Professional Book Nerds

On today's episode, Adam interviews legendary journalist and author Scott Simon about his new books Sunnyside Plaza. The book is all about his time working with people who had developmental disabilities and how seeing the world through a different lens. They also discuss baseball, writing for children, and much more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode, we're joined by author Joseph Sieracki (and his wife Andrea whose voice you may recognize!)  Joseph has written a stunning graphic novel titled A Letter to Jo based on his grandfather's experience in World War II. The story itself is heartwrenching and this conversation is loaded with not only the research Joseph did but also incredible detail about how much goes into creating a graphic novel. This book is an absolute must-read! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode, Jill and Adam interview Andrea Barber, who is best known for her iconic character Kimmy Gibbler on Full House and Fuller House. Andrea has written a memoir titled Full Circle all about her life in between her time in Hollywood. She discusses her struggle to keep her mental health balanced, how running helped, and shares some wonderful insight into the shows we've literally grown up with. This was surreal and amazing.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've entered the 2020s so we thought it'd be fun to take a look at some wonderful books set a hundred years ago in the famed Roaring 20s. We're talking flapper girls, prohibition New York, Old Hollywood, lost libraries, and so much more! Books mentioned in this episode The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann   Books set in the 1920's Fall of Giants by Ken Follett The Paris Wife by Paula McLain The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie The Lost Plot by Genevieve Cogman The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis The Girls in the Picture by Melanie Benjamin Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf The Hours by Michael Cunningham The Trial by Franz Kafka Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald The Electric Hotel by Dominic Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey Nerds! On today's wide-ranging episode, Penny Reid returns to tell us what she's been up to and it turns out... it's a lot! We discuss the multiple books she released in 2019, the exciting new projects she has coming in 2020, and her experiences making cheese, hanging out with wolves, and doing yoga with goats. We also chat about prison libraries, Adam running a half marathon with his Pops, and a whole bunch more. It's a lot.  If you'd like information about donating books to prisons you can find great info from Book Riot here: https://bookriot.com/2015/09/03/donate-books-prisons/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a new month, a new year, and a new decade! The passage of time doesn't stop and so neither will our book recommendations. Check out the books we're most excited about that are coming out in January. Books mentioned in this episode American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins One of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManus Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain Lady Clementine by Marie Benedict The Truants by Kate Weinberg Little Gods by Meng Jin Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano Uncanny Valley by Anna Wiener Followers by Megan Angelo The Majesties by Tiffany Tsao Highfire by Eoin Colfer The Poison Garden by Alex Marwood Clean Getaway by Nic Stone All the Days Past, All the Days to Come by Mildred D. Taylor Infinity Son by Adam Silvera Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick by Zora Neale Hurston Every Other Weekend by Abigail Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode, Adam interviews Jon Scieszka and Steven-Weinberg about their new children's book series ASTRONUTS! They chat about creating this unique and incredible story together while Adam asks about working with family (Jon is Steven's father-in-law). Adam then has to ask about The Stinky Cheese Man and The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The end of the year means it's time to look back on the best books of 2019! As a bonus, we also share our selections for the best books of the entire decade!   Books mentioned in this episode:   The 10 Best Books of 2019 The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman The Grace Year by Kim Liggett The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead Trust Exercise by Susan Choi The Lady from the Black Lagoon by Mallory O'Meara Three Women by Lisa Taddeo   The 10 Best Books of the Decade Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi This is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza Ready Player One by Ernest Cline Pachinko by Min Jin Lee The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaima

We're excited to share our brand new 2020 reading challenge! In this episode, we explain each of the following challenges in depth. Be sure to subscribe to hear upcoming episodes loaded with recommendations.  You can find the form to fill out at professionalbooknerds.com or on our pinned tweet over at @ProBookNerds on Twitter. Be sure to share your progress using the hashtag #PBNread2020 The Professional Book Nerds 2020 Reading Challenge Book translated from a language other than your own   Book written by an LGBTQ+ author   A collection of short stories or an anthology   A graphic novel   Read two books on the same subject, 1 fiction & 1 nonfiction   A microhistory   A book you haven't read since high school   A self-published book   A book with Nontraditional formatting Book featuring a cat or dog First book of a series A book published between 2000 & 2010 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We brought our good friend Robin Whitten from Audiofile Magazine on to run through their (and our) selections for the best audiobooks of 2019. Take a listen! The Best Audiobooks of 2019 Akin by Emma Donoghue, narrated by Jason Culp   Full Throttle by Joe Hill, narrated by Zachary Quinto, Wil Wheaton, Kate Mulgrew, Neil Gaiman, Ashleigh Cummings, Joe Hill, Laysla De Oliveira, Nate Corddry, Connor Jessup, Stephen Lang, and George Guidall.   The British Are Coming by Rick Atkinson, Narrated by George Newbern   The First Conspiracy by Brad Meltzer, Narrated by Scott Brick   Charlotte's Web by E. B. White, Narrated by Meryl Streep   The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman, Narrated by Michael Sheen   Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid   The Aye-Aye and I by Gerald Durrell, narrated by Rupert Degas   A Dream About Lightning Bugs by Ben Folds   Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir   Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey, Narrated by Xe Sands   Run Away by Harlan C

