Send us a text To celebrate our 2nd anniversary in September, we hosted bestselling fantasy author Sarah Beth Durst in a local brewery, Little Red Barn Brewers, where we talked about her beautiful cozy fantasy books, The Spellshop and The Enchanted Greenhouse. Here is that wonderful conversation! Buy Sarah's books--including signed books from the event while supplies last! Find Sarah online Support the show More about The Curious Cat Bookshop Shop online anytime for in-store pick...

Send us a text As we wrap up Banned Books Week, we want to encourage you to take the time to really dig into what it means for us to have the freedom to read year-round, and what that means to us in our democracy. The ABA’s Right to Read Handbook (linked below) is a wonderful easy-to-pick-up start to that thought process, and we highly recommend reading it and banned books with your book club, reading groups, and community organizations. Further reading: The ABA Right to Read Handbook: Fighti...

Send us a text It’s been 20 years since the first book in the bestselling The Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley debuted, and he’s had quite the career since then! This week, the animated TV series based on the books debuted on Apple TV, and last month, Michael’s latest book, The Weirdies, was published in print. With all that success, you’d think that he’d be on top of the world, but our conversation was much more nuanced than that, and we think you’re going to love to listen. Bu...

Send us a text How do you discuss tough subjects like becoming a refugee and starting over again in a new country, bullying, or the possibility of your friend getting deported with your children? How do you help children find their voice and to understand the influence they can be for good? Author A.M. Dassu expertly weaves these subjects into her books for middle grade readers (ages 8-12) by deeply understanding children’s emotions as they deal with big changes in their lives. Stacy, who ed...

Send us a text How does a bookstore make decisions about which books to bring in? That’s a question that a lot of people were wondering after we talked about where bookstores get their books (NOT from Amazon!). Stacy Whitman dives into a few of the key ways we decide what books we bring in--and you'll get a little glimpse of the bookstore along the way! Join us in Winsted, CT for a live podcast taping with Sarah Beth Durst! https://curiouscatbookshop.com/event/2025-09-27/sarah-beth-durs...

Send us a text What a fantastic conversation we recently had with bestselling fantasy author Wesley Chu! Wesley Chu didn't always consider himself a writer, and in this conversation we delve into why that was, and how he finally found the path that led to the books we love. Along the way, we get into some fascinating discussion of the current state of fantasy and science fiction, so be sure to stick around for that! Wesley Chu is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of thirteen novels, in...

Send us a text Where do bookstores get their inventory? That’s a big question for anyone thinking of starting a bookstore—the first question Stacy sees from anyone even dreaming about starting one. It’s also a question that many readers don’t know the answer to—sometimes we get customers who walk in, see our prices on the books, and assume that we’ve bought our books from Amazon and then jacked up the prices. But that’s not how any of this works! In this episode, we dive into where used...

Send us a text How is a book made? What is the full LIFE of a book? Many writers don’t know what the editorial process looks like in a publishing house—or what happens in the design, marketing, and sales departments while the editorial process is happening. Join Stacy in our new podcast series discussing the life cycle of a book, in which we’ll discuss how a book gets acquired, what the editorial process looks like and why, and a whole bunch of other publishing insider information. Link...

Send us a text How do you make a living when starting a business like a bookstore? Curious Cat Bookshop owner Stacy Whitman discusses the current state of our business, how she makes a living, how she started her first business (Tu Books, which became an imprint of Lee & Low Books), and the goals and considerations she makes as she makes business decisions for the bookstore. If you'd like to know how many books a month we need to sell to break even, let alone make enough to come to the po...

Send us a text What would Stacy Whitman, owner of The Curious Cat Bookshop, do differently today if she were starting her bookstore from scratch? She's got a few ideas, mostly about preparation and community. Are you thinking of starting a bookstore or would like some advice on writing, publishing, or the book business? Let us know in the comments. Also, at least 5 cats make appearances in this video, with varying levels of interruption. Stacy is the founder, former publisher, and now editor-...

