66 episodes

Join author and bookseller Matt Browning as he goes behind the shelves with booksellers, authors and other bookish folks from across the country to learn what makes indie bookshops such magical places.

Bookstore Explorer Matt Browning

    • Arts
    • 4.9 • 20 Ratings

Join author and bookseller Matt Browning as he goes behind the shelves with booksellers, authors and other bookish folks from across the country to learn what makes indie bookshops such magical places.

    Episode 64: Queer Haven Books, Columbia, South Carolina

    Episode 64: Queer Haven Books, Columbia, South Carolina

    Queer Haven Books is a new shop whose mission is to provide a place of safety and refuge for the queer community in the South. Owner Baker Rogers joins me to discuss what inspired the shop and what's ahead for its future.Books We Talk About: The Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar, Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg, Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake, Less by Andrew Sean Greer, The Guncle by Steven Rowley, Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown, Polysecure and Polywise...

    • 31 min
    Episode 63: Canute Books, Portland, Tennessee

    Episode 63: Canute Books, Portland, Tennessee

    This week, we visit with Jessie Canute, owner of Canute Books in Portland, Tennessee, and her daughter, Sessily. Their brand-new shop is located inside of Bloomin’ Deals, a 4,000 square foot thrift boutique home to more than 40 vendors. They tell us how they want from being "book dragons" to bookshop owners!Out-of-the-box insights from digital leadersDelivered is your window in the minds of people behind successful digital products. Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

    • 32 min
    Episode 62: Author Jonathan Corcoran

    Episode 62: Author Jonathan Corcoran

    This week, we're joined by author Jonathan Corcoran to discuss his new memoir, No Son of Mine, and his lifelong love of bookstores! In addition to No Son of Mine, Corcoran is the author of the short story collecction The Rope Swing, which was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Awards and long-listed for The Story Prize. His essays and stories have been published and anthologized widely, including in Salvation South, Still: The Journal, Best Gay Stories, and the Oxford Univ...

    • 37 min
    Episode 61: Cicada Books & Coffee, Huntington, West Virginia

    Episode 61: Cicada Books & Coffee, Huntington, West Virginia

    This week, we're in Huntington, WV, to visit Cicada Books & Coffee. This family-owned spot was opened in 2018 by mother-daughter duo Dawn Hylbert and Katie Norman, who join me to discuss the store’s history, its place in community, and its unique blend of books, coffee, and art.Books We Talk About: Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin, Devil House by John Darnielle, Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters, The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias, and Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts by Crys...

    • 36 min
    Episode 60: Pages Books & Coffee, Mount Airy, North Carolina

    Episode 60: Pages Books & Coffee, Mount Airy, North Carolina

    This week, we're in Mount Airy, NC, known as "the real Mayberry!" The original home of Andy Griffith is now home to Pages Books & Coffee, and owner Cynthia Taylor joins us to discuss the shop. We're also joined by Barb Collins, organizer and promoter of the Writers Roadshow Tour, a new series of events that's bringing authors to rural North Carolina through a partnership between the Northwest Regional Library System and Pages.Out-of-the-box insights from digital leadersDelivered is your w...

    • 33 min
    Episode 59: Bookworks, Albuquerque, New Mexico

    Episode 59: Bookworks, Albuquerque, New Mexico

    This week, we head to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to visit a store that’s been serving its community for 40 years. Co-owner Shannon Guinn-Collins and Store Manager Robert Flippo take us behind the shelves of Bookworks. We discuss the store’s long history, the amazing authors who have passed through its doors, and a recent change to an LLC structure for ownership.Books We Talk About: Titanium Noir by Nick Harkaway, Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry, We Don't Eat our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgi...

    • 36 min

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5
20 Ratings

20 Ratings

J Rowsey ,

A great show for book lovers

This is a great way to visit bookstores around the country - what fan of reading doesn’t enjoy that? It’s fun to meet the assorted owners and learn more about the genesis of their business and the things they’re doing to draw in customers. Great job with the interviews about a topic near and dear to my heart!

mrs lisa mclaughlin ,

Goldmine for aspiring bookseller

I adore this podcast. It captures all the magic of running a bookstore with tons of great questions about the nuts and bolts. I could listen all day and it’s hard to wait for a new episode to come out. Thank you for this great pod!

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