Sarah's Bookshelves Live
Sarah Dickinson | Sarah's Bookshelves
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Top 10 Sarah's Bookshelves Live Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Sarah's Bookshelves Live episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Sarah's Bookshelves Live for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Sarah's Bookshelves Live episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Ep. 36: Claire Gibson (Author of Beyond the Point) + Book Recommendations
Sarah's Bookshelves Live
10/30/19 • 41 min
In Episode 36, Claire Gibson, author of Beyond the Point (my review), talks about the inspiration behind the novel, what it was like growing up on the West Point campus, two editorial choices she made, and...of course, shares her book recommendations!
This post contains affiliate links (plus: here’s your Amazon Smile-specific affiliate link), through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
Highlights- What it was like to grow up on the West Point campus.
- A story about one of the women she interviewed as research for the book that didn’t make it into the book.
- Which of the three main characters is most like Claire herself.
- How Claire decided to more or less reveal the crux of the ending in the Prologue.
- Why Claire decided to make her three main characters competitive athletes (they all played basketball for West Point).
- A glimpse into Claire’s second novel (which she’s currently working on).
- Claire’s favorite book of all-time.
Two OLD Books She Loves
- East of Eden by John Steinbeck (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [19:27]
- So Big by Edna Ferber | Buy from Amazon [21:22]
Two NEW Books She Loves
- A Woman is No Manby Etaf Rum (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [23:03]
- All That You Leave Behind by Erin Lee Carr | Buy from Amazon [24:36]
One Book She DIDN’T Love
- Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [27:09]
One NEW RELEASE She’s Excited About
- The Book of Longingsby Sue Monk Kidd (Release Date: April 28, 2020) | Buy from Amazon [30:33]
- The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares | Buy from Amazon [3:27]
- Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides | Buy from Amazon [22:51]
- The Night of the Gun by David Carr | Buy from Amazon [25:02]
- All This Could Be Yours by Jami Attenberg (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [29:20]
- The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff (
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Ep. 145: 2023 Micro Genres We Love with Susie (@NovelVisits)
Sarah's Bookshelves Live
07/12/23 • 55 min
In Episode 145, Susie Boutry (@NovelVisits) and I dive into micro genres — the niches within niches that we’ve come to adore. Over the past year, we’ve discovered even more unique themes and types of books that consistently captivate us. Today, we’re thrilled to present a special episode where we share an abundant list of our favorite micro genres, the books that define them, and the reasons why we find them so irresistible.
This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
Get Even More Summer Reading Recommendations with Summer Shelves:- In addition to my annual 2023 Summer Reading Guide, I’m once again offering Superstars Patrons ($7/mo) exclusive access to Summer Shelves, featuring even more recommendations for the season.
- Summer Shelves features BACKLIST summer reading recommendations from 17 former podcast guests, our team members, and — for the first time — 20 Superstars patrons!
- The Summer Shelves design is clean, crisp, and unique and you’ll receive it in a PDF file format via Patreon.
- If you’d like to get the Summer Shelves companion guide, you can sign up to be a Superstars patron here. You’ll also get access to a monthly bonus podcast series called Double Booked (where Catherine or Susie and I share our own book recommendations in the same format as the big show) and my Rock Your Reading Tracker.
Sarah
- The View Was Exhausting by Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta | Amazon | Bookshop.org [5:08]
- Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman | Amazon | Bookshop.org [5:15]
- Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld | Amazon | Bookshop.org [5:18]
- How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder | Amazon | Bookshop.org [5:23]
- The Idea of You by Robinne Lee | Amazon | Bookshop.org [5:31]
- Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston | Amazon | Bookshop.org [5:44]
- Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan | Amazon | Bookshop.org [5:52]
Susie
- Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid | Amazon | Bookshop.org[6:06]
Susie
- The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton | Amazon | Bookshop.org [8:34]
- The Displacements by Bruce Holsinger | Amazon | Bookshop.org [8:40]
- American War by Omar El Akkad | Amazon | Bookshop.org [8:48]
- Greenwood by Michael Christie | Amazon | Bookshop.org [9:18]
- Bewilderment by Richard Powers | Amazon | Bookshop.org [9:57] <...
