Ep. #492 - It's that time again! We're wishing October a happy goodbye and previewing the books we are most excited to read in November. We nerd out about Ready Player One for a bit and talk about some exciting upcoming live events you can join us for. First up is our live Big Library Read Zoom party with Ryan La Sala that you can sign up for here: https://biglibraryread.com/ Ready Player Two By Ernest Cline One Life By Megan Rapinoe Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man By Emmanuel Acho ...
Oct 29, 2020•38 min
Ep. #491 -- On today's episode, Jill sat down with author Erin A. Craig to talk about their shared love of Daphne Du Maurier's classic Rebecca and other Gothic horror novels. Other books discussed in this episode: Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware The Turn of the Screw by Henry James The Nesting by CJ Cook The House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 26, 2020•29 min
Ep. #490- Contrary to the recent opinion of S.E. Hinton, graphic novels rule and they are an incredible way to enjoy a story. Whether it's a re-imagining of an existing book or something created entirely out of artwork, all graphic novels and comics offer something unique and stunning. In this chat, Adam is joined by Kristin and Marie from the OverDrive Team of Librarians. They get into a bunch of nonfiction comics and graphic novels, touch on web comics they love, and get on a soapbox about how...
Oct 22, 2020•57 min
Ep. #489 - On today's episode, Adam interviews Ann Cleeves about her newest novel The Darkest Evening. They chat about Vera Stanhope's origins, the Agatha Christie style story she decided to write, and what inspires her to keep writing a novel a year for the last three decades. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 19, 2020•43 min
Ep. #488- On today's episode, Adam interviews Maggie Stiefvater & Kami Garcia about their respective new origin story graphic novels for DC Comics. Both Maggie's Swamp Thing story Twin Branches and Kami's Teen Titans story Beast Boy are now available. They discuss why they choose the characters they did, body horror, botany, and a whole bunch more. This conversation was a delight and comic fans of all ages will adore these stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoic...
Oct 15, 2020•52 min
Ep. #487 - On today's episode, Adam chats with V.E. Schwab about her groundbreaking new novel, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. They discuss the ten years she worked on this story, what Addie means to her, spirituality, and much more. As is their now tradition, they end the episode exchanging book recommendations for themselves and their family members. Today's sponsors: Freshly- visit http://freshly.com/probooknerds for $40 off your first two orders Fast Growing Trees - Visit https://www.fast...
Oct 12, 2020•1 hr 9 min
Ep. #486 - On today's episode, Adam offers book recommendations from Twitter reader requests and then gets into some "Like this, read that!" style picks for all sorts of classic horror novels. There is something for everyone. Books mentioned in this episode: Based off Twitter requests: Holly Zander - Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid and When We Were Magic by Sarah Gailey - Long Bright River By Liz Moore Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry Parent Spiced Latte Pope Fran...
Oct 08, 2020•53 min
Ep. #485 - On today's episode, Adam is joined by Ken Follett, #1 New York Times best selling author of The Evening and the Morning. Ken's books have sold 170+ million copies around the world and created generations of fans of his Kingsbridge series. They discuss his incredibly in depth research process, his fascination with the dark ages, and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 05, 2020•29 min
Ep. #484 - Welcome all ye goblins, ghouls, witches, and whatnots! The spooky season has officially arrived and you know what that means... It's our monthly book preview for OCTOBER! Books mentioned in this episode A Wild Winter Swan By Gregory Maguire Shit, Actually By Lindy West The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue By V. E. Schwab The Searcher By Tana French Leave the World Behind By Rumaan Alam Black Sun By Rebecca Roanhorse Magic Lessons By Alice Hoffman Spoiler Alert By Olivia Dade The Once and...
Oct 01, 2020•40 min
Ep. #483 - On today's episode, Adam catches up with his good buddy Sara Faring! Sara's first book The Tenth Girl was a masterpiece and her new book White Fox is more of the same perfection. They discuss voyeurism vs. exhibitionism, how we show ourselves to the world, the hardest parts of writing this book and the message of hope she wants readers to get after reading it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 28, 2020•48 min
Ep. #482 - On today's episode, Adam shares a bunch of book recommendations to escape the everyday stresses of life and (gestures broadly) all of this. Buy some merch and support libraries! - http://shop.overdrive.com/ Books mentioned in this episode: Return to series you know and love in a brand new way: The Lord of the Rings (FULL CAST DRAMATIZATION) His Dark Materials (FULL CAST DRAMATIZATION), The Chronicles of Narnia ( NARRATED BY KENNETH BRANAGH) A Series of Unfortunate Events (NARRATED BY ...
