December 9, 2025 • 49 mins
This might be the ultimate gift-giving episode for all the Bookmarked listeners out there. This week, Danielle gets to sit down with two book bosses and indie bookstore owners, Lucy Yu (Yu and Me Books in New York City) and Emma Straub (Books Are Magic in Brooklyn, NY). Danielle gets to find out what books are hitting their stores’ best-of lists for the year, what books are surprising them, and what books they can't stop thinking about. Danielle also gets to ask Lucy and Emma to come up with books that fit some very specific shopping requests from Bookmarked listeners. This episode is also for everyone out there who has romanticized the dream of owning a bookstore, whoever pictured themselves as Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail (I know you all have). Find out what it's really like to run a little shop around the corner.
BOOKS MENTIONED:
Adult Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers by Stephanie M. Kriesberg PsyD
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay Gibson
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
The City in Which I Love You by Li-young Lee
Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy
Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts by Margaret Atwood
Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte
The Village Beyond the Mist by Sachiko Kashiwaba
Strange Pictures by Uketsu
Strange Houses by Uketsu
Murder on Sex Island: A Luella Van Horn Mystery by Jo Firestone
How Stella Got Her Groove Back by Terry McMillan
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club is presented by Apple Books. Hi,
I'm Danielle Robe. Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club. Okay,
we are officially in the holiday season, and since we
in the club all know that a perfectly chosen book
(00:20):
is one of the best gifts out there, we have
the perfect gift for you. Two guests, two book bosses.
Can you guess who it is? Okay, I'll give you
a hint. They are owners of some of the most
beloved indie bookstores in New York City.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
My passion has always been literature because I think the
written word is how we translate all of our thoughts
and passions to each other, and how we share who
we are with each other.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
That's Lucy You's voice. She runs You and Me Books
in New York's Chinatown neighborhood. Okay, can you guess who
our second guest is. I'll give you a hint. She's
an author too.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
When I'm in the store and the light are off
and it's totally quiet and it's just me surrounded by books,
that is when it actually feels like the closest to
the fantasy of owning a bookstore.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Well, if you guess. Emma Straub, who owns books are
Magic in Brooklyn, You are a genius. Emma and Lucy
are friends in real life, and they both run their
stores as community hubs where people can gather, chat and
find the perfect literary pairing. And when I say this
is the TBR episode of all time, I mean all time.
You got to pause what you're doing and open your
(01:36):
notes app or grab a piece of paper and a pen,
because you're going to want to capture all of the
recommendations from these two. We're talking fiction, fantasy, surprising finds,
deep cuts, romance. We all know that feeling of finding
a new read. It's like a discovery high. This episode
is full of them. So if you've ever romanticized the
(01:56):
idea of owning a little shop around the corner, I
know you have. Y'all have you are in the right place.
Let's turn the page with emma'stob and Lucy you. Emma, Lucy,
welcome to the club HII here.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Thanks for having us.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Well, you run two of our favorite bookstores in New York,
so we're so excited that you're here. But for listeners
who've never gotten opportunity to step inside your stores. I
want to give them a little taste. If your stores
had a personality type, Emma, what would yours be?
Speaker 3 (02:33):
A personality type? Is this like like an anagram test
like that of yours?
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Briggs? Yeah, okay, I've never.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Done one of those, so I don't know is it?
But we are bright, we are bubbly, we are outgoing.
We are sometimes a little loud, like I try not
to describe the bookstore and myself like exactly the same way,
but it is really it like it is what it is,
you know what I mean. It's like it's it's a
(03:04):
little pink, it's a little loud. Yeah, and it's really fun.
It's like populated with smart, fun people all the time.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Lucy, before you share yours, I'm curious, Emma, if we
could assign an astrological sign, what would it be? It's
giving like Taurus.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Well I will tell you so I personally am a
Taurus and the store is also a Taurus.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
So you are right.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
That was the most la thing I've ever done. Okay, Lucy,
how you what's your store's personality type?
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Oh? Man, I think we toggled between a E N
F P and a I N T J combo, and
I guess I'm both of those things. An astrological sign.
I have four scorpios in my chart, which make people
go like, but it just me that I'm really emotional,
(04:01):
and I think that we're kind of like a scorpio
Aquarius Taurus hybrid, really grounded, kind of like just little
little secrety, little sub versus. But yeah, and we also Aquarius.
I feel like every Aquarius is an individual, and I
feel that way about our book selection.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
I think you get to experience something that so many
of us dream about as kids and even as adults,
which is being in a bookstore alone when nobody is
in there, and you get to experience that all of
the time. I know it's your work, but is there
a certain ritual that you have.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
I usually if I do have solo time at the store,
it's usually on Mondays when Monday nights when we're closed,
and I love to put on an album and I
just lie on our poofs, which is like our seating
arrangement on the upstairs. I like lie on four poofs
and I just take a nap.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
That's really nice. That is the way, Emma. How about you?
Speaker 3 (05:07):
I have sort of like the opposite, which is that
I am often in the store by myself because so
our second location is two blocks away from my kids school,
and so I often i you know, I walk them
to school at like between you know, drop them off
at like eight fifteen, eight thirty, and we don't open
(05:29):
until ten, and so then I walk to the bookstore,
either by myself or with my husband. And that's actually
most of the time I'm in the bookstore, Like most
of the time, I'm there by myself and in the dark.
And it's amazing. Like running a small business. Lucy knows
(05:51):
this ten million times over. Running a small business is
not easy, even a small business that like seems so
dreamy from the outside, like running a bookstore. But when
it's when I'm in the store and the lights are
off and it's totally quiet and it's just me surrounded
(06:12):
by books, that is when it actually feels like the
closest like to the fantasy of owning a bookstore.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Lucy, you opened You and Me Books at the height
of COVID in twenty twenty one. That is a wild choice.
What inspired that?
Speaker 4 (06:30):
Yeah, not the chill. It's time to open up a business.
I'll be super honest, not a brick and mortar for
not a brick and mortar.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
But I specifically chose Chinatown after COVID because so many
small businesses close in Chinatown, there's such a rise in
anti Asian hate. And my passion has always been literature,
because I think the written word is how we translate
all of our thoughts and passions to each other, and
(06:57):
how we share who we are with each other. And
that's a kind of connection that I felt like faltered
in the pandemic. Out of necessity, we kind of had
to filter it back into an electronic communication, and that's
missing the breath of what it means to really storytell
in person. Also in twenty twenty, I lost one of
(07:19):
my best friends, and that really just made me feel
like I needed to prioritize the things that I really
cared about and the things that I was passionate about,
and that just came from such a place of pure love.
I obviously it's a huge risk, number one, having a
bookstore in Chinatown when small businesses were closing, also in
(07:39):
the pandemic, when just retail was so unpredictable, But I
was willing to take that chance because I was so
hungry for human connection, and I was so desperate for
this deep kind of understanding for other people that is
only possible in person third spaces. And I took that
risk because I don't think we actually feel anything as
(08:02):
humans and isolation. And if that's something that I'm feeling
and something that I'm holding during a really difficult time
that everyone in the world is experiencing such intense grief,
I'm sure I wasn't the only one that wanted something
like that.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Well, it's clear that you really created such a community
around the bookstore too, because I remember seeing in twenty
twenty three, I believe that the bookstore burned down and
there was a huge community that helped rebuild and rally
around the store.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
Yeah, I really.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
I'm still so shocked at that moment in time, obviously
because there's a lot of grief associated with it, with
the loss of the first version of my store, but
that's also kind of foiled by this immense and deep
love that the community showed up in this way for
this tiny bookstore. And a big part of that was
also Emma was such a big part of my community
(08:53):
during that time when the store burned down. She gave
me a key to books of her magic, and she
was like, whenever you need a you the store, you can.
And I feel like that, you know what we.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
Were in the no seriously generous.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
And that that earnestness that we talked about before. I
think when you lead with that, it can be infectious
because a lot of people actually desire that. But to
get there, you have to remove all these layers of
presentation of self to get to somewhere super vulnerable. And
that's where I connect with my community, and that's also
where I connect with Emma. And I think that we
(09:28):
saw that so quickly in each other, and I feel
so immensely supported by her too.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
That's hard.
Speaker 4 (09:36):
On this podcast, Lucy, this is not that kind of sorry,
so sorry.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
You know, it's really special. And I think that it's
not just me, you know, like I'm close enough physically,
close enough where there was something like concrete that we
could offer, which was space for some of Lucy's events.
But it wasn't just us, you know, like there were
so many booksellers and readers and writers across the country
(10:05):
who swooped in in whatever ways they could, you know,
and it's like, I mean that's my I mean I
don't want to say that's my favorite part because it
was a tragedy, but I do think that, like when
things are hard, you do get to show up for people,
and that that feels good. So I I love you
(10:25):
a little sing I love you too, Emma. Books are Magic.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
I remember seeing pop up online before I had even
been able to go into the space, and you were
one of the first bookstores that I saw really trying
to to connect with readers online and doing it so successfully.
You're a native New Yorker, You're the daughter of a writer.
(11:08):
You were both a novelist and a bookseller before you
open the first location of Books Are Magic to be
a little bit earnest and corny myself, like, what is
the magic of a brick and mortar bookstore in your mind? Oh?
Speaker 3 (11:22):
I mean it's I mean Lucy said this a little
bit earlier, but like, you know, part of being a writer,
A huge part of being a writer is being by yourself,
you know, is sitting in a room alone and coming
up with imaginary people to play with, you know. And
(11:45):
so I loved being a bookseller when I worked at
our local bookstore when I was in my twenties, and
I loved it. I was not very good at it.
