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All Books Aloud

Elizabeth Brookbank & Martha Brookbank

Elizabeth and Martha are two sisters who love reading in all of its forms. Elizabeth is an academic librarian by day and fiction writer by night with a lifelong obsession with all things reading and books. Martha is a busy professional who came to her love of reading later in life, but now she’s an audiobook power user. We chat about the books we’re reading and delve a little deeper into a topic related to reading or publishing. We ask questions like, “Does listening to a book count as reading?” “Are genres a good or bad thing?” and “Do you finish every book you start?” If you love reading, nerding out about books, and sassy millennial hot takes, this podcast is for you!

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S3 · E3
January 28 · 1 hr 17 min
How do you feel about your reading in 2025? A look back at the year in books and reading, and a look ahead at what's coming in 2026
Send us Fan Mail We're back with our annual year-end reading round up. Join us as we talk about our year in reading, our favorite books of 2025, the big stories in the world of books and publishing (probably not a spoiler: AI), and what we're looking forward to reading in 2026. We also talk about the pros and cons of different reading tracking apps and audiobook listening apps, how reading tastes can change over time, and how culling a TBR can feel just as cathartic as physically de-cluttering your life. This annual reflection has become one our favorite conversations to have! We hope you enjoy it as much as we did. ----------------------- Books we talk about in this episode: Our favorite books of 2025: Robin Hobb! Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell The Which Way Tree by Elizabeth Crook Tom Lake by Anne Patchett (read by Meryl Streep) A Lady's Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak Already published books we want to read in 2026: All That Life Can Afford by Emily Everett Murder for Miss Hortense by Mel Pennet Is A River Alive by Robert MacFarlane The Overstory by Richard Powers Consider Yourself Kissed by Jessica Stanley Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall Jane Austen’s Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon The Correspondent by Virgina Evans I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman Lifeform by Jenny Slate The God of the Woods by Liz Moore Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmare’s in Sam Altman’s OpenAI by Karen Hao Moby Dick by Herman Melville The Earthsea Series by Ursula Le Guin Books being published in 2026 we want to read: The Astral Library by Kate Quinn (Feb) The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer (April) American Fantasy by Emma Straub (April) The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez (March) Land by Maggie O'Farrell (June) Whistler by Ann Patchett (June) Dead Beat by Leigh Bardugo (September) ----------------------- Sources Anthropic to pay authors $1.5B to settle lawsuit over pirated chatbot training material: https://www.npr.org/2025/09/05/g-s1-87367/anthropic-authors-settlement-pirated-chatbot-training-material Bone, J. K., Bu, F., Sonke, J. K., & Fancourt, D. (2025). The decline in reading for pleasure over 20 years of the American Time Use Survey. iScience, 28(9), https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(25)01549-4 Support the show ----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Support us! If you liked this episode, please consider becoming a monthly supporter of the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2235482/support. It also really helps us reach more listeners if you leave us a rating and/or review, especially on Apple Podcasts. Reach out! Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. To learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com. If you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod. Read on!
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S3 · E2
Dec 17, 2025 · 43 min
Is it cozy? Dark academia? What about the romance? For History Lessons author Zoe B. Wallbrook being cross-genre is not a bug, it's a feature [Interview]
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we are lucky enough to talk with author Zoe B. Wallbrook about her critically acclaimed debut novel, History Lessons. It's a clever, witty mystery on its surface that touches on deeper, more challenging issues with what the New York Times calls "a satirical bite." It also has a sweet romantic subplot that we are here for! It was Library Journal's Mystery Debut of the Month in July, and was chosen as one of The Best Debut Crime Novels of 2025 by Crime Reads Magazine and one of The 10 Best Mystery Novels of 2025 by The New York Times Review of Books. Elizabeth met Zoe in 2019 and since then they have been critique partners and friends, which makes this conversation extra special. Join us to hear about the books Zoe loves, her journey to becoming a writer, how she navigates the publishing industry while still holding onto the joy she finds from writing, and how she feels about her writing being categorized as "cozy." We also chat about diversity in the mystery genre and how Zoe and her publisher, Soho Press, think about all the various threads in her writing as a feature, not a bug. You won't want to miss this thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation with the always insightful Zoe B. Wallbrook and two of her fangirls. Find Zoe on Instagram @zbwallbrook or at her website: https://www.zoebwallbrook.com/. And buy History Lessons wherever books are sold! ----------------------- Books we're reading in this episode: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke In Winter I Get Up at Night by Jane Urquhart A Murder for Miss Hortense by Mel Pennant Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar Brothers Sinister Series by Courtney Milan Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase The Poppy War trilogy by R.F. Kuang A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik Support the show ----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Support us! If you liked this episode, please consider becoming a monthly supporter of the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2235482/support. It also really helps us reach more listeners if you leave us a rating and/or review, especially on Apple Podcasts. Reach out! Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. To learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com. If you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod. Read on!
