The Bookshop Podcast Mandy Jackson-Beverly

In this episode, I chat with  Shelf Life Books owners Chris and Berkley McDaniel about the switch from corporate life to purchasing an indie bookshop, things to do and see in Richmond, Virginia, cats, and books!

Formerly known as Chop Suey Books, Shelf Life Books is the largest independent bookstore in Richmond, VA, and has served the Richmond community for over two decades. Located in the heart of Richmond’s Carytown district and owned by Chris and Berkley McDaniel, the store is staffed by long-time patrons and is a hub for local authors and book lovers alike. They offer new books on their lower level and five rooms of used books upstairs, along with their two cats, Page and Mylar.

Shelf Life Books
The Bitter Southerner Read Banned Books T-shirts
The House is on Fire, Rachel Beanland
Books by Seishi Yokomizo
Fathomfolk, Eliza Chen
Navola, Paolo Bacigalupi
All The Colors of the Dark, Chris Whitaker
Memory for Forgetfulness: August, Beirut, 1982, Mahmoud Darwish
Martyr! Kaveh Akbar
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In this episode, I chat with Edward Humes about his latest book, Total Garbage: How We Can Fix Our Waste and Heal Our World.  Humes reveals the surprising depths of waste permeation in everyday life and the power we hold to rectify these issues. By reimagining waste as an opportunity rather than an obstacle, Humes provides a blueprint for collective action toward a cleaner, more responsible future.

EDWARD HUMES is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and author whose sixteen previous books include Garbology: Our Dirty Love Affair With Trash, The Forever Witness, Mississippi Mud, and the PEN Award– winning No Matter How Loud I Shout. Ed and his family, including their rescued racing greyhounds and collie, live in Southern California.

Edward Humes
Total Garbage, Edward Humes
The Covenant of Water, Abraham Verghese
The Teachers, Alexandra Robbins
 A Mountain of Used Clothes Appeared in Chile’s Desert. Then it Went Up in Flames. Julia Shipley, Muriel Alarcon
Bite Toothpaste Bits

Literless.com

Jimmy Rees, The Man Who Decides Packaging

Eco  Roots (Shampoo Bars)

Who Gives A Crap TP
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In this episode, I chat with Celia Sack, founder and owner of Omnivore Books about cookbooks, cooking disasters and achievements, her favorite cookbooks, and the growing geographical scope of cookbooks. 

Located in an old butcher shop in Noe Valley, Omnivore Books is a cherished epicurean hub blending a passion for food and the pleasures of reading. As the Bay Area's only culinary bookshop, Omnivore Books specializes in new and vintage books on food and drink. They are open daily and staffed by passionate cookbook lovers who will happily guide you to the perfect book. 

When Celia Sack's fascination for the culinary universe first bloomed, it was hardly imaginable that her path would weave through the nuanced worlds of rare golf books straight into the heart of Omnivore Books. 

Cookbooks, she reveals, are conduits of solidarity and understanding, opening palates and minds alike to the diverse tapestry of global heritage. The physicality of leafing through a cookbook receives its due reverence too; it's likened to the full-bodied experience of listening to an entire music album, where each recipe is a track in the soundtrack of our culinary landscape.

Enjoy!
Mandy
Omnivore Books
The Zuni Café Cookbook, Judy Rogers
Cookbooks by Alison Roman
Absolution, Alice McDermott
Cannery Row, John Steinbeck
North Woods, Daniel Mason
Twain's Feast: Searching for America's Lost Foods in the Footsteps of Samuel Clemens: Andrew Beahrs
Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks, Crystal Wilkinson
 A Fortunate Life, A.B. Facey
Small Victories: Recipes, Advice + Hundreds of Ideas for Home Cooking Triumphs, Julia Turshen 
97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement,  Jane ZieglemanSupport the show
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In this episode, I chat with Danielle Trussoni, about her new novel, The Puzzle Master.

Danielle Trussoni is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels The Ancestor, Angelology, and Angelopolis, all New York Times Notable Books, and the memoirs The Fortress and Falling Through the Earth, named one of the ten best books of the year by The New York Times Book Review. She writes the monthly horror column for the New York Times Book Review. A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and winner of the Michener-Copernicus Society of America Fellowship, Trussoni’s work has been translated into more than thirty languages.

My conversation with Danielle unveils the roots of her literary passion and her long path to getting her first  manuscript agent and publisher ready, to becoming a celebrated writer. We reflect on the way pivotal life events, such as the loss of her father and a terrifying brush with violence in her youth, have not only shaped her narrative voice but also provided a means for healing and understanding.

Enjoy!
Mandy

Danielle Trussoni 
The Puzzle Maker, Danielle Trussoni
Two Nights in Lisbon, Chris Pavone
San Miguel Writers’ Conference & Literary Festival


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In this episode, I chat with Chrissy Ryan, the owner of BookBar, an independent bookshop, cafe and wine bar, events and social space centered around celebrating the social side of reading.

Chrissy's tale is not just about the mingling of books and wine; it's a celebration of community, a confluence of conversation starters, and a testament to the connective power of stories. From the unique 'Books and Bangers' DJ nights to the innovative 'Shelf Medicate' program, discover how Bookbar turns the solitary act of reading into a shared cultural experience.

Join us as we reflect on our personal narratives, including the idyllic Barefoot Bookseller experience, and the return to the urban landscape where Bookbar stands as a beacon for those yearning for both escapism and connection. Your next favorite read—or perhaps your next convivial book club discussion—awaits within this episode.
 
Book Bar
Pachinko, Min Jin Lee                                                                                        
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin
 Come and Get It, Kiley Reid
 Clear, a novel, Carys Davies
 Claire Keegan
 A Heart That Works, Rob Delaney 



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In this episode, I chat with Ann Seaton, Co-Executive Director of the California Independent Booksellers Alliance. Anne brings the narrative of indie bookshops to life, highlighting how they serve as cultural hubs in their communities.

Discover the steadfast mission of CALIBA to bolster the diverse fabric of independent bookstores, and learn why your choice of where to buy books can be a powerful statement in sustaining local gems. We also delve into the Mosaic Committee's efforts to foster inclusivity and representation in literature, celebrating BIPOC bookstores and their enriching contributions.

Prepare to be inspired as we uncover the pivotal shifts within the indie bookstore scene and scrutinize the crucial role of forward-thinking millennials in this transformation. It's more than just a conversation; it's an homage to the community pillars that are independent bookshops, and a call to action for listeners to become a part of the story that keeps these cultural cornerstones thriving.
California Independent Booksellers Alliance
The Paris Bookseller, Kerri Maher
Black Lives Matter
American Dirt, Jeanine Cummins
Underground Books, Sacramento
Bel Canto Books, Long Beach, CA
Lessons, Ian McEwan
Epitaph for a Peach: Four Seasons on My Family Farm, David M. Masumoto 



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Mandy Jackson-Beverly
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