What does that mean? Like the computer, I was never
good at looking things up. There were just like other
people who knew how to do a lot more at
the bookstore. But what I knew how to do was
(12:06):
talk to people. And that's still what I'm best at
at the bookstore. But like, what happened was that bookstore
closed after thirty five plus years because the owners wanted
to retire. Good for them, and I just had this.
I mean it sounds deranged, but I just thought like, well,
(12:30):
there are only two choices, like I can either we
can move to another neighborhood to be closer to another bookstore,
or we can open a bookstore. Like those were the
only two choices that I saw. So we opened a
bookstore just to have a place to walk into, you know,
like that's what it's all about. It's my favorite place,
Like it's my favorite kind of place when I travel.
(12:52):
I'm sure this is true for you, Lucy, Like when
I travel, I just go from independent bookstore to individual but.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
That's literally how I travel. That's the first thing I
look at. I'm like, where are the bookstore?
Speaker 1 (13:04):
It's a community hub. I think that's what you're getting
at too. Yeah, I know you mentioned sort of romanticizing
the job earlier. Did movies like You've Got Mail play
into that at all? Was it a rude awakening when
you opened the store the first week?
Speaker 3 (13:19):
Well, I mean You've Got Mail, Like, I mean, that's
a tragedy. Her bookstore closes, That bookstore closes, you know
what I mean?
Speaker 1 (13:27):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (13:27):
But yeah, I mean I guess I yes, I was
probably thinking, you know, Meg Ryan, cute haircut, cute all
outfit kind of stuff.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
I mean, you are kind of giving Meg Ryan vibes today.
It's true, Lucy, doesn't she have the hair cut?
Speaker 2 (13:46):
No, I was just when she's like, cute haircut, I
was like, Emma, you're kind of doing it right now.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
You both are known for being so curatorial, and I
think your fans come not just for the atmosphere you create,
but definitely for your specific point of view and your taste.
I do think that a physical space sometimes has limitations
on that space. So what do each of you look
for when you're curating your selections, because I know you
(14:14):
have to be particular, and there's also like you're weighing
sort of bestseller lists and what's going to sell versus
what you want to put in front of people. How
do you go about deciding.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
It's a really interesting process, especially, like you said, for
the supply chain and logistics for a retail space, you're
limited in the actual amount of space that you can.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
Fill and adjust.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
So for us, we really focus on not keeping so
much stock, and so our inventory fully rotates pretty frequently,
Like I think we have a full rotation of inventory
once every couple of months or something like that, So
it's pretty frequent for us, and so we're always looking
at new titles, and I think that's what we offer
(14:58):
people is in general, our store is focused on immigrant
stories and writers of color, but there's so much range
in that. There's so much translated fiction that you can
bring into that. How do you want to extend what
an immigrant story means? And the breadth of availability for
that kind of literature, And what I want to offer
(15:18):
people is for them to come in every week and
see a bunch of new titles that they've never seen before.
I personally am someone that's fairly offline and I'm not
someone who chases trends, so I don't ever look at
bestsellers list and I also don't really follow what's popular
out there. We have a really intuitive curation process where
(15:43):
we understand where our taste is, and our taste is
focusing on language and stories that really push apart the
layers of perception and get to the core of what
it means to live in this person's brain or live
in this story. And that goes beyond what's popular. And
I think there's this chasing of popularity, especially in publishing,
(16:03):
like with book talk and how that's gotten so popular,
this chasing of that, and when you chase trends, by
the time you get up to it, the trend has changed.
So I I feel like for us, it's this what
is a trend and what makes something long lasting? And
the longevity of taste is something that we really prioritize.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
That's very cool to hear Elma's snapping. She's giving you
the silent gen Z snaps with hard fingers. Emma, how
do you go about it?
Speaker 3 (16:37):
Well, you know, we have so we have two stores
now and the stores are like about a fifteen minute
walk from each other. One is in Cobble Hill and
one is in Brooklyn Heights. And I would say, before
we open the second store, I would have said, like
it's pretty much the same neighborhood, Like it's it's really
(16:58):
not that different, but it out it really is different.
That's interesting. So the second store has been open for
three years now, and it's been really interesting to be like,
oh okay, okay, So like we sell way more, it's
just a little bit older, like the crowd that comes in.
I mean, we have all of our events there, so
(17:20):
like all of our people are in that store all
the time, but it's a little bit older. And so
like we sell so many more mysteries at the second
store than we do at the first store. Not to
say that we don't sell any but just like it's
just it's interesting, or we sell more biographies. We think
about that a little bit as we're as like I'm
(17:40):
ordering for the store. I mean we've always been like
I mean, I don't want to say like anti old
white man writers, because there are a lot of old
white man writers that I love and that we have
on our shelves all the time. But we really wanted
that not to be the numb like when you look
(18:04):
at a stack, like that's not what you're going to
see at books or magic and I mean, I'm forty
five now, so like I don't see all that young anymore.
But I think we are still a young store and
we have a lot of young customers and young readers.
They are like, you know, we sell so much. We
have a whole section of translated literature at both stores.
(18:27):
You know, we had to make our poetry section bigger,
Like they are smart, cool readers.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
What is the secret sauce of a title really selling well?
Is it placement?
Speaker 4 (18:37):
Ever? It sure can be.
Speaker 3 (18:39):
I don't know about you, Lucy, but like for us,
there'll be a book you know, that we have on
the shelf that we sell, like, you know, a couple
copies of a year, and then if we like put
a big stack of it right next to the register,
all of a sudden we're selling twenty copies a week,
you know. And we're like, oh, right, merchandising, because I
(19:01):
don't it's not the way that I came to the
store like thinking about like a mercenary sales perspective. I mean,
does that ever surprise you, Lucy when you move a
book around and you're like, oh, that's that's all. You
just didn't see it before.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Oh my gosh, merchandising is its own art, and displaying,
especially in a retail space, is such a art in
and of itself and the organization. And I think when
I look at a space, I block it in terms
of colors and block it in terms of lighting, so
that you can kind of gravitate towards different energy, Like
(19:34):
if a space in ours has warmer lighting, then maybe
we have certain titles in there that matches with that
vibe in that corner. And just micro climates like that
in the store is something that we consider. Another thing
is we're really adamant about shelf talkers.
Speaker 4 (19:52):
It's it is a lie that people don't judge a
book by its cover.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
People one hundred percent judge books by its cover, myself included.
And it's hard not to look at art on a
book cover and try to connect to it and try
to connect to that book. So sometimes we don't know
if a certain book is going to connect to someone
in the same way that the story intends, just because
different people have different perspectives and different tastes in art.
(20:18):
So writing that shelf talker and having we have a
whole row, I know, Emma, you have this at your
store too. Of staff picks, and each of those has
a shelf talker too, and we rotate those out honestly
all the time.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
Yeah, I love.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
That you do that. I've seen or have gone into
bookstores that have like staff recommendation cards, and I think
all those personal touches just makes such a huge difference.
Is there a book that has caused a ton of
debate within your store?
Speaker 2 (20:51):
Not a ton of debate, but it's kind of become
a running joke of mine because one of my staff
picks that keeps getting sold the second it's place out
there is Adult Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
The amount of people that have recommended that book to me,
Lucy and that might don't have a narcissis narcissistic mother.
I just want to put that out there. But it's
a very popular book nowadays.
Speaker 4 (21:15):
It's really funny.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
So it toggles between that and adult Children of emotionally
immature parents, which I think is like, I mean, should
show you where I am in my investigation of self.
But I think that that kind of hilarious, like inner
child healing is where I am, And it's kind of
like a curveball psychiatry staff pick that gets just sold
(21:37):
so quickly. So it's just it's becoming this running joke
that I choose these kind of niche psychiatry books as
my staff picks.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
I heard that the Artist's Way. I heard that all
bookstores have to stop the Artist's Way because people constantly
want it.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
Oh yeah, I mean there are so many books like
that where like you know, whether it's the Artist's Way
or like Bird by Bird or you know, things like that,
where like you, as a as a bookstore owner might
be like, but like everyone has that book already, but no, no,
like there are always more people there as There's also
(22:14):
like a book about back pain that's like that. There's
one about quitting smoking that's like that. I don't think
we carry the smoking one, but like, do you know
what the books I mean, Lucy, where it's like sometimes
there are just like yeah, they what are they called?
They call them genre killers where it's like there is
one book that you need so for like about creativity
(22:36):
or whatever, it would be the Artist's Way, but where
where like any other book in that category, you're like, well,
who cares, Nobody's going to buy these other ones because
we have the one.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
Right, Because you guys have such community oriented spaces and
wondering if you've had any like bookstore matchmaking or weddings,
have like there been any you're yet, Yes, you're nodding. Yeah, yeah,
people have met at the store.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
We've had it all.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
A lot of engagements, a lot of proposals, and we
we kind of in our group chat where like every
time it happens, we text each other and we're like
everyone act natural, like don't give anything.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
Away, and how amazing is this?
Speaker 4 (23:16):
It's it's the best.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
I mean, it's like so cool to see someone decide
that the store is somewhere where they want to like
kind of be the point of their next journey with
someone else.
Speaker 4 (23:27):
And yeah yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
But also like I mean, we've had a bunch, we've
had a bunch of all of that. But my favorite
is like I ran into this friend of mine from
college and she was like, Oh, I just went on
a first date or just went on a first date
at your store. Yeah, And I was like, oh, that's cool,
and she was like, well, because it's safe. You know,
(23:51):
it's like a safe place to meet a stranger. You know,
it's it's lit. It's staffed by like smart, attentive people
who will definitely notice if something bad is happening. But yeah, no,
So we've had that, We've had proposals, engagements, we had.
(24:11):
We had one engagement that was amazing. This woman, Oh
my god, I love this woman forever. She was proposing
to her girlfriend and she set it up so far
in advance. She was like, this is what I need.