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Ep. 156: 2023 State of the Industry with Sarah Landis (Literary Agent)
Sarah's Bookshelves Live
11/29/23 • 62 min
For our first annual 2023 State of the Industry episode, we’re welcoming back literary agent Sarah Landis for an overview and exploration of some hot topics in the book world this year. Taking stock of how this year panned out for the publishing industry, Sarah discusses top news stories, dives deep into how specific titles performed this year, and shares current trends she’s seeing in publishing. Also, Sarah shares her favorite books of 2023!
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.
Coming Soon- The updated 2024 Rock Your Reading Tracker will release on December 6! This year’s updated edition will be exclusively available to our $7/month Superstars Patrons and will not be offered for separate purchase as in previous years. Don’t miss out on this and other bookish goodies – become a Superstars Patron here!
- 2023 bookish news and publishing numbers overview.
- Sarah talks current popular genres, BookTok trends, and Simon & Schuster sale.
- A quick dive into IP books, their meaning, and a notable downside.
- The Elizabeth Gilbert book review bombing situation.
- BTS vs. Taylor Swift pre-order controversy.
- Playing Over/Under with this year’s top book performers.
- Do celebrity book clubs really boost sales? A look at the numbers.
- Publisher expectations and the influence of page count.
- Bookish trends of the year: BookTok’s impact on publishing.
- Examining shifts in publishing calendars.
- Anticipating 2024’s potential bookish trends.
High-Level Overview [3:08]
- Spare by Prince Harry | Amazon | Bookshop.org [4:30]
- The Woman in Me by Britney Spears | Amazon | Bookshop.org [4:31]
- Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus | Amazon | Bookshop.org [4:58]
- Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros | Amazon | Bookshop.org [7:31]
- Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:08]
- Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin | Amazon | Bookshop.org [12:21]
- Fire & Blood by George R. R. Martin | Amazon | Bookshop.org [12:22]
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins | Amazon | Bookshop.org [12:48]
Big Book Stories of 2023 [13:10]
- Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert | Amazon | Bookshop.org [17:21]
- Beyond the Story by BTS and Myeongseok Kang | Amazon | Bookshop.org[21:22]
The Over / Under Game [25:17]
- Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah | Amazon | Bookshop.org[26:05]
- Yellowface by R. F. Kuang | Amazon | Bookshop.org [27:41]
- Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson | Amazon | Bookshop.org [30:17]
- In Memoriam
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Ep. 154: Behind the Scenes of Book Cover Design with Karen Horton (Former Art Director at Henry Holt) + Book Recommendations
Sarah's Bookshelves Live
11/01/23 • 49 min
In podcast episode 154, we’re diving into the world of book cover design with Karen Horton, graphic designer and former Art Director at Henry Holt. Karen takes us behind the scenes of the process of book cover design, who makes key book cover related decisions, and the role of marketing budgets and author’s reputation in this process. Plus, Karen shares 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.
Highlights- The high-level book cover design process.
- When and why publishers reach out to designers before a book’s launch proposal.
- The dynamics of deciding which books a designer works on.
- Freelance vs In-house: Factors that determine who gets to design the top titles.
- The lesser-known “silent auction” approach some publishers adopt.
- Whether book cover designers really read the whole book.
- Who holds the final decision about a book cover.
- The author’s role in the decision-making process and the factors that impact how that can play out.
- How marketing budgets and an author’s reputation influence design choices.
- The influence of ongoing design trends and when publishers decide to break away from them.
Two OLD Books She Loves
- A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki | Amazon | Bookshop.org [36:11]
- The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón | Amazon | Bookshop.org [38:04]
Two NEW Books She Loves
- Thicker Than Water by Kerry Washington | Amazon | Bookshop.org [39:36]
- We Were Once a Family by Roxanna Asgarian | Amazon | Bookshop.org [40:45]
One Book She DIDN’T Love
- A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole | Amazon | Bookshop.org[42:46]
NEW RELEASE She’s Excited About
- The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez (April 2, 2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:12]
- Other Books Mentioned:
- Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett [46:56]
Last 5-Star Book Karen Read
- A Living Remedy by Nicole Chung | Amazon | Bookshop.org [47:25]
- Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent [15:34]
- Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus [26:45]
- Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld [31:04]
- Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert [31:17]
- When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain [32:11]
- Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid [32:20]
- The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller [32:25]
- The Push by Ashley Audrain [32:32]
- The Whispers by Ashley Audrain [33:00]
- The Mothers by Brit Bennett [34:49]
- The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett [34:50]
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Ep. 163: Classics & Retellings 101 with Sara Hildreth (@FictionMatters) + Book Recommendations
Sarah's Bookshelves Live
03/06/24 • 70 min
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 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- Sara explores the definitions of a classic and a modern classic book.
