Send us a text Hello! Welcome to episode 29 of the Bookshelf Odyssey Podcast. My guest today is author and hypnotherapist (and pet sitter!) Pamela Topjian. She has just recently written a memoir entitled "I Didn't Come This Far to Only Come This Far". It follows her story from incredible tragedy and abuse to one of triumph over many hardships. We talk about her life, how to go about writing a memoir - and more importantly, WHY everyone should write the story of their life. There&a...
Apr 13, 2022•49 min•Season 1Ep. 29
Send us a text Welcome to part 10 of our Great Expectations read along book club as we talk about chapters 30-34. And I'm joined again this week with Carol! Today's chapters we discuss whether or not a barrel of oysters was a good gift for Pip to give Joe, we scratch our heads over Pip's experience of Hamlet as played by Mr. Wopsle, talk about Pip's constant connections to convicts and prison imagery, and then we make ourselves sad as we think about who is controlling Pip&apo...
Apr 07, 2022•44 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Send us a text In the chapters we discuss today, Pip reunites with Joe (yay!) but it's super awkward, and Pip is a bit rude (boo!) Then, Pip is invited to Satis House to have a reunion with a grown up Estella (awkward!). Also, I'm not sure why but the last 10 seconds of the video has no picture, just audio (confused?) I give us a couple of questions to think about after these chapters, so I'd love to hear what you think. Comment below or come find us on voxer! Satis House Coffee M...
Mar 31, 2022•34 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Send us a text In today's episode, we're showing some love to our libraries. My guest is Aaron Whitfield and he is a library professional. I sit down to chat with him about his mission - to promote libraries as a necessary part of a community. They not only provide a place of learning, reading and other similar resources, but libraries can also provide a place of refuge, community, and acceptance. There's a lot of love for libraries in this episode, and Aaron shares some amazing s...
Mar 24, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Send us a text It's an exciting episode today - one of our readers, Carol, joins me at the microphone to talk about this week's reading of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations, chapters 23-26. In these chapters Pip goes to three different homes and experiences three very different groups of people. Carol and I have a great time chatting about Pip and our hopes for him in the novel. Read along with us, and watch the video to see which characters we liked, which ones we adored, and w...
Mar 22, 2022•41 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Send us a text In today's chapters discussion of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, we follow Pip from the Marshes to London and get to see his first experiences of the city. Now that Pip is living his dream of becoming a gentleman, will he be content? Well, probably not... only time will tell! Along the way we get to meet his new roommate, Herbert Pocket, and we are introduced to his family. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 01:00 Part 13, C...
Mar 12, 2022•21 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Send us a text In today's discussion, an event happens that will change Pip and the plot for the rest of the book. How will Pip handle this change? Portion Discussed: Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, chapters 18-19 Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:33 Part 11, Chapter 18 19:24 Part 12, Chapter 19 34:42 Thoughts on Stage 1 of Great Expectations Find Me online: Voxer: @artbookshelfodyssey Discord: https://discord.gg/8MFceV2NFe Facebook Group Page: @thebookshelfodyssey Twitter: @odyssey...
Mar 06, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Send us a text Hello! Today we look at parts 9 and 10 of Charles Dickens' Victorian classic, Great Expectations. It covers chapters 14-17 and there is a lot that happens here and we get two pretty good cliffhangers! I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapters. Comment below or I can add you to our voxer channel. I've also attached an up-to-date reading schedule. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 02:15 Part 9 Chapter 14 07:48 Part 9 Chapter 15 19:35 Part 10 Chapter 16 23:30 Part 10 ...
Feb 25, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Send us a text We follow Pip on several trips to Satis House... and I'm only left with more questions. Pip meets 6 new characters. Estella continues to be haughty and disdainful of Pip, and Miss Havisham wants to meet with Joe Gargery. Find out what happens next as we read the Victorian classic, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens! 00:00 Intro and What I'm Drinking 02:53 Follow Up on last Weeks video 05:50 Part 7 Chapter 11 19:35 Part 8 Chapter 12 23:55 Part 8 Chapter 13 32:45 The Sp...
Feb 15, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Send us a text Today we talk about chapters 8-10 of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. We meet the icy cold Estella, the mysterious Miss Havisham, and Pip receives some very wise advice from Joe. All this and more! 00:00 Introductory thoughts 01:20 Part 5: Chapter 8 16:16 Part 6: Chapter 9 25:45 Part 6: Chapter 10 32:30 Final thoughts on the section 36:22 What’s next Find Me online: Voxer: @artbookshelfodyssey Facebook Group Page: @thebookshelfodyssey Twitter: @odyssey_podcast Instagram: ...
