The Watchung Booksellers Podcast

Watchung Booksellers
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Watchung Booksellers' community of writers and readers dive deep into what they do for the love of books.  Watchung Booksellers is located in the heart of Montclair, NJ, a literary beacon filled with writers, journalists, publishers, and avid readers. Each year we host hundreds of author events and every day the most interesting and dedicated readers walk through our doors. Their insights and enthusiasm have inspired us to share our conversations with book-lovers everywhere. We invite you to listen and be a part of our community!

  1. Episode 65: Shop Talk: Book Clubs

    2D AGO

    Episode 65: Shop Talk: Book Clubs

    This week on the Watchung Booksellers Podcast, four of our booksellers/book club hosts, Asia, Aubrey, Caroline, and Marni, discuss their clubs and what makes a great club an essential part of a book-lover’s community. Asia Jannah has been a bookseller/gift buyer for 11 years and is the host of the Thought Daughter book club, which features undiscovered books under 300 pages. Aubrey Cece is the Kids' Room manager and host of two book clubs: Books in Translation, reading books in translation, and Just the T, which features fiction and non-fiction books by trans authors.  Caroline Shurtleff manages school events and hosts the middle reader book club for kids ages 8-11. They discuss the books, have snacks, and do a themed craft!  Marni Jessup is a the co-producer of the Watchung Booksellers Podcast and hosts the NYT 100 Best Books of the 21st Century book club, which is working its way through that entire list. Books: A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here. Register for Upcoming Events. The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, NJ. The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell. Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff. Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids’ Room! If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share! Stay in touch! Email: wbpodcast@watchungbooksellers.com Social: @watchungbooksellers Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!

    42 min
  2. Episode 64: Featured Event with Ian Frazier and Jamaica Kincaid

    MAR 3

    Episode 64: Featured Event with Ian Frazier and Jamaica Kincaid

    In this week's episode of The Watchung Booksellers Podcast, we replay an event we hosted in January with authors Ian Frazier (The Snakes That Ate Florida) and Jamaica Kincaid (Putting Myself Together), who discuss their latest collections of writing and 50+ years of friendship. Ian Frazier's books, all published by FSG, include Paradise Bronx, Great Plains, Travels in Siberia, Dating Your Mom, and many other classic works of nonfiction and humor. His newest book, a gathering of his writing from his first New Yorker piece to present, is The Snakes That Ate Florida: Reporting, Essays, and Criticism. A frequent contributor to The New Yorker, he lives in Montclair, New Jersey. Jamaica Kincaid was born in St. John’s, Antigua. Her books include At the Bottom of the River, Annie John, Lucy, The Autobiography of My Mother, My Brother, Mr. Potter, and See Now Then. Her most recent book is Putting Myself Together: Writing 1974–  with an Introduction by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. She lives in Vermont. Resources: Mark Singer  David Remnick William Shawn Hilton Als Veronica Geng New Yorker Space Writing Andrew Wylie Jonathan Galassi  Lewis and Clark Journals Thomas Jefferson Writings Outside Magazine The Gallic Wars The Declaration of Independence  Frederick Douglass Books: A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here. Register for Upcoming Events. The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, NJ.  The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell. Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff. Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids’ Room! If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share! Stay in touch! Email: wbpodcast@watchungbooksellers.com Social: @watchungbooksellers Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!