On today's episode, Adam is joined by bestselling author Katharine McGee! They chat about her transitioning from Science Fiction to writing romantic comedies with her new, phenomenal book American Royals. They also discuss Katharine's love of intricate period piece shows, share thoughts on His Dark Materials, and, of course, chat about Les Mis.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is not an understatement to say that Steve Potash is the reason we are able to do this podcast. Steve is the founder and creator of Rakuten OverDrive as well as one of the main reasons digital library reading is such a prevalent part of our lives. Each day, we come to work at the OverDrive office excitement to help create a world enlightened by reading and it all starts with Steve's energy and passion. But OverDrive has been around much longer than you likely realize and it didn't start with libraries. On today's episode, Steve joins us to discuss the humble origins of this incredible company we get to call home.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode, Adam interviews Maaza Mengiste about her new novel, The Shadow King. This book tells the story of Mussolini's 1935 invasion of Ethiopia and how it changed lives forever on both sides. Maaza shares the incredible true story of her ancestor who fought for her right to join the Ethiopian army to defend her home, the paths her research led her down, and so much more.    This episode is sponsored by https://literatibooks.com/. Use our promo code PROBOOKNERDS for $20 off your first box of teacher-curated books and beautiful artwork for kids! These unique gifts also feature some amazing holiday themes this month! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode, Adam interviews Kate Racculia, author of the award-winning Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts. They chat about Edgar Allan Poe, Kate's many exceptional past jobs, her experience working in a library and so much more wonderful nerdery. Take a listen!   This episode is sponsored by https://literatibooks.com/. Use our promo code PROBOOKNERDS for $20 off your first box of teacher-curated books and beautiful artwork for kids! These unique gifts also feature some amazing holiday themes this month! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode, Adam and Jill sit down with local authors Barbara and Teeba Furat Marlowe. Their book, A Brave Face, tells the incredible true story of how two families from halfway around the world became forever connected, turning a tragedy into a heartwarming story of perseverance, faith, and hope.  This episode is sponsored by https://scandigital.com/. Use our promo code BOOKNERDS for 50% off your order! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jill is here with the biggest books of December the Professional Book Nerds can't wait to read! Children of Virtue and Vengence by Tomi Adeyemi Good Girls Lie by JT Ellison Dead Astronauts by Jeff VanderMeer Meg & Jo by Virginia Kantra Disney's Land by Richard Snow The Dead Girl's Club by Damien Angelica Walters The Book of Science and Antiquities by Thomas Keneally The Sacrament by Olaf Olaffson Reverie by Ryan La Sala The Measure of our Lives by Toni Morrison     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode is a splendidly fun conversation with Ben Aaronovitch, author of the wildly popular Rivers of London series! We nerd out about writing, London, Mythology, police procedurals and so much more. This episode is sponsored by https://literatibooks.com/. Use our promo code PROBOOKNERDS for $20 off your first box of teacher-curated books and beautiful artwork for kids! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who is ready to return to Elfhame? This week, the final book in Holly Black's wildly popular "Folk of the Air" series, The Queen of Nothing, came out and Holly stopped by to chat! Adam and Holly get into the creation of the world of Elfhame, the relationship between Jude and Cardan, and so much more. This is a must listen! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is all about the books we've been reading lately but we also dive into some truly crazy true-life murder stories involving authors and embrace our final form... A Pagemaster Podcast. Books mentioned in this episode You Will Know Me by Megan Abbot Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo Dare Me by Megan Abbott The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White Give Me Your Hand by Megan Abbott The Library of the Unwritten by A. J. Hackwith Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel Criminal by Karin Slaughter Running with Sherman by Christopher McDougall The Kept Woman by Karin Slaughter Perfect Little Children by Sophie Hannah Sunnyside Plaza by Scott Simon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Surprise! Adam went down to Atlanta for a day to record a bonus episode with Big Library Read authors Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal! They chat with a bunch of incredible students from DeKalb Early College Academy about the creation and importance of I'm Not Dying With You Tonight. Visit https://biglibraryread.com/ to join our global discussion of this incredible book!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices