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PODCAST

So, We Bought a Book Shop

Two writers buy a small-town, local book shop in Lancaster, PA, called Nooks and discover a beautiful community of readers all around them. These are conversations with and about the writers, readers, and books that make the world a better place.

arts books

All Episodes

43:12

030 The Monsters Among Us

So, We Bought a Book Shop ·

2025/10/13

Claire Dederer wrote a book called, Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma, and in it she wrestles with the question, "What do we do with the art of monstrous men?" What happens when we love a particular book or painter or piece of music only to discover that the creator was actually a terrible human being? Today we bring in Andi Cumbo to wrestle through this topic with us, and we bring our own favorite monsters into the conversation. What will we do with the art we love that was created by awful people? Books

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39:28

029 Kaitlin Curtice is Enjoying the Seasons of Life

So, We Bought a Book Shop ·

2025/10/06

Today we're joined by Kaitlin Curtice, excited to talk about her new book, Everything is a Story: Reclaiming the Power of Stories to Heal and Shape Our Stories. We explore how stories impact us within Kaitlin's framework of examining stories: liminal, lethal, and loving. We invited her on to talk about her new book, but we also delve into the book Fast Like a Girl, Kaitlin's diagnosis of PCOS, and how understanding their cycles has been revolutionary for Maile and Kaitlin. Kaitlin will be at our

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33:29

028 When Another Bookshop Opens Up Down the Street

So, We Bought a Book Shop ·

2025/09/29

Today we're talking about some of the challenges our little bookshop is facing these days, and the importance of holding things loosely without embracing a mindset of scarcity. There is freedom in surrender and knowing what your purpose is. Books mentioned during the conversation: Angel Down by Daniel Kraus The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton Bigger by Ren Cedar Fuller Connect with us! Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Upcoming Book Clubs at Nooks! Nooks' Substack Maile's

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40:17

027 Sara Billups On Anxiety, Caring for Parents, and...

So, We Bought a Book Shop ·

2025/08/18

Sara Billups is one of the few people Shawn has ever smoked a cigarette with. She's also the author of a new book, Nervous Systems: Spiritual Practices to Calm Anxiety in your Body, the Church, and Politics. We chat about anxiety, seeking peace, and the fascinating idea of holy indifference. BTW...Pre-order Nervous Systems from Nooks for 20% off--simply email us at hello@nooks.gallery and we'll take it from there! Books mentioned during the conversation: Nervous Systems by Sara Billups A

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39:09

026 The Books That Have Made Up Our Lives

So, We Bought a Book Shop ·

2025/08/12

As Maile and I prepare to celebrate our 26th anniversary, we reflect on the books that have played an outsized role in our lives--dating, marriage, the whole journey--and how our life philosophy and world view has been impacted by certain books. Books mentioned during the conversation: Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller Watership Down by Richard Adams Watership Down (The Graphic Novel) by Richard Adams Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien Ruthless Trust

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01:02:13

025 Laura Tremaine Thinks You Should Read Horror

So, We Bought a Book Shop ·

2025/08/04

Today we're chatting with Laura Tremaine, long-time host of the podcast "10 Things to Tell You." Where does her profound love for Stephen King's writing come from and what makes his stories so engaging? If you don't love horror but want to read a book by King, where might you start? And why does Laura think women should read more horror? We also delve into creativity, writing, the vulnerability (and occasional pain) of friendship, and what it's like to write nonfiction about your own life. A little

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44:14

024 Five of Us Debate Our "Family Favorites" Book Shelf

So, We Bought a Book Shop ·

2025/07/15

Maile, our three oldest kids (Cade, Lucy, and Abra) and I try to establish what books we're going to include on our upcoming "Family Favorites" bookshelf. Join us as we attempt to winnow down our list of favorites to some kind of manageable number... Books mentioned during the conversation: The Brothers K by David James Duncan The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Doeskoevsky Paradise by Toni Morrison James by Percival Everett Erasure by Percival Everett Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver The Giver

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46:22

023 A Son of the Bookshop

So, We Bought a Book Shop ·

2025/07/07

Today Maile and I are joined by our son Cade who occasionally works in the bookshop this summer while home from college. He shares the book series that changed his mind about chapter books when he was young, the first four books Shawn gave him when he was old enough for the general market, and we do a deep-dive into one of his favorite authors: Fredrik Backman (and his latest book, My Friends). Books mentioned during the conversation: The Original Adventures of Hank the Cow Dog by John Erickson The

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42:37

022 Evan Friss, Being Human, and The Bookshop

So, We Bought a Book Shop ·

2025/06/30

"Book-selling has always been precarious with different challenges along the way." What happens when a historian delves into the journey of the American bookshop? You get a beautiful, indepth tale of ideas, community, and the role of the book. What was it like to browse the old corner bookstore in the 1840s? What's the story behind some of our quirkiest bookshops? And how does the history of the bookshop perhaps chart a path for today's stores? We spent time chatting with Evan Friss, author of The

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59:22

021 Jeff Chu, Compost, and His New Book Good Soil

So, We Bought a Book Shop ·

2025/06/23

Today we're pulling back the curtain on one of our recent events and releasing the recording of our live conversation with Jeff Chu about his new book, Good Soil. Jeff is kind, gracious, and has some really wise things to say about how farming, death, and how to interact with those we deeply disagree with. Books mentioned during the conversation: Good Soil by Jeff Chu Connect with us! Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Upcoming Book Clubs at Nooks! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack

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47:08

020 Married With Children...and a Book Shop

So, We Bought a Book Shop ·

2025/05/30

Depression. Traditional Gender Roles. Marriage and a business. Today we take a personal turn and talk about a few of the hard aspects of running a business with your spouse. What do you do when one of you needs to check out because of grief or depression or weariness or life chaos? When it comes to running a business, how can traditional gender roles lead to burnout? And what does it take for a family to press reset on the day-to-day responsibilities that everyone bears? Books mentioned during the

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42:39

019 "Good Gracious, We Have it Stacked Against Us"

So, We Bought a Book Shop ·

2025/05/26

Why did Maile think, after finishing The Bookshop, "Good gracious, we have it stacked against us"? Last week we went to a Fredrik Backman author event and he spoke about writing, how mental health issues have inspired his book, and his process (chaos, chaos, chaos, book!). Backman wondered if he still has the ability to keep going, and we wonder what it's like for an author to retire. We also talk about violence in literature--what's its purpose? Does it have a place in books for young people? Books

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38:20

018 When Water Comes Through the Ceiling

So, We Bought a Book Shop ·

2025/05/14

One week ago, Maile heard water coming into the book shop through the ceiling. By the time she came back with a bucket, water was pouring down and pieces of the ceiling were coming with it. Today we're talking about hitting low points during the pursuit of your dream, and what to do next. Books mentioned during the conversation: We Do Not Part by Han Kang The Vegeterian by Han Kang Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green Little Sister Death by William Gay Finding Me by Viola Davis Tell Me

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42:36

017 What We Learned In Our First Year

So, We Bought a Book Shop ·

2025/04/30

Today, Maile and I are talking about our first year as book shop owners. How has this year changed us? Do we view books differently than we did before owning a book store? We also chat about a book we've both read that is a beautiful example of what a book written in the 1st person can accomplish--it's quirky and haunting and unexpected. Happy one year to Nooks! Books mentioned during the conversation: Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk Brothers K by David James Duncan We

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49:54

016 "If You Don't Do This," He Said, "Your Book Shop...

So, We Bought a Book Shop ·

2025/04/23

Recently we had a customer come into the shop and tell us that if we didn't begin using this new tool, we would go out of business while other bookstores raced ahead into the future. But what's the true cost of using AI when it comes to creative endeavors? And can we still run businesses and make a living without it, or will those of us who decide against using it fall by the wayside? We also talk about the upcoming Indie Bookstore Day, the cost of not shopping local, and, as usual, the books we've

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48:43

015 Designing a Life of Courage at East Otis

So, We Bought a Book Shop ·

2025/04/17

Today we're continuing with the theme of courage. As Maile and I approach the one year anniversary of taking over Nooks, we talk with another couple who have truly stepped out over the cliff's edge and followed their dream: Will and Emma Haughery. A few years ago they started their own furniture making company, East Otis, and today we're talking with them about leaving traditional employment, the tradeoffs that occur, and what gives them the courage to keep going. Connect with East Otis at

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01:00:15

014 Amy King Picks the Lock

So, We Bought a Book Shop ·

2025/04/10

Today we're talking one of the most awarded YA authors alive: A.S. King (she won the Printz Award twice!). She takes us back to her formative years of reading and writing, the fifteen years and eight novels she wrote before being published, and how Pick the Lock is in some ways a culmination of her talent and her lived experience. A wonderful conversation with a wonderful author. Books mentioned during the conversation: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak Howard and the Purple Crayon by

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46:35

013 Lore Ferguson Thinks She's a Scaredy-Cat

So, We Bought a Book Shop ·

2025/04/02

Today is our first-ever recording in the book shop! we're talking with author Lore Ferguson about her courageous creative journey--writing nonfiction online for decades and now pivoting to fiction. How does a reader's (or potential editor's) tastes impact the work we do? And how do we handle those not-so-positive responses? We also take a stab at identifying authors who might still be here in 50 years' time. Finally, how can we take courage with us into our everyday lives? We're just three writers

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44:21

012 On Staring Down Our Book Shop Mortality

So, We Bought a Book Shop ·

2025/03/26

Today we're talking about the John Green event we went to, how it inspired us to keep creating community, what Rick Rubin has to say about running a book shop, and, perhaps the toughest part, how to view the possibility that these good things we create will not last forever. For a complete list of all the books ever mentioned on the podcast, head over to our bookshelf dedicated to this podcast at Bookshop.org! Mentioned in this episode: The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green Everything is

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42:27

011 Bears Versus Men, Being Alone in the Store, and...

So, We Bought a Book Shop ·

2025/03/19

Maile reflects on the vulnerable state of women and children and how occasionally being in the store by herself with odd men has made her uncomfortable, with one specific, recent story as an example. Shawn fills Maile in on the internet question from some time ago, "Would you feel more at danger in the woods if you encountered a man or a bear?" and she gives her answer. They also dive deep into three books that have opened their eyes to vulnerability, abuse and manipulation. Let's all be more

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30 results

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