Bookish Banter

In our final episode of Bookish Banter, Sarah and Madi open with their current reads before presenting The Biggest Bookishest Banterest Awards of 2025 — a light-hearted look back at the stand-out categories that defined our reading year, from “Most Forgettable Book I Definitely Read” to the “Just One More Chapter” medal. We also share the last instalment of Fons Fun Facts, followed by a reflective...

In episode 16 of Bookish Banter, Sarah and Madi kick things off with their current reads before diving into a round of thought-provoking bookish questions — from the characters that left a lasting impact to the decade they’d choose to read from forever. Then, they take on a fun challenge: reading the first lines of six booktok books to see which ones spark curiosity. Along the way, they chat about...

In episode 15 of Bookish Banter, Sarah and Madi are joined by Sarah Roberts, Burnside Library’s Event Coordinator, to chat about what it’s really like behind the scenes of library events. Sarah shares how she decides which events to put on, the highlights (and challenges) of coordinating them, and her favourite “pinch me” moments on the job. They also dive into dream author guests, comfort reads,...

In episode 14 of Bookish Banter, Sarah and Madi are joined by special guest Heather F to chat all things book groups at Burnside Library. They explore how different titles spark conversation, whether it’s the story itself or the group dynamic that brings the magic. Heather shares hidden gems discovered through club picks, reflects on the role of book groups in building community, and even imagines...

In episode 13 of Bookish Banter, Sarah and Madi are back with a chaotic round of Would You Rather: Library Edition! Would you rather spill coffee on the rare book collection or delete the entire event calendar? Host toddler storytime with zero prep or tech support a massive Zoom talk? It’s a wild ride through library nightmares and magical daydreams. Then it’s time to build the ultimate Library Li...

In episode 13 of Bookish Banter , Sarah and Madi kickthings off by sharing what they’re currently reading before diving into a fun round of Genre Roulette . With six spins of the wheel and a mix of genres—from romance and fantasy to historical fiction and non-fiction—they each recommend a book that fits the category, explaining what makes it worth the read. The episode wraps up with an Annotation...

In episode 11 of Bookish Banter , Sarah and Madi kickthings off by sharing what they’re currently reading before diving into a fun Two Truths and a Lie book edition. They each share three statements about a book they’ve read—two are true, and one is a lie—while the other guesses the false one. The episode wraps up with a Rapid Fire round, where theyanswer a series of bookish questions in just five...

In episode 10 of Bookish Banter , Sarah and Madi are joined once again by Erin for a lively conversation about all things books and libraries. Erin shares her thoughts on underappreciated genres, the most powerful book she's ever read, and the process behind selecting books for library collections. Then, the trio takes on a fun fan-casting challenge, imagining dream movie adaptations for Fourth Wi...

In episode 9 of Bookish Banter, Sarah and Madi wrap up their buddy reading challenge of The Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune, sharing their final thoughts on the book. Then, they dive into a fun Bookish Debate Challenge, tackling tough questions like paperbacks vs. hardcovers, whether audiobooks count as reading, and if it's okay to quit a book halfway through. Tune in for lively discussions, book rec...

In episode 8 of Bookish Banter, Sarah and Madi check in on their buddy reading challenge, discussing The Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune as they reach the halfway point. They explore its themes, characters, and the blend of humor and heart. Then, they’re joined by Melissa from Burnside Library’s Home Service Department, who shares how she selects books and builds connections with patrons who can’t vi...

In episode 7 of Bookish Banter, Sarah and Madi announce a reading buddy challenge with In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune, where they plan to share their thoughts across the next two episodes. They also test each other’s book knowledge with a Famous Quotes game, trying to guess the books from famous lines. The conversation turns to reading rituals, bookish superpowers, and the ultimate question:...

In episode 6 of Bookish Banter, Sarah and Madi dive into their current reads and discuss which fictional characters they relate to the most. Then, they play a fun round of Literary Would You Rather, where they debate everything from time periods and unreliable narrators to magical abilities and plot-driven vs. character-driven stories. They also discuss book organization and share their most re-re...

In episode 5 of Bookish Banter, Sarah and Georgia dive into Rebecca Yarros’ Empyrean series, exploring the action, romance, and dragons that make Fourth Wing and Iron Flame so captivating. They discuss Violet Sorrengail’s journey through the deadly military academy, their favorite characters, and the plot twists and scenes that had them hooked. Plus, they debate whether they’d ride a dragon or a g...

In episode 4 of Bookish Banter, Sarah and Madi are joined by special guest Erin for a two-part conversation! In Part 1, Sarah and Erin discuss Erin’s library journey, favorite genres, and the best fictional worlds and romances. They also compare Twilight, Where the Crawdads Sing, and The Hunger Games in both book and movie form. In Part 2, Madi and Erin chat about surprise reads, reading pet peeve...

In episode 3 of Bookish Banter, Sarah and Madi rank BookTok books by their first lines, deciding which ones leave them hooked and which ones don’t quite make the cut. Co-worker Issy joins the conversation to chat about her favourite books, her role at the library, and the mysterious Library of Things. Sarah and Issy play a hilarious round of Book Terribly Described, followed by rapid-fire bookish...

In episode 2 of Bookish Banter, Sarah and Madi dive into their favourite genres, share their all-time favourite book characters, and play Kiss, Marry, Kill with characters from The Song of Achilles, Evelyn Hugo, and Throne of Glass. They also discuss movie adaptations that outshine their book counterparts and reveal which book-to-screen adaptations they can’t stand. Tune in for fun bookish debates...

In this first episode, Sarah and Madi share their favourite childhood books, discuss dream author events, and reveal surprising finds in book returns. They also chat about book recommendations, library superpowers, and what it’s like to work in a library. From memorable reads to the books they can’t stand, tune in for a fun and heartfelt conversation about all things books and libraries. Please no...