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S3 · E1
Dec 3, 2025 · 1 hr 13 min
What do you know about a whodunnit? A mystery genre deep-dive
Send us Fan Mail Something about this season of cold weather and long, dark nights makes us want to read mysteries. Whether you like 'em cozy, hard-boiled, or realistic and by the book, there's something in this genre for everyone. Join us as we follow the clues to learn about the history, make-up, and readers of the mystery genre. ----------------------- Sources: https://web.archive.org/web/20090719003858/http://www.historyofthemystery.com/crime_and_punishment.php?page=35 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_fiction https://americanwritersmuseum.org/many-writers-many-forms-mystery/ https://web.archive.org/web/20090719004017/ https://lithub.com/agatha-christie-is-the-best-selling-novelist-in-history/ https://archive.org/details/sim_publishers-weekly_1929-10-05_116_14/page/1728/mode/2up https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/popular-mystery-tropes-for-writers https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20090504/4567-some-like-it-mild-cozy-mysteries.html Moser, S. & Xhignesse, M. (2023). A Garden of One’s Own. Feminist Philosophy Quarterly, 9(1). https://doaj.org/article/c742434a58f74246a086d0fcfc90416b Vester, K. (2015). Bodies to Die for: Negotiating the Ideal Female Body in Cozy Mystery Novels. Journal of Popular Culture, 48(1), 31–43. https://bookriot.com/diverse-cozy-mysteries/ Support the show ----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Support us! If you liked this episode, please consider becoming a monthly supporter of the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2235482/support. It also really helps us reach more listeners if you leave us a rating and/or review, especially on Apple Podcasts. Reach out! Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. To learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com. If you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod. Read on!
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S2 · E11
Jun 18, 2025 · 54 min
Does your reading change during the summer?
Send us Fan Mail Have you ever wondered why we have "summer reads" but not winter or spring or fall reads? We both had various associations with "summer reading," namely from being kids out of school and having the languorous expanse of the summer stretching out in front of us. But we wondered what is really behind this phenomenon. Join us to find out more and hear about our own summer TBR lists. ----------------------- Books we're reading in this episode: Dragon Haven (Rain Wild Chronicles 2) by Robin Hobb Swift and Saddled by (Rebel Blue Ranch #2) by Lyla Sage Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman How to Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin ----------------------- Sources listed in the order they appear in the episode: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/31/books/a-brief-history-of-summer-reading.html https://www.npr.org/2025/05/20/nx-s1-5405022/fake-summer-reading-list-ai https://lindac.substack.com/p/why-do-writers-use-ai https://lithub.com/50-of-the-greatest-summer-novels-of-all-time/ Support the show ----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Support us! If you liked this episode, please consider becoming a monthly supporter of the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2235482/support. It also really helps us reach more listeners if you leave us a rating and/or review, especially on Apple Podcasts. Reach out! Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. To learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com. If you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod. Read on!
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S2 · E10
May 7, 2025 · 56 min
Would you go on a bookish vacation?