- We talk about separating the American literature canon from the idea of a classic.
- Sara talks about being free to define classics on personal terms.
- The idea of a book being labeled a “future classic.”
- Now-famous books that went unnoticed initially when they were released.
- Sara’s personal reading motivations.
- Common issues people have when trying to tackle classic books.
- Notable quirks of many classics that were first published as serials.
- Tips and advice for approaching older books.
- Addressing the pressure surrounding reading or revisiting classics.
- Examples of nonfiction classics.
- Legal considerations for all those retellings.
- The rise of retellings as a trend with today’s audience.
- The difference between retellings and fan fiction.
- Sara’s recommendations for accessible classic literature.
- A different approach to finding the right retelling for your reading.
Please note: Sara mistakenly mentions during the discussion that The Great Gatsbydid not come into popularity until its distribution to soldiers during World War I, when this actually occurred during World War II.
Sara’s Book Recommendations [49:02]Two OLD Books She Loves — Classics
- The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton | Amazon | Bookshop.org [49:43]
- Passing by Nella Larson | Amazon | Bookshop.org [53:12]
- Other Books Mentioned
- The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton [50:58]
- The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton [50:59]
- Roman Fever and Other Stories by Edith Wharton [51:03]
- The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett [55:44]
Two NEW Books She Loves — Retellings
- Anna K by Jenny Lee | Amazon | Bookshop.org [57:35]
- The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vho | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:00:28]
- Other Books Mentioned
- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy [59:01]
- Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar [59:53]
- Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan [59:58]
One Book She DIDN’T Love — Classic
- Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain | Amazon | Bookshop.org[1:03:25]
One NEW RELEASE She’s Excited About — Retelling and Classic Pairing
- The Garden by Claire Beams (April 9, 2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:05:12]
- Other Books Mentioned
- The Illness Lesson by Claire Beams [1:05:37]
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott [1:05:41]
- The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett [1:06:21]
...
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Ep. 53: Spring 2020 Book Preview with Catherine (@GilmoreGuide)
Sarah's Bookshelves Live
04/01/20 • 56 min
Welcome to the Spring 2020 Book Preview with Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books!
Catherine and I share our most anticipated books coming out in April and May 2020.
This post contains affiliate links, through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
Supporting Local Bookstores- Libro.fm (affiliate link for audiobooks)
- Order online from your local bookstore (Sarah: The Bookshelf, Thomasville, Catherine: Powell’s)
- Bookshop.org (25% of profits go to a pool of independent bookstores)
- How you can support local bookstores (and authors by extension) during Coronavirus.
- Catherine and my success rate for books we shared in our Winter 2020 Preview episode.
- Our Best and Worst picks from the Winter 2020 Preview episode.
- How we were both awkwardly tall when we were young.
- A smaller (ish?) publishing imprint Catherine and I both love.
- Sarah’s and Catherine’s #1 Spring book picks.
April
Sarah’s Picks:
- Perfect Tunes by Emily Gould (April 14) | Buy from Amazon [14:55]
- The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe (April 28) | Buy from Amazon [22:49]
Catherine’s Picks:
- Godshot by Chelsea Bieker (March 31 – NEW publication date) | Buy from Amazon [20:08]
- Master Class by Christina Dalcher (April 21) | Buy from Amazon [27:27]
- If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha (April 21) | Buy from Amazon [33:42]
May
Sarah’s Picks:
- All Adults Here by Emma Straub (May 4) | Buy from Amazon [29:57]
- Stray by Stephanie Danler (May 5) | Buy from Amazon [36:27]
- Running by Natalia Sylvester (May 5) | Buy from Amazon [44:00]
- Eat a Peach by David Chang (May 19) | Buy from Amazon [48:12]
Catherine’s Picks:
- Big Summer by Jennifer Wiener (May 5 – NEW publication date!) | Buy from Amazon [40:59]
- Red Dress in Black and White by Elliot Ackerman (May 26) | Buy from Amazon [46:25]
- The First Actress by C.W. Gortner (May 26) | Buy from Amazon [50:08]
Bonus Recommendation (Co-Signed by Both of Us):
- Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld (May 19) | Buy from Amazon [51:39] ...
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Ep. 165: Spring 2024 Book Preview with Catherine (@GilmoreGuide)
Sarah's Bookshelves Live
04/03/24 • 49 min
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, 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!
