Book Lounge by Libby

Ep. #430 - Previewing April's biggest books (and practicing social distancing)

26 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, we're looking at the books we can't wait to read in April while our respective homes. We hope you're self quarantining as well and...

Ep. #429 - Emily St. John Mandel

23 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam interviews Emily St. John Mandel about her new book The Glass Hotel. The briefly discuss Station Eleven, her massively popu...

Big Library Read interview with Michael McCreary, author of Funny, You Don't Look Autistic

21 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam and Jill interview Michael McCreary, comedian and author of Funny, You Don't Look Autistic. Michael's book was chosen as the...

Ep. #428 - Interview with Sharon Cameron, author of The Light in Hidden Places

19 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode is an interview Jill did with Sharon Cameron about her new book The Light in Hidden Places. This historical fiction novel tells the r...

Ep. #427 - Stephanie Wrobel

16 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam interviews Stephanie Wrobel, debut author of Darling Rose Gold, a thrilling family mystery about Munchausen By Proxy that is...

Ep. #426 - Stay home and read one of these books

12 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Hey nerds. It's a scary time right now We're all feeling it. If you're looking for some books to read in the next week, try one of today's recommendat...

Ep. #425 - Dr. Ibram X. Kendi & Jason Reynolds

09 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, we have National Book Award-winning author Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds, the National Ambassador for Young People's Liter...

Bonus Episode! Colum McCann, National Book Award-winning author of Apeirogon

07 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Surprise! We have a Saturday episode for you because we just had to share this conversation with Colum McCann. Adam sat down with Colum for a live eve...

Ep. #424: Breaking down the Audie Award Winners with Robin Whitten of AudioFile Magazine

05 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Robin Whitten from AudioFIle joins Adam to dive into all the major Audie Award winners for the best audiobooks of 2019! They talk ...

Ep. #423 - Cassandra Clare

02 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam interviews YA Queen Cassandra Clare! They discuss her new Shadowhunter novel Chain of Gold, her research into Edwardian Engla...

Ep. #422 - March's Biggest Books

27 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Spring has... just kidding, it's dark and dreary here in Nerd land but thankfully March is jampacked with a ton of amazing new books to keep us compan...

Ep. #421 - Elizabeth Little

24 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam interviews mystery author Elizabeth Little in Philadelphia about her new novel Pretty as a Picture. They breakdown the stor...

Ep. #420 - The Professional Book Nerds 2020 Reading Challenge: Microhistories

20 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Jill and Adam dish out some recommendations for the first of the Professional Book Nerds 2020 Reading Challenge... Microhistories!...

Ep. #419 - Layla F. Saad, bestselling author of Me and White Supremacy

17 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam interviews Layla Saad, bestselling author, podcaster, and influencer in the world of social change, race, identity, and leade...

Ep. #418 - Together We Read U.S. with Pat Simmons

13 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam interviews Pat Simmons, the Together We Read digital book club selected author about her latest novel, Lean on Me. Pat has ...

Ep. #417 - Phil Stamper

10 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam chats with debut YA author Phil Stamper! They discuss his brand new novel, The Gravity of Us, writing aspects of himself int...

Ep. #416 - Marie Benedict, PBN All-Star

06 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"Without Clementine Churchill the history of Winston Churchill and the history of the world would have been a very different story." We've lost count ...

Ep. #415 - Adalyn Grace

03 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam interviews debut author Adalyn Grace! They discuss her amazing young adult fantasy, All the Stars and Teeth, how she wrote t...

Ep. #414 - February's Biggest Books

30 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

February is almost here, which means it's time for Jill and Adam to share the books they are most looking forward to this month. (BONUS it's a Leap Ye...

Ep. #413: Ryan La Sala

27 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam sits down with Ryan La Sala in Philadelphia to discuss his sprawling fantasy novel Reverie, the vividness of his dreams, and...

Ep. #412: LOIS LOWRY!

