Ever close a book and immediately need to debrief?
Arielle and Tasha here: two self-appointed saboteurs taking on one book a month and tracing the threads between fiction, history, culture, and real life. We connect the dots, question what’s on the page, and have a kiki while we’re at it.
This is Shelf Sabotage™.
We’re back with a new episode of Shelf Sabotage! Arielle and Tasha get into King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby.
14 Sept 2026
Sky Full of Elephants
**Content warning: This episode includes discussion of sexual assault and self-harm. Listener discretion is advised.**
What would happen if every white person in the world suddenly died, leaving Black people and other people of color to rebuild society and decide what comes next?
In this episode of *Shelf Sabotage*, Tasha and Arielle discuss Cebo Campbell’s *Sky Full of Elephants*, Left on Read’s September Book Club selection. They unpack the novel’s world-building, character development, racial allegory, and vision of Black life after whiteness. The conversation moves through Sydney’s shifting identity, Charlie’s complicated past, the loss of generational knowledge, the value placed on formal education, and the challenge of building a new society without reproducing the systems that shaped the old one.
They also consider Campbell’s reflections in his Electric Literature interview (https://electricliterature.com/sky-full-of-elephants-imagines-an-america-without-white-people/), including his desire to remove the white gaze, his idea of unity as a form of technology, and the tension between Black trauma, shared understanding, and collective joy.
1 Sept 2026
Zeal
Tune in as Arielle and Tasha dive into Zeal by Morgan Jerkins, a sweeping, multigenerational novel about love, loss, family secrets, and the ways one generation’s choices can shape those that follow. They discuss the dual timelines, Tirzah and Harrison’s enduring connection, Ardelia and Oliver’s complicated relationship, and whether the ending delivers on the story’s promise.
Note: This episode includes discussion of domestic violence and sexual assault. Listener discretion is advised.
18 Aug 2026
Seven Daughters of Dupree, Part 2
Note: This episode includes discussion of domestic violence and sexual assault. Listener discretion is advised.
Author Nikesha Elise Williams (https://www.newwrites.com/) joins us for part two to discuss the family secrets, complicated relationships, and generations of Black women at the center of the novel. We also talk about her writing and publishing journey, the choices behind the story, and what she hopes readers carry with them after the final page.
Listen to the new episode of Shelf Sabotage (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB9JR0N2_73RXWN9prnyku_SV9ik6lEy_&si=ZsMrI97GZaFM4pJc)™ wherever you get your podcasts.
Support Nikesha’s work by purchasing The Seven Daughters of Dupree (https://leftonreadbookstore.com/item/gQpiPqSJBXgdQ0pO18YZ2g), exploring her self-published backlist, requesting her books through your local library, leaving a review, and sharing them with other readers.
3 Aug 2026
Seven Daughters of Dupree, Part 1
In Part 1 of our conversation about The Seven Daughters of Dupree by Nikesha Elise Williams, we unpack the secrets, relationships, and inherited wounds connecting seven generations of women from 1860 to 1995.
We talk through our first impressions, the shifting timeline, the characters who tested our patience, and the ways the novel explores motherhood, colorism, passing, hair, reproductive trauma, family silence, and the harm that can grow when people refuse to tell the truth.
Listen now and stay tuned for Part 2 when we sit down with Nikesha to discuss the novel, her research, and our burning questions after reading.
20 Jul 2026
Harlem Rhapsody, Part 2: An Interview with Victoria Christopher Murray
Check out Part 2 of our Harlem Rhapsody discussion. This time, we're joined by the book's author, Victoria Christopher Murray, who discusses the research behind the novel, her writing process, the choices she made in telling Jessie Redmon Fauset’s story, and where history ends and fiction begins.
We also get into Victoria's latest novel, the responsibility of writing real Black historical figures, and what she hopes readers carry with them after reading Harlem Rhapsody.
5 Jul 2026
Harlem Rhapsody, Part I
In Part 1, we discuss Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray. Join us as we get into the complicated relationship between Jessie Redmon Fauset and W.E.B. Du Bois—from the affair, grief, and power dynamics to race relations and more.
The conversation continues in Part 2, where we speak with Victoria about her writing process, what in the story is real and what's not, and her latest novel.
17 Jun 2026
People Person
The real question: would you have covered for Dimple?
This week, we're unpacking the siblings' decision, the predicament they find themselves in, and the audacity of Cyril.
12 Jun 2026
Happy Land
In this episode, we discuss Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez—a multigenerational historical fiction rooted in land, legacy, family secrets, and the history behind the Kingdom of the Happy Land.
19 May 2026
The Lagos Wife, Part 2: An Interview with Vanessa Walters
This week on Shelf Sabotage, we’re joined by Vanessa Walters, author of Lagos Wife, to talk about the inspiration behind the book, the real-life experiences that shaped the story, and the layers beneath the drama. 👀✨
If you’ve read Lagos Wife (or are looking for your next read), this conversation is one you don’t want to miss!
4 May 2026
The Lagos Wife, Part 1
Content warning: This episode includes discussion of domestic violence and sexual assault. Listener discretion is advised.
This week's episode unpacks The Lagos Wife: a mystery featuring complex history, layered characters, and an unexpected twist. We discuss the back-and-forth timeline featuring two main perspectives, and how much of the main character comes through other people’s voices.
Check out Part 1, then join us next episode for our conversation with Vanessa Walters.
20 Apr 2026
With Love From Harlem
On this episode of Shelf Sabotage™, we get into With Love from Harlem by ReShonda Tate, and… whew! Join us as we follow the life of Hazel Scott, a Black woman and musical prodigy navigating fame, love, and power in 1940s Harlem, alongside Adam Clayton Powell Jr., whose ambition and ego complicate it all. From the outside, Hazel’s life looks glamorous but up close “it’s complicated,” as life and love can sometimes be.
QTNA: Did you already know Hazel Scott? And how much did you really know about Adam?
#ShelfSabotage #HazelScott #AdamClaytonPowellJr #ReShondaTate
6 Apr 2026
Americanah
In this episode of Shelf Sabotage, we’re breaking down Americanah (https://bookshop.org/a/106727/9780307455925) by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
We follow Ifemelu and Obinze across Nigeria, the United States, and the U.K., and use their story to open up a wider conversation.
We talked about “the American dream,” Black hair, identity, unlearning respectability, and the tension between who you were, who you are, and who you’re becoming.
We also get into relationships, immigration realities, and what it looks like to outgrow people and environments that once felt right.
Tune in if you’re ready for your shelf to be sabotaged.
16 Mar 2026
Ring Shout, Part 2: An Interview with P. Djèlí Clark
In Episode 2 of Shelf Sabotage™, we sit down with P. Djèlí Clark (https://pdjeliclark.com/) to discuss his award winning novella, Ring Shout, and the cultural traditions that resonate with themes explored in the movie Sinners.
From the spiritual roots of ring shouts to Black folklore, resistance, and the role of media in shaping history, we unpack the deeper connections between the book, the film, and the cultural traditions that inspired them.
2 Mar 2026
Ring Shout
Welcome to the very first episode of Shelf Sabotage™.
In our premiere, we’re diving into P. Djèlí Clark’s Ring Shout (https://www.leftonreadbooks.com/product-page/ring-shout): a genre-bending story that definitely had us thinking (and slightly confused at times 😅). As we discuss, some powerful through lines begin to emerge that make the story hit even deeper.
If you’ve read it, drop your thoughts below. We want to hear your take!
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
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