All Books Aloud
by Elizabeth Brookbank & Martha Brookbank
Latest episode
Are we in a literacy crisis? Part 2
Are we in a literacy crisis? Part 2
About this podcast
Elizabeth and Martha are two sisters who love reading in all of its forms. Elizabeth is an academic librarian by day and fiction writer by night with a lifelong obsession with all things reading and books. Martha is a busy professional who came to her love of reading later in life, but now she’s an audiobook power user. We chat about the books we’re reading and delve a little deeper into a topic related to reading or publishing. We ask questions like, “Does listening to a book count as reading?” “Are genres a good or bad thing?” and “Do you finish every book you start?” If you love reading, nerding out about books, and sassy millennial hot takes, this podcast is for you!
Episodes
The newest 20 of 37 episodes
- Are we in a literacy crisis? Part 2 · 48 min · Season 3 Episode 5Send us Fan Mail If you haven't listened to part 1 of this episode, we recommend doing so before listening to this episode! In part 2, we continue the conversation about literacy…
- Are we in a literacy crisis? Part 1 · 1 h 2 min · Season 3 Episode 4Send us Fan Mail If you read the news or look at social media, you've probably heard that the U.S. is in the throes of a literacy crisis. Are we? And what do we even mean when we…
- How do you feel about your reading in 2025? A look back at the year in books and reading, and a look ahead at what's coming in 2026 · 1 h 17 min · Season 3 Episode 3Send us Fan Mail We're back with our annual year-end reading round up. Join us as we talk about our year in reading, our favorite books of 2025, the big stories in the world of…
- Is it cozy? Dark academia? What about the romance? For History Lessons author Zoe B. Wallbrook being cross-genre is not a bug, it's a feature [Interview] · 43 min · Season 3 Episode 2Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we are lucky enough to talk with author Zoe B. Wallbrook about her critically acclaimed debut novel, History Lessons. It's a clever, witty…
- What do you know about a whodunnit? A mystery genre deep-dive · 1 h 13 min · Season 3 Episode 1Send us Fan Mail Something about this season of cold weather and long, dark nights makes us want to read mysteries. Whether you like 'em cozy, hard-boiled, or realistic and by…
- Does your reading change during the summer? · 54 min · Season 2 Episode 11Send us Fan Mail Have you ever wondered why we have "summer reads" but not winter or spring or fall reads? We both had various associations with "summer reading," namely from…
- Would you go on a bookish vacation? · 57 min · Season 2 Episode 10Send us Fan Mail Elizabeth just got back from a trip that included a day in the Original Book Town, Hay-on-Wye in Wales in the UK. It was adorable and she went to more bookstores…
- What is the IMLS and why should we care if it is dismantled? · 1 h 3 min · Season 2 Episode 9Send us Fan Mail Have you heard about the IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services) in the news lately? An Executive Order in mid-March ordered it be "eliminated to the…
- How is working in a bookstore like playing a video game? Interview with the bookseller and events manager at Fireside Books · 45 min · Season 2 Episode 8Send us Fan Mail Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work in a bookstore? According to Rebecca, bookseller and events manager at the independent bookstore Fireside…
- Is reading a niche hobby? · 44 min · Season 2 Episode 7Send us Fan Mail We were planning to talk about our reading habits and rituals in this episode...but then Elizabeth heard an NPR podcast about how no one reads anymore, at the…
- Is being an audiobook narrator a dream job? Interview with Laura Horowitz · 29 min · Season 2 Episode 6Send us Fan Mail Have you ever wondered what it takes to be an audiobook narrator? Or is it perhaps your dream job like it is for Martha? In this episode, we interview audiobook…
- Fact or Fiction? It's bookish mythbusting time! · 54 min · Season 2 Episode 5Send us Fan Mail [Apologies, listeners! We're re-releasing this one because there was an audio glitch in the original episode. If you've already downloaded the episode from…
- How was your year in reading? 2024 reading round-up · 59 min · Season 2 Episode 4Send us Fan Mail Happy Holidays! We're bringing back our year-end reading round up. Join us as we talk about our year in reading, our favorite books of 2024, and what we're…
- Looking to escape into another reality? Join us for a deep-dive into the fantasy genre! · 1 h 22 min · Season 2 Episode 3Send us Fan Mail Romantic fantasies have taken the book world by storm in recent years, but fantasy stories that allow us to break free of the rules and limitations of our own…
- Should you join a book club? · 54 min · Season 2 Episode 2Send us Fan Mail Whether or not you'll enjoy a book club depends a lot on your reading style, habits, and preferences. But if you're interested in joining a book club, there is…
- How does a little girl from Detroit become a librarian icon? Our interview with Nancy Pearl (finally!) · 1 h 7 min · Season 2 Episode 1Send us Fan Mail Season 2 is here and our first episode is a big one! In some ways, we have been building up to this moment since the podcast began: we finally chat with…
- How does a lifelong literary fiction reader end up writing a romance novel? Interview with Sarah T. Dubb, author of Birding With Benefits · 1 h 6 min · Season 1 Episode 19Send us Fan Mail In our season finale we talk with author Sarah T. Dubb about her debut novel, Birding With Benefits. It's a fun, flirty, sexy, and touching fake-dating romance…
- Book adaptations - love them or hate them? · 46 min · Season 1 Episode 18Send us Fan Mail Is the book always better than the movie? If you had asked either of us before this episode, we both would have said unequivocally 'yes!' But our discussion…
- How do siblings grow up to be different types of readers? A chat with all four Brookbank siblings! · 40 min · Season 1 Episode 17Send us Fan Mail Two very special guests joined us for this episode - the other half of our sibling quartet, Bekka and Mike. Listen in as we talk about our early experiences with…
- Do you re-read books? · 43 min · Season 1 Episode 16Send us Fan Mail The topic of this week's episode is one of the few book-related topics we've found where we disagree! Martha loves to re-read her favorite books, whereas…
