We're back, we're back! The Book Squad Podcast is back! Kate Gramlich, our longtime cohost, has brazenly left the library for another job. (Everyone wave to Kate at her new job!)  So along with starting back recording, Book Squad member Kimberly Lopez has taken up the mantle of shenaniganizing about books with Polli Kenn and we had a great time starting again and starting afresh together! We're so glad to be back and we hope you're ready to come along for the ride as we reboot and bring the bookish banter back to your ears! 

In this episode, we talk about... struggling to read and what we’re doing instead: Yoga, Niall Horan, Sweet Tooth, Farmer’s Marketing, Reading Challenges, podcasts and more!

Find the show notes at: https://lplks.org/blogs/post/055-the-reading-struggle-is-real/

055: The (Reading) Struggle is Real

Polli Kenn and Kimberly Lopez are back at it (again) for more shenanigans (again), and this time they have even more books to discuss! Listen to the podcast to hear Kimberly completely butcher the premise of The School for Good Mothers (the main character has to take care of a toddler doll, not a robot child, because this isn’t A.I.) and keep listening to hear Polli (definitely not) lose her mind over a certain co-worker’s Wordle habits. 

The podcast has been revived! Get ready for the madness!

056: The One Where We Start Again

Welcome back to the Book Squad Podcast! Today's episode features a special guest to give you all the scoop on Read Across Lawrence. Listen to the end to hear all about it. You'll also get book recs for times of stress, and you'll get to listen to Kimberly finally master upspeak and Polli give a basic United States history lesson. It's John Wilkes Booth, not James Wilkinson Booth, by the way.

For the show notes visit: https://lplks.org/blogs/post/057-the-word-of-the-day-is-lovely/

057: The Word of the Day is "Lovely".

Wanting AAPI book recommendations, with a generous side helping of chaos from the rag tag team you've come to know and love? Well, you're listening to the right podcast! Join our co-hosts as Polli and Adam (formerly Kimberly) talk a lot about a whole lotta books. Grab a snack and a cuppa, folks, this one's a long episode!

For show notes, visit this link: lplks.org/blogs/post/058-title-tbd/

058: AAPI… Wanna Read These Books

This month is a delicious hors d'oeuvres of an episode, in which our intrepid librarians must bravely face their most challenging topic yet: keeping their chit chat to under thirty minutes. Will they succeed?! You'll have to listen to find out! In this episode you'll find little to no rambling, some discussions on our must-read books, and a Thor reference I BELIEVE everyone will enjoy. See what I did there? 

Happy listening!

For show notes, visit this link: https://lplks.org/blogs/post/059-we-love-the-sound-of-our-own-voices/

059: We Love the Sound of Our Own Voices

Welcome back to the Book Squad Podcast! August is Read A Romance Month and in this episode Polli and Adam get on their soapbox and rant respectfully educate our listeners on all things Romance. Listen to hear all of Polli's spiciest takes, to hear Adam lament the loss of this past season of Love Island, and to discover why you, yes you, should be reading romance novels every month of the year. Haven't read romance before? Now's your chance to check out the genre!

060: Round Numbers Are Very Important

Welcome back to the Book Squad Podcast! In this episode we're give you all the insider information you need to celebrate Booktoberfest. Join Polli, Adam, and our special guest Leah to hear them ramble about Practical Magic, Welsh soccer, and Chris Pine being a dang snack. Be sure to register for all of the Booktoberfest events so you can show off your spooky 'fits and platform heels. We can't wait to see all of you in person!

061: Will You Go To 70's Prom With Me?

Welcome back to the Book Squad Podcast! It's finally autumn: the season of crunchy leaves, cozy sweaters, pumpkin spice lattes, and scary the crap outta yourself while watching a scary movie. What drives people to watch and read horror stories? Join Book Squad members Polli Kenn, Adam Lopez and special guest Christina James as they talk about the possible reasons behind why some of us like getting scared. In this episode Polli does a lot of navel gazing, Adam hangs out with some goats, and Christina really likes mowing the lawn.

