She talks about how her wild Little House on the Prairie obsession influenced her early fashion decisions. Her first favorite, however, was the classic The Monster at the End of This Book.

She also discusses her love of Joan Didion, beautiful covers, and how she chooses books for her local speakeasy-style book club, The Literary Libations Society.

Together they discuss the books that shaped their lives, ranging from comic books and Beverly Cleary's Ramona series, to Peter Pan, Ginger Pye in their childhoods all the way to Salmon Rushdie, Toni Morrison, and Michael Cunningham's books later on. Ann discusses what led her to writing the Book Post, and Calvin talks about his journey in the bookselling and book awards world. 

Then they talk about what reading means to them: Infinite possibilities and life, itself.

On this episode of the Life of Plenty Podcast, Lisa goes solo to provide a breakdown of Putnam County's community read, The Anxious Generation, showing why it's such an important read. If you've been considering joining in with the community in reading and studying the book, this is an insightful guide that breaks down why too much cell phone use is having a negative impact on teens, and what we, as a community, can do about it. 

In this latest episode of Life of Plenty, Lisa and Ashley discuss the upcoming community read of The Anxious Generation, spurred on by Ryan Dalton of Restoring Childhood in Putnam County. They discuss the adverse effects prolonged cell phone addiction has had on children's lives since cell phones became increasingly poplular — along with the negative effects it has on our own. 

Lisa and Ashley also look at the possibility of coming together as a community to tackle the issue, and how we can spend time away from technology and reconnect with our families and each other. Join us for the episode, and then join us for our community read of a book that could have a really positive impact on the way we live. 

On this episode of Life of Plenty, Ashley is in the studio with none other than her husband, Tony Michael.

Tony is a therapist and a professor at Tennessee Tech and dives into attachment theory and the benefits of reading with children.They discuss how just ten minutes a day can help form bonds, provide an emotional boost, and increase vocabulary, while providing structure — and why that matters. 

They discuss connecting even "non-readers" with books, and how The Monster at the End of this Book may be the perfect book for anyone.

Then Emily leans into how books can teach us about things we haven't experienced, and that growing up in the 90s, she read Zlata's Diary — a first person account of a child growing up in war torn Bosnia. 

Then the three of them discuss one of Lisa's favorite books, Strengthsfinders 2.0, and how working within your strengths will help you at work and life before going into more books and how Dispatches from Pluto got her thinking about going home.

Marissa talks about her own podcast, Herbal or Verbal, which combines her love of books and tea, and how books can help us recognize issues in our lives.

She discusses the impact books had on her at a young age, especially Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce and The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. 

Then Lisa and Clarissa get into a discussion about non-readers — and whether or not they actually exist.

She then talks about how her family are readers, sometimes reading together. And then she talks about how she and her sisters line up with the March sisters, which makes Little Women one of her favorite books. Then she and Ashley discover they share another favorite author.

She talks about how her mother got into reading with The Velveteen Rabbit and encyclopedias. She read what she found in the house and then moved onto popular novels, before getting into historical romance. And then she talks about the books she's really connected with, both on her own and with her kids. 

Other books discussed include The Harry Potter series, The Little Prince, The Little Liar,  A Man Called Ove, and Radical Acts of Love, all of which have held meaning to Heather during different aspects of her life.

Then she discusses how during the pandemic, she obtained a certificate in bibliotherapy, the art of matching someone with a book prescribed to their situation, thus becoming the Book Pharmacist. Together they discuss finding hope and healing in books, and how it's not always self-help books that we need to read to learn something about ourselves.

Lisa, Ashley, and Wren discuss traveling through reading, and how books can help you connect with what you're learning in school, like how Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series makes mythology come alive. 

Wren also talks about rereading books and series that she loves, and starting off the day right with a good book.

This was the first staff-wide Plenty Bookshop read, because Lisa and Ashley believe in the importance of the book that much. 

Angie is a member of the advisory board for Plenty Downtown Bookshop, a nonprofit bookstore in Cookeville, Tennessee. 

Check out Libro.fm to listen to audiobooks and support the Life of Plenty podcast.

Books make the best gifts with the ability to speak to the recipient's soul. Find your book to gift at Plenty Downtown Bookshop in Cookeville, Tennessee. 

And you can also visit Plenty Downtown Bookshop in Cookeville's historic westside where our booksellers are eager to help you find the right book, no matter who you are buying for.

The benefits are helpful to both individuals and society, demonstrating the importance of literacy and book culture and why Plenty Downtown Bookshop in Cookeville, Tennessee is a nonprofit dedicated to improving both within the region. Come listen in and join us on our quest for a life of plenty.