Professional Book Nerds

Come and join Emma and Joe as they share results from the 2023 PBN Reading Challenge and introduce the prompts for 2024! You can download the PDF version of our challenge here and the social sharing size here. This year's challenge includes: A genre you don’t normally read  The Humans – Matt Haig  A book with main characters that are a different age than you  The Marlow Murder Club – Robert Thorogood  A book on your TBR longer than 1 year  To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell An audiobook (full cast or dramatized!)  The Final Revival of Opal & Nev – Dawnie Walton A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder – Holly Jackson  One of Us is Dead – Jeneva Rose  Sadie – Courtney Summers  A book in translation  Shoko’s Smile – Choi Eunyoung  The Dinner – Herman Koch  The Good Son – You-Jeong Jeong  Your Second Life Begins When You Realize You Only Have One – Raphaelle Giordano  Reread a childhood favorite  Confessions of Georgia Nicholson series - Louise Rennison 

In this episode, Eli Rallo spills the ink on essay escapades, spills the tea on meeting Sarah Jessica Parker, and spills some wisdom on finding your people. Join Eli and Joe, as they talk about all this, Eli's new book (I Didn't Know I Needed This - out December 12), and more! Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today’s episode on OverDrive.com or in Libby. Library friends can shop these titles in OverDrive Marketplace. Looking for more bookish content? Check out the Libby Life Blog! We hope you enjoy this episode of the Professional Book Nerds podcast. Be sure to rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! You can follow the Professional Book Nerds on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @ProBookNerds. Want to reach out? Send an email to professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com. We’ve got merch! Check out our two shirts in The OverDrive Shop (all profits are donated to the ALA Literacy Clearinghouse). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emma and Joe share their favorite books of 2023! Emma’s picks:   For You and Only You by Caroline Kepnes  Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams   None of This is True by Lisa Jewell  Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros   The Woman in Me by Britney Spears  The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth   The September House by Carissa Orlando   The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michallon  Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll  Happy Place by Emily Henry  Joe’s picks:   Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison  The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes  The Body in the Back Garden by Mark Waddell (narrated by Daniel Henning)  Delicate Condition by Danielle Valentine  Love, Pamela by Pamela Anderson  Pageboy by Elliot Page  Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward  With My LIttle Eye by Joshilyn Jackson  Behind the Seams by Dolly Parton  The Big Reveal by Sasha Velour  Bonus pick: Meet me at the Lake by Carley Fortune  For our favorite YA picks of 2023, be sure to listen to our episode here.  If you want to go back and listen

Emma and Joe chat about their most anticipated book releases for December! The final book picks episode featuring 2023 releases is here. Grab your hot cocoa and get ready to add a few more things to your TBR as we close out another great year. Books mentioned in this episode: December Author Interviews:  I Didn’t Know I Needed This by Eli Rallo  Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross    Emma’s Picks:   Here in the Dark by Alexis Soloski   The Other Mothers by Katherine Faulkner  The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson   #CrimeTime by Jeneva Rose & Drew Pyne   Feel-Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal   Fourth Wing (1 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] Graphic Audio  Gilded Youth by Tom Quinn   Never by Jessa Hastings     Joe’s Picks:   When I Was Your Age by Kenan Thompson   Yours for the Taking by Gabrielle Korn   All the Hidden Paths by Foz Meadowns   Where There’s Smoke by EB Vickers   Heartstopper #5 by Alice Oseman   Murder Crossed Her Mind by Stephen Spotswood   Deep Fried Death by Maddie Day  

On this episode of PBN Joe and Emma are starting to wrap up the year by sharing their favorite juvenile and young adult titles published in 2023. Come and hear what made the cut and why these nerds enjoyed it so much. Titles mentioned in this episode: Emma’s Titles:  Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood   Betting on You by Lynn Painter   House of Marionne by J. Elle   The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes   Divine Rivals & Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross   A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid   The Scarlet Veil by Shelby Mahurin   All That’s Left to Say by Emery Lord   Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert   Just Because by Matthew McConaughey    Joe’s Titles:  Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington (July 2023 S&S)  The Forest Demands Its Due by Kosko Jackson (October 2023 Harper)  Beholder by Ryan La Sala (October 2023 Scholastic)  Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker (April 2023 Tor)  Totally Psychic by Brigid Martin In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune  The G

