Sarah's Bookshelves Live Podcast By Sarah Dickinson | Sarah's Bookshelves cover art

Sarah's Bookshelves Live

Sarah's Bookshelves Live

By: Sarah Dickinson | Sarah's Bookshelves
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Sarah's Bookshelves Live is a bi-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.Sarah Dickinson | Sarah's Bookshelves Art Literary History & Criticism
Episodes
  • Winter 2026 Circle Back with Catherine Gilmore | Ep. 220

    Winter 2026 Circle Back with Catherine Gilmore | Ep. 220
    Mar 25 2026
    In Episode 220, Sarah and Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books catch up on the 16 new releases they shared in the Winter 2026 Book Preview, now that they've read them — or at least tried to! They share their reading stats and discuss which books worked and which didn't…and why. 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 One of the many benefits to supporting the podcast through either our Patreon Community or our Substack Community (both for just $7/mo) is that you get access to several bonus podcast episode series, including Book Preview Extras! In these episodes, Catherine and Sarah share at least 4 bonus books we are excited about that we did not share in the big show preview episode. Get more details about all the goodies available and sign up here for Patreon and here for Substack! Highlights Catherine had a high success rate, but a pretty "meh" overall feel Sarah's reading followed a familiar barbell pattern: some standout hits, several DNFs, and not much in betweenCatherine's ratings mostly landed as mid-range reads — with two 4.5 star wins.Sarah had one 5-star read (and a new favorite of the year), two 4.5-star reads, and one big disappointmentSome of Sarah's risk-taking paid off, while other picks didn't landThey share their best and worst picks from winter Books Read Before the Preview [6:08] Sarah's Pick Whidbey by T Kira Madden (March 10) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [6:13] Winter 2026 Book Preview [8:20] January Catherine's Picks Skylark by Paula McLain (January 6) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [12:49]Vigil by George Saunders (January 27) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [18:43] Other Books Mentioned When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain (2021) [14:53] Love and Ruin by Paula McLain (2018) [15:21] February Sarah's Picks Good People by Patmeena Sabit (February 3) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [8:25]Royal Spin by Omid Scobie and Robin Benway (February 10) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [15:49]Kin by Tayari Jones (February 24) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [26:15] Catherine's Picks More Than Enough by Anna Quindlen (February 24) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [22:40]Saoirse by Charleen Hurtubise (February 24) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [29:47] Other Books Mentioned The Force of Such Beauty by Barbara Bourland (2022) [17:32] A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (2016) [26:04] An American Marriage by Tayari Jones (2018) [26:58]Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones (2011) [26:59] March Sarah's Picks No One's Coming by Kevin Hazzard (March 3) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [31:51] All the World Can Hold by Jung Yun (March 10) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[38:23]She Fell Away by Lenore Nash (March 10) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [43:23] The Complex by Karan Mahajan (March 10) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [48:07] Catherine's Picks Ruins by Lily Brooks-Dalton (March 31) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [35:34] No Friend to This House by Natalie Haynes (US Release March 10) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [41:07]Son of Nobody by Yann Martel (March 31) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:17] How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay by Jenny Lawson (March 31) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [50:08] Other Books Mentioned The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff (2019) [32:10] Shelter by Jung Yun (2016) [38:26] Red Widow by Alma Katsu (2021) [44:17] Red London by Alma Katsu (2023) [44:18] From the Top of the Episode Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (2025) [1:10]
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    55 mins
  • T Kira Madden (Author of Whidbey) | Ep. 219

