Bubbles and Books

Today, Ellyn is joined by Dog-Eared's Roxy Strike and Nick Narigon—writer, indie press founder, and former Iowa County resident. They chat about everything from favorite ‘90s angst anthems to what it’s really like starting a small press. It’s a fun, honest conversation full of hometown memories and creative inspiration. Be sure to check out Nick’s Hayseed Press to see what he’s been working on!

Nick who is joining us from Singapore, has 20+ years of writing and editing experience in America, Tokyo, and Singapore. His writing has appeared in Kinfolk magazine, Scouting magazine, Wall Street Journal-Asia, Time Out Tokyo, etc. Most recently he was editor-in-chief of Tokyo Weekender magazine, Japan’s number one English-language lifestyle magazine. 

Learn more about The F Man Himself by Nick Narigon HERE

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Make sure to subscribe and rate the Bubbles & Books Podcast. And don't forget to share it with your friends.

Learn more about a Dog-Eared Books book subscription HERE.

Follow us on Instagram: @bubblesandbookspodcast

Follow Dog-Eared Books on Instagram: @dogearedbooksames

Interested in audiobooks? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE.

Visit us! www.dogearedbooksames.com

On this week’s Bubbles & Books, Ellyn and Amanda are joined by bestselling author Jess Walter to talk about his upcoming novel So Far Gone.

Expect laughs, insights, and thoughtful discussion as Jess shares how this novel took shape, what it says about the world today, and why he chose to leave social media. And we're so excited to share that Jess will be coming to Dog-Eared Books for a Cocktails & Convos event on Friday, September 12, at 7 PM. 

Pop open your favorite bubbly or pour yourself a spiked coffee, and be prepared to become obsessed with Jess Walter if you're not already — you don’t want to miss this one!

Pre-Order So Far Gone by Jess Walter HERE

Rhys Kinnick is an aging former journalist who’s secluded himself in the woods of Washington after a family blow-up and his increasing disenchantment with the way the world is changing around him. Like Rhys, our human tendency is to withdraw when the world seems to be falling apart, but Jess Walter’s novel shows us why it’s important to hold onto connections with the people we love, even when those connections are sometimes fraught. The book is filled with a colorful cast of fully-developed characters – all multi-facetted people with nuanced storylines. It’s both hilarious and heart-rending, while offering astute and timely social commentary.

Follow Jess Walter on Instagram HERE

Visit Jess Walter's website HERE

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Make sure to subscribe and rate the Bubbles & Books Podcast. And don't forget to share it with your friends.

Learn more about a Dog-Eared Books book subscription HERE.

Follow us on Instagram: @bubblesandbookspodcast

Follow Dog-Eared Books on Instagram: @dogearedbooksames

Interested in audiobooks? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE.

Visit us! www.dogearedbooksames.com

We are heading into summer and all the reading lists are coming out. Some are thoughtfully curated, and others… sloppily slapped together by AI. But today, we present you with an “AE” (Amanda & Ellyn) generated summer reading list—and trust us, it's way better than whatever the bots cooked up. Whether you're into breezy rom-coms, twisty thrillers, or something a little more unexpected, they've got you covered.

Check out the Book Riot summer reading list HERE.

Please enjoy our "AE" generated summer reading list, and let us know which ones you pick up!

Ellyn's Currently Reading | Run For the Hills by Kevin Wilson & Indian Country by Shobha Rao

Amanda's Currently Reading | Endling by Maria Reva

Books coming out this week | Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood & Never Flinch by Stephen King

Catch up on these books that everyone’s been talking about that you haven’t gotten to you.

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

James by Percival Everett

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman 

The Names by Florence Knapp

Heartwood by Amity Gage

Beach Reads

One golden Summer by Carley Fortune

Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston (out June 17)

Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood (out this week)

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

Remarkable Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Here Beside the Rising Tide by Emily Jane

Road trip books

Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson

The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett

If You Love Us, you’ll make sure you read:

So Far Gone by Jess Walter (out June 10)

O Sinners! by Nicole Cuffy

For fuck’s sake, if you haven’t read American Mermaid by Julia Langbein yet, do it. You won’t regret it

Read Only One Book This Summer

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurty

Hot Titles Coming Out This Summer

Bury the Bones in the Midnight Soil by VE Schwab  (out June 10)

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (out June 3)

Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson  (out July 22)

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Make sure to subscribe and rate the Bubbles & Books Podcast. And don't forget to share it with your friends.

