Black Bookstores (Random House, 2025) explores these spaces, chronicling these Black bookstore's past and present lives. Combining narrative prose, eye-catching photography, one-on-one interviews, original essays, and specially curated poetry, Prose to the People is a reader's road trip companion to the world of Black books. Thoughtfully curated by writer and Black bookstore owner Katie Mitchell, Prose to the People is a must-have addition to the shelves of anyone who loves book culture and Black history. Though not a definitive guide, this dynamic book centers profiles of over fifty Black bookstores from the Northeast to the mid-Atlantic, the South, and the West Coast, complete with stunning original and archival photography. Interspersed throughout are essays, poems, and interviews by New York Times bestsellers Kiese Laymon, Rio Cortez, Pearl Cleage, and many more journalists, activists, authors, academics, and poets that offer deeper perspectives on these bookstores' role throughout the diaspora. Complete with a foreword by world-renowned poet and activist Nikki Giovanni, Prose to the People is a beautiful tribute to these vital pillars of the Black community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Traversing teeming metropolises and tiny towns, Prose to the People: A Celebration of Black Bookstores (Random House, 2025) explores these spaces, chronicling these Black bookstore's past and present lives. Combining narrative prose, eye-catching photography, one-on-one interviews, original essays, and specially curated poetry, Prose to the People is a reader's road trip companion to the world of Black books. Thoughtfully curated by writer and Black bookstore owner Katie Mitchell, Prose to the People is a must-have addition to the shelves of anyone who loves book culture and Black history. Though not a definitive guide, this dynamic book centers profiles of over fifty Black bookstores from the Northeast to the mid-Atlantic, the South, and the West Coast, complete with stunning original and archival photography. Interspersed throughout are essays, poems, and interviews by New York Times bestsellers Kiese Laymon, Rio Cortez, Pearl Cleage, and many more journalists, activists, authors, academics, and poets that offer deeper perspectives on these bookstores' role throughout the diaspora. Complete with a foreword by world-renowned poet and activist Nikki Giovanni, Prose to the People is a beautiful tribute to these vital pillars of the Black community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

A new MP3 sermon from The World View in 5 Minutes is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Christian bookstore files lawsuit over pronouns Subtitle: The World View in Five Minutes Speaker: Adam McManus Broadcaster: The World View in 5 Minutes Event: Current Events Date: 7/22/2025 Length: 9 min.

Traversing teeming metropolises and tiny towns, Prose to the People: A Celebration of Black Bookstores (Random House, 2025) explores these spaces, chronicling these Black bookstore's past and present lives. Combining narrative prose, eye-catching photography, one-on-one interviews, original essays, and specially curated poetry, Prose to the People is a reader's road trip companion to the world of Black books. Thoughtfully curated by writer and Black bookstore owner Katie Mitchell, Prose to the People is a must-have addition to the shelves of anyone who loves book culture and Black history. Though not a definitive guide, this dynamic book centers profiles of over fifty Black bookstores from the Northeast to the mid-Atlantic, the South, and the West Coast, complete with stunning original and archival photography. Interspersed throughout are essays, poems, and interviews by New York Times bestsellers Kiese Laymon, Rio Cortez, Pearl Cleage, and many more journalists, activists, authors, academics, and poets that offer deeper perspectives on these bookstores' role throughout the diaspora. Complete with a foreword by world-renowned poet and activist Nikki Giovanni, Prose to the People is a beautiful tribute to these vital pillars of the Black community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/popular-culture