- Catherine is fully embracing spring with some lighter, fun reading.
- Sarah is joining the fun with lighter reads as she preps for the Summer Reading Guide.
- Among weddings, homecomings, and books set in Washington State, Catherine is bringing 5 out of 6 familiar authors.
- With some atypical stories, Sarah has some with historical fiction elements and a nonfiction book.
- Sarah’s choices feature 2 debuts and 3 returning authors.
- Hopefully going for a tamer wildcard pick will work out for Sarah this season.
- Sarah has read and liked 2 of her chosen books, and has also started one of Catherine’s picks!
- And don’t forget to catch their top #1 picks for the spring season!
April
Sarah’s Picks
- The Wives by Simone Gorrindo (April 9) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [4:54]
- The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza (April 2) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [11:10]
- Colton Gentry’s Third Act by Jeff Zenter (April 30) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[19:51]
Catherine’s Picks
- Christa Comes Out of Her Shell by Abbi Waxman (April 16) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [8:54]
- Honey by Victor Lodato (April 16) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [17:08]
- Real Americans by Rachel Khong (April 30) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [24:45]
Other Books Mentioned
- The Wanderers by Meg Howrey [7:16]
- You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith [8:10]
- Maid by Stephanie Land [8:13]
- Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad [8:17]
- Know My Name by Chanel Miller [8:20]
- Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance [8:22]
- Educated by Tara Westover [8:24]
- Other People’s Houses by Abbi Waxman [10:37]
- We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza [13:53]
- Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win by Jo Piazza [14:01]
- Edgar and Lucy by Victor Lodato [17:17]
- All This Could Be Yours by Jami Attenberg [19:14]
- The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner [20:16]
- Normal People by Sally Rooney [22:36]
- Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong [24:55]
May
Sarah’s Picks
- The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley (May 7) |
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Ep. 160: The Best Backlist Books We Read in 2023 with Catherine (@GilmoreGuide)
Sarah's Bookshelves Live
01/24/24 • 55 min
In Episode 160, Catherine (@GilmoreGuide) and I share the best backlist books we read in 2023. We each discuss our top 5 backlist books from last year, highlight some underrated backlist gems, and review our backlist reading statistics. Devoting an entire episode to backlist reading is something we love doing and we've heard from you that you love it too!
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- Available Now! To get the backlist reading guide, The Best of the Backlist, you can sign up to be a Superstars patron here. You’ll also get access to a monthly bonus podcast series called Double Booked (where Catherine or Susie and I share our own book recommendations in the same format as the big show) and my Rock Your Reading Tracker.
- Catherine had a small uptick in her backlist reading — her most successful segment of books in 2023!
- Sarah's backlist reading was slightly less successful than last year — maybe marking an unfortunate trend.
- How Sarah's decreased DNFs for last year impacted her Backlist stats.
- While Catherine has already read many of Sarah's picks, Sarah has already purchased (but not yet read) many of Catherine's choices!
Catherine
- Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen | Amazon | Bookshop.org [7:44]
- True Biz by Sara Nović | Amazon | Bookshop.org [13:12]
- All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir | Amazon | Bookshop.org [17:52]
- The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary | Amazon | Bookshop.org [24:58]
- Leaving Atlanta by Tayari Jones | Amazon | Bookshop.org [32:31]
Sarah
- Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:24]
- What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo | Amazon | Bookshop.org [15:36]
- Search by Michelle Huneven | Amazon | Bookshop.org [21:41]
- Like a House on Fire by Lauren McBrayer | Amazon | Bookshop.org [29:04]
- The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka | Amazon | Bookshop.org [36:55]
Other Books Mentioned
- Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent [10:38]
- Unraveling Oliver by Liz Nugent [11:10]
- The Ensemble by Aja Gabel [23:19]
- Untamed by Glennon Doyle [31:14]
- An American Marriage by Tayari Jones [33:22]
- Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones [36:31]
Catherine
- Too Bright to Hear Too Loud to See by Juliann Garey | Amazon | Bookshop.org[40:07]
- A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella | Amazon | ...
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Ep. 164: Winter 2024 Circle Back with Catherine (@GilmoreGuide)
Sarah's Bookshelves Live
03/20/24 • 55 min
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 Sarah share their Winter 2024 reading stats and success rates.
- Despite some trouble in her reading early on, Catherine ended up with a successful winter.