Can we do this? I want to come in after,
like after you're closed. She set up all these fake candles.
(24:31):
You know, you don't want to fire in the bookstore.
It's true, like all these fake candles.
Speaker 4 (24:35):
It's true. Can't confirm.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
And we have like you know, cameras, like security cameras
or whatever. So my husband and I were at home
watching on the cameras as like you know, she like
all their other friends are hiding in the back and
her girlfriend comes in and you know, she's down on
one knee and YadA, Yada's so great. We write to
them the next day and she said, my girlfriend proposed
(25:01):
to me the day before. But so they were already engaged.
But she was like, but I had spent so much
time planning it that.
Speaker 4 (25:08):
I just did it.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
Anyway, that's so funny.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
They had to have their moment Oh my god, I
love that so much, so good. I mean, I think
it just it just speaks to the fact that you've
become this community hub for people. They want their memories
made there. That's so special.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
I love curating the song playlist. When I see a
first date go down to I'm like, what should I do?
Like kiss me by sixpence on the Ridge? Like, you know,
what what do we do? What do we do here?
Mazzie Starr?
Speaker 1 (25:40):
You know, I ask our guests every week about what
they've bookmarked, So I'm excited to ask both of you
something that you've sent your friend on Instagram or a
weird fact or a fun quote. What's what's something that
you've bookmarked this week? Lucy.
Speaker 2 (25:59):
Yeah, I've been really reading a lot of poetry recently,
so I have been digging around and just seeing random
niche poetry collections that like probably aren't in print anymore,
because most poetry collections they print out like fifty copies
and they just exist in the ether.
Speaker 4 (26:20):
And a lot of.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
The ones that I've been reading have been really integrated
into like nature, like very Mary Oliver adjacent.
Speaker 4 (26:33):
There's like this.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
Random poetry collection that I got like New York, I
love you, And there's like asymmetry, and I think there's
this this energy of like a buzz of chaos and
complexity that someone's trying to regurgitate and also like digest
and process in the poetry that I'm gravitating towards. So
I've just been a little bit deep in that. And
(26:55):
also I've been really really loving Mother Mary comes to
me right now. That is just oh my god. Yeah,
that book has really really done it for.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
Me, Emma, what have you bookmarked? This week?
Speaker 3 (27:10):
We're hosting Margaret Atwood tonight and I am the lucky
person who gets to talk to her, and so I
have been like eyeball deep in Margaret Atwood all week.
And I just finished her memoir, which is so hardcore,
(27:33):
like so hardcore like Margaret Atwood. When I imagined her
before reading this book, I was like, yeah, like, you know,
she writes amazing poetry, she writes amazing novels. She's like
a badass lady. But I had no idea how bad
ass this lady is. She and her husband lived on
(27:54):
a farm in Canada for decades, and there is so
much blood in this book, Like there's just like farm
life like she is not afraid of anything. This woman
knows how to wield a knife and she is just
not afraid. I'm afraid because I have to ask her questions.
(28:15):
But like she is, she is tough, and I'm just
trying to channel as much Margaret Atwood as I can,
basically for the rest of my life.
Speaker 1 (28:26):
You're putting your armor on for twenty twenty six.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
I love that exactly.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
I think today we're going to get so many recommendations
from both of you, so I want all of our
listeners to get their note pads open and ready. Lizzy,
I want to know what your twenty twenty five most
popular fiction books have been.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
Our most popular fictions this year have definitely been martyr rejection.
A Village Beyond the Mist is really popular at our store.
We're seeing a huge rise also in mysteries and a
lot of Japanese translated mysteries that have been really I
(29:29):
mean strange pictures, strange houses, just to name a few. Yes,
and that's gotten really popular. I think horror has gotten
really popular as well, especially translated.
Speaker 4 (29:38):
Horror and novella horror.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
And I think it's because the world is a little
bit horrific and we need to figure out a way
to get to processing that circuitously, and maybe mystery is
the route to do that. And yeah, I think you know,
rejection is such a chaotic story and it's also so visceral,
(30:02):
but if you really peel down the layers, it's actually
very vulnerable.
Speaker 4 (30:06):
It's a very.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
Vulnerable part of what it means to strip back all
the layers and be like this is like me and
all my three sixty five complex glory And even with
the characters that you really despise, sometimes in it, you
kind of despise them because you relate to them.
Speaker 4 (30:24):
So I think that that's kind.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Of where our fiction trends are going mostly.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
Emma, how about for your two stories?
Speaker 3 (30:32):
Yeah, I mean, like I agree, I agree, Like strange
Houses we sold, I was looking through our bestseller list
and we sold this book called Murder on Sex Island
or is it sex on Murder?
Speaker 1 (30:48):
What are the other truly unhinged either way, Murder.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
On Sex Island, which like is I mean it's like
a fun, campy mystery novel, Like it was on our
bestseller list for months months, like people could not get enough.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
Did you have any other surprising bestsellers Emma.
Speaker 3 (31:14):
I mean, I would say, like our best sellers tend
to be something that we have big events for, but
the books that we have sold the most copies of
that we did not have events for. I would say,
like Audition by Katie Kidemora. She's my friend, and I
don't think that she would mind if I objectified her
(31:36):
in this way. She's just like the coolest, most beautiful
person in the world. That's just a fact. And the
book is so interesting and destabilizing, and I think it's
like I think people are responding to it, Lucy for
exactly what you were saying about. It's not a horror
novel at all, but like it is unsettling, and I
(31:57):
think that, yeah, we're all so unsettled, so why not,
like why not dive in? And the other book that
we've been selling, just like hand over Fist that I
can tell is just like going to continue for us
in that sort of like word of mouthway is Heart
the Lover by Lily King, which like, oh my god,
(32:22):
I mean it's the book for like every person who
has a former love that they still think about. You
don't have to raise your hands, but like you know,
just in case, just in case, every single person on
the planet has one of those, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
And it is like, for your husband's not listening to
the podcast, don't worry, he.
Speaker 4 (32:46):
Knows, he knows, he knows.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
It starts out as this like youthful, college sexy romance whatever,
and then it plunges you into like middle aged reality
and death. And so the experience of reading it is
this like and then you're just crying. You're just crying
for like the last fifty pages. Incredible.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
Okay, I'm super excited to read it because I haven't
read it yet. But do you think the second half
of it is all fours coded?
Speaker 3 (33:17):
No, Okay, I don't think so. I don't think so,
because it's like it's not I mean, I do think
that we have seen like a huge spike in like
middle aged divorce, sexual rejiggering. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, there's
(33:37):
a lot of that for sure, But this one it's
like Hurt the Lover. It's much sweeter than that. Like
it's much like it's like I love my husband, I
love my life. My life is hard, my life is complicated,
this person is complicated, and I love them.
Speaker 4 (33:53):
Like it's not tighter.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
Would you consider that this is part of like part
of a subgenre ror.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
No, I mean there's definitely a subgenre happening right now
of like divorced Lady getting how still it gets your
route back?
Speaker 1 (34:09):
Yeah, for sure, the same thing.
Speaker 3 (34:13):
There is there is and those can be really fun.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
Are there any other subgenres you see trending in your store? Lucy?
Speaker 2 (34:20):
I think it's kind of related to that. It's this
reckoning of self and a reckoning of our reality. So
whether that happens in early coming of age, middle coming
of age, or late coming of age, I think this.
I mean, building's romans are always in, but this particular
reckoning with what our reality is and how we want
(34:42):
to invest in our reality and selves. I think is
this like really growing subgenre in fiction that relates to
all the bestsellers that I've seen?
Speaker 1 (34:49):
How many books of each of you read this year?
No pressure, I'm just curious. I mean I do keep
a list. I didn't count.
Speaker 3 (34:58):
I think I'm at a how like fifty or so
right now.
Speaker 1 (35:06):
It's amazing because you're also running a business. I know,
like part of your business is to read, but it's
it's also the business is the business too. That's really impressive,
you know. I mean, thank you, I guess.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
But like when I am in my bookstore, all I
see your books I haven't read, you know what I mean. Like,
I feel like I'm always looking around and I'm always like, oh, man,
like there are so many books that are out now
that I want to read. And I mean, and this
is not a bad feeling, but I feel like I'm
spending my whole life catching up on all those books.
Speaker 1 (35:43):
I get bookstore anxiety because I look around and I'm like,
there's so much I haven't read and so much I
don't know, and I'm never going to have time to
dig into all of this.
Speaker 3 (35:52):
Yeah, yeah, but we all feel that way, every single
one of us.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
I think that's the beauty of it, that it's always
going to be unfinished. And I think similarly, I've read
around sixty books this year, and it's tough to do
at the same time, but also I can't really live
my life and not read.
Speaker 4 (36:10):
And I feel the same way.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
I go inside my store every day and I'm like,
there's so many books out here that I haven't even
that are like so much further down my list because
my list just gets longer, and I think that's the
great joy of unfinished reading.
Speaker 1 (36:26):
You just I got to exhale when you said that.
Thank you for reframing it that way. I see why
people come into your bookstore and feel like they can
take a breath. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (36:36):
Well, also, Daniel, if you want another breath, Yeah, I don't.
Perhaps you already know this, I imagine you do. But
you also don't have to finish something, yes if you
don't like it, Like I went through too many decades
of my life finishing every book whether or not I
(36:56):
was enjoying it, and I do not do that anymore.
Like if I am not loving a book, then I
then it's done. Like I don't have the time to
waste on a book that I don't want to be reading.
Speaker 1 (37:12):
That's a good rule.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
I know.
