In Episode 189, author Karen Thompson Walker talks with Sarah about her career to date and her newest novel, The Strange Case of Jane O. Karen discusses her writing journey, including each book’s inspiration and research process. She also touches on the challenges of promoting her latest book without giving away too much and her current work in progress. Plus, Karen shares her book recommendations. This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchas...
Mar 05, 2025•53 min•Ep. 189
In Ep. 188, we are kicking off our new “Best of…” series with Sarah’s Bookshelves Live team member, Chrissie, for the Best of Fantasy. Today, Chrissie brings you her all-time top ten favorite fantasy novels. Also, as a long-time reader and evangelizer of the genre, Chrissie talks about how she started reading fantasy, the wide scope of the genre, and ways those new to fantasy might jump in! This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no...
Feb 19, 2025•56 min•Ep. 188
In Ep. 187, Kathleen Schmidt, author of the popular Substack newsletter, Publishing Confidential , joins Sarah to dissect and discuss the State of the Publishing Industry in 2024. Between a high-level look back, talk about the top sales and book trends, to what Kathleen sees on the horizon for 2025 in the book world, this episode is packed with info. Also, Kathleen shares her favorite books of 2024! This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purcha...
Feb 05, 2025•50 min•Ep. 184
In Episode 186, Catherine ( @GilmoreGuide ) and Sarah share the best backlist books they read in 2024. They discuss their top 5 backlist books from last year, highlight some underrated backlist gems, and review their backlist reading statistics. Devoting an entire episode to backlist reading is now an annual tradition at Sarah’s Bookshelves Live — a team and listener favorite! This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!)...
Jan 22, 2025•53 min•Ep. 186
Welcome to the Winter 2025 Book Preview with Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books ! Today, Catherine and Sarah share 16 of their most anticipated books releasing January through March. This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog. Announcement One of the many benefits to joining the Patreon Community is gaining access to several bonus podcast episode series, includin...
Jan 08, 2025•55 min•Ep. 185
In Episode 184, Susie ( @NovelVisits ) and I close out the year with our Best Books of 2024 Genre Awards. We reveal our Overall Best Books (Fiction and Nonfiction) and our full breakdown by genre, including: Best Literary Fiction, Best Romance, Best Brain Candy, Best Genre Mash-Up, and more! Plus, we’re sharing the winners for these same genres as chosen by the Sarah’s Bookshelves Live Patreon community! This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a p...
Dec 11, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 184
In this Bonus Podcast Episode, Al Woodworth, Senior Editor and Manager at Amazon Books Editorial, returns to the show to take listeners behind the scenes of Amazon’s Best Books of 2024, as chosen by the Amazon Editors ! A fascinating glimpse into how the 2024 list was curated, how the rankings were determined, and what criteria guided the selections. This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). CLICK HERE for the full e...
Dec 04, 2024•47 min
In Ep. 183, we’re starting the wrap-up of 2024 with the first of our two year-end episodes: Best Books of 2024 Superlatives with Susie ( @NovelVisits ). In this episode, we’re sharing our top books of the year across over 25 Superlative categories, including Most Deserving of the Hype , Best Pairing , an “ Eat My Words ” book, Most Memorable Cast of Characters , and so much more! This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to yo...
Nov 27, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 183
In Episode 182, author Chelsea Bieker discusss her new novel, Madwoman , with Sarah. Chelsea shares how her own childhood inspired the fictional characters in her book and what parts of the book differ from her own experience. They talk about the trajectory of this intense and personal novel that began as a “funny little book about motherhood” and morphed into a story about trauma and abuse. Plus, Chelsea shares her book recommendations. This post contains affiliate links through which I make a ...
Nov 13, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 182
In Episode 181, Sarah and Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books catch up on the 16 new releases they shared in the Fall 2024 Book Preview , now that they’ve read them. They share their reading stats, chat about what worked — and hash out which books didn’t work and why. Check out the episode for their full reviews on all their fall picks and get recommendations for your next book! This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you...
