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Sarah's Bookshelves Live

Sarah's Bookshelves Live

By: Sarah Dickinson | Sarah's Bookshelves
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 Sarah’s Bookshelves Live is a weekly show featuring real talk about books and book recommendations from a featured guest. Each week, Sarah of the blog Sarah’s Bookshelves will talk with her guest about: - 2 OLD BOOKS THEY LOVE - 2 NEW BOOKS THEY LOVE - 1 BOOK THEY DON’T LOVE - AND 1 NEW RELEASE THEY’RE EXCITED ABOUT I’m getting real about all things books and serving you up a bit of snark on the side.Sarah Dickinson | Sarah's Bookshelves Art Literary History & Criticism
Episodes
  • Ep. 200: 200th Episode Celebration with Susie and Catherine

    Ep. 200: 200th Episode Celebration with Susie and Catherine
    Jul 9 2025

    Welcome to the 200th episode of Sarah’s Bookshelves Live with a very special celebration with both co-hosts: Susie (@NovelVisits) and Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books. Today, they are answering listener-submitted questions all about their reading journeys, their podcast journeys, and some about their pre-podcast blogging days!

    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
    • Their early reading lives.
    • The most surprising things about their reading history.
    • Susie’s secret endeavor!
    • How much they talk about books in their day-to-day lives.
    • What their friends outside of the book world think about what they do.
    • Would Susie or Catherine ever want to do an author interview?
    • How their feelings about the podcast have changed over the years.
    Topic Highlights

    Key Moments in Their Reading Lives [1:59]
    A few of the questions answered:

    • Have you always been a reader, and do you have a distinct memory of when you truly fell in love with reading? [2:11]
    • Was there a time in your life when you were not reading very much? [6:34]
    • What parts of your reading tastes have changed dramatically over the course of your reading life and what parts have stayed consistent? [10:56]
    • Currently, what is your reading “why”? What’s the primary reasoon you read? [29:35]

    Their Professional Reading Journeys [34:17]
    A few of the questions answered:

    • Why did you start your blogs? [34:26]
    • Is there anything you miss from the time when you only blogged? Anything you don’t miss? [40:35]
    • What is your relationship like off mic? [44:49]
    • How has social media changed your reading life? [53:04]
    • Anything you wish you had known about podcasting before you got involved? [1:03:13]
    Books Mentioned
    • Dick and Jane Reading Collection [2:41]
    • Ant and Bee and the ABC (1950) [4:31]
    • The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene (1930) [4:59]
    • Kristy’s Great Idea (The Baby-Sitters Club, 1) by Ann M. Martin (1986) [5:02]
    • Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown (1947) [5:29]
    • The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer (2013) [9:47]
    • Double Love (Sweet Valley High, 1) by Francine Pascal (1983) [16:09]
    • Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (1861) [16:49]
    • Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering (2018) [17:42]
    • Normal People by Sally Rooney (2019) [17:43]
    • Bitter Sweet by Hattie Williams (2025) [17:44]
    • Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert (1857) [18:46]
    • Middlemarch by George Eliot (1872) [18:54]
    • Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen (1937) [19:17]
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Ep. 199: Best Books of 2025 (So Far) with Susie and Catherine