Send us Fan Mail Elizabeth just got back from a trip that included a day in the Original Book Town, Hay-on-Wye in Wales in the UK. It was adorable and she went to more bookstores than you can shake a stick at. It also made her wonder what other bookish vacations she could go on. When we started to dig into this idea for this episode, we found out that the answer is: a lot! Join us in daydreaming about bookish trips to literary festivals, literary museums, bookish hotels, famous libraries, a friends reading retreat, and more! ----------------------- Books we're reading in this episode: Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb (Rain Wild Chronicles #1) Voyage of the Basilisk–A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan (The Memoirs of Lady Trent #3) 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff The Bullet that Missed by Richard Osman (Thursday Murder Club #3) ----------------------- Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hay-on-Wye https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_town https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2018/apr/26/10-worlds-best-book-towns-france-spain-south-korea-usa https://www.hayfestival.com/hay-on-wye/home https://www.hay-on-wye.co.uk/tourism/bookshops https://themelodramaticbookworm.com/2023/07/18/bookish-places-on-my-travel-bucket-list/ https://www.buenosairesfreewalks.com/what-to-see/el-ateneo-bookstore/ https://www.cntraveler.com/story/book-fairs-to-travel-for https://bookriot.com/bookish-cities/ https://libraryhotel.com/en/ https://bookandbedtokyo.com/en/ https://www.hotelsylvia.com/ https://theeverygirl.com/reading-retreat-trip-idea/ Support the show ----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Support us! If you liked this episode, please consider becoming a monthly supporter of the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2235482/support. It also really helps us reach more listeners if you leave us a rating and/or review, especially on Apple Podcasts. Reach out! Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. To learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com. If you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod. Read on!
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S2 · E9
Apr 2, 2025 · 1 hr 3 min
What is the IMLS and why should we care if it is dismantled?
Send us Fan Mail Have you heard about the IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services) in the news lately? An Executive Order in mid-March ordered it be "eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law" and there has been a lot of conversation about it since. But this agency was relatively low profile politically until recently, so many people might not know much about it. On this episode we talk about what the IMLS is, what it does (and what it does not do), its history and mission, what our communities stand to lose with its elimination, and what you can do to support libraries and museums. You won't want to miss this important and relevant conversation! ----------------------- Books we're reading in this episode: Murder in Postscript by Mary Winters Tom Lake by Ann Patchett Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman (Thursday Murder Club #2) Brisingr by Christopher Paolini (The Inheritance Cycle #3) Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes ----------------------- Sources: Houpert, Cécile. 2019. “The New Role of Libraries: Places for All”. European Journal of Creative Practices in Cities and Landscapes 2 (2): 175–184. https://doi.org/10.6092/issn.2612-0496/10429 https://apnews.com/article/institute-doge-musk-museum-library-services-executive-order-trump-30ebde013ce3e9f97e2f4af72c869c0b https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institute_of_Museum_and_Library_Services https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-79/pdf/STATUTE-79-Pg845.pdf https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/continuing-the-reduction-of-the-federal-bureaucracy/ https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/21/trump-attack-libraries-devastating https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2016/04/07/libraries-and-learning/ ----------------------- How to help: EveryLibrary petition: https://www.everylibrary.org/statementimls2025 ALA Call on Congress to Protect IMLS phone script: https://app.oneclickpolitics.com/campaign-page?cid=2CzAyJUB9sorxFLO5KSZ&lang=en Support the show ----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Support us! If you liked this episode, please consider becoming a monthly supporter of the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2235482/support. It also really helps us reach more listeners if you leave us a rating and/or review, especially on Apple Podcasts. Reach out! Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. To learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com. If you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod. Read on!