When Sarina found Stephanie Pao on social media, she knew she had to interview her. Stephanie has the job we all want—she owns a bookstore on wheels. La Fleuria is L.A.'s first mobile romance bookstore, and we are here for it. Tune in to hear our interview with Stephanie. We're discussing how she got this idea, where she turned for advice, and how she figures out what to stock and where to park La Fleuria!Show links include: #YouAndYourBookstore episode with Mary Laura PhilpottLa Fleuria book truckStephanie on InstagramStephanie's LinktreeLa Fleuria's popup schedule Thrown for a Loop, Sarina's upcoming release (pub date 11/4/25)TropeTruck, a book truck whose owner generously contributed knowledgeIngram, the wholesale bookseller we discuss in some detail (because Jess needed to understand how this bookseller access to indie authors works!)Books Stephanie recommends and loves to sell at La Fleuria:Yes No Maybe by Jessica Sherry (La Fleuria's #2 bestseller!)Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana ZapataHey, Jess here to talk to you about a new series I have created just for supporters of the #AmWriting Podcast.I met an aspiring author and speaker who has an idea for a book that just knocked me over. I said, please, please write that book. This is someone who had an idea that has a place in the market. It's timely. She's the perfect person to write it, and I asked her, I begged her, if I could please mentor her through this process publicly on the podcast.So while we're not giving her full name and we're not giving the actual title of the book, because we don't want to hand those things away, I am coaching her through the entire process, from preparing her book proposal to querying an agent. I'm going through the whole thing with her. She knows nothing about the publishing industry, she knows very little about how one goes about writing a book—so essentially, this is as I mentioned before, from soup to nuts, From Authority to Author, and hopefully we'll get her there.But really, whether or not this book ends up selling, whether after this book she ends up having a speaking career, this is about the process of preparing to do that. I hope you'll join us.This series is for supporters only, so if you are a free subscriber right now, consider upgrading. Remember, if you upgrade, you'll also get the ability to submit for our First Pages Booklab, and lots of other fun stuff that we put out just for supporters—So come join us. It's a lot of fun.Transcript below!EPISODE 457 - TRANSCRIPTJess LaheyHey, Jess here to talk to you about a new series I have created just for supporters of the Hashtag AmWriting podcast. I met an aspiring author and speaker who has an idea for a book that just knocked me over. I said, please, please write that book. This is someone who had an idea that it has a place in the market. It's timely. She's the perfect person to write it, and I asked her—I begged her—if I could please mentor her through this process publicly on the podcast. So, while we're not giving her full name and we're not giving the actual title of the book, because we don't want to hand those things away, I am coaching her through the entire process—from preparing her book proposal to querying an agent. I'm going through the whole thing with her. She knows nothing about the publishing industry. She knows very little about how, you know, one goes about writing a book. And so she essentially—this is, as I mentioned before from soup to nuts, From Authority to Author, and hopefully we'll get her there. But really, whether or not this book ends up selling, whether this book—she ends up having a speaking career—this is about the process of preparing to do that. How do you write a book? How do you prepare to become a speaker on the back of that book? So I hope you join us. This is a series for supporters only. So if you are a free supporter, or if you're a free subscriber right now, consider upgrading. Remember, if you upgrade, you'll also get access to the ability to submit for our First Pages Book Lab and lots of other fun stuff that we put out just for supporters. So come join us. It's a lot of fun.Multiple Speakers:Is it recording? Now it's recording, yay. Go ahead. This is the part where I stare blankly at the microphone. I don't remember what I'm supposed to be doing. All right, let's start over. Awkward pause. I'm going to rustle some papers. Okay, now one, two, three.Jess LaheyWelcome to the Hashtag AmWriting podcast. This is the podcast about, oh, writing all the things—the short things, the long things, the nonfiction, the fiction, the poetry, the book proposals, the agent queries—all the things. In reality, though, this podcast is about two things. It is about getting the work done, and flattening the learning curve for other writers. I'm Jess Lahey. I am co-hosting today. I am the author of The Gift of Failure and The Addiction Inoculation, and you can find my journalism at The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic.Sarina BowenAnd I'm Sarina Bowen. I am the author of many romance novels. My next one is called Thrown for a Loop and it's coming from Forever in November, and I could not be more excited. And it is in the vein of romance, publishing, and readership that I have invited a guest to talk to us today because she has done something so outrageously cool that I needed to hear more in person. So please welcome Stephanie Pao, who has started Los Angeles' first romance book truck. She's become a bookseller, and I am here to hear all about it. Welcome, Stephanie.Stephanie PaoHi, thank you so much for having me.Sarina BowenMy pleasure. If you wouldn't mind, I would love to hear—how did this happen? Like, how did you decide that the world needed a book truck? Because that is just a cool idea and I never thought of it. And like, so how did you decide to actually make it a thing? And what did you do?Stephanie PaoYes, okay. The idea actually came to me—I lived by the beach, so I was walking by the beach and I saw a vintage Volkswagen truck for sale, and I just couldn't get it out of my mind. It isn't the truck that I have now, but I kept thinking, what could I do with it? And I've always loved books—romance in particular—and I've been looking for something that I could do that kind of took my previous experience, which is marketing, but melded it with something I really enjoyed. And I just thought maybe I could start a book truck. And I started to do research and I saw that there are many book trucks across the country. At the time, I think maybe there was just one or two romance ones and I was lucky enough to be able to speak with someone who had a romance book bus called Trope. She has a bookshop now and she really gave me a lot of confidence that I could probably do this too. I ended up taking a course on bookselling and started looking for a truck. The truck I ended up finding was actually the first truck I found on Facebook Marketplace. The man who was selling it had completely restored it. And he was so excited that I wanted to do this book shop in a truck idea, that he actually helped me and designed all the shelves, and he built it, and he didn't charge me for it.Sarina BowenOh my goodness!Stephanie PaoYeah. So it felt very serendipitous and almost meant to be. And now it's been like two months and I'm having so much fun.Sarina BowenWow. Wow. Oh my goodness. I feel like you should be teaching a class on how to live, right? You're like, "I'm good at this thing, but I'm really interested in this other thing, and I'm going to stick them together and it's going to be great."Stephanie PaoYeah, I feel like it was a little bit of like manifesting, I guess.Sarina BowenWell, wow, that's so great. So how many books does your truck hold at once? Like, what is the size of your store?Stephanie PaoYeah, so it holds about 350 books, and I've taken to also stacking books on top to display my favorite books. So I think it might hold almost 400.Sarina BowenOkay. And so of course, when we think about the bookstores that we grew up going to—you know, there are these giant cavernous Barnes & Nobles, there are smaller independent bookstores—and they're all numbering in the thousands. But by specializing in a category that you really love, like suddenly 400 is you know, it's a workable amount for what romance readers might be looking for on any given day. So, but still, there's a lot of good books in the world. How do you choose?Stephanie PaoYeah, I do a mix of like books that I've read and loved. I have been a voracious reader—I've read my whole life—but I've been a voracious reader for a couple of years. I also do a lot of books that I get recommendations from friends or that I just see are very popular online. So I think people will want to find those, but I think it is hard. I'm still figuring out the right balance of what types of romance to carry.Sarina BowenRight. Right. Because we all have our favorite you know, parts of the genre and they might not be the ones that are killing it.Jess LaheyBut the thing that I'm really excited to hear about is the thing that I love so much about independent booksellers. I get a sense for the bookseller when I go to the bookstore. Like, there are certain bookstores I rave about not necessarily because they're huge, not necessarily because they're beautiful—but because I can tell that when the bookseller recommends something to me; I know who that person is. Or I know the sense of the curation at the store. And that excites me because I feel like I'm in capable hands. So I'm really curious—especially to hear about your curation, and how you decide what you're going to carry—and then I'm also, and I know Sarina is going to ask this question, but in my head, I'm like, how do you find your readers? That's the part I'm so excited to hear about. Like, how do you know where to go? How do the people find you? Because I think that's the magic—is connecting the people with the books. And that's what I feel like a really great curation does. It says, "If you like this, try this," or, "Oh, you're new to this genre? Let me tell you where you should start with this genre." That's what's magic to me about independent booksellers, and the idea of you getting to do it in a very concentrated way with a particular genre is just—it makes me so happy. I'm just so happy you're out there doing this, Stephanie.Stephanie PaoThank you.Sarina BowenSo one time I was reading the listing of a literary agent, I think, and somebody had said, "What do you like about this job?" And the agent said, "I get to invest in my own taste." And I thought that was a really interesting way of looking at her job—but also of your job as well. And before we get to “How do you find the readers?”