Professional Book Nerds

It's National Library Week! As a library company, OverDrive knows the importance of libraries and as podcast hosts, we often ask our guest authors for their thoughts and memories about the importance of libraries as well.  For this episode, we pulled together some of our favorite quotes from past guests. They talk about getting their first library card, the book that changed their life, the importance of reading, and so much more. Episode numbers are listened next to each author if you'd like to hear the full interview.    Authors in this episode: Jodi Picoult (Episode #64) Jewell Parker Rhodes (Episode #22) Kwame Alexander (Episode #97) Brad Meltzer (Episode #26) Marie Benedict (Episode #52) Sunil Yapa (Episode #8) Matthew Quick (Episode #18) Marieke Nijkamp (Episode #4) James Patterson (Episode #28) Min Jin Lee (Episode #87) Omar el Akkad (Episode #107)   Say Hello! Find OverDrive on Facebook at OverDriveforLibraries and Twitter at @ProBookNerds. Email us directly at professio

On today's episode, Adam interviews Omar El Akaad about his debut novel American War, which tells the story of a second American Civil War taking place 100 years in the future. Omar has spent his professional life covering news in places like Iraq, Egypt and Guantanamo Bay and uses his incredible view of the world to shape this book. In our intro Adam chats with his brother Jason who also works at OverDrive. Yep, that's right, Adam's has a brother who works with him that has never been on the podcast because Adam is a dumb-dumb. They discuss the books Jason reads with his daughter and his affinity for audiobooks with their trademark witty banter... A trademark listeners would know about had Adam brought Jason on any time in the first 106 episodes... Say Hello! Find OverDrive on Facebook at OverDriveforLibraries and Twitter at @ProBookNerds. Email us directly at professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com   Music "Buddy" provided royalty free from www.bensound.com   Podcast Overview We're not just book nerds:

On today's episode, Adam interviews Lesley Crewe, whose book, Amazing Grace, was chosen as the Together We Read national digital book club selection for Canada. From April 13-27, library card holders of Canadian libraries can borrow the eBook of Amazing Grace without any wait lists or holds and then join our discussion board at https://togetherweread.com. Lesley and Adam chat about her home in Cape Brenton, Nova Scotia where many of her stories are located as well as her love of wildlife and why she makes sure Cape Brenton is a part of her books. Say Hello! Find OverDrive on Facebook at OverDriveforLibraries and Twitter at @ProBookNerds. Email us directly at professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com   Music "Buddy" 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,

On today's episode, Adam & Jill chat with George Saunders, bestselling authors and one of TIME's 100 most influential people in the world. George is renowned for his collections of short stories and his first full length novel, Lincoln in the Bardo, recently debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestsellers list.  George explained where the idea for this novel came from, why Lincoln remains such an important character even today, how the incredible audiobook came to be and why absurdity fits so well into his stories. Take a listen!  Say Hello! Find OverDrive on Facebook at OverDriveforLibraries and Twitter at @ProBookNerds. Email us directly at professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com   Music "Buddy" 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

 April is right around the corner which means it's time for Adam and Jill to talk about all of the forthcoming books they are excited in read!   Books mentioned in this episode: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by JK Rowling, read by Eddie Redmayne The Secrets of My Life by Caitlyn Jenner If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio Burntown by Jennifer MacMahon Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann Every Body Yoga by Jessamyn Stanley Marlena by Julie Bunton Geekerella by Ashley Poston When You Find Out the World Is Against You by Kelly Oxford Nevertheless by Alec Baldwin American War by Omar El Akkad My Cubs: A Love Story by Scott Simon Startup by Doree Shafrir Just Lucky I Guess by Carol Channing Borne by Jeff Vandermeer Twist in Time by Julie McElwain Tell me how this ends well by David Samuel Levinson Devil on the Cross by Ngugi Wa Thiong'o   Say Hello! Find OverDrive on Facebook at OverDriveforLibraries and Twitter at @ProBookNerds. Email us directly at pro

On today's episode, Adam is left all by his lonesome for a sleep-deprived introduction where he talks about a local theater production he saw the night before and begs you to give us a 5-star rating before getting into the actual important part of the show, an interview with the awesome Brad Ricca. Brad is the author of Mrs. Sherlock Holmes, the incredible true story of Grace Humiston, America's first ever District Attorney, as well as Super Boys, the story behind the creation of Superman.  Adam and Brad nerd out over comics and movies at a local library while breaking down researching lost stories and showing off some Cleveland pride. Take a listen and then be sure to borrow his books on OverDrive! (shameless plug). Say Hello! Find OverDrive on Facebook at OverDriveforLibraries and Twitter at @ProBookNerds. Email us directly at professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com   Music "Buddy" provided royalty free from www.bensound.com   Podcast Overview We're not just book nerds: we're professional book nerds an