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S2 · E8
Mar 12, 2025 · 45 min
How is working in a bookstore like playing a video game? Interview with the bookseller and events manager at Fireside Books
Send us Fan Mail Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work in a bookstore? According to Rebecca, bookseller and events manager at the independent bookstore Fireside Books, who we interview for this episode, it's a lot like playing a video game! Join us to find out what she means by this, and also hear her talk about so many other interesting parts of her job, including how her work affects her reading, what it's like managing a book club, how her store and other indies are dealing with AI, and the things she wishes everyone knew about indie bookstores. (Side note: can someone actually develop a video game where we can play working in a bookstore?!) ----------------------- Books we're reading in this episode: Land of Milk and Honey by C. Pam Zhang The Astrology House by Carinn Jade A Lady's Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros ----------------------- Rebecca's book recommendations about indie bookstores: How to Resist Amazon and Why by Danny Caine How to Protect Bookstores and Why: The Present and Future of Bookselling by Danny Caine Find out more about Fireside Books: https://www.goodbooksbadcoffee.com/ Support the show ----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Support us! If you liked this episode, please consider becoming a monthly supporter of the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2235482/support. It also really helps us reach more listeners if you leave us a rating and/or review, especially on Apple Podcasts. Reach out! Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. To learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com. If you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod. Read on!
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S2 · E7
Feb 19, 2025 · 44 min
Is reading a niche hobby?
Send us Fan Mail We were planning to talk about our reading habits and rituals in this episode...but then Elizabeth heard an NPR podcast about how no one reads anymore, at the same time as Martha read multiple articles about how more people bought Rebecca Yarros' latest book than any adult book since records began and that thanks to TikTok, Barnes & Noble is opening more stores this year. We had to ask ourselves: how could both of these things be true? Join as we try to sort fact from moral panic, discuss the gendered media narratives around book releases by women authors and the loss of literary men, debunk an oft-repeated (even by us) statistic about reading, and ponder whether reading has indeed become a niche hobby. We do also, eventually, talk about the struggles we both face with reading and the habits and rituals we've developed to help fit reading into our lives. ----------------------- Books we're reading in this episode: All Fours by Miranda July A Lady’s Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin The Women by Kristin Hannah I Ran Away to Evil 2 by Mystic Neptune Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone ----------------------- Sources listed in the order they appear in the episode : https://www.npr.org/transcripts/1263527033 Irwin, William. "Reading Audio Books." Philosophy and Literature 33, no. 2 (2009): 358-368. doi:10.1353/phl.0.0057. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/feb/03/romantasy-and-booktok-driving-a-huge-rise-in-science-fiction-and-fantasy-sales https://www.newsnationnow.com/business/booktok-barnes-and-noble-60-stores/ https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/30/books/rebecca-yarros-onyx-storm.html https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/01/06/three-in-ten-americans-now-read-e-books/ https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/25/books/sally-rooney-intermezzo.html https://www.vox.com/culture/392971/men-reading-fiction-statistics-fact-checked https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/07/opinion/men-fiction-novels.html Support the show ----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Support us! If you liked this episode, please consider becoming a monthly supporter of the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2235482/support. It also really helps us reach more listeners if you leave us a rating and/or review, especially on Apple Podcasts. Reach out! Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. To learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com. If you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod. Read on!
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S2 · E6
Jan 29, 2025 · 29 min
Is being an audiobook narrator a dream job? Interview with Laura Horowitz
Send us Fan Mail Have you ever wondered what it takes to be an audiobook narrator? Or is it perhaps your dream job like it is for Martha? In this episode, we interview audiobook narrator extraordinaire Laura Horowitz. Laura tells us how she got into the business, what a day in the life for an audiobook narrator looks like, how she connects with authors and fans, and what the rise of AI might mean for audiobook narrators like her. This interview was so fun and informative! It’s one you won’t want to miss. Find more about Laura and her work at her website: https://www.laurahorowitz.com/ ----------------------- Books we're reading in this episode: The Plated Prisoner series by Raven Kennedy Wings So Wicked by Emily Blackwood (Golden City #1) Blood So Brutal by Emily Blackwood (Golden City #2) Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt The House Witch 2 by Delemhach We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson I Ran Away to Evil by Mystic Neptune Support the show ----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Support us! If you liked this episode, please consider becoming a monthly supporter of the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2235482/support. It also really helps us reach more listeners if you leave us a rating and/or review, especially on Apple Podcasts. Reach out! Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. To learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com. If you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod. Read on!
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S2 · E5
Jan 9, 2025 · 53 min
Fact or Fiction? It's bookish mythbusting time!
