Beyond the Shelves: A Podcast from the Des Moines Public Library

On the latest episode of the DMPL Podcast, host Aaron is joined by Book Chat librarians Janeé and Steph to discuss their favorite books of 2021.  If you're interested in hearing more about our librarians' favorite books, be sure to take part in our Best of 2021 virtual program next Wednesday, December 15, at 6:30 PM on Zoom! Four more Book Chat librarians will be sharing their favorite reads and d...

Today on the podcast, Annie Nelson, a Bereavement Coordinator at Hospice of the Midwest, joins the podcast. With the holidays coming up, she recommends some books about grief and grieving to help us make sense of what can be a tough time of year for many people. Annie's Recommendations On Death and Dying,  by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross On Grief and Grieving,  by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Healing Your Griev...

On today's DMPL Podcast, host Aaron Gernes chats with Janeé, from the Book Chat team, about some of her favorite horror books in the past year. Janeé is DMPL's horror aficionado, so you can be sure that her picks are some of the best around! Janeé's Book Picks My Heart is a Chainsaw , by Stephen Graham Jones The Final Girl Support Group , by Grady Hendrix Only If You Dare: 13 Stories of Darkness a...

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month. Heidi Kroner is the founder of Decoding Dyslexia Iowa as well as Aspire Academy, a group that raises dyslexia awareness, empowers families to support their children, and influence policymakers and educators on best practices to identify, remediate, and support Iowa students with dyslexia. She's also the founder of Aspire Academy, a tutoring center that helps br...

Steph from the Book Chat team joins us today on the DMPL Podcast to talk about books for Latinx Heritage Month! She has a book picked out for adults, young adults, and children and discusses what she loves about each. Be sure to check out the bookmarks in the Show Notes for more Latinx Heritage Month reading suggestions. Show Notes Steph's Picks My Broken Language , by Quiara Alegria Hudes Fat Cha...

On the latest episode of the DMPL Podcast, Aaron Gernes chats with local author Anthony Paustian about his book,  A Quarter Million Steps , and Bookpress Publishing, a local publisher where Paustian works as a writing coach.  A Quarter Million Steps  is an award-winning leadership book that utilizes the Apollo space program as a metaphor that allows you to create success through imagination, creat...

Book Chat librarians Rebecca and Maddie join the DMPL Podcast to discuss Book Chat's newest service, Book a Book Chat Librarian. This service gives you the opportunity to have a librarian visit and chat with your book club, classroom, business, or other organization to discuss books and get reading recommendations. Rebecca and Maddie talk about different scenarios you might want a Book Chat librar...

On the one-year anniversary of the derecho that ripped through Iowa, meteorologist Terry Swails joins the DMPL Podcast to talk about Swails' newest book,  Derecho 911. During the podcast, Swails recalls the events of that day and discusses what makes derechos so hard to predict. He also talks about the aftermath, including the damage, how communities came together, and what steps the National Weat...

Book Chat librarian Alissa joins host Aaron Gernes on the DMPL Podcast to discuss graphic novels. It's a great conversation about some of the wonderful graphic novels that have been released in recent years with something for people of all ages. Show Notes Book Picks Discussed on the Podcast The Thud , by Mikaël Ross After the Rain , by John Jennings; illustrated by David Brame. Adapted from "On t...

Author and Iowa native Lana Wood Johnson joins us on The DMPL Podcast. Johnson, who grew up in Des Moines, recently released her second novel,  Speak for Yourself .  During the course of the podcast, Johnson talks about how she approaches the challenges that come with writing modern young adult books, including how some of her work history helps her when it comes to writing text message and group...

On today's DMPL Podcast, librarian Rebecca Cloud, with the Book Chat team, provides some book picks for Pride.  Books Discussed on the Podcast Shadow Life , by Hiromi Goto The Art of Drag , by Jake Hall The Thirty Names of Night , by Zeyn Joukhadar Other Pride Book Picks How to They/Them: A Visual Guide to Nonbinary Pronouns and the World of Gender Fluidity , by Stuart Getty The Pronoun Lowdown: D...

REGISTER for Rachel McCarthy James' author event on Saturday, June 12, at 2:00 PM. The event will also be available online beginning Monday, June 14, and will be available through Sunday, July 11. In the early 20th century , a series of families were murdered over the course of nearly two decades, including the infamous Villisca Axe Murders. Many theories have abounded over the years, but a 2017 t...

Host Aaron Gernes chats with AViD author Elin Hilderbrand in preparation for her virtual visit on Wednesday, June 9. Among other things, she talks about what it is about summer that she loves so much, the two moments that changed her career, and what hidden gem she thinks everyone should read. Show Notes Elin Hilderbrand | Website Elin Hilderbrand | Facebook Elin Hilderbrand | Instagram Elin Hilde...

