The Bibliotherapists

It’s time for the fifth episode of our chart-topping new podcast, and we're SO glad we’re sharing this episode ahead of the Christmas holidays, because you’re going to need some serious down time to make any kind of dent in this guest’s EPIC reading list.Professional reader and writer Lucy Pearson lives and works between Bondi (Australia) and London (UK), curating libraries and book collections for hotels, homes and airbnbs, as well as working as a freelance travel journalist and book blogging at her Substack, The Literary Edit.Lucy takes reading seriously. So seriously that she has a tattoo dedicated to her favourite author (Hanya Yanagihara), and is regularly up with the Sydney sunrise at 5am to complete her latest reading challenge.But she also just loves books. And words. In any format.And as you’ll hear in our interview, she loves to inspire others to read too, having created possibly the world’s most brilliant job in which, as a roving Bibliotherapist, she’s able to combine her love of reading, writing and travel to light up the world’s bookshelvesIN THIS EPISODE (LUCY’S TIPS FOR READING MORE):* Always give a new book at least one hour at the start.* Leave your phone in another room and have a notebook handy to scribble down anything you’re desperate to google/share/screenshot etc as you read (you can do that after reading, instead of getting lost in the scroll when you really want to be lost in a book).* Schedule it in your diary and set aside intentional, undistracted time for reading, treating it as a well-being ritual akin to yoga or journaling.* Replace the mindset of "I don’t have time" with "It’s not a priority" to remind yourself what truly matters in life.* Use whatever format works for you. Audible if you’re on the move, Kindle when you’re travelling. "The best way (to read) is what suits you best," she says.* Join the 5am club!* Set yourself a reading challenge. Lucy loves a list, crediting the discovery of Rebecca (by Daphne du Maurier) and subsequently the rest of BBC’s Top 100 Books list with changing the trajectory of her life as a hungover and lost double English graduate in her 20s. She’s currently on a mission to complete the New York Times Top 100 Books of the 21st Century before her 40th birthday (February 2026). She says that working to a list like this - and shouting about it - gives her accountability and motivation and also means she reads all kinds of different books she wouldn’t otherwise make the time for.SHOW NOTES:In this episode Lucy references and recommends at least 20 different books, including;* The 5am Club by Robin Sharma* A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara* A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving* Places I stopped on the Way Home by Meg Fee* Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier* Sandwich by Catherine Newman* Under the Influence by Joyce Maynard* The Shell Seekers by Rosamund PilcherWe can’t wait for you to listen.Please share with the people you love, let us know what you think, and - of course - what you are reading right now…Toni (& Tanya)xx--------ABOUT THE BIBLIOTHERAPISTS:The Bibliotherapists, is a new podcast from Substackers and community builders Tanya Lynch (EASE Retreats) and Toni Jones (The Shelf Help Club) exploring the healing power of words.(You can read all about how our story began in Episode #1 and Episode #2 - in which Tanya and I interview each other).This podcast is a love letter to reading and writing and storytelling and this weekly digital retreat features conversations with some of our favourite Substack writers and authors, sharing about the the books that have shaped their lives and their relationships with themselves, the books they wish everyone would read, how they use reading and writing to support their mental health, and the books they are reading right now.We’ve spent the last two months interviewing some incredible writers and creatives, including Beth Kempton, Claire Venus (she/her) ✨, Women Are Mad with Jen&Salima, Anne Boyd, Laura Pashby, Lucy Pearson, Tamu Thomas and Emma Gannon to close Series 1.Thank you so much for the love so far, please keep listening and liking and sharing where it’s needed… Get full access to 💛 The Shelf Help Clubhouse at shelfhelpclub.substack.com/subscribe

It’s time for a new episode of The Bibliotherapists, and today’s conversation is a really rather special one, because it features Claire Venus, a huge inspiration to our hosts Tanya and Toni, and the reason this podcast exists.It’s also a total celebration of taking the time to get to know ourselves and what makes us happy on the inside, in order to be able to best serve and ultimately create success on the outside.As you’ll hear in this episode, our guest is a shining (sparkling!) example of a ‘multi-hypen’; someone who has successfully combined her love of many things, including; creativity, writing, mentoring, educating, slow living, learning and all things Substack, to create a job - and a life - that she loves, and that inspires thousands of others to work and live in joyful ways that don’t require selling or burning out.This episode is a love letter to bibliophiles and creatives alike, celebrating the transformative power of words and stories.Find out more about Claire and her Substack programmes and membership > HERE.IN THIS EPISODE:There is - of course - a lot of Substack chat, but there’s also lots of value for anyone looking to work in a more sustainable and joyous way.We discussed:* The importance of finding your own pace; creating, consuming, and living at a sustainable rhythm.* Substack as a digital sanctuary for thoughtful writing and community building (vs the frenetic pace of traditional social media).* Claire’s love for books as grounding, sensory experiences—from the smell of secondhand bookstores to the joy of discovering books during travel.* How books have helped her navigate personal challenges (The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle helping her answer some philosophical questions in her 20s, and Beth Kempton's Kokoro provided comfort during a time of grief).* The transformative - and hugely challenging - experience of co-authoring, self-publishing and promoting How to Build a World-Class Substack with Russell Nohelty (out next week!).* Why self-care is a non-negotiable for Claire, how this enhances her creativity and ability to hold space for others.* Claire’s commitment to personal growth: including her personal goal of writing a book annually for ten years, and how Substack has been a critical platform for her evolution, offering a supportive and inspiring community.* Navigating Growth and Sustainability: How running a thriving Substack community (with over 12,000 subscribers) has taught Claire to balance growth with sustainability, ensuring she avoids burnout while continuing to deliver value, and love what she does.-----------SHOW NOTES:In this episode Claire references and recommends lots of lovely books, including:* The Giant on the Skyline by Clover Stroud* The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle* The Success Myth by Emma Gannon* Kokoro by Beth Kempton* TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking by Chris Anderson* Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll* Matilda by Roald Dahl* How to Build a World-Class Substack by Claire Venus and Russell Nohelty-----------ABOUT THE BIBLIOTHERAPISTS:The Bibliotherapists, is a new podcast from Substackers and community builders Tanya Lynch (EASE Retreats) and Toni Jones (The Shelf Help Club) exploring the healing power of words.It's a love letter to reading and writing and storytelling and this weekly digital retreat features conversations with some of our favourite Substack writers and authors, sharing about the the books that have shaped their lives and their relationships with themselves, the books they wish everyone would read, how they use reading and writing to support their mental health, and the books they are reading right now.You’ll be able to listen to these podcast episodes on all the usual outlets but we’ll only be sharing the video recordings on Substackhttps://shelfhelpclub.substack.com/tanyalynch.substack.com/ Get full access to 💛 The Shelf Help Clubhouse at shelfhelpclub.substack.com/subscribe

