So, We Bought a Book Shop

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 Everything by Elizabeth Strout Mexikid by Pedro Martin My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You I'm Sorry by Fredrick Backman The Bookshop by Evan Friss A Day at the Beach by Gary Schmidt by Ron Koertge The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid Connect with us! Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Upcoming Book Clubs at Nooks! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard *All book links connect you to our Bookshop.org site where our book shop will receive a generous portion of your purchase. 

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 Do Not Part by Han Kang The Vegeterian by Han Kang Little Sister Death by William Gay Finding Me by Viola Davis Connect with us! Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Upcoming Book Clubs at Nooks! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard *All book links connect you to our Bookshop.org site where our book shop will receive a generous portion of your purchase. 

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 recently finished or are currently reading.  Books mentioned during the conversation: Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk Bossy Pants by Tina Fey The Wild Robot by Peter Brown Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston North Woods by Daniel Mason Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout Here One Moment by Leanne Moriarty Connect with us! Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Upcoming Book Clubs at Nooks! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard *All book links connect you to our Bookshop.org site where our book shop will receive a generous portion of your purchase. 

  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 Instagram or their website. Connect with us! Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard *All book links connect you to our Bookshop.org site where our book shop will receive a generous portion of your purchase. 

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 Crockett Johnson The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing by M. T. Anderson Pick the Lock by A.S. King Switch by A.S. King Dig by A.S. King Connect with us! Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard *All book links connect you to our Bookshop.org site where our book shop will receive a generous portion of your purchase. 

Today is our first-ever recording in the book shop! we're talking with author Lore Wilbert 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 trying to keep going. Enjoy! Connect with us! Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard

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 Tuberculosis by John Green The Book Shop by Evan Friss The Creative Act by Rick Rubin All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whittaker Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips Peace Like a River by Leif Enger Connect with us! Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard

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 curious.  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: Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips Pick the Lock by A.S. King All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker The Power by Naomi Alderman Peace Like a River by Leif Enger My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell The Book Shop by Evan Friss Here One Moment by Leanne Moriarty Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami A New Path: A Practical Workbook and Planner for the First Year of Grief and Settling Your Person's Affairs by Megan Malick Connect with us! Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard

Today we're chatting with artist Ned Bustard (in front of a live studio audience) about his early days as an artist and the gifts of courage, creativity, and rest. Why has it been a struggle for him to own the title of artist? What does it look like to live with courage and to rest well while not letting comfort distract us? And when does it all become too much? For a complete list of books mentioned on the podcast, head over to our bookshelf dedicated to this podcast at Bookshop.org! Connect with us! Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard

Today Maile shares why it felt so hard to return to the book shop after a week away (but what also made the return so sweet). And Shawn talks about getting the rights back to two of his books, why it feels a little like these novels have died (kind of). If everything comes to an end, often too soon, why write? Why create? Why start something new? For a complete list of books mentioned on the podcast, head over to our bookshelf dedicated to this podcast at Bookshop.org! Here are a few of the titles mentioned in this episode: Tom Lake by Ann Patchett A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz Cherished Belonging by Father Greg Boyle Erasure by Percival Everett The Creative Act by Rick Rubin Connect with us! Order From Our Bookshop.org Page! Nooks' Substack Maile's Substack Shawn's Substack Nooks' Instagram Page Nooks' Events Page Music by Copcar Karaoke Art by Ned Bustard