Tori and Nicole discuss new books coming to library shelves, as well as graphic novels and their current reads. The hosts also announce that Worth Reading Wednesdays will be moving to a monthly schedule! The resources discussed in this episode are listed below:
Sun!: One in A Billion by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by Stevie Lewis;
Moon!: Earth's Best Friend by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by Stevie Lewis;
Mars!: Earthlings Welcome by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by Stevie Lewis;
Ocean: Waves for All by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by David Litchfield;
Earth!: My First 4.54 Billion Years by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by David Litchfield;
The Healing Garden: Cultivating and Handcrafting Herbal Remedies by Juliet Blankspoor;
A Dude's Guide to Baby Size: What to Expect and How to Prep for Dads-To-Be by Taylor Calmus;
Scenes from My Life: A Memoir by Michael K. Williams;
From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home by Tembi Locke;
Bones of Holly by Carolyn Haines;
Home Sweet Christmas by Susan Mallery;
The Twelve Topsy-Turvy, Very Messy Days of Christmas by James Patterson and Tad Safran;
Her Name is Knight by Yasmin Angoe;
They Come at Knight by Yasmin Angoe;
Hollow by Shannon Watters, Brandon Boyer-White, and Berenice Nell;
In this pre-recorded episode, Tori and Nicole discuss their thoughts about banned books during Banned Books Week, held nationally from September 18 through September 24, 2022. From The Hate U Give to Lord of the Flies, the librarians break down their thoughts about some of the most commonly banned books in the country and their opinions. Tori also shares about new children's books that have caught her eye. The resources discussed in this episode are listed below:
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas;
The Color Purple by Alice Walker;
Lord of the Flies by William Golding;
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee;
Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee;
Clayton Parker Really Really Really Has to Pee by Cinco Paul, illustrated by Gladys Jose;
Mean Girls (2004) film;
Love in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, illustrated by Yas Imamura;
The Flower Garden by Reneé Kurilla;
American Marriage by Tayari Jones;
The Way of the House Husband by Kousuke Oono;
The Way of the Househusband (2021) Netflix anime;
Nicole and Tori set up in a different location due to the library's busy day, and Nicole previews some new audiobooks that have hit the shelves for listeners! Tori discusses some young adult nonfiction titles and new manga titles that she is excited to share soon with readers as well. The resources described in this episode are listed below.
Baby Boom (1987) film;
Deaf Utopia by Nyle DiMarco audiobook;
Deaf U (2020) Netflix show;
Death of the Black Widow by James Patterson and J. D. Barker;
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt;
The Wolf's Curse by Jessica Vitalis;
Blood Scion by Deborah Falaye;
We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza;
The Overground Railroad: the Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America by Candacy Taylor;
My Brain is Different: Stories of ADHD and Other Developmental Disorders by Monzusu;
In this episode, Tori and Nicole return to Worth Reading Wednesdays with a special guest! Aaliyah from the circulation desk discusses the books she has been reading since joining the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library System staff. Nicole and Tori provide updates of their own about new library initiatives, summer library programs, and more! The resources discussed in this episode are listed below:
The Blacker the Berry by Wallace Thurman;
The Nephilim and the Pyramid of the Apocalypse by Patrick Heron;
The Book of Night Women by Marlon James;
Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James;
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones;
The Songbook of Benny Lament by Amy Harmon;
A Lowcountry Bride by Preslaysa Williams;
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams;
The Accidental Diva by Tia Williams;
The Me You Love in the Dark by Skottie Young, art by Jorge Corona;
Locke & Key Netflix show;
Moonshot: The Indigenous Comics Collection edited by Hope Nicholson;
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankwiler by E.L. Konigsburg;
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume;
Library Patrons Try to Ban Books That Aren't There NBC article;
For this month's True Crime Thursday, Wil'Lani and Tori discuss books that they're currently reading about true crime cases that have made national news and some not-so-well-known crimes as well. The ladies dig deep into the discussion of true crime for entertainment and the ethics behind hit shows such as Netflix's Dahmer, NBC's The Thing About Pam, and popular podcasts focused on true crime cases. The resources discussed in this episode are listed below:
How True Crime Media Has Shifted Since the Phenomenon of Serial article from The Guardian;
We Keep the Dead Close: A Murder at Harvard and A Half Century of Silence by Becky Cooper;
Halfway Heaven: Diary of a Harvard Murder by Melanie Thernstrom;
New Book Returns to an Irresistible Theme: the Harvard Murder NYT Book Review article;
NBC Dateline "The Real Thing About Pam" podcast episode;
The Thing About Pam NBC Dateline podcast;
Bone Deep: Untangling the Betsy Faria Murder Case by Charles Bosworth, Jr. and Joel J. Schwartz;
For more information and any comments you have, check out our website at lowndeslibrary.com/listen!