062: Uh Oh, There Are Ghosts

Welcome back to the Book Squad Podcast! Grab your hot beverage of choice and settle in for a discussion of all things cozy. What feels comforting during the changing of the season? For Polli it's cookbooks (but maybe not cooking) and for Adam it's stories that fell like the emotional equivalent of wearing an old sweater. Listen to this month's podcast to discover Polli and Adam's favorite cozy reads and to hear who makes the best cinnamon roll in town.

063: It's Time to Get COZY

Welcome back to the Book Squad Podcast! We've reached the end of 2022 and it's finally time to talk about our favorite books of the year. From rom coms to, er, womp womps, we've got a ton of recommendations! Give the episode a listen to hear all the ~spicy~ opinions of your local bookish "experts". 

Happy holidays, and happy reading!

064: Kissing Books & Crying Books

Welcome back to the Book Squad Podcast! In this episode Adam and Polli talk about the books they're reading this month and what the book clubs have been up to lately. Stick around for a special guest and to hear more about the annual Squad Goals challenge. 

What's the first book you're planning to read this year?

065: "We're back, we're back!"

Welcome back to the Book Squad Podcast! In today's episode we're touching grass. Listen to hear Polli expound on her dreams of visiting Maine, Adam complain about bugs, and for our special guest Shirley to talk about an exciting nature-related event happening later this month. 

Happy reading!

066: Spring Has Sproinged

In this episode, we talk about what first made us interested in becoming librarians and then we talk about books, some more books, and oh yeah, books! Listen to hear some of Polli and Adam's favorite books about books, and feel free to suggest synonyms for "sweet", "fascinating", and "lovely" in the comments.

067: We Heart Libraries

Welcome back to the Book Squad Podcast! This month we're giving recommendations for Jewish American Heritage Month, but they're perfect picks for any time of the year. In this episode you'll find magical realism books, fairytales, messy coming-of-age stories, spicy romance, and more! There's something for everyone in this episode. 

Happy reading!

068: The People of the Book

Welcome back to the Book Squad Podcast! This time around we're talking all things Summer Reading, including all of the cool prizes. (Spoiler alert: WE HAVE TOTEBAGS). We'll also be giving recommendations for a few of our favorite audiobooks, to help you reach your summer reading goals. Listen to this episode to hear which audiobook narrator Polli thinks is the emotional equivalent of butter, and to hear some of Adam's recent reads, none of which are horrifying and/or sad.

069: Happy (Summer) Reading!

Welcome back to the Book Squad Podcast! It's been a couple minutes since we've last recorded an episode, and we're back with a bloody good one! In this episode we'll discuss some rumors featuring Taylor Swift, share all the details about our annual Booktoberfest extravaganza, and give some takes on Dracula that are just as spicy as paprika. And as an added bonus, Polli and Adam share their top picks of movies and tv shows to check out during Spooky Season!

070: "I Vant to Read This Book!"

Welcome back to the Book Squad Podcast! In this episode, we'll be talking all about the hot topic of banned books. How much have instances of books being banned increased over the years? What type of books do you typically find on Banned Books list? How can you make a difference by challenging these bans? You'll get answers to all that and more, including some of Polli and Adam's top picks for their favorite frequently challenged books. Have a listen, and celebrate your intellectual freedom by reading some banned books.

071: Let Freedom Read!

Welcome back to the Book Squad Podcast! We have a special guest joining us; our very own Spooky Queen, Christina! In this episode we'll talk about Halloween traditions, figure out whether Christina is Team Jacob or Team Edward, and hear all about Adam's weird pumpkin experiments. Spooky Season might be over, but our love for vampires is eternal.

