Sarah's Bookshelves Live
Sarah’s Bookshelves Live is a weekly show featuring real talk about books and book recommendations from a featured guest. Each week, Sarah of the blog Sarah’s Bookshelves will talk with her guest about: - 2 OLD BOOKS THEY LOVE - 2 NEW BOOKS THEY LOVE - 1 BOOK THEY DON’T LOVE - AND 1 NEW RELEASE THEY’RE EXCITED ABOUT I’m getting real about all things books and serving you up a bit of snark on the side.
Episodes
Ep. 208 brings the third installment of our “Best of…” series. Elizabeth Barnhill of Fabled Bookshop joined Sarah for the Best of Narrative Nonfiction, sharing her ALL-TIME TOP books in this genre. Plus, she brings a few popular nonfiction reads that didn’t work for her. This episode is chock-full of fantastic book recommendations to get you ready for Nonfiction November or just your next nonfiction pick.
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In Episode 207, Sarah chats with author Regina Black about her newest novel, August Lane. A second-chance romance about two people healing from trauma, August Lane is set in Arcadia, Arkansas, with themes of family, generational scars, and a unique thread of Black country music. Regina also talks about how she got into writing Romance on top of her job as a law school administrator, how long she’s been writing, and wh...
Please listen to the accompanying (less than 4 minute) episode for an important update about the Sarah's Bookshelves Live podcast.
Thank you,
Sarah
For Episode 206, fellow podcaster Jason Blitman, host of the Gays Reading podcast, joins Sarah to go behind the scenes of producing book festivals. They talk about how he came to reading later in his life and how his journey as a reader led him to his current role. Also, they discuss how he approaches author interviews. Plus, Jason shares his book recommendations.
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Welcome to the Fall 2025 Book Preview with Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books!
Today, Catherine and Sarah share 14 of their most anticipated books releasing from mid-August through December.
This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.
Announcement
In Episode 204, Sarah and Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books catch up on the 12 new releases they shared in the Summer 2025 Book Preview, now that they’ve read them — or at least tried to! They share their reading stats, chat about what worked — and discuss which books didn’t work and why.
This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no ...
In Episode 203, Gayle Weiswasser, co-founder of Wonderland Books, an independent bookstore in Bethesda, Maryland, returns to the podcast with Sarah for a one-year check-in on the shop’s journey. From holiday-season chaos to surprising customer favorites, Gayle shares what worked, what didn’t, and why she still handpicks every title on the shelves — plus the biggest lessons (and mistakes) from year one. Plus, Gayle shares some great...
In Episode 202, Susie (@NovelVisits) and Sarah explore some of their new favorite Micro Genres. Since starting the Micro Genres series, they’ve loved taking the opportunity each year to examine and define their tastes in these sub-sub-genres. This year, they have curated a list of 10 all-new Micro Genres, along with notable books for each category. With over 80 books mentioned, this is another year of niching down for some great bo...
In Episode 201, author Lidija Hilje talks with Sarah about her debut novel, Slanting Towards the Sea. Spanning two decades and one transformative summer in Croatia, Slanting Towards the Sea is a love story that also delves into the profound journey of coming of age in a nation younger than you are. Lidija shares lots of details about how this book came to be and the inspiration for the story and its lush Croatian setting, wh...
Welcome to the 200th episode of Sarah’s Bookshelves Live with a very special celebration with both co-hosts: Susie (@NovelVisits) and Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books. Today, they are answering listener-submitted questions all about their reading journeys, their podcast journeys, and some about their pre-podcast blogging days!
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In Ep. 199, Susie Boutry (@NovelVisits), Catherine Gilmore (@GilmoreGuide), and Sarah are all back on the mic, ready to catch up on how their reading is shaping up for 2025 — so far! They talk about the current publishing landscape, what books are topping bestseller lists to date, and their personal reading as it stands halfway through the year. They share reading stats and talk about expectations and hopes for the remainder of th...
Ep. 198 is the second episode of our brand-new “Best of…” series. Anderson McKean of Page & Palette Bookstore joined me for the Best of Thrillers, with her all-time TOP TEN favorite thriller novels…and, a couple buzzy thrillers that didn’t work for her. Also, Anderson talks about how she started reading thrillers, the wide variety available in the genre, and books from her list that would be perfect for those new to the genre!
Welcome to the Summer 2025 Book Preview with Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books!
Today, Catherine and Sarah share 12 of their most anticipated books releasing from June through mid-August.
This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.
Announcement
In Episode 196, Sarah and Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books catch up on the 12 new releases they shared in the Spring 2025 Book Preview, now that they’ve read them. They share their reading stats, chat about what worked — and hash out which books didn’t work and why.
This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
In Ep. 195, Susie (@NovelVisits) and Sarah are back to share their favorite books that missed last year’s Summer Reading Guide and our #1 picks for each category featured in my 2025 Summer Reading Guide. Plus, they begin by sharing how their summer reading habits have evolved over the years.
This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cos...
In Ep. 194, Catherine (@GilmoreGuide) and Sarah head back to the year 2017 in the book world with this second annual special retrospective episode! They share big bookish highlights for that year, including book news, award winners, and what was going on in the world outside of reading. They also talk about how their own 2017 reading shook out, including their favorite 2017 releases. Plus, a quick run-down of listener-submitted f...
In Episode 193, author Clare Leslie Hall talks with Sarah about her US debut, Broken Country — a breakout hit and a Reese’s Book Club pick. A genre mash-up that is part love story and part murder trial, Clare talks about marketing Broken Country, how this came to be her first U.S. release, and the ways the novel evolved over time. Plus, Clare shares her book recommendations.
This post contains...
Welcome to the Spring 2025 Book Preview with Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books!
Today, Catherine and Sarah share 12 of their most anticipated books releasing in April and May.
This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.
Announcement
- Sarah’s Bookshe...
In Episode 191, Sarah and Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books catch up on the 16 new releases they shared in the Winter 2025 Book Preview. They share their reading stats, chat about what they liked, and what didn’t work out.
This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
In Episode 190, author Georgia Hunter returns to the podcast to chat with Sarah about her sophomore novel, One Good Thing, and go behind-the-scenes of her experience adapting her first novel, We Were the Lucky Ones, for Hulu. Georgia talks about her role as executive producer, the difference in writing a novel that wasn’t based on family history, and how the screenwriting process influenced her own writing. Plus, Georgia shares her...
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