The Bookshelf at the End of the Universe
Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Episodes
Ruin Road and The Last Last-Day-of-Summer by Lamar Giles
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're back! Elliott and Kristen sit down to talk about two books by Lamar Giles, Ruin Road and The Last Last-Day-of-Summer. They also discuss this yea...
026 - The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower II) by Stephen King
23 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We're back with the next chapter in Stephen King's Dark Tower series, The Drawing of the Three. Roland's journey takes a radical turn as h...
025 - Dinotopia by James Gurney
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's Norah's turn to take the driver's seat in an episode about Dinotopia—a fun fantasy book where humans and dinosaurs exist in a magic...
024 - The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower I) by Stephen King
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We are back and ready to tackle a new series, The Dark Tower, by Stephen King. This is a series (and author) that Cody is very familiar with, but Elli...
023 - Kiki's Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Norah takes the driver's seat to talk about the 1985 book Kiki's Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono. The book became much more well-kn...
022 - Uzumaki by Junji Ito
31 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This was a pretty intense piece of horror manga, so parents, please read it before deciding if you want your child to read it. Hear what Elliott and C...
021 - Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen
01 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Guess who's back? Back again. Elliott's back with his mom, Kristen, to talk about Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen. This is the first silkpun...
020 - The Last Rose by Leah Cypress and Grimm's Fairy Tales by Philip Pullman
27 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Elliott is back and ready to talk books! During the hiatus, he read two books which re-tell fairy tales for a modern audience. Join him and Kristen as...
019 - Refugee by Alan Gratz
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Elliott is taking us back to school today as he discusses a book he read (and enjoyed) for school, Refugee. Join us as we talk about how much we love ...
Bonus Episode: Because of Winn-Dixie
13 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We've got a special bonus episode for everyone! Elliott's younger sister Norah joined him to talk about Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamill...
018 - Forever Twelve by Stacy McAnulty
09 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We got another ARC, this time for Forever Twelve by Stacy McAnulty. Elliott really enjoyed this sci-fi story about people who can become immortal and...
017 - Mistborn: The Final Empire
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We're in the Cosmere and talking about Brandon Sanderson's 2006 novel, Mistborn: The Final Empire. It's the first book in the Mistborn ser...
016 - Beneath the Swirling Sky
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We're back! Elliott was busy enjoying his summer and getting ready for the school year, but he's back to talk about another ARC (Advanced Read...
015 - West of the Sea
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We were sent another ARC from Penguin Young Readers to review! Prehistoric creatures, a road trip of a lifetime, and the love of family all combined i...
014 - The Narrow by Kate Alice Marshall
27 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We were lucky enough to be sent an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of this thriller and have a lot to talk about. The book tells a chilling tale of ghosts,...
013 - Fat Angie and Fat Angie: Rebel Girl Revolution by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo
20 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We're back! It's been a busy summer for us (just kidding, we just needed a break to play some Tears of the Kingdom), but it's time to get ...
012 - Holes by Louis Sachar
02 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, Elliott and Mom talk about Louis Sachar's 1998 novel, Holes. Join us as they discuss why it's a great summer read, how they f...
011 - Dragon Ops by Mari Mancusi
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We're back from a short break and Elliott is excited to discuss Dragon Ops by Mari Mancusi, a thrilling sci-fi adventure that takes place in a fut...
010 - The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander
18 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's our 10th book! Join Elliott and Kristen as they discuss the novel-in-verse book, The Door of No Return, by Kwame Alexander. In addition to th...
Video game adaptations
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With the release of the Super Mario Brothers movie, Elliott and Cody decided to use this off-week to talk about adaptations of video games—the good,...
009 - The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Elliott is joined by his mom (who is a librarian) to discuss The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. It's a thrilling story full...
Bonus Episode - The Cat Who Saved Books
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Elliott is finishing up The Inheritance Games and will be back next week to discuss it with his mom, so this week, our bonus episode is another book h...
008 - Full Tilt by Neal Shusterman
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hello readers! This week, Elliott talks about Full Tilt, a psychological horror novel by his favorite author, Neal Shusterman. Elliott explains what m...
Adaptations
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this week's episode, we discuss adaptations of books to film or TV. What makes an adaptation work? What changes have to be made to make a successfu...
007 - Wildwood
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's finally time for our hosts to talk about Wildwood, by Colin Meloy! Join us as we go through the fantastical story of a girl who embarks on an adv...
Bonus episode - The Wild Robot
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hello fellow readers! As you all know, sometimes we get busy and reading has to take a backseat, and such was the case for Elliott last week. As a res...
Ask A Librarian
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Elliott and Cody are still reading Wildwood (and you should too—it's great!), so this week Elliott's mom dropped in to answer some questions about b...
006 - Sword Art Online
14 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Elliott talks about Sword Art Online; a Japanese light-novel which has been adapted into pretty much every other medium available. Elliott ...
005 - The Rithmatist
31 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we discuss The Rithmatist, by Brandon Sanderson. This is one of his lesser known books, but it was still a wonderful read. Join us as we discus...
Favorite Books and Series
24 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Elliott and Cody talk about their favorite individual books and series in the sci-fi and fantasy genres. We each brought four books to talk about (and...
004 - (Non-spoiler) Amari and the Night Brothers
17 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Elliott and Cody discuss Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston, a fantastical fantasy story featuring an awesome heroine named ...
004 - (SPOILERS) Amari and the Night Brothers
17 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Elliott and Kristen discuss Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston, a fantastical fantasy story featuring an awesome heroine nam...
003 - Coraline
10 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Join our hosts as they discuss Coraline by Neil Gaiman. The book is a delightful, yet creepy, story of a girl who discovers a secret world where every...
002 - Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare
03 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our hosts discuss the horror novel Circue du Freak: A Living Nightmare, by Darren Shan. This is book one in the Cirque du Freak series and Elliott rea...
001 - Scythe
27 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In our first official episode, we discuss Scythe by Neil Shusterman. We talk about the characters, the plot, and all the things that make this book so...
000 - Test Episode
19 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to The Bookshelf at the End of the Universe, where we will discuss sci-fi and fantasy books for kids and young teens. In this test episode, me...