072: A Cautionary Tale

Welcome back to the Book Squad Podcast! In this episode, Polli and Adam discuss all of their favorite reads of 2023. Spoiler alert: we read a TON of good books this year, and plan on reading some excellent ones in 2024, too. Thanks for listening to our truly unhinged podcast. We'll see you in the new year. 

Happy reading!

073: Best Books of 2023

Two Book Minimum:
Oreo by Fran Ross
Waveform: Twenty-First-Century Essays By Women by Marcia Aldrich (editor, contributor)
Why Won’t You Apologize?: Healing Big Betrayals And Everyday Hurts by Harriet Lerner (coming to Lawrence Public Library in 2017)
Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady’s Guide To Sex, Marriage And Manners by Therese Oneill 

She Said / She Said:

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard

The extraordinary New York Times bestselling account of James Garfield's rise from poverty to the American presidency, and the dramatic history of his assassination and legacy, from bestselling author of The River of Doubt, Candice Millard.

Ep 04: Destiny of the Republic, End of Year lists & more

Once a month, the librarians are in, with their favorite recommendations in Two Book Minimum, a toe-to-toe discussion on a book or topic in She Said/She Said, as well as news from the book world, updates from Lawrence Public Library, Audio Reader programs and beyond.

This month's episode is "bonus length!" (aka a lil longer than usual)
Two Book Minimum:
The Cutting Season by Attica Locke
Bestiary (Poems) by Donika Kelly 
I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong 
Some of My Best Friends are Black by Tanner Colby 

She Said / She Said: Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
(And find out why we weren't reading 1984) PLUS a discussion of the new documentary, I Am Not Your Negro. 

A production of Audio-Reader Network and Lawrence Public Library.
reader.ku.edu/booksquadpodcast/

Theme Music by Heidi Lynn Gluck
www.heidilynnegluck.com

Ep 06: Parable of the Sower vs 1984, I Am Not Your Negro and more - BONUS EDITION

Once a month, the librarians are in, with their favorite recommendations in Two Book Minimum, a toe-to-toe discussion on a book or topic in She Said/She Said, as well as news from the book world, updates from Lawrence Public Library, Audio Reader programs and beyond.

This month's episode features...
Two Book Minimum:
- The Book of the Unnamed Midwife by Meg Elison
- The Castle Cross the Magnet Carter by Kia Corthron
- News of the World by Paulette Jiles
- Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
- Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

She Said / She Said:  Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by the late Amy Krouse Rothenthal (author of the viral essay, "You May Want to Marry My Husband")

A production of Audio-Reader Network and Lawrence Public Library.
reader.ku.edu/booksquadpodcast/

Theme Music by Heidi Lynn Gluck
www.heidilynnegluck.com

Ep 07: Lucky Number Seven - Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, Feminist post-apocalypse, and more!

Once a month, the librarians are in, with their favorite recommendations in Two Book Minimum, a toe-to-toe discussion on a book or topic in She Said/She Said, as well as news from the book world, updates from Lawrence Public Library, Audio Reader programs and beyond.

This month's episode is focused on YA Crossovers! 
Two Book Minimum:
Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor 
American Street by Ibi Zoboi
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks by E. Lockhart 
Dear Reader by Mary O'Connell

She Said / She Said: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

A production of Audio-Reader Network and Lawrence Public Library.
Full show notes: reader.ku.edu/booksquadpodcast/

Theme Music by Heidi Lynn Gluck
www.heidilynnegluck.com

Ep 08: YA Crossover, Eleanor & Park, Summer Reading

Note: This episode was recorded in the Sound & Vision studio at LPL! This will be the new home for Book Squad Podcast and we want to give a huuuuuge shout out to Nick Carswell of AudioReader for getting the podcast launched and teaching us how to actually organize things. Thanks, Nick!

Two Book Minimum:
Public Relations by Katie Heaney (2017)
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (2017)
Dating You, Hating You by Christina Lauren (2017)
Swimmer Among the Stars by Kanishk Tharoor (2017)
Bad Boy by Elliot Wake (2017)

She Said/She Said: Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger

This episode was produced by Jim Barnes in the Sound & Vision studio.