Sep 24, 2020•40 min
Ep. #481 - On today's episode, Adam interviews Bill Konigsberg, awarding-winning and bestselling author of countless important books. Bill's work in writing LGBTQIA+ stories have been read by millions but his new book, The Bridge, may be his most essential story yet. In this conversation, Bill and Adam discuss mental health, the implications of teenage suicide, and the intricacies of our brains. If you or someone you know is suffering from suicidal thoughts or tendencies, please dial 1-800-273-8...
Sep 21, 2020•37 min
Ep. #480 - On today's episode, we're sharing what our coworkers are reading for Read an Ebook Day! September 18th (Friday) is Read an Ebook Day and what better way to prepare than with a bunch of book recs!?!? Today's episode is sponsored by Fast Growing Trees. Visit FastGrowingTrees.com/PBN for 10% orders through November 15th! Books mentioned in this episode His & Hers By Alice Feeney The Evening and the Morning By Ken Follett Finding Freedom by Omid Scobie Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie W...
Sep 17, 2020•40 min
#479 - On today's episode, Jill interviews Caroline B. Cooney, author of the iconic Face on the Milk Carton, about her new adult book Before She Was Helen. Caroline talks about the "What if?" question that inspired her to write Before She Was Helen, transitioning creatively from writing young adult to adult, and tells the best librarian story ever (according to Jill). Today's episode is sponsored by Freshly. Get $40 off your first two orders at freshly.com/probooknerds Learn more about your ad c...
Sep 14, 2020•27 min
Ep. #478 - Back to school time has arrived and who doesn't love books set around fancy private schools? Also, there is a lot of murdery mysteries in these selections. Books mentioned in this episode The Sidekicks By Will Kostakis The Secret History By Donna Tartt Truly Devious By Maureen Johnson Black Chalk By Christopher J. Yates The Tenth Girl By Sara Faring Catherine House By Elisabeth Thomas A Spy in the House By Y. S. Lee Special Topics in Calamity Physics By Marisha Pessl Echo After Echo B...
Sep 10, 2020•35 min
Ep 477 - On today's episode, Jill talks with Yaa Gyasi about her new book Transcendent Kingdom. The pair discuss the opioid crisis, family relationships, and the differences in her research process between this contemporary novel and her historical fiction debut Homegoing (which was Jill's favorite book of the previous decade!) Interview was recorded in person at PLA 2020 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 07, 2020•19 min
Ep. #476 - On today's episode, Jill and Adam catch you up on what they've been reading lately! It's pretty straightforward. They also discuss the amazing Fall book bingo template that Jill made which you can find at professionalbooknerds.com or on our instagram (@probooknerds) Books mentioned in this episode Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson Even If We Break by Marieke Nijkamp Slay by Brittany Morris A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor By Hank Green Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia Clown in a Cornfie...
Sep 03, 2020•41 min
Ep. #475 - On today's episode, Adam interviews Christina Henry about her newest book, The Ghost Tree. They chat about how Christina lets character choices drive her plot, discovering them in real time, and the various subgenres within horror. They also discuss re-imagining existing titles and making it your own, and how scary stories are best when they're shared. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 31, 2020•54 min
Ep. #474 - On today's episode, Adam and Jill preview the new books coming out in September that they can't wait to read. Buckle up, because there are so many! This month features books ABOUT books, spooky mysteries, stories by some of our favorite writers of all time, and more than a few ghosties. Books mentioned in this episode The Evening and the Morning By Ken Follett Transcendent Kingdom By Yaa Gyasi A Deadly Education By Naomi Novik Before She Was Helen By Caroline B. Cooney Piranesi By Sus...
Aug 27, 2020•40 min
Ep. #473 - On today's episode, Adam interviews Margaret Owen about her books The Merciful Crow and The Faithless Hawk. They talk about her unique magical systems, the caste structure she developed, the similarities between her fantasy world and current world, and how Dungeons and Dragons has helped her writing process. They also have some fun chatting about absolutely wild birds. Today's episode is sponsored by GiveWell. Visit givewell.org/probooknerds to have your first donation matched up toe ...
Aug 24, 2020•51 min
Ep. #472 - On today's episode, Adam and Jill share some book recommendations for another task in the Professional Book Nerds 2020 Reading Challenge. This time, they're sharing some of their favorite first books in a series! Get your special "Libby Brings Readers Together" shirt here: http://shop.overdrive.com/ Books mentioned on this episode Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid Suspicious Minds: The First Official Stranger Thin...
Aug 20, 2020•37 min
Ep. #471 - On today's episode, Adam interviews Jordan Ifueko, debut author of Raybearer. Her book is being compared to Tomi Adeyemi and Sabaa Tahir and rightfully so. They discuss how her small class growing up affected her story, how her loneliness led to creating world building and character development, figuring out how to set timelines when there are large passages of time, and so much more. TODAY'S EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY LORD JONES. VISIT LORDJONES.COM/PBN FOR 25% OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER. Che...
Aug 17, 2020•59 min
Ep. #470 - On today's episode, Adam is joined by Kristin and Emma to dig into what they've been reading lately. Buckle up, because this is random list loaded up with all sorts of books! Today's episode is sponsored by GiveWell. Visit https://www.givewell.org/probooknerds and select [Podcast] and [Professional Book Nerds] at checkout to have your donation matched up to $100. Books mentioned in this episode Me and White Supremacy By Layla F. Saad Really Truly By Heather Vogel Frederick Midnight Su...
Aug 13, 2020•55 min
Ep. #469 - On today's episode, Adam interviews author Interview with Francisco X. Stork about his newest book, Illegal. They discuss immigration and asylum in the United States, Francisco's career as a lawyer, and injecting important adult themes into YA books. Today's episode is sponsored by Literati and Freshly. -Get 25% off your first two orders by visiting literati.com/probooknerds -Get $40 off your first two orders at freshly.com/probooknerds Get your own ProBookNerds and Libby swag and sup...
Aug 10, 2020•43 min
Ep. # 468 - On today's episode, Adam and Jill offer up book recommendations for another task in the Professional Book Nerds 2020 Reading Challenge. This time, we're looking at books published between 2000 and 2010. Books mentioned in this episode The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger Andy Catlett by Wendell Berry The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie The Historian ...
Aug 06, 2020•51 min
In today's episode, Jill is joined by Emily Levesque to talk about her new book The Last Stargazers. Emily talks about her experiences working in the astronomy field, some of her favorite stories from her and her colleagues careers, and that incredible photo of a black hole. Today's episode is sponsored by Literati. Visit http://www.literati.com/probooknerds to save 25% on your first two orders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 03, 2020•26 min
Playwright and novelist Tim Mason joins Jill and Adam to discuss The Darwin Affair, his historical fiction mystery novel set in London. They also discuss his life as a playwright, his inspirations, and working with Dr. Seuss. About the Big Library Read Big Library Read (BLR), facilitated by OverDrive, is a reading program through your library that connects readers around the world with the same ebook at the same time without any wait lists or holds. It’s a worldwide digital version of a local bo...
Aug 01, 2020•39 min
Ep. #466 - On today's episode, we're diving into the new book releases we're excited for in August! There are incredible titles coming in all genres and we had a blast breaking them all down. Books mentioned in this episode Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson Bookish and the Beast by Ashley Poston Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko Being Lolita by Alisson Wood Caste by Isabel Wilk...
Jul 30, 2020•40 min
Ep. #465 - In today's episode, Jill is joined by author Alisson Wood to talk about her new memoir Being Lolita. Alisson's book is the powerful and personal story of a seventeen-year-old girl who was groomed by an English teacher at her high school who used the book Lolita to transform Alisson from student to lover to victim. But Alisson's book is also a memoir of survival that looks at the ways she rewrote her own story. Today's episode is sponsored by Lord Jones. Visit http://www.lordjones.com/...
Jul 27, 2020•48 min
Ep. #464 - Last week, we held a special social justice event via Zoom with Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal, the New York Times bestselling co-authors of I'm Not Dying With You Tonight. We wanted to make sure as many people as possible could listen in so we decided to release the full conversation and Q&A here as well. We discuss what's going on in the world related to the Black Lives Matter movement and Covid-19, having difficult conversations with those you're close with and those you aren't...
Jul 23, 2020•1 hr 23 min
