Professional Book Nerds

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 our favorite MAGIC schools in literature!   Book mentioned in this episode The Summoner Series by Taran Matharu All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders The Magicians by Lev Grossman The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss Carry On by Rainbow Rowell Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin Gallagher Girls by Ally Carter The Magic School Bus Series by Joanna Cole Wayside School series by Louis Sachar Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate  Sofia the First series by Andrea Posner-Sanchez Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 rules in the book, the problematic issues with magic in Harry Potter, and the importance of secondary characters.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Americans who felt underrepresented all their lives. She gave a voice to many who felt voiceless. There will never be another Toni Morrison  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 our opinion, this is the most important Young Adult novel to come out since The Hate U Give and should be read by every teenager and parent around. Despite the heavy material of the book, this conversation is very lighthearted as Gilly and Kim are hilarious ladies.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Together We Read book club pick for Australia and New Zealand. They discuss the difference between writing songs and books, creating stories in small-town settings, and they get rudely interrupted by Adam's pups. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.  Visit professionalbooknerds.com to get your own Reading Challenge template to fill in! After you complete the challenge, be sure to send it to us at professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com or tag us on social @ProBookNerds to be entered into a device giveaway.  Books mentioned in this episode What My Mother and I Don't Talk About, ed. by Michelle Filgate The Invasion by Peadar O'Guilin Believe Me by JP Delaney Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware The Turn of the Screw by Henry James Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry The Giver by Lois Lowry War & Peace by Leo Tolstoy They All Fall Down by Rachel Howzel Hall We Cast a Shadow by Maurice Carlos Ruffin His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Just t

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 writing for middle grade and young adult, why she hated Sherlock Holmes growing up, and the creation of crime scene investigations. This was all over the place.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Authority Magazine for being a binge-able podcast. You can check that article right here: https://medium.com/authority-magazine/how-to-become-the-center-of-influence-through-nerdy-podcasting-with-the-hosts-of-show-of-the-3be028f2f81f Also, also - We're interviewing Elvis Duran LIVE this October in Parma, Ohio. Get tickets here: https://www.beyondbookjackets.com/duran Books mentioned in this episode The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware Here There Are Monsters by Amelinda Bérubé The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai Inland by Téa Obreht Is There Still Sex in the City? By Candace Bushnell Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino Keeping Lucy by T. Greenwood Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks Bottle Grove by Daniel Handler The Warehouse by Rob Ha