You can find the Book Squad Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or SoundCloud. Please subscribe and leave us comments - we'd love to know what you think, and your comments make it easier for other people to find our podcast. Happy reading and listening! xo, Polli & Kate

009: Did we hate Catcher in the Rye the second time?

Two Book Minimum:
AUTUMN BY KARL OVE KNAUSGAARD (2017) 
ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE BY BENJAMIN ALIRE SÁENZ (2012)
STRANGE PRACTICE BY VIVIAN SHAW (2017)
UPTOWN THIEF BY AYA DE LEON (2016)

She Said/She Said: THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD by Zora Neale Hurston (in honor of the upcoming Black Love Symposium -- http://bls.ku.edu )

This episode was produced by Jim Barnes in the Sound & Vision studio.

You can find the Book Squad Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or SoundCloud. Please subscribe and leave us comments - we'd love to know what you think, and your comments make it easier for other people to find our podcast. Happy reading and listening! xo, Polli & Kate

Notes:
http://www.lawrence.lib.ks.us/2017/08/book-squad-podcast-010-the-intestinal-issue-also-zora-neale-hurston/

Ep 010: The Intestinal Issue? Also, Zora Neale Hurston!

TWICE a month, the librarians are in, with their favorite recommendations in Two Book Minimum, a toe-to-toe discussion on a book or topic, as well as news from the book world, updates from Lawrence Public Library, and beyond.

Two Book Minimum:
Hunger: A Memoir of (my) Body by Roxane Gay (2017)
My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent (2017)
Dying by Cory Taylor (2017)
The Dinner by Herman Koch (2009 / trans. 2013)

Instead of She Said/She Said, this episode addresses the wide world of HISTORICAL FICTION... find out what we have to say about this complicated genre!

News from LPL:
Ian from the Info Services team at LPL has started Doc Discussions, a documentary watching club! The inaugural event is Saturday, Sept 16th (events will take place on the 3rd Saturday of each month)

Banned Book Trading Cards are coming! Our guest presenter will be... Zora Neale Hurston! Performed by Dr. Carmaletta Williams, a retired professor of English & African American Studies, AND an Emmy-winning performer. Dr. Williams has been working on the upcoming Langston Hughes documentary, I, Too, Sing America.

The Banned Book Trading Cards reveal is at 5pm on Friday, Sept. 22nd in the LPL Auditorium

 Show Notes: http://www.lawrence.lib.ks.us/2017/09/book-squad-podcast-011-hist-fic-and-books-that-hurt-yer-guts/

This episode was produced by Jim Barnes in the Sound & Vision studio. Theme song by Heidi Lynne Gluck. 

Please subscribe and leave us comments – we’d love to know what you think, and your comments make it easier for other people to find our podcast. 
Happy reading and listening! xo, Polli & Kate

011: Hist Fic AND Books That Hurt Yer Guts

This episode has SO MANY BOOKS that we really recommend just going to the show-notes and perusing there:  
http://www.lawrence.lib.ks.us/2017/11/book-squad-podcast-015-holiday-gift-giving-cornucopia-extravaganza

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This episode was produced by Jim Barnes in the Sound & Vision studio. Our theme song is by Heidi Lynne Gluck. You can find the Book Squad Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or SoundCloud. Please subscribe and leave us comments – we’d love to know what you think, and your comments make it easier for other people to find our podcast. Happy reading and listening! xo, Polli & Kate

015: Holiday Gift-Giving Cornucopia Extravaganza!

Polli and Kate had the great pleasure of interviewing Beth Ann Fennelly, Poet Laureate of Mississippi, about her collection of micro-memoirs, Heating & Cooling, as well as the intersections between poetry, memoir, and fiction. They also name her an honorary Scorpio and get an audio tour of Oxford, MS.