—because that is a really important chapter of this conversation—I just, from the listener standpoint: are you constantly deluged by authors who are like, “Pick me, pick me”? Like, what would you tell an author who is trying to navigate the bookselling world? What have you learned about your end of being a bookseller that an author might need to hear?Stephanie PaoYes. Okay. So first I want to say, like the curation part—My like number two best seller is actually an indie author's book who I love, and I can see from the book selling, like software that I use, that I'm the only bookstore of the 200 plus bookstores that carry her book, and it's the second best seller for me. Like. I've sold over 30 copies in like two months. So I think it really is like the passion of the bookseller, and I have had quite a few authors reach out to me, and they'll come to events. And I feel like it's, I don't have a good process on how I'm vetting all the authors, but I think it's like, if we make a personal connection, I will try to go out of my way to like read their book, because we've connected in some way, and I love reading, and I just feel like because we've like, either met in person or we've exchanged nice messages on social media, it does make me want to read someone's book more, because I have that personal connection, which is probably how people feel when they go shop at an indie books, or they have the personal connection with, like, a bookseller. So I think that's very similar. Um, I had people like, bring me their books, which does make it easier for me to, like, already have it ready. I don't have to look it up to read it or remember to look it up as well, but I know that, like, probably has a cost to it as well. But I had someone just bring me an F1 romance book yesterday at one of my pop ups, and I've been on an f1 kick. I don't know if she noticed that from my personal social but, like, I am very intrigued already, and now I have itSarina BowenThat's so lovely.Jess LaheyFor the listeners out there who are interested in this very specific topic, in our show notes I'm going to link to an episode we did with Mary Laura Philpott, who used to be at Parnassus, about making connections with booksellers. Because there are things you can do to go out of your way—before your book comes out, or when your book is coming out—to say, “Hey, I have this book coming out, would you be interested at all in getting a copy?” So it's something that can happen that authors can work on. And I'm going to definitely drop the link to that episode in the show notes.Sarina BowenYeah. I had this earlier this year. I was noticing—I started keeping track of how many romance bookstores are in the world. And now I have a list of 60, more than 60. And for a little while, when one just sort of popped up in my social, I was writing an email—because authors get a lot of publisher copies, you know, and sometimes after the launch of the book we end up with a box of like 15 copies still sitting here—and I was sending an email like, “Congratulations on your new store! That's amazing. Can I send you a signed author copy? Because I just have them here. It's a gift.” And the uptake of that is, you know, almost 100%. But I don't ever want to presume that a bookseller wants a copy, you know, unless I check first, because that just seems cheesy. You know, it's, it's, it's hard for authors to know, like, how to be a good partner and not irritating. And anyway, I just thought, you know what your thoughts about that are?Stephanie PaoYeah. I mean, I think for me, like, I am a new store and, like, a single-person business. So anyone that reaches out to me, I'm like, “Oh my gosh, what do you mean? How do you know about me? Why would you want to send me something?” So I'm sure, like, the like, weariness goes both ways, where we are, like, we're also—a lot of people are, like women—or maybe like, not used to promoting themselves more. So I think, like, just shoot your shot. I have an event coming up at like, a big, like, kind of mall, and they said they don't really do things like that with partners like this, but they were impressed that I shot my shot. So I have like, a summer series with them, and I think it's the same for, like, promoting your own book.Sarina BowenYeah, I guess this whole conversation is an exercise in trying.Stephanie PaoYeah, like the worst that could happen is, I think probably they would maybe say no or not respond to your request—which I do feel like I am guilty of that, because I get a lot and I don't know how to best, like, manage the flow of people saying that they want to send books. But that isn't because I don't want to reply. It's more like, I don't have a good system.Sarina BowenIt's hard. So I definitely want to hear how you figure out where to go. Like, where does the truck go? How do you know who to ask? Like, is that a lot of asking and hoping for the, for the best as well. Like, how does it come together?Stephanie PaoYeah, that has been a trial and error process. I think I started off applying to more markets, because they're looking for vendors anyways. But those usually have costs. And I found a few markets that I really enjoy going to, so I go to them monthly now. And…Sarina BowenWhat kind of markets, can I ask?Stephanie PaoYeah, they're like, one is like a night market. They do it like, a couple times a month in a city of LA called Lakewood, and there's like food, there's usually, like a theme, so like, there was an AAPI night, or they had— I don't know if you know those, like toys called Labubu — but the last event I did was a Labubu themed one. And then I do another market that is in Culver City, and it is similar—like, there's food and drinks and then there's, like, people selling different like, a lot of artisan-made things,Sarina BowenOkay.Stephanie PaoYeah, um, and then I reach out to local businesses as well. And I found, like, right away, I reached out to so many, and I didn't hear back from that many, because I was just starting out. I didn't have that many followers at the time. But the people who I found, and I did pop up set, they were so kind, and they let me dictate, like a day where I come back monthly, so I just have like places that I will go monthly, which makes it a lot easier to, like, have it like a set schedule, and then I just try to test new places and add on.Sarina BowenLike, what kind of business? What? What makes a good what's a good sort of connection?Stephanie PaoYeah, well, so the first place that said yes to me was another women-owned business. And I do feel like they are, like, more inclined to, like; take a chance on another woman-owned business. So she actually has a flower shop, and she does like high tea on the days that I go. So she has people going there for like, high tea— but it's on a very visible Street. It's on the Pacific Coast Highway, so I think it's—I'm not sure it's benefiting her in any way, because I'm not sure my customers are going to buy flowers, um, but she has a space for me to pop up, and it doesn't like detract from her business, and it adds something fun to her guests. And I also go to coffee shops and breweries, and I do want to start reaching out to restaurants as well.Jess LaheyI'm actually looking at her pop-up schedule on her site right now, and there's also—I wouldn't have even occurred to me—but these silent readings that I see every once in a while on social media that I'm like, "Oh, if I lived in a city, I would be going to those all the time," where people just get together to read together. I've also seen them—people getting together just to write together—and those? That's brilliant. Showing up for something like that is such a wonderful idea, and your pop-up schedule looks fantastic. I'll definitely be dropping that into the show notes as well.Sarina BowenWell, I just want to push back on the idea that the flower shop isn't getting anything out of you stopping there, because, like—so she runs a flower shop. I'm just certain she has a tiny core number of people who come every week and get fresh flowers because, you know, money is no object, and why not.But then there are other people who are on her list, maybe, who are only there when it's somebody's birthday three times a year. But if you're coming on a certain day, and she can tell her following, you know, that, "Oh, stop by on Tuesday because La Fleuria is going to be here, and it's, you know, the romance book truck, and you definitely want to check it out," it gives her a timely thing she can tell the people that do