Quick Picks

Nick, our commercial announcer, has a new book club at our library called Adult Popular Fiction, which meets the third Saturday of every month, and he has just finished the third book, so we thought we'd share the books he's had for the book discussion and what he thought of them. Discussed: Peaces, by Helen Oyeyemi The Tiger Mom's Tale, by Lyn Liao Butler Women of Salt, by Gabriela Garcia

May is Asian Heritage Month and to celebrate we are highlighting Asian authors who have written books we've loved that we wanted to share. There are a lot of countries in Asia and we don't have representation for all of them today, but stay tuned and we will surely have more to come. Discussed: Before the Coffee Gets Cold, by Toshikazu Kawaguchi Housekeeper and the Professor, by Yōko Ogawa Pachink...

Most of us have strong feelings about movies and TV shows made from books we've read, and opinions are as wide-ranging as ever. Today we're sharing our choices of the bad, the meh, the good, and the even better adaptations than books. Streaming info will need verification because it changes so often. We recommend the website JustWatch to see where you can find a movie to stream; check with your lo...

We have become a binging society, and what better to binge than a scrumptious book series? Tana and I have read and continue to read a ton of series of multiple genres and we're sharing a few of our favorites. Discussed: John Sandford: Lucas Davenport, Virgil Flowers, and Letty Davenport William Kent Krueger: Cork O'Connor Robert B. Parker: Spenser, Jesse Stone, and Sunny Randall Sara Paretsky: V....

There seems to be two types of historical fiction, these days: WWII, and everything else. Today we're going to talk about everything else, from ancient history to the 20th Century. Some are lighter than others, many have female protagonists, and some will surprise you with a glimpse at the women behind the famous men in history. Discussed: Author, Marie Benedict The Personal Librarian The Other Ei...

Are you or people you love going hog-wild for manga lately? Well, we have two experts on staff who are here to tell you all about the manga they have been reading forever to help you find new things to read or to understand why your kids are obsessed. Aleece and Stephanie are our manga experts and have a lot to share with everyone. Discussed: Skip and Loafer, by Takamatsu, Misaki Voice Over! Seiyu...

March is many things to many people: the change of seasons, spring break, Lent, and the start of Daylight Savings. However, we are going to focus on Women's History Month to highlight female authors writing short stories. It's a shorter podcast but we still have quite a few suggestions for everyone and hope you find something you like among them. Southern Lady Code: Essays -- Helen Ellis Bring You...

To celebrate Black voices, we would like to highlight some of our favorite authors/writers and those our coworkers also recommend for various ages, genres, and interests. Discussed: Deacon King Kong - James McBride Girl With the Louding Voice - Abi Abi Daré His Only Wife - Peace Adzo Medie Boy, Snow, Bird - Helen Oyeyemi Homegoing, and Transcendent Kingdom - Yaa Gyasi Between the World and Me, and...

Valentine's Day can be divisive for those who embrace all the romance and love, and those who can't stand it. Tana and I are here to talk about books that made us laugh, gave us warm and fuzzy feelings, and had a little bit of romance, to try to bridge the gap between those who love all things romantic on Valentine's Day and those who do not. The Flatshare, by Beth O'Leary Evvie Drake Starts Over,...

Steve joins me in this episode to discuss the results of our library's Best of 2021 ballots in many categories, including books and media.  Fic: Hamnet - Maggie O'Farrell Razorblade Tears - SA Cosby The Four Winds - Kristin Hannah The Other Emily - Dean Koontz The Man Who Lived Underground - Richard Wright She Who Became the Sun - Shelley Parker-Chan The Lincoln Highway - Amor Towles Mys/Thri...

January means lists, lists, lists. Resolution lists, to-do lists, award nomination lists, award winners lists, and of course, favorite lists. Today Tana and I share our favorite books of 2021. If you're interested in our Best of Kids Books Facebook series on January 22, 2022, hosted by Aleece and Kelly, please visit the Round Lake Area Public Library's Facebook Page . Tana's Top Ten List: Razorbla...

For most people, the holiday season means family time, which can be wonderful or it can be incredibly frustrating. Tana is back to discuss some of our favorite books that are about family, the good and the bad. Discussed: The Lost Man, by Jane Harper Tallgrass, by Sandra Dallas Razorblade Tears, S. A. Cosby The Survivors, by Jane Harper Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe, by Heather Webber The Mountai...

