Show Notes
Please listen to the accompanying (less than 4 minute) episode for an important update about the Sarah's Bookshelves Live podcast. Thank you, Sarah
More from Sarah's Bookshelves Live
Author Deesha Philyaw joins Sarah to discuss her debut novel, The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman. Deesha first started writing this book more than 20 years ago, before her short story collection, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, became a National Book Award finalist. She shares the journey of bringing this novel to life, the women who inspired its characters, and how the story (and its author) evolved along the way. Plus, Deesha shares her top book recommendations!
Elizabeth Barnhill of Fabled Bookshop joins Sarah for the latest installment of the "Best of…" series to share her ALL-TIME TOP TEN historical fiction novels, plus a few popular picks that didn't work for her.
Sarah and Chrissie (@ChrissieWhitley) dig into their very different relationships with big books, from what counts as "big" and knowing when the moment is right to what makes a long book worth the extra pages. They also share some of their favorite big books — and a few they wish had been shorter.
Sarah and Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books are back with 16 of their most anticipated books publishing from mid-August through December.
Sarah and Catherine circle back to the 12 new releases they shared in the Summer 2026 Book Preview, now that they've read them — or at least tried to! Find out which books worked, which didn't, and whether their most anticipated summer reads lived up to expectations.