Oct 30, 2024•54 min•Ep. 181
In Episode 180, Susie Boutry ( @NovelVisits ) and Sarah return with the 4th annual Debuts Special! They’re sharing their favorite debuts, new and backlist — so far for 2024. Plus, their reading stats for debuts this year and the best sophomore novels of 2024. This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog. Highlights How debuts from 2024 compare to those from previous...
Oct 16, 2024•57 min•Ep. 180
In Episode 179, Sarah is joined by Gayle Weiswasser, co-founder of Wonderland Books , an independent bookstore in Bethesda, MD opening in November 2024. Gayle candidly shares her journey from her initial idea to being on the verge of opening the store. This behind-the-scenes episode offers a deep dive into everything from training and book buying to raising capital (including crowdsourcing) and much more! Plus, Gayle wraps up the episode with some great book recommendations (and how many copies ...
Oct 02, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 179
In Episode 178, Al Woodworth, Senior Editor and Manager at Amazon Books Editorial, goes behind the scenes of Amazon’s editorial division, including the start-to-finish process of building the “Best Books” lists, what “best” might mean, and what helps a book make the list. Plus, Al shares some of her book recommendations! This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog....
Sep 18, 2024•55 min•Ep. 178
Welcome to the Fall 2024 Book Preview with Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books ! Today, Catherine and I share 16 of our most anticipated books releasing mid-August through December. This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog. Announcement One of the many benefits to joining our Patreon Community is that you get access to several bonus podcast episode series, inclu...
Sep 04, 2024•54 min•Ep. 177
In Episode 176, Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books and I catch up on the 12 new releases from the Summer 2024 Book Preview . We share our reading stats, chat about what we liked, and what didn’t work out. Listen in as we share our reviews on these books and get some recommendations for your next read! This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog. Highlights Catheri...
Aug 21, 2024•48 min•Ep. 176
In Episode 175, Susie Boutry ( @NovelVisits ) and I explore our favorite Micro Genres for 2024. Over the past year, we’ve continued to refine our reading tastes and identify specific themes and types of books that resonate deeply with us. This year, Susie and I have a curated list of 10 all-new Micro Genres, along with standout books from each category. It’s another big episode with tons of great book recommendations! This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission whe...
Aug 07, 2024•52 min•Ep. 175
For Ep. 174, due to an unexpected change in our episode schedule, we’re bringing you an episode from our newest Patreon bonus series, Unscripted . This series is our sandbox for any bookish topic, whether it’s publishing news, behind-the-scenes insights from the podcast and our reading lives, or patron-submitted discussions. Most Unscripted episodes feature both co-hosts, Susie Boutry ( @NovelVisits ) and Catherine Gilmore ( @GilmoreGuide ), along with me — and this April episode was no exceptio...
Jul 24, 2024•2 hr 30 min•Ep. 174
For Ep. 173, Susie Boutry ( @NovelVisits ) joins me as we circle back to one of our favorite topics — niching down our reading into micro genres! In this special Circle Back, we revisit some previously shared micro genres from our two past Micro Genres We Love episodes and introduce two additional micro genres from a Patreon bonus episode not yet heard on the big show! We give examples that define each micro genre for us and share new books we’ve read that fit into these niches. Plus, we share b...
Jul 10, 2024•53 min•Ep. 173
In Ep. 172, Susie Boutry ( @NovelVisits ), Catherine Gilmore ( @GilmoreGuide ), and I are together for the first time on the big show to catch up on our 2024 reading — so far! We talk about the current publishing landscape, what books are topping bestseller lists to date, and our personal reading as it stands halfway through the year. We share our stats and talk about expectations and hopes for the remainder of the year. Plus, we each share our TOP 5 books and our biggest disappointments so far....
Jun 26, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 172
In Episode 171, Rufi Thorpe she joins me to discuss her latest novel, Margo’s Got Money Troubles , and her career arc in general. Rufi talks about her inspiration for Margo and the quirky elements she uses to explore deeper topics like loneliness, motherhood, untraditional family dynamics, money, and art — all with a great sense of humor. We also go behind-the-scenes of marketing the book, including cover design, titles, and comparison titles. Plus, Rufi shares her book recommendations! This pos...
