DMPL Podcast Des Moines Public Library

On the latest episode of Beyond the Shelves, Jes and Sarah time travel through the decades, picking a plethora of books set in the past 60 years. Plus, Book Bulletin features the inaugural Libby Awards - what they like, what they don't like, and what they have an issue with!
 
What They're Reading Where the Lost Wander, by Amy Harmon Clean Sweep, by Ilona Andrews The Fragile Threads of Power, by V.E. Schwab The Pairing, by Casey McQuiston Normal People, by Sally Rooney The Reformatory, by Tananarive Due  
Decade Book Picks 1960s The Women, by Kristin Hannah The Great Reclamation, by Rachel Heng 1970s ​​​​​​​Bright Young Women, by Jessica Knoll Secret Identity, by Alex Segura 1980s ​​​​​​​When Crack Was King, by Donovan X. Ramsey Tell the Wolves I’m Home, by Carol Rifka Brunt 1990s ​​​​​​​Rainbow Black, by Maggie Thrash Big Girl, by Mecca Jamilah Sullivan 2000s ​​​​​​​Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke, by Eric LaRocca How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water, by Angie Cruz 2010s ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​How We Named the Stars, by Andres N. Ordorica The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls, by Anissa Gray

Jes and Sarah are joined by DMPL Systems Administrator Katie on the newest epsiode of Beyond the Shelves! Katie knows all the numbers and stats about the library that you can imagine, and she gives us some fun facts about circulation, programs, technolgoy, and more. It's a great peak behind the curtain about parts of the library you probably don't know about!
Also, what famous author recently said he lied about having cancer? Stay tuned all the way to the end of the podcast for the Book Bulletin segment!
 
What Our Hosts Are Reading The Salvation Gambit, by Emily Skrutskie Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, by Benjamin Stevenson Say You'll Be Mine, by Naina Kumar Technically Yours, by Denise Williams A Tempest at Sea, by Sherry Thomas Come and Get It, by Kiley Reid Penance, by Eliza Clark

Secret Iowa author Megan Bannister joins the DMPL Podcast. She discusses traveling across the state to discover the fun, unknown sites featured in this book, her favorite roads in Iowa, and what famous authors she outsold at a bookstore in Iowa last year.
Show Notes Secret Iowa at the library
Iowa Supper Clubs, by Megan Bannister
Megan Bannister's website

It's February, and love is in the air! Get your HEA (happily ever after) by listening to Sarah, a romance aficionado, and Jes discuss the history of the romance genre, current trends, cross-genre romance books, and what some of their favorite stories are within different romance tropes.
 
Currently Reading The Book the Wouldn't Burn, by Mark Lawrence Ruthless Vows, by Rebecca Ross Beautyland, by Marie-Helene Bertino
Good Material, by Dolly Alderton
Light from Uncommon Stars, by Ryka Aoki
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, by Shannon Chakraborty  
Trope Picks Enemies to Lovers
​​​​​​​Act Your Age, Eve Brown, by Talia Hibbert Grumpy Sunshine
​​​​​​​Well Met, by Jen Deluca It Happened One Summer, by Tessa Bailey, Delilah Green Doesn't Care, by Ashley Herring Blake Only One Bed
The Rogue Not Taken, by Sarah Maclean Float Plan, by Trish Doller Happy Place, by Emily Henry Marriage of Convenience
​​​​​​​How to Catch a Queen, by Alyssa Cole Tempest, by Beverly Jenkins Forbidden Love
​​​​​​​Red, White, and Royal Blue, by Casey McQuiston Hate to Want You, by Alisha Rai Fake Dating
​​​​​​​Boyfriend Material, by Alexis Hall Yours Truly, by Abby Jimenez Second Chance
​​​​​​​Seven Days in June, by Tia Williams Recipe for Persuasion, by Sonali Dev Amnesia/Mistaken Identity
​​​​​​​The Girl With the Make Believe Husband, by Julia Quinn Spoiler Alert, by Olivia Dade. Sports:
Check Please, by Ngozi Ukazu Intercepted, by Alexa Martin Bromance Book Club, by Lyssa Kay Adams Funny-Paranormal
​​​​​​​My Roommate is a Vampire, by Jenna Levine  
Other Books Discussed Ghosts, by Dolly Alderton
Patricia Briggs - books Laurell K. Hamilton - books Johanna Lindsey - books  
 
 

Welcome to the New Year! On the latest episode of 2024, Jes and Sarah review their 2023 reading goals and talk about what they want to do in 2024.
 
Show notes What they're reading: The Berry Pickers, by Amanda Peters Mall Goth, by Kate Leth If You'll Have Me, by Eunnie A Guest in the House, by Emily Carroll Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, by Heather Fawcett Seven Days in June, by Tia Williams The Book that Wouldn't Burn, by Mark Lawrence The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah Other books discussed: Who is Maud Dixon?, by Alexandra Andrews Shutter, by Ramona Emerson How Can I Help You?, by Laura Sims News items Storygraph is so popular the app crashed to start the year Cait Corrain loses her publisher and agent after review bombing fellow debut authors A federal judge blocks enforcement of an Iowa law banning books in schools What's in and out in 2024

On the latest episode of the DMPL Podcast, hosts Jess and Sarah talk about their favorite books of 2023, as well as some of the most common books on the best of 2023 lists across the book media sphere.
 
Show Notes  
What They're Reading Bookshops & Bonedust, by Travis Baldree Calamity, by Constance Fay Assistant to the Villain, by Hannah Nicole Maehrer The Quiet Tenant, by Clemence Michallon  
Best Of Lists The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History, by Ned Blackhawk The Wren, by Anne Enright Loot, by Tania James The MANIAC, by Benjamin Labatut The Biography of X, by Catherine Lacey Terrace Story, by Hillary Leichter The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, by James McBride The Berry Pickers, by Amanda Peters How to Say Babylon, by Safiya Sinclair Land of Milk and Honey, by C Pam Zhang  
Jess' Five (plus one) Chang Gang All-Stars, by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah Death Valley, by Melissa Broder I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself, by Marisa Crade I Who Have Never Known Men, by Jacqueline Harpman Iris Kelly Doesn't Date, by Ashley Herring Blake A Council of Dolls, by Mona Susan Power  
Sarah's Five The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, by Shannon Chakraborty Yours Truly, by Abby Jimenez True Love Experiment, by Cristina Lauren Knockout, by Sarah MacLean Eating to Extinction, by Dan Saladino