    Ep. 199: Best Books of 2025 (So Far) with Susie and Catherine
    Jun 25 2025
    In Ep. 199, Susie Boutry (@NovelVisits), Catherine Gilmore (@GilmoreGuide), and Sarah are all back on the mic, ready to catch up on how their reading is shaping up for 2025 — so far! They talk about the current publishing landscape, what books are topping bestseller lists to date, and their personal reading as it stands halfway through the year. They share reading stats and talk about expectations and hopes for the remainder of the year. Plus, their TOP 5 books and their biggest disappointments so far. 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. The Bookish Landscape [1:13] Books Mentioned Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros (2025) [3:28] Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (2023) [4:08]Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros (2023) [4:11]The Women by Kristin Hannah (2024) [4:22]Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (2025) [4:53] The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (2008) [4:59] The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins (2024) [5:02] Dog Man: Big Jim Begins (Dog Man, #13) by Dav Pilkey (2024) [5:07]The Housemaid by Freida McFadden (2022) [5:13]The Crash by Freida McFadden (2025) [5:17]Atomic Habits by James Clear (2018) [5:24]A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (2015) [5:41]Next to Heaven by James Frey (2025) [9:44] James by Percival Everett (2024) [11:20]Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar (2024) [11:22]Audition by Katie Kitamura (2025) [12:31] The Names by Florence Knapp (2025) [13:51] A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara (2015) [15:52] The Wedding People by Alison Espach (2024) [17:03] The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (2025) [17:22] Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall (2025) [17:35] Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor (2025) [18:35] The Heart of Winter by Jonathan Evison (2025) [19:10]The Garden by Nick Newman (2025) [19:16] The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett (2025) [19:34] Three Days in June by Anne Tyler (2025) [19:58] Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (2025) [20:34]Tilt by Emma Pattee (2025) [20:38] The Compound by Aisling Rawle (2025) [20:44] Dream State by Eric Puchner (2025) [20:49] Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson (2025) [21:06]Hot Wax by M. L. Rio (September 9, 2025) [21:18] Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch (2025) [21:39] Personal Reading for 2025 (So Far) [22:49] Books Mentioned Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano (2020) [27:14] The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (2023) [27:16] Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams (2025) [31:07] Top Five (So Far) [31:27] Susie Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [31:49]Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [37:03]The Death of Us by Abigail Dean (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [38:07]Nesting by Roisín O’Donnell (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [49:11]The Names by Florence Knapp (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [53:12] Catherine The Heart of Winter by Jonathan Evison (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[33:45]This Is a Love Story by Jessica Soffer (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [42:06]Heartwood by Amity Gaige (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [51:28]Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[53:59]Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding by Lian Dolan (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [56:03] Sarah Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [36:00]The Death of Us by Abigail Dean (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [40:31]The Slip by Lucas Schaefer (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [44:03]The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [52:26]The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[54:55] Other Books Mentioned The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb (2025) [40:25]Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll (2025) [40:40]Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel (2024) [47:47]The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe (2020) [48:22]I Could Live Here Forever by Hanna Halperin (2023) [52:54] Biggest Disappointments (So Far) [57:46] Susie The Strange Case by Jane O by Karen Thompson Walker (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [58:09]The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[58:13]Fulfillment by Lee Cole (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [58:18] Catherine The Favorites by Layne Fargo (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [58:51]Dream State by Eric Puchner (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [58:56]The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [59:08]Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [59:45] Sarah Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:00:16]What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:00:28]Audition by Katy Kitamura (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:00:51]Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild (July 8, 2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[1:01:43]
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Ep. 198: Best of Thrillers with Anderson McKean of Page & Palette (@PagePalette)

    Ep. 198: Best of Thrillers with Anderson McKean of Page & Palette (@PagePalette)
    Jun 11 2025
    Ep. 198 is the second episode of our brand-new “Best of…” series. Anderson McKean of Page & Palette Bookstore joined me for the Best of Thrillers, with her all-time TOP TEN favorite thriller novels…and, a couple buzzy thrillers that didn’t work for her.⁠ Also, Anderson talks about how she started reading thrillers, the wide variety available in the genre, and books from her list that would be perfect for those new to the genre! 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 What draws her to the thriller genre.From domestic to psychological thrillers, Anderson talks about the variety of the genre.Her favorite sub-genres and what doesn’t work for her.Anderson picks a few books from her list that would be good starter books for those new to the genre. Anderson’s All-Time Top Ten Thrillers [10:33] Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (2012) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [12:44]Room by Emma Donoghue (2010) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [16:57]It Girl by Ruth Ware (2022) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [20:41]A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong (2022) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [24:16]Everyone Here Is Lying by Shari Lapena (2023) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [27:43]The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth (2020) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [31:38]Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister (2022) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [34:17]Red Queen by Juan Gómez-Jurado (2018) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [37:48]When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain (2021) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [41:12]These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant (2021) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:37] High-Profile Thrillers That Did Not She Didn’t Love [48:35] The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager (2022) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [48:41]None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell (2023) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [49:01] Other Books Mentioned The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz (2021) [13:23]The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (2015) [16:06]The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins (2024) [16:13]Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (2021) [16:38]The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware (2016) [20:58]I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai (2023) [21:50]Zero Days by Ruth Ware (2023) [23:05]Vantage Point by Sara Sligar (2025) [23:11]One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware (2024) [23:54]The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (2003) [24:51]Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong (2025) [27:35]What Have You Done by Shari Lepena (2024) [30:09]The Couple Next Door by Shari Lepena (2016) [30:24]Someone We Know by Shari Lepena (2019) [30:31]Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent (2023) [32:23]The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth (2019) [33:26]The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth (2022) [33:50]The Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth (2023) [33:53]Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister (2023) [36:36]The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (2005) [38:04]The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum (1980) [39:24]In Light of All Darkness by Kim Cross (2023) [42:25]The Death of Us by Abigail Dean (2025) [44:17]Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller (2015) [47:20]The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant (2024) [48:11]The Fury by Alex Michaelides (2024) [49:47]The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides (2019) [49:53]
    Show More Show Less
    54 mins

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