So, We Bought a Book Shop

Today we're chatting with artist Ned Bustard (in front of a live studio audience) about his early days as an artist and the gifts of courage, creativity, and rest. Why has it been a struggle for him to own the title of artist? What does it look like to live with courage and to rest well while not letting comfort distract us? And when does it all become too much? For a complete list

Today Maile shares why it felt so hard to return to the book shop after a week away (but what also made the return so sweet). And Shawn talks about getting the rights back to two of his books, why it feels a little like these novels have died (kind of). If everything comes to an end, often too soon, why write? Why create? Why start something new? For a complete list of books mentio

What happens when four local bookshops are all invited to sell books at the same event? In this episode, we discuss indie bookstore competition (and why we all compliment each other so well), our favorite books that have at times through history been banned, and which are our favorites. We also talk about waiting to read certain books until you can appreciate them, what we think o

We've been marveling at how owning the book shop has expanded the circle of folks we interact with, and Maile talks about how much she needed that. We also talk about the nature of compensation...are there things you do or would do simply for the love of it, receiving no money in exchange for your time? If Maile isn't making money at the shop, why in the world does she spend so muc

There's one question we get asked more than anything else, and so today we're digging into that question. We also talk about the importance of reading novels in order to develop empathy, which specific books have done that for us, and why human recommendations are better than the algorithm. Thanks for listening! For a complete list of books mentioned in this podcast, head over to

Maile and I talk about being writers who own a book shop...do we mind selling other writers' work when we haven't had much time to write ourselves? And going into 2025, how do we get back on track in our own writing life? Do conditions need to be perfect for you to step out and follow your dream? This one's for anyone working a day job who also wants to pursue their creative dreams

Today Maile and I talk about our fears in opening a bookstore--what if, in this divisive climate, people get upset by the books we carry or choose not to carry? What if we can't read enough books to keep up with our readers' needs? What if the construction on our block puts us out of business? So much of our hope in the face of despair comes from you all, a book-loving community th

Is all reading beneficial? Maile and I begin by gently debating the place of graphic novels in a child's reading diet, then discuss the comment we often hear from visitors in the shop about children: "As long as they're reading, that's what matters." Is it? What if it's not about the book as much as what we bring to the book and how deliberate we are in evaluating what we're readin

The easy answer to how a book ends up in our shop is that we have to love it . . . or have it recommended strongly to us . . . or talk to readers who share our taste and are big fans of the book in question. But there's more to it than that, because sometimes a book travels a long and winding way to get to us. That's the way of a good book. And when it arrives in our store and we

Where do dreams take root? What's the process in deciding to say yes to something new, out-of-the-box, exciting? Today, Maile and I talk about the story behind our purchase of Nooks, a local book shop in Lancaster, PA. We also discuss how the fear of failure can keep us trying meaningful things or setting out on new adventures, and how an important part of making big decisions is o