Speaker 1 (37:13):
I do have sort of this feeling like I have
to get to the end. What if I'm missing the
good part? So yeah, that is a double breath. Thank
you for that. Bus You guys, we usually wrap our
convos with something called speed Read, but I thought we'd
put a twist on it this time. It's the holiday
gift giving season, and a perfectly chosen book is one
(37:34):
of my favorite presents. I'm guessing you all feel the
same way, So I thought we'd do a little mini
gift guide with you are absolute experts, and we actually
asked our bookmark listeners to tell us who they are
shopping for, and they gave us some very specific requests.
I would expect nothing less from them. They're amazing, so
I'm hoping you'll do your best to pair their requests
(37:55):
with a book. Are you ready for this? It's the
ultimate challenge? Okay, go from kat literary fiction related to
the Christmas season.
Speaker 3 (38:05):
Okay, wait, I have one, So Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy,
I believe it is have a series of extremely sexy,
like like I would say three to four chili pepper
(38:26):
romances that are like jingle Bell to go on that
are Christmas themed, which sounds like it shouldn't work together,
but it really does. It really does. Like extremely steamy,
extremely steamy romance. I mean, I guess she asked for
something literary, but like that is the first Christmas book
that came to mind, and honestly she probably needs it.
Speaker 4 (38:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
I think in general, during the holiday season, people just
want to feel cozy, So maybe days at the Marzaki
Bookshop as an option or will describe you a cat.
That's a really good one. And if you want to
go for memoir I really liked I don't know. For
(39:09):
the holidays, this is kind of a wild one to
throw in the wrench. But young me, Mayors, I'm laughing
because I'm crying. If you want to prep for a
holiday that you can read that by yourself while you're
with family.
Speaker 4 (39:23):
But that can be like your own little thing.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
That is a wild one to throw in. Okay, interesting,
I like it. Jacques Ass historical fiction served with a
side of romance. Ooh ooh.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
Taiwan Travel is a really good one.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
I would say my favorite historical fiction that I feel
like not enough people have read is The Great Circle
by Maggie Shipstead. It's like I love this Amelia air Hurt.
Basically it is just it's It's one of the best books,
best best books of the last hundred years. Like I
(40:03):
just I love it, and I don't think enough people
have read it.
Speaker 1 (40:06):
I'm going to throw in. I'm going to throw in
an original, which is Tale of Two Cities. Next up,
Sophia is looking for books that take place in Europe
that focus on culture and architecture. I like this one.
Speaker 2 (40:18):
Oh god, oh god, maybe this was recently translated.
Speaker 4 (40:24):
It's called a Couple by Oh my gosh, Mela.
Speaker 2 (40:33):
I think I forgot the name, but it's it just
got translated this last month and it's translated from French
and it talks about.
Speaker 4 (40:40):
Just a little. It looks at a couple and current
day and.
Speaker 2 (40:44):
Goes thirty days, thirty years backwards with every chapter.
Speaker 4 (40:49):
And I've really loved that.
Speaker 2 (40:50):
And it talks about how they've lost their memory over time,
and certain parts of Paris and their architecture brings them
back to different memory.
Speaker 4 (41:00):
Wow. Thank you, good job, Lucy.
Speaker 3 (41:02):
Amazing, amazing.
Speaker 1 (41:05):
Emma.
Speaker 3 (41:05):
Do you have any No, no, literally, not one thing.
Thank god Lucy's here.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
Okay, that's fair and I appreciate your honesty. Eileen is
wondering about books with a female protagonist in her fifties
or sixties.
Speaker 2 (41:17):
Mother Mary Comes to Me is a really really good one,
the New Dish Jen. If you're looking to look at
some mommy issues in a anagrotistic way, that's a really
good one too.
Speaker 3 (41:33):
Maria Semple has a new book that's coming out in
April called Go Gentle that is about a woman in
her fifties maybe sixties. And my favorite part of it
is that she this woman and like three of her
neighbors on their hall. This in the same apartment building, right,
(41:56):
they go grocery shopping together because they're like, well, we
don't need a dozen eggs, but you take four, I'll
take four and I'll take four. You know, Like it's
they've divvied things up. It's like they call themselves the coven.
That's one that.
Speaker 1 (42:12):
I I always tell all of my girlfriends that I
love that I feel like we were in the same
coven back in the day. Yeah, okay, Eli, Eli needs
a heart wrenching love story. No happily ever after?
Speaker 3 (42:27):
Oh, I mean I would say heart the lover like
really does really like I think, will do you just
find Eli? But I'll try to think of other ones too, Lucy.
Speaker 2 (42:37):
I haven't read it yet, so I can't tell you
if for certain positive or negative happy ending, The Great
Reclamation is really good. And that's also falls within the
historical fiction plus romance category. For previous recommendation and the
not happy I mean, if you want to read a
little life, that's that's always an option.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
Okay. Fernanda is looking for a really good sapphic romance.
Speaker 4 (43:07):
Oh man, oh wait here.
Speaker 3 (43:10):
So my one of my good friends is a romance
writer named Jasmine Guillery and her first sapphic romance came
out this year. It's called Flirting Lessons, and it's so good.
It's so good so many of her Most of her
books take place like in California, in like sort of
(43:31):
wine country, like beautiful place, like you're just you're so
happy to be there anyway, like eating and drinking what
these characters are eating and drinking. And then it's like
a sexy romance too.
Speaker 4 (43:41):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (43:42):
And Jasmine Guillory is such a beloved Reese's Book Club author.
Speaker 2 (43:47):
I'm making sure I have the titles correct. But maybe
Bond Me for Two by Trinity Wynn. That's like a
really cute young adult saphic romance. There's also Carmilla, which
is a novella slash horror, but it's very saphic, very lesbian,
very exciting, and other all this could be different. Sarah
(44:09):
thinka Matthews really really good talks about early twenties going
through the Midwest, discovering identity, discovering you know, sexuality and everything.
Speaker 1 (44:18):
And last, but not least. Molly says. I'm looking for
a friend who doesn't read and hasn't read since school,
but wants to get into reading. So basically an intro
to books, probably something fast paced and a page turner.
Any genre. Ooh, this is fun.
Speaker 3 (44:32):
I got it, I got it, okay. The Art Thief
by Michael Finkel. It's short, it's so short, it's probably
two hundred pages. And it's true crime. It's true crime.
So if this person is into true crime TV shows
or podcasts or whatever, they will love The Art Thief.
(44:52):
If they're like, oh my god, the Louver wasn't that amazing,
they love The Art Thief. It's about a couple who
steal things from museums all around France and they don't
get caught for years and years and years because the
way people get caught is by reselling things on the
black market. But they don't resell anything. They just put
(45:15):
it on display in their room and that's it.
Speaker 1 (45:21):
It's great. Love that one.
Speaker 4 (45:22):
I'm excited to read it.
Speaker 2 (45:24):
I really like recommending The Details by Eagenberg.
Speaker 4 (45:28):
It's pretty short.
Speaker 2 (45:30):
It's a really good for short attention span right now,
I think, which everyone's struggling with but she writes with
such a rich and developed first person perspective that talks
about short stories of all these people that have deeply
affected her life in terms of friendship, and to dive
that deeply within a complex relationship with another person, and
(45:51):
such kind of short increments between stories that are loosely
related just make you feel connected to the character. And
my hotache is just like people aren't into reading because
they haven't figured out a book that works for them.
So I think that's a really good one that kind
of just like sucks you right in into a first
person narrative.
Speaker 1 (46:12):
Okay, Emma Lucy, it has been so much fun spending
time with you. I've spent time in both of your
bookstores and it's almost surreal getting to talk to you
face to face. So thank you for this.
Speaker 4 (46:23):
Thank you so excited to be here.
Speaker 1 (46:28):
Okay, friends, before we wrap today's episode, it's time for
Turn Up the Story. It's our monthly audiobook segment, brought
to you by Apple Books. So Apple Books editors are
always reading and listening so they can bring you their
favorite new finds every month. But this time of year
it's like award season for book lovers, where everyone's buzzing
(46:50):
about which stories will make the cut of Apple books
coveted best of lists. You can trust that Apple editors
are knee deep in this year's astounding collection, looking back
on everything they've read and heard in twenty twenty five.
The end result two lists, Okay, the best Books of
the Year and the Best Audiobooks of the Year. Here's
(47:10):
the thing. Only twenty titles make each list. Twenty that's it.
So that means these are the books and the audiobooks
the Apple Books editors cannot stop talking about their most
unforgettable reads across every genre fiction, non fiction, romance, thrillers, memoir, fantasy,
and more. Now I'm not giving away spoilers. I know
(47:33):
my fellow bookmark listeners love a goodyear ed list, but
trust me, these picks are worth a spot on your TBR.
The full Best Books and Best Audiobooks of the Year
lists are available now on Applebooks at Apple dot co
slash Best Books twenty twenty five. That's Apple dot Co
slash Best Books two zero two five. And if you
(48:04):
want a little bit more from us, come hang with
us on socials. We're at Reese's Book Club on Instagram
serving up books vibes and behind the scenes magic and
I'm Danielle Robe ro Bay, come say hi and DM
me and if you want to go nineties on us,
you can call us. Okay, so our phone line is open,
So call us now at five zero one two nine
(48:25):
one three three seven nine. That's five zero one two
nine one three three seven nine. Share your literary hot takes,
your book recommendations, oh please share those, and questions about
the monthly pick, or just let us know what you
think about the episode you just heard. And who knows,
you might just hear yourself in our next episode, So
don't be shy. Give us a ring, and of course,
(48:47):
make sure to follow Bookmarked by Reese's book Club on
the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your shows.