Send us a text We're bringing you a bonus episode of The Curious Cat Bookshop today: the recording of our event from August 2024 interviewing picture book author Anne Broyles about her writing life and how she ended up writing picture books for children after a life of service in the clergy and a career writing a variety of different kinds of work for adults. This audio episode has been edited for length. We also want to note for listeners that Anne had some visual aids in this episode, so if...

Send us a text Author Kimm Topping, Ed.M., is an educator, writer, and historian dedicated to preserving LGBTQIA+ history. Their first book, Generation Queer, is a nonfiction YA highlighting the stories of LGBTQIA+ youth activists (and was published and edited by Stacy Whitman, who is also the owner of The Curious Cat Bookshop!). As founder of Lavender Education, a national program promoting LGBTQIA+ history and youth leadership, Kimm leads impactful workshops, professional development,...

Send us a text Yamile Saied Méndez is known best for her YA novel, Furia, which was chosen for Reese's Book Club and won a number of awards, including the Pura Belpré Award. Stacy knows her best, though, as the author of the two middle grade novels they worked on together, The Reel Wish and On These Magic Shores. We discuss not only writing for children in this episode--of course--but also talk about all of Yamile's amazing books, from picture books on up through adult romance, and how Yamile...

Send us a text In a special book club edition of The Curious Cat Bookshop Podcast, we recently hosted thriller author Megan Collins shortly after the release of her newest thriller, Cross My Heart, about a woman who becomes obsessed with the husband of the donor of her recent heart transplant. We had a lot of fun--but beware that there is a spoiler zone at the end of the podcast! Buy a copy of Cross My Heart here (limited number of signed copies available upon request) About...

Send us a text If you've ever wondered about how to create a world, the thought process that goes into getting all the moving pieces of an epic fantasy together, and how to create your own unique world, Erin M. Evans is a writer to listen to. Stacy and Erin discussed the writing process, how she got published, writing a murder mystery in an epic fantasy setting, writing shared-world fantasy, working at Wizards of the Coast, and more. Erin M. Evans is the author of the Books of the Usurp...

Send us a text What does all this generative artificial intelligence mean for authors, artists, and other creators? Is anyone in the AI world paying attention to ethics or accountability? Join us for a discussion of these issues and more with acclaimed author Martha Brockenbrough, author of Future Tense: How We Made Artificial Intelligence—and How It Will Change Everything, and Lori Fena, technology policy thought leader and cofounder of Personal Digital Spaces. Buy the book: https://cu...

Send us a text I'm sure you've seen the meme running around bookish circles: the bookish urge to quit your job/retire, start a bookstore, and read all day. But if you go beyond the dreaming, what does it look like to start a bookstore? Stacy Whitman--owner of The Curious Cat Bookshop and former publisher/now editor-at-large--dives into an overview of what you need to know if you're getting serious about starting a bookstore. Resources mentioned: Small Business Administration...

Send us a text In our interview in October 2024 with fantasy author Susan J. Morris, we discussed her novel, Strange Beasts, which debuted last year to great acclaim, published through the new Bindery Books imprint. In this fresh-yet-familiar gothic tale—part historical fantasy, part puzzle-box mystery—the worlds of Dracula and Sherlock Holmes collide in a thrilling exploration of feminine power. Buy the book here: https://curiouscatbookshop.com/book/9781959411642 Susan J. M...

Send us a text Have you always meant to get started on writing that book? Have you been asked to write an article and you didn't know where to start? Editor and author Lisa Mangum is the expert you need to help you get started and stay on track with your writing goals. Her new book, Write Fearless. Edit Smart. Get Published., combines all her 25+ years of expertise into a guide you'll want to dive into. Buy Lisa's book Support the show More about The Curious Cat Bookshop Shop online anytim...

Send us a text If you love books set in space, with magic, or with kissing, Beth Revis's books are for you. She's written more than 20 books for adults and young adults alike, including the Star Wars novel The Princess and the Scoundrel. What's it like to write for so many different age groups, or in so many different contexts? Find out in this podcast conversation with Beth! Buy Beth's books! Star Wars: Someone Who Loves You Night of the Witch with Sara Raasch The Fate of Magic&n...