- Sarah’s reading had a mix of fiction and nonfiction with several debuts.
- We’ve got a total of 3 five-star books!
- Does a mythology retelling always work for Catherine?
- Was Sarah’s wildcard pick a little too out there for her?
- Plus, don’t miss their #1 picks for winter.
Sarah’s Picks
- Mercury by Amy Jo Burns (January 2) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [3:49]
- The Fortune Seller by Rachel Kapelke-Dale (February 13) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [6:30]
Other Books Mentioned
- Shiner by Amy Jo Burns [3:54]
- Cinderland by Amy Jo Burns [5:30]
- The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale [8:34]
- The Ingenue by Rachel Kapelke-Dale [8:35]
January
Sarah’s Picks
- River East, River West by Aube Rey Lescure (January 9) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [13:00]
- Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson (January 30) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [22:52]
Catherine’s Picks
- The Fury by Alex Michaelides (January 16) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [9:23]
- Family Family by Laurie Frankel (January 23) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [18:35]
Other Books Mentioned
- The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides [11:32]
- This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel [22:42]
- One Two Three by Laurie Frankel [22:43]
- Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson [22:57]
- Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie [23:14]
February
Sarah’s Picks
- Dixon, Descending by Karen Outen (February 6) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[30:04]
- Leaving by Roxana Robinson (February 13) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [36:06]
Catherine’s Picks
- The Things We Didn’t Know by Elba Iris Pérez (February 6) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [27:06]
- Medea by Eilish Quin (February 13) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:17]
- Whiskey Tender by Deborah Jackson Taffa (February 27) |
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Ep. 153: 2023 Debuts Special with Susie (@NovelVisits)
Sarah's Bookshelves Live
10/18/23 • 55 min
In Episode 153, Susie Boutry (@NovelVisits) and I are back for our 3rd annual Debuts Special! Today, we’re sharing our favorite debuts from 2023 (so far), new and backlist! Plus, we discuss our reading stats for debuts this year, and we talk about some standout sophomore novels that made the cut.
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 this year’s crop of debuts compares to those from previous years.
- A full breakdown of our 2023 debut-related stats.
- Debuts we love, divided into three categories:
- Favorite Debuts of 2023 (so far)
- Favorite Backlist Debuts
- Standout Sophomore Novels
Sarah
- Talking at Night by Claire Daverley | Amazon | Bookshop.org [8:01]
- The Art of Scandal by Regina Black | Amazon | Bookshop.org [13:43]
- Good for a Girl by Lauren Fleshman | Amazon | Bookshop.org [20:02]
- Shark Heart by Emily Habeck | Amazon | Bookshop.org [26:41]
Susie
- Go As a River by Shelley Read | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:47]
- Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin | Amazon | Bookshop.org [16:49]
- In Memoriam by Alice Winn | Amazon | Bookshop.org [22:43]
- The Road to Dalton by Shannon Bowring | Amazon | Bookshop.org [30:40]
Other Books Mentioned
- The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin [7:27]
- The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue [8:47]
- Normal People by Sally Rooney [8:48]
- The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller [8:50]
- One Day by David Nicholls [8:51]
- Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering [9:20]
- Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens [13:07]
- The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger [24:23]
- The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff [24:25]
- A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara [25:33]
- No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister [32:06]
- The Net Beneath Us by Carol Dunbar [33:07]
- A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson [33:10]
Sarah
- The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:37]
- Blood Sugar by Sascha Rothchild | Amazon | Bookshop.org [39:47]
Susie
- Severance by Ling Ma | Amazon | Bookshop.org [36:18]
- Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller | Amazon |
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FAQ
How many episodes does Sarah's Bookshelves Live have?
Sarah's Bookshelves Live currently has 190 episodes available.
What topics does Sarah's Bookshelves Live cover?
The podcast is about Reading, Podcasts, Books and Arts.
What is the most popular episode on Sarah's Bookshelves Live?
The episode title 'Ep. 36: Claire Gibson (Author of Beyond the Point) + Book Recommendations' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Sarah's Bookshelves Live?
The average episode length on Sarah's Bookshelves Live is 50 minutes.
How often are episodes of Sarah's Bookshelves Live released?
Episodes of Sarah's Bookshelves Live are typically released every 14 days.
When was the first episode of Sarah's Bookshelves Live?
The first episode of Sarah's Bookshelves Live was released on Dec 7, 2018.
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