Until then, see you in the next chapter. Bookmarked is
a production of Hello, Sunshine and iHeart Podcasts. It's executive
produced by Reese Witherspoon and me Danielle Robe. Production is
by Acast Creative Studios. Our producers are Matty Foley, Britney Martinez,
(49:11):
and Sarah Schleid. Our production assistant is Avery Loftis. Jenny
Kaplan and Emily Rudder are the executive producers for a
Cast Creative Studios. Maureen Polo and Reese Witherspoon are the
executive producers for Hello Sunshine. Olga Kaminwha, Sarah Kernerman, Kristin
Perla and Ashley Rappaport are associate producers for Reese's book Club.
Ali Perry and Lauren Hansen are the executive producers for
(49:34):
iHeart Podcasts.
Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club is presented by Apple Books. Hi,
I'm Danielle Robe. Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club. Okay,
we are officially in the holiday season, and since we
in the club all know that a perfectly chosen book
(00:20):
is one of the best gifts out there, we have
the perfect gift for you. Two guests, two book bosses.
Can you guess who it is? Okay, I'll give you
a hint. They are owners of some of the most
beloved indie bookstores in New York City.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
My passion has always been literature because I think the
written word is how we translate all of our thoughts
and passions to each other, and how we share who
we are with each other.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
That's Lucy You's voice. She runs You and Me Books
in New York's Chinatown neighborhood. Okay, can you guess who
our second guest is. I'll give you a hint. She's
an author too.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
When I'm in the store and the light are off
and it's totally quiet and it's just me surrounded by books,
that is when it actually feels like the closest to
the fantasy of owning a bookstore.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Well, if you guess. Emma Straub, who owns books are
Magic in Brooklyn, You are a genius. Emma and Lucy
are friends in real life, and they both run their
stores as community hubs where people can gather, chat and
find the perfect literary pairing. And when I say this
is the TBR episode of all time, I mean all time.
You got to pause what you're doing and open your
(01:36):
notes app or grab a piece of paper and a pen,
because you're going to want to capture all of the
recommendations from these two. We're talking fiction, fantasy, surprising finds,
deep cuts, romance. We all know that feeling of finding
a new read. It's like a discovery high. This episode
is full of them. So if you've ever romanticized the
(01:56):
idea of owning a little shop around the corner, I
know you have. Y'all have you are in the right place.
Let's turn the page with emma'stob and Lucy you. Emma, Lucy,
welcome to the club HII here.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Thanks for having us.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Well, you run two of our favorite bookstores in New York,
so we're so excited that you're here. But for listeners
who've never gotten opportunity to step inside your stores. I
want to give them a little taste. If your stores
had a personality type, Emma, what would yours be?
Speaker 3 (02:33):
A personality type? Is this like like an anagram test
like that of yours?
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Briggs? Yeah, okay, I've never.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Done one of those, so I don't know is it?
But we are bright, we are bubbly, we are outgoing.
We are sometimes a little loud, like I try not
to describe the bookstore and myself like exactly the same way,
but it is really it like it is what it is,
you know what I mean. It's like it's it's a
(03:04):
little pink, it's a little loud. Yeah, and it's really fun.
It's like populated with smart, fun people all the time.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Lucy, before you share yours, I'm curious, Emma, if we
could assign an astrological sign, what would it be? It's
giving like Taurus.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Well I will tell you so I personally am a
Taurus and the store is also a Taurus.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
So you are right.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
That was the most la thing I've ever done. Okay, Lucy,
how you what's your store's personality type?
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Oh? Man, I think we toggled between a E N
F P and a I N T J combo, and
I guess I'm both of those things. An astrological sign.
I have four scorpios in my chart, which make people
go like, but it just me that I'm really emotional,
(04:01):
and I think that we're kind of like a scorpio
Aquarius Taurus hybrid, really grounded, kind of like just little
little secrety, little sub versus. But yeah, and we also Aquarius.
I feel like every Aquarius is an individual, and I
feel that way about our book selection.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
I think you get to experience something that so many
of us dream about as kids and even as adults,
which is being in a bookstore alone when nobody is
in there, and you get to experience that all of
the time. I know it's your work, but is there
a certain ritual that you have.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
I usually if I do have solo time at the store,
it's usually on Mondays when Monday nights when we're closed,
and I love to put on an album and I
just lie on our poofs, which is like our seating
arrangement on the upstairs. I like lie on four poofs
and I just take a nap.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
That's really nice. That is the way, Emma. How about you?
Speaker 3 (05:07):
I have sort of like the opposite, which is that
I am often in the store by myself because so
our second location is two blocks away from my kids school,
and so I often i you know, I walk them
to school at like between you know, drop them off
at like eight fifteen, eight thirty, and we don't open
(05:29):
until ten, and so then I walk to the bookstore,
either by myself or with my husband. And that's actually
most of the time I'm in the bookstore, Like most
of the time, I'm there by myself and in the dark.
And it's amazing. Like running a small business. Lucy knows
(05:51):
this ten million times over. Running a small business is
not easy, even a small business that like seems so
dreamy from the outside, like running a bookstore. But when
it's when I'm in the store and the lights are
off and it's totally quiet and it's just me surrounded
(06:12):
by books, that is when it actually feels like the
closest like to the fantasy of owning a bookstore.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Lucy, you opened You and Me Books at the height
of COVID in twenty twenty one. That is a wild choice.
What inspired that?
Speaker 4 (06:30):
Yeah, not the chill. It's time to open up a business.
I'll be super honest, not a brick and mortar for
not a brick and mortar.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
But I specifically chose Chinatown after COVID because so many
small businesses close in Chinatown, there's such a rise in
anti Asian hate. And my passion has always been literature,
because I think the written word is how we translate
all of our thoughts and passions to each other, and
(06:57):
how we share who we are with each other. And
that's a kind of connection that I felt like faltered
in the pandemic. Out of necessity, we kind of had
to filter it back into an electronic communication, and that's
missing the breath of what it means to really storytell
in person. Also in twenty twenty, I lost one of
(07:19):
my best friends, and that really just made me feel
like I needed to prioritize the things that I really
cared about and the things that I was passionate about,
and that just came from such a place of pure love.
I obviously it's a huge risk, number one, having a
bookstore in Chinatown when small businesses were closing, also in
(07:39):
the pandemic, when just retail was so unpredictable, But I
was willing to take that chance because I was so
hungry for human connection, and I was so desperate for
this deep kind of understanding for other people that is
only possible in person third spaces. And I took that
risk because I don't think we actually feel anything as
(08:02):
humans and isolation. And if that's something that I'm feeling
and something that I'm holding during a really difficult time
that everyone in the world is experiencing such intense grief,
I'm sure I wasn't the only one that wanted something
like that.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Well, it's clear that you really created such a community
around the bookstore too, because I remember seeing in twenty
twenty three, I believe that the bookstore burned down and
there was a huge community that helped rebuild and rally
around the store.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
Yeah, I really.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
I'm still so shocked at that moment in time, obviously
because there's a lot of grief associated with it, with
the loss of the first version of my store, but
that's also kind of foiled by this immense and deep
love that the community showed up in this way for
this tiny bookstore. And a big part of that was
also Emma was such a big part of my community
(08:53):
during that time when the store burned down. She gave
me a key to books of her magic, and she
was like, whenever you need a you the store, you can.
And I feel like that, you know what we.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
Were in the no seriously generous.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
And that that earnestness that we talked about before. I
think when you lead with that, it can be infectious
because a lot of people actually desire that. But to
get there, you have to remove all these layers of
presentation of self to get to somewhere super vulnerable. And
that's where I connect with my community, and that's also
where I connect with Emma. And I think that we
(09:28):
saw that so quickly in each other, and I feel
so immensely supported by her too.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
That's hard.
Speaker 4 (09:36):
On this podcast, Lucy, this is not that kind of sorry,
so sorry.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
You know, it's really special. And I think that it's
not just me, you know, like I'm close enough physically,
close enough where there was something like concrete that we
could offer, which was space for some of Lucy's events.
But it wasn't just us, you know, like there were
so many booksellers and readers and writers across the country
(10:05):
who swooped in in whatever ways they could, you know,
and it's like, I mean that's my I mean I
don't want to say that's my favorite part because it
was a tragedy, but I do think that, like when
things are hard, you do get to show up for people,
and that that feels good. So I I love you
(10:25):
a little sing I love you too, Emma. Books are Magic.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
I remember seeing pop up online before I had even
been able to go into the space, and you were
one of the first bookstores that I saw really trying
to to connect with readers online and doing it so successfully.
You're a native New Yorker, You're the daughter of a writer.
(11:08):
You were both a novelist and a bookseller before you
open the first location of Books Are Magic to be
a little bit earnest and corny myself, like, what is
the magic of a brick and mortar bookstore in your mind? Oh?
Speaker 3 (11:22):
I mean it's I mean Lucy said this a little
bit earlier, but like, you know, part of being a writer,
A huge part of being a writer is being by yourself,
you know, is sitting in a room alone and coming
up with imaginary people to play with, you know. And
(11:45):
so I loved being a bookseller when I worked at
our local bookstore when I was in my twenties, and
I loved it. I was not very good at it.
What does that mean? Like the computer, I was never
good at looking things up. There were just like other
people who knew how to do a lot more at
the bookstore. But what I knew how to do was
(12:06):
talk to people. And that's still what I'm best at
at the bookstore. But like, what happened was that bookstore
closed after thirty five plus years because the owners wanted
to retire. Good for them, and I just had this.
I mean it sounds deranged, but I just thought like, well,
(12:30):
there are only two choices, like I can either we
can move to another neighborhood to be closer to another bookstore,
or we can open a bookstore. Like those were the
only two choices that I saw. So we opened a
bookstore just to have a place to walk into, you know,
like that's what it's all about. It's my favorite place,
Like it's my favorite kind of place when I travel.
