Today we are thrilled to welcome Nikki May to the show. Her new book This Motherless Land is a reimagining of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park. Anne was especially intrigued by this because Mansfield Park is the novel of Jane Austen's that seems most overlooked when it comes to retellings.
Today, Anne has questions, and Nikki May has answers. Among some of the g ... Show More
Aug 19
Ep 490: Our team's best books of summer (Part 1)
Readers, we’re back today with an annual tradition we know so many of you look forward to, as our team joins Anne to talk about their favorite books of the summer and what’s happening in their reading lives right now. As always, our team’s range of reading tastes ensures we share ... Show More
39m 1s
Aug 12
Ep 489: The satisfaction of sinking into a good book
Today's guest isn't only a reader with a specific readerly conundrum, she is also a beloved author. Anne has recommended Julie Berry's work to several past guests, and Julie also joined us over in the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club back in 2020. Today, she's here to talk with Anne a ... Show More
1h 5m
Mar 2025
THE FAVORITES - February Book Club
Welcome to I'll Read What She's Reading, the podcast where we deep dive into our book club pick of the month for February, we're lacing up our skates and breaking down The Favorites by Layne Fargo, epic sports romance set in the cutthroat world of competitive figure skating. We'r ... Show More
1h 6m
Jan 2025
Close Readings: ‘Mansfield Park’ by Jane Austen
On one level, Mansfield Park is a fairytale transposed to the 19th century: Fanny Price is the archetypal poor relation who, through her virtuousness, wins a wealthy husband. But Jane Austen’s 1814 novel is also a shrewd study of speculation, ‘improvement’ and the transformative ... Show More
32m 41s
Jun 27
Book Club: Let's Talk About 'Mrs. Dalloway" at 100
“Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself”: So reads one of the great opening lines in British literature, the first sentence of Virginia Woolf’s classic 1925 novel, “Mrs. Dalloway.”The book tracks one day in the life of an English woman, Clarissa Dalloway, living in ... Show More
42m 38s
Dec 2023
Books & Reading Reflections for 2023: Episode 445
Grab a warm beverage and settle in for an end-of-year books chat! Meagan and Sarah look back over our reading in 2023 to share what we’ve read, what stuck with us, and how our reading habits have continued to evolve. Meagan also shares an update about Paper Mill Books, the indepe ... Show More
54m 12s
Nov 2023
Episode 452 || From the Front Porch Live with Annabel Monaghan
Happy Thanksgiving! We’re so grateful for you. This week on From the Front Porch, we have a special treat: a recording of our live show from The Bookshelf’s September Reader Retreat! In this episode, Annie, Hunter, and Ashley are joined by extra-special guest Annabel Monaghan, ou ... Show More
1h 5m
Jul 2022
Interview with Carley Fortune - EVERY SUMMER AFTER
In this interview, Carley and I discuss Every Summer After, setting a book in Canada, choosing Barry's Bay as the book's locale and the response by residents, what surprised her the most writing this book, tackling her sophomore novel, why this book is resonating with so many peo ... Show More
36m 19s
Jun 2024
Gaining Ground by Joan Barfoot
Author Rose Ruane (This Is Yesterday, Birding) picks Gaining Ground AKA Abra (1978) by Canadian feminist writer Joan Barfoot. One day, seemingly on a whim, a woman walks out of her home and her marriage, forsaking her family for a life of near-solitude and self-sufficiency. Many ... Show More
1h 5m
Aug 2024
Jane Austen, Simone de Beauvoir and Herodotus
What do Jane Austen, Simone de Beauvoir and Herodotus have in common?
They all appear in three of this year’s Close Readings series, in which a pair of LRB contributors explore an area of literature through a selection of key works. This week, we’re revisiting some of the highli ... Show More
30m 33s
Aug 2024
The Impact of Public Reading on Book Browsing
Send us a textIn Episode 164 of Book Talk, Etc., Tina and Hannah talk about the impact that public reading has had on their reading lives - especially as it pertains to browsing books at our local libraries, browsing the shelves at our local bookstores, and choosing which popular ... Show More
1h 4m
Jul 2024
Endless Night by Agatha Christie
At long last, it's our Agatha Christie show! We are joined by Caroline Crampton, writer and host of the Shedunnit podcast, and Laura Thompson, author and Christie biographer, for an investigation of Endless Night (1967), a late entry in the Queen of Crime's extensive catalogue an ... Show More
1h 3m