The Bookshop Podcast
Mandy Jackson-Beverly is a confessed bibliophile who believes independent bookshops are the gems of communities and authors are the rock stars of the literary world. As an author and book reviewer for the New York Journal of Books, Mandy profoundly understands and appreciates what it takes to write a book and present it to readers. She is instinctively curious and enjoys connecting with her guests. Learn more at mandyjacksonbeverly.com and thebookshoppodcast.com. And remember to subscribe to the show and rate and review! Music created by Brian Beverly.
Episodes
In this episode, I chat with Lucy Yu, founder and owner of Yu & Me Books. Trained as a chemical engineer, her life took an unexpected turn during the pandemic when grief from losing a close friend led to deep reflection about her purpose. "I'm here on earth to do art and foster love," she realized, and from this epiphany, You and Me Books was born—the first female Asian American-owned bookstore in N...
In this episode, I chat with Danielle Teller about how her creative journey defies conventional wisdom about career paths. From Yale-trained pulmonologist studying lung disease to acclaimed novelist, her story demonstrates how life's unexpected turns might lead us exactly where we're meant to be.
"I was a huge bookworm when I was a kid, but I was too chicken to actually write," Teller says...
In this episode, I chat with Amanda Friss, the founder of Parentheses Books, which is nestled in the heart of Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Parentheses Books is more than just a bookstore—it’s a space for community, curiosity, and connection. Since opening its doors, the shop has become a vibrant gathering place for readers of all kinds, offering a carefully curated selection of titles and a welcoming atmosphere that invite...
This episode is sponsored by Saturn Press!
Hey indie bookshops!
Did you know that greeting cards are a fantastic way for bookshops to boost sales? Saturn Press creates beautiful, handcrafted letterpress cards that customers love to purchase alongside books, helping bookshops grow and thrive.
As a thank you for tuning in to The Bookshop Podcast, Saturn Press is offering indie bookshops 10% off your first order! Just use t...
In this episode, I chat with Paddy Screech, a co-owner of Word on the Water. Paddy shares the story of London's famous floating bookshop, housed in a 1920s Dutch barge moored along Regent's Canal in King's Cross, London.
Paddy takes us from his early days as a literature-loving boy in an agricultural school to his unlikely friendship with a "trampy-looking man with a fabulous mad collie cross dog&q...
This episode is sponsored by Saturn Press!
Hey indie bookshops!
Did you know that greeting cards are a fantastic way for bookshops to boost sales? Saturn Press creates beautiful, handcrafted letterpress cards that customers love to purchase alongside books, helping bookshops grow and thrive.
As a thank you for tuning in to The Bookshop Podcast, Saturn Press is offering indie bookshops 10% off your first order! Just use t...
In this episode, I chat with historian Peniel E. Joseph about his latest book, Freedom Season: How 1963 Transformed America's Civil Rights Revolution.
Joseph's storytelling prowess brings James Baldwin, Martin Luther King Jn., President Kennedy, and Bobbie Kennedy to vibrant life, not as static icons but as complex humans navigating treacherous terrain.
Particularly fascinating is Joseph's expl...
This episode is sponsored by Saturn Press!
Hey indie bookshops!
Did you know that greeting cards are a fantastic way for bookshops to boost sales? Saturn Press creates beautiful, handcrafted letterpress cards that customers love to purchase alongside books, helping bookshops grow and thrive.
As a thank you for tuning in to The Bookshop Podcast, Saturn Press is offering indie bookshops 10% off your first order! Just use t...
In this episode, I chat with book publicist Megan Beatie about book publicity in a revealing conversation about the art and science of literary promotion.
Drawing on over 25 years of experience working with authors ranging from Linda Ronstadt to Tess Gerritsen, Megan shares how the publishing landscape has undergone a dramatic transformation since she began her career. She explains the crucial difference betw...
In this episode, I chat with Jen Lemberger, co-owner of Chaucer's Books.
Nestled in Santa Barbara's Loreto Plaza sits a literary institution fifty-one years in the making. Chaucer's Books, now under the stewardship of Jen Lemberger and Greg Feitt, stands as a testament to the enduring power of independent bookstores in our communities.
Jen's career started in health research and social...
What happens behind the scenes before a book reaches your hands? John Warren pulls back the curtain on modern publishing in this fascinating conversation that travels from his unexpected entry into the industry to where books are headed in our AI-driven future.
Warren's publishing journey began in 1992 when a Mexican publisher hired him to research the US market for Spanish-language books. Three decades ...
In this episode, I’m chatting with Vinny Browne from Charlie Byrne's Bookshop in the heart of Galway City, Ireland. At Charlie Byrne’s, you can explore their labyrinthine maze of over 100,000 books: new, second-hand, bargain, and antiquarian.
Vinny takes us behind the scenes of this beloved institution, revealing how its organic growth mirrors the evolution of Irish literary culture itself. "Books...
In this episode, I chat with Tom Muckian about Roe River Books, a thriving independent bookshop in Dundalk, Ireland.
The name itself carries a powerful story of resistance. Tom deliberately named his shop after the world's shortest river as a symbolic counterpoint to Amazon, the world's longest. "I want to be the polar opposite of what Amazon represents," he explains. "I want to be about peopl...
In this episode, I chat with Lucy Caldwell about contemporary Irish literature's vibrant yet complex landscape, her latest novel, These Days, and profound philosophical insights. Growing up in Belfast during the Troubles in a "mixed marriage" family—Protestant father, Catholic mother—Caldwell developed a unique perspective that informs her award-winning writing.
Lucy describes writing during the pandemi...
In this episode, I chat with Aina Marti, founder of Heloise Press, who shares her journey from academia to independent publishing and how she's created a home for contemporary female voices from around the world.
• From academic roots studying Spanish and English literature to completing a PhD in comparative literature
• How reading Rachel Cusk's Arlington Park became an epiphany moment that ins...
In this episode, Mandy welcomes Paul Rudnick back to the show to discuss his hilarious new novel What Is Wrong With You?
Synopsis
A tech billionaire and the flight attendant he’s marrying. A TV superhero who used to be married to the flight attendant. A Manhattan book editor and the sensitivity associate who got him fired. A twenty-three-year-old wild child prodigy who’s perhaps the savior of American literature. A veng...
In this episode, I speak with sci-fi writer, editor, and publisher Jean-Paul L. Garnier, who shares his journey from avid reader to the owner of Space Cowboy Books, a thriving indie bookstore and publishing house in Joshua Tree, California. He reveals how science fiction offers writers complete creative freedom to explore human psychology through fantastical settings.
More than just a desert bookstore, Space Cowboy Boo...
Discover the intricate layers of family dynamics and cultural identity in The Magnificent Ruins, the debut novel by Nayantara Roy. Set against the vibrant backdrops of Brooklyn and Kolkata, the story centers around Lila, a millennial who inherits her grandfather's crumbling mansion, unleashing a wave of family secrets and legacies that challenge her understanding of self and history.
Nayantara enriches ...
The story of Kett's Books reveals how a community rallied to keep a beloved local bookshop in their town. Through the values of collaboration and empathy, the bookshop has become a thriving center for readers and volunteers alike, bridging the gap between literature and community.
• Discussion of the closure of the original local bookshop
• Formation of a community-led initiative to open Ketz Books ...
In this episode, I chat with Marissa Stapley about her novel The Lightning Bottles. The story navigates the intertwined paths of love, fame, and addiction through the lens of the 90s music scene. The episode explores themes of identity, media scrutiny, and the struggle for redemption, highlighting the complex dynamics between its characters.
• Discussion on the transition from journalism to fiction writing
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