The thespilledinkandcoffeeshow’s Podcast

📚✨Two-Hour Podcast Special: Independent Bookstore Day at Port Key Books💫

1 h 52 min · 5. maj 2026
episode 📚✨Two-Hour Podcast Special: Independent Bookstore Day at Port Key Books💫 cover

Description

Two-Hour Podcast Special: Independent Bookstore Day at Port Key Books There are episodes that feel special while you’re recording them, and then there are the ones that stay with you long after the microphones are off. This Independent Bookstore Day special at Port Key Books was one of those rare, electric experiences. For two full hours, The Spilled Ink and Coffee Show stepped into a space where stories do not just sit on shelves, they breathe, connect, and transform. At the heart of it all is Crystal, owner and true Book Extraordinaire of @portkeybooks @portkeybookstore. To call her a bookseller feels far too small. She is a storyteller in her own right, weaving together people and pages with an ease that feels almost magical. Listening to her share how Port Key Books began, you quickly realize this is not just a bookstore. It is a living, evolving community. A place where readers become friends, where authors become family, and where every event feels like unlocking a new chapter. And the events. From intimate book clubs to unforgettable author signings, to the dazzling Bookish Balls where readers arrive in gorgeous fashion to celebrate the stories they love, Port Key Books offers more than meets the eye. It is endless magic waiting to be discovered. Crystal’s go to recommendation during our conversation was City of Thieves by David Benioff (@DavidBenioff2 @davidbenioffofficial), a novel that speaks to the kind of gripping, human storytelling she champions. And speaking of storytelling, her own life is intertwined with it. She is married to a Veteran and published author, Aramis Calderon, whose work Fugitive Son (@aramis.calderon.writes @aramiscalderonauthor) reflects both service and creativity. Their shared world of words is inspiring and grounded in both sacrifice and passion. Crystal also encouraged readers to dive into the lush worlds of Jacqueline A. Carey (@jcareyauthor), especially for those craving fantasy and romantasy with depth and beauty. Throughout the episode, we did not just talk about books, we talked with the people who love them. Port Key patrons and friends joined in, sharing their thoughts, laughter, and recommendations. Our signature book review raffle added to the excitement and built toward a moment of celebration for our community. And yes, this episode is packed with bookish gems. We explored titles and authors lighting up shelves right now: The Kindred’s Curse Saga by @authorpenncole The Wicked Sea & Bitten by @jordanstephaniegray, fresh from her Port Key signing Project Hail Mary by @andyweirauthor @andyweirofficialever, which led us into a lively debate on movie versus book versus audiobook The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang (@kuangrf) The Correspondence by @virginia.l.evans Improbably Yours by Cary Ann King Dungeon Crawler Carl Series by @mattdinniman Yesteryear by @caroclaireburke Trad Wife by @saratogaishere The Night Guest by @hildurknutsdottir Piranesi by @susannaclarke_ The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by @veschwab Hollow by @carolinepeckham Divine Rivals by @rebeccajross The Road of Bones by @demiwinterswrites Redshirts by @jscalzi And of course, ACOTAR by @sarahjmaas Somewhere between these conversations, we found ourselves asking a question that lingered beautifully. What do YOU define as magical realism? In a place like Port Key Books, that line between the real and the magical feels wonderfully blurred. We even uncovered a quirky favorite snack among book lovers, dry ramen and coffee. Not exactly gourmet, but undeniably iconic. We could not celebrate Independent Bookstore Day without a major shoutout to @librofm and the GOLDEN TICKET, reminding us how important it is to support independent bookstores in every format. And of course, celebration time. Congratulations to Scarlett, the winner of The Spilled Ink and Coffee Show Bookish Gift Bag, filled with all your book journaling essentials. Your next chapter just got a little more magical. Speaking of journaling, Book Journaling 101 Workshops are coming soon from The Spilled Ink and Coffee Show, and we cannot wait to dive deeper into how we capture our reading lives. This episode was not just a recording. It was a gathering. A reminder of why independent bookstores matter, why stories matter, and why community matters. Be sure you are following @thespilledinkandcoffeeshow and @portkeybooks so you never miss a moment, an event, or a little bit of magic. Because if this episode proved anything, it is this. When books bring people together, something extraordinary always happens.     📚✨ TWO-HOUR PODCAST SPECIAL ✨📚 Independent Bookstore Day @portkeybooks @portkeybookstore We spent TWO incredible hours inside the magic that is Port Key Books with Crystal, owner, storyteller, and true Book Extraordinaire 💫 From how it all began to the way she connects people to people and people to books… this place is pure community, connection, and bookish joy. And yes… the BOOKISH BALLS? Stunning. Fashion. Books. Celebration. Say less. Crystal’s go-to rec: City of Thieves by @DavidBenioff2 @davidbenioffofficial We also talk about her husband, Veteran and author Aramis Calderon (Fugitive Son) @aramis.calderon.writes @aramiscalderonauthor ❤️ And if you love fantasy/romantasy, she says RUN to @jcareyauthor 👀 🎤 We chat with Port Key patrons & friends 🎟️ Book review raffle fun 📚 Endless stories, events, authors, book clubs… MAGIC PLUS we dive into ALL the books: @authorpenncole Kindred’s Curse Saga @jordanstephaniegray The Wicked Sea & Bitten (yes she signed at Port Key!) @andyweirauthor @andyweirofficialever Project Hail Mary (movie vs book vs audiobook 👀) @kuangrf The Poppy War @virginia.l.evans The Correspondence Cary Ann King Improbably Yours @mattdinniman Dungeon Crawler Carl @caroclaireburke Yesteryear @saratogaishere Trad Wife @hildurknutsdottir The Night Guest @susannaclarke_ Piranesi @veschwab The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue @carolinepeckham Hollow @rebeccajross Divine Rivals @demiwinterswrites The Road of Bones @jscalzi Redshirts @sarahjmaas ACOTAR 💭 BIG QUESTION: What do YOU define as Magical Realism? ☕️🍜 Also… dry ramen & coffee = elite bookish snack?? We said what we said ✨ Shoutout to @librofm and the GOLDEN TICKET 🎉 CONGRATS SCARLETT 🎉 Winner of The Spilled Ink & Coffee Show Bookish Gift Bag full of journaling goodies!! 📝 Book Journaling 101 Workshops coming SOON 👉 Follow @thespilledinkandcoffeeshow + @portkeybooks so you never miss the magic