For those who celebrate Christmas, there are a lot of traditions many of us have in common. Whether it’s baking for loved ones, colors or a theme for all tree decorations, holiday meals, what day presents are opened, and many more, one I think most of us embrace whole-heartedly is a personally curated list of Christmas movies to put on in the background or to sit down with focus and watch. And tod...

Happy Native American Heritage Day! Join Kelly and me for a great discussion about some of the fantastic books by or about Native Nations. We have books for young kids, tweens, teens, and adults, celebrating and teaching us about indigenous culture. We both are excited and hopeful for the doors that have opened to Native American authors, and we would like to shout from the rooftops that we also n...

Whether it's for health reasons, environmental reasons, or to accommodate someone else's dietary needs, we all need good vegetarian and vegan recipes we can count on for regular meals or family gatherings, and Steve joins me to discuss our favorite cookbooks and some of the delicious meals we've made from them. Discussed: Vegetable Kingdom: The Abundant World of Vegan Recipes, by Bryant Terry Book...

This extended episode is a conversation between my long-time friend, Dr. Briana Jackson , who I consider a connoisseur of scary movies, wherein we talk all about them, from our favorites to tropes to how to cope when watching truly terrifying films. We chose to leave this as a longer episode and not break it down into two so hopefully there's something here to keep you entertained on this last Oct...

There are so many types of horror novels to devour and we have compiled a list of a wide variety of books for adults and some for teens, with more well-known authors and some more obscure, so that there's something for everyone if you like a scary story. Winter People by Jennifer McMahon Author, Grady Hendrix: Horrorstor; Final Girl Support Group; The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires...

I love ghosts. I grew up loving ghosts like Casper and Gus and even when I found stories where they weren't so friendly, I still loved them. Ghost stories are my absolute favorite and I'm going to share with you some of the creepy, ghoulish ghost stories you may not know about, or maybe you do and just need a nudge to try them. There is no better time to hang out with an apparition or visit a haun...

Attention videogamers, RPG players, and Japanese gaming fans! Today we're going to talk about Japanese role-playing videogames with an expert and connoisseur, Aleece. Whether you're playing on your Switch or feel nostalgic for the old Nintendo days, or use a Playstation somewhere in between, we have some series to talk about.  Discussed: Atelier Ys Tales (of) ... Nikki's Pick: The Traveling C...

Tana and I both read a lot of books that have settings outside the US and we give you our first installment of books from other countries. Discussed: Sweden: Fredrik Backman Beartown series My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry Australia: Liane Moriarty What Alice Forgot Truly Madly Guilty Nigeria: Oyinkan Brainthwaite My Sister, the Serial Killer Iran: Marjan Kamali Stationery Shop Nikk...

Not all books are read for joy or laughter -- sometimes we read things with very difficult subject matter that give us a taste of someone else's hardships, which are important and present us with an opportunity to discuss them, like the books Tana and I discuss today. Discussed hard reads: My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Left...

Who among us did not grow up having books read to us and stories told to us by our family? It's a tradition that predates written word. We love telling and hearing stories, that stir the mind as well as the emotions. Tana and I are huge connoisseurs of audiobooks and we are here to share our love and our favorites with all of you. Discussed narrators and audiobooks: Titus Welliver (Harry Bosch ser...

Tana is back again for more fun talking about the whodunnits we love, that won’t leave you reeling from the language and violence, but introduce you to some of our favorite quirky characters you might also love. Join us for some lighter fare with occasional dead bodies and lots of laughs and heart. The Maggie Hope Series by Susan Elia MacNeal Book 1: Mr. Churchill's Secretary Flavia de Luce Series...

In this episode, Kelly returns to talk about growing opportunities in children's literature for marginalized voices to showcase their stories. Teaching your children empathy and correcting bullying behavior can be accomplished through celebrating diversity in books and extrapolating it to life, and we have a list of many books to suggest for enrichment for you and your children. On the podcast We...

Over a year into this pandemic and now we can do things again, which instantly makes me think of taking a road trip! If your family (with children) is planning on a road trip or you'll have time to listen to chapter books on audio, we have a list of suggestions for you. Kelly from our Youth Services Department is my expert for this episode and we'll discuss a handful of titles for your family, and...