Take a trip back through time with today's episode where Adam and Jill discuss some of their favorite historical fiction picks! We not only help give a definition of what makes a book historical fiction, but we also discuss multiple timeline novels and "time slip" historical fiction.  Books mentioned in this episode: American Girl series Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory The Captive Queen by Alison Weir The King's Obsession by Alison Weir  Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis The Address by Fiona Davis The Hours by Michael Cunningham The Book Thief by Markus Zusak The Darkness Knows by Cheryl Honigford Homicide for the Holidays by Cheryl Honigford A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens 11/22/63 by Stephen King Time and Again by Jack Finney A Murder in Time by Julie McElwain Somewhere in Time by Richard Matheson Outlander by Diana Gaboldon The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin The Aviat

On today’s episode Jill returns from jury duty and regales us with an exciting recap of sitting in a room for three days. Our heroes then discuss St. Patrick’s Day excitement (even though the holiday has come and gone). The main portion of this episode is a conversation Adam had with children’s author and illustrator Elise Parsley who is known for her bestselling “If You Ever Want to Bring an Alligator to School, Don’t! series of gorgeous picture books. Elise shares her background in design as well as how she’ll borrow ideas from the children she meets with at schools before discussing how she spent thousands of hours promoting literacy while studying full time in college. Say Hello! Find OverDrive on Facebook at OverDriveforLibraries and Twitter at @ProBookNerds. Email us directly at professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com    Music "Buddy" 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 O

100 episodes! That's a big round number. On this, our first episode in the triple digits, Jill and Adam chat with Barry Lyga, best selling author of harrowing Young Adult books including I Hunt Killers and Boy Toy. His latest novel, BANG, comes out on April 18th. This heartbreaking novel tells the story of Sebastian who, at the age of 4, accidentally shoots and kills his infant daughter with his father's gun. Ten years later, Sebastian is still grappling with this tragedy and doesn't know how to make things better. This conversation isn't ALL heavy. We also talk pizza, comics, podcasting and much more. Join us as we enter the realm of the 100's, aging gracefully like a fine wine. Say Hello! Find OverDrive on Facebook at OverDriveforLibraries and Twitter at @ProBookNerds. Email us directly at professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com  Music "Buddy" 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 OverDriv

On today’s episode, Adam sits down with author and advice columnist Carol Weston. Carol’s new book, Speed of Life, comes out in April and she chats with Adam about how the book came to be, dealing with emotional loss as a teenager and what it’s like providing advice to teens for most of her life. They also discuss the autobiographical nature of Speed of Life, Carol’s writing process and much more! Episode was recorded in January 2017 during ALA Midwinter conference in Atlanta, GA Say Hello! Find OverDrive on Facebook at OverDriveforLibraries and Twitter at @ProBookNerds. Email us directly at professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com    Music "Buddy" 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 hott

For college basketball fans, this month is the time for March Madness but we decided to switch it up by doing an episode titled March Sadness. These are the books that make us cry, sob, weep, bawl .... you get the picture. Basically, these are the books that make us FEEL ALL THE FEELS.  Share your own favorite tearjerkers by emailing us at professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com or find us on Twitter at @ProBookNerds   Books Mentioned In This Episode Speed of Life by Carol Weston The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Night by Elie Wiesel George by Alex Gino The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness The Dog Stars by Peter Heller The Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson  The Road by Cormac McCarthy Bad Feminist by Roxane G

on today's episode, Adam sits down with Newbery Medal winner and bestseller Kwame Alexander. Kwame was in town promoting his latest book, The Playbook, which is a set of rules for children to use to be successful in life. Kwame and Adam chatted about the power of poetry and their shared background surrounded by books as well as Kwame's international literacy programs.   Say Hello! Find OverDrive on Facebook at OverDriveforLibraries and Twitter at @ProBookNerds. Email us directly at professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com    Music "Buddy" 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. Learn m

It's a new month! That means it's time to talk about all the forthcoming books we are excited to read. Together, Adam and Jill have a mix of young adult and adult fiction, non-fiction, and everything in between!  Let us know your March picks by emailing us at professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com or find us on Twitter @ProBookNerds    Strange the Dreamer - Laini Taylor   Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves   A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi (book 2 of The Star-Touched Queen series)   Hunted by Meagan Spooner   As Old as Time by Liz Braswell   The Widow's House by Carol Goodman   The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti   The Wanderers by Meg Howrey   A Colony In a Nation by Chris Hayes   The Illusionist's Apprentice by Kristy Cambron   Celine by Peter Heller   The Girl From Rawblood by Catriona Ward   Ill Will by Dan Chaon   Exit West by Mohsin Hamid   The Hollywood Daughter by Kate Alcott   The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck   The Roanoke Girls by Amy