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48 episodes

episode Episode 37:💔 Inside Demon Copperhead artwork

Episode 37:💔 Inside Demon Copperhead

Episode 37 -💔 Inside Demon Copperhead Rachel's 5-star Book of the Month is Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, and this week we're diving into the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that had her laughing, crying, and feeling every emotion in between. We discuss themes of hope, resilience, grief, and survival, and explore why this powerful story stays with readers long after the final page. Along the way, we celebrate David's belated birthday, check in on Goodreads Challenge progress, discuss Rachel's journey through Babel, and chat with Crystal from Portkey Books [https://www.portkeybooks.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com] about the ever-elusive definition of magical realism. We also briefly touch on Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers—including the mysterious missing half-star from Kasie's rating—but don't worry, a much deeper discussion is coming in a future episode. Plus, chocolate forest cake, bookish tangents, and a conversation about what truly makes a protagonist. @goodreads @portkeybookstore @barbara.kingsolver @authorjesseqsutanto 🥐☕Huge thank you to @chez.david.french.restaurant  for letting us record our bookish podcast in your beautiful space—and for keeping our coffee cups very full. Perfect vibes, perfect pastries, perfect pours. We’re so grateful! ☕✨  #DemonCopperhead #BarbaraKingsolver #BookTok #Bookstagram #BookTube #BookTwt #BookPodcast #BookReview  #ReadersOfInstagram #CurrentlyReading #GoodreadsChallenge #PulitzerPrize #MagicalRealism #BookNerd #BookCommunity #podcast #books #shorts #fyp #viral #bookstagram #booktwt #bookreviews #BookPodcast #ReadingVlog #TheSpilledInkAndCoffeeShow Copyright © 2024 The Spilled Ink and Coffee Show. All rights reserved.

2. juli 202624 min
episode 📚☕ AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: J. N. Cheney ☕📚 artwork