    T Kira Madden (Author of Whidbey) | Ep. 219
    Mar 18 2026
    In Episode 219, Sarah talks with author T Kira Madden about her debut novel, Whidbey. A dark, atmospheric story that explores the long reach of violence and the lack of recourse many victims face, Whidbey tackles difficult themes including sexual abuse, stalking, and the ways narratives around these crimes are shaped by media and public perception. Sarah and T Kira discuss the inspiration behind the novel, its complex characters, and the themes at the heart of the story. Plus, she shares a bit about what she's working on next and some terrific book recommendations. 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. Highlights Books by T Kira Madden: Whidbey and Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless GirlsA brief, spoiler-free overview of WhidbeyThe inspiration behind the novelRevisiting the impact of sexual assault through fictionWhat the character of Mary-Beth brings to the storyThe ways the novel explores justice, accountability, and the limited options available to victimsHow the reality show storyline reflects the power of media to shape public narrativesWhat T Kira is working on next T Kira's Book Recommendations [36:42] Two OLD Books She Loves Reading the Waves by Lidia Yuknavitch (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[36:56]Scorched Earth by Tiana Clark (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [38:43] Other Books Mentioned The Chronology of Water by Lidia Yuknavitch (2011) [37:15] Two NEW Books She Loves Extinction Capital of the World by Mariah Rigg (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [39:38]Bloodfire, Baby by Eirinie Carson (2026) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [40:28] One Book She DIDN'T Love We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver (2003) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[41:58] One NEW RELEASE She's Excited About Lovers XXX by Allie Rowbottom (June 4, 2026) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[45:22]Other Books Mentioned Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe (2024) [46:43] The Hop by Diana Clarke (2022) [47:09] Books From the Discussion There There by Tommy Orange (2018) [36:32] Other Links Guernica | The Feels of Love by T Kira Madden (December 12, 2016)
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    50 mins
  • Reading Through the Enneagram with Sarajane Case (Author of The Honest Enneagram) | Ep. 218

    Reading Through the Enneagram with Sarajane Case (Author of The Honest Enneagram) | Ep. 218
    Mar 6 2026
    In Episode 218, Sarah chats with Enneagram author, speaker, and podcaster Sarajane Case about Reading Through the Enneagram. After a brief introduction to the Enneagram and how it differs from other personality systems, they dive into how Enneagram types show up in our reading lives — from guessing an author's type to rethinking our own habits as readers. Sarajane walks through the nine types, shares a book recommendation for each, and offers her own personal picks. 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. Highlights Books by Sarajane Case: The Honest Enneagram and The Enneagram LettersA brief introduction to the Enneagram — and how it differs from other personality systemsSarajane's personal approach to working with the EnneagramA quick overview of the nine Enneagram typesHow each Enneagram type might approach readingWhether (and how) we can discern an author's Enneagram type through their work (and the Enneagram types most and least likely to be authors themselves)Practical tips for using your type to improve your reading life Reading Through the Enneagram [29:51] Type 1: The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw (2020) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [30:08]Type 2: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (1963) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [30:50] Type 3: In Five Years by Rebecca Serle (2020) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [32:27]Type 4: Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro (2021) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [32:42] Type 5: Fourth Wing (Empyrean, 1) by Rebecca Yarros (2023) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [32:56] Type 6: The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (2020) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:32] Type 7: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (2021) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:56] Type 8: Crook Manifesto (The Harlem Trilogy, 2) by Colson Whitehead (2023) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [34:20] Type 9: Severance by Ling Ma (2018) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [36:16] Other Books Mentioned The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, 1) by J. R. R. Tolkien (1954) [32:08] Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (1847) [33:49] The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez (2019) [34:57] Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (2022) [35:23] Sarajane's Book Recommendations [36:37] Two OLD Books She Loves The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (1963) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [36:50] Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (1847) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [38:08] Two NEW Books She Loves Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [40:09] A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [43:14] Other Books Mentioned Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2019) [42:05] The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2017) [42:16] Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2021) [42:28] Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2022) [42:37] The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna (2022) [43:28] One Book She DIDN'T Love Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami (1987) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [44:14] Other Books Mentioned South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami (1992) [44:20] 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami (2009) [44:49] One NEW RELEASE She's Excited About Theodora's Tea Shop by Christy Anne Jones (July 28, 2026 — no US release date set yet) | Link to Blackwell's for US Orders [45:52] Other Links Truity | Enneagram Personality Test
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    50 mins
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I’m an avid reader and listening to Sarah and her guests really gets me excited about reading new writers and varied perspectives and subjects. Great questions and the show has a casual flow.

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