FVRL ReadRadio Podcast

Did you know that Margaret Hamilton wrote the code to launch the first spaceship to the moon? Do you know about Virginia Hall, one of the greatest spies in history? Danay introduces us to a selection of books about awesome women from history: Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison, I am Malala by Malala Yousefzai, and Path to the Stars by Sylvia Acevedo.

Joann introduces us to three spine-chilling supernatural mysteries: The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James, The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher, and Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. These three excellent novels are guaranteed to keep you up at night, under the covers, with all the lights turned on!

Do you think a brontosaurus would make a good pet? Tune in as Brenna tells us all about a playful and entertaining first chapter book: Lulu and the Brontosaurus, written by Judith Viorst and illustrated by Lane Smith. Looking for more Lulu? Check out the other titles in the series: Lulu Walks the Dogs, Lulu's Mysterious Mission, and Lulu Is Getting a Sister from the FVRL print or digital collectio...

Brenna shares a selection of engaging documentaries about interesting people that she has viewed on the video streaming service Kanopy: The Babushkas of Chernobyl, Kim Swims – A Record-Breaking Female Athlete, and Walk With Me – A Journey into Mindfulness. These documentaries are available to view on Kanopy, and can be accessed using your FVRL library card.

Jessica shares a few spooky reading recommendations for middle grade readers: Small Spaces by Katherine Arden, City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab, and The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste. If you’re in grades 4 to 7, these eerie tales might be just what you’re looking for!

Looking for a page turner? Katie tells us about Adam Silvera’s fast-paced, character-driven, young adult fantasy, Infinity Son, set in a carefully conceived alternate reality. The cast of characters are all wonderfully complicated individuals you will not soon forget. Eager to read more? Check out the sequel, Infinity Reaper.

In today’s podcast, Jacque tells us about the Frog and Toad books by Arnold Lobel. We call these books “green dot books” or “easy readers,” because they’re at the right level for kids who are learning to read. These books have easy words and pictures that tell the stories of Frog and Toad – best friends who get up to many adventures together.

Alaxandra shares insights about her favourite cookbooks by America’s Test Kitchen. Looking to try a new recipe? Check out a Test Kitchen title from the FVRL print or digital collection!

Curious about cooking and baking? Alaxandra talks about her favourite cookbooks for first time and budding young chefs. Check out an America’s Test Kitchen title from the FVRL print or digital collection and start exploring recipes today!

Happy Freedom to Read Week! Jessica tells us about the importance of Freedom to Read Week, and highlights a variety of titles that explore the subjects of intellectual freedom and censorship. For more information, check out https://www.freedomtoread.ca/.

Helena shares a selection of captivating non-fiction titles for adult readers to add to their reading lists: Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb, The No Meat Athlete Cookbook by Matt Frazier, and Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover.

YA novels are often the best for fast-paced and plot-driven fantasy. In today’s podcast, Jacque shares three fantasy series that will entertain both teens and adult readers: The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater, Chaos Walking by Patrick Ness, and Legends of Orisha by Tomi Adeyme.

In today’s podcast Sally shares one of her favourite series of all time: The Young Wizards by Diane Duane. Beginning with So You Want to Be a Wizard, this 11-book series follows new wizards Kit and Nita as they learn new skills and explore a new magical world.

TumbleBookLibrary is a digital collection of ebooks for children. This wonderful learning resource has an extensive collection of talking picture books, as well as puzzles and games, a non-fiction section, and short informational videos from National Geographic. TumbleBooks is free for FVRL customers! Look for it on the Digital Content tab of our website or download the app.

FVRL is celebrating Family Literacy Week 2021 (Jan. 24–31). The theme this year is Physical Literacy – Let’s Be Active! Move, Play, Learn! Physical literacy is all about learning different ways to be active, building good active habits, confidence and motivation! The library has many books and other resources to support physical literacy. In this week’s podcast, Jacque shares her recommendations.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to grow up in Africa? In Lois J. Peterson's book, The Paper House, we meet ten-year-old Safiyah, who lives in a slum outside of Nairobi, Kenya. Life is hard for Safiya, but she enjoys looking at colourful magazine pictures. She begins to use the paper clippings to create a beautiful mural on the outside of her house, and it soon brings joy to all who se...

Settle in for an epic read through time and space! The novels of Pulitzer Prize winning author James A. Michener span centuries and weave through generations of families. In this week's podcast, Mieke shares three of her favourite Michener novels: Hawaii, The Covenant, and Alaska.

Authors from Sweden, Norway and Finland are popular for their dark and atmospheric thrillers, but there are some great light reads that reflect Nordic culture and include humour and quirky characters rather than murder and mayhem. In today's podcast, Jacque shares the books of Fredrick Backman, Jonas Jonasson and Katrina Bivald.

Do you love Dav Pilkey's Dog Man? If you can't wait for the next installment (coming out Spring 2021), then Cindy's got you covered with some great series that are just as silly and weird! Try out Caveboy Dave, Sparks! or The Treehouse Books.

Alexandra is here to tell us about three great historical novels from a few years ago that you might have missed: The Book of Negros, Orphan Train, and The Nightingale.

In today's podcast Jacque reviews Julia Quinn's Bridgerton, the book series that inspired Shonda Rhimes's new Netflix series. The books follow the eight Bridgerton siblings – Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory and Hyacinth – as they navigate Regency-era London's high society.

This week's podcaster, Corinne, wants to "bring back the book." Wally Lamb's novel I Know This Much Is True was adapted for television, but Corinne wants you to give the original book a try. While lengthy, the novel is well worth the read. It offers a haunting portrayal of the relationship between the main character, Dominick, and his identical twin brother Thomas, whose struggles with schizophren...

In The Big One-Oh by Dean Pitchford, we meet young Charley Maplewood. Determined not to be weird all his life, Charley decides to throw himself a tenth birthday party, complete with a "house of horrors" theme, but first he will have to make some friends to invite. The humour and horror of Charlie's tenth birthday will have you laughing out loud!

FVRL is celebrating 25 years of community with the City of Abbotsford. 2020 marks 25 years since the Districts of Matsqui and Abbotsford amalgamated to form the City of Abbotsford. In this special podcast, Brandon and Sally share books and other resources that explore Abbotsford's history and show how our community has changed over the years.

Tara reviews the audiobook version of Becoming, a powerful and inspiring memoir by Michelle Obama, the former First Lady of the United States.