Bookstore Explorer
Join author and bookseller Matt Browning as he goes behind the shelves with booksellers, authors and other bookish folks to learn what makes independent bookshops such magical places.
Episodes
74 episodes
Episode 72: Gramercy Books, Bexley, Ohio
This week we visit with Linda Kass, novelist and owner of Gramercy Books in Bexley, Ohio. Located in suburban Columbus, Gramercy is known for its series of fantastic author events and much more. Books We Talk About: Th...
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39:33
Episode 71: Parentheses Books, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Last week, we welcomed to the pod Evan Friss, author of The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore. This week, we visit with his wife, Amanda Friss, owner of Parentheses Books in Harrisonburg, Virginia.Books We Talk About: T...
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35:36
Episode 70: Author Evan Friss
This week, we talk with Evan Friss, author of The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore, out now from Penguin Random House. Starting with Benjamin Franklin and moving up to the present day, it is a love letter to bookstores that T...
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32:59
Episode 69: Happy Magpie Book & Quill, Ogden, Utah
Today, we’re visiting Happy Magpie Book & Quill in Ogden, Utah. I’m joined by owner Patrick Ramsay, who operates the shop on a unique pay-what-you-want model. Books We Talk About: Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed,...
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39:11
Episode 68: Lemuria Books, Jackson, Mississippi
John Evans opened Lemuria Books in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1975 and joins me to discuss his five decades in bookselling. Books We Talk About: From Moby Dick to Eudora Welty, we cover a lot in this one!Our theme music is Whiskey R...
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49:16
Episode 67: Ferguson Books & More, West Fargo, North Dakota
After 14 years, Dane Ferguson knows a thing or two about the bookselling business, and he walks me through the ups and downs of the trade as we visit Ferguson Books & More in West Fargo, ND.Books We Talk About: The Four Winds by Kris...
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49:40
Episode 66: Paper & String Books, South Hamilton, Massachusetts
Long-time podcast listener Thalia Lewandowski and her business partner visited Matt’s bookstore Airbnb in January to learn all they could about opening their own bookshop. Now they’ve done it! Thalia joins the pod to discuss Paper & String ...
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38:02
Episode 65: Wind City Books, Casper, Wyoming
We're back for Season 3! Today, we are in Capser, Wyoming, to visit Wind City Books. Owner Miranda Berdahl and her bookseller son, Rhys, discuss taking over ownership of the shop during the pandemic, what it's like working for your mother, and ...
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33:02
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 Tal...
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31:15
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. T...
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31:57
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,
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37:15
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 plac...
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36:03
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 an...
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33:23
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. ...
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36:15
Episode 58: Skylark Bookshop, Columbia, Missouri
This week, we visit Skylark Bookshop in Columbia, MO, named one of 150 bookstores you need to visit before you die. Owner and novelist Alex George discusses the inspiration and mission of Skylark, as well as the city's prominent Unbound Book Fe...
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35:25
Episode 57: Hearthside Books & Toys, Juneau, Alaska
This week, we visit Hearthside Books & Toys in Juneau, Alaska. Owner Olga Lijó Seráns has owned Hearthside since 2022, but the store has been serving the people of Juneau for nearly 50 years. She takes us through its rich hist...
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39:16
Episode 56: Writer Stan Zimmerman
This week, Stan Zimmerman joins the show to discuss his new book, The Girls: From Golden to Gilmore, all about his career writing for such shows as The Golden Girls, Gilmore Girls, Roseanne, and many more. We chat about those and other projects...
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49:23
Episode 55: Elements Books Coffee Beer, Biddeford, Maine
This week, we head to Biddeford, Maine, where owner Michael Macomber shares the story behind Elements: Books | Coffee | Beer. The combination bookshop, bar and cafe has been serving the people of Biddeford for more than a decade and helped ushe...
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38:35
Episode 54: Sunshine Book Co., Clermont, Florida
Beth Merrick of Sunshine Book Co. in Clermont, Florida, discusses her journey from Disney employee to bookshop owner, and offers up some excellent ideas for bookshop events that drive customers into the shop. Books We Talk About: A ...
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40:01
Episode 53: The Toadstool Bookshop, Peterborough, New Hampshire
First opened in 1972 by Willard Williams and family, The Toadstool Bookshop - currently with locations in Peterborough and Keene - has been serving the people of New Hampshire for decades. One of its longtime customers was Emerson Sistare...
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43:21
Episode 52: Peoria Book Rack, Peoria, Illinois
My guest this week is Stacy Hardin of the Peoria Book Rack in Peoria, Illinois. Stacy tells us how she went from drawing her dream bookshop layouts in a childhood journal to now owning a decades-old shop that she has visited s...
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27:11
Episode 51: The Bookhouse Hotel, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
The Bookhouse Hotel is a 4-room boutique hotel nestled in the heart of downtown Kennett Square, PA. Housing over 5,000 books, it is a haven for bookworms or anyone else looking for a uniquely cozy place to relax and unwind. Co-owner Stephanie O...
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20:07
Episode 50: The Potter's House, Washington, D.C.
The Potter’s House is a nonprofit café, bookstore, and event space in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Since opening in 1960, it has been a key place for deeper conversation, creative expression, and community tran...
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37:29
Episode 49: Brooks Books, Wyandotte, Michigan
This week, we head back to Michigan once more to chat with Joanna Brookshire, owner of Brooks Books in Wyandotte. Books We Talk About: The works of Johnathan Rands, Ronald Malfi and Kate Morton.
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32:50
Episode 48: Pete & Freddy's Pages Aplenty, Mentone, Indiana
This week, we're in Mentone, Indiana, to visit with Maddie Anweiler, the "Pete" in Pete & Freddy's Pages Aplenty. In this open and candid conversation, we discuss Maddie's shift from a partnership to a one-person shop, the importance of boo...
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45:07