    1 hr
  3. Episode 63: Family in Fiction

    FEB 17

    Episode 63: Family in Fiction

    In this week's episode, authors Kim Coleman Foote and Toni Ann Johnson talk about fictionalizing their families' difficult and messy history to create dark, heartfelt, and sometimes funny novels. Kim Coleman Foote is the author of the acclaimed novel, Coleman Hill, which blends fact and fiction about her family’s Great Migration journey to suburban New Jersey, where Kim grew up. The novel was a finalist for the Carol Shields Prize and NAACP Image Award, among others, and was long-listed for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. Additional honors include literature fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York Foundation for the Arts, and Kimbilio; residencies at Hedgebrook, Yaddo, and MacDowell; and a Fulbright Fellowship to Ghana, where Kim conducted fieldwork for her second novel, Salt Water Sister. Forthcoming from SJP Lit in 2027, the novel explores women’s resistance to enslavement in the 1700s and a fight for reparations in the present day. Toni Ann Johnson is the winner of the Flannery O'Connor Award for short fiction for Light Skin Gone to Waste, which was selected for the prize and edited by Roxane Gay. The book, a work of autobiographical fiction based on Johnson's family, was also shortlisted for the Saroyan Prize and nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work. Johnson's novella Homegoing (about the same family) won Accents Publishing's inaugural novella contest. Her novel Remedy for a Broken Angel earned an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Literary Work by a Debut Author. Her newest book, But Where's Home? is Johnson's third installment of the "Arrington Family" saga, and won the Screen Door Press Prize for fiction.  Resources: “How to Kill Gra’ Coleman and Live to Tell about It (Vauxhall, NJ, c. 1949)” Mad Men Books: A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here. Register for Upcoming Events. The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, NJ.  The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell. Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff. Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids’ Room! If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share! Stay in touch! Email: wbpodcast@watchungbooksellers.com Social: @watchungbooksellers Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!

    57 min
  4. Episode 62: Multilingual Writing

    FEB 3

    Episode 62: Multilingual Writing

    In this episode of The Watchung Booksellers Podcast, author Cleyvis Natera and author/photographer/translator Erika Morillo discuss writing in English and Spanish and the process of translation from one to the other.  Cleyvis Natera is the author of Neruda on the Park and The Grand Paloma Resort. She was born in the Dominican Republic, migrated to the United States at ten years old, and grew up in New York City. She holds a BA from Skidmore College and a MFA from New York University. Her writing has won awards and fellowships from the International Latino Book Awards, PEN America, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, The Kenyon Review’s Writers Workshops, the Vermont Studio Center, the Hermitage Artist Retreat, Rowland Writers Retreat, and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She is currently a Fulbright Specialist. She lives with her husband and two young children in Montclair, NJ. Erika Morillo is a writer, photographer, and translator born and raised in the Dominican Republic and based in Jersey City. Her work focuses on family narratives, identity, and the possibilities of image-text publications. Her photographs have been published and exhibited nationally and internationally, and her books are in the collections at the Whitney Museum of American Art Library, MoMA Archives and Library, The Met Library, and The International Center of Photography Library, among others. She has taught workshops at the Center for Book Arts, International Center of Photography, Columbia University, CHAVÓN School of Design, and Dominican Writers Association. She holds an MA in sociology from The New School for Social Research and an MFA from Image Text Ithaca (now Image Text M.F.A. at Cornell University).  Books: A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here. Register for Upcoming Events. The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, NJ.  The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell. Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff. Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids’ Room! If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share! Stay in touch! Email: wbpodcast@watchungbooksellers.com Social: @watchungbooksellers Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!

    1 hr

  5. JAN 28

    Season 4 Preview

    Welcome back to the Watchung Booksellers Podcast! We're starting Season 4 next week, but listen here for a quick preview of what's new. We'll see you next week! Books: A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here. Register for Upcoming Events. The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, NJ.  The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell. Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff. Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids’ Room! If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share! Stay in touch! Email: wbpodcast@watchungbooksellers.com Social: @watchungbooksellers Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!

    4 min
  6. Episode 61: Customer Favorites of 2025

    12/02/2025

    Episode 61: Customer Favorites of 2025

    In this episode of The Watchung Booksellers podcast, our customers tell us what their favorite reads of 2025 were. Memoir, fiction, manga, YA and more ... these rave reviews will help you find a perfect book for someone on your list.  Resources: Libby (Audiobooks through your library) Libro.fm ( Audio books through your indie bookstore)  Books: A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here. Register for Upcoming Events. The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, NJ.  The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell. Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff. Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids’ Room! If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share! Stay in touch! Email: wbpodcast@watchungbooksellers.com Social: @watchungbooksellers Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!