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Erica, a librarian at the Franklin Avenue Library, joins us on the podcast today to discuss a selection of picture books that can help kids learn about mental health and feelings such as grief, anger, and anxiety.  Erica's Picks Big Feelings , by Alexandra Penfold, illus. by Suzanne Kaufman It Was Supposed to be Sunny , by Samantha Cotterill Bear Island , by M...

Iowa author Joseph LeValley joins host Aaron Gernes. LeValley is the author of the Tony Harrington thriller series, about a small-town Iowa newspaper reporter who uncovers conspiracies and solves mysteries using his reporting skills and sources. LeValley's newest novel in the series,  The Third Side of Murder , takes Harrington out of Iowa and has him chasing mafiosos in New York City and Italy, w...

Marlú joins us to discuss some great books and Kanopy movies! Kanopy is the library's free video streaming service. To use Kanopy*, go to dmpl.kanopy.com and create an account using your library card number and PIN. *You must live in Des Moines, Windsor Heights, or rural Polk County to use Kanopy for free with your Des Moines Public Library card.   Show Notes Marlú's Picks: Book 1: Natalie Tan's B...

AViD author Tayari Jones takes part in the DMPL Podcast ahead of her virtual visit this coming Saturday. She talks about her favorite story growing up, the scene she considered toughest in her award-winning novel  An American Marriage , and when she thinks she writes best.  Tayari Jones will be taking part in AViD on Saturday, March 27, at 3:00 PM as part of the DSM Book Festival. You can register...

On the latest episode of the DMPL Podcast, Jenny from the Book Chat team joins us to talk about books with crazy plots and premises. As Jenny describes them, these books feature "a thriller sympathetic towards the murderer, a heist that focuses on student debt, and a remake of an old favorite children's book as an adult horror story." Show Notes Jenny's Picks Discussed on the Podcast My Sister, th...

Author and Iowa native Greer Macallister is the guest on the latest episode of The DMPL Podcast. Her newest novel, The Arctic Fury , follows an all-female expedition to the north as they try to uncover what happened to the lost Franklin expedition . Greer discusses why she wanted to set a book in this ice cold setting and how she assembled the Ocean's 13 -esque crew of characters. She also lets us...

AViD author Robert Kolker joins us on the DMPL Podcast! We talk about how he came to know the Galvin family, the subject of his newest, critically acclaimed book  Hidden Valley Road . Kolker also discusses the challenges of structuring of narrative nonfiction books and reveals which classic novel he just completed and loved. Show Notes Kolker's Books Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an Ameri...

Iowa author Darcy Maulsby is the guest on the latest DMPL Podcast! Her newest book,  Classic Restaurants of Des Moines and Their Recipes , is a culinary history of Des Moines restaurants During the podcast, Maulsby and host Aaron Gernes discuss restaurants of days' past, including Babe's, Johnny & Kay's, King Ying Low, and more. It's a must-read for anyone who want's to feel nostalgia as well as t...

Theresa and Lynn join us today on the DMPL Podcast! The two Library Assistants love the DMPL Reading Challenge , and they've picked three books each to discuss - one in each of three different categories. Show Notes Theresa's Books Educated , by Tara Westover - A book based on its cover My Antonia , by Willa Cather - A book she enjoyed in school One Summer: America, 1927 , by Bill Bryson - A book...

Show Notes Adam Higginbotham | Website Adam Higginbotham | Twitter Midnight in Chernobyl Books and stories discussed: M.R. James:  Collected Ghost Stories  and  Ghost Stories of an Antiquary "Life at the Top," by Adam Higginbotham ( The New Yorker , February 4, 2013) Naples '44 , by Norman Lewis (GoodReads link) The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York , by Robert Caro How the Word...

Janeé and Rebecca, with the Book Chat team, join host Aaron to chat about their favorite books this year. What made them laugh? What made them cry? What made 2020 a great year for reading? Listen to the podcast to find out, and be sure to check out the show notes to see other books they loved that they didn't discuss. Show Notes Book Chat Janeé's Books Picture Books I Am Every Good Thing,  by Derr...

It's the first episode in our latest AViD Podcast Series! Kate Quinn in answering seven questions about her books, what she reads, how she writes, and more. After you're done listening to the podcast, be sure to register for her AViD event next Wednesday, December 9, at 7:00 PM! You can do so at the AViD Page below. Show Notes AViD Page Kate's Info Kate Quinn | Website Kate Quinn | Facebook Kate Q...