like flowers. And, you know, she's going to maybe have more foot traffic on that day than she otherwise might not have had.Stephanie PaoYeah, I think it's more maybe imposter syndrome, because she has like 800,000 followers.Sarina BowenWow!Stephanie PaoSo I'm like drop in your bucket.Sarina BowenWow. Well, maybe we should all be in the flower business.Stephanie PaoYeah.Jess LaheyWell, what did you have to sort of overcome with your own resistance in order to try this new thing? Because when writers have this same problem, we have an idea. It's a little glimmer, a sparkle, of an idea. It's so appealing in our minds. But, like, the commitment to actually, like, set aside six months of your life and write an entire book because you had this glimmer of an idea is a process, and that is why there aren't as many people who write complete books as you have ideas for them. So how did you convince yourself that, um, that this risky thing was—was something you ought to commit to? And how did you make that decision?Stephanie PaoYeah, I think I'm still convincing myself that...Jess LaheyOkay, fair, fair.Stephanie PaoUm, I think it's actually really—it's really hard, because I think we're really programmed, or at least I was, on, like, this typical metric of success, which is, like: go to college, get a job, keep climbing the corporate ladder. And so I just kind of thought I would be doing that my whole life. But I never once thought, like, does that make me happy? Like, I was in a marketing job, and I was like—I climbed up to, like, VP, but I didn't enjoy it at all. And I just thought that's what we were supposed to do. So I think for me, I have been freelancing for three years because I got really burnt out, and I've just slowly come to terms with, like, maybe what I build for myself, or what I want for my life, is different than what all my friends have. Because I still talk to my friends that I've had for a long time, and I don't think they understand what I'm doing. And I feel like you will get a lot of resistance from people that you know, because they just want you to do the thing that feels safe to them, which is not venturing and doing something completely unknown. So I think it's, like, being really comfortable with the idea yourself and that not everyone's going to get it—but that's okay, because the people who do will, like, really support you. And then, of course, like, I'm not going to sugarcoat it—it is like a big financial risk. I think if you're setting aside time to write and not doing, like, other work, like—it is a risk either way. So I am lucky enough to have support, and I think that's, like, really important to share; that, like, my parents supported me so that I could take this on. And I—I started taking less and less clients from my, like, freelancing work to prepare to do this. And, like, I am still not, like, super profitable, but I know that I can, like, push back into freelancing if I really need to. So I think it's—I'm comfortable knowing that there are other means of, like, income if I really need it. But I really want to give myself time to see where this goes.Sarina BowenRight, I love that. So, of course, you knew that freelancing was—that you had some connections there, which helps, so you have, like, a little bit of a cushion for yourself, which is amazing. You—you mentioned earlier that you took a course in bookselling, and I just wonder how you found that, and how—how you felt. Was it information that you already had? Did it just give you confidence? Or did you really learn a lot from that course?Stephanie PaoWell, I found it through the American Booksellers Association. It was, like, a linked course that they had on, like, how to get started with opening your own bookstore. And I did learn a lot. I think at the time, I was really debating whether I should do a bookstore or do something more mobile. And that course actually made me feel like—when we did all the calculations—the rent is so much in LA that it just seemed, like, much, much too risky to do a store first. Like, maybe building up a customer base before investing in a shop. So I think I did learn a lot. I also—there's—I get a lot of the same questions from people who want to start something similar. And I got all of that information through this course. Like, a lot of people ask me where you buy books from, and things that have to do with bookselling that aren't very well known. And I think the course provides that information.Jess LaheyNice. Do you do you use Ingram [Ingram Content Group], and so you have like a special account as a bookseller?Stephanie PaoYes. And I just started opening, like, accounts with the publishers, because I wasn't sure how much I was going to order, and you have to meet minimums to order through the publishers. I was like, I don't know how quickly my inventory is going to go, but now I think it will be more worth it, because you get a better, like, discount through the publishers.Jess LaheyAs someone who's not involved in the bookselling community or the independent publishing community—just for my knowledge—one of the things that I, you know, often lament is if I like an author that is an independent bookseller and their print books are hard to come by. How do you—is Ingram someone who helps you bridge that? Does Ingram do this, like, print on demand? Sorry, there—my husband's home. Could you explain how this works a little bit to me?Stephanie PaoSo I also—well, I'm not 100% sure—but yes, Ingram does the print-on-demand books, and they have books from a lot of independent authors on there. I have a friend who is an indie author, and she said that she first listed her book on Amazon, but then the bookstores couldn't buy it, so she had to do something to get it on Ingram. So I'm not sure how that works, but I've also bought directly from a few authors, like the author I mentioned, who is, like, my second best seller. I buy directly from her, and I'm not sure where she gets her copies, but it is a much better deal than through Ingram.Jess LaheyYeah. So, Ingram—their first and primary business was as a wholesaler for traditionally published books. So, you know, in the '90s, when I briefly worked at Random House, Ingram was—you know, when a new book is published, Ingram buys a certain amount of them, and Baker and Taylor buy a certain amount of them, and they stand as a middleman who is ready to wholesale those books to booksellers. And then, of course, they created their print-on-demand service so that, probably, when you log into Ingram, you can see indie titles and traditional titles sort of all together in their offered database. But I did learn something recently about indies and Ingram that was a real eye-opener for me, which is that an author who opens an IngramSpark account and uploads their files there—like, like an indie author that you buy from probably does—has to set a discount amount. And unfortunately, the number that the bookseller gets is not the same as what the author sets. So the author can set a discount to retail in a band between, I don't know, 40 and 60 or something like that. But, um, in order for a bookseller to get their maximum discount, I have to put 53% discount or greater—like 53 or 55—and if I put 52 instead, then the bookseller gets, often, a very bad discount that is not 52%; it's more like 30%. So there's this magic that happens at the 53% author discount that allows you and your colleagues to get the max discount in your Ingram account. And it took me only, like, eight years to learn this magic.Jess LaheySo Stephanie, this is why we keep Sarina around, because she knows how this stuff works.Stephanie PaoI figured it was there was something, because the range in discounts I see from indie offers is so wide from like 20 to 40% and at 20% it's almost not even worth it to carry.Sarina BowenRight. I bet it isn't.Stephanie PaoYeah.Sarina BowenSo you if somebody Well, but, and that's where the confusion comes in, because here's an author, and she's putting 45% in that box, and then you're seeing it at 20 and going, this isn't worth it. And of course, like both of you, could be frustrated because…Jess LaheyExactly!Sarina BowenBecause that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. So um, but I have learned that 53 is the magic number, and that if an author puts 53 and then you will get your max discount. And it took me way, way too long to understand this.Jess LaheyThis is like… this is, this is—these little random things that come up occasionally—are, you know, why I talk about flattening the learning curve for other authors or booksellers or whomever that listen to this podcast. Because how on earth would you know that? And then you're frustrated because you can't carry a book, because you can't make money on it. The author's incredibly frustrated because you can't—won't—carry the book, and then that piece of information never gets across. So thank you for diving into that dorky detail for me, because, again, I think that's such an important piece of information that no one would ever know unless someone somewhere is discussing it. So thank you.Sarina BowenUm…you're welcome. It's really just inside baseball—like picky junk that takes up my week. But here we are.Jess LaheyI know. But the people who listen to this podcast—in particular, the people who are fans of Sarina Bowen—are often people who are also writing within the indie space. And so how, you know—how are they going to find this stuff out?Sarina BowenWell okay.Jess LaheyOkay.Sarina BowenEven if it's not as you know, as joyful as the following your dreams and the flower shop stuff, but we're here to do all of it.Jess LaheyWell… But the big—this is also a big part of it, because there are also going to be people out there who are like, Oh, I don't want to open a brick-and-mortar store, but Oh, a truck? I mean, like, for me, that's the entry point. That's very, very exciting to me. So, the other reason I wanted to be on this podcast today is because I want to understand how that works, and is it a way into something that would really feed your soul and your heart—and not to mention your book… sell—your, your bookshelves.Sarina BowenOf course. So, Stephanie, before we go, I would love—since you're the expert here—I would love for you to recommend a couple romances that you're excited about right now. And if you wouldn't mind, I would be super thrilled to hear what your number two bestseller is—that you, that you are her best bookseller.Stephanie PaoYeah, okay. It's Yes No Maybe by Jessica Sherry, and it is a story of a woman who has, um, scars on her face from, like, an accident from when she was younger. And she's, like, always felt not worthy of, like, all the good things in life, and she's settling. And she moves next door to a romance writer who has writer's block, and she becomes basically his muse. And it's, like, very sweet but very emotional. Some other books I love—I recently finished Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and I've never cried so hard in a book. And it's, like, also such a beautiful love story. I, like, have chills thinking about it.Sarina BowenWow.Stephanie PaoYeah. And then, just like a favorite that I always recommend is All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata. I'm in my late 30s, so I feel like I love when characters are in their 30s and still figuring things out, and I love a slow burn romance.Sarina BowenAll right. Thank you so much. I, um—I love those choices. Um, we've all walked into bookstores and seen, like, the same five books on the front table that we've seen in every other bookstore we've walked into that month. And it's really lovely to hear some different recommendations from you, and we really appreciate it. Thank you so much for spending some time with us today to talk about this super fun project that—that Jess and I are like, Ooh, we could just quit everything and get a...Jess LaheyYeah. Well, no. The other thing is, I'm like, Okay, when's my next speaking engagement in Los Angeles, and can I make it coincide with one of your pop-up dates so that I could come by?Stephanie PaoI will drive the truck to you.Jess LaheyThat… actually, we'll figure it out. Because I just, I'm dying to see your truck, dying to see how it works. I just, I'm loving the selections. And I'm just really happy for more than anything else, I'm really happy for someone who has found a way to turn something they love into a business that can work. So I'm just so happy for you.Stephanie PaoThank you. Thank you so much for having me. This was really fun.Sarina BowenIt was entirely our pleasure. And thank you listeners for tuning in once again to the am writing podcast, and until next week, keep your heads in the game and your butt's in the chair.Jess LaheyThe Hashtag AmWriting podcast is produced by Andrew Perrella. Our intro music, aptly titled Unemployed Monday, was written and played by Max Cohen. Andrew and Max were paid for their time and their creative output, because everyone deserves to be paid for their work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Jen has been a quiet superfan of David Gate ever since discovering one of his poems on Instagram and instantly texting it to six friends. A British-born poet, writer, and visual artist, David explores themes of care, community, and spiritual resilience. Today, he joins Jen and Amy to talk about his latest work, A Rebellion of Care—a powerful blend of essays and poetry rooted in tenderness, authenticity, and resistance. From writing to flour milling and homesteading, David's life is a living practice of nurturing both self and community with intention. Key highlights from this conversation include:  How radical tenderness can be an act of resistance Why are many people living  radicalized lives without realizing it, and often for things they don't truly care about How homesteading is a rebellion against modern food practices Reimagining masculinity and what it could look like in a better world Building community and friendship as a vital source of joy and support in life How anger and joy are companion emotions The sacredness of everyday practices Thought-provoking Quotes: “I did not want to have an email job and I did not want to be in meetings that could have been emails. I did not want to be on Slack. I just didn't want that to be what I was spending my time doing. I loved caring for people, and I loved creating and writing, and I got to do that within the church world.” – David Gate “It's just very hard not to be cynical about everything and what I found was that I was cynical because I really, really cared. And, because I really, really cared, everything was just so overwhelming, and the easiest way to deal with that was to shut down and be cynical and be snarky. But, I realized that I had to press through and embrace what was behind that cynicism. so I had to really embrace my own earnestness and my own care in the world and concentrate on what I wanted to build rather than what I wanted to tear down.” – David Gate “It's a constant battle to speak the truth. Even things we all know It can be difficult to say, if it's not something that is normally said, and it's not something that is normally expressed, so you have to fight for that and you have to fight for your experience of the truth. You have to fight for your story. You have to fight for all of that.” – David Gate “I think it's very, very difficult for men to reach for emotional honesty because everything tells you that you're failing if you do that. But it's the most important work right now. And so much of what men are actually looking for in this world, intimacy, a sense of place, a sense of belonging, companionship, adventure, excitement, is on the other side of reaching for that emotional honesty.” – David Gate Resources Mentioned in This Episode: A Rebellion of Care: Poems and Essays by David Gate - https://amzn.to/4jjf87X Good Soil: The Education of an Accidental Farmhand by Jeff Chu - https://amzn.to/3GnS21w Cultivating Belonging and Evolving Faith with Jeff Chu - https://jenhatmaker.com/podcasts/series-64/cultivating-belonging-and-evolving-faith-with-jeff-chu/ Sarah Bessey - https://www.sarahbessey.com/ Armando Veve, Illustrator - https://www.instagram.com/armandoveve/ Awake: A Memoir by Jen Hatmaker - https://amzn.to/3YHKgpw Sinners film (2025) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31193180/ Malaprop's Bookstore, Asheville - https://www.malaprops.com/ Guest's Links: Website - https://www.davidgatepoet.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/davidgatepoet/ Substack - https://substack.com/@davidgatepoet Connect with Jen!Jen's Website - https://jenhatmaker.com/ Jen's Instagram - https://instagram.com/jenhatmakerJen's Twitter - https://twitter.com/jenHatmaker/ Jen's Facebook - https://facebook.com/jenhatmakerJen's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JenHatmaker The For the Love Podcast is presented by Audacy.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  In this special episode, I sat down with Peter Bissonnette—former President of Shaw Communications—to talk about his remarkable leadership journey and his upcoming book, Count on Me, launching July 18th. Peter's story is anything but conventional. From life in a monastery to serving in the Air Force, and ultimately leading one of Canada's most recognized telecommunications companies, his path to leadership is rooted in humility, adaptability, and service to others. Leadership Lessons from a Life Well-Lived Peter and I explored how his unique experiences shaped a grounded, people-first leadership style. Whether navigating high-stakes negotiations or union agreements, Peter emphasized that values like empathy, accountability, and active listening were key drivers of his success. His book Count on Me captures these moments and lessons, offering a compelling case study in transformational leadership. Shaw Communications: Embracing Change, Staying Human We reflected on Shaw's evolution—from its early days in cable to becoming a major player in internet and wireless services. Peter shared how strategic investments in infrastructure and top-tier talent enabled the company to stay ahead of technological shifts. He also highlighted how Shaw's unwavering commitment to employee well-being and customer experience helped it weather the pandemic's unprecedented challenges. It's a blueprint for change management done right—with heart. Culture as a Catalyst for Success Peter opened up about Shaw's intentional leadership culture, grounded in trust, care, and shared accountability. He described how these values created a sense of belonging and mutual respect across teams. I couldn't agree more—when employees feel supported, they deliver their best. That culture doesn't just drive business results; it builds loyalty and resilience. Why Count on Me Matters Now More Than Ever Peter spent three years writing Count on Me, a legacy project meant to inspire current and future leaders. The book explores the deeper purpose of leadership—how it's less about personal accolades and more about empowering others and leaving things better than you found them. If you care about leadership that lifts people up and strengthens communities, this book is a must-read.

