So you wanna be an ARC reader? This episode we discuss what ARC reading is, the boundaries between readers and authors, expectations, and more.

In case you wanted a TLDR; don't be a b*tch, keep your expectations low, and respect each others spaces!

Don't forget to follow us everywhere @practicallybookishpodcast!!

*Episode recorded pre-hiatus: February 2026. Episode may have some distortion due to technical difficulties with host.*

Currently Reading Links:

⁠⁠⁠Lisa's Books⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Trula's Books⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Kat's Books⁠⁠

Sources/Links to check out:

⁠Slow Burn Bookshop (Slowburntn)⁠

Novelette Booksellers

The patron saint of Tennessee, Dolly Parton, has sadly passed away on September 25, 2026. As Tennesseans, it's only fitting that we pay tribute to Dolly and all of the amazing things she's done for our communities, state, and children around the world!

We will always love you, Dolly!!

Currently Reading Links:

⁠⁠⁠Lisa's Books⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Trula's Books⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Kat's Books⁠⁠

Sources/Links to check out:

Remembering Dolly Parton

The Imagination Library

What Would Dolly Do? - louridleyx

Trula's Pango Store **proceeds for books sold with specific IMAGINATION LIBRARY tag will be donated**

So you wanna be an alpha/beta reader? This episode delves into how authors define and utilize alpha and beta readers while they're drafting, and what we may expect, at least according to Lisa. She takes front and center for much of the conversation, as the one member who has published, while Kat and Trula (or the peanut gallery as they put it) add their thoughts. They'll weigh in when we talk about the same topics, but from the reader's POV!

Don't forget to follow us everywhere @practicallybookishpodcast!!

*Episode recorded pre-hiatus: February 2026*

Currently Reading Links:

⁠⁠Lisa's Books⁠⁠

⁠⁠Trula's Books⁠⁠

⁠⁠Kat's Books⁠

Sources/Links to check out:

Literary Witches Oracle - Sandra Cisneros

Slow Burn Bookshop (Slowburntn)

WE'RE BACK!!

We know, it's been months. Our bad. Honestly, life hit us hard and fast and we became a bunch of burnt out baddies, but we're finally back, and this week's episode is a catch up and a yap sesh while we get our shit together. We promise, if things start to go sideways again, we'll make sure not to drop off the face of the earth! Well...maybe. We hope. We appreciate you all for sticking around, and don't hesitate to drop us a line! We're always looking for feedback, books recs, and we f*cking love bookish tea!!K byeeee!!

Don't forget to follow us everywhere @practicallybookishpodcast!!

Currently Reading Links:

⁠Lisa's Books⁠

⁠Trula's Books⁠

⁠Kat's Books⁠

**DISCLAIMER** We discuss themes in this episode such as genocide, Zionists, antisemitism, etc. It is the official stance of Practically Bookish that persecution of any peoples is fundamentally wrong and never acceptable. The conversation surrounding these themes is nuanced and warrants a deeper perspective than any one of us is able to provide. Below are some links, articles, and site which you can learn more.

Sources to check out:

Principles and Positions on Israel and Palestine - CAP

Pro-Israel? Pro-Palestine? You Can Be Both - The Harvard Crimson

Myths and Facts About the Israel and Palestine Conflict - Summit Ministries

Join us for our FIRST bonus episode where we discuss For Whom the Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn.

**THIS EPISODE CONSISTS OF SPOILERS**

Get all the deets on Jaysea's website at https://jaysealynn.com/ and don't forget to check out the Hell's Belles series here on TikTok!!

**PRODUCER NOTE**

Some of the audio has some distortions in places which we are aware of. We are working on a fix for next time. Thanks for giving us some grace while we work with the tech we have. We appreciate you!

Social media might be at the root of many of our problems, but we can't ignore its impact on reading and the bookish community as a whole. Prior to Booksta and Booktok's massive bookish kick off during ThE PaNiNi, Borders/Waldenbooks shut down (2011), Barnes and Noble was on the verge of bankruptcy (prior to 2019), and many independent book stores were on the verge of shutting down, or non-existent.

With the surge of readers during and after ThE PaNiNi, we've seen the bookish community explode, genres expand, and indie authors take full advantage of the opportunity. Not only did IG and TT help to revitalize the industry, but it damn near saved big box stores from extinction.

Come yap with us!!

Don't forget to follow us everywhere @practicallybookishpodcast!!

Books to check out:

⁠⁠⁠⁠The Bible⁠

Eric Malikyte Backlist

⁠The Inheritance Cycle: Christopher Paollini⁠

Lord of The Rings: JRR Tolkein

For Whom the Belle Tolls: Jaysea Lynn

Sources to note throughout the episode:

Indie Book Awards

Queer Indie Awards

Goodreads Awards

Extras:

Mark: Lou Ridley

Tolkien Movie

BlackGirlBookFair

Slow Burn Book Shop

Support the communities who need it most!

We Need Diverse Books (Black Creatives Fund)

Galleyway

The Hellebore

Resistance Links

So you can read. Great! But can you actually understand what you're reading? Can you use context clues to figure out what something means? Can you retain the information? This episode we discuss what functional literacy is, and how it effects individuals and society as a whole.

Don't forget to frequent your local libraries and to follow us everywhere @practicallybookishpodcast!!

Books to check out:

⁠The Bible

Holy Bible: From the Ancient Eastern Text

Fablehaven - Brandon Mull

Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis

The Inheritance Cycle - Christopher Paollini

A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket

The Heir of Swansgrove - K.J. Pritchett

The Echoes of Olympus Mons - Eric Malikyte

Broke-Ass Witchcraft - Raven Morrigan

A Touch of Darkness - Scarlett St Clair

Sources to note throughout the episode:

PubMed Central

Barbara Bush Foundation: Literacy Gap Map⁠

APM Research Lab

Extras:

⁠The Onion

Jolly Good Ginger

Aaron Parnas

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