(12:52):
I'm sure this is true for you, Lucy, Like when
I travel, I just go from independent bookstore to individual but.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
That's literally how I travel. That's the first thing I
look at. I'm like, where are the bookstore?
Speaker 1 (13:04):
It's a community hub. I think that's what you're getting
at too. Yeah, I know you mentioned sort of romanticizing
the job earlier. Did movies like You've Got Mail play
into that at all? Was it a rude awakening when
you opened the store the first week?
Speaker 3 (13:19):
Well, I mean You've Got Mail, Like, I mean, that's
a tragedy. Her bookstore closes, That bookstore closes, you know
what I mean?
Speaker 1 (13:27):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (13:27):
But yeah, I mean I guess I yes, I was
probably thinking, you know, Meg Ryan, cute haircut, cute all
outfit kind of stuff.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
I mean, you are kind of giving Meg Ryan vibes today.
It's true, Lucy, doesn't she have the hair cut?
Speaker 2 (13:46):
No, I was just when she's like, cute haircut, I
was like, Emma, you're kind of doing it right now.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
You both are known for being so curatorial, and I
think your fans come not just for the atmosphere you create,
but definitely for your specific point of view and your taste.
I do think that a physical space sometimes has limitations
on that space. So what do each of you look
for when you're curating your selections, because I know you
(14:14):
have to be particular, and there's also like you're weighing
sort of bestseller lists and what's going to sell versus
what you want to put in front of people. How
do you go about deciding.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
It's a really interesting process, especially, like you said, for
the supply chain and logistics for a retail space, you're
limited in the actual amount of space that you can.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
Fill and adjust.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
So for us, we really focus on not keeping so
much stock, and so our inventory fully rotates pretty frequently,
Like I think we have a full rotation of inventory
once every couple of months or something like that, So
it's pretty frequent for us, and so we're always looking
at new titles, and I think that's what we offer
(14:58):
people is in general, our store is focused on immigrant
stories and writers of color, but there's so much range
in that. There's so much translated fiction that you can
bring into that. How do you want to extend what
an immigrant story means? And the breadth of availability for
that kind of literature, And what I want to offer
(15:18):
people is for them to come in every week and
see a bunch of new titles that they've never seen before.
I personally am someone that's fairly offline and I'm not
someone who chases trends, so I don't ever look at
bestsellers list and I also don't really follow what's popular
out there. We have a really intuitive curation process where
(15:43):
we understand where our taste is, and our taste is
focusing on language and stories that really push apart the
layers of perception and get to the core of what
it means to live in this person's brain or live
in this story. And that goes beyond what's popular. And
I think there's this chasing of popularity, especially in publishing,
(16:03):
like with book talk and how that's gotten so popular,
this chasing of that, and when you chase trends, by
the time you get up to it, the trend has changed.
So I I feel like for us, it's this what
is a trend and what makes something long lasting? And
the longevity of taste is something that we really prioritize.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
That's very cool to hear Elma's snapping. She's giving you
the silent gen Z snaps with hard fingers. Emma, how
do you go about it?
Speaker 3 (16:37):
Well, you know, we have so we have two stores
now and the stores are like about a fifteen minute
walk from each other. One is in Cobble Hill and
one is in Brooklyn Heights. And I would say, before
we open the second store, I would have said, like
it's pretty much the same neighborhood, Like it's it's really
(16:58):
not that different, but it out it really is different.
That's interesting. So the second store has been open for
three years now, and it's been really interesting to be like,
oh okay, okay, So like we sell way more, it's
just a little bit older, like the crowd that comes in.
I mean, we have all of our events there, so
(17:20):
like all of our people are in that store all
the time, but it's a little bit older. And so
like we sell so many more mysteries at the second
store than we do at the first store. Not to
say that we don't sell any but just like it's
just it's interesting, or we sell more biographies. We think
about that a little bit as we're as like I'm
(17:40):
ordering for the store. I mean we've always been like
I mean, I don't want to say like anti old
white man writers, because there are a lot of old
white man writers that I love and that we have
on our shelves all the time. But we really wanted
that not to be the numb like when you look
(18:04):
at a stack, like that's not what you're going to
see at books or magic and I mean, I'm forty
five now, so like I don't see all that young anymore.
But I think we are still a young store and
we have a lot of young customers and young readers.
They are like, you know, we sell so much. We
have a whole section of translated literature at both stores.
(18:27):
You know, we had to make our poetry section bigger,
Like they are smart, cool readers.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
What is the secret sauce of a title really selling well?
Is it placement?
Speaker 4 (18:37):
Ever? It sure can be.
Speaker 3 (18:39):
I don't know about you, Lucy, but like for us,
there'll be a book you know, that we have on
the shelf that we sell, like, you know, a couple
copies of a year, and then if we like put
a big stack of it right next to the register,
all of a sudden we're selling twenty copies a week,
you know. And we're like, oh, right, merchandising, because I
(19:01):
don't it's not the way that I came to the
store like thinking about like a mercenary sales perspective. I mean,
does that ever surprise you, Lucy when you move a
book around and you're like, oh, that's that's all. You
just didn't see it before.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Oh my gosh, merchandising is its own art, and displaying,
especially in a retail space, is such a art in
and of itself and the organization. And I think when
I look at a space, I block it in terms
of colors and block it in terms of lighting, so
that you can kind of gravitate towards different energy, Like
(19:34):
if a space in ours has warmer lighting, then maybe
we have certain titles in there that matches with that
vibe in that corner. And just micro climates like that
in the store is something that we consider. Another thing
is we're really adamant about shelf talkers.
Speaker 4 (19:52):
It's it is a lie that people don't judge a
book by its cover.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
People one hundred percent judge books by its cover, myself included.
And it's hard not to look at art on a
book cover and try to connect to it and try
to connect to that book. So sometimes we don't know
if a certain book is going to connect to someone
in the same way that the story intends, just because
different people have different perspectives and different tastes in art.
(20:18):
So writing that shelf talker and having we have a
whole row, I know, Emma, you have this at your
store too. Of staff picks, and each of those has
a shelf talker too, and we rotate those out honestly
all the time.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
Yeah, I love.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
That you do that. I've seen or have gone into
bookstores that have like staff recommendation cards, and I think
all those personal touches just makes such a huge difference.
Is there a book that has caused a ton of
debate within your store?
Speaker 2 (20:51):
Not a ton of debate, but it's kind of become
a running joke of mine because one of my staff
picks that keeps getting sold the second it's place out
there is Adult Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
The amount of people that have recommended that book to me,
Lucy and that might don't have a narcissis narcissistic mother.
I just want to put that out there. But it's
a very popular book nowadays.
Speaker 4 (21:15):
It's really funny.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
So it toggles between that and adult Children of emotionally
immature parents, which I think is like, I mean, should
show you where I am in my investigation of self.
But I think that that kind of hilarious, like inner
child healing is where I am, And it's kind of
like a curveball psychiatry staff pick that gets just sold
(21:37):
so quickly. So it's just it's becoming this running joke
that I choose these kind of niche psychiatry books as
my staff picks.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
I heard that the Artist's Way. I heard that all
bookstores have to stop the Artist's Way because people constantly
want it.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
Oh yeah, I mean there are so many books like
that where like you know, whether it's the Artist's Way
or like Bird by Bird or you know, things like that,
where like you, as a as a bookstore owner might
be like, but like everyone has that book already, but no, no,
like there are always more people there as There's also
(22:14):
like a book about back pain that's like that. There's
one about quitting smoking that's like that. I don't think
we carry the smoking one, but like, do you know
what the books I mean, Lucy, where it's like sometimes
there are just like yeah, they what are they called?
They call them genre killers where it's like there is
one book that you need so for like about creativity
(22:36):
or whatever, it would be the Artist's Way, but where
where like any other book in that category, you're like, well,
who cares, Nobody's going to buy these other ones because
we have the one.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
Right, Because you guys have such community oriented spaces and
wondering if you've had any like bookstore matchmaking or weddings,
have like there been any you're yet, Yes, you're nodding. Yeah, yeah,
people have met at the store.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
We've had it all.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
A lot of engagements, a lot of proposals, and we
we kind of in our group chat where like every
time it happens, we text each other and we're like
everyone act natural, like don't give anything.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
Away, and how amazing is this?
Speaker 4 (23:16):
It's it's the best.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
I mean, it's like so cool to see someone decide
that the store is somewhere where they want to like
kind of be the point of their next journey with
someone else.
Speaker 4 (23:27):
And yeah yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
But also like I mean, we've had a bunch, we've
had a bunch of all of that. But my favorite
is like I ran into this friend of mine from
college and she was like, Oh, I just went on
a first date or just went on a first date
at your store. Yeah, And I was like, oh, that's cool,
and she was like, well, because it's safe. You know,
(23:51):
it's like a safe place to meet a stranger. You know,
it's it's lit. It's staffed by like smart, attentive people
who will definitely notice if something bad is happening. But yeah, no,
So we've had that, We've had proposals, engagements, we had.
(24:11):
We had one engagement that was amazing. This woman, Oh
my god, I love this woman forever. She was proposing
to her girlfriend and she set it up so far
in advance. She was like, this is what I need.
Can we do this? I want to come in after,
like after you're closed. She set up all these fake candles.
(24:31):
You know, you don't want to fire in the bookstore.
It's true, like all these fake candles.
Speaker 4 (24:35):
It's true. Can't confirm.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
And we have like you know, cameras, like security cameras
or whatever. So my husband and I were at home
watching on the cameras as like you know, she like
all their other friends are hiding in the back and
her girlfriend comes in and you know, she's down on
one knee and YadA, Yada's so great. We write to
them the next day and she said, my girlfriend proposed
(25:01):
to me the day before. But so they were already engaged.