Send us Fan Mail [Apologies, listeners! We're re-releasing this one because there was an audio glitch in the original episode. If you've already downloaded the episode from Wednesday, try this one instead!] Happy New Year! There are some beliefs, truisms, urban legends, myths, whatever you want to call them, about books and reading that seem like they just won't die. Do audiobooks really count as reading? Are all readers introverts? Has reading education in schools really gone downhill? Is learning to read a natural process that will just happen organically if we let it? We talk about all these questions and more. Join us for some bookish mythbusting to start the new year! ----------------------- Books we're reading in this episode: The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl The House Witch by Delemhach This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone Le Fay (Morgan Le Fay #2) by Sophie Keetch ----------------------- Sources: https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-biggest-myths-about-reading-books Five Myths About Reading & How to Put Them to Death (goinswriter.com): https://goinswriter.com/reading-myths/ Ten Myths About Learning to Read | Reading Rockets: https://www.readingrockets.org/topics/about-reading/articles/ten-myths-about-learning-read The Myths About Reading We Need to Bust | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/myths-reading-we-need-bust-bitelyai Support the show ----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Support us! If you liked this episode, please consider becoming a monthly supporter of the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2235482/support. It also really helps us reach more listeners if you leave us a rating and/or review, especially on Apple Podcasts. Reach out! Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. To learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com. If you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod. Read on!
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S2 · E4
Dec 18, 2024 · 58 min
How was your year in reading? 2024 reading round-up
Send us Fan Mail Happy Holidays! We're bringing back our year-end reading round up. Join us as we talk about our year in reading, our favorite books of 2024, and what we're looking forward to reading in 2025. We also talk about how our conversation about goal-setting in January of this year impacted our years in reading (spoiler: profoundly and in a good way!) ----------------------- Books we talk about in this episode: Books we're reading now: The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong Tower of Dawn by Sarah J Maas Heartburn by Nora Ephron 2024 reads we haven't talked about on the podcast: The Familiar by Leah Bardugo Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson Dracula by Bram Stoker Confessions of a Forty-Something Fuck Up by Alexandra Potter Curse of Penryth Hall by Jess Armstrong The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham The Hapless Milliner (Miss Austen Investigates #1) by Jessica Bull Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto Our favorite books of 2024: Elizabeth: Tie between Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan and Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt Martha: Tie between A Fire Endless by Rebecca Ross and Nora Goes Off Script. Honorable mention to The House Witch series. Books on our TBRs for 2025: History Lessons by Zoe Wallbrook (July) The Lioness (Dec 2024) And The Trees Stare Back (YA) by Gigi Griffis (May) Heavy Hitter by Katie Cotugno All Fours by Miranda July Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry (April) Stop Me If You've Heard This One by Kristen Arnett (March) The Women by Kristin Hannah? Onyx Storm (The Empyrean #3) by Rebecca Yarros (Jan) Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry (April) Black Woods Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey (Feb) Ordinary Monsters by J.M. Miro When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker Support the show ----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Support us! If you liked this episode, please consider becoming a monthly supporter of the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2235482/support. It also really helps us reach more listeners if you leave us a rating and/or review, especially on Apple Podcasts. Reach out! Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. To learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com. If you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod. Read on!
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S2 · E3
Nov 27, 2024 · 1 hr 22 min
Looking to escape into another reality? Join us for a deep-dive into the fantasy genre!
