The Bookshop Chronicles

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. Starting in June 2023, will be raising funds to put a TBBP shelf in a school in both Edmonton and Beaumont. If you'd like to support our efforts, please visit our website for more details. 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.

I have received so many questions, and I thought of a fun way to answer some of them. I'm calling it a Five, 5 and 5: 5 books that changed me, 5 small biz bits, and 5 random things about me. Hope they are fun and insightful! 5 Books: Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith Don't Keep Your Day Job by Cathy Heller The Bible 5 Small Biz Bits: - Social Media Face - Vote with your dollars - It's hard but it's worth it and it's hard - passion costs $$ - copycats weren't cool in school and not in biz either 5 things about me: - smile - sunshine - heights - cheesecake - bull 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! 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.

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.

One of our most popular Guests from the past year was Elise Eichmuller (Episode 44), a court reporter by day and an active bookstagrammer and reader in her spare time. She may read dark & twisty tales, but she is just the most sunshiney and giggly soul. To know Elise is to love her. She is instrumental in keeping the #yegbookstagrammer group together and intentionally creates friendships in the bookish social media world. She has created a brilliant balance - enjoy this episode and by all means, go to her Instagram and FOLLOW her! *heads up, we don't censor one another in this convo, so little ears may not want to listen in Books we discussed: The Bad Seed (1954) by William March We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver The Wanderers by Chuck Wendig Brother by Ania Ahlborn Seed by Ania Ahlborn The Troop by Nick Cutter Precious Cargo by Craig Davidson The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline The Deep by Nick Cutter Still Life by Louise Penny Ghost Summer Stories by Tananarive Due Bad People by Craig Wallwork Someone to Watch Over Me - Yrsa Sigurðardóttir I Remember You - Yrsa Sigurðardóttir Let Me In - John Ajvide Lindqvist Eeny Meeny by M. J. Arlidge The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson Before He Knew Her by Peter Swanson Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson Karen Slaughter Grand County Series Pretty Girls by Karen Slaughter The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King Indians on Vacation by Thomas King 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.

When you are starting out in business, there are SO many hurdles, questions, and fears. Today, I am answering three questions I get asked regularly. 1. How do I know if being in a Market is the best way to start my business? 2. What is the difference between a Hobby and a Business? 3. How do I know where to start when it comes to social media/branding and content creation? I certainly do not have it all figured out and I mess up nearly every day, so please know that I am right in it with you, figuring it out as I go. I have, however, overcome a lot of objections, and risen to the top in areas I knew nothing about initially. Being your own Boss means you own 100% of the mistakes, and there is always so much to learn! I'm happy to share some of what I've learned with you. Please send me any questions or areas you'd like me to discuss in future Business Bar episodes. I hope this episode helps! 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 are opening a second store to serve your reading needs in July 2022! 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.

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 we started with the booktruck and then opened a brick & mortar bookstore, we hoped that we would build a community of readers. Actually, I was a little obsessed with the idea. Imagine my delight when Haylee Freake discovered our store and decided this was IT for her. She has been in our Book Club from day one, and she is also an active member of Write Night, our creative night for budding authors. Haylee dives into reading with the passion that must make her Newfoundland parents proud, since they surrounded her with books and the encouragement to read her whole life. Haylee doesn't want to know much about a book before she chooses it, she prefers to go in blind and be surprised - this trick has been very fruitful for her reading life.If you are curious about just how fantastic and well-read our community at DCBC is, take a listen to this convo with Haylee! Books/Authors we discussed: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. MaasFinlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano Sarah Dessen John Green A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin Fredrik Backman The Maid by Nita Prose The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling Far From Home by Nellie Armstrong Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan City of Bones by Cassandra Clare Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard Kiera Cass Taylor Jenkins Reid Hatchet by Gary Paulsen Outlander by Diana Gabaldon From Blood and Ash by Jennifer Armentrout The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams 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 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.

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.

It's already the middle of February and I have read 13 books for the year, so I thought I'd break them down for you and help you add a couple more to your TBR. Happy Reading! Books Discussed: The Nix by Nathan Hill Know My Name by Chanel Miller The Summer Sail by Wendy Francis The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid The City Baker's Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston 101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think by Brianna Wiest One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid Empire Falls by Richard Russo The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes 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.

We have some of the best Readers ever in our little Daisy Chain Book Co. community. Beth Harding is one of them. Beth is a testament to perseverance, grit, and passion. She and I first met when she visited the booktruck at the beginning of my travels, and we hung out, chatting and exchanging stories of service and inspiration cementing us as Kindred Spirits. Beth works as a communication manager for a non-profit, is one of our Petal Club's original members, and she is dedicated to service in parenting, business, and she's one of the all-time best huggers. She reads historical fiction for fun and non-fiction books about awareness and leadership that are actionable. So, whether you want to discuss who would sit at your imaginary ideal dinner table, or you want to talk about pursuing passions, or you want to eavesdrop on two giggly middle-aged women fangirling for an hour... feast your ears, Friends. This is the episode for you. 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: The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah The Girl in His Shadow by Audrey Blake Kate Morton titles Elizabeth Hay titles Tennessee Williams titles My Policeman by Bethany Roberts Circe by Madeline Miller The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivel 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.

