All Books Aloud
Elizabeth and Martha, two sisters with a shared love of reading, discuss the books they're reading and explore deeper topics related to reading and publishing. Elizabeth is an academic librarian and fiction writer, while Martha is a busy professional who discovered her love of reading later in life. They tackle questions like whether listening to a book counts as reading, the pros and cons of genres, and whether you should finish every book you start. This podcast is for anyone who loves books, nerding out about reading, and enjoys sassy millennial hot takes.
Episodes
How do you feel about your reading in 2025? A look back at the year in books and reading, and a look ahead at what's coming in 2026
Send us Fan MailWe're back with our annual year-end reading round up. Join us as we talk about our year in reading, our favorite books of 2025, the big stories in the world of books and publishing (probably not a spoiler: AI), and what we're looking forward to reading in 2026. We also talk about the pros and cons of different reading tracking apps and audiobook listening apps, how readin
Is it cozy? Dark academia? What about the romance? For History Lessons author Zoe B. Wallbrook being cross-genre is not a bug, it's a feature [Interview]
Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we are lucky enough to talk with author Zoe B. Wallbrook about her critically acclaimed debut novel, History Lessons. It's a clever, witty mystery on its surface that touches on deeper, more challenging issues with what the New York Times calls "a satirical bite." It also has a sweet romantic subplot that we are here for!It was Library Journal's
What do you know about a whodunnit? A mystery genre deep-dive
Send us Fan MailSomething about this season of cold weather and long, dark nights makes us want to read mysteries. Whether you like 'em cozy, hard-boiled, or realistic and by the book, there's something in this genre for everyone. Join us as we follow the clues to learn about the history, make-up, and readers of the mystery genre.----------------------- Sources: https://web.archive.org/w
Does your reading change during the summer?
Send us Fan MailHave you ever wondered why we have "summer reads" but not winter or spring or fall reads? We both had various associations with "summer reading," namely from being kids out of school and having the languorous expanse of the summer stretching out in front of us. But we wondered what is really behind this phenomenon. Join us to find out more and hear about our own
Would you go on a bookish vacation?
Send us Fan MailElizabeth just got back from a trip that included a day in the Original Book Town, Hay-on-Wye in Wales in the UK. It was adorable and she went to more bookstores than you can shake a stick at. It also made her wonder what other bookish vacations she could go on. When we started to dig into this idea for this episode, we found out that the answer is: a lot! Join us in daydreaming ab
What is the IMLS and why should we care if it is dismantled?
Send us Fan MailHave you heard about the IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services) in the news lately? An Executive Order in mid-March ordered it be "eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law" and there has been a lot of conversation about it since. But this agency was relatively low profile politically until recently, so many people might not know much about
How is working in a bookstore like playing a video game? Interview with the bookseller and events manager at Fireside Books
Send us Fan MailHave you ever wondered what it would be like to work in a bookstore? According to Rebecca, bookseller and events manager at the independent bookstore Fireside Books, who we interview for this episode, it's a lot like playing a video game! Join us to find out what she means by this, and also hear her talk about so many other interesting parts of her job, including how her work
Is reading a niche hobby?
Send us Fan MailWe were planning to talk about our reading habits and rituals in this episode...but then Elizabeth heard an NPR podcast about how no one reads anymore, at the same time as Martha read multiple articles about how more people bought Rebecca Yarros' latest book than any adult book since records began and that thanks to TikTok, Barnes & Noble is opening more stores this year.
Is being an audiobook narrator a dream job? Interview with Laura Horowitz
Send us Fan MailHave you ever wondered what it takes to be an audiobook narrator? Or is it perhaps your dream job like it is for Martha? In this episode, we interview audiobook narrator extraordinaire Laura Horowitz.Laura tells us how she got into the business, what a day in the life for an audiobook narrator looks like, how she connects with authors and fans, and what the rise of AI might mean fo
Fact or Fiction? It's bookish mythbusting time!
Send us Fan Mail[Apologies, listeners! We're re-releasing this one because there was an audio glitch in the original episode. If you've already downloaded the episode from Wednesday, try this one instead!] Happy New Year! There are some beliefs, truisms, urban legends, myths, whatever you want to call them, about books and reading that seem like they just won't die. Do audiobooks re
How was your year in reading? 2024 reading round-up
Send us Fan MailHappy Holidays! We're bringing back our year-end reading round up. Join us as we talk about our year in reading, our favorite books of 2024, and what we're looking forward to reading in 2025. We also talk about how our conversation about goal-setting in January of this year impacted our years in reading (spoiler: profoundly and in a good way!) -----------------------Books
Looking to escape into another reality? Join us for a deep-dive into the fantasy genre!
