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In 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 Mystery Debut of the Month in July, and was chosen as one of The Best Debut Crime Novels of 2025 by Crime Reads Magazine and one of The 10 Best Mystery Novels of 2025 by The New York Times Review of Books.

Elizabeth met Zoe in 2019 and since then they have been critique partners and friends, which makes this conversation extra special. Join us to hear about the books Zoe loves, her journey to becoming a writer, how she navigates the publishing industry while still holding onto the joy she finds from writing, and how she feels about her writing being categorized as "cozy." We also chat about diversity in the mystery genre and how Zoe and her publisher, Soho Press, think about all the various threads in her writing as a feature, not a bug.

You won't want to miss this thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation with the always insightful Zoe B. Wallbrook and two of her fangirls.

Find Zoe on Instagram @zbwallbrook or at her website: https://www.zoebwallbrook.com/. And buy History Lessons wherever books are sold!

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Books we're reading in this episode:

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

In Winter I Get Up at Night by Jane Urquhart

A Murder for Miss Hortense by Mel Pennant

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

Brothers Sinister Series by Courtney Milan

Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase

The Poppy War trilogy by R.F. Kuang

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

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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 leave us a rating and/or review, especially on Apple Podcasts.

Reach out!

Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. To learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com.

If you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod.

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Something 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.

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Sources:

https://web.archive.org/web/20090719003858/http://www.historyofthemystery.com/crime_and_punishment.php?page=35

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_fiction

https://americanwritersmuseum.org/many-writers-many-forms-mystery/

https://web.archive.org/web/20090719004017/

https://lithub.com/agatha-christie-is-the-best-selling-novelist-in-history/

https://archive.org/details/sim_publishers-weekly_1929-10-05_116_14/page/1728/mode/2up

https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/popular-mystery-tropes-for-writers

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20090504/4567-some-like-it-mild-cozy-mysteries.html

Moser, S. & Xhignesse, M. (2023). A Garden of One’s Own. Feminist Philosophy Quarterly, 9(1). https://doaj.org/article/c742434a58f74246a086d0fcfc90416b

Vester, K. (2015). Bodies to Die for: Negotiating the Ideal Female Body in Cozy Mystery Novels. Journal of Popular Culture, 48(1), 31–43.

https://bookriot.com/diverse-cozy-mysteries/

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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 leave us a rating and/or review, especially on Apple Podcasts.

Reach out!

Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. To learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com.

If you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod.

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Have 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 summer TBR lists.

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Books we're reading in this episode:

Dragon Haven (Rain Wild Chronicles 2) by Robin Hobb
Swift and Saddled by (Rebel Blue Ranch #2) by Lyla Sage
Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks
The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
How to Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin

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Sources listed in the order they appear in the episode:

• https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/31/books/a-brief-history-of-summer-reading.html
• https://www.npr.org/2025/05/20/nx-s1-5405022/fake-summer-reading-list-ai
• https://lindac.substack.com/p/why-do-writers-use-ai
• https://lithub.com/50-of-the-greatest-summer-novels-of-all-time/

Support the show

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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 leave us a rating and/or review, especially on Apple Podcasts.

Reach out!

Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. To learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com.

If you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod.

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Elizabeth 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 about bookish trips to literary festivals, literary museums, bookish hotels, famous libraries, a friends reading retreat, and more!

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Books we're reading in this episode:

• Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb (Rain Wild Chronicles #1)
• Voyage of the Basilisk–A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan (The Memoirs of Lady Trent #3)
• 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
• The Bullet that Missed by Richard Osman (Thursday Murder Club #3)

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Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hay-on-Wye
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_town
• https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2018/apr/26/10-worlds-best-book-towns-france-spain-south-korea-usa
• https://www.hayfestival.com/hay-on-wye/home
• https://www.hay-on-wye.co.uk/tourism/bookshops
• https://themelodramaticbookworm.com/2023/07/18/bookish-places-on-my-travel-bucket-list/
• https://www.buenosairesfreewalks.com/what-to-see/el-ateneo-bookstore/
• https://www.cntraveler.com/story/book-fairs-to-travel-for
• https://bookriot.com/bookish-cities/
• https://libraryhotel.com/en/
• https://bookandbedtokyo.com/en/
• https://www.hotelsylvia.com/
• https://theeverygirl.com/reading-retreat-trip-idea/

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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 leave us a rating and/or review, especially on Apple Podcasts.

