Independent Bookstore Day

The Lit is located at 122 N. Neil Street in Champaign, Illinois

Full disclosure: I was initially disappointed when we got to The Lit. There were many discussions between management and I ahead of time about how loud it might be in their establishment during the brunch hours. I wasn’t too concerned about it– I’ve gotten adept enough with episode editing that I know how to isolate dialogue and adjust background sound levels. What we did not consider is how taken aback patrons of The Lit might be to have strangers approaching them while they’re trying to eat breakfast. I mean, it’s kind of rude.

We decided that it was best to just situate ourselves and let people come to us. This didn’t lend itself to the number of interviews we planned on doing, but it did mean that the people we did actually end up interviewing were excited about it. This, in turn, led to some lively discussions from a wide range of people with a wide range of interests. We talked fantasy with Maya, non-fiction with Alex, and the beauty of book clubs breaking us out of our comfort zones with Abri. A personal highlight for me was an interview with Jenny Shima, the owner of The Lit. She’s energetic and delightful– and just wait until you hear one of her book recommendations 😉

We definitely have to thank The Lit for not only hosting us for this endeavor but for filling a much-needed void in our community. The atmosphere of this bookstore is so friendly and cozy. We urge you to check out their store and patronize them frequently.

Before we urge you to press “Play” on the media player below to hear the fruits of our Independent Bookstore Day labors, please take a moment to peruse the attached list of books, writers, and independent bookstores that are recommended within our various conversations:

Bobzbay Books (419 N. Main St in Bloomington, IL)
Leigh Bardugo
Marlon James
Ordinary Monsters by J. M. Miro
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Isabel Allende
Elena Ferrante
Jane Addams Book Shop (208 N. Neil St in Champaign, IL)
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney
The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
Holly Jackson
Lee Child
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Booked (506 Main St in Evanston, IL)
In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto by Michael Pollan
Travis Baldree
R. F. Kuang
The Big Nate series by Lincoln Pierce
Strange Planet by Nathan Pyle
Hello, Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki
T. C. Boyle