Jun 12, 2024•57 min•Ep. 171
Announcement One of the many benefits to joining our Patreon Community is that you get access to several bonus podcast episode series, including Book Preview Extras ! In these episodes, Catherine and I share at least 4 bonus books we are excited about that we did not share in the big show preview episode. Get more details about all the goodies available to all patrons (Stars and Superstars) and sign up here ! CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog. Highlights Now that the 2024 Su...
May 29, 2024•47 min•Ep. 170
In Episode 169, Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books and I catch up on the 12 new releases from the Spring 2024 Book Preview . We share our reading stats, chat about what we liked, and what didn’t quite hit the mark. Tune in to hear our thoughts on these books and get some recommendations for your next read! This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog. Access the 20...
May 22, 2024•51 min•Ep. 169
Susie Boutry ( @NovelVisits ) and I share our favorite books that missed last year’s Summer Reading Guide, some shorter books we think are great for summer reading, and our #1 picks for each category featured in my 2024 Summer Reading Guide . This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog. Access the 2024 Summer Reading Guide Cheatsheet and Free Trial on Patreon here ...
May 15, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 168
In Ep. 167, Catherine ( @GilmoreGuide ) and I are circling back to 2018 in the book world with a special retrospective episode! We share big bookish highlights for that year, including book news, award winners, and what was going on in the world outside of reading. We also talk about our own 2018 reading and our favorite 2018 releases. Plus, you’ll hear listener-submitted favorites! This episode is overflowing with great backlist titles to add to your TBR! This post contains affiliate links thro...
May 01, 2024•55 min•Ep. 167
In episode 166, author Andrew Boryga joins me to discuss his debut novel, Victim , a funny and gripping satire about success and identity. Through the adventures of Javier, Victim explores what “diversity” means, why society loves a victim narrative, and the pitfalls of chasing fame online. Boryga combines humor with biting social commentary without sacrificing heart. This is a juicy and highly discussable story! In our chat, Andrew shares his inspiration behind the book, his decade long road to...
Apr 17, 2024•48 min•Ep. 166
Welcome to the Spring 2024 Book Preview with Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books ! In this episode, Catherine and I share 12 of our most anticipated books releasing in April and May. This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog. Announcement One of the many benefits to joining our Patreon Community is that you get access to several bonus podcast episode series, incl...
Apr 03, 2024•50 min•Ep. 165
In today’s episode, Catherine ( @GilmoreGuide ) and I circle back to the 16 books we featured in the Winter 2024 Book Preview . We’ll be sharing our reading stats and thoughts on the books we’ve read (or attempted), to help you decide which ones to add to your reading list and which ones to skip. This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog. Highlights Catherine and...
Mar 20, 2024•55 min•Ep. 164
In Episode 163, Sara Hildreth, from @FictionMatters and co-host of the podcast Novel Pairings , returns for her third appearance on our show as our expert for Classics & Retellings 101. Sara guides us through the sometimes intimidating world of timeless reads in an accessible way. She busted some myths about classics and changed my mind about some elements of the classics. And, she has a great approach to find the perfect retelling of your favorite classics for your next read. This post contains...
Mar 06, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 163
In Episode 162, Leigh Stein (author and journalist) joins me to jump into the world of BookTok, the bookish corner of TikTok. We talk about what early elements started this sensation, how creators and their content are different on this platform, and the main audience engaging with the app’s evolving algorithm. We also discuss the continuing gap in marketing and authentic social media content, and how we think publishers could address this issue. (Did we solve it?!) Plus, Leigh shares some great...
Feb 21, 2024•55 min•Ep. 162
In Episode 161, author Amanda Peters joins me to discuss her surprise hit novel, The Berry Pickers . This debut novel (which was the 2023 Barnes & Noble Discover Pick) seamlessly blends sadness and heartwarming moments. In our chat, Amanda shares what (or who) started her on this journey, the road to publication, and what she hopes readers take away from her first novel. Plus, Amanda shares some great book recommendations! This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commissio...
Feb 07, 2024•38 min•Ep. 161
