The Books We Loved

Homage, reimaginings, retellings that aren’t quite retellings. Whatever you call it, we’re talking about it today on the podcast with Mariel from Youth Services.  Click here for a list of books discussed on the show.    Writing in the Shadow of a Masterpiece: On Homage by Margot Livesy

Daring escapes, complex revenge plots, swashbuckling adventurers, France! This week, we're discussing The Count of Monte Cristo. Special guests Keegan (Head of Youth Services) and Scott from Altair join us to revisit this thrilling classic.    Scoop about an upcoming series. 

As we dive into the new year, Manda and Olivia look back on the three books that had the biggest impact on their lives. Which books would you choose? Send your titles in to podcast@troypl.org-- we'd love to hear from you. 

An objective and all-inclusive list of the best books of 2023, chosen by Manda and Olivia! Nothing is missing and every book is perfect.  Here's to a bookish and beautiful 2024!

Books make the best gifts, and librarians Manda and Olivia are here to recommend some winners for your loved ones this holiday season. Settle into your favorite armchair with a lovely cup of tea and tune in to hear about some fab reads. 

As we take a break for the holidays, we thought this would be a good time to revisit one of our favorite episodes-- Daisy Jones & the Six.  See you in a couple of weeks with new bookish holiday content. Dream big, little bird!   

Grab your beaker, your spatula, and your talking dog-- today we're talking about the hit book and TV series, Lessons in Chemistry! Do our hosts think it's worth the hype? Tune in to find out. 

Grab your black cat, adjust your witch hat, and make sure your button eyes are securely sewn into place-- in honor of Halloween, we're discussing all things Neil Gaiman. Join us as we reflect on three of Gaiman's greatest hits:  Coraline, The Graveyard Book, and The Ocean at the End of the Lane. 

In honor of the movie's release, Kate from Youth Services joins our hosts to look at David Grann's Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI. What makes this book great, and do we expect greatness from the film? Tune in to find out. 

Grab your Faygo pop and your Better Made chips-- today we're talking about all of our favorite Michigan-made-media!  Our guest today is local author Andrew Collard-- learn more about him and his award-winning collection, Sprawl, here . 

Shari Pawlus, Principal of Hill Elementary, and Stephan Henning, Assistant Principal at Larson Middle School, join Manda and Olivia to talk about all things picture books. Tune in if you want to discover some beautiful books while learning about what it means to be a school principal. 

Grab your stage makeup, your character shoes, and your copy of the Scottish Play-- today we're talking about all things community theater with our friends from the Ridgedale Players , Sandra and Scott! Manda and Olivia ask the tough questions-- who picks the shows and how do they choose? Who should audition? What if someone is shy but wants to be involved? Is community theater really a community?...

Manda and Olivia are back with some more recommendations for our listeners! Pull up a chair and take notes, darling listeners-- it's time to add some new titles to your TBR list.  Click here for a list of books discussed on the show.  Click here to submit your own listener request. You might hear it in a future episode! 

Grab your low-rise jeans, your sliving gloves, and the nearest chihuahua-- today we're talking about Paris: The Memoir by Paris Hilton! Elizabeth, Manda, and Olivia talk about this fascinating (and often quite dark) autobiography, tackling topics such as the troubled teen industry, media coverage of female pop icons, and what it was like growing up in the early 2000s.  ** Content warning-- Paris:...

Dr. Dipesh Navsaria--a pediatrician, public health professional, and cohost of the Reach Out and Read podcast-- joins our hosts to revisit Paradise Lost by John Milton. Will Manda and Olivia overcome their prejudice against super old books English teachers made them read long enough to have an interesting discussion? Tune in to find out! Click here to learn more about the work Dr. Navsaria does to...

Welcome to the very first Hot Reads episode, where we dive into a book that reflects a timely issue in the culture. This week, we're discussing Two Degrees by Alan Gratz. Middle Grade readers know that Gratz does not shy away from hot topics-- in this novel, he tackles climate change.  Click here for a list of books discussed on the show. 

This week, Manda and Olivia are responding to listener requests! Our hosts will be sharing their favorite reads with their favorite listeners, from ikigai to high fantasy. At the request of one of our readers, no bodices were ripped in the making of this episode.    Click here for a list of books discussed on the show. Happy reading!  Click here to submit your own listener request. You might hear...

Grab your psychic log and a hot cup of diner coffee-- today we're revisiting Twin Peaks with Mariel from Youth Services!    Further Reading Olivia mentions an article she'd read on the show-- click here to read "The Oldest Story: Toward a Theory of a Dead Girl Show" by Alice Bolin.   

Jeff Marraccini, Chief Information Security Officer at Altair and member of the Friends of the Troy Public Library Board, joins our hosts to revisit Octavia E. Butler's classic sci-fi novel, The Parable of the Sower. Tune in to hear their conversation about climate fiction and Butler's lasting literary legacy.    Click here for Jeff's expert list of science fiction recommendations.  Click here to...

Grab your magic action figure and your coolest new hoodie-- today we're talking about the hit graphic novel/TV series, American Born Chinese! Spoiler alert: we liked it.  Click here for a list of books discussed on the show. 

Manda and Olivia are back to tell you what to read! We don't call it bossy, we call it "public librarianship," and it's going to blow your mind.  Click here for a list of books discussed on the show.  Still not sure what to read? Click here to tell us a little about what you're in the mood for, and Manda and Olivia will pick a book just for you on the air. 

Now that Succession has wrapped up, we're getting nostalgic for some old-school high-stakes finance stories. So grab your Rolodex, your briefcase, and your bags of money and join us as we revisit the 1987 classic, Wall Street.  Our absolutely fabulous guess this time around is Scott Wyckoff from Walsh College, who kindly helps two baffled public librarians understand new things about the world of...

Set fire to your pointe shoes, my friends, we're talking about the 2000 dance movie, Center Stage! Library Director Emily Dumas returns, this time with her sister Mary in tow, to examine the cultural impact of this movie and so many other great dance movies. Tune in as we ask ourselves: does this movie hold up?  Need something good to read? Click here to tell Manda and Olivia a little bit about yo...

Join us as we revisit the literary legacy of the one, the only, Judy Blume. Karen from Adult Services visits to dissect classics such as Freckle Juice, Wifey, Then Again, Maybe I Won't, and of course, Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret.  Whether you've been a Blume stan for years or are just now getting into her writing thanks to the recent documentary Judy Blume Forever or the movie version of...

Our very first requests-only episode is here! Listeners asked for book recommendations, and we came through. Tune in to add some new books to your TBR list.  Need something good to read? Click here to tell Manda and Olivia a little bit about your reading preferences, and they will recommend some great books to you on a future episode of The Books We Loved.  Click here for a list of the books discu...