Learn more about a Dog-Eared Books book subscription HERE.

Follow us on Instagram: @bubblesandbookspodcast

Follow Dog-Eared Books on Instagram: @dogearedbooksames

Interested in audiobooks? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE.

Visit us! www.dogearedbooksames.com

We are excited to welcome Dog-Eared Books' best-selling author to the Bubbles & Books podcast! Amanda & Ellyn have popped the bubbles and are chatting all about Kristen's adult cozy mystery How to Solve Your Own Murder and its sequel How to Seal Your Own Fate.

Her books are full of twisty plots and eclectic characters, and she's sharing how she crafts a mystery that's both page-turning and comforting. We chat about the appeal of the cozy crime genre, what it's like writing in an English village setting from abroad, and a few hints about what’s next in her literary world. 

 

Books recommended by Kristen Perrin:

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

Voyage of the Damned by Frances White

All the Colors of the Dark by Christ Whitaker

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

 

Kristen will be at Boucher Con! Learn more about it HERE

Order your copy of How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin HERE

Order your copy of How to Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin HERE

Discover other books by Kristen Perrin HERE

Follow Kristen Perrin on Instagram HERE

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Make sure to subscribe and rate the Bubbles & Books Podcast. And don't forget to share it with your friends.

Learn more about a Dog-Eared Books book subscription HERE.

Follow us on Instagram: @bubblesandbookspodcast

Follow Dog-Eared Books on Instagram: @dogearedbooksames

Interested in audiobooks? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE.

Visit us! www.dogearedbooksames.com

In today's episode Amanda & Ellyn are breaking down the data from Indie Bookstore Day and giving you the best-sellers, how many passports we gave out, and special anecdotes we noticed throughout the day. Thank you to our listeners who came out to Dog-Eared Books and those who also participated in the Central Iowa Indie Bookstore Day passport. And especially to those who said "Chambong me b*tch." We love you.

As hear on the podcast: 

Follow Annie B. Jones on Instagram

Listen to From the Front Porch Podcast

 

What we're drinking | French Blue Rose Brut

Ellyn's Currently Reading | Mystery Royale by Kaitlyn Cavalancia, Ordinary Times by Annie B. Jones, & Murder in the Dollhouse by Rich Cohen

Amanda's Currently Reading | The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson & The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett

Books coming out this week | Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (now in paperback) & The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner 

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Make sure to subscribe and rate the Bubbles & Books Podcast. And don't forget to share it with your friends.

Learn more about a Dog-Eared Books book subscription HERE.

Follow us on Instagram: @bubblesandbookspodcast

Follow Dog-Eared Books on Instagram: @dogearedbooksames

Interested in audiobooks? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE.

Visit us! www.dogearedbooksames.com

We put it out there and asked everyone who follows us on social media to ask us anything. From bookish to random, Ellyn and Amanda are sharing everything.

This Saturday, April 26, 2025 spend your day visiting Indie Bookstores for Indie Bookstore Day! The Central Iowa Indie Bookstores have brought back the passport challenge. Visit all the indies in two days to win a grand prize!

What we're drinking | Cocktails from Della Viti

Ellyn's Currently Reading | Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry & The Greatest Possible Good by Ben Brooks

Amanda's Currently Reading | How to Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin & The Island of Last Things by Emma Sloley

Rachel's Currently Reading | The Underground Girls of Kabul by Jenny Nordberg

Books coming out this week | Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

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Make sure to subscribe and rate the Bubbles & Books Podcast. And don't forget to share it with your friends.

Learn more about a Dog-Eared Books book subscription HERE.

Follow us on Instagram: @bubblesandbookspodcast

Follow Dog-Eared Books on Instagram: @dogearedbooksames

Interested in audiobooks? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE.

Visit us! www.dogearedbooksames.com

Ellyn has a game for Amanda & Rachel... and they're not very good at it. This episode is a fun one of chatting current reads and testing our bookish knowledge.

Get tickets for Kevin Wilson at Dog-Eared Books HERE

What we're drinking | Cocktails from Della Viti

Ellyn's Currently Reading | Vera, or Faith by Gary Shteyngart & Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez

Amanda's Currently Reading | Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry & The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson

Rachel's Currently Reading | The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar & The Original Daughter by Jemimah Wei

Books coming out this week | Wild and Wrangle by Lyla Sage

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Make sure to subscribe and rate the Bubbles & Books Podcast. And don't forget to share it with your friends.