    21 min
  7. Episode 60: Shop Talk: Holiday Picks

    11/25/2025

    Episode 60: Shop Talk: Holiday Picks

    In this episode of the Watchung Booksellers Podcast, our buyers and booksellers give you recommendations for getting your holiday shopping done early! Nicole, Caroline, Asia, and Susie offer a slew of great ideas for gifts for everyone on your list. Listen to their suggestions (you can see them listed here), then come in store on Festivus Friday ready to shop! Nicole Ban is a lifelong New Jersey resident who began her bookstore career at B. Dalton. After a longstanding tenure at Montclair Book Center, Nicole made the leap to Watchung Booksellers and quickly established herself as the store's resident problem solver and tech troubleshooter, as well as cookbook and mystery buyer. Nicole is also a graduate of the French Culinary Institute. Asia Jannah was born and raised in Montclair, and has worked at Watchung Booksellers for a total of 9 years. She is currently the gift buyer for the flagship location. Her favorite genres include dark fiction, short stories, essays and memoirs. When she’s not at the bookstore arranging displays or inquiring about customer’s current reads, she enjoys knitting, crafting, and of course, reading. Caroline Shurtleff is the school event coordinator and a bookseller in The Kids’ Room at Watchung Booksellers. She graduated from Baylor University with a degree in English Literature. Caroline is a poetry editor at MAYDAY online magazine. Additionally, she writes and researches the show notes for the Watchung Bookseller Podcast. Caroline grew up in the Dallas-Forth Worth metroplex in Texas, and now lives in New Jersey.  Susie Sonneborn is a native Chicagoan, educator, bookseller, and Book Fairs Director with a passion for literacy and the arts. She holds a master's degree in education and social policy and has almost 20 years experience as a teacher and curriculum development specialist, integrating the arts into the core curriculum. When Susie is not coordinating school book fairs or helping customers find their "just right"  books, you can find her baking a tiny bit obsessively, enjoying nature with a big hat on, checking out cool art and performances or just hanging out with her husband and three remarkable and delightful sons. Books: A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here. Register for Upcoming Events. The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, NJ.  The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell. Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff. Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids’ Room! If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share! Stay in touch! Email: wbpodcast@watchungbooksellers.com Social: @watchungbooksellers Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!

    38 min
  8. Episode 59: Featured Event: Mona Awad

    11/18/2025

    Episode 59: Featured Event: Mona Awad

    In this episode of the Watchung Booksellers Podcast, we feature author Mona Awad, author of the bestselling novel Bunny, for the release of its sequel, We Love You, Bunny. She talked with Laura Sims about coming back to the dark and hilarious characters in Bunny, her love of fairy tales, and what's next in the Bunny-verse.  Mona Awad is the bestselling author of the novels Rouge, All’s Well, Bunny, and 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl. She is a three-time finalist for a Goodreads Choice Award, the recipient of an Amazon Best First Novel Award, and she was shortlisted for the Giller Prize. Bunny was a finalist for a New England Book Award and was named a Best Book of 2019 by Time, Vogue, and the New York Public Library. It is currently being developed for film with Bad Robot Productions. Rouge is being adapted for film by Fremantle and Sinestra. Margaret Atwood named Awad her “literary heir” in The New York Times’s T Magazine. She teaches fiction in the creative writing program at Syracuse University and is based in Boston. Laura Sims’s third novel, The Man, is due out from Putnam in July of 2026. Her novels How Can I Help You and Looker have been on Best Books lists in The New York Times, Vogue, People Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Real Simple, Publishers Weekly, and more. An award-winning poet, Sims has published four poetry collections; her essays and poems have appeared in The New Republic, Boston Review, Lit Hub, and Electric Lit. She lives in New Jersey, where she works part-time as a children’s librarian. Resources: Bunny Film Margaret Atwood T Magazine Feature Rabbit Rabbit Books: A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here. Register for Upcoming Events. The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, NJ.  The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell. Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff. Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids’ Room! If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share! Stay in touch! Email: wbpodcast@watchungbooksellers.com Social: @watchungbooksellers Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!

    43 min
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About

Watchung Booksellers' community of writers and readers dive deep into what they do for the love of books.  Watchung Booksellers is located in the heart of Montclair, NJ, a literary beacon filled with writers, journalists, publishers, and avid readers. Each year we host hundreds of author events and every day the most interesting and dedicated readers walk through our doors. Their insights and enthusiasm have inspired us to share our conversations with book-lovers everywhere. We invite you to listen and be a part of our community!

Information

  • Creator
    Watchung Booksellers
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    72
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Watchung Booksellers Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Watchung Booksellers Podcast

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