📚☕ AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: J. N. Cheney ☕📚

📚☕ AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: J. N. Cheney ☕📚 A forgotten chapter of history is finally being brought back into the light… In this special episode of The Spilled Ink and Coffee Show, we sit down with historian and author J. N. Cheney to discuss Women, Immigrants, and the Working-Class Battle in Little Falls, New York: The Textile Strike of 1912-1913. ✨ We’re diving into the powerful true story of immigrant women who stood together against unsafe working conditions, powerful mill owners, and a system determined to silence them. Through extensive research and archival discoveries, Cheney uncovers a pivotal moment in labor history and restores these courageous voices to the story they deserve. 📖 History. Courage. Community. The stories that shaped us are waiting to be rediscovered. Join us for a conversation about forgotten struggles, the importance of preserving local history, and why these stories still matter today. ⭐ If you read Women, Immigrants, and the Working-Class Battle in Little Falls, New York, consider leaving an honest review on your favorite book platform, Goodreads, or social media. Every review helps authors like James continue sharing important stories. 🎧 Catch this episode of The Spilled Ink and Coffee Show — Your FAVORITE Bookish Podcast! Follow J. N. Cheney: 📘 Facebook: JN Cheney — Historian and Author 🦋 Bluesky: @historianjncheney.bsky.social 🥐☕Huge thank you to @thesherburneinn for letting us record our bookish podcast in your beautiful space—and for keeping our coffee cups very full. Perfect vibes, perfect pastries, perfect pours. We’re so grateful! ☕✨  #AuthorSpotlight #BookPodcast #HistoryBooks #LaborHistory #WomenInHistory #NewYorkHistory #BookLovers #TheSpilledInkAndCoffeeShow #BookishPodcast

25. juni 202631 min
episode Episode 36: Clickbait artwork

Episode 36: Clickbait

Episode 36: Clickbait "Do one thing awesome," they said. So we decided to fly our freak flags high. This episode is a wild ride through the aggressively absurd, the "coocoo bananas," and the flat-out slimy. From the birds and the bees (and the crows and the deer...) to clean regency romance, we are covering the full spectrum of the literary world. Plus, Rachel explains the method behind the madness of Goodreads challenges and introduces our new 2-Star Rule for those short, honorable (or not-so-honorable) mentions. The Spice, The Weird, and The "I Just Threw Up In My Mouth" * The "Honorable" 2-Star Mention: Hill of Secrets by debut author Galina Vromena. A Kindle freebie that Rachel describes as a "stinky Los Alamos" and a "slimy mess." Consider this your warning. * A Deal with a Debutante by Chelsea Bobulski (@chelseabobulski): A clean, "no-spice" historical romance and the first in the London's Most Eligible series. An ARC Kindle read that earned 3 Stars from Rachel. * Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez (@authorabbyjimenez): A 2025 contemporary romance featuring a veterinarian and a social media manager. Despite the distance and the heartbreak of dementia, the connection is instant. 4 Stars from Rachel. The "10-Star" Beyond Obsessed * Heads Will Roll (Audible Original): Created by and starring Kate McKinnon and Emily Lynne (@the.emilylynne). This isn't a traditional audiobook; it’s a star-studded audio drama produced by Broadway Video. "It’s Monty Python–adjacent, pop-culture-stuffed, and feels less like a fever dream and more like a severe Google hallucination." — Kasie’s 10-Star Pick The Genius of the Bizarre * Horse Girl Fever: Stories by Kevin Maloney (@kevinrmaloney): Published by Clash Books (@clashbooks_). Kasie found the last copy of this at Book + Bottle in St. Pete, FL, and it changed her life. * Rating: 5 Stars (and a soul-searching experience). * The Vibe: Darkly humorous autofiction that feels like Tales From the Loop meets an "After School Special About Your Potential Future Adult Life." It’s surrealism acting like a slow-moving boa constrictor. * Trigger Warnings: All of them. Just... all of them. Read a story, take a breath, and look into the abyss. In This Episode, We Also Mention: * Bridgerton * Sophia the First * Goodreads Challenge Strategies * Why crows and ravens are having way too much fun in modern literature. What are these authors thinking? We have no idea, but we’re reading it anyway. 🥐☕Huge thank you to @veskolini_cafe_dunedin [https://www.instagram.com/veskolini_cafe_dunedin/] for letting us record our bookish podcast in your beautiful space—and for keeping our coffee cups very full. The delicious French food and pastries were absolute perfection. Perfect vibes, perfect pours. We’re so grateful! ☕✨  ✨The Spilled Ink and Coffee Show, Your FAVORITE Bookish Podcast! X: @spilledinkpod Tiktok: @spilledinkandcoffe Youtube: @thespilledinkandcoffeeshow Insta: @thespilledinkandcoffeeshow Website: www.thespilledinkandcoffeeshow.com [http://www.thespilledinkandcoffeeshow.com] Email: thespilledinkandcoffeeshow@gmail.com [thespilledinkandcoffeeshow@gmail.com] Copyright © 2024 The Spilled Ink and Coffee Show. All rights reserved.  #booktok #booktube #podcast #books #shorts #fyp #viral #bookstagram #booktwitter #bookreviews

