Sense of Shelf

Mar 13 2023 6

Sense of Shelf Podcast artwork

My name is John Westley and I'm going to be talking to people about the books that left an impression on them. Their favorite book. An acclaimed novel that they dislike. A book that inspired them. A book that made them become obsessed with a certain author(I’m talking about you 1776). I will also be talking about different book related topics that I feel like discussing. So please join me for some lovely book related conversations.

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Banned Book Club - Gender Queer by Maya Kobabe

Mar 13 2023 14 mins

Hi friends. Thanks for joining me in another meeting of our Banned Book Club. In this meeting I will discuss Gender Queer by Maya Kobabe. This wasn't one of my favorite banned books, but a great story none the less. Diverse voices are important to literature and our world as a whole, so I fully support this book and hope more people will read it. You can purchase the book, su

The Sandman Volumes 5 and 6

Mar 02 2023 17 mins

Hi friends. This one took a while because spoiler, I didn't care for volume 5. But here are volumes 5 and 6 combined. Just some quick chats about the two volumes. Neil Gaiman is a master story teller and this series is spectacular. Shout out to Okie Bookcast podcast. Listen to the book news segment for exciting news about the host, my friend J Hall. To purchase the books, su

Wakanda Forever and Babel

Jan 25 2023 26 mins

What's better than an episode with my humble opinions about one book? Probably a lot of things, but for the sake of this caption, the answer is an episode with my humble opinions about TWO books!! Insert DJ horn noise here. I talk about Wakanda Forever by one of my favorite authors Nnedi Okorafor and I talk about Babel by R.F. Kuang....finallly. You can purchase both books fr

The Memory Librarian by Janelle Monáe

Jan 07 2023 22 mins

I finally found the energy and drive to come back. Thank you for your patience. I read and review the wonderful collection of short stories The Memory Librarian by Janelle Monáe and other authors. This book has so much queer love and representation it is only a matter of time before someone tries to ban it. It is a great book though with some lovely stories and characters. S

Banned Book Club - All American Boys

Nov 23 2022 24 mins

The newest installment tackles All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brandon Kiely. This is an important story about police brutality and its' effects on a community. It is told as 2 stories in one from the point of view of the victim, a black teenage boy, and the other from a witness, a white teenage boy that attends the same school as the victim. It is an important story, and J

Something is Killing the Children Volumes 1-5, a review.

Nov 16 2022 63 mins

So I went about this strangely. I started by planning to read, review, and publish an episode for each volume. I changed my mind and just saved each review to publish as this longer episode. I also only wrote a script for volumes 1-3. Volumes 4 and 5 I recorded live with no notes or script. I tend to ramble. Regardless, I loved this series and am excited to see what happens in futu

Binti The Complete Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor

Nov 09 2022 27 mins

I read the fantastic book Binti The Complete Trilogy. It is a series of novellas by Nnedi Okorafor all compiled into one book now. Listen to me rave about this imaginative, emotional, suspenseful, riveting set of stories. I truly loved this book and will definitely be reading more of this author's work. Check out Nnedi Okorafor and all of her great work on her website www.nne

After The Rain by Nnedi Okorafor, a review

Oct 25 2022 10 mins

I read and loved this wonderful graphic novel adaptation of a short story by Nnedi Okorafor titled On The Road. It is a short read hence the short episode. I loved it though. It can be read in one sitting. The art and story are fantastic and culture absolutely stuns with its' vibrance. Whether you like fiction, fantasy, speculative fiction, or graphic novels, you will enjoy this bo

Graphic Novel Review - The Sandman Vol 4 Season of Mists

Oct 19 2022 16 mins

It's been a few weeks since I've discussed The Sandman, but here are my thoughts on Volume 4. Long story short, I really loved it. It's got some great stories and the scenes with The Endless are delightful. You can purchase the book here, while also supporting indie bookshops and this podcast! How great and convenient is that? You can also help support the podcast by going to

Banned Book Club - So You Want To Talk About Race

Oct 12 2022 19 mins

This book, So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo, was recommended to me by the wonderful Red Dove Podcast. Their show is a must listen and this book is a must read. This is a how to guide for helping to combat racism and micro aggressions and have meaningful conversations about the topic. I also discuss a troubling incident that happened with my family and I and ignorant ra