Life of Plenty
From Plenty Downtown Bookshop in Cookeville, Tennessee, Lisa Uhrik and Ashley Michael discuss books, literacy, book culture, and what it means to live a life of plenty. Music credit: ”A Day at the Bookstore” by the amazing Andrew Buckner.
Episodes
In this episode of Life of Plenty, Ashley and Lisa talk with educator Ryan Dalton and leader of the community-wide deep dive into The Anxious Generation. Together Plenty has partnered with Ryan and Restoring Childhood Putnam County to study the research on the long term effects of social media and cell phones on today's kids. But they're also questioning what we, as a community, can do to change it.
In this latest episode of Life of Plenty, Lisa and Ashley discuss the upcoming community read of The Anxious Generation, spurred on by Ryan Dalton of Restoring Childhood in Putnam County. They discuss the adverse effects prolonged cell phone addiction has had on children's lives since cell phones became increasingly poplular — along with the negative effects it has on our own.
Lisa and Ashley also look at the possibility of comi...
On this episode of Life of Plenty, Ashley is in the studio with none other than her husband, Tony Michael.
Tony is a therapist and a professor at Tennessee Tech and dives into attachment theory and the benefits of reading with children.They discuss how just ten minutes a day can help form bonds, provide an emotional boost, and increase vocabulary, while providing structure — and why that matters.
On the latest episode of Life of Plenty podcast, Ashley and Lisa dive into the benefits of writing and how writing is an important aspect of book culture. They discuss how we are all writers, and the importance of writing by hand, along with the writing tools available at Plenty.
On this episode of Life of Plenty podcast, Lisa and Ashley talk about Independent Bookstore Day, happening April 26th, this Saturday!
Life of Plenty host Lisa Uhrik talks with Jodi Pitts on her reading journey, from The Babysitter's Club, the dictionary, and how reading Charlotte's Web led her to steal a pig that would become a pet. Jodi also discusses reading multiple books at once, her favorite reads, and what she'd take on a trip to a deserted island.
In this episode of the Life of Plenty Podcast, Lisa and Ashley discuss meaningful books with Heather Babcock, formerly of Whirlwind Book Bar in Oklahoma. When Whirlwind closed, inventory and chairs from the store made their way to Plenty, so the store has lived on here in Cookeville. Heather shared some of the books that have impacted her, starting Nikki Erlick's The Measure...
On this episode of Life of Plenty, Lisa and Ashley do a deep dive into David Brooks' How to Know a Person. They discuss how important it is to be present in each others lives, and how to be a deep listener in order to really know someone. And inversely, Brooks describes how not to get to know a person.
This was the first staff-wide Plenty Bookshop read, because Lisa and Ashley believe in the importance of the book that much.
On today's episode of Life and Plenty, Ashley and Lisa talk to Dr. Kathryn Wisinger about her reading ritual, and the books that got her into reading. She mentions favorites characters from childhood like Laura Ingalls Wilder and Harriet the Spy. More recent favorite authors include Amor Towles and Carlos Ruiz Zafón. And she also talks about her love of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and how the young adult novel is good for all ...
In this Life of Plenty episode, Lisa Uhrik sits down with Angie Wells, who talks about her lifelong love of reading, which she credits partly to the excitement of the Scholastic Book Fairs she attended in elementary school. From the devastating Where the Red Fern Grows to time traveling with Philippa Gregory's historical fiction, Angie discusses books she's loved.
Angie is a member of the advisory board for Plenty Downtown Booksh...
This episode of Life of Plenty Podcast welcomes back Ashley Michael as she and Lisa Uhrik host Chris McMichael, author of an 800+ page book focusing on botany and the Bible. This book, which Chris considers a calling, took him years to write and research and dives deep into the remarkable symbology of the plants found in the Bible.
On this Life of Plenty podcast, Lisa Uhrik is joined by radio host Emily Paton of the The Emily Paton Show and The Forgotten Song project. Emily talks about some of her favorite books, falling asleep to Harry Potter, reading in Braille, and how audiobooks are easier to comprehend. She also discusses how a good narrator can really make an audiobook.
Check out Libro.fm to listen to audiobooks and support the Life of Plenty podcast.
...On this episode of Life of Plenty, Lisa Uhrik and special guest Laura Clemons debate who loves books more. A writer and lifelong reader, Laura talks about the books and authors she loves. She raves about southern writers Silas House, Ann Patchett, Monic Ductan, and Barbara Kingsolver and discusses why a book of poetry would help her get through being stuck on a deserted island. Laura talks about the 28-page rule and how reading h...
This episode may have been made for the holidays, but the books that Lisa recommends make amazing gifts year-round. Join her as she brainstorms gifts that can go to all sorts of people in your life, depending on their interests.
Books make the best gifts with the ability to speak to the recipient's soul. Find your book to gift at Plenty Downtown Bookshop in Cookeville, Tennessee.
Lisa Garcia, the Colon Queen, joins Ashley and Lisa to talk about the importance of detoxing not just the body but the mind. Lisa mentions some of her favorite books including the classics, Where the Wild Things Are and Where the Sidewalk Ends. Then they talk about raising kids, and her best advice for parents who want to raise their kids as readers: Make time for reading.
The holidays may be over, but as Lisa and Ashley point out, books make meaningful gifts year-round. From gifting a well-loved book to a family member to finding the right book for someone you might not know well, like for corporate gifting, or a child's teacher or friend, Lisa and Ashley discuss how to choose the perfect book.
And you can also visit Plenty Downtown Bookshop in Cookeville's historic westside where our booksellers ...
In this episode of the Life of Plenty podcast, Ashley talks about her book gifting traditions, and she and Lisa discuss why books make the best gifts. They then discuss books that make fantastic gifts, from Frog and Toad to cookbooks and some of their favorites.
Plenty Bookseller and Social Media Coordiantor Eliza Eldridge stops by the Life of Plenty Podcast to discuss books that have had an impact on her, as well as working as a bookseller to connect people with books that they will love. (Which she shines at!) She also talks with Ashley and Lisa about running monthlong write-ins and how Plenty supports writers.
In this episode, Lisa welcomes Bill Wheelock and children's author Marlena Uhrik onto the show to discuss how books have influenced their lives. Bill discusses how characters like Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer instilled in him a lifelong pursuit of adventure. Marlena discusses her book The Magic of Making a Difference: One CAN Make a Difference, drawn from life experience and why she considers it her legacy. And Lisa muses on how Kahlil...
Lisa Uhrik spends this episode of the Life of Plenty podcast diving into the health benefits of reading, stretching from early child development all the way to reducing the chances of dementia and living longer.
The benefits are helpful to both individuals and society, demonstrating the importance of literacy and book culture and why Plenty Downtown Bookshop in Cookeville, Tennessee is a nonprofit dedicated to improving both wit...
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