Send us Fan Mail Romantic fantasies have taken the book world by storm in recent years, but fantasy stories that allow us to break free of the rules and limitations of our own world and reality are as old as human history. We wanted to learn more about the genre's history and its variations and sub-genres. What's the difference between fantasy and science fiction? Between high fantasy and low fantasy? What about all the sub-genres? Are Romantasy really something new or are they just a marketing ploy? How about cozy fantasy? Join us as we take a deep dive into fantasy and add lots of books to our TBR that will help us escape the current reality! ----------------------- Books we're reading in this episode: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus Just for the Summer by Abby Jiménez Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler The House Witch by Delemhach ----------------------- Sources: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-the-fantasy-genre-history-of-fantasy-and-subgenres-and-types-of-fantasy-in-literature https://litjoycrate.com/a/blog/fantasy-book-tropes?srsltid=AfmBOoqZ5EBUD7-q8IYgOI0pTKRcyZmSfBLyexpqCVQrgkF8Mybxz7DQ https://www.britannica.com/art/fantasy-narrative-genre https://bookriot.com/fantasy-sub-genre-primer/ Dassler, J. (2021). Women in Literature: The Impact of Feminism on Fantasy Literature, 1950-1990. International Social Science Review, 97(4), 1–20. Schlobin, R. C. (2011). Mendlesohn, Farah, and Edward James. A Short History of Fantasy. Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts, 22(2), 292+ https://zipdo.co/book-sales-by-genre-statistics/ https://www.tonerbuzz.com/blog/book-and-reading-statistics/ https://fantasy-faction.com/2015/classic-female-fantasy-writers https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/jun/27/sff-community-marion-zimmer-bradley-daughter-accuses-abuse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romantic_fantasy https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/13/style/shadow-daddies-romantasy-novels.html https://www.owlcrate.com/blogs/oc/11-must-read-cozy-fantasy-books Support the show ----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Support us! If you liked this episode, please consider becoming a monthly supporter of the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2235482/support. It also really helps us reach more listeners if you leave us a rating and/or review, especially on Apple Podcasts. Reach out! Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. To learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com. If you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod. Read on!
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S2 · E2
Nov 6, 2024 · 54 min
Should you join a book club?
Send us Fan Mail Whether or not you'll enjoy a book club depends a lot on your reading style, habits, and preferences. But if you're interested in joining a book club, there is truly one out there for everyone - different types, communities, themes, modalities, and more. Join us as we talk about our own experiences with book clubs (as both participants and moderators), the history of book clubs (which includes a lot more social activism than we expected!), celebrity book clubs, and how to find a book club that's right for you. ----------------------- Books we're reading in this episode: A Date with Death by Julia Chapman (Dales Detective #1) A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen (Saga of the Unfated #1) The House Witch by Delemhach ----------------------- Sources: Book Riot: https://bookriot.com/a-history-of-book-clubs/ Medium: https://medium.com/the-mission/the-best-book-clubs-throughout-history-d45537334de0 Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/03/27/womens-book-clubs-history-oprah-reese/ Huffington Post: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ladies-who-book-club-have-always-been-the-glue-of-resistance_n_595db02de4b02e9bdb0a3454 NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/18/books/reese-witherspoon-book-club.html https://www.cambridge.org/core/elements/book-clubs-and-book-commerce/3C50183E95136DAD1FC7FB51FD6E6A1E https://testprepinsight.com/resources/us-book-reading-statistics/ https://thgmwriters.com/blog/global-book-reading-statistics-2022-2023-complete-survey-data/ https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jul/09/why-do-so-few-men-read-books-by-women Support the show ----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Support us! If you liked this episode, please consider becoming a monthly supporter of the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2235482/support. It also really helps us reach more listeners if you leave us a rating and/or review, especially on Apple Podcasts. Reach out! Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. To learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com. If you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod. Read on!
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S2 · E1
Oct 16, 2024 · 1 hr 7 min
How does a little girl from Detroit become a librarian icon? Our interview with Nancy Pearl (finally!)
Send us Fan Mail Season 2 is here and our first episode is a big one! In some ways, we have been building up to this moment since the podcast began: we finally chat with Elizabeth's librarian inspiration and the All Books Aloud unofficial mascot, Nancy Pearl. Nancy has had a storied life and a career about as influential as a librarian could hope for, and she shares so much of it with us during this hour. We talk about how her difficult childhood led her to the library, how the librarians in that first public library inspired her love of reading and her desire to be a librarian herself, and how that career led to some of her noteworthy epiphanies about books and reading. How did she come up with reading doorways? How did she realize that no two readers read the same book? What does she think about book bans and the state of libraries today? And what did she once say about finishing books to Elizabeth's grad school class that made them all gasp? Listen and find out! ----------------------- Books we're reading in this episode: The Underpainter by Jane Urquhart Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton The House Witch #2 by Delemhach Support the show ----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Support us! If you liked this episode, please consider becoming a monthly supporter of the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2235482/support. It also really helps us reach more listeners if you leave us a rating and/or review, especially on Apple Podcasts. Reach out! Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. To learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com. If you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod. Read on!
