Reading the Vine

Emotional Damage: The Books That Broke Us (and the Ones We'd Prescribe You)

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 11:00:00 -0400

This episode is all about emotional damage, the books that still haunt us, the trends that ruined us, and all the reasons readers need therapy now.

In this episode: the required high-school reading that scarred us for life (Go Ask Alice where one drink laced with LSD and her whole world spirals), the book that gave Megan her biggest book hangover EVER (Alchemised), this week's emotional damage (a 5:40am wake-up call for take two and yes, this is our second take, the audio didn't work, and a Behind Her Eyes thought spiral: "is that someone in someone else's body?"), and Book Therapy: you tell us what you need, a good cry, hope, a good romance, escapism, motivation, cozy vibes, healing, a laugh, or vengeance and we prescribe the book. (Amanda may or may not tear up over The River Is Waiting.) Then we take a detour into millennial emotional damage (Scholastic book fairs, blow-up chairs, AR points, Team Edward vs. Jacob, MySpace top 8, AIM away messages, T9 texting), run our first-ever Emotional Damage Draft (comment who wins: Amanda or Megan!), rate tropes and book boyfriends, and share what we're currently reading.

And it starts with the bloopers: the alarm that never got set, the 5:40am "I'm here" phone call, and the intro that always takes two or three tries.

🎧 Listen to your audiobooks on Libro.fm and support Paper & Vine instead of Amazon — use code SWITCH for two free audiobooks ($14.99/month, same as the other guys, but it keeps a local bookstore alive).

📚🍷 Visit us at paperandvinebooks.com — join the email list for a weekly note from the store, and find us on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest.

Books, Wine & Meaningful Moments.

Beach Reads and Summer Sips

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 06:00:00 -0400

It's 100+ degrees in West Texas, so we're leaning in, this whole episode is beach reads, summer sips, and surviving the heat with a book in hand.

In this episode: our bottle of the week (Cade Sauvignon Blanc- one wine, three barrels, and the accidental invention of the word "Zengi"), the wine-and-Taco-Bell pairing nobody asked for, summer reading superlatives (best pool read, best beach thriller, best vacation romance), why every good thriller happens next to a body of water, and the book Megan read in ONE day. Then we each build our ideal beach bag including books, snacks, and a flask that holds an entire bottle of wine and play Quirk or Cringe (TBR lists, movie covers, spoiler-lookers), and answer your real questions in the Summer Reading SOS: reading-slump cures, no-spice romance, what'll actually scare you, and the book club book we all trauma-dumped about.

Plus what's new at the store: our Book & Bottle pick (Down with the Shipmans + a beachy Chardonnay), bingo nights, and August is bedazzle anything night, as well as a 90's ALL out trivia, and a BIRTHDAY PARTY CELEBRATION because Paper & Vine turns ONE! 🎉

🎧 Listen to your audiobooks on Libro.fm and support Paper & Vine instead of Amazon and use code SWITCH for two free audiobooks ($14.99/month, same as the other guys, but it keeps a local bookstore alive).

📚🍷 Visit us at paperandvinebooks.com and join the email list for a weekly note from the store, and find us on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest.

Books, Wine & Meaningful Moments.

What Owning a Bookstore Is ACTUALLY Like (Dream vs. Reality)

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 07:00:00 -0400

This week we're pulling back the curtain on the bookstore, what it actually looks like on a Tuesday at 4pm when everything happens at once. Spoiler: it's organized chaos.

In this episode: turning a gray box into a bookstore in 30 days, the "she's just a girl" origin story (featuring hypothetical accidental tax evasion), why "build it and they will come" is a lie, the bingo night that popped off, the mystery of the purple book and her doppelganger, the ladder fight that almost ended the whole thing, and the strawberry puree blender explosion we're still finding evidence of. Plus what going into business with your family really teaches you.

📚🍷 Visit us at paperandvinebooks.com and join the email list for a weekly note from the store, and find us on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest.

Books, Wine & Meaningful Moments.

The Couples Book Club: 12 Books & 12 Date Nights You'll Actually Look Forward To

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 07:00:00 -0400

My husband doesn't read. So I made him a deal: one book a month, and each one comes with a date night. Plot twist, I'm sucking him into this hobbit of mine.

In this episode, Amanda walks Megan through the full Couples Book Club list, 12 books across every genre, each paired with a themed date night (stargazing in a truck bed, a DIY mystery night, a wedding-reception dinner at home, and one involving a Santa suit). Megan has to guess the dates cold, and honestly? She kind of nails it.

The full list + discussion questions + a free printable checklist: on the blog at paperandvinebooks.com (linked in show notes).

Listen to your audiobooks on Libro.fm and support Paper & Vine instead of Amazon and use code SWITCH for two free audiobooks ($14.99/month, same as the other guys, but it keeps a local bookstore alive).

Books, Wine & Meaningful Moments.

Two Sisters, a Bookstore, and All the Things We Should've Talked About Off Air

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 20:00:00 -0400

Welcome to Reading the Vine, the podcast from Paper & Vine Book Bar, where two sisters talk books, wine, and all the things they probably should have talked about off air... on air.

In our very first episode: how "we should start a bookstore" turned into an actual bookstore and wine bar in Midland, Texas, a taste test of our house wines (Cherry Vanilla, Hot Mess Express, and Coastal Crush), the great dog-earing debate, whether audiobooks count as reading (they do, fight us), and why everyone needs a third place. We're leaving you with a challenge: find YOUR third place this week.

📚🍷 Visit us at paperandvinebooks.com and join the email list at the bottom of the page for a fun weekly email, and find us on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest.

Books, Wine & Meaningful Moments.