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 brandi@daisychainbook.co 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.

"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 brandi@daisychainbook.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. 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 brandi@daisychainbook.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. 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 brandi@daisychainbook.co 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 brandi@daisychainbook.co 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.

This was a fun one! Forgive us the wild peals of laughter and background noises as we recorded this podcast episode at my kitchen table after a leisurely brunch. Rachel Bergeron and Justine Mah spearheaded The Black Bookshelf Project, a collaborative initiative that provides BIPOC books for kids on a black bookshelf with coloring sheets, additional resources, and Indigenous affirmation cards for children to enjoy. Rachel and Justine do not hold back on why these stories are important, and why they believe these bookshelves will open conversations and generate an appreciation for perspectives and experiences from other cultures and experiences. These shelves are important, and we are proud to have one in each of our bookstores for our community to enjoy. If you would like to know more about The Black Bookshelf Project, please go to their website, and follow them on Instagram. Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.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. 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.

Hello, Friend. Would you believe that at the end of last month I achieved my goal of getting 4 days off IN A ROW?? Don't go into business for yourself if you want to have oodles of spare time. So, after a spell away from the microphone I am here to present a smattering of some of the books I have read since we last talked. Some great, some blah, and I am here to share the truth about them all. A bookstore owner who doesn't read a wide range of titles can't be trusted to make solid book recommendations, so I will keep reading outside my comfort zone and being wooed by compelling backlist titles and sparkly new releases so I can share them with you! Books Discussed: Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes Pretty Things by Janelle Brown Forever... by Judy Blume We Spread by Iain Reid Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery The Change by Kirsten Miller The Family Game by Catherine Steadman Night Road by Kristin Hannah Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi Near the Bone by Christina Henry I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting by Evanna Lynch 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. Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co 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! Location and hours available on our website. 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.

The world of Daisy Chain Book Co. has grown by about 1600 square feet. We opened our second indie bookstore in Beaumont, Alberta in July, 2022 and I am still in an exhausted state of disbelief. Don't let them tell you it's impossible, put your big girl panties on and show 'em how it's done. In this mini episode, I am giving you a wave from underneath the pile of chaos and a shout-out of gratitude for our incredible bookish community. Get out there and let your badassery shine. And have a Merry Christmas too. 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. Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co 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, we welcome you to visit us on Main St! For updates on all the bookish events at the bookstore, and an online database of our marvelous books visit Daisy Chain Book Co.

So much going on around here! Please enjoy this list of titles that I have read recently - many of them I have liked, even LOVED, and some I did not enjoy at all. Sigh. Thus is the reading life, right? Books Discussed: The End of Men by Christina Sweeney-Baird Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid Book Lovers by Emily Henry Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman The Broken Girls by Simone St. James The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid Quit Like a Woman by Holly Whitaker The School For Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan Thank you to Edmonton radio stations Cruz fm and Play 107 for the clip! 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. Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful store! 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.

When you get a chance to speak with someone who is passionate about the process of writing a book and getting it into the hands of readers, you pay attention. When that same person also boldly shares her well-crafted book reviews on her very own YouTube channel, you pay extra close attention. So, basically, this episode is one you don't want to miss. Stella Telleria is a Local Author of the book Across the Wire. Her second book will be out shortly. She is actively dedicated to good books, both the reading and writing of them and if you're like me, you will want to up your reading game after hearing this discussion. This was a fun and informative conversation and I can't wait for you to listen in! Find the link to her YouTube channel and more HERE! Books We Discussed: Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë Writing website: Critique Circle Our bookstore offers audiobooks which 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. Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! 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.

Reading may be an isolated activity, but like so many of us, we long for friendships with people that share our love of books and stories. Where do we find them? Kim Tanner is a teacher, and a dedicated reader who was determined to establish her own reading community of Kindred Spirits through #bookstagram. Kim has been a member of our Petal Club community and established a strong connection to our readers. Her desire to read widely and have solid friendships is something she has in common with SO many of us - I hope you enjoy her story and feel inspired to reach out, be your authentic self and find your people. Today's episode is brought to you by the 2022 DCBC Reading Challenge - get out of your reading funk and join us as we cross new categories off the list and discover new writers and titles. Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co to receive your free PDF and get reading! Books Discussed: Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt The Guernsey and Literary Peel Pie Society by Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart Greenglass House by Kate Milford Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus Our bookstore offers audiobooks which 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. Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! 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.

Earlier this year, I introduced you to Melissa Ahmed. Your response to that conversation was outstanding. It was the most shared and downloaded episode of our podcast EVER, and I received the most DMs about it. Melissa's ability to say what's on her mind and on her heart in a bold, refreshing "I don't care" attitude is what we need. Once again, please listen to this episode and then SHARE IT. This conversation with Melissa Ahmed is too good not to share. She is an avid reader, a Muslim mother of 2 young girls, a Homeschooling teacher, and advocate for social justice, a feminist who seeks to intelligently raise the bar for women, and speaks boldly about what matters most. Melissa and I talk about the challenge to find a Bosom Friend when you are older, the reality of being understood and valued for what makes us different. She believes strongly, loves fiercely and fights daily. I am sure you will love her almost as much as I do. Today's episode is brought to you by the 2022 DCBC Reading Challenge - get out of your reading funk and join us as we cross new categories off the list and discover new writers and titles. Email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co to receive your free PDF and get reading! Books Discussed: For the Love by Jen Hatmaker Blubber by Judy Blume That Was Then, This is Now by S.E. Hinton Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid Cruel Prince by Holly Black The Bookshop of the Brokenhearted by Robert Hillman The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters Will by Will Smith Call of the Wild and Free by Ainsley Arment Gwendy's Button Box by Richard Chizmar The Twenty One Rules of Love by Matthew Dicks Our bookstore offers audiobooks which 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. Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! 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.

I think I need to take a sec and brag a little on our incredible community at Daisy Chain Book Co. We are so fortunate to have gathered some of the most stimulating and diverse readers in the area. They encourage me to read outside my comfort zone, they remind me why it is so special to be a Reader, and they excite me with moments of togetherness that have been so vital during a time when the world has gotten more used to staying apart. In the bookstore, we run Book Clubs that meet in person. The chance for humans to sit together and find commonalities while they discuss the complex story ideas in a fictional novel is a precious thing. One of the Readers who has become a valued member of our Book Club is Karen Irwin. Karen is a teacher who is fiercely dedicated to the literacy of students. She has also been a determined role model for reading to her kids, and her High School aged daughter is also a member of Book Cub on a different night! When Karen talks about books, I pay attention. I hope her suggestions of titles and passion for books inspire you. Books Discussed: The Weird Sisters The Secret Garden The Island of Sea Women The Mountain Story The Girls This Little Light The Spirits Up The Space Between Us The World That We Found The Egypt Game Black Dog, Dream Dog Where the Red Fern Grows 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. Let's get social - follow Daisy Chain Book Co. on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or email me at brandi@daisychainbook.co If you are in the Edmonton area, come and see our beautiful new store! 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 was created and performed by the incredible Kerri Bridgen.