Dream: The Life and Legacy of Hakeem Olajuwon with Mirin Fader

This week’s guest is Mirin Fader, sports journalist and author of biographies on Giannis Antetokounmpo and Hakeem Olajuwon. We cover Hakeem's legacy on the court, his devotion to Islam, and Mirin's experience in journalism. Recommendations - ⁠⁠⁠⁠Beloved by Toni Morrison - ⁠The Friend by Sigrid Nunez - The Sentence by Louise Erdrich - ⁠Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA Champion by Mirin Fader Shelf Talkers is a podcast from⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors on their books, their process, and their favorite reads. New episodes are released every other Wednesday. If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠. If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider leaving us a review!

On this special holiday episode, the staff of The Village Well recommends gifts for 2024! See what we picked out below: Fiction American Rapture by CJ Leede We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell Nonfiction The Light Eaters by Zoë Schlanger Cherished Belonging by Father Greg Boyle The Creative Act by Rick Rubin Hitler in Los Angeles by Steven J. Ross Kids Scythe by Neil Shusterman Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White All About U.S. by Jenny Volvoski and Matt Lamothe The Name of this Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch Gifts Bananagrams Accidentally Wes Anderson by Amanda and Wally Koval Ornaments for Orphans Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook by Wizards of the Coast Shelf Talkers is a podcast from⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors on their books, their process, and their favorite reads. New episodes are released every other Wednesday. If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠. If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider leaving us a review!

This week’s guests are David A Romero and Matt Sedillo, poets, authors, and co-founders of El Martillo Press. We talked about the creative process, making a living as an artist, and the world of indie publishing. Recommendations - ⁠Real Americans by Rachel Khong - Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut - City on the Second Floor by Matt Sedillo Shelf Talkers is a podcast from⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors on their books, their process, and their favorite reads. New episodes are released every other Wednesday. If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠. If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider leaving us a review!

This week’s guest is Father Greg Boyle, a Jesuit priest, founder of Homeboy Industries, and author of the new book Cherished Belonging. In this episode, he shares stories and spiritual lessons from 40 years of working with Homeboy industries. Father Boyle's Recommendations - Ordinary Mysticism by Mirabai Starr - Somehow by Anne Lamott - Falling Upward by Richard Rohr - ⁠The Healing Path⁠ by James Finley - Turning to the Mystics with James Finley (podcast) Shelf Talkers is a podcast from⁠⁠⁠⁠ Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors on their books, their process, and their favorite reads. New episodes are released every other Wednesday. If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠[email protected]⁠. If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider leaving us a review!

This week’s guest is Jesse Katz, a Pulitzer Prize winner and author of The Rent Collectors. We cover his research for the book, the history of street vending in Los Angeles, and issues with the criminal justice system. Jesse's Recommendations - Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky - Evicted by Matthew Desmond - Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond Shelf Talkers is a podcast from⁠⁠⁠ Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors on their books, their process, and their favorite reads. New episodes are released every other Wednesday. If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at [email protected]. If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider leaving us a review!

This week's guest is the current Mayor of Culver City, Yasmine-Imani McMorrin. She talks about her book club, Los Angeles and country-wide politics, and a whole lot more! SHELF TALKERS is a podcast from⁠⁠⁠ Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA, where we interview authors on their books, writing process, and what they are themselves reading. A new episode is released every other Wednesday! Need to reach out or have questions? Feel free to email us at [email protected]. If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider leaving us a review!

This week's guest is the best-selling author of the murder-mystery-puzzle series Murdle, GT Karber. Murdle has won many awards, including the 2024 British Book Award, and has been a bestseller internationally (and at VW) for over a year! We talk puzzles, mystery writing, and a whole lot more! SHELF TALKERS is a podcast from⁠⁠ Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA, where we interview authors on their books, writing process, and what they are themselves reading. A new episode is released every other Wednesday! Need to reach out or have questions? Feel free to email us at [email protected]. If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider leaving us a review!

Today's episode is a fun experiment of format; we have a wonderful roundtable discussion among employees of the Village Well about the NYT article, "The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century". Click the link to follow along or to see which you have read! We hope you enjoy this new episode. SHELF TALKERS is a podcast from⁠⁠ Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA, where we interview authors on their books, writing process, and what they are themselves reading. A new episode is released every other Wednesday! Need to reach out or have questions? Feel free to email us at [email protected]. If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider leaving us a review!

What do you get when a film critic and acclaimed video essayist writes a sci-fi series set in an alternate reality contemporary America? Complex aliens, three dimensional romance, societal critique, and a lot of pop-culture references. This week’s guest is ⁠Lindsay Ellis, author, media critic, and Hugo-nominated video essayist. Her debut novel, Axiom's End, published in July 2020, became an instant New York Times Best Seller, and today we are here to discuss Linday’s third novel Apostles of Mercy, the third book in the Noumena series. Lindsay also writes and produces video essays and documentaries on her popular nebula.tv channel. SHELF TALKERS is a podcast from⁠ Village Well Books & Coffee⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA, where we interview authors on their books, writing process, and what they are themselves reading. A new episode is released every other Wednesday! Need to reach out or have questions? Feel free to email us at [email protected]. If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider leaving us a review!

This week’s guest is Jesse Byrd, a children’s book author, children’s book developer with his company Moonbeam Literary and Media, and a literary agent, as well as a board member of the NPR foundation. Jesse had a career in tech at Google but decided to quit that life -- twice -- to pursue telling stories that make a difference in the world. His newest book, The Switch, is a children’s book teaching kids the importance of service in the midst of teams, even if they’re the best on the team. Books recommended by Jesse Byrd This Is the Honey An Anthology of Contemporary Black Poets by Kwame Alexander Bunso Meets a Mumu by Rev Valdez Hello Sweet Baby: An Adoption Story Written by Janine Jackson, Illustrated Brittanie Gaja