So, We Bought a Book Shop – Détails, épisodes et analyse

There's one question we get asked more than anything else, and so today we're digging into that question. We also talk about the importance of reading novels in order to develop empathy, which specific books have done that for us, and why human recommendations are better than the algorithm. 

Thanks for listening!

For a complete list of books mentioned in this podcast, head over to our bookshelf dedicated to this podcast at Bookshop.org!

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Music by Copcar Karaoke
Art by Ned Bustard

Maile and I talk about being writers who own a book shop...do we mind selling other writers' work when we haven't had much time to write ourselves? And going into 2025, how do we get back on track in our own writing life? Do conditions need to be perfect for you to step out and follow your dream?

This one's for anyone working a day job who also wants to pursue their creative dreams. 

Books mentioned in this episode:

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
Beate Not the Poore Desk by Walter Wangerin
Mastering the Process by Elizabeth George
A Swim in the Pond in the Rain by George Saunders
Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry
Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry
On Writing by Stephen King
11/22/63 by Stephen King

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Music by Copcar Karaoke
Art by Ned Bustard

Today Maile and I talk about our fears in opening a bookstore--what if, in this divisive climate, people get upset by the books we carry or choose not to carry? What if we can't read enough books to keep up with our readers' needs? What if the construction on our block puts us out of business?

So much of our hope in the face of despair comes from you all, a book-loving community that helps us to know about the good books that are out there in the world and continues to bring us all together. 

We also talk about Maile's fear of complete and utter failure, how the start of construction next door (and the closing of the sidewalk) played into that, and how we find hope in the middle of it all. 

Books mentioned in this episode:

We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Ishida and Shimoda
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whittaker
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
Pick the Lock by A.S. King
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis
Cherished Belonging by Greg Boyle

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Order From Our Bookshop.org Page!
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Music by Copcar Karaoke
Art by Ned Bustard

Is all reading beneficial? Maile and I begin by gently debating the place of graphic novels in a child's reading diet, then discuss the comment we often hear from visitors in the shop about children: "As long as they're reading, that's what matters." Is it?

What if it's not about the book as much as what we bring to the book and how deliberate we are in evaluating what we're reading?

There are so many forces acting on us, so many people who want us to think in certain ways. If we read the right books, they can help guide us to a better way of thinking and living. 

Books mentioned in this episode:

Jane Austen
The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
Even After Everything by Stephanie Smith
Time of the Child by Niall Williams
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Pick the Lock by A.S. King

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Order From Our Bookshop.org Page!
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Music by Copcar Karaoke
Art by Ned Bustard

The easy answer to how a book ends up in our shop is that we have to love it . . . or have it recommended strongly to us . . . or talk to readers who share our taste and are big fans of the book in question. But there's more to it than that, because sometimes a book travels a long and winding way to get to us. That's the way of a good book. 

And when it arrives in our store and we read it, we long for a community in which to share our response to the book. As Walter Wangerin wrote, art only becomes fully art when it is experienced in community. 

We also talk about our writerly lives and how incomplete it feels to have stories we've written that people haven't read. 

Also some thoughts on winter living, wood stoves, and reading in the early dark. 

Books mentioned in this episode:

Land of Stories by Chris Colfer
This is Happiness by Niall Williams
John by Niall Williams
Time of the Child by Niall Williams
The Witch Elm by Tana French
In the Woods by Tana French
The Little Friend by Donna Tartt
Beate Not the Poore Desk by Walter Wangerin
Blessed are the Rest of Us by Micha Boyett
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty

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Music by Copcar Karaoke

Where do dreams take root? What's the process in deciding to say yes to something new, out-of-the-box, exciting? Today, Maile and I talk about the story behind our purchase of Nooks, a local book shop in Lancaster, PA. We also discuss how the fear of failure can keep us trying meaningful things or setting out on new adventures, and how an important part of making big decisions is often . . . waiting, patience, trust. 

Also, Shawn talks about being on the edge of a literal breakdown, and Maile shares how her introverted self has grown into her love of community.

"If you're lucky enough to find a way of life you love, you have to find the courage to live it."

Books mentioned in this episode:
A Prayer for Owen Meany
The Creative Act
Time of the Child
Small Things Like These

Connect with us!
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Maile's Substack
Shawn's Substack
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