Book Throwback: Recent Episodes
Book Throwback
Two librarians going on a journey to revisit the books that made them readers, but with a twist: one has the read the book, the other hasn't. We'll discuss some old favorites, random nostalgia, and those dreaded assigned readings, to see if the books that stay in our memories can stand the test of time.
Today we're taking a trip back to the early 2000's when every girl was "not like other girls" as we visit one of Aracely's high school favorites "Model Spy" by Shannon Greenland. Aracely comes to realize with disappointment that nostalgia may have had a lot to do with her feelings on this book. And Sonya is infuriated by everything in this story but admits she may not have the right perspective to enjoy it. Join us as we cringe and rage at our teenage selves!
Have any memories of The Specialists you want to share? Or some of your teen favorites you want to suggest? Email us at bookthrowback@gmail.com. Or check us out on Instagram at @thebookishcactus and @thelibrarianin3b.
Next book on deck: The Cheerleader by Caroline B. Cooney
Music: www.purple-planet.com
Today we're taking a trip way back to the 1940's with one of Sonya's childhood classic favorites: The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner. This sweet, wholesome, wonderful story (okay, Sonya's VERY biased) takes a turn into a confusing, strange, and unexplained tale (Aracely doesn't see the point). Nostalgia mixes with ranting as always as we learn the greatest lesson of all: be grateful for what you have kids!
Have any memories of the Boxcar Children you want to share? Or some of your childhood favorites you want to suggest? Email us at bookthrowback@gmail.com. Or check us out on Instagram at @thebookishcactus and @thelibrarianin3b.
Next book on deck: Model Spy by Shannon Greenland
Music: www.purple-planet.com
Today we're taking a look at one of Aracely's childhood favorites The Outsiders by SE Hinton. Sonya finds Ponyboy to be a little hard to relate to, but both Sonya and Aracely agree that for a book written in the 60's it tackles a lot of material that's still had to address in today's day and age. Aracely also finds that she can appreciate more of the story now reading it as an adult!
Have some memories of The Outsiders you want to share? Or some of your childhood favorites you want to suggest? Email us at bookthrowback@gmail.com. Or check us out on Instagram at @thebookishcactus and @thelibrarianin3b.
Next book on deck: The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Music: www.purple-planet.com
Today we're taking a trip down memory lane to the hallowed halls of Sweet Valley High with the first book in the series by Francine Pascal, 'Double Love', and oh what a trip it was! Honestly, this episode is all over the place but to be fair so was the book! Sonya's nostalgia is nowhere to be found and Aracely finds the melodrama infuriatingly over the top. There's shouting and incredulity, but also praise for how far the genre of teen drama has come since the days of the wonderful Wakefield twins.
Have some memories of Sweet Valley High you want to share? Or some of your childhood favorites you want to suggest? Email us at bookthrowback@gmail.com. Or check us out on Instagram at @thebookishcactus and @thelibrarianin3b.
Next book on deck: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Music: www.purple-planet.com
Let us introduce you to Book Throwback! Our new podcast where we revisit some of our favorite books but with a twist!
In this intro episode we reintroduce ourselves, talk about why we decided on a new start, and definitely show more of our personalities (which may be good or bad). We're excited and hope you are too, so follow along on this new journey!
Want to suggest some of your childhood favorite reads? Email us at bookthrowback@gmail.com. Or check us out on Instagram at @thebookishcactus and @thelibrarianin3b.
Music: www.purple-planet.com
In today's episode we are discussing the common book trope, secret romances. Sonya is struggling to find examples that she feels fits the category and Aracely is realizing that she reads this trope more than she thought! This is also a big trope for LGBTQ+ books!
Check out our Check Out Your Shelf Reading Challenge here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TmPI4omUZ8bGwT2r9DlPtuUNzIkmMCy9/view?usp=sharing
Tell us what other bookish content you would like to hear, and email us at bookshelfcheckout@gmail.com. Or check us out on Instagram at @thebookishcactus and @thelibrarianin3b.
Music: www.purple-planet.com
Happy new year everyone! We know that with the beginning of a new year many people want to try new things! So in this episode we hope to help you find a new series to start by recommending some of our favorite first books in a series! Sonya is surprised by one of her choices, and Aracely can't help but bring up some books she's mentioned before.
Check out our Check Out Your Shelf Reading Challenge here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TmPI4omUZ8bGwT2r9DlPtuUNzIkmMCy9/view?usp=sharing
Tell us what other bookish content you would like to hear by emailing us at bookshelfcheckout@gmail.com, or reach us on Instagram at @thebookishcactus and @thelibrarianin3b.
Music: www.purple-planet.com
Hello 2022!! We are very excited to announce our second year of our reading challenge! This time we're taking you on a Jewel Journey! This year's theme is birthstones! There is obviously a different birthstone assigned to each month but to go along with them we have also assigned a color to each birthstone! In this episode we go over the "rules" of the challenge and read out the prompts for each month! We hope you participate and have fun!!
If you want to share any reading challenges you're doing or what your planning on reading for this month's prompt you can reach us at bookshelfcheckout@gmail.com or on Instagram @thebookishcactus and @thelibrarianin3b. Also don't forget to use the #shelfcheckout on instagram to show us how you're doing all year long!
Download the printables here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TmPI4omUZ8bGwT2r9DlPtuUNzIkmMCy9/view?usp=sharing
Music: www.purple-planet.com
Today we are discussing our more realistic reading goals for next year! Sonya wants to focus on tackling her aversion to thick books, and Aracely wants to revisit some old favorites! Also stay til the end to hear a wrap up of how we did on our Check Out Your Shelf Reading Challenge for 2021!
Tell us what other bookish content you would like to hear, and email us at bookshelfcheckout@gmail.com. Or check us out on Instagram at @thebookishcactus and @thelibrarianin3b.
Music: www.purple-planet.com
It's game time! Aracely's bringing back an oldie (new to Sonya though) but a goodie with the R.I.P It or Ship It tag. Aracely has a great memory but can't let go of her grudges while Sonya completely mixes up most of the characters including her favorite. Join us as we discuss some of our favorite and most hated characters and determine if love is in the air or if it's destined for the grave.
(Disclaimer: Sonya is not hunting the children. She's just pointing out one option for children who taunt you and then run away. That's all.)
Want us to do more book tags? Tell us some of your favorites and email us at bookshelfcheckout@gmail.com. Or check us out on Instagram at @thebookishcactus and @thelibrarianin3b.
Music: www.purple-planet.com
New look, new format, same people.
We're back! Welcome to a new season of Shelf Check Out! In this welcome back ep we discuss a few of the changes you can expect from one of your (hopefully) favorite book podcasts. Also Sonya's already hitting up sponsors. And Aracely has the excitement of a reinvigorated marriage? Either way stick around dear reader for a new year and a new season filled with more books, more games, more fun, and definitely more of the same passionate rambling!
Send some suggestions of games or topics you'd like us to do or discuss at bookshelfcheckout@gmail.com. Or check us out on Instagram at @thebookishcactus and @thelibrarianin3b.
Music: www.purple-planet.com
Sorry for the long time between uploads! We have been having some personal stuff taking up a lot of time and mental capacity lately, but rest assured we are trying to work out a new schedule and system that might work better for us in the future!
In today's episode we have a Special Guest! Our friend, Maddy, joined us to play a fun bookish game! But first Sonya and I are both reading books with animals in the title, and thoroughly enjoying them! And after help us discuss which is better friends-to-lovers or enemies-to-lovers? Sonya and I definitely have our own opinions as usual! Will we agree?? Listen and find out!
If you want to let us know your thoughts on anything book related or know any other fun bookish games, you can email us at bookshelfcheckout@gmail.com. Or check us out on Instagram at @thebookishcactus and @thelibrarianin3b to find out what other books we're reading.
And don't forget to check out our new READING CHALLENGE!
Download the Check Your Shelf Out Reading Challenge printables here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10bCT9u5KfdnhK1Rgm6HuNo0pMcrJ0lWN5HP-gtMzC7g/edit?usp=sharing
Music: www.purple-planet.com
Today's topic is reading tracking. Is it ok to track your reading or is it too distracting from the "pure reading experience"? Sonya has very strong opinions on this, unsurprisingly, and it turns out that Aracely doesn't like people watching her. And once again, we disagree on today's bookish query.
Do you track your reading? Share with us how you track your reading by emailing us at bookshelfcheckout@gmail.com. Or check us out on Instagram at @thebookishcactus and @thelibrarianin3b to find out what other books we're reading.
And don't forget to check out our new READING CHALLENGE!
Download the Check Your Shelf Out Reading Challenge printables here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10bCT9u5KfdnhK1Rgm6HuNo0pMcrJ0lWN5HP-gtMzC7g/edit?usp=sharing
Music: www.purple-planet.com
Firstly we apologize for the sound quality in the second half of the episode. We had some technical issues that have now been fixed.
Did you, like Aracely, want more thoughts on "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness? Well, your wish is granted! In this episode we discuss how the "Chaos Walking" movie lived up to the book "The Knife of Never Letting Go." Sonya and Aracely are once again reading a wide range of graphic novels, apparently we kind of like them! And lastly will a miracle happen? Can Sonya and Aracely actually agree on a bookish query? Only one way to find out!
If you want to let us know your thoughts on anything book related you can email us at bookshelfcheckout@gmail.com. Or check us out on Instagram at @thebookishcactus and @thelibrarianin3b to find out what other books we're reading.
And don't forget to check out our new READING CHALLENGE!
Download the Check Your Shelf Out Reading Challenge printables here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10bCT9u5KfdnhK1Rgm6HuNo0pMcrJ0lWN5HP-gtMzC7g/edit?usp=sharing
Music: www.purple-planet.com
To shame or not to shame? Get ready for a hell of a discussion on this issue. Turns out Sonya has some very strong opinions on book shaming while Aracely has some deeper thoughts on the motivations and consequences of shaming reading choices. But first, we're both reading new graphic novels. And later, we disagree on today's bookish query (don't we always?).
If you want to chime in on the Book Shaming debate you can email us at bookshelfcheckout@gmail.com. Or check us out on Instagram at @thebookishcactus and @thelibrarianin3b to find out what other books we're reading.
And don't forget to check out our new READING CHALLENGE!
Download the Check Your Shelf Out Reading Challenge printables here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10bCT9u5KfdnhK1Rgm6HuNo0pMcrJ0lWN5HP-gtMzC7g/edit?usp=sharing
Music: www.purple-planet.com
The reviews are in for the Genre Flip TBR Challenge! We laughed, we cried (damn did Sonya cry!), and some we didn't even finish (looking at you Aracely). Join us as we tell you how we felt about the books that we recommended for each other to love and hate and if we were right. Then listen to us argue about a beloved (to Sonya only apparently) book character as we answer our Bookish Query of the episode.
If you want us to make a Genre Flip TBR for you or just want some book recommendations check us out on Instagram at @thebookishcactus and @thelibrarianin3b. Or email us at bookshelfcheckout@gmail.com
And don't forget to check out our new READING CHALLENGE!
Download the Check Your Shelf Out Reading Challenge printables here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10bCT9u5KfdnhK1Rgm6HuNo0pMcrJ0lWN5HP-gtMzC7g/edit?usp=sharing
Music: www.purple-planet.com
In this episode we discuss our favorite ways to read, and in this digital age if we prefer audiobooks or ebooks. But first Sonya and Aracely are both reading odd books! And stay til the end to see if Sonya and Aracely finally agree on a Bookish Query!
If you want to share your favorite reading formats with us check us out on Instagram at @thebookishcactus and @thelibrarianin3b. Or email us at bookshelfcheckout@gmail.com
And don't forget to check out our new READING CHALLENGE!
Download the Check Your Shelf Out Reading Challenge printables here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10bCT9u5KfdnhK1Rgm6HuNo0pMcrJ0lWN5HP-gtMzC7g/edit?usp=sharing
Music: www.purple-planet.com
It's that time again where we all make resolutions for the year ahead and we've definitely made some bookish resolutions for 2021! Join us to find out what we thought about our reading this past year and what our plans are for the future. Sonya overanalyzes everything, Aracely doesn't want to be confined to rules, and we both have very different but funny reactions to our bookish question of the day.
If you want to share your bookish resolutions with us check us out on Instagram at @thebookishcactus and @thelibrarianin3b. Or email us at bookshelfcheckout@gmail.com
And don't forget to check out our new READING CHALLENGE!
Download the Check Your Shelf Out Reading Challenge printables here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10bCT9u5KfdnhK1Rgm6HuNo0pMcrJ0lWN5HP-gtMzC7g/edit?usp=sharing
Music: www.purple-planet.com
Hello 2021!! We are very excited to announce that we have created our very own reading challenge! We wanted a year long reading challenge that was a little more manageable and a little more conducive to picking up the books already on your TBR! We have themed it because we're nerds, so this year's theme is Zodiac Signs there will be one assigned to every month and different prompts that fit in with that sign! In this episode we go over the "rules" of the challenge and read out the prompts for each month! We hope you participate and have fun!!