Reach out!

Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. To learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com.

If you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod.

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Have 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 it.

On this episode we talk about what the IMLS is, what it does (and what it does not do), its history and mission, what our communities stand to lose with its elimination, and what you can do to support libraries and museums. You won't want to miss this important and relevant conversation!

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Books we're reading in this episode:

• Murder in Postscript by Mary Winters
• Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
• The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman (Thursday Murder Club #2)
• Brisingr by Christopher Paolini (The Inheritance Cycle #3)
• Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

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Sources:

• Houpert, Cécile. 2019. “The New Role of Libraries: Places for All”. European Journal of Creative Practices in Cities and Landscapes 2 (2): 175–184. https://doi.org/10.6092/issn.2612-0496/10429
• https://apnews.com/article/institute-doge-musk-museum-library-services-executive-order-trump-30ebde013ce3e9f97e2f4af72c869c0b
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institute_of_Museum_and_Library_Services
• https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-79/pdf/STATUTE-79-Pg845.pdf
• https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/continuing-the-reduction-of-the-federal-bureaucracy/
• https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/21/trump-attack-libraries-devastating
• https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2016/04/07/libraries-and-learning/

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How to help:

EveryLibrary petition:

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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 leave us a rating and/or review, especially on Apple Podcasts.

Reach out!

Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. To learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com.

If you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod.

Read on!

Send us a text

Have 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 affects her reading, what it's like managing a book club, how her store and other indies are dealing with AI, and the things she wishes everyone knew about indie bookstores.

(Side note: can someone actually develop a video game where we can play working in a bookstore?!)

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Books we're reading in this episode:

• Land of Milk and Honey by C. Pam Zhang
• The Astrology House by Carinn Jade
• A Lady's Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
• The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
• We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes
• Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

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Rebecca's book recommendations about indie bookstores:

• How to Resist Amazon and Why by Danny Caine
• How to Protect Bookstores and Why: The Present and Future of Bookselling by Danny Caine

Find out more about Fireside Books: https://www.goodbooksbadcoffee.com/

Support the show

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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 leave us a rating and/or review, especially on Apple Podcasts.

Reach out!

Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. To learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com.

If you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod.

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We 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. We had to ask ourselves: how could both of these things be true?

Join as we try to sort fact from moral panic, discuss the gendered media narratives around book releases by women authors and the loss of literary men, debunk an oft-repeated (even by us) statistic about reading, and ponder whether reading has indeed become a niche hobby. We do also, eventually, talk about the struggles we both face with reading and the habits and rituals we've developed to help fit reading into our lives.

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Books we're reading in this episode:

All Fours by Miranda July
A Lady’s Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin
The Women by Kristin Hannah
I Ran Away to Evil 2 by Mystic Neptune
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

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Sources listed in the order they appear in the episode :

• https://www.npr.org/transcripts/1263527033
• Irwin, William. "Reading Audio Books." Philosophy and Literature 33, no. 2 (2009): 358-368. doi:10.1353/phl.0.0057.
• https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/feb/03/romantasy-and-booktok-driving-a-huge-rise-in-science-fiction-and-fantasy-sales
• https://www.newsnationnow.com/business/booktok-barnes-and-noble-60-stores/
• https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/30/books/rebecca-yarros-onyx-storm.html
• https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/01/06/three-in-ten-americans-now-read-e-books/
• https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/25/books/sally-rooney-intermezzo.html
• https://www.vox.com/culture/392971/men-reading-fiction-statistics-fact-chec

Support the show

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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 leave us a rating and/or review, especially on Apple Podcasts.

Reach out!

Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. To learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com.

If you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod.

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Have 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 for audiobook narrators like her. This interview was so fun and informative! It’s one you won’t want to miss. Find more about Laura and her work at her website: https://www.laurahorowitz.com/

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Books we're reading in this episode:

• The Plated Prisoner series by Raven Kennedy
• Wings So Wicked by Emily Blackwood (Golden City #1)
• Blood So Brutal by Emily Blackwood (Golden City #2)
• Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
• The House Witch 2 by Delemhach
• We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
• I Ran Away to Evil by Mystic Neptune

Support the show

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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 leave us a rating and/or review, especially on Apple Podcasts.

Reach out!

Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. To learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com.

If you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod.

Read on!