At Daisy Chain Book Co., we are led by creativity, passion and curiosity. That means finding new ways to serve our reading community as we tell our own story in the marketplace. For a firstborn like myself, that means doing what no one else is doing because copying others is just not how we roll. It is not boastful or cocky to recognize areas of achievement and pat yourself on the back. I can say these things confidently because I did not do any of it alone. I have the most incredible team and the dedicated support of our online community that has cheered for us every step of the way. Thank you so much! So, here are some ways we have led the way: 1. 1st booktruck in the province 2. 1st bookstore in YEG to partner with Libro.fm for audiobooks 3. 1st bookshop podcast in YEG 4. 1st bookstore in YEG to reach 10k followers on Instagram 5. 1st bookstore in YEG to launch a monthly book subscription - The Petal Club 6. 1st bookstore in YEG to get on TikTok (for better or worse) 7. created the "Booktruck Quote of the Day" - which became "Bookshop Quote of the Day" for social media AND NOW... 8. we are the 1st bookish community in YEG to launch our own book awards - The Daisy Chain Book Awards!! Stay tuned to our social media for updates and chances to VOTE! 9. In January 2022 we are launching the DCBC Reading Challenge - you can vote from anywhere in the world for 12 fun categories that we will announce on social media and our website. Join us and vote for the Winners! #DCBCReadingChallenge The booktruck was on the road for 2 years and the bookstore has only been open for 1 year. Don't let anyone tell you it can't be done! To read our Core Values, go HERE. 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.

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.

One of our mantras at Daisy Chain Book Co. is "Creating a Community of Readers". I am passionate about humans connecting over books, stories, and our diverse experience with both. In today's episode, I am pleased to share a special person in our DCBC community with you. Rachelle Lee is an Electrical Engineering student and a reader of all things Fantasy and Imagination. She reads broadly, she loves movies, and she truly appreciates a fun story in any format. We have loved having her be a part of our Book Club which she calls her "favorite day of the month", and she has recently joined The Petal Club, our monthly book subscription. Rachelle's feelings about the books she reads are so contagious, and I have written down new titles she speaks about every single month! The "Murder Van" meme I mentioned can be found here. This episode has been brought to you by Book Clubs. Wherever you are, find other people who want to discuss books and feed your bookish delights. Reading may be a solitary activity, but discussing them is not - find your bookish community! Books Discussed: Harry Potter Series The House in the Cerulean Sea The Passengers The One Library of the Unwritten Sharp Objects I'll Be Gone in the Dark The Push The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue Percy Jackson series The Extraordinaries The School For Good & Evil Series Wish You Were Here Podcasts Discussed: My Favorite Murder Podcast 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.

Books are great. Of course they are. But the business side of running a bookshop has been a wild ride, and like all businesses, we have been impacted by a pandemic in ways we couldn't have imagined. In 2019 I was a Guest on a podcast called "Keeping Shop: A Brick and Mortar Podcast" hosted by Rachel Wentworth. We had such a fun conversation, and I decided it was time to rekindle this connection. During what Rachel calls "the before time", we talked about customer connections and serving your people well. Now that we are in a pandemic, our conversation is still about our customers, but also about how to adjust your business model to serve your people well when the world is wonkypants. Rachel and her business partner, Meredith, have adopted new ideas, re-prioritized and took some risks that are still centred on the same "why the heck not?" POV. I hope this convo inspires you and encourages you to SUPPORT LOCAL because these small businesses are the core of a thriving community - support them to keep them. Today's episode has been brought to you by FORTY WINKS. If you are in the Cambridge, Massachusetts area, shop for intimate wear at Forty Winks. "if you have boobs you want to put in something safe and cozy, visit Forty Winks!" (not endorsed by Forty Winks, just shared because I want to support them) Books Discussed: Disappearing Earth Circe Daisy Jones and the Six Podcasts Discussed: Retail For the Rest of Us Being Boss Here Lies Me 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.

Well, hello again! It's been a crazy month at the bookstore, but I am back again for another installment of "What Has Brandi Been Reading?". I read 11 books in October and I am here to break them all down for you, the hits and the misses. If you'd like to find my up-to-date reviews on the books as I go, please become a Friend on Goodreads! Today's episode is brought to you by THE PETAL CLUB, a monthly book subscription through Daisy Chain Book Co. - a surprise book wrapped and delivered to you each month with a local small business bonus thrown in? Yes, please! Go to Daisy Chain Book Co. to sign up! Books Discussed: A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow Flower Crowns & Fearsome Things by Amanda Lovelace When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller The Last Days of John Lennon by James Patterson The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles 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.

Here's what I want you to do. You trust me, right? I'm not going to ask to to dance in the street singing New Kids in The Block in your underwear, come on. I want you to listen to this episode and then SHARE IT. This conversation with Melissa Ahmed is too good not to share. She is an avid reader, 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 a Muslim. She was homeless for a period of time in her young life, and she has always turned to books as her safe place, her refuge and ally against a hard world. Melissa and I have become friends at the bookstore and I cannot imagine the space without her. She believes strongly, loves fiercely and fights daily. I am so grateful for you, Melissa. Thank you for sharing some of your story with me and for being my Friend. xo Books Discussed: Starlight Tour: The Last Lonely Night of Neil Stonechild by Susanne Reber That Was Then, This is Now by S.E. Hinton No Promises in the Wind by Irene Hunt Highway of Tears: A True Story of Racism, Indifference and the Pursuit of Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls by Jessica Diarmid Five Little Indians by Michelle Good 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.

Daisy Chain Book Co. has had so many firsts. Like looking back through our bookshop baby book in which we record milestones and firsts, here is one I am super proud of: in Edmonton, we were the first bookstore that partnered with Libro.fm as an audiobook provider for our Readers. From Day One I have been amazed at how this company supports independent bookstores and provides outstanding customer service, all the while making it possible for us to fit books into our very active lives. Today it's my pleasure to share a conversation with Jenna Clark, a software developer with Libro.fm and avid audiobook listener. This was a fun convo, and if it doesn't make you want to sign up with Libro.fm and/or SWITCH from an ama*on's Audible subscription, then I don't know what will! Books discussed: The Final Girl Support Group The Rural Diaries Between Two Kingdoms Finlay Donovan is Killing It Fight Night 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.