From the Sept/Oct 2023 edition of The Scottish Rite Journal.  Any accompanying photographs or citations for this article can be found in the corresponding print edition.Make sure to like and subscribe to the channel!  Freemasons, make sure you shout out your Lodge, Valley, Chapter or Shrine below!OES, Job's Daughter's, Rainbow, DeMolay?  Drop us a comment too!To learn how to find a lodge near you, visit www.beafreemason.comTo learn more about the Scottish Rite, visit www.scottishrite.orgVisit our YouTube Page: Youtube.com/ScottishRiteMasonsJoin our Lost Media Archive for only $1.99 a month!https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv-F13FNBaW-buecl7p8cJg/joinVisit our new stores: Bookstore: https://www.srbookstore.myshopify.com/Merch Store: http://www.shopsrgifts.com/

Today on the Show: We broadcast  live from the Medicine For Nightmares Book store in the heart of San Francisco's Mission District: We spend the entire hourwith Dr. Nolan Cabrera, featuring his new book, BANNED, THE FIGHT FOR MEXICAN AMERICAN STUDIES IN THE STREETS AND IN THE COURTS The post Live Broadcast From The Medicine For Nightmares Bookstore in San Francisco appeared first on KPFA.

AP correspondent Julie Walker reports on how romance bookstores and online groups give fans a sense of community.