18. juni 20261 h 9 min
episode ON TOUR: C.S. Miller Books artwork

ON TOUR: C.S. Miller Books

☕📚 ON TOUR WITH THE SPILLED INK AND COFFEE SHOW! 📚☕ This month, we're heading to Norwich, NY for an evening filled with books, coffee, local history, and unforgettable stories. ✨ Heritage Night: Books, Coffee & Local History at C.S. Miller Books✨ Join Kasie from The Spilled Ink and Coffee Show (while Rachel is, naturally, visiting yet another independent bookstore 😉) for a special conversation with featured author Christian Vischi. 📖 We'll be diving into his fascinating book, Stitched Together: A History of the Norwich Knitting Co. and Walt Disney, uncovering the surprising connections between Norwich's industrial past, storytelling, entrepreneurship, and a touch of Disney magic woven throughout. ☕ Enjoy a cup of Knuckle Down Coffee 📚 Browse incredible books 🏛️ Celebrate local history 🎙️ Experience a live Spilled Ink and Coffee conversation A huge thank you to our wonderful community partners: ✨ @chenangotourism ✨ @csmillerbooks ✨ @upstateroasting ✨ @chenangohist ✨ @christianvischi This is exactly why we love taking the show on the road—bringing together readers, writers, local businesses, and the stories that connect us all. #booktok #booktube #podcast #books #shorts #fyp #viral #bookstagram #booktwitter #bookreviews

11. juni 20261 h 27 min
episode Episode 35: “Our ½ Star Era” artwork

Episode 35: “Our ½ Star Era”

Episode 35: “Our ½ Star Era” Rachel is in her ½ star era and chaos is absolutely on the menu 😌☕ This week on The Spilled Ink and Coffee Show we are serving HOT takes, steamy surprises, and completely unhinged bookish energy! We kick things off with “It’s a steamy Hallmark” vibes and somehow end up asking the real questions like “Do you have Borg Insurance?” and turning book quotes into fortune cookies 🥠📖 Rachel brings the mood with a 2.5⭐ review of The Silent Watcher by Victor Methos — a FREE Kindle legal thriller that had potential but didn’t quite win her over @victormethos Then we head to the beach with The Strawberry Patch Pancake House by Laurie Gilmore — giving fast, steamy, cozy Hallmark energy… but WARNING: catfish cover 👀🥞 @lauriegilmore_author https://www.facebook.com/lauriegilmoreofficial/ [https://www.facebook.com/lauriegilmoreofficial/]@harpercollins Rachel is back in her historical fiction era with The Wharton Plot by Mariah Fredericks — 3.5⭐ and full of Gilded Age drama, fashion, and Pulitzer Prize moments. Edith is THAT girl @mariahfredericks @thetenementmuseum @tenementmuseum https://www.facebook.com/janeprescottmysteries/ [https://www.facebook.com/janeprescottmysteries/] Kasie is thriving with 5⭐ for Mr. Spock’s Little Book of Mindfulness by Glenn Dakin — logically iconic and yes… we absolutely tried to turn Spock wisdom into fortune cookies 🖖🥠 @GlennDakin @startrek AND THEN… the unexpected obsession Kasie gives basically 10⭐ to Brackish Waters by Matt Boren — an Audible Original comedy narrated by Christina Applegate that had us LOSING IT A chaotic vacation, a legendary one-star Yelp review, and honestly… the ONLY reason you need is Christina Applegate A MUST for moms, teachers, and the PTA — we root for Kate but Rudy 👀 steals the show @mattboren @1capplegate @christinaapplegate We absolutely derail into Trek talk 🚀 and now we’re asking… do we need a whole spin-off podcast?? Trek Talks might be happening Come for the reviews, stay for the vibes: HILARIOUS, slightly unhinged, and very caffeinated ☕✨ 🥐☕Huge thank you to @chez.david.french.restaurant for letting us record our bookish podcast in your beautiful space—and for keeping our coffee cups very full. The delicious French food and pastries were absolute perfection. Perfect vibes, perfect pours. We’re so grateful! ☕✨  @libby.app @goodreads @netgalley @librofm ✨The Spilled Ink and Coffee Show, Your FAVORITE Bookish Podcast! X: @spilledinkpod Tiktok: @spilledinkandcoffe Youtube: @thespilledinkandcoffeeshow Insta: @thespilledinkandcoffeeshow Website: www.thespilledinkandcoffeeshow.com [http://www.thespilledinkandcoffeeshow.com] Email: thespilledinkandcoffeeshow@gmail.com #booktok #booktube #podcast #books #shorts #fyp #viral #bookstagram #booktwitter #bookreviews

4. juni 202655 min