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 and heritage were interesting to others, how K-Dramas relate to Young Adult literature, and the power of having a positive writing group. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 the real-life kidnapping that inspired the book and why he decided to get rid of the first 200 pages and start over.   Music: Provided royalty free from www.bensound.com Podcast Overview: We're not just book nerds: we're professional book nerds and the staff librarians who work at OverDrive, the leading app for eBooks and audiobooks available through public libraries and schools. Hear about the best books we've read, get personalized recommendations, and learn about the hottest books coming out that we can't wait to dive into. For more great reads, find OverDrive on Facebook and Twitter. We are proud to be an Evergreen Podcast Signature Program. For more information visit www.evergreenpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Over will make you laugh and move you to tears. Her writing is so powerful and real and the characters jump off the page. In this conversation, Adam and Linda discuss baseball, the struggle to break the 25,000-word barrier and act two of books, and the everlasting awesomeness of Nick Offerman and Keanu Reeves.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 food in fantasy novels, their favorite fictional meals from books, wonderful food memoirs of the past, and the new and unique forms of cookbooks coming out including graphic novels and comics. Fair warning, this episode will make you hungry! Book mentioned in this episode Food Politics by Marion Nestle A Feast of Ice and Fire by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel & Sariann Lehrer Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi Hiddensee by Gregory Maguire To Drink and to Eat by Guillaume Long Heat by Bill Buford Blood, Bones and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton Cook Korean! by Robin Ha Dirt Candy by Amanda Cohen & Ryan Dunlavey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 process was.    Music: Provided royalty free from www.bensound.com   Podcast Overview: We're not just book nerds: we're professional book nerds and the staff librarians who work at OverDrive, the leading app for eBooks and audiobooks available through public libraries and schools. Hear about the best books we've read, get personalized recommendations, and learn about the hottest books coming out that we can't wait to dive into. For more great reads, find OverDrive on Facebook and Twitter.   We are proud to be an Evergreen Podcast Signature Program. For more information visit www.evergreenpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.thegreatcoursesplus.com/probooknerds   On this episode, Adam sits down in New York with Danika Stone, author of Switchback, a wonderful human vs. nature story of two teens who get lost in the mountains during a class trip and struggle to survive. They also discuss how Danika remains positive on the internet, her writing process as a "plantzer", and the hectic nature walks she took as a kid with her dad that helped inspire this book.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 sent in questions. The pair discuss some of Jill's experiences and her writing process.   Music: Provided royalty free from www.bensound.com Podcast Overview: We're not just book nerds: we're professional book nerds and the staff librarians who work at OverDrive, the leading app for eBooks and audiobooks available through public libraries and schools. Hear about the best books we've read, get personalized recommendations, and learn about the hottest books coming out that we can't wait to dive into. For more great reads, find OverDrive on Facebook and Twitter. We are proud to be an Evergreen Podcast Signature Program. For more information visit www.evergreenpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 today's episode: Reading Behind Bars by Jill Grunenwald Pan's Labyrinth by Guillermo Del Toro Three Women by Lisa Taddeo The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead Dark Age by Pierce Brown Lock Every Door by Riley Sager Growing Things and Other Stories by Paul Tremblay The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen The Paper Wasp by Lauren Acampora Wanderers by Chuck Wendig Beneath the Tamarind Tree by Isha Sesay Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber A Prayer for Travelers by Ruchika Tomar Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim Semicolon by Cecaelia Watson The Lightest Object in the Universe by Kimi Eisle   Other books coming out in July Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia The Need by Helen Phillips Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adam sat down with Christine Riccio, debut author of Again, but Better and created of the immensely popular PolandBananasBooks YouTube channel. They discuss her travels abroad, writing as catharsis, and how Christine realized her feelings of isolation and loneliness are shared by countless other people around the world.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.thegreatcoursesplus.com/probooknerds   Get your headphones ready because today Jill and I are offering up a big pile of audiobook recommendations! A cool new update in Libby that just came out lets you enjoy your audiobooks through Apple CarPlay and Android Auto so it's perfect timing!  Enjoy!       Books mentioned in this episode La Belle Sauvage (Book of Dust) by Philip Pullman Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey (Narrated by Xe Sands) Seafire by Natalie C. Parker (Narrated by Rebecca Soler) House of Furies by Madeleine Roux  Internment by Samira Ahmed (Narrated by  Soneela Nankani) Believe Me by Eddie Izzard Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi We are never meeting in real life by Samantha Irby Ready Player One by Ernest Cline   Recommended by listeners: Beauty Queens by Libba Bray The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Cha

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 aliens coming to The U.S. Virgin Islands explore colonialism and the history of an oft-overlooked part of the world.  Today's episode is sponsored by Blackstone Publishing. In addition to The Lesson, here are two more great books to check out from Blackstone: -ANOTHER LIFE by Robert Haller (June 4, 2019) Description: Set during one summer in a small town in upstate New York, Robert Haller’s debut novel, Another Life, is a modern comedy with a dark edge, centered around an evangelical church. Christopher Castellani, author of Leading Men, praised the novel, saying: “A fresh voice meets an old soul in Robert Haller, whose Another Life won me over completely with its dark humor, refined earnestness, and uncommon wisdom.” Another Life releases from Blackstone Publishing, on June 4th in hardcover, e-book, and audio.   -BLACKBERRY AND WILD ROSE by Sonia Velton (May 7,

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 ebook club title. They discuss her upbringing as a child with two parents who fought in WWII, how her childhood and her local libraries inspired this historical fiction, and not judging individuals for the acts of the many.    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 of holds.  It’s a worldwide digital version of a local book club, the program is free through your local library or school library and all you need to get started reading is a library card or student ID. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices