Monthly Archives: July 2022

Episode 100: Interview with Julia Armfield, author of Our Wives Under the Sea

July 27, 2022Author InterviewFlatiron Books, LGBTQ, Macmillan Publishers, Marriage, Our Wives Under the Sea, Salt Slow, Speculative Fictiontopshelfatmerricklibrary

Welcome to the 100th Episode of the Top Shelf Podcast!

I couldn’t think of a better way to spend it than with the brilliant Julia Armfield talking about her debut novel, Our Wives Under the Sea. You may remember that Julia was my guest for Episode 32. Back then we discussed her fantastic book of short stories, Salt Slow. For this episode, we talk about her new release, Our Wives Under the Sea, which is a gorgeous debut that is a fathomlessly inventive and original portrait of marriage as we’ve never seen it before. Critics are raving and I wouldn’t steer you wrong in the ocean of books out there – please don’t miss this episode and don’t miss this book. Thank you so much Julia!

Julia Armfield recommends: Devil House by John Darnielle; Matrix by Lauren Groff; X by Davy Davis; Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer; The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff

Place your holds for Julia Armfield’s books here.

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E 99: Interview with Jess Montgomery, author of The Echoes

July 20, 2022Author InterviewAmerican Historical Fiction, Author Interview, historical fiction, Jess Montgomery, Ohio, The Echoes, The Hollows, The Stills, The Widowstopshelfatmerricklibrary

What a joy to host for the third time author Jess Montgomery for the next book in her Kinship series, The Echoes. Jess and I chatted about her amazing main character Sheriff Lilly Ross, the very personal background behind the title, WWI, keeping the series fresh and more! Remember, you don’t have to read the series in order, that’s the beauty. Please make your next read The Echoes.

Jess Montgomery recommends: Deer Season by Erin Flanagan; The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi; Blackout by Erin Flanagan

Place your holds here for the other books in the Kinship series!

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Episode 98: Interview with Madeline Kay Sneed

July 5, 2022Author Interview#comingout, #madelinesneed #LGBTQ, #thegoldenseason, Contemporary Fiction, faith, family, Football, graydon house, Harlequin, Queer, rural fiction, southern fiction, Texas, West Texastopshelfatmerricklibrary

“Madeline Kay Sneed has written a Friday Night Lights for a new generation. The Golden Season is a heartfelt story of finding yourself, coming out, and coming home… A tender, bighearted exploration of family, first love, and faith, with a gorgeously evoked west Texas landscape as backdrop.” —Sarah McCraw Crow, author of The Wrong Kind of Woman. An absolutely spot-on review for this remarkable debut, a novel about love, acceptance, and the expansion of your heart.

For this episode, debut author Madeline Kay Sneed chatted with me about writing a debut novel, setting the novel in West Texas and signature cocktails. Madeline even offers to teach me how to say, “y’all” like a true Texan. A must listen, thank you SO much Madeline!

Madeline Kay Sneed recommends: Vigil Harbor by Julia Glass; The Burning Season by Allison Wisdom

Follow Madeline on Twitter: @madelinesneed and on Instagram @madzsneed

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