23 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever had a moment in time that felt like a dream even while it was happening? That's how we felt getting to interview Lois Lowry for a full h...

Ep. #411 - Scott Simon, author of Sunnyside Plaza and host of NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday

20 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam interviews legendary journalist and author Scott Simon about his new books Sunnyside Plaza. The book is all about his time ...

Ep. #410 - Joseph Sieracki and how graphic novels are made

16 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, we're joined by author Joseph Sieracki (and his wife Andrea whose voice you may recognize!)  Joseph has written a stunning graph...

Ep. #409 - Andrea Barber aka Kimmy Gibbler!

13 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Jill and Adam interview Andrea Barber, who is best known for her iconic character Kimmy Gibbler on Full House and Fuller House....

Ep. #408 - All that Jazz - Books set in the 1920s

09 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We've entered the 2020s so we thought it'd be fun to take a look at some wonderful books set a hundred years ago in the famed Roaring 20s. We're talki...

Ep. #407 - Penny Reid Returns!

06 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Hey Nerds! On today's wide-ranging episode, Penny Reid returns to tell us what she's been up to and it turns out... it's a lot! We discuss the multipl...

Ep. #406 - January's Biggest Books to kick of your 2020 reading!

02 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's a new month, a new year, and a new decade! The passage of time doesn't stop and so neither will our book recommendations. Check out the books we'...

Ep. #405 - Jon Scieszka and Steven Weinberg, creators of ASTRONUTS

30 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam interviews Jon Scieszka and Steven-Weinberg about their new children's book series ASTRONUTS! They chat about creating this u...

Ep. #404 - The 10 best books of 2019 AND The 10 best books of the decade

26 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The end of the year means it's time to look back on the best books of 2019! As a bonus, we also share our selections for the best books of the entire ...

Ep. #403- The Professional Book Nerds 2020 Reading Challenge

23 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We're excited to share our brand new 2020 reading challenge! In this episode, we explain each of the following challenges in depth. Be sure to subscri...

Ep. #402: The Best Audiobooks of 2019

19 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We brought our good friend Robin Whitten from Audiofile Magazine on to run through their (and our) selections for the best audiobooks of 2019. Take a ...

Ep. #401 - Katharine McGee, author of American Royals

16 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam is joined by bestselling author Katharine McGee! They chat about her transitioning from Science Fiction to writing romantic c...

Ep. #400 - Steve Potash, Rakuten OverDrive Founder and CEO (Part 1)

12 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It is not an understatement to say that Steve Potash is the reason we are able to do this podcast. Steve is the founder and creator of Rakuten OverDri...

Ep. #399 - Maaza Mengiste, author of The Shadow King

09 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam interviews Maaza Mengiste about her new novel, The Shadow King. This book tells the story of Mussolini's 1935 invasion of Et...

Ep. #398 - Kate Racculia, author of Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghost

05 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam interviews Kate Racculia, author of the award-winning Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts. They chat about Edgar Allan Poe, Kate'...

Ep. #397 - Barbara and Teeba Furat Marlow, authors of A Brave Face

02 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam and Jill sit down with local authors Barbara and Teeba Furat Marlowe. Their book, A Brave Face, tells the incredible true st...

December's Biggest Books!

28 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jill is here with the biggest books of December the Professional Book Nerds can't wait to read! Children of Virtue and Vengence by Tomi Adeyemi Goo...

Ep. #395 - Ben Aaronovitch, author of the Rivers of London series

25 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode is a splendidly fun conversation with Ben Aaronovitch, author of the wildly popular Rivers of London series! We nerd out about writing...

Ep. #394 - Holly Black, author of The Queen of Nothing

20 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Who is ready to return to Elfhame? This week, the final book in Holly Black's wildly popular "Folk of the Air" series, The Queen of Nothing, came out...

