Beyond Books

Sara and Kate are two life-long readers, librarians, and best friends. Join them as they discuss reading, literary topics, and more. Share in the woes of reading slumps and feel better about DNFing that read. Listen as they discuss the books that they have loved and loathed. Tune in every other Friday for conversations about books and beyond.

Last refreshed: June 29th, 2025 at 11:52 PM ⓘ

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Episodes

108: Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll

Join us for an in-depth discussion of Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Recommendations: Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley and The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova Intro Music Composed by Dana K.

Aug 14, 2021•40 min•Season 1Ep. 8

107: Stranger Than Fiction

Join Sara, Kate and special guest Maggie for a discussion about nonfiction books! What we're currently reading: Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid; Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff; The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang Intro Music composed by Dana K.!

Jul 30, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 108

106: Reading Snapshot

Listen as we chat about some of our favorite books we've read so far in 2021! Our Top Books so far: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, Seeds Planted in Concrete by Bianca Sparacino, The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, Anxious People by Frederik Backman, Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield, and Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach. Our Honorable Mentions: Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell, S...

Jul 16, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 6

105: Name That Book! And Other Trivia

Listen to us quiz each other about our favorite books! One-Star Review Game inspired by Merphy Napier (YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7FW6FYqPLeQIXMSulBfOLw) SPOILERS FOR THE GAMES BELOW: Titles Mentioned: - Anxious People by Fredrik Backman - The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon - Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson - Lord of the Rings Trilogy by JRR Tolkien - Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman - The Temeraire Series by Naomi Novik - The Girl i...

Jul 02, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 5

104: Don’t Judge a Book by it’s Movie

What's better, the book or the movie? In this episode we break down some of favorite (and not-so-favorite) book-to-screen adaptations. Titles Mentioned in this Episode: Grishaverse series - Leigh Bardugo; A Song of Ice and Fire series - George R.R. Martin; Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury; The Handmaid's Tale, The Testaments - Margaret Atwood; Little Fires Everywhere - Celeste Ng; Inferno - Dan Brown; The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks; The Martian - Andy Weir; The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - John Boy...

Jun 18, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 4

103: Talk Dewey to Me

This episode we have a very special guest: our former boss and current Library Director, Crystal! Join us for a chat about how we got our start in the library field, what it takes to become a librarian, debunking stereotypes, and all of the amazing ways libraries help their communities.

Jun 04, 2021•46 min•Season 1Ep. 3

102: Don't You Wish You Were Here?

Join us for a discussion of The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune! Disclaimer, June 3, 2021: It has come to our attention that TJ Klune recently revealed his inspiration for this title to be that of residential schools for indigenous children in Canada. We're sensitive to the gravity of this issue and how harmful it is to indigenous peoples, particular in light of the recent discovery of 215 children's remains at the Kamloops Indian Residential School. Our views, as presented in this episode...

May 21, 2021•49 min•Season 1Ep. 2

101: Death & Dragons

In the first episode of Beyond Books, Sara and Kate discuss their reading habits, their favorite books, and some of the blessing and burdens of being readers. Titles mentioned in this episode: "The Priory of the Orange Tree" by Samantha Shannon, "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury, "Dreamland" by Sarah Dessen, "The Giver" by Lois Lowry, "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien, "Good Omens" by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, "Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hr. Bookstore" by Robin Sloan, "Piranesi" by Susanna Clarke, The...

May 07, 2021•57 min•Season 1Ep. 1

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Apr 13, 2021•34 sec

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