Wil'Lani and Tori return with their first True Crime Thursdays episode since before summer library programs! They update us on their adventures over the summer and what's new at the library since the podcast's hiatus. Then, they dust off their memories to talk about the true crime books they read and found fascinating.
The resources discussed in this episode are listed below:
Columbus-Lowndes Public Library System Teenker Space Fast Pass program;
Mississippi Mud: Southern Justice and the Dixie Mafia by Edward Humes;
Southern Fried True Crime podcast episode;
The Happy Hooker: My Own Story by Xaviera Hollander, Robin Moore, and Yvonne Dunleavy;
The Happy Hooker Goes to Hollywood movie;
The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington movie;
Nicole opens with her delight in her latest read about a Ghanian assassin who develops feelings for one of her targets and provides updates on some of the latest books she has ordered for the library. Tori talks about her goal to read more nonfiction and shares Check out images of the books discussed in today's episode at lowndeslibrary.com/listen. The resources discussed in this episode are listed below.
Her Name is Knight by Yasmin Angoe;
The Nineties by Chuck Klosterman;
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens;
The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James;
A Family Affair by Robyn Carr;
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir;
Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir;
Mama: A World of Mothers and Motherhood by Hélène Delforge, illustrated by Quentin Gréban;
Pearlie...I Dream: Peace in the Home by Yvonne Bardwell Cox;
The Nation Must Awake: My Witness to the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 by Mary E. Jones Parrish
In this episode, Nicole talks about a read that made her cry and tugged on her heartstrings and discusses more titles coming soon to the library shelves. Tori recommends a few young adult titles and an adult romance. The resources discussed in this episode are listed below:
A Journal for Jordan: A Story of Love and Honor by Dana Canedy;
A Journal for Jordan (2021) film;
Cat Kid Comic Club: On Purpose by Dav Pilkey;
The Mean Girls: A Bunch of Bullies by Atiya C. Henley;
I Color Myself Different by Colin Kaepernik, illustrated by Eric Wilkerson;
Great Loves by DK;
I'm Not Scared, You're Scared! by Seth Meyers, illustrated by Rob Sayegh Jr.
Why Not You? by Ciara Wilson, Russell Wilson, JaNay Brown-Wood, illustrated by Jessica Gibson;
Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen
The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson;
Design Remix: A New Spin on Traditional Homes by Corey Damen Jenkins;
Disney Encanto: The Graphic Novel by Random House Disney;
High Stakes by Danielle Steel;
Beautiful by Danielle Steel;
Cramm This Book: So You Know WTF Is Going On in the World Today by Olivia Seltzer;
Dragons Are the Worst! by Alex Willan;
Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri;
J. D. and the Great Barber Battle by J. Dillard, illustrated by Akeem S. Roberts;
J. D. and the Family Business by J. Dillard, illustrated by Akeem S. Roberts;
Yasuke The Legend of the African Samurai by Jamal Turner;
47 Ronan by Mike Richardson, illustrated by Stan Sakai;
Life Flight by Lynette Eason;
The Match by Harlan Coben;
A Safe House by Stuart Woods;
Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson;
The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont;
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli;
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas;
Dear Martin by Nic Stone;
Love, Simon (2018) movie;
Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous by Suzanne Park;
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
This month, Wil'Lani and Tori discuss a few true crime-related reads they're interested in, and Wil'Lani breaks out of her nonfiction zone into some fictionalized true crime! The resources discussed in this episode are listed below:
The Innocents by Ace Atkins;
Investigation Discovery article about Jessica Chambers;
Oxygen's newsfeed regarding Jessica Chambers and Quinton Tellis;
Jessica Chambers's Family Upset Over New Book article;
Who Is Quinton Tellis and Where Is He Now? article;
Unspeakable Crime: The Killing of Jessica Chambers Oxygen podcast;
She Kills Me: The True Stories of History's Deadliest Women by Jennifer Wright, illustrations by Eva Bee;
Taylor Schabusiness news article;