Ep. #393 - We're basically just a Pagemaster fan podcast now

14 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is all about the books we've been reading lately but we also dive into some truly crazy true-life murder stories involving authors and em...

It's a bonus Big Library Read episode with Gilly Segal and Kimberly Jones!

12 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Surprise! Adam went down to Atlanta for a day to record a bonus episode with Big Library Read authors Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal! They chat with a...

Ep, 392: Kacen Callender, Author of Queen of the Conquered

11 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam sits down with Kacen Callender to discuss their new adult fantasy novel Queen of the Conquered. They also discuss writing fo...

Ep. #391 - Books for Aspiring Writers: Surviving and Thriving during #NaNoWriMo

07 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Jill and Adam dive into National Novel Writing Month, how they're approaching this monumental task, and offer up loads of books to...

Ep. #390 - The book that reminded me why I love reading

04 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's quick episode, Adam discusses why Erin Morgenstern's The Starless Sea affected him so much and why he hopes everyone reads this book about...

Ep. #389 - November's biggest new book releases!

01 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Halloween has come and gone and so now turn our gaze to the books we plan on reading all November long. Books mentioned in this episode The Starles...

Ep. #388 - Michael Connelly LIVE!

28 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam sits down for a live interview with Michael Connelly, creator of the legendary and wildly popular Harry Bosch series of books...

Ep. #387 - Strange but True! Nonfiction picks you have to read to believe

24 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Okay, nerds. We can't tell you how many times people have requested more nonfiction book recs. Well, here are a whole bunch of crazy stories that are ...

Ep. #386 - JoJo Moyes, author of The Giver of Stars

21 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Jill and Adam sit down with JoJo Moyes to discuss her brand new book, The Giver of Stars. In this live interview in front of a f...

Ep. #385 - Sleep with a light on! The books the scared us as kids

17 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Grab your blanket and a flashlight! We're reliving the books that scared us as kids. Listener beware...   Books mentioned in this episode   Wai...

Ep. #384 - Elvis Duran!

14 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam and Jill sit down with Elvis Duran in front of a soldout audience to discuss his new memoir Where Do I Begin?, the future of...

Ep. #383 - #SpookySZN - A Jack-O-Lantern of Scary Book Selections

10 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

THESE ARE NOT HOBGOBLINS! Light yourself a black flame candle and gather ye round. We're dishing out a grabbag of scary books perfect for any type of ...

Ep. #382 - Daemons & Dust: The importance of His Dark Materials

07 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam breaks down why His Dark Materials his essential in society for readers of all ages. He discusses the connection to spiritu...

Ep. #381 - Murder Mermaids, astronauts and everything in between!

03 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam and Jill are joined by Andrea and Rachel to dish out book recommendations spooky, serious, and otherwise! Whether you want to...

Ep. #380 - What we're reading and motherhood misconceptions with Nefertiti Austin

30 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam & Jill discuss the books they've been enjoying recently before Adam sits down with Nefertiti Austin to talk about her book M...

Ep. #379 - October's biggest new book releases!

26 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Spooky SZN y'all! We're breaking down the books we're most excited about that will be coming out in October. We've got horror books, memoirs, yo...

Ep. #378 - Sara Faring, It's going to be dark but there's always going to be humor

23 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam sits down with debut author Sara Faring about her new book The Tenth Girl. They discuss the setting "at the end of the world...

Ep. #377 - Ben Folds!

19 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam sits down with musical icon Ben Folds to discuss his new memoir A Dream About Lightning Bugs. They discuss how Ben views crea...

Ep. #376 - Alice Hoffman

16 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, the great Alice Hoffman sits down with Adam to discuss her new book The World That We Knew, writing a fairy tale in the time of W...

Ep. #375 - Brad Meltzer and the importance of children's books

12 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, our good buddy Brad Meltzer returns to chat about the latest installments in his Ordinary People Change the World series, I am ...