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S1 · E19
Jun 5, 2024 · 1 hr 6 min
How does a lifelong literary fiction reader end up writing a romance novel? Interview with Sarah T. Dubb, author of Birding With Benefits
Send us Fan Mail In our season finale we talk with author Sarah T. Dubb about her debut novel, Birding With Benefits. It's a fun, flirty, sexy, and touching fake-dating romance novel featuring two protagonists in their 40s who fall in love while - you guessed it - bird-watching together. But Sarah hasn't always been a romance reader (or writer). In fact, her reading journey started solidly in literary fiction, but she fell in love with romance during the pandemic (like someone else we know...ahem...:) Join us for this super fun conversation as we talk about one writer's journey from a kid who loved to read--but never thought of writing novels--to a published author. Sarah also has lots of tips and insider information for writers hoping to get published. You won't want to miss it! Reminder that this is the last episode of Season 1. See you in the fall for Season 2! Find out more about Sarah T. Dubb (and order her books!): https://www.sarahtdubb.com/ Support the show ----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Support us! If you liked this episode, please consider becoming a monthly supporter of the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2235482/support. It also really helps us reach more listeners if you leave us a rating and/or review, especially on Apple Podcasts. Reach out! Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. To learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com. If you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod. Read on!
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S1 · E18
May 22, 2024 · 46 min
Book adaptations - love them or hate them?
Send us Fan Mail Is the book always better than the movie? If you had asked either of us before this episode, we both would have said unequivocally 'yes!' But our discussion showed us that this topic might actually be more nuanced than we realized. Join as we talk about nearly every Jane Austen adaptation ever made (don't worry, we also talk about other adaptations...a little), ponder whether we enjoy watching screen adaptations of our favorite books even if they're not perfect, daydream about books we wish would be made into screen adaptations, and more. Support the show ----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Support us! If you liked this episode, please consider becoming a monthly supporter of the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2235482/support. It also really helps us reach more listeners if you leave us a rating and/or review, especially on Apple Podcasts. Reach out! Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. To learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com. If you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod. Read on!
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S1 · E17
May 8, 2024 · 39 min
How do siblings grow up to be different types of readers? A chat with all four Brookbank siblings!
Send us Fan Mail Two very special guests joined us for this episode - the other half of our sibling quartet, Bekka and Mike. Listen in as we talk about our early experiences with reading, the similarities in how our reading journeys started, where our tastes differ, and how we took different paths based on our personality traits. We really enjoyed reminiscing with our siblings and reflecting on some childhood nostalgia, and we hope you'll enjoy it, too! ----------------------- Books we're reading in this episode: The Light Years by Elizabeth Jane Howard (The Cazalet Chronicles #1) Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas Why Women Grow by Alice Vincent Neuromancer by William Gibson (Sprawl #1) Support the show ----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Support us! If you liked this episode, please consider becoming a monthly supporter of the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2235482/support. It also really helps us reach more listeners if you leave us a rating and/or review, especially on Apple Podcasts. Reach out! Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. To learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com. If you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod. Read on!
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S1 · E16
Apr 24, 2024 · 42 min
Do you re-read books?