Send us Fan MailRomantic fantasies have taken the book world by storm in recent years, but fantasy stories that allow us to break free of the rules and limitations of our own world and reality are as old as human history. We wanted to learn more about the genre's history and its variations and sub-genres. What's the difference between fantasy and science fiction? Between high fantasy and
Should you join a book club?
Send us Fan MailWhether or not you'll enjoy a book club depends a lot on your reading style, habits, and preferences. But if you're interested in joining a book club, there is truly one out there for everyone - different types, communities, themes, modalities, and more.Join us as we talk about our own experiences with book clubs (as both participants and moderators), the history of book
How does a little girl from Detroit become a librarian icon? Our interview with Nancy Pearl (finally!)
Send us Fan MailSeason 2 is here and our first episode is a big one! In some ways, we have been building up to this moment since the podcast began: we finally chat with Elizabeth's librarian inspiration and the All Books Aloud unofficial mascot, Nancy Pearl. Nancy has had a storied life and a career about as influential as a librarian could hope for, and she shares so much of it with us durin
How does a lifelong literary fiction reader end up writing a romance novel? Interview with Sarah T. Dubb, author of Birding With Benefits
Send us Fan MailIn our season finale we talk with author Sarah T. Dubb about her debut novel, Birding With Benefits. It's a fun, flirty, sexy, and touching fake-dating romance novel featuring two protagonists in their 40s who fall in love while - you guessed it - bird-watching together. But Sarah hasn't always been a romance reader (or writer). In fact, her reading journey started solidl
Book adaptations - love them or hate them?
Send us Fan MailIs the book always better than the movie? If you had asked either of us before this episode, we both would have said unequivocally 'yes!' But our discussion showed us that this topic might actually be more nuanced than we realized. Join as we talk about nearly every Jane Austen adaptation ever made (don't worry, we also talk about other adaptations...a little), ponde
How do siblings grow up to be different types of readers? A chat with all four Brookbank siblings!
Send us Fan MailTwo very special guests joined us for this episode - the other half of our sibling quartet, Bekka and Mike. Listen in as we talk about our early experiences with reading, the similarities in how our reading journeys started, where our tastes differ, and how we took different paths based on our personality traits.We really enjoyed reminiscing with our siblings and reflecting on some
Do you re-read books?
Send us Fan MailThe topic of this week's episode is one of the few book-related topics we've found where we disagree! Martha loves to re-read her favorite books, whereas Elizabeth thinks life is too short to re-tread old ground. Martha begins the episode by setting herself the challenge of changing Elizabeth's mind...listen to find out if she's successful!----------------------
What's involved in translating a novel? Interview with Polly Mackintosh, French-English translator for Gallic Books
Send us Fan MailWe have explored a lot of different components of the book publishing industry on the podcast, but neither of us know much about the work of literary translation. So, we were thrilled to get the chance to talk with Polly Mackintosh about her work. Polly is Commissioning Editor and in-house translator for Gallic Books, and is the translator of the forthcoming novel, Clara Reads Prou
What books do you bring on vacation?
Send us Fan MailThis episode was recorded in-person and on location during our sister vacation on the Big Island of Hawaii! We kept our reading choices for the trip a secret from one another and did a live reveal, then we talked all about vacation reading while getting a little tipsy on tropical fruit juice and rum cocktails. Among and around several digressions, we discuss questions like, what ty
How has BookTok affected books and publishing?
Send us Fan MailEven if you don't use TikTok, you've likely at least heard of the phenomenon known as BookTok. Individual videos sometimes get millions of views, and the combined hashtags for these videos on TikTok have had hundreds of billions of views. The publishing industry is paying attention - and so are we! Is BookTok really driving book sales? Or is it just creating yet another t
Is it ever okay to throw away books?
Send us Fan MailWhat do you do with books that you're finished with? Books you've read or don't want anymore or spilled coffee on? In this episode we discuss what makes a book valuable - to individuals and to society - and why this can sometimes result in anxiety about how books are disposed of. We dig into the work libraries do to preserve books and the “weeding” they have to do to
What is it about romance?
Send us Fan MailRomance novels generate over $1.44 billion (with a 'b!') in revenue and are highest-earning, biggest, and fastest growing genre of fiction in the book industry. And yet, if you're a romance reader, you've probably had to defend it to someone at some point or maybe you've even been embarrassed of your reading. Why are these books that so many read still so f
What are book hangovers and what can you do about them?