Feb 05, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Send us a text Welcome to our readalong of the Victorian classic, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Today we see that there may in fact be honor among thieves, and then we get some background information on the marriage of Mr and Mrs. Joe Gargery. I'm not sure it answers any of our questions from last week, but it gives us some food for thought. Some questions I have for us - Why does the convict take credit for Pip's stealing him food, drink etc? Do we like Mrs. Joe any better th...
Jan 28, 2022•41 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Send us a text Hello everyone! I am doing a video series on YouTube talking about Great Expectations chapter by chapter. I'm putting the audio on the podcast feed too in case it's more convenient to listen to this way. Stay tuned for regularly schedule podcast episodes too! Welcome to the first episode discussing the week's reading of Great Expectations. I'm so excited to have you along! In today's episode I give some introductory discussion on Charles Dickens and Great ...
Jan 25, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Send us a text Well, you probably can guess what this episode will be about... so without further ado, I share with you my 10 favorite reads from 2021. There's a video version available on my youtube channel! See you next week with another Charlotte Perkins Gilman story! I have a bookshop.org affiliate shop where you can purchase any of those books, and it helps out the channel without any extra cost to you! https://bookshop.org/shop/bookshelfodyssey 00:00 Some 2021 Reading Stats and a Dick...
Jan 14, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Send us a text Hello! We're back from a Christmas and New Year vacation, and I've got some great episodes lined up. First off in today's episode I am going to be reading the classic short story of horror - The Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. I have a few thoughts that I will be sharing in today's episode as well, with more to come in the weeks ahead. So for today, sit back and relax, turn down the lights and enjoy... if you dare! Find Me online: Facebook Group ...
Jan 07, 2022•42 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Send us a text It's our Christmas episode here on the Bookshelf Odyssey Podcast! I invited youtuber and expert reader Kate Howe onto the show to give us some suggestions to make our Christmas and Winter reading the coziest it can be. We talk about all the books mentioned below, along with our thoughts on The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Louise Penny, and Little Women (and it's adaptations!), and so much more. If you head over to the youtube page, you'll find a video version of t...
Dec 18, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Send us a text Today on the Bookshelf Odyssey, we explore the world of Journalism! I have on the show today a veteran of journalism - John DeDakis. We also talk about how he went from a career in journalism (writing about facts!) to a career as a novelist - and how different the two are from each other. (At least they SHOULD be...) John's written a fantastic mystery series about a journalist named Lark Chadwick, and in the beginning of the episode I give a quick review of his first novel Fa...
Dec 12, 2021•46 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Send us a text It was a Dark and Stormy night... so that means it's a perfect night for reading! Especially getting cozy with a mystery. My guests today host the It was a Dark and Stormy Bookclub Podcast! I've been a fan of theirs for a couple of years, and was a bit star struck to have them on the podcast today. We sit down to discuss our favorite genre of mysteries as well as give tons of recommendations for your TBR lists. Some of the books we mention: Bonnie Macbird Sherlock Holmes...
Dec 03, 2021•51 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Send us a text Happy Halloween everyone! To help celebrate this spooky time of year, I'm joined today with author Juno Jakob. We both are devoted fans of Ray Bradbury, and we talk about him and his influence on our lives. Juno has also written a new book for YA called The Halloween Book - it is going to be released on Halloween day, and it's perfect reading for the kids in your life. Perhaps this Halloween you could hand out copies of the book instead of candy... OR BOTH! (Both is prob...
Oct 30, 2021•56 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Send us a text Today's episode is pretty special. First of all, we are celebrating 10 episodes! Wooo HOO! Also, the entire episode is on video - I'm slowly trying to learn new skills and this was fun to put together. And finally, I have two very special guests on the podcast: CJ Corl, author and writer of the upcoming podcast series "Simply to Die For". Joining her is actor Joe Morales who plays a character in the podcast. I have an absolute delight chatting with them about t...
Oct 22, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Send us a text Have you ever wondered how classic Victorian writer H.G. Wells would have imagined the end of the world? OK, that's a pretty specific topic, but that is what I'm reading to you today in this episode. Today's episode is actually taken from a YouTube video I released earlier this week. If you don't know about the YouTube channel be sure to check it out! In today's story, scientists discover a new, bright object in the night sky... what is it, and what does i...