Send us Fan Mail The topic of this week's episode is one of the few book-related topics we've found where we disagree! Martha loves to re-read her favorite books, whereas Elizabeth thinks life is too short to re-tread old ground. Martha begins the episode by setting herself the challenge of changing Elizabeth's mind...listen to find out if she's successful! ----------------------- Books we're reading in this episode: The Light Years by Elizabeth Jane Howard (The Cazalet Chronicles #1) Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas ----------------------- Sources: Allison. 2019. “Why You Should Reread Your Favorite Books and How to Make It Worth Your While.” Mind Joggle. January 14, 2019. https://www.mindjoggle.com/why-you-should-reread-your-favorite-books/ NA. 2021. “On The Particular Pleasures of Re-reading.” Penguin Random House. August 5, 2021. https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/2021/07/re-reading-books-again-returning-literacy Jenner, Natalie. 2020. “Doesn’t Everyone Reread Their Favorite Books All the Time?” Literary Hub. May 18, 2020. https://lithub.com/doesnt-everyone-reread-their-favorite-books-all-the-time/ Support the show ----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Support us! If you liked this episode, please consider becoming a monthly supporter of the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2235482/support. It also really helps us reach more listeners if you leave us a rating and/or review, especially on Apple Podcasts. Reach out! Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. To learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com. If you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod. Read on!
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S1 · E15
Apr 10, 2024 · 50 min
What's involved in translating a novel? Interview with Polly Mackintosh, French-English translator for Gallic Books
Send us Fan Mail We have explored a lot of different components of the book publishing industry on the podcast, but neither of us know much about the work of literary translation. So, we were thrilled to get the chance to talk with Polly Mackintosh about her work. Polly is Commissioning Editor and in-house translator for Gallic Books, and is the translator of the forthcoming novel, Clara Reads Proust by Stéphane Carlier. We chatted with Polly about how she got started as a translator, what her favorite and most challenging parts of the work are, her process and how she captures each author's style and tone, what influence she thinks AI will have on the work of literary translators, and much more. Join us as we learn about the fascinating mix of art and craft that goes into translating a work of art like a novel! ----------------------- Books we're reading in this episode: Clara Reads Proust by Stéphane Carlier, Polly Mackintosh (Translator) (published in the UK on March 28th, forthcoming in North America - May 21, 2024) Birding With Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb (forthcoming - June 4, 2024) The Gentleman's Gambit by Evie Dunmore (A League of Extraordinary Women #4) A Stroke of the Pen: The Lost Stories by Terry Pratchett Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree (Legends & Lattes #0 ) What I Know About You by Éric Chacour (forthcoming - September 24, 2024) A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers ----------------------- Additional notes from Polly: The ebook of Clara Reads Proust will be available to everyone (US and UK) starting on March 28, 2024. There isn't a date for the audiobook release yet, but it will be coming at some point. After the interview, I asked Stéphane whether he'd ever been a hairdresser, and he said he hadn't but shared the following insights: I asked one of my best friends, Quentin, who happened to a hairdresser, to help me. Sent him emails with questions like "What does it smell like when you get to the salon in the morning? Please be very specific" or "What's in the drawer of the counter at the entrance?" Poor Quentin, he was so nice and helpful! The "Proust parts" of the book (the second and third parts) were easy compared to the "salon part" of it (the first one)! Support the show ----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Support us! If you liked this episode, please consider becoming a monthly supporter of the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2235482/support. It also really helps us reach more listeners if you leave us a rating and/or review, especially on Apple Podcasts. Reach out! Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. To learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com. If you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod. Read on!
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S1 · E14
Mar 27, 2024 · 32 min
What books do you bring on vacation?
Send us Fan Mail This episode was recorded in-person and on location during our sister vacation on the Big Island of Hawaii! We kept our reading choices for the trip a secret from one another and did a live reveal, then we talked all about vacation reading while getting a little tipsy on tropical fruit juice and rum cocktails. Among and around several digressions, we discuss questions like, what types of stories do you like to read on vacation? How many books do you bring? What format of book do you bring and why? What are the pros and cons of different formats on vacation? When and where do you read on vacation? We also talk about other bookish, touristy things you can do on vacation. Join us on island time for this fun episode! ----------------------- Books we're reading in this episode: Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan The Mitford Murders by Jessica Fellowes The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison The Dinner Lady Detectives by Hannah Hendy Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson Support the show ----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Support us! If you liked this episode, please consider becoming a monthly supporter of the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2235482/support. It also really helps us reach more listeners if you leave us a rating and/or review, especially on Apple Podcasts. Reach out! Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. To learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com. If you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod. Read on!
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