The Bookshop Chronicles

"Don't be a lady. Be a legend." - Stevie Nicks It is almost exactly a year since I last posted a podcast episode. Hopefully, that gives you some insight into how wild and unpredictable this bookstore life can be! I couldn't be happier to launch a new series of podcast episodes with this gem.  Bobbi French is a force, with all the wisdom, grit, and passion I imagined she would possess. She brings all of it to this discussion. Not only an award winning national best selling author for her debut novel, "The Good Women of Safe Harbour", but her second book, "The Brink of Something Beautiful" has immediately landed her on The Booksellers' List as a top pick from Canadian Independent Booksellers. If you like your podcast convos to have heart, wit, and feminine energy for days, this is the one for you. And please get her books at your local indie bookstore, give them to your friends, leave a review, and spread the word. This is how we champion smaller, indie novels! Find more of Bobbi at bobbifrench.com or on Instagram   _______________________________________________________________________ ** For information on the upcoming Booktruck BOOK, please go to my author Instagram page for updates, access to sneak peeks, and more! Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Instagram, and TikTok, or email me at [email protected] If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful store in High Street, and if you are in the community of Beaumont, come and see us on Main St. as the only bookshop in town! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Our bookstore offers audiobooks that you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS. Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

"There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in." - Leonard Cohen Knowing our own nation's history is something we endure in school, and possibly only come to appreciate the older we get. Genevieve Graham is determined to change that. As someone who confesses that High School Canadian History class put her to sleep, Genevieve has chosen to write about stories grown right here on our own soil that will inspire and challenge us all to get to know our country a little better. As a USA Today Bestselling Author of popular historical fiction titles such as The Forgotten Home Child, The Secret Keeper, and her recent bestseller, On Isabella Street, Genevieve is opening readers' eyes to the brave and noble people who have stories to be told right across our amazing nation - and they are far from boring, no one falls asleep on Genevieve's watch!  TEACHERS: If you are interested in requesting Genevieve come to your school, suggest books for your libraries, or support your Canadian History lessons, please reach out to her at [email protected] or visit her website: genevievegraham.com You can also find her very active on Instagram: instagram.com/@gengrahamauthor _______________________________________________________________________ ** For information on the upcoming Booktruck BOOK, please go to my BLOG for updates, access to sneak peeks, and more! Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Instagram, Bluesky, and TikTok, or email me at [email protected] Our bookstore offers audiobooks that you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS. If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful store in High Street, and if you are in the community of Beaumont, come and see us on Main St. as the only bookshop in town! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

"Be strong enough to let go and wise enough to wait for what you deserve." Breaking up is hard to do. Or, is it? I am known for breaking up with books often. If it no longer suits me, and I do not want to spend time with the characters, then I am OUTTA HERE. There are so many other books to read and a book has to earn the right to be finished. These ones did not make the cut. Not sorry. Onto books that I can eagerly recommend!   ** For information on the upcoming Booktruck BOOK, please go to my BLOG for updates, access to sneak peeks, and more! Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Instagram, Bluesky, and TikTok, or email me at [email protected] Our bookstore offers audiobooks that you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS. If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful store in High Street, and if you are in the community of Beaumont, come and see us on Main St. as the only bookshop in town! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

"Just found out the wife is writing a book about our honeymoon called 50 Shades of Just OK." - Conan O'Brien It is no surprise that I have some contrary ideas about romance novels. I love a good romance, after all, I've been feasting on romcoms & romance novels for the past 40+ years, and I have seen how the world has changed in its acceptance of romance novels in popular culture. There is a difference between smut and romance, and I am happy to sit down with two romance readers today to talk about what they love about the genre and what critiques they have about tropes, book boyfriends, and steamy scenes. Michelle and Vanessa are regulars around the bookshop, and it is a genuine delight to spend time with them. I knew their bookish relationship would be one that you'd enjoy too, so I was eager to invite them onto the pod. Enjoy this convo, and don't worry, I will have more in future episodes about strong opinions about the genre... I hold nothing back. ;-) Books Discussed: A Court of Thorns and Roses Butcher and Blackbird Lights Out Swift & Saddled The Forty Year Kiss Birthday Girl Wild Love/Wild Eyes/Wild Side Fourth Wing Throne of Glass The Fault in Our Stars Flawless/Heartless/Powerless/Reckless The Friend Zone Truth or Beard The Striker Ready or Not Prayer For the Crown Shy Bright Side Ice Planet Barbarians Funny Feelings Dungeon Crawler Carl Outlander Haunted Ever After Things We Never Got Over My Best Friend's Exorcism The Way of Kings Into Shadow The Fine Print The Time I Got Abducted By Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Romcom Say You'll Remember Me Lord of the Rings Kingdom of Ash Harold and the Purple Crayon The Pandas Take a Vacation The Widow's Guide to Dead Bastards Project Hail Mary   ** For information on the upcoming Booktruck BOOK, please go to my BLOG for updates, access to sneak peeks, and more! Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Instagram, Bluesky, and TikTok, or email me at [email protected] Our bookstore offers audiobooks that you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS. If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful store in High Street, and if you are in the community of Beaumont, come and see us on Main St. as the only bookshop in town! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