Send us Fan MailIf you're a reader, you know the feeling: you turn the last page of a book and want to cry that it's over. You immediately feel bereft. You can't stop thinking (and even talking) about the characters, the story. You wish you could turn back time to when you were still reading or somehow enter the pages of the book and live in the world. No other book appeals to you,
Do young people still read for fun?
Send us Fan MailThe idea that "the kids just don't read anymore" is a tale as old as time. And, it is something that Elizabeth decided to investigate head-on in her role as an academic librarian. The results of the research study she designed and ran, interviewing just under 100 university students in the U.S. and the U.K., were published a few months ago and we talk about them in t
Should you set a yearly reading goal?
Send us Fan MailHappy New Year! Who doesn't love a good year-end round up?! Join us as we talk about our year in reading, our favorite books of 2023, and what we're looking forward to reading in 2024. We discuss the pros and cons of setting reading goals, complete with research that will not only let you off the hook with your yearly reading goal (if that's what you want) but will a
Are books good holiday gifts?
Send us Fan MailWe say yes! But there's a way to do it well. As with any type of gift-giving, there are some pitfalls to avoid... For example, arbitrarily giving a book to someone because you like it, or because you've latched on to one detail about them and thus neglected the bigger picture. But never fear! We’ll help you match the right book to the right person using reading doorways.
How do you read so much?
Send us Fan MailIf you're a reader, you've probably had someone ask you this question. We unpack what this question sometimes really means (How do you have so much free time? Must be nice having no obligations! I'm so busy I could never find time to read. You must be some kind of a superhero!) and explore the roots of some of these false beliefs about reading. We then talk about tip
Could reading doorways be a substitute for genres?
Send us Fan MailIn this bonus episode, we talk about something that didn't come up in the genres episode but should have. It’s a concept called the four reading doorways. Could it be an alternative to genres? Nancy Pearl thinks so! Join as we talk about what the four reading doorways are, learn how they're useful when recommending books to others, and explore how they show up in our own
Can you separate the book from the author?
Send us Fan MailCW: discussions of sexual assault and other crimes, racism, antisemitism, and other forms of bigotry, as well as Zionism (all in reference to books and authors from the 19th/20th centuries, rather than to current news).Can you separate the book from the author? The art from the artist? What do we do with books that were written by people with views that we disagree with or who have
What makes a good audiobook narrator?
Send us Fan MailWhat makes a good audiobook narrator? Is it enough to have a good voice? To be a good reader? A good actor? Something else? What about on the side of the reader? There are certainly things that make the experience of listening to an audiobook narrator better or worse for people. But are some of these things objective and common to everyone? Or is this a totally subjective preferenc
Do genres help or hinder your reading?
Send us Fan MailDo genres help or hinder your reading? Some people are very loyal to their genres of choice. Genres can be a way to connect with other readers, provide a language to talk about books you love using tropes, and help steer you in the direction of books you may like when you visit a bookstore. Genres can also help narrow down the world of reading choices. But do they narrow that world
Do you finish every book you start?
Send us Fan MailDo you finish every book you start? Why or why not? Some people feel a strong moral imperative to finish a book once they've started reading it. Other people will mark a book DNF (Did Not Finish) after a few pages if they're not able to get into it and move on to the next book. What pulls some people to keep reading a book if they're not enjoying it? And are people w
Do audiobooks count as reading?
Send us Fan MailDo audiobooks count as reading? And does it really matter? Why do some people seem to care so much about making this distinction? Where do the moral overtones surrounding reading that underlie this question come from? Arguments around this topic are often centered on the benefits of reading - and there are plenty, including educational, professional, psychological, social, and emot
Trailer
Send us Fan MailWelcome to All Books Aloud. Here is a short intro to the show. Subscribe for more from us soon!Support the show----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Support us!If you liked this episode, please consider becoming a monthly supporter of the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2235482/support. It also really helps us reach more listeners if you l
Recommended
15 minutes de grâce et de vérité
15 Minutes of Infamy
15 Minutes with Jesus: Christian Meditation, Guided Prayer, Bible Study, Emotional Healing, Devotional, Hear God’s Voice
180Podcast.
1856 Podcast-YMCA of South Hampton Roads
1984
1984, by George Orwell
19 Keys Presents High Level Conversations
19 Observations on mining and refining of critical minerals
1A
1Dime Radio
1of10 Podcast