Book Recs:
The Childfinder by Rene Denfeld
The Eternal Life by Dara Horn (soon-to-be interviewed!)

Show Notes: https://lawrence.bibliocms.com/blogs/post/019-talking-the-poetry-of-truth-with-beth-ann-fennelly/

019: Talking the poetry of truth with Beth Ann Fennelly

We had SUCH a blast chatting with novelist Dara Horn about fancy forks, trying to be Harriet the Spy, editing biblical texts, and her childhood fear of time slipping away. We also ask some not-too-spoilery questions about her gorgeous new novel, Eternal Life. 

From Publisher's Weekly:

At the heart of Horn’s funny and compassionate novel is a 2,000-year-old Jewish mother seeking reasons for living, some way of dying, and help for her 56-year-old son who lives in her basement. . . Horn (A Guide for the Perplexed) weaves historical detail and down-to-earth humor into this charming Jewish Groundhog Day spanning two millennia. 

Listen in and fall in love with Dara's wit and brilliance like we did.
Find all the books mentioned in the show notes here: https://lawrence.bibliocms.com/blogs/post/021-capturing-time-with-dara-horn/
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Twice a month, the librarians are in, with their favorite recommendations in Two Book Minimum, a toe-to-toe discussion on a book or topic, as well as news from the book world, updates from Lawrence Public Library, and beyond.

This episode was produced by Jim Barnes in the Sound & Vision studio. Our theme song is by Heidi Lynne Gluck. You can find the Book Squad Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or SoundCloud. Please subscribe and leave us comments – we’d love to know what you think, and your comments make it easier for other people to find our podcast. Happy reading and listening! xo, Polli & Kate

021: Capturing Time with Dara Horn

Magic! Friendship! Gratitude! Tom Petty! We may have thought fantasy wasn't our thing, but it turns out... we were wrong. (First time for everything!) 

Read the show notes here: https://lplks.org/blogs/post/025-do-you-even-fantasy-bro/

Two Book Minimum:
Human Acts by Han Kang
No Time To Spare by Ursula K. LeGuin ("The direction of escape is toward freedom. So what is 'escapism' an accusation of?")
Timequake by Kurt Vonnegut ("If this isn't nice, what is?")
You’ll Grow Out of It by Jessi Klein

She Said/She Said: Uprooted by Naomi Novik
If you miss the magical feeling you got from fairy tales as a kid,this book is for you! Agnieshka lives in a idyllic village. Her country is at war with its neighbor, and between them lies a corrupted Wood, filled with malice that occasionally breaks through. Every 10 years, The Dragon, the local wizard who keeps The Wood at bay, demands his payment of the most exceptional young women from the village, who comes live in his tower as a servant. Everyone knows this time the Dragon will take Nieshka’s lovely best friend, Kasia. She’s desperate to save Kasia, but to everyone’s surprise (and the Dragon’s reluctance) he finds magic in Nieshka, and is forced to take her for training. But Nieshka’s magic is very different than The Dragons, and that, friends, is the start of our tale!

------------------------------------
Twice a month, the librarians are in, with their favorite recommendations in Two Book Minimum, a toe-to-toe discussion on a book or topic, as well as news from the book world, updates from Lawrence Public Library, and beyond.

This episode was produced by Jim Barnes in the Sound & Vision studio. Our theme song is by Heidi Lynne Gluck. You can find the Book Squad Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or SoundCloud. Please subscribe and leave us comments – we’d love to know what you think, and your comments make it easier for other people to find our podcast. Happy reading and listening! xo, Polli & Kate

024: Do You Even Fantasy, Bro?

NNEDI OKORAFOR IS COMING!!! On 11/8 she will be at Liberty Hall as our latest Beach Series author, and we really hope to see you there! Go here for more info, clear your schedule, and then come back and listen to Polli and Kate discuss Akata Witch.