But she was like, but I had spent so much
time planning it that.
Speaker 4 (25:08):
I just did it.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
Anyway, that's so funny.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
They had to have their moment Oh my god, I
love that so much, so good. I mean, I think
it just it just speaks to the fact that you've
become this community hub for people. They want their memories
made there. That's so special.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
I love curating the song playlist. When I see a
first date go down to I'm like, what should I do?
Like kiss me by sixpence on the Ridge? Like, you know,
what what do we do? What do we do here?
Mazzie Starr?
Speaker 1 (25:40):
You know, I ask our guests every week about what
they've bookmarked, So I'm excited to ask both of you
something that you've sent your friend on Instagram or a
weird fact or a fun quote. What's what's something that
you've bookmarked this week? Lucy.
Speaker 2 (25:59):
Yeah, I've been really reading a lot of poetry recently,
so I have been digging around and just seeing random
niche poetry collections that like probably aren't in print anymore,
because most poetry collections they print out like fifty copies
and they just exist in the ether.
Speaker 4 (26:20):
And a lot of.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
The ones that I've been reading have been really integrated
into like nature, like very Mary Oliver adjacent.
Speaker 4 (26:33):
There's like this.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
Random poetry collection that I got like New York, I
love you, And there's like asymmetry, and I think there's
this this energy of like a buzz of chaos and
complexity that someone's trying to regurgitate and also like digest
and process in the poetry that I'm gravitating towards. So
I've just been a little bit deep in that. And
(26:55):
also I've been really really loving Mother Mary comes to
me right now. That is just oh my god. Yeah,
that book has really really done it for.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
Me, Emma, what have you bookmarked? This week?
Speaker 3 (27:10):
We're hosting Margaret Atwood tonight and I am the lucky
person who gets to talk to her, and so I
have been like eyeball deep in Margaret Atwood all week.
And I just finished her memoir, which is so hardcore,
(27:33):
like so hardcore like Margaret Atwood. When I imagined her
before reading this book, I was like, yeah, like, you know,
she writes amazing poetry, she writes amazing novels. She's like
a badass lady. But I had no idea how bad
ass this lady is. She and her husband lived on
(27:54):
a farm in Canada for decades, and there is so
much blood in this book, Like there's just like farm
life like she is not afraid of anything. This woman
knows how to wield a knife and she is just
not afraid. I'm afraid because I have to ask her questions.
(28:15):
But like she is, she is tough, and I'm just
trying to channel as much Margaret Atwood as I can,
basically for the rest of my life.
Speaker 1 (28:26):
You're putting your armor on for twenty twenty six.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
I love that exactly.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
I think today we're going to get so many recommendations
from both of you, so I want all of our
listeners to get their note pads open and ready. Lizzy,
I want to know what your twenty twenty five most
popular fiction books have been.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
Our most popular fictions this year have definitely been martyr rejection.
A Village Beyond the Mist is really popular at our store.
We're seeing a huge rise also in mysteries and a
lot of Japanese translated mysteries that have been really I
(29:29):
mean strange pictures, strange houses, just to name a few. Yes,
and that's gotten really popular. I think horror has gotten
really popular as well, especially translated.
Speaker 4 (29:38):
Horror and novella horror.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
And I think it's because the world is a little
bit horrific and we need to figure out a way
to get to processing that circuitously, and maybe mystery is
the route to do that. And yeah, I think you know,
rejection is such a chaotic story and it's also so visceral,
(30:02):
but if you really peel down the layers, it's actually
very vulnerable.
Speaker 4 (30:06):
It's a very.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
Vulnerable part of what it means to strip back all
the layers and be like this is like me and
all my three sixty five complex glory And even with
the characters that you really despise, sometimes in it, you
kind of despise them because you relate to them.
Speaker 4 (30:24):
So I think that that's kind.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Of where our fiction trends are going mostly.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
Emma, how about for your two stories?
Speaker 3 (30:32):
Yeah, I mean, like I agree, I agree, Like strange
Houses we sold, I was looking through our bestseller list
and we sold this book called Murder on Sex Island
or is it sex on Murder?
Speaker 1 (30:48):
What are the other truly unhinged either way, Murder.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
On Sex Island, which like is I mean it's like
a fun, campy mystery novel, Like it was on our
bestseller list for months months, like people could not get enough.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
Did you have any other surprising bestsellers Emma.
Speaker 3 (31:14):
I mean, I would say, like our best sellers tend
to be something that we have big events for, but
the books that we have sold the most copies of
that we did not have events for. I would say,
like Audition by Katie Kidemora. She's my friend, and I
don't think that she would mind if I objectified her
(31:36):
in this way. She's just like the coolest, most beautiful
person in the world. That's just a fact. And the
book is so interesting and destabilizing, and I think it's
like I think people are responding to it, Lucy for
exactly what you were saying about. It's not a horror
novel at all, but like it is unsettling, and I
(31:57):
think that, yeah, we're all so unsettled, so why not,
like why not dive in? And the other book that
we've been selling, just like hand over Fist that I
can tell is just like going to continue for us
in that sort of like word of mouthway is Heart
the Lover by Lily King, which like, oh my god,
(32:22):
I mean it's the book for like every person who
has a former love that they still think about. You
don't have to raise your hands, but like you know,
just in case, just in case, every single person on
the planet has one of those, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
And it is like, for your husband's not listening to
the podcast, don't worry, he.
Speaker 4 (32:46):
Knows, he knows, he knows.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
It starts out as this like youthful, college sexy romance whatever,
and then it plunges you into like middle aged reality
and death. And so the experience of reading it is
this like and then you're just crying. You're just crying
for like the last fifty pages. Incredible.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
Okay, I'm super excited to read it because I haven't
read it yet. But do you think the second half
of it is all fours coded?
Speaker 3 (33:17):
No, Okay, I don't think so. I don't think so,
because it's like it's not I mean, I do think
that we have seen like a huge spike in like
middle aged divorce, sexual rejiggering. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, there's
(33:37):
a lot of that for sure, But this one it's
like Hurt the Lover. It's much sweeter than that. Like
it's much like it's like I love my husband, I
love my life. My life is hard, my life is complicated,
this person is complicated, and I love them.
Speaker 4 (33:53):
Like it's not tighter.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
Would you consider that this is part of like part
of a subgenre ror.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
No, I mean there's definitely a subgenre happening right now
of like divorced Lady getting how still it gets your
route back?
Speaker 1 (34:09):
Yeah, for sure, the same thing.
Speaker 3 (34:13):
There is there is and those can be really fun.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
Are there any other subgenres you see trending in your store? Lucy?
Speaker 2 (34:20):
I think it's kind of related to that. It's this
reckoning of self and a reckoning of our reality. So
whether that happens in early coming of age, middle coming
of age, or late coming of age, I think this.
I mean, building's romans are always in, but this particular
reckoning with what our reality is and how we want
(34:42):
to invest in our reality and selves. I think is
this like really growing subgenre in fiction that relates to
all the bestsellers that I've seen?
Speaker 1 (34:49):
How many books of each of you read this year?
No pressure, I'm just curious. I mean I do keep
a list. I didn't count.
Speaker 3 (34:58):
I think I'm at a how like fifty or so
right now.
Speaker 1 (35:06):
It's amazing because you're also running a business. I know,
like part of your business is to read, but it's
it's also the business is the business too. That's really impressive,
you know. I mean, thank you, I guess.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
But like when I am in my bookstore, all I
see your books I haven't read, you know what I mean. Like,
I feel like I'm always looking around and I'm always like, oh, man,
like there are so many books that are out now
that I want to read. And I mean, and this
is not a bad feeling, but I feel like I'm
spending my whole life catching up on all those books.
Speaker 1 (35:43):
I get bookstore anxiety because I look around and I'm like,
there's so much I haven't read and so much I
don't know, and I'm never going to have time to
dig into all of this.
Speaker 3 (35:52):
Yeah, yeah, but we all feel that way, every single
one of us.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
I think that's the beauty of it, that it's always
going to be unfinished. And I think similarly, I've read
around sixty books this year, and it's tough to do
at the same time, but also I can't really live
my life and not read.
Speaker 4 (36:10):
And I feel the same way.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
I go inside my store every day and I'm like,
there's so many books out here that I haven't even
that are like so much further down my list because
my list just gets longer, and I think that's the
great joy of unfinished reading.
Speaker 1 (36:26):
You just I got to exhale when you said that.
Thank you for reframing it that way. I see why
people come into your bookstore and feel like they can
take a breath. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (36:36):
Well, also, Daniel, if you want another breath, Yeah, I don't.
Perhaps you already know this, I imagine you do. But
you also don't have to finish something, yes if you
don't like it, Like I went through too many decades
of my life finishing every book whether or not I
(36:56):
was enjoying it, and I do not do that anymore.
Like if I am not loving a book, then I
then it's done. Like I don't have the time to
waste on a book that I don't want to be reading.
Speaker 1 (37:12):
That's a good rule.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
I know.
Speaker 1 (37:13):
I do have sort of this feeling like I have
to get to the end. What if I'm missing the
good part? So yeah, that is a double breath. Thank
you for that. Bus You guys, we usually wrap our
convos with something called speed Read, but I thought we'd
put a twist on it this time. It's the holiday
gift giving season, and a perfectly chosen book is one
(37:34):
of my favorite presents. I'm guessing you all feel the
same way, So I thought we'd do a little mini
gift guide with you are absolute experts, and we actually
asked our bookmark listeners to tell us who they are
shopping for, and they gave us some very specific requests.
I would expect nothing less from them. They're amazing, so
I'm hoping you'll do your best to pair their requests
(37:55):
with a book. Are you ready for this? It's the
ultimate challenge? Okay, go from kat literary fiction related to
the Christmas season.