This week, Wil'Lani joins Tori to talk about more books, including some gripping fiction and nonfiction about survival, and more! The resources discussed in this episode are listed below:
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black;
He Played Me by Ms. L.B.;
He Played Me (2021) Tubi movie;
A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer;
The Privilege of Youth: A Teenager's Story by Dave Pelzer;
A Man Named Dave by Dave Pelzer;
No obstacles could keep me down. I am victorious by Kimberly W. Mullin
In this episode, Nicole shares some new books she's purchased for the library's nonfiction sections, and they welcome Melissa, Circulation Assistant, to the show. The resources discussed in this episode are discussed below:
The Mean Girls: A Bunch of Bullies by Atiyah C. Henley;
Find Your Unicorn Space: Reclaim Your Creative Life in a Too-Busy World by Eve Rodsky;
What Is Black Lives Matter? by Lakita Wilson;
What Were the Negro Leagues? by Varian Johnson;
What Is Congress? by Jill Abramson;
What Was the Bombing of Hiroshima? by Jess Brallier;
What Was the Holocaust? by Gail Herman;
What is Rock and Roll? by Jim O'Connor;
What Are the Winter Olympics by Gail Herman;
Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health by Thomas Insel;
Pirate Queens: Dauntless Women who Dared to Rule the High Seas by Leigh Lewis;
The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton;
Her Name is Knight by Yasmin Angoe;
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow;
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow;
Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead;
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead;
Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead;
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead;
Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead;
Zone One by Colson Whitehead;
Read Dangerously: The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled Times by Azar Nafisi;
The Princess Bride Cookbook by Jen Fujikawa;
The Manga Guide to Linear Algebra by Shin Takahashi and Iroha Inoue;
Bridgerton Netflix show;
Strike HBO show
Nicole did her homework this week and tells all about her audiobooks coming to shelves soon! New titles include mystery and thriller reads, some romance, and other fiction and nonfiction titles. Tori talks about some young adult and nonfiction titles that have caught her attention this week. The resources discussed in this episode are listed below:
Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell;
Something to Hide by Elizabeth George;
Seasonal Work: Stories by Laura Lippman;
American Housewife by Helen Ellis;
Stronger Than You Know by Lori Foster;
How Much I Love by Marie Force;
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich;
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Miller;
The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen;
Ain't Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds and Jason Griffin;
In this week's episode, Nicole looks ahead at some anticipated reads for 2022, and Tori talks about a graphic novel adaptation she's been reading, along with a young adult book she finally knocked off her to-be-read list. The resources discussed in this episode are listed below:
A Face to Die For by Iris Johansen;
Nightwork by Nora Roberts;
High Stakes by Danielle Steel;
The Best Is Yet to Come by Debbie Macomber;
22 Seconds by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro;
What Happened to the Bennetts by Lisa Scottoline;
Tom Clancy Target Aquired by Don Bentley;
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan;
Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson;
The Phantom of the Opera: The Graphic Novel by Varga Tomi;
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux;
The Phantom of the Opera (2004) film;
Cyrano de Bergerac play by Edmond Rostand;
Cyrano (2021) film;
Roxane (1987) film;
In this special, monthly installment, Tori and Wil'Lani host True Crime Thursday. This segment will highlight true-crime offerings available through the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library System. Once a month, Wil'Lani and Tori will come together to discuss a true crime book they've devoured and rehash the outlandish details on air. In this first episode, Wil'Lani talks about her reading of No, Daddy, Don't!: A Father's Murderous Act of Revenge by Irene Pence and Tori talks about her reading of The Legs Murder Scandal by Hunter Cole. Both books are available via digital download on Hoopla and Libby, respectively.