Ep. #374 - Dan Haring and MarcyKate Connolly, authors of The Star Shepherd

09 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam sits down with Dan Haring and MarcyKate Connolly to discuss their wonderful middle-grade novel, The Star Shepherd. This actio...

Ep. #373 - TBT... You'll Float TOO!

05 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Longtime listeners of the podcast will know that we adored IT Chapter One so much that we did a bonus episode all about that epic movie. With Chapter ...

Ep. #372 - Daniel Handler AKA Lemony Snicket!

03 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Adam interviews Daniel Handler about his latest novel, Bottle Grove. Daniel is best known for creating the iconic Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortun...

Ep. #371 - September's Biggest Books

29 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's a new month, which means it's time for Jill and Adam to share their favorite books coming out in September! Books mentioned in this episode: Wa...

Ep. #370 - Julia Whelan, author and audiobook narrator extraordinaire!

26 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is sponsored by https://literatibooks.com/. Use our promo code PROBOOKNERDS for $20 off your first box of teacher-curated books and artw...

Ep. #369 - A Big Heckin' Grab bag of Book Recs!

22 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode... we had no plan! Therefore, we brought on Emma and Kristin and did a roundtable of book recommendations. There is, quite literall...

Ep. #368 - Philippa Gregory

19 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is sponsored by https://literatibooks.com/. Use our promo code PROBOOKNERDS for $20 off your first box of teacher-curated books and artw...

Ep. #367 - Together We Read with Julie Evelyn Joyce

15 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode features Julie Evelyn Joyce, author of the award-winning Steeped in Love. This book was selected as the Together We Read Canadian di...

Ep. #366 - I said, now I've got my Magic Bus

15 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Working with libraries and schools, we think about back to school time every year around our office. To shake it up, we're talking a bit about some of...

Ep. #365: Sarah Gailey, Author of Magic for Liars

12 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam sits down with Sarah Gailey to discuss their debut noir novel Magic for Liars. They break down the structure of the magical...

Ep. #364 - Remembering Toni Morrison

08 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Adam and Jill share some brief thoughts on Toni Morrison who was, truly, one of a kind. Her books, speeches, and commentary gave a voice to African Am...

Ep. #362 - Gilly Segal and Kimberly Jones, authors of I'm Not Dying with You Tonight

05 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam chats with debut authors Gilly Segal and Kimberly Jones about their heartwrenching novel I'm Not Dying with You Tonight. In ...

Ep. #361 - Holly Throsby, Singer/Songwriter and author of Cedar Valley

03 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam has a chat with Holly Throsby all the way from Australia. She is the author of Cedar Valley, which was selected as the next T...

Ep. #360 - PBN Reading Challenge Check-in!

01 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We are more than halfway through the year (omg) and Adam and Jill are going through the PBN Reading Challenge to see what books they have read so far....

Ep. #359 - Elizabeth Eulberg

29 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam nerds out with Elizabeth Eulberg, author of Past Perfect Life and the Shelby Holmes books! We discuss the difference between ...

Ep. #358 - Previewing exciting new books coming out in August!

25 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's that time once again! We're talking about the books we're most excited to read in August! Also, in case you missed it, we were profiled by Autho...

Ep. #357 - Kat Cho, Author of Wicked Fox

22 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam sits down with Kat Cho, debut YA author of the splendid and fantastical Wicked Fox! They discuss how Kat realized her story ...

Ep. #356 - Interview with Daniel Silva

18 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today on the podcast, Jill has an interview with New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva. His new book The New Girl is out now. Daniel shares t...

Ep. #355 - Linda Holmes! Author of Evvie Drake Starts Over

15 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

You know her from her podcast and writing for NPR. Now getting to discover Linda Holmes as one of the best debut writers of 2019. Evvie Drake Starts ...

Ep. #354 - Food and Stories with Lizzy Saxe

11 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam and Jill welcome Lizzy Saxe to the show to nerd out about the connection between food and stories. We get into the power of f...