If you want to share any reading challenges you're doing or what your planning on reading for this month's prompts you can reach us at bookshelfcheckout@gmail.com or on Instagram @thebookishcactus and @thelibrarianin3b.
Download the printables here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10bCT9u5KfdnhK1Rgm6HuNo0pMcrJ0lWN5HP-gtMzC7g/edit?usp=sharing
Music: www.purple-planet.com
Happy Holidays! It's almost the new year! Thank Heavens! In this episode we're continuing with the second half of our year in reading with the End of The Year Book Tag! We get a little too introspective and have a debate over the merits of sad books! But first Aracely and Sonya are both reading very different short story collections! We hope you all have a wonderful holiday season, and very great New Year's! We will talk to you again in the new year!
End of Year book tag credit: Clau Reads Books on YouTube.
If you want to share what your year in reading was like or just want to share some of your new favorites you can reach us at bookshelfcheckout@gmail.com or on Instagram @thebookishcactus and @thelibrarianin3b.
Music: www.purple-planet.com
Happy Holidays! It's almost the new year! Thank Heavens! In this episode we're reflecting back on the first half of our year in reading with the End of The Year Book Tag! We go over some new discoveries we made this year, and maybe recall some of our not so favorite reads! But first Aracely's reading cutesy heart warming books and Sonya's in the throes of a reading slump. Check back this Friday for a special bonus episode where we go through the second half of the year!
End of Year book tag credit: Clau Reads Books on YouTube.
If you want to share what your year in reading was like or just want to share some of your new favorites you can reach us at bookshelfcheckout@gmail.com or on Instagram @thebookishcactus and @thelibrarianin3b.
Music: www.purple-planet.com
We're switching it up in this episode with a new challenge: Pick Each Other's TBR! But there's a twist, it has to include a genre-flip! While we both love books we both have genres and themes that we're not big fans of, and they just so happen to be opposites of each other. So in this episode we're picking one book we think the other will love, and one we think they'll hate. Sonya's excited and Aracely's nervous. Listen to find out how things turn out. And check back in the future to hear our TBR recaps.
If you have any suggestions for genres and themes we love and hate you can reach us at bookshelfcheckout@gmail.com or on Instagram @thebookishcactus and @thelibrarianin3b.
Music: www.purple-planet.com
Ready for even more book feelings? It's PART TWO of our book review on the Strange the Dreamer series by Laini Taylor. In this episode we discuss the second book Muse of Nightmares. All we can say is: be prepared for a rollercoaster of emotions and thoughts. Aracely's throwing books and Sonya does a complete 180 on a character. This book took us on a journey and we're ready to share it with you all.
If you want to share your own thoughts and opinions on this series or any other book with us, you can reach us at bookshelfcheckout@gmail.com or on Instagram @thelibrarianin3b and @thebookishcactus.
Music: www.purple-planet.com
Thanksgiving is around the corner here in the U.S. and one thing we're both definitely thankful for is really good books, so it's time for our first Book Review! Hear our thoughts on Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor, a book we are both very passionate about. Aracely's emotional and Sonya's angry and this is only Part 1. Check back this Friday for a special bonus episode where we discuss Book 2 in the series, Muse of Nightmares, where we become even more passionate and definitely less coherent.
And if you want to share your own thoughts and opinions on this series or any other book with us, you can reach us at bookshelfcheckout@gmail.com or on Instagram @thelibrarianin3b and @thebookishcactus.
Music: www.purple-planet.com
It's time to have conversations about book covers. What are the recent trends and do we like them? Turns out we have a lot of opinions. But first, Aracely and Sonya are both reading strange books, and then surprisingly have the same answer for today's bookish question, but for very different reasons.
Share your own thoughts and opinions with us at bookshelfcheckout@gmail.com or reach us on Instagram @thelibrarianin3b and @thebookishcactus.
Music: www.purple-planet.com
Get spooky with us in today's episode. Sonya's into vampires, Aracely's reading middle grade, and we both pick books to match some of our favorite Halloween songs. Happy Halloween!
Share your thoughts with us at bookshelfcheckout@gmail.com or reach us on Instagram @thelibrarianin3b and @thebookishcactus.
Halloween song book tag credit: A Beautiful Chaos of Books on YouTube.
Music: www.purple-planet.com
Get to know us a little bit in this intro episode where we talk about who we are, how we got into reading and books, and what to expect from our show.
Share your thoughts with us at bookshelfcheckout@gmail.com or reach us on Instagram @thelibrarianin3b and @thebookishcactus.
Music: www.purple-planet.com