Shelf Indulgence
Shelf IndulgenceWelcome to Shelf Indulgence, the podcast for readers who have a lot of opinions about books and absolutely no intention of keeping them to themselves.I'm Amy, and I'm here to talk about all the things we love, question, debate and occasionally lose our minds over in the bookish world. From BookTok controversies and reading culture to book ratings, literary debates, book news and screen adaptations, we're getting into the conversations that happen when you spend way too much time thinking about books.We'll talk about why we judge the way people read, whether a five-star rating actually means...
The Reading Slump Survival Guide
Ever started eleven books in a month and finished zero? You aren't losing your love for reading—you're simply in a slump, and it is trying to tell you something.
In Episode 8 of Shelf Indulgence, Amy breaks down why reading slumps happen, why they feed themselves, and how to gently guide your brain back to the page without any pressure or guilt.
In this episode, we cover:
The 5 Hidden Causes of Slumps: Exploring the primary culprits behind reading blocks, from pure exhaustion and decision fatigue to the dreaded book hangover.Building a "Slump Kit": Ho...Trope Therapy
Enemies to lovers, fake dating, grumpy and sunshine, forced proximity… we all have our favourites. But when does a beloved trope become a tired formula?
In Episode 7 of Shelf Indulgence, we're getting into why readers love familiar storylines, whether predictability is really a bad thing, and what separates a well-executed trope from a book that feels like it's following a checklist. I'm also sharing my own weakness for fake dating and exploring how tropes shape the way we discover, choose and talk about books.
In The Shelf, I'm looking at five tropes and five books th...
The Books We Give Children
The books we share with children can help them see themselves, imagine other lives and ask questions about the world. In this episode, we consider the stories adults choose for young readers and the ideas, values and possibilities those books carry. What makes a book meaningful to a child, and how can we choose stories that invite curiosity, empathy and conversation?
For parents, educators and anyone who has ever given a child a book.
For the episode discussion board, visit: https://discord.com/channels/1530558337177882766/1564149980950958111
TikTok: @shelfindulgencereads
<...The Books We Give Children
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!
In Episode 6, we’re talking about the books we give children—and the messages those choices can carry. How do the stories we share shape what young readers enjoy, imagine and remember? Join us for a thoughtful conversation about children’s books, reading tastes and the lasting impact of a story.
TikTok: @shelfindulgencereads
Instagram: @shelfindulgence_reads
Discord: https://discord.gg/aGh4ehq6E
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/shelfindulgencereads
The Five Star Lie
Is a five-star rating a measure of a book, or of how you felt while reading it? This week, Amy asks what we’re really saying when we rate a book, and why a three-star review might be the most interesting one of all.
In the Bookish News: a possible real-life inspiration for Oliver Twist, worrying figures on representation in children’s books, Netflix’s East of Eden sending readers back to Steinbeck, Anne Carson’s Nobel Prize win, the romance event controversy causing a stir on bookish social media, and Sally Rooney’s books being pulled from UK sa...
Adaptation Nation
What happens when your favourite book makes it to the screen? And what happens when Hollywood gets it spectacularly wrong?
This week on Shelf Indulgence, we're talking book-to-screen adaptations: the casting choices that leave us questioning everything, the plot changes that make us wonder whether the people behind the adaptation actually read the book, and the stories that deserve a little more time to breathe.
From The Love Hypothesis to The Seven Year Slip, we're getting into the books we'd love to see adapted, the stories that might work better as TV shows than films...
The BookTok Police
Apparently we've reached the point where we're judging people for where they bought their books. Bought it from a big retailer? Someone's mad. Borrowed it from the library? Congrats, you've found the one morally acceptable option.
This week I'm getting into when reading became a morality contest — and why I think BookTok occasionally loses the plot on what actually makes someone "a real reader." Plus: a petition to mandate teacher-librarians in Australian schools, authors finding AI-generated books listed under their own names, and a messy US fight over library e-book lending that doesn't have a cl...
The Dark Side of Dark Romance
Dark romance is everywhere right now. But what happens when the things that make these books compelling start blurring the line between fantasy and abuse?
In Episode 2 of Shelf Indulgence, I’m getting into the darker side of dark romance — the obsession, violence, coercion and power dynamics that sit at the centre of the genre, and why so many readers are drawn to stories that would be deeply troubling in real life.
We’re talking about the difference between enjoying something as a fictional fantasy and romanticising the behaviour it portrays, why dark romance has explod...
Welcome to Shelf Indulgence
Welcome to Shelf Indulgence!
In the very first episode, I’m introducing you to the person behind the books — and giving you a little taste of what this podcast is going to be.
We’re talking about the books I can’t stop recommending, why I think reading is about so much more than simply finishing a book, and the things I’m currently obsessed with across the bookish world.
Expect book news, reading thoughts, literacy, adaptations, opinions, recommendations and, inevitably, a little bit of chaos.
Basically, it’s Shelf Indulgence — just with a lo...