Show notes:  https://lplks.org/blogs/post/033-nnedi-okorafor-literal-blackgirlmagic

Bookish News:
The Great American Read results are in! 
“A CENTURY OF READING: THE 10 BOOKS THAT DEFINED THE 1980s” (See LitHub for other decades!)
Raymond Carver, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (1981)
Alice Walker, The Color Purple (1982)
William Gibson, Neuromancer (1984)
Sandra Cisneros, The House on Mango Street (1984)
... see the rest here and also check out the other decades' lists!
Two Book Minimum:

White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo 
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Odeyemi
What Do You Do With a Problem? by Kobi Yamada
Contact High by Vikki Tobak
She Said/She Said: AKATA WITCH by Nnedi Okorafor

Sunny lives in Nigeria, but she was born in New York City. She looks West African, but is so sensitive to the sun (due to her albinism) that she can’t play soccer during the day. She doesn’t seem to fit in anywhere.
Then she learns why.
Her classmate Orlu and his friend Chichi reveal that they have magical abilities- and so does she. … Orlu and Chichi have been working with their teacher for years. Sunny needs a crash course in magical history, spells, juju, shape-shifting and dimensional travel. Her new world is a secret from her family, but it’s well worth all of the silence, exhaustion and sneaking around. Still, there is a dark side. After she’s found her footing, Sunny, Orlu, Chichi, and their American friend Sasha are asked by the magical authorities to help track down a criminal. Not just a run-of-the-mill bad guy. A real-life hardcore serial killer-with abilities far stronger than theirs. (moar)


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Twice(-ish) a month, the librarians are in, with their favorite recommendations in Two Book Minimum, a toe-to-toe discussion on a book or topic, as well as news from the book world, updates from Lawrence Public Library, and beyond.

This episode was produced by Jim Barnes in the Sound & Vision studio. Our theme song is by Heidi Lynne Gluck. You can find the Book Squad Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or SoundCloud. Please subscribe and leave us comments – we’d love to know what you think, and your comments make it easier for other people to find our podcast. Happy reading and listening! xo, Polli & Kate

033: Nnedi Okorafor = Literal #BlackGirlMagic

As we're getting into the swing of things in this pandemic (what a weird thing to type), some of us are feeling more like revisiting our old friends - books. They're friends we don't have to sit 6ft apart from, and we might need them right now. Polli and Kate share some books they've been hearing others rave about, most of which are available digitally on Hoopla and/or Libby! 

Show notes: https://lplks.org/blogs/post/054-hello-books-my-old-friend/

On Tuesday afternoons at 4pm (Central), the Book Squad is offering BYOBB - Bring Your Own Book & Beverage - on Zoom (click the link for the Zoom info!) During the hour, anyone and everyone is welcome to get on and share what you've been reading... or just listen if you don't want to share! Afterward, a Book Squadder compiles a list on Bibliocommons of all that was discussed. Here are some of the previous weeks' lists.
Note - there are LOTS of things to add to your to-read pile here. You may want to sign into your Bibliocommons account first so you can easily add items to your "For Later" shelf.

BYOBB Part 1 • BYOBB Part 2 • BYOBB Part 3 • BYOBB Part 4 • BYOBB Part 5

Some of the books Polli and Kate chatted about in this episode are:

Xeni: A Marriage of Inconvenience
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek (ebook and e-audio)
The Giver of Stars (ebook and e-audio)
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants (e-audio)
18 Tiny Deaths (ebook - with pictures)
Underland
The Overstory (ebook)
How to Do Nothing (ebook and e-audio + podcast episode)
The Shadow King
The Need (ebook and e-audio) 

Library COVID-19 news: Our programs and events will be digital this summer. The library building will not be open to the public on May 18th. Please stay tuned on our social media, website, and/or newsletter for up-to-date information!

054: Hello books, my old friends

Twice a month, the librarians are in! Join Lawrence Public Librarians and Book Squad members Polli Kenn and Adam Lopez for some bookish banter straight into your ears.

Book Squad Podcast

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