Sarah's Bookshelves Live is a bi-weekly show featuring real talk about books and book recommendations from a featured guest. Each week, Sarah of the blog Sarah's Bookshelves will talk with her guest about:
- 2 OLD BOOKS THEY LOVE
- 2 NEW BOOKS THEY LOVE
- 1 BOOK THEY DON'T LOVE
- AND 1 NEW RELEASE THEY'RE EXCITED ABOUT
I'm getting real about all things books and serving you up a bit of snark on the side.
Latest episodes
Showing 20 · updated from the feed
The BIG Books Episode with Chrissie Whitley | Ep. 235
#26 trending · Books
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 m
Sep 16 54 min
Fall 2026 Book Preview with Catherine Gilmore | Ep. 234
Sarah and Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books are back with 16 of their most anticipated books publishing from mid-August through December.
This post contains affili
Sep 2 55 min
Summer 2026 Circle Back with Catherine Gilmore | Ep. 233
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 boo
Aug 26 45 min
2026 Micro Genres with Anderson McKean | Ep. 232
In Episode 232, Sarah is joined by returning guest Anderson McKean of Page & Palette Bookstore for the 2026 edition of Micro Genres! Each year, this series gives us a cha
Aug 19 51 min
Inside Amazon's Best Books of 2026 So Far List | Ep. 231
In Episode 231, Al Woodworth (Amazon Senior Editor) returns to the show to discuss Amazon's Best Books of 2026 So Far. They break down this year's list, discuss the books
Aug 5 53 min
Kevin Hazzard (Author of No One's Coming) | Ep. 230
In Episode 230, Sarah chats with Kevin Hazzard about his new book, No One's Coming, the true story of the daring mission to rescue two Americans infected with Ebola durin
Jul 22 51 min
Behind the Scenes of Literary Agents with Laura B. McGrath (Author of Middlemen) | Ep. 229
In Episode 229, Sarah talks with Laura B. McGrath about her new book, Middlemen, and the behind-the-scenes role literary agents play in publishing. They discuss what agen
Jul 8 1 h 01 min
Best Books of 2026 So Far with Catherine Gilmore and Chrissie Whitley | Ep. 228
In Episode 228, Sarah, Catherine (@GilmoreGuide), and Chrissie (@ChrissieWhitley) take stock of the reading year so far, discussing the books, publishing trends, and indu
Jun 24 1 h 07 min
Behind the Scenes of Book Sales with Brenna Connor | Ep. 227
In Episode 227, Sarah talks with book industry analyst Brenna Connor about the behind-the-scenes world of book sales, bestseller lists, and publishing trends. Brenna shar
Jun 10 52 min
Summer 2026 Book Preview with Catherine Gilmore | Ep. 226
Welcome to the Summer 2026 Book Preview with Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books!
Today, Sarah and Catherine share 12 of their most anticipated books releasing in Jun
May 27 40 min
Spring 2026 Circle Back with Catherine Gilmore | Ep. 225
In Episode 225, Sarah and Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books catch up on the 12 new releases they shared in the Spring 2026 Book Preview, now that they've read them — or
May 20 46 min
2026 Summer Reading Special with Catherine Gilmore and Chrissie Whitley | Ep. 224
In Episode 224, Sarah, Catherine (@GilmoreGuide) and Chrissie (@ChrissieWhitley) celebrate the release of the 2026 Summer Reading Guide with a special behind-the-scenes c
May 13 57 min
IMPORTANT DETAILS: 2026 Summer Reading Guide
May is upon us and that means Summer Reading season is just about here!
The 2026 Summer Reading Guide went through a lot of changes this year, so I'm coming to you a bi
May 7 13 min
2016 Bookish Time Capsule with Catherine Gilmore | Ep. 223
Going back ten years to 2016, Sarah and Catherine Gilmore (@GilmoreGuide) dive into the annual Bookish Time Capsule episode and revisit the book world from that year. The
Apr 29 49 min
Lee Kelly + Jennifer Thorne (Authors of The Midnight Show) | Ep. 222
In Episode 222, Sarah talks with authors Jennifer Marie Thorne and Lee Kelly about their latest co-written novel, The Midnight Show. Set in the world of 1980s late-night
Apr 15 54 min
Spring 2026 Book Preview with Catherine Gilmore | Ep. 221
Welcome to the Spring 2026 Book Preview with Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books!
Today, Catherine and Sarah share 12 of their most anticipated books releasing in Apr
Apr 1 45 min
Winter 2026 Circle Back with Catherine Gilmore | Ep. 220
In Episode 220, Sarah and Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books catch up on the 16 new releases they shared in the Winter 2026 Book Preview, now that they've read them — or
Mar 25 55 min
T Kira Madden (Author of Whidbey) | Ep. 219
In Episode 219, Sarah talks with author T Kira Madden about her debut novel, Whidbey. A dark, atmospheric story that explores the long reach of violence and the lack of r
Mar 18 50 min
Reading Through the Enneagram with Sarajane Case (Author of The Honest Enneagram) | Ep. 218
In Episode 218, Sarah chats with Enneagram author, speaker, and podcaster Sarajane Case about Reading Through the Enneagram. After a brief introduction to the Enneagram a
Mar 6 49 min
Christine Kuehn (Author of Family of Spies) | Ep. 217
In Episode 217, Sarah chats with author Christine Kuehn about her memoir, Family of Spies, and the thirty-year journey that led her to uncover a long-buried family secret
Feb 18 45 min
Chart trend
Position in the Arts chart (US), last 90 days.
#1#99#196JunJulAugSep
#61
all-time peak
52
days in the top 100 since Nov 2024
Chart positions
Where Sarah's Bookshelves Live ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 19, 2026).
A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.
This one is a joy to listen to. The reviews are very honest. You won’t find a lot of unrelated chit chat here. I especially enjoy the episodes with Catherine. I’ve discovered so many titles and authors that I never would have found on my own.
Retired tinknocker · Jan 2026
I find Sarah’s Bookshelves Live to be original and engaging without some of the annoyances of many podcasts.
The podcast is well-edited and Sarah and her co-hosts stick to books without a ton of superfluous chit chat. They are quite forthright in their opinions, with which I often disagree, but I enjoy the counterpoints. They don’t recommend the same 20 books everyone else is discussing.
They also are super-careful not to allow any spoilers.
Amesiowa · Jan 2026
I love this podcast. Sarah usually recommends books that I end up loving. She’s one of my most trusted rec sources.
Lori524 · Apr 2025
Truly this podcast is the best I’ve ever listened too. The varying reading tastes of all three hosts is a perfect mix for a wide variety of readers. I enjoy all of the extras that Patreon members receive. But if you’re just a non-paying member you also get a wealth of recommendations. I can’t say enough good things about this podcast and what it’s done for my reading life.
Erindoublee · Jan 2025
In a recent patreon episode the host referred to the Israel and Hamas war as Israel vs Gaza.
This is dangerous rhetoric. Not all people of Gaza are members of Hamas. 25,000 innocents in Gaza have been murdered and many are still under rubble
Many of the people in Gaza did not vote for Hamas as they were not alive
Using Gaza instead of Hamas is a dangerous conflation.
pbmb5000 · Jan 2024
We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.
Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of Sarah's Bookshelves Live, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.