In this episode, Tori and Nicole do a live unboxing of some new library books that arrived on Tuesday, February 22. Nicole runs through the nonfiction titles that will be available on shelves soon, while Tori continues to highlight books by Black authors about Black characters. The resources discussed in this episode are listed below:
Beautiful Things: A Memoir by Hunter Biden;
Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad;
Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach;
Stiff: The Curious Life of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach;
Black Women, Black Love: America's War on African American Marriage by Dianne M. Stewart;
I Wish I Had A Red Dress by Pearl Cleage;
Things That Make White People Uncomfortable (Adapted for Young Readers) by Michael Bennett;
MUTED: A Novel in Verse by Tami Charles;
Surviving R. Kelly (2019) documentary;
Nubia: Real One by L.L. McKinney, illustrated by Robyn Smith;
Disney Magic Kingdoms mobile app;
P.Tracker mobile app
In this episode, Nicole returns with some new non-fiction and fiction reads after a cataloging frenzy! She highlights some nonfiction that is coming soon, along with some a revival of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a new graphic novel, and more. Tori continues to highlight books by Black authors during Black History Month. The resources discussed in this episode are listed below:
Things I Should Have Said: Family, Fame, and Figuring it Out by Jamie Lynn Spears;
What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day by Pearl Cleage;
Queen of Tehano Music: Selena by Silvia López, illustrated by Paola Escobar;
Selena (1997) movie;
Selena: The Series (2020) Netflix show;
Encanto (2021) movie;
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen;
Northwind by Gary Paulsen;
In Every Generation by Kendare Blake;
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) movie;
Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1992) movie;
Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, illustrated by Lisa Sterle;
Wil'Lani joins Tori this week to recommend reads by Black authors including some of Wil'Lani's favorite fiction reads. Tori recommends two juvenile nonfiction titles that celebrate Black voices as well. The resources discussed in this video are listed below:
Black Authors Beanstack Reading recommendations on Beanstack;
The Color Purple by Alice Walker;
Precious the movie;
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison;
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston;
Casting the First Stone by Kimberla Lawson Roby;
The Best of Everything by Kimberla Lawson Roby;
The Reverend Curtis Black series by Kimberla Lawson Roby;
Infinite Hope: A Black Artist's Journey from World War II to Peace by Ashley Bryan;
Rebecca Lee Crumpler by J.P. Miller, illustrated by Markia Jenai;
The Talk: Conversations about Race, Love, and Truth by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson;
Insecure HBOMax TV show;
Awkward Black Girl YouTube series;
Eat Okra mobile app;
The Golden Palace TV show;
The Golden Girls TV show;
Betty White Goes Wild Disney+ documentary
Nicole and Tori welcome Wil'Lani back to the show to talk more true crime picks, the emergence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in professional football players, and more. The resources discussed in this episode are listed below: Tears of Rage: From Grieving Father to Crusader for Justice: The Untold Story of the Adam Walsh Case by John Walsh; Imperfect Justice: Prosecuting Casey Anthony by Jeff Ashton; Insulin Murders: True Life Cases by Vincent Marks; Home Sweet Murder by James Patterson; A Serial Killer's Daughter: My Story of Faith, Love, and Overcoming by Kerri Rawson; The Midnight Assassin: Panic, Scandal, and the Hunt for America's First Serial Killer by Skip Hollingsworth; Inside the Mind of Scott Peterson by Keith Ablow; Witness: For the Prosecution of Scott Peterson by Amber Frey; Concussion by Jeanne Marie Laskas; Fourth Down and Inches: Concussions and Football's Make-or-Break Moment by Carla Killough McClafferty; Meet 4 People Who Worry About CTE, But Never Played in the NFL article from NPR Red At the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson; Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson; Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson; Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham; Theodore Boone: The Abduction by John Grisham; Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez Netflix documentary; 20/20 show from ABC; Southern Fried True Crime podcast
In this episode, Tori and Nicole are back from their holiday break with their one of their favorite reads from 2021 each. The ladies also recommend one read each for the new year. The Columbus-Lowndes Public Library System is hosting its Winter Reading Challenge Resources discussed in this episode are listed below:
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman;
And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman;
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams;
Let's Play by Leeanne M. Krecic;
lowndes.beanstack.org
In this episode, Nicole recaps her take on the Miss Universe pageant, and shares some new books that she's currently cataloging. Tori shares a young adult read and a juvenile read that both require tissues! The resources discussed in this episode are listed below:
Not The Girl You Marry by Andie J. Christopher;
Not That Kind of Guy by Andie J. Christopher;
What Happens In Vegas (2008) movie;
My Lady's Choosing: An Interactive Romance Novel by Kitty Curran and Larissa Zageris;
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys;
The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart;
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein;
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate;
West Side Story (2021) movie;
Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon anime