Learn more about a Dog-Eared Books book subscription HERE.

Follow us on Instagram: @bubblesandbookspodcast

Follow Dog-Eared Books on Instagram: @dogearedbooksames

Interested in audiobooks? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE.

Visit us! www.dogearedbooksames.com

It's a very exciting episode, because Amanda and Ellyn are joined by fellow indie bookstore owner Abbey Paxton. Abbey owns Storyhouse Bookpub, located in the East Village of Des Moines. Today Amanda, Ellyn, and Abbey chat about the indie bookstore industry, the good and bad parts of owning a indie bookstore, and the exciting things we have coming up for Indie Bookstore Day 2025. 

Mark you calendars for the last weekend in April because the Central Iowa Indie Bookstore Day Passport is back! Visit all nine indie bookstores on the passport to celebrate and have the chance to win a $100 gift card to the last bookstore you visit. 

Order a Raygun t-shirt to wear on Indie Bookstore Day and to support Annie's Foundation: ORDER HERE

Follow Storyhouse Bookpub on Instagram: FOLLOW HERE

Ellyn's Currently Reading | Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green, Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez & Horse by Geraldine Brooks

Amanda's Currently Reading | The Greatest Possible Good by Ben Brooks & Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall

Abbey's Currently Reading | The Mushroom at the End of the World by Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing

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Make sure to subscribe and rate the Bubbles & Books Podcast. And don't forget to share it with your friends.

Learn more about a Dog-Eared Books book subscription HERE.

Follow us on Instagram: @bubblesandbookspodcast

Follow Dog-Eared Books on Instagram: @dogearedbooksames

Interested in audiobooks? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE.

Visit us! www.dogearedbooksames.com

If you listen to Bubbles & Books, you should know how excited we are about today's guest's upcoming book, "Sky Daddy." Iowa Native Kate Folk joins us to chat about how she came up with the genius novel about a woman who is attracted to planes and hopes to one day be wed to an actual plane in a very tragic way.

What may seem like a ridiculous and hilarious novel is a beautiful one about friendship and what it means to be human. We can't wait to see "Sky Daddy" hit shelves on April 8, but in the meantime, listen to this great Bubbles & Books episode with Kate. As Ellyn says, "Sky Daddy" has the secret sauce to a great book. 

Order your copy of "Sky Daddy" by Kate Folk HERE

Follow Kate Folk on Instagram HERE

Follow Sky Daddy Linda on Instagram HERE

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Make sure to subscribe and rate the Bubbles & Books Podcast. And don't forget to share it with your friends.

Learn more about a Dog-Eared Books book subscription HERE.

Follow us on Instagram: @bubblesandbookspodcast

Follow Dog-Eared Books on Instagram: @dogearedbooksames

Interested in audiobooks? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE.

Visit us! www.dogearedbooksames.com

We have indie bookstore supporter, our friend, and Dog-Eared best-selling author Denise Williams on today's episode of Bubbles & Books. She joins Ellyn and Amanda to chat all about her upcoming book Just Our Luck, the romance genre, and donuts (duh.) Denise has published nine novels including Technically Yours and her debut novel How to Fail at Flirting which just so happens to be the first book to ever grace the shelves of Dog-Eared Books.

Her next book Just Our Luck comes out March 25, and we can't wait to host Denise on pub day in conversation with author Ali Hazelwood. Get your tickets today!

Follow Denise on Instagram HERE

Ellyn's Currently Reading | So Far Gone by Jess Walter & Tilt by Emma Pattee

Amanda's Currently Reading |  Just Our Luck by Denise Williams, Deep End by Ali Hazelwood, & So Far Gone by Jess Walter

Denise's Currently Reading | In A Jam by Kate Canterbary, Unead and Unwed by Sam Tschida, & When Javi Dumped Mari by Mia Sosa

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Make sure to subscribe and rate the Bubbles & Books Podcast. And don't forget to share it with your friends.

Learn more about a Dog-Eared Books book subscription HERE.

Follow us on Instagram: @bubblesandbookspodcast

Follow Dog-Eared Books on Instagram: @dogearedbooksames

Interested in audiobooks? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE.

Visit us! www.dogearedbooksames.com