The Curious Cat Bookshop Podcast
The Curious Cat Bookshop is the independent bookstore of Winsted, CT, offering curation, selection, expertise, and a place to meet with bookish friends at our book clubs, author events, and storytimes. This podcast is our in-store events feed, combined with remote interviews with authors who live elsewhere. We help you satisfy your curiosity in a community of readers--bringing the authors of Connecticut to the world, and the authors of the world to northwest Connecticut.
Episodes
30 episodes
Pull up a chair with the whole Curious Cat staff! Oct. 2026 preorders
We’ve gathered the whole staff to talk about the books we’re most looking forward to in October and beyond! What are you looking forward to? Have we missed anything?Preorder our recommended titles (and more) here: https://curiouscatbook...
The kids are all right--but the parents are losing it in Courney Maum's delightful Alan Opts Out
Recently, Stacy talked with author Courtney Maum about her newest book, Alan Opts Out, a biting satire about suburban life and whether "making it" is really worth it. Can absurdity and satire heal our communities?
A few reading recommendations for our current time
NOTE: This episode was originally published on YouTube on 1/26/26. I'm posting the second season all at once up to September 2026, as I've gotten behind on uploads. We'll be back to a semi-regular upload schedule after this.Ma...
This key mistake almost made me quit my bookstore
Come with Stacy on an existential rollercoaster! We discuss the latest progress on her transition to a new CRM, tough questions small business owners must be willing to ask themselves, our path to profitability, the results of our recent applic...
Building toward profitability in my bookstore--plus: read this banned book
A quick "state of the store" discussion, in which Stacy dives into some of her decision-making process and talks about where she is with implementing systems like a new CRM to help manage the store's data, how work in the store gets done (or do...
How Gossip Girl changed pop culture forever
We're back at last! A challenging summer has slowed us down in uploading this episode that was recorded in April. Thanks for your patience! How did Gossip Girl help shape the culture we enjoy today? Stacy's conversation with author Lind...
How I learned to write better grant applications to fund my bookstore
Grants can seem overwhelming for small businesses, especially if you’ve just started one and don’t know how to In this episode of The Curious Cat Bookshop Podcast, we talk with grant and (_) consultant Jennifer Gonzalez about grants for s...
How do a bookstore's income streams break down in percentages? (Income Part Two)
NOTE: Some of this episode is visual information. You might want to refer to the YouTube video for more information: While the percentage numbers may vary from bookstore to bookstore, here's a look at the breakdown of one...
What do a bookstore's income streams look like? Part One
Take a walk with Stacy on a local trail to discuss not just how bookstores make their money, but what the breakdown looks like. This is a big-picture overview--part two will delve a little deeper with some specifics. If you decide ...
How I'm refining my bookstore's business systems to survive our volatile times
When times are tough, how does a small business get the information they need to adapt, survive, and even thrive? For me, the answer is in refining my systems and getting greater clarity on where I'm spending money, when the bills are coming du...
Sarah Beth Durst's bestselling tales of found family
To celebrate our 2nd anniversary in September, we hosted bestselling fantasy author Sarah Beth Durst in a local brewery, Little Red Barn Brewers, where we talked about her beautiful cozy fantasy books, The Spellshop and The Enchant...
As Banned Books Week ends, the work continues
As we wrap up Banned Books Week, we want to encourage you to take the time to really dig into what it means for us to have the freedom to read year-round, and what that means to us in our democracy. The ABA’s Right to Read Handbook (linked belo...
Let boredom in: How Michael Buckley writes bestselling books for kids
It’s been 20 years since the first book in the bestselling The Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley debuted, and he’s had quite the career since then! This week, the animated TV series based on the books debuted on Apple TV, and last month, ...
How working with an editor changed A.M. Dassu's approach to her writing
How do you discuss tough subjects like becoming a refugee and starting over again in a new country, bullying, or the possibility of your friend getting deported with your children? How do you help children find their voice and to understand the...
How to know what customers want: Book buying decisionmaking
How does a bookstore make decisions about which books to bring in? That’s a question that a lot of people were wondering after we talked about where bookstores get their books (NOT from Amazon!). Stacy Whitman dives into a few of the key ways w...
From stuntman to bestselling fantasy author: Why Wesley Chu sold his soul to writing
What a fantastic conversation we recently had with bestselling fantasy author Wesley Chu! Wesley Chu didn't always consider himself a writer, and in this conversation we delve into why that was, and how he finally found the path that led to the...
No, bookstores don't get their books from Amazon
Where do bookstores get their inventory? That’s a big question for anyone thinking of starting a bookstore—the first question Stacy sees from anyone even dreaming about starting one. It’s also a question that many readers don’t know the answer ...
What does the book publication process look like?
How is a book made? What is the full LIFE of a book? Many writers don’t know what the editorial process looks like in a publishing house—or what happens in the design, marketing, and sales departments while the editorial process is happening. J...
How does a bookstore owner pay herself?
How do you make a living when starting a business like a bookstore? Curious Cat Bookshop owner Stacy Whitman discusses the current state of our business, how she makes a living, how she started her first business (Tu Books, which became an impr...
Six things I'd do differently
What would Stacy Whitman, owner of The Curious Cat Bookshop, do differently today if she were starting her bookstore from scratch? She's got a few ideas, mostly about preparation and community. Are you thinking of starting a bookstore or would ...
Bonus episode: "My whole life is a lesson in perserverance": author Anne Broyles
We're bringing you a bonus episode of The Curious Cat Bookshop today: the recording of our event from August 2024 interviewing picture book author Anne Broyles about her writing life and how she ended up writing picture books for children after...
Building community and celebrating queer joy: author Kimm Topping and poet Leah Juliett
Author Kimm Topping, Ed.M., is an educator, writer, and historian dedicated to preserving LGBTQIA+ history. Their first book, Generation Queer, is a nonfiction YA highlighting the stories of LGBTQIA+ youth activists (and was published and edite...
Keep telling the stories: an opportunity to really see who we are: author Yamile Saied Méndez
Yamile Saied Méndez is known best for her YA novel, Furia, which was chosen for Reese's Book Club and won a number of awards, including the Pura Belpré Award. Stacy knows her best, though, as the author of the two middle grade novels they worke...
Never lie to the reader: Megan Collins on writing a twisty thriller
In a special book club edition of The Curious Cat Bookshop Podcast, we recently hosted thriller author Megan Collins shortly after the release of her newest thriller, Cross My Heart, about a woman who becomes obsessed with the husband ...
I Want to Write a Magic System that Feels Like an Anxiety Disorder: Erin M. Evans on Epic Fantasy
If you've ever wondered about how to create a world, the thought process that goes into getting all the moving pieces of an epic fantasy together, and how to create your own unique world, Erin M. Evans is a writer to listen to. Stac...