Oct 15, 2021•35 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Send us a text Hello! Today I have a very special guest on - Rita Maria Martinez, author of the Jane Eyre inspired poetry collection, "The Jane and Bertha in Me". Rita joins me to discuss Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte, and the impact stories and words can have on us. I enjoyed talking with Rita - and I know you will enjoy hearing the episode. Jane Eyre is one of my favorite Victorian novels. Charlotte Bronte wrote it in 1847 - and yet it still resonates with audiences today. Find out how...
Oct 09, 2021•2 hr 33 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Send us a text Today we're getting fancy and we're looking at poetry. Art is joined by poet Cendrine Marrouat and they explore poetry. If you struggle with understanding poetry or how to understand poetry - you will definitely want to hear this episode! Find Cendrine Marrouat online: https://creativeramblings.com/ After the Fires of Day is available now: https://bookshop.org/a/56283/9798201060961 Facebook Group Page: @thebookshelfodyssey Twitter: @odyssey_podcast Instagram: @bookshelfo...
Oct 01, 2021•56 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Send us a text It’s all about science fiction today on The Bookshelf Odyssey Podcast! Sci-Fi takes up a significant portion of my bookshelves, how about yours? Today I interview a very special guest, the Hugo award nominated (and winner!) author Naomi Kritzer. She has two stories up for nomination this year at the Hugoes - “Monster” and the marvelous “Little Free Library”. Join me today as I talk to her about her writing journey (persistence pays!), science fiction, and some of her favorite stor...
Sep 24, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Send us a text We have a supersized episode today! We're going to be taking a closer look at Elizabeth Gaskell today! I want to thank everyone for sticking with me through the delay I had in posting last week. Life got crazy, but I'm back with an extra long episode for you today. First off, I'll give you some plans I have for some personal reading I'll be doing for booktube's "Victorian October" (aka #Victober), and then we'll get back the Elizabeth Gaskel...
Sep 16, 2021•2 hr 42 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Send us a text The plot thickens! Welcome to the 2nd portion of this week's story, The Grey Woman by Victorian writer Elizabeth Gaskell. Last week we left our heroine trapped in a marriage to an unpleasant, toxic man who mysteriously comes and goes, keeps her cut off from her family and friends, and prevents her from exploring different sections of the house. In this episode, among other things, Anna gets some surprising news, and we find her hiding under a table in her husbands room. Why? ...
Sep 03, 2021•52 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Send us a text Welcome back book friends! In today's episode I talk about what I've been reading and give some reading recommendations for you. Then I begin reading Elizabeth Gaskell's gothic tale, The Grey Woman. A Victorian woman traveling through Europe comes across a striking portrait of a lady known as The Grey Woman. The story she uncovers about the woman in the portrait may have been written in 1861, but it's themes still resonate today. I have a youtube page, and will...
Aug 27, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Send us a text In today's episode of Bookshelf Odyssey Podcast, We continue our exploration of Victorian writer, Elizabeth Gaskell. Today, I read to you her charming morality tale, "Hand and Heart". It tells the story of little Tom Fletcher and begins with his desire to have "a great deal of money" in order to be able to do good deeds. His mother teaches him that money isn't necessary to be able to show kindness to others. This is a marvelous story that celebrates k...
Aug 20, 2021•51 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Send us a text Hello book lovers! Welcome to the first episode of Bookshelf Odyssey. Today's story is a classic creepy Victorian ghost story - The Old Nurse's Story by Elizabeth Gaskell. I hope you enjoy the story - let me know if there's a story you'd like me to share or talk about on an upcoming podcast. And let me know what you're reading! Regular episodes start weekly August 27th or thereabouts. Contact Me: https://www.facebook.com/TheBookshelfOdyssey Email: bookshel...
Aug 15, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Send us a text What is the Bookshelf Odyssey Podcast? Take a listen to find out about a brand new podcast coming in August 2021! ____________ There are 4 ways you can help support the channel! -Like and subscribe! -I'm now a bookshop.org affiliate - check out my shop and find your next great read! https://bookshop.org/shop/bookshelfodyssey -Buy me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/bookshelfpod - My Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2PTGNQWISVZE/ref=nav_wishlist_lis...
Jul 31, 2021•1 min0