We're so excited to introduce you to our third podcast episode, and our very first celebrity guest, the wonderful Beth Kempton.Today’s episode is a joyous and juicy conversation featuring personal stories and odes to poetry, piles of book recommendations and - of course - a lot of Substack love.Beth has written SIX non-fiction books, including several bestsellers and several focused on her love affair with Japan.She is also an award-winning entrepreneur and writing mentor who spends her time supporting people to do what they love and make a career out of their creativity, through her writing workshops and programmes as well as her wonderful community on Substack, SoulCircle.IN THIS EPISODE:* LOTS of book recommendations, including two that had a profound impact on shaping Beth’s personal and professional life* The healing power of (any kind of) poetry* The business of books and writing (and Substack)* How Beth’s changing relationship with herself has been reflected in her books* How writing self-help is the best way to understand our Self* The power of retreats and finding places to be able to tell our stories* Why journalling is a balm for the soul* The perfect book-shaped gifts, including a poetry book to support anyone grieving* How to have a Calm Christmas (https://calmchristmas.substack.com/)SHOW NOTES:In this episode Beth references and recommends lots of books, including:* The Complete Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem* Lost Japan by Alex Kerr* Taking Flight by Kelly Rae Roberts* You Are Only Just Beginning by Morgan Harper Nicholls* The Poetry Pharmacy by William Sieghart* She is Fierce by Ana Sampson* Chasing Fog by Laura Pashby* The Poetry of Impermanence, Mindfulness and Joy by John Brehm* Mountains of the Mind by Robert MacFarlane* Freedom Seeker by Beth Kempton* Kokoro by Beth Kempton* Calm Christmas by Beth KemptonABOUT THE BIBLIOTHERAPISTS:The Bibliotherapists, is a new podcast from Substackers and community builders Tanya Lynch (EASE Retreats) and Toni Jones (The Shelf Help Club) exploring the healing power of words.It's a love letter to reading and writing and storytelling and this weekly digital retreat features conversations with some of our favourite Substack writers and authors, sharing about the the books that have shaped their lives and their relationships with themselves, the books they wish everyone would read, how they use reading and writing to support their mental health, and the books they are reading right now.You’ll be able to listen to these podcast episodes on all the usual outlets but we’ll only be sharing the video recordings on Substackhttps://shelfhelpclub.substack.com/tanyalynch.substack.com/bethkempton.substack.com Get full access to 💛 The Shelf Help Clubhouse at shelfhelpclub.substack.com/subscribe

The Bibliotherapists, is a new podcast from Substackers and community builders Tanya Lynch (EASE Retreats) and Toni Jones (The Shelf Help Club) exploring the healing power of words.You can read all about how our story began in Episode #1 and our first post (in which host Toni interviews host Tanya).And in this episode we continue the intros, with Tanya interviewing Toni, and we learn all about how and why, aged 40 Toni created the world’s first self-help book club and the pivotal books that have supported her personal and professional growth since.SHOW NOTES:In this episode Toni references and recommends 8 books, including:* The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe by C S Lewis* The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield* The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma* Money a Love Story by Kate Northrup* Self-care for Winter by Suzy Reading* Change Your life in 7 days by Paul McKenna - * Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers* The Kindness Method by Shahroo IzadiABOUT THE BIBLIOTHERAPISTSThis podcast is a love letter to reading and writing and storytelling.This weekly digital retreat features conversations with some of our favourite Substack writers and authors, sharing about the the books that have shaped their lives and their relationships with themselves, the books they wish everyone would read, how they use reading and writing to support their mental health, and the books they are reading right now.Guests for series 1 include: Beth Kempton, Claire Venus (she/her) ✨, Women Are Mad with Jen&Salima, Anne Boyd, Laura Pashby, Lucy Pearson, Tamu Thomas and Emma Gannon to close Series 1.We can’t wait for you to listen. Please share with the people you love, let us know what you think, and - of course - what you are reading right now…Toni (& Tanya)xxPS you’ll be able to listen to these podcast episodes on all the usual outlets but we’ll only be sharing the video recordings on Substack… Get full access to 💛 The Shelf Help Clubhouse at shelfhelpclub.substack.com/subscribe