This week's Book Picks come from Amy Zimmerman from Chatham Bookstore in Chatham, NY.

Jennifer Kok is a small business consultant. Today, Jennifer and I are chatting about what happens in our minds when we get to the point where we need to grow, scale and expand our businesses. How do our minds sometimes get in the way of business, and what can we do to change up our way of thinking? Work with Me - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/work-with-meVisit the Bookstore - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/bookstoreSign Up for Free Weekly Tips and Trainings - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/subscribe Connect with Jennifer:Website: https://nextwavebusinesscoaching.com/Free Masterclass 3 Keys to Growing a Profitable Business: https://nextwavebusinesscoaching.com/webinar More About the Episode Sponsor:Finding Freedom Financial Services (https://www.findingfreedomfinancial.com/) - Get help managing your business finances!

Jennifer Kok is a small business consultant. Today, Jennifer and I are chatting about what happens in our minds when we get to the point where we need to grow, scale and expand our businesses. How do our minds sometimes get in the way of business, and what can we do to change up our way of thinking? Work with Me - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/work-with-meVisit the Bookstore - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/bookstoreSign Up for Free Weekly Tips and Trainings - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/subscribe Connect with Jennifer:Website: https://nextwavebusinesscoaching.com/Free Masterclass 3 Keys to Growing a Profitable Business: https://nextwavebusinesscoaching.com/webinar More About the Episode Sponsor:Finding Freedom Financial Services (https://www.findingfreedomfinancial.com/) - Get help managing your business finances!

In this episode of the Crack House Chronicles Donnie and Dale talk to Dianna Melton, sister of Travis "Bud" Melton who was murdered at the Shelby III Adult Bookstore on January 17, 1987. Dianna gives us some insight on her brother and the murders ...and discusses possible theories. https://www.crackhousechronicles.com/ https://linktr.ee/crackhousechronicles https://www.tiktok.com/@crackhousechronicles https://www.facebook.com/crackhousechronicles Check out our MERCH! https://www.teepublic.com/user/crackhousechronicles

In 2004, Ukrainian presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko claimed he was poisoned by pro-Russian rivals, an allegation that drew global attention due to his disfigured face and a diagnosis of dioxin poisoning. The incident fueled the pro-Western “Orange Revolution,” which overturned an initial election result and led to Yushchenko's eventual victory. However, his presidency was marred by economic decline, corruption, and political infighting. By 2010, he had lost public support and finished with just 5% of the vote. Later investigations cast doubt on the poisoning, with some suggesting it may have been a politically motivated fabrication.To find out more about the people and music featured in today's episode, visit the Assassinations Podcast website, www.AssassinationsPodcast.com While there, you can check out our Bookstore, where we recommend some great episode-related books and reading material, or shop our Merch Store to nab a logo tee or tote bag. You can also contact us through the website — we love to hear your comments, questions, corrections, and suggestions!If you'd like to support the show through our Patreon page, and get access to exclusive content, go to patreon.com/assassinationspodcastYou can find us on Twitter @AssassinsPodAssassinations Podcast was created by Niall Cooper, who researches and writes the show. Lindsey Morse is our editor and producer. Our theme music was created by Graeme Ronald. If you'd like to hear more from Graeme, check out his band, Remember Remember. You'll find them on iTunes.

This week's Book Picks comes from Suzanna Hermans of Oblong Books in Rhinebeck and Millerton, New York and Lily Bartels from Open Door Bookstore in Schenectady, New York.

Welcome to the cozy ASMR secondhand bookstore, where we focus on romance books. Today I'll provide you some dedicated customer service to help you find the perfect romance reads for you and some friends of yours. I'll take note of what you're looking for and then collect some books that I think you would be interested in. We'll go through each book and you can pick the ones you want to purchase. I hope you enjoy the soft-spoken chit chat, thocky creamy keyboard typing, gentle book tapping, page flipping, and personal attention. Happy reading!

This week, Sam and Hannah have spent some serious time on the dock where they ... actually read the same book for once! Amazing. And it's maybe not a book you would have guessed. Plus, we've got a long-lost classic and a really fun summer read (even if it's about rich people. Again), and a good discussion of what makes a 14+ book.  On the agenda this week: - "Dungeon Crawler Carl," by Matt Dinniman, which Sam and Hannah both decided they liked quite a bit, even though it's very much a "dude-bro" sort of book. It's a sensation. You should give it a shot.  - "Best of All Worlds," by Kenneth Oppel, which is a well-targeted YA novel with an original set-up and a very sweet coming-of-age story. Also, set in Canada, which is fun. But is it really Canada?!? - "Ramona," by Helen Hunt Jackson, which is an absolute classic, and was once fully canon, but has sort of now been largely forgotten. Sam's here to tell you it's an important work of American literature and legitimately a must-read book in understanding the foundation of America.  - "These Summer Storms," by Sarah MacLean, which Hannah describes as "if Emily Henry wrote a book of Succession (like, the television series)." Highly entertaining and good for the beach. 

From the July/August 2025 edition of The Scottish Rite Journal.  Any accompanying photographs or citations for this article can be found in the corresponding print edition.Make sure to like and subscribe to the channel!  Freemasons, make sure you shout out your Lodge, Valley, Chapter or Shrine below!OES, Job's Daughter's, Rainbow, DeMolay?  Drop us a comment too!To learn how to find a lodge near you, visit www.beafreemason.comTo learn more about the Scottish Rite, visit www.scottishrite.orgVisit our YouTube Page: Youtube.com/ScottishRiteMasonsJoin our Lost Media Archive for only $1.99 a month!https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv-F13FNBaW-buecl7p8cJg/joinVisit our new stores:Bookstore: https://www.srbookstore.myshopify.com/Merch Store: http://www.shopsrgifts.com/

I get questions about today's topic all the time. Shannon Wilburn and I are talking about using franchising to scale. How do you know when you're ready to scale? If you're not ready, what do you get in order? And once you're ready, how do you scale efficiently? Work with Me - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/work-with-meVisit the Bookstore - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/bookstoreSign Up for Free Weekly Tips and Trainings - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/subscribe Connect with Shannon:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannonwilburn/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shineexecutivecoaching LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonwilburn/Website: https://shineexecutivecoaching.com/Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-franchise-leaders-forum-podcast/id1755397643

I get questions about today's topic all the time. Shannon Wilburn and I are talking about using franchising to scale. How do you know when you're ready to scale? If you're not ready, what do you get in order? And once you're ready, how do you scale efficiently? Work with Me - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/work-with-meVisit the Bookstore - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/bookstoreSign Up for Free Weekly Tips and Trainings - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/subscribe Connect with Shannon:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannonwilburn/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shineexecutivecoaching LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonwilburn/Website: https://shineexecutivecoaching.com/Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-franchise-leaders-forum-podcast/id1755397643

In this episode of the Crack House Chronicles Donnie and Dale discuss the Shelby III Adult Bookstore Murders. On the night of January 17, 1987, three men were killed and two more were seriously wounded in a mass shooting at the Shelby III Bookstore in Shelby, North Carolina. The bookstore was an adult bookstore that was known to attract a gay male clientele. https://www.crackhousechronicles.com/ https://linktr.ee/crackhousechronicles https://www.tiktok.com/@crackhousechronicles https://www.facebook.com/crackhousechronicles Check out our MERCH! https://www.teepublic.com/user/crackhousechronicles Sources: newspapers.com  