"Whatever you do, always give it 100% - unless you're donating blood."  - Bill Murray   What if you could invite someone into your reading life, someone who knows you better than anyone, and you could swap books and book recs like a Book Club of 2? At Daisy Chain Book Co., I met Sylvia and Kelsie, a mother/daughter reading duo who have taught me a lot about inviting someone you trust into your bookish life. So, you know I had to talk with them about their marvelous reading habits! Books Discussed: The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf Beneath the Devil's Bridge and The Patient's Secret by Loreth Anne White The Measure by Nikki Erlich The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz Everyone Here is Lying by Shari Lapena Beartown and My Friends by Fredrik Backman Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer The Nightingale and Angel Falls by Kristin Hannah Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez The One With the Kiss Cam by Cindy Steel The Warehouse by Rob Hart I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue All the Other Mothers Hate Me by Sarah Harman The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young The Next Mrs. Parrish and The Last Mrs. Parrish by Lynn Constantine What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks A Very Bad Thing by J.T. Elison The Favorites by Layne Fargo A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters Love You Forever by Robert Munsch The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue by V.E. Schwab The School of Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston   ** For information on the upcoming Booktruck BOOK, please go to my BLOG for updates, access to sneak peeks, and more! Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Instagram, Bluesky, and TikTok, or email me at [email protected] Our bookstore offers audiobooks that you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS. If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful store in High Street, and if you are in the community of Beaumont, come and see us on Main St. as the only bookshop in town! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

"It is said that Negronis are like breasts: “One is not enough, two is perfect, and three is just too many.” Today I am tempted to see what happens if I drink four.” ― Stanley Tucci, Taste: My Life Through Food   Who doesn't enjoy a good meal, served in a space that makes you sigh with delight? We are fortunate to have Chartier as our neighbors in our Daisy Chain Book Co. Beaumont location. Crystal Hemmerling is one of the owners of this fine establishment, and she is here to tell us why they are exceptional at offering a high caliber of cuisine and experience to its patrons. Chartier menu Eat-Read-Drink Book Pairing Event   Books discussed: Let Them Theory Taste: My Life Through Food     ** For information on the upcoming Booktruck BOOK, please go to my BLOG for updates, access to sneak peeks, and more! Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Instagram, Bluesky, and TikTok, or email me at [email protected] Our bookstore offers audiobooks that you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS. If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful store in High Street, and if you are in the community of Beaumont, come and see us on Main St. as the only bookshop in town! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

"You owe it to all of us to get on with what you're good at." - W.H. Auden When I started with the booktruck, I could never have dreamed that we would have as many fun bookish in-store events, or host such incredible authors as we have already done. Last autumn, we had the pleasure of welcoming NY Times Bestselling Author TJ Klune to our bookshop for a 100 person ticketed event to promote his newest book, "Somewhere Beyond the Sea". Ours was the only independent bookstore in all of Canada that he visited (and he only visited 3 cities in the country), and we were blown away by the whole privileged experience. We continue to raise the bar for events and have noticed that other stores are paying attention and have begun to do similar things. As always, we delight in being innovative and setting a new standard for what readers can expect form indies. Thanks to Mark who recorded and edited the Q&A videos shared in this episode. The videos can be found on our TikTok page if you want to see me blubber and try not to cry ugly tears and fail miserably. Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Instagram, Bluesky, and TikTok, or email me at [email protected] For information on the Booktruck BOOK, please go to my BLOG for updates, access to sneak peeks and more! Our bookstore offers audiobooks that you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS. If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful store in High Street, and if you are in the community of Beaumont, come and see us on Main St. as the only bookshop in town! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

"Some days you eat salads and go to the gym, some days you eat cupcakes and refuse to put on pants. It's called balance."   We are all doing the best we can to check items off our lists and still be SANE. I get it. Running 2 bookstores and trying to have a vibrant life that supports that requires a lot of saying NO to people, which I am totally fine with, by the way. I hope some of this info helps and gives you permission to retreat and READ because it just makes you a better human. Books discussed: First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison A Very Punchable Face by Colin Jost   Thank you to Lynne + Laurie for the question, and I am eager to hear what happens next in your story.   Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Instagram, Bluesky, and TikTok, or email me at [email protected] For information on the Booktruck BOOK, please go to my BLOG for updates, access to sneak peeks and more! Our bookstore offers audiobooks that you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS. If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful store in High Street, and if you are in the community of Beaumont, come and see us on Main St. as the only bookshop in town! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

Friends, lets face it. We are all trying to figure this thing out. Supporting a local Canadian small business has never been more important. Thanks for joining me on the adventure of post-booktrucking and writing about it while I run 2 bookshops. What a ride! xo B   Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Instagram, Bluesky, and TikTok, or email me at [email protected] For information on the Booktruck BOOK, please go to my BLOG for updates, access to sneak peeks and more! Our bookstore offers audiobooks that you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS. If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful store in High Street, and if you are in the community of Beaumont, come and see us on Main St. as the only bookshop in town! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.

Friends, we are back. It has been a whirlwind year that I am eager to tell you about, and we are starting back with new episodes, a new commitment to sassy and honest convos, and lots of fun, bookish moments for your ears. www.daisychainbook.co Find us on all the socials: @daisychainbookco Or email me at [email protected] Our bookstore offers audiobooks that you can listen to on your iPhone, Android device, or PC. These audiobooks are available through our partner, Libro.fm, and all sales support our store. Choose to support indie bookstores with your audiobooks - it MATTERS. If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful store in High Street, and if you are in the community of Beaumont, come and see us on Main St. as the only bookshop in town! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.  Podcast theme music created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.