The Bookstore – Details, episodes & analysis

Becca's pick for April's prompt to read a book based on its cover or title is Nonfiction: A Novel by Julie Myerson, because the contradiction between the title and genre was too compelling to pass up. 

Content warning: drug addiction

Our next book discussion will be Underground Barbie by Maša Kolanović. You can find it at your local bookstore or library and read along with us.

If you want to read along with The Bookstore Challenge 2024, you can join us on The StoryGraph to see what others are reading for each month and get ideas for your TBR: The Bookstore Challenge 2025.

Get two audiobook credits for the price of one at Libro.fm when you sign up using the code BOOKSTOREPOD.

Website | Patreon

The March prompt is to read a book published by an indie press, and Corinne's pick is Witches by Brenda Lozano, translated by Heather Cleary, and published by Catapult.

Content warning: brief mentions of violence, including sexual violence

Our next book discussion will be Nonfiction by Julie Myerson. You can find it at your local bookstore or library and read along with us.

If you want to read along with The Bookstore Challenge 2024, you can join us on The StoryGraph to see what others are reading for each month and get ideas for your TBR: The Bookstore Challenge 2025.

Get two audiobook credits for the price of one at Libro.fm when you sign up using the code BOOKSTOREPOD.

Website | Patreon

Google Doc for Helene Recovery Resources

LESBIAN. VAMPIRES. 

We read The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez for October's prompt to read a book in one of the following genres: monster/vampire/gothic. 

Content warning: We briefly talk about violence and murder. The book also contains scenes of the main character experiencing racism.

Our next book is The Empusium: A Health Resort Horror Story by Olga Tokarczuk and translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones.

If you want to read along with The Bookstore Challenge 2024, you can join us on The StoryGraph to see what others are reading for each month and get ideas for your TBR: The Bookstore Challenge 2024.

Get two audiobook credits for the price of one at Libro.fm when you sign up using the code BOOKSTOREPOD.

Website | Patreon

Detransition, Baby is a debut novel by Torrey Peters that also happens to be absolutely perfect for discussion and buddy reading. We really loved this unconventional story of three women on a journey to become (or not become) mothers. We will be anxiously waiting for it to be optioned as a limited series on a premium cable network.

Next time we will be reading The Hunger by Alma Katsu. You can find it at your local library or bookstore and read along with us.

Get two months for the price of one at Libro.fm with code 'bookstore' at checkout. 

Website | Patreon

On this episode we preach to the choir and discuss why book banning is a bad thing.

Next time we will be discussing Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters. You can find it at your local library or bookstore and read along with us.

Sources for this episode:

Penn Live - Ban on books by or about minorities sparks protests, national news in York County

York Daily Record - Book ban by Central York school board of racial justice materials spurs student protests

Fresh Air - Uncovering Who Is Driving The Fight Against Critical Race Theory In Schools

Get two months for the price of one at Libro.fm with code 'bookstore' at checkout. 

For our first read for the September Bookstore Challenge we read Sigrid Nunez's debut auto-fiction novel, A Feather on the Breath of God. It reflects on the author/narrator's parents, both immigrants, her upbringing in New York, and a later love affair with a Russian immigrant in her 20's.

Next time we will be discussing Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters. You can find it at your local library or bookstore and read along with us.

Get two months for the price of one at Libro.fm with code 'bookstore' at checkout. 

Website | Patreon

For our final Women in Translation Month installment we read Thora Hjorliefsdottir's Magma. It is a challenging read about a young woman in an abusive relationship. We relate, we don't want to relate. We commiserate.

Next time we will be discussing A Feather on the Breath of God by Sirgrid Nunez.

Get two months for the price of one at Libro.fm with code 'bookstore' at checkout. 

Website | Patreon

Way back in 2017, the first year of The Bookstore Podcast's existence, we read Hollywood Wives by Jackie Collins. When the documentary about her life popped up on Becca's Netflix Recommended, we figured we'd watch and discuss. We have a lot of laughs talking about Collins' fascinating life and work. 

Barbara Cartland song

Next time we will be discussing Magma by Thora Hjorliefsdottir. It can be found at your local bookstore or through Hoopla if your local library uses that service.

Get two months for the price of one at Libro.fm with code 'bookstore' at checkout. 

Website | Patreon

It's Women in Translation Month and our first pick for this prompt is the recently released somewhat autobiographical/historical novel about the Pinochet regime in Chile, The Twilight Zone by Nona Fernandez. Long time listeners will be pleased to note that Corinne has transcended using the word "basically" as a filler to using exclusively "essentially."

Next time we will be discussing Magma by Thora Hjorliefsdottir. It can be found at your local bookstore or through Hoopla if you're local library uses that service.

Other books/authors mentioned:
Human Matter: A Fiction by Rodrigo Rey Rosa
The Work of Eduardo Gleano
We Didn't Start the Fire by Billy Joel

Get two months for the price of one at Libro.fm with code 'bookstore' at checkout. 

Website | Patreon

For Women in Translation Month, which is our prompt for August and also celebration in the wider book world, we talk a little bit about previous episodes where we recommend works in translation, as well as some literary translation prizes. Our main topic is a translation game Corinne made, so fair warning, there is lots of laughing in this episode because we have lots of fun.

Next time we will be discussing The Twilight Zone by Nona Fernandez.

Get two months for the price of one at Libro.fm with code 'bookstore' at checkout. 

Website | Patreon