Ep. #353 - Lisa Taddeo author of THREE WOMEN

08 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today on the podcast, Jill talks with Lisa Taddeo about her new book THREE WOMEN. This discuss what made Lisa want to write the book and what her proc...

Ep. #352 - Danika Stone, author of Switchback

04 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today’s episode is sponsored by The Great Courses Plus. To get a free month of access to their incredible online courses just visit:  https://www....

Ep. #351 - Jill Has A New Book Out!

01 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Jill is joined by Sydney to talk all about her new prison librarian memoir Reading Behind Bars. Thanks to all of the listeners who...

Ep. #350 - July's Biggest Books

27 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's almost July, which means it's time for Jill and Adam to discuss the books coming out next month they can't wait to read! Books mentioned in toda...

Ep. #349 - Christine Riccio, author of Again, But Better

24 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Adam sat down with Christine Riccio, debut author of Again, but Better and created of the immensely popular PolandBananasBooks YouTube channel. They ...

Ep. #348 - All about audiobooks!

20 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode is sponsored by The Great Courses Plus. To get a free month of access to their incredible online courses just visit:  https://www.th...

Ep. #347 - Cadwell Turnbull, author of THE LESSON

17 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam chats with Cadwell Turnbull about his novel The Lesson, which comes out June 18th. This story about an advanced race of alie...

Ep. #346 - Big Library Read is back with author LP Fergusson

15 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam chats with LP Fergusson, author of A Dangerous Act of Kindness, which was selected as the latest Big Library Read global ebo...

Ep. #345 - PRIDE Month Picks!

13 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam and Jill are back in the same room finally and are handing out some wonderful LGBTQIA book recommendations for PRIDE month an...

Ep. #344 - Interview with Blake Crouch

10 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode is an interview Jill did with bestselling author Blake Crouch about his new book Recursion. They discuss false memories, the reality o...

Ep. #343 - Sarah Enni!

06 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam interviews Sarah Enni in New York City about her debut novel Tell Me Everything! Sarah also hosts the wonderful First Draft...

Ep. #342 - Interview with bestselling author Jennifer Weiner!

03 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today's interview is one Jill did with the immensely popular author, Jennifer Weiner about her new book MRS EVERYTHING. The book covers multiple decad...

Ep. #341 - June's Biggest Books

30 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's almost June which means it's time for Adam and Jill's monthly roundup of books to read this month. Books Mentioned In This Episode: Mrs Everyt...

Ep. #340 - Ali Benjamin, National Book Award finalist and International bestselling author

27 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam chats with Ali Benjamin about her latest novel, The Next Great Paulie Fink. The book is all about how storytelling can shape...

Ep. #339 - Brian Jay Jones!

23 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam sits down with Brian Jay Jones, the award-winning biographer whose latest book Becoming Dr. Seuss is now available. They dis...

Ep. #338 - Recent Reads and Game of Thrones Finale Thoughts

20 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam and Jill share the books they've enjoyed recently before getting into their big thoughts after watching the Game of Thrones f...

Ep. #337 - Books Behind Bars: Titles Set In Prison

16 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jill has a new memoir coming out on July 2 called Reading Behind Bars which is all about her experiences as a prison librarian. In today's episode, al...

Ep. #336 - Interview with Karen Russell

13 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, Jill interviews author Karen Russell about her new short story collection Orange World and Other Stories. They discuss the differ...

Ep. #335: Recent Reads and how books helped me fight depression

09 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam chats about his recent book festival travels before discussing the books he's enjoyed recently. Then, he gets into how he ove...

Ep. #334 - Kim Michele Richardson

06 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode is an interview Jill did with Kim Michele Richardson about her new book The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. Inspired by the true sto...

Ep. #333 - Alafair Burke

02 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Adam chats with Alafair Burke who was in town for a library event! They discuss her latest thriller The Better Sister, how she u...