Speaker 3 (38:05):
Okay, wait, I have one, So Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy,
I believe it is have a series of extremely sexy,
like like I would say three to four chili pepper
(38:26):
romances that are like jingle Bell to go on that
are Christmas themed, which sounds like it shouldn't work together,
but it really does. It really does. Like extremely steamy,
extremely steamy romance. I mean, I guess she asked for
something literary, but like that is the first Christmas book
that came to mind, and honestly she probably needs it.
Speaker 4 (38:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
I think in general, during the holiday season, people just
want to feel cozy, So maybe days at the Marzaki
Bookshop as an option or will describe you a cat.
That's a really good one. And if you want to
go for memoir I really liked I don't know. For
(39:09):
the holidays, this is kind of a wild one to
throw in the wrench. But young me, Mayors, I'm laughing
because I'm crying. If you want to prep for a
holiday that you can read that by yourself while you're
with family.
Speaker 4 (39:23):
But that can be like your own little thing.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
That is a wild one to throw in. Okay, interesting,
I like it. Jacques Ass historical fiction served with a
side of romance. Ooh ooh.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
Taiwan Travel is a really good one.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
I would say my favorite historical fiction that I feel
like not enough people have read is The Great Circle
by Maggie Shipstead. It's like I love this Amelia air Hurt.
Basically it is just it's It's one of the best books,
best best books of the last hundred years. Like I
(40:03):
just I love it, and I don't think enough people
have read it.
Speaker 1 (40:06):
I'm going to throw in. I'm going to throw in
an original, which is Tale of Two Cities. Next up,
Sophia is looking for books that take place in Europe
that focus on culture and architecture. I like this one.
Speaker 2 (40:18):
Oh god, oh god, maybe this was recently translated.
Speaker 4 (40:24):
It's called a Couple by Oh my gosh, Mela.
Speaker 2 (40:33):
I think I forgot the name, but it's it just
got translated this last month and it's translated from French
and it talks about.
Speaker 4 (40:40):
Just a little. It looks at a couple and current
day and.
Speaker 2 (40:44):
Goes thirty days, thirty years backwards with every chapter.
Speaker 4 (40:49):
And I've really loved that.
Speaker 2 (40:50):
And it talks about how they've lost their memory over time,
and certain parts of Paris and their architecture brings them
back to different memory.
Speaker 4 (41:00):
Wow. Thank you, good job, Lucy.
Speaker 3 (41:02):
Amazing, amazing.
Speaker 1 (41:05):
Emma.
Speaker 3 (41:05):
Do you have any No, no, literally, not one thing.
Thank god Lucy's here.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
Okay, that's fair and I appreciate your honesty. Eileen is
wondering about books with a female protagonist in her fifties
or sixties.
Speaker 2 (41:17):
Mother Mary Comes to Me is a really really good one,
the New Dish Jen. If you're looking to look at
some mommy issues in a anagrotistic way, that's a really
good one too.
Speaker 3 (41:33):
Maria Semple has a new book that's coming out in
April called Go Gentle that is about a woman in
her fifties maybe sixties. And my favorite part of it
is that she this woman and like three of her
neighbors on their hall. This in the same apartment building, right,
(41:56):
they go grocery shopping together because they're like, well, we
don't need a dozen eggs, but you take four, I'll
take four and I'll take four. You know, Like it's
they've divvied things up. It's like they call themselves the coven.
That's one that.
Speaker 1 (42:12):
I I always tell all of my girlfriends that I
love that I feel like we were in the same
coven back in the day. Yeah, okay, Eli, Eli needs
a heart wrenching love story. No happily ever after?
Speaker 3 (42:27):
Oh, I mean I would say heart the lover like
really does really like I think, will do you just
find Eli? But I'll try to think of other ones too, Lucy.
Speaker 2 (42:37):
I haven't read it yet, so I can't tell you
if for certain positive or negative happy ending, The Great
Reclamation is really good. And that's also falls within the
historical fiction plus romance category. For previous recommendation and the
not happy I mean, if you want to read a
little life, that's that's always an option.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
Okay. Fernanda is looking for a really good sapphic romance.
Speaker 4 (43:07):
Oh man, oh wait here.
Speaker 3 (43:10):
So my one of my good friends is a romance
writer named Jasmine Guillery and her first sapphic romance came
out this year. It's called Flirting Lessons, and it's so good.
It's so good so many of her Most of her
books take place like in California, in like sort of
(43:31):
wine country, like beautiful place, like you're just you're so
happy to be there anyway, like eating and drinking what
these characters are eating and drinking. And then it's like
a sexy romance too.
Speaker 4 (43:41):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (43:42):
And Jasmine Guillory is such a beloved Reese's Book Club author.
Speaker 2 (43:47):
I'm making sure I have the titles correct. But maybe
Bond Me for Two by Trinity Wynn. That's like a
really cute young adult saphic romance. There's also Carmilla, which
is a novella slash horror, but it's very saphic, very lesbian,
very exciting, and other all this could be different. Sarah
(44:09):
thinka Matthews really really good talks about early twenties going
through the Midwest, discovering identity, discovering you know, sexuality and everything.
Speaker 1 (44:18):
And last, but not least. Molly says. I'm looking for
a friend who doesn't read and hasn't read since school,
but wants to get into reading. So basically an intro
to books, probably something fast paced and a page turner.
Any genre. Ooh, this is fun.
Speaker 3 (44:32):
I got it, I got it, okay. The Art Thief
by Michael Finkel. It's short, it's so short, it's probably
two hundred pages. And it's true crime. It's true crime.
So if this person is into true crime TV shows
or podcasts or whatever, they will love The Art Thief.
(44:52):
If they're like, oh my god, the Louver wasn't that amazing,
they love The Art Thief. It's about a couple who
steal things from museums all around France and they don't
get caught for years and years and years because the
way people get caught is by reselling things on the
black market. But they don't resell anything. They just put
(45:15):
it on display in their room and that's it.
Speaker 1 (45:21):
It's great. Love that one.
Speaker 4 (45:22):
I'm excited to read it.
Speaker 2 (45:24):
I really like recommending The Details by Eagenberg.
Speaker 4 (45:28):
It's pretty short.
Speaker 2 (45:30):
It's a really good for short attention span right now,
I think, which everyone's struggling with but she writes with
such a rich and developed first person perspective that talks
about short stories of all these people that have deeply
affected her life in terms of friendship, and to dive
that deeply within a complex relationship with another person, and
(45:51):
such kind of short increments between stories that are loosely
related just make you feel connected to the character. And
my hotache is just like people aren't into reading because
they haven't figured out a book that works for them.
So I think that's a really good one that kind
of just like sucks you right in into a first
person narrative.
Speaker 1 (46:12):
Okay, Emma Lucy, it has been so much fun spending
time with you. I've spent time in both of your
bookstores and it's almost surreal getting to talk to you
face to face. So thank you for this.
Speaker 4 (46:23):
Thank you so excited to be here.
Speaker 1 (46:28):
Okay, friends, before we wrap today's episode, it's time for
Turn Up the Story. It's our monthly audiobook segment, brought
to you by Apple Books. So Apple Books editors are
always reading and listening so they can bring you their
favorite new finds every month. But this time of year
it's like award season for book lovers, where everyone's buzzing
(46:50):
about which stories will make the cut of Apple books
coveted best of lists. You can trust that Apple editors
are knee deep in this year's astounding collection, looking back
on everything they've read and heard in twenty twenty five.
The end result two lists, Okay, the best Books of
the Year and the Best Audiobooks of the Year. Here's
(47:10):
the thing. Only twenty titles make each list. Twenty that's it.
So that means these are the books and the audiobooks
the Apple Books editors cannot stop talking about their most
unforgettable reads across every genre fiction, non fiction, romance, thrillers, memoir, fantasy,
and more. Now I'm not giving away spoilers. I know
(47:33):
my fellow bookmark listeners love a goodyear ed list, but
trust me, these picks are worth a spot on your TBR.
The full Best Books and Best Audiobooks of the Year
lists are available now on Applebooks at Apple dot co
slash Best Books twenty twenty five. That's Apple dot Co
slash Best Books two zero two five. And if you
(48:04):
want a little bit more from us, come hang with
us on socials. We're at Reese's Book Club on Instagram
serving up books vibes and behind the scenes magic and
I'm Danielle Robe ro Bay, come say hi and DM
me and if you want to go nineties on us,
you can call us. Okay, so our phone line is open,
So call us now at five zero one two nine
(48:25):
one three three seven nine. That's five zero one two
nine one three three seven nine. Share your literary hot takes,
your book recommendations, oh please share those, and questions about
the monthly pick, or just let us know what you
think about the episode you just heard. And who knows,
you might just hear yourself in our next episode, So
don't be shy. Give us a ring, and of course,
(48:47):
make sure to follow Bookmarked by Reese's book Club on
the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your shows.
Until then, see you in the next chapter. Bookmarked is
a production of Hello, Sunshine and iHeart Podcasts. It's executive
produced by Reese Witherspoon and me Danielle Robe. Production is
by Acast Creative Studios. Our producers are Matty Foley, Britney Martinez,
(49:11):
and Sarah Schleid. Our production assistant is Avery Loftis. Jenny
Kaplan and Emily Rudder are the executive producers for a
Cast Creative Studios. Maureen Polo and Reese Witherspoon are the
executive producers for Hello Sunshine. Olga Kaminwha, Sarah Kernerman, Kristin
Perla and Ashley Rappaport are associate producers for Reese's book Club.
Ali Perry and Lauren Hansen are the executive producers for
(49:34):
iHeart Podcasts.
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