On today's episode Adam and Jill are celebrating the upcoming launch of the latest Big Library Read event by chatting with Kate McDermott, author of Art of the Pie, which was selected as the eBook readers around the world will be reading at the same time starting March 16th as part of the largest digital book club on earth. Kate shared how she got started baking and how she makes her living in the world of Pie. We have been craving sweets ever since so apologies in advance if you do as well. You can learn more about this reading event at http://biglibraryread.com.   Say Hello! Find OverDrive on Facebook at OverDriveforLibraries and Twitter at @ProBookNerds. Email us directly at professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com   Music "Buddy" 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 be

The Academy Awards are this weekend and five of this year's Best Picture nominees are based on books! As book and movie lovers, Adam and Jill decided it would be fun to discuss books that were adapted into films that became Best Picture nominees. We also look ahead to upcoming films and make our predictions for what will be future Oscar contenders.  Tweet your own Page to Screen pics to use @ProBookNerds and email us at professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com   Books Mentioned In This Episode: Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang Fences by August Wilson A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue by Tarell Alvin McCraney Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell Oil! by Upton Sinclair The Martian by Andy Weir Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin Different Seasons by Stephen King Forrest Gump by Winston Groom Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote In Cold Blood by Truman Capote Capote by Gerald Clarke The Godfather by Mario Puzo Double

On today's episode, Adam sits down with Elizabeth Kostova, #1 bestselling author of The Historian and The Swan Thieves. Elizabeth has a new book coming out April 11 called The Shadow Land and so she was in Atlanta for the American Library Association Midwinter meetings where she spoke with Adam about her love of Eastern Europe, the research process for her books and, of course, Dracula! Elizabeth has a rich history with libraries as well and shared some wonderful insight into the writing process and her novels.  Say Hello! Find OverDrive on Facebook at OverDriveforLibraries and Twitter at @ProBookNerds. Email us directly at professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com   Music "Buddy" 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, an

Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology was released last week and we decided to celebrate by discussing other books that deal with mythology and lore!    Books Mentioned In This Episode Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan The Gracekeepers by Kristy Loan American Gods by Neil Gaiman Red Rising series by Pierce Brown Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier The Odyssey by Homer The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller The Song of Troy by Colleen McCullough Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis Grendel by John Gardner Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey The Secret History by Donna Tartt My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult The Tenth Circle by Jodi Piccoult The Divine Comedy by Dante The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break by Steven Sherrill House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danieleweski The Lost Years of Merlin by T. A. Barron The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

On today's episode, Adam interviews Jen Calonita in Atlanta during the American Library Association Midwinter meetings. Jen has gone from being an editor at a teen entertainment magazine where she interviewed celebrities backstage to creating her own stories from her life experiences. Now, she's building magical worlds of her own through the Fairy Tale Reform School series. Adam and Jen chat about how she came to be an author and how Disney has been the through line of her career that led to the whimsical she's not writing.  Say Hello! Find OverDrive on Facebook at OverDriveforLibraries and Twitter at @ProBookNerds. Email us directly at professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com.   Music "Buddy" 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 recommend

On this episode, Zoraida Cordova once again graces us with her wonderful presence to offer up some of her favorite recent romance reads. Zoraida is currently writing on a warm, tropical island (seriously look at her instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoraidasolo/) but took some time out of her busy schedule to tell about the Romance books she thinks everyone should check out. She also gave a few non-romance picks as well.  You can find the books Zoraida has written here: https://www.overdrive.com/creators/403210/zoraida-cordova  Zoraida's Romance Recommendations   American Vampire by Jennifer Armintrout   Inspire by Cora Carmack   The Marked Men series by Jay Crownover   Neanderthal Sees Human by Penny Reid   A Scot in the Dark by Sarah MacLean   Lady Bridget's Diary by Maya Rodale   Necessary Risk by Tara Wyatt   New YA to check out:    Caraval by Stephanie Garber   Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones   Say Hello! Find OverDrive on Facebook at OverDriveforLibraries and

Several of our co-workers absolutely adore Penny Reid and her Winston Brothers and Knitting in the City series and suggested we interview her. After speaking with her for half an hour, Penny now has two new fans in both Adam and Jill. Penny is the first self-published author to be on the Professional Book Nerds podcast and she's an incredibly successful self-published author at that, so along with taking us through her writing process she also explains all the work that goes into being a self-published author as well.  Penny writes what she calls "smart romance" and even if you're not a romance reader, we highly recommend listening to this delightful author interview and checking her books out.   Say Hello! Find OverDrive on Facebook at OverDriveforLibraries and Twitter at @ProBookNerds. Email us directly at professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com    Music "Buddy" provided royalty free from www.bensound.com   Podcast Overview We're not just book nerds: we're professional book nerds and the staff