Independent bookstores have been on the retail death watch for a few decades now. But, as one American author might put it, reports of their impending demise have been greatly exaggerated. For many, the recipe for success is local ownership, strict attention to local needs and concerns and calendars packed with special events to help create a sense of community. This is what Tiffany Phillips has found over nine years as founder and owner of Wild Geese Bookshop in Franklin.   Phillips had a well-established career as an attorney in the health care industry as she was turning 40. But Franklin didn't have a bookstore. One thing led to another as Phillips sought a new office space, and soon she was doing double-duty as a lawyer and a bookshop proprietor. She had a bigger vision for the store as a hub for cultural life and a haven for anyone interested in creativity. As Wild Geese approaches its first decade in business, it has developed a national reputation on the authors circuit as a destination where Phillips and her staff pull out all the stops to host hundreds of fans and involve other local businesses, like the historic Artcraft Theatre and the Main & Madison Market Café.    IBJ's Taylor Wooten recently wrote about this in the May 30 issue of the paper. For the IBJ Podcast this week, host Mason King wanted to chat with Phillips about the small-business challenges of opening and growing the shop and how she fights against persistent fears that investing in the printed word in a small Indiana city is, well … kind of crazy.

Intelligence Notes: Welcome to Orwell's Nightmare!San Francisco Bookstores Boycott JK Rowling over Rejecting Psychotic Transgender Views!!!!! Freedom of Speech and Opinion is under attack by the Social Engineers!To support the [Show] and its [Research] with Donations, please send all funds and gifts to :$aigner2019 (cashapp) or https://www.paypal.me/Aigner2019 or Zelle (1-617-821-3168). Shalom Aleikhem!

In this episode we are joined by Kelsey Black, of the Book Burrow Bookstore in Pflugerville Texas as we discuss the history of Bookstores as Resistance Centers.  We discuss David Ruggles and the first Black-owned bookstore in the United States and how he was a figurative and literal stop on the Underground Railroad, selling books about feminism and the abolitionist movement.  We talk the FBI's illegal COINTELPRO and how they went after book stores like Hakim's and The Drum and Spear Bookstore.  We discuss the Gotham Book Mart, the 8th Street Bookstore and Peace Eye Books in New York City and so much more, even digging into how booksellers have sneaked secret information to their customers in this fully amazing episode of the Family Plot PodcastBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

From the July/August 2025 edition of The Scottish Rite Journal.  Any accompanying photographs or citations for this article can be found in the corresponding print edition.Make sure to like and subscribe to the channel!  Freemasons, make sure you shout out your Lodge, Valley, Chapter or Shrine below!OES, Job's Daughter's, Rainbow, DeMolay?  Drop us a comment too!To learn how to find a lodge near you, visit www.beafreemason.comTo learn more about the Scottish Rite, visit www.scottishrite.orgVisit our YouTube Page: Youtube.com/ScottishRiteMasonsJoin our Lost Media Archive for only $1.99 a month!https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv-F13FNBaW-buecl7p8cJg/joinVisit our new stores:Bookstore: https://www.srbookstore.myshopify.com/Merch Store: http://www.shopsrgifts.com/

Audrey Faust is a financial coach for business owners. We're digging into the mindset behind making money and keeping it. You don't want to miss this conversation! Work with Me - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/work-with-meVisit the Bookstore - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/bookstoreSign Up for Free Weekly Tips and Trainings - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/subscribe Connect with Audrey:Unlock your path to profit with the free profit accelerator workbook 12 Secrets from an Expert CFO for Women Entrepreneurs In the Profit Accelerator Workbook, Audrey's sharing the exact secrets that have worked for her clients—women just like you—who have seen their profits skyrocket by 20-200% annually. These are actionable strategies that you can apply to your business, no matter its size or industryhttps://www.audreyfaustconsulting.com/12-secrets Website: http://audreyfaustconsulting.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manifestingcfo/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifesting_cfo/

Audrey Faust is a financial coach for business owners. We're digging into the mindset behind making money and keeping it. You don't want to miss this conversation! Work with Me - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/work-with-meVisit the Bookstore - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/bookstoreSign Up for Free Weekly Tips and Trainings - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/subscribe Connect with Audrey:Unlock your path to profit with the free profit accelerator workbook 12 Secrets from an Expert CFO for Women Entrepreneurs In the Profit Accelerator Workbook, Audrey's sharing the exact secrets that have worked for her clients—women just like you—who have seen their profits skyrocket by 20-200% annually. These are actionable strategies that you can apply to your business, no matter its size or industryhttps://www.audreyfaustconsulting.com/12-secrets Website: http://audreyfaustconsulting.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manifestingcfo/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifesting_cfo/

Today, we’re bringing you the best from another KUOW Podcast - Meet Me Here… This is the biggest weekend for Pride celebrations in Seattle, as June comes to a close. We talked on Casual Friday about queer movies and representation in media. Meet Me Here’s Katie Campbell spoke to local author Corinne Manning about their new collection of short stories, “We Had No Rules,” about being a queer author telling queer stories, and why the LGBTQ shelf is the best shelf in the bookstore. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed. Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at seattlenow@kuow.org, leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or leave us feedback online.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

HAPPY PRIDE! Ryan, Ashley, and Cait are talking about queer books! Some new, some old, all good!  Books Mentioned During This Episode Gibson's Merch on our Bonfire Shop! 2025 Reading Challenge on Storygraph! OTHER LINKS Gibson's Bookstore Website Purchase Gift Certificates!  Browse our Website by Category! Donate to the Bookstore! Check out our Events Calendar! Buy Gibson's Merch Gibson's Instagram The Laydown Instagram Facebook BlueSky TikTok Libro.fm  Use the code LAYDOWN for 2 audiobooks for the price of 1!  Jack of All Graves Book Club Email us at thelaydownpodcast@gmail.com