Life of Plenty

044 Independent Bookstore Day 2025

On this episode of Life of Plenty podcast, Lisa and Ashley talk about Independent Bookstore Day, happening April 26th, this Saturday! 

043 Jodi Pitts' Unusual Reading Journey

Life of Plenty host Lisa Uhrik talks with Jodi Pitts on her reading journey, from The Babysitter's Club, the dictionary, and how reading Charlotte's Web led her to steal a pig that would become a pet. Jodi also discusses reading multiple books at once, her favorite reads, and what she'd take on a trip to a deserted island.  

 

 

042 Emily Liner of Friendly City Books

On this episode of Life of Plenty, Ashley and Lisa sit down with Emily Liner of Friendly City Books. Emily talks about how she decided she wanted to make a difference, and how that took her from working for the government in DC to opening a nonprofit bookstore in Columbus, Mississippi. 

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.

041 Marissa Fike

On this episode of the Life of Plenty podcast, Ashley and Lisa sit down with therapist, author, reader, and tea enthusiast Marissa Fike. They discuss how books teach us to be listeners, and how books can be used in therapy.

 

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.

040 Clarissa Murphy of Parkside Bookshop

Clarissa Murphy joins Lisa Uhrik on this episode of Life of Plenty to discuss the books that made her and how she chose a career in books. 

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.

039 Jason Rice on Brilliant Books and Hard Reads

On this episode of Life of Plenty, Lisa sits down with Jason Rice of Ingram, who helps bookstores set their initial inventory. They discuss books he believes should be in every store, and then some of his favorite reads. From On Beauty by Zadie Smith, to a book he credits himself with making popular — Tom Rachman's The Imperfectionists, to one of the hardest books he's ever read and can't unread, The Road by Cormac McCarthy. 

038 Riley Forssell of Delicately Dressed

Lisa and Ashley sit down with Riley Forssell of Delicately Dressed on this episode of Life of Plenty to discuss how she got into her pressed flower business — by not wanting to work a typical "teenage" job. They discuss her entrepreneurial spirit and how her business got its name, from the book of Luke. 

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.

037 Books are the Best Gifts

Lisa Uhrik and Ashley Michael talk about books that make great gifts, because books make the best gifts. They discuss how to choose books based on what people love and enjoy, or by sharing part of ourselves.