On this episode of the Professional Book Nerds podcast, Joe chats with author Naomi Alderman about her new book The Future (out November 7). Joe and Naomi talk about how an actual pandemic happening can really change how you write about a pandemic, buying $23 hand sanitizer, and what exactly would happen if the elite had private bunkers to escape to. Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today’s episode on OverDrive.com or in Libby. Library friends can shop these titles in OverDrive Marketplace. Looking for more bookish content? Check out the Libby Life Blog! We hope you enjoy this episode of the Professional Book Nerds podcast. Be sure to rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! You can follow the Professional Book Nerds on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @ProBookNerds. Want to reach out? Send an email to professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com. We’ve got merch! Check out our two shirts in The OverDrive Shop (all profits are donated to the ALA Literacy Clearin

Grab your crystal ball, fire up the cauldron, and get ready to get witchy! Today, Joe, Kristin, and Claire share some recommended picks for the witching season. There's something magical in the air as you transition from Halloween horrors but before you get too cozy for the winter season. Titles mentioned in this episode: Kristin’s Titles:   Hex Life edited by Rachel Autumn Deering  In the House in the Dark of the Wood by Laird Hunt  The Witchery by Sophie Isabelle  The Witching Year by Diana Helmuth  Kiss and Spell by Celestine Martin  The Good House by Tananarieve Due    Claire’s Titles:  The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman  Steeped to Death by Gretchen Rue  The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec  A Season with the Witch by J.W. Ocker  Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt  Slewfoot by Brom  Into the Forest edited by Lindy Ryan    Joe’s Titles:  Cackle by Rachel Harrison  Acts of Violet by Margarita Montimore  After the Forest by Kell Woods  Night of the Witch by Sara Raasch

Emma spends roughly an hour fangirling at bestselling author, Rebecca Yarros, and chats about the highly-anticipated release of Iron Flame. They also discuss work-life balance, the biggest obstacles facing Xaden and Violet, Rebecca's favorite dragon and go-to coffee order, being a Dain apologist, and so much more in this casual, chatty interview. Books mentioned in this episode: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros In the Likely Event by Rebecca Yarros Undelivered by Jeff Nussbaum Kindred by Octavia Butler Legendborn by Tracy Deonn The History of a Difficult Child by Mihret Sibhat Seven Days in June by Tia Williams Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today's episode on OverDrive.com or in Libby. Library friends can shop these titles in OverDrive Marketplace. Looking for more bookish content? Check out the Libby Life Blog! We hope you enjoy this episode of the Professional Book Nerds podcast. Be sure to rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spo

Emma is joined by librarian, Robin Bradford, to chat about her book, The Reader's Advisory Guide to Romance. They also chat all things Romancelandia, how to talk about spice levels, the cyclical nature of romance trends and tropes, libraries, and a bunch of recommendations! You can find Robin on Twitter @Tuphlos.  Authors mentioned in this episode: Katee Robert Jill Shalvis Tasha Harrison D.L. White Naima Simone Tracey Livesay Eva Leigh Rosie Danan Samantha Chase Dylan Allen Rachel Howzell Hall Books mentioned in this episode: Icebreaker by Hannah Grace The Last One by Rachel Howzell Hall Bride by Ali Hazelwood The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan Ana Maria and the Fox by Liana De la Rosa Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today's episode on OverDrive.com or in Libby. Library friends can shop these titles in OverDrive Marketplace. Looking for more bookish content? Check out the Libby Life Blog! We hope you enjoy this episode of t

Emma catches up with Penny Reid to discuss the ways Penny innovates in self-publishing/indie publishing, her amazing Kickstarter campaign, the Smarty Pants Romance imprint, what happens when you add reality to romance tropes, and the Charles Dickens retelling you didn't know you needed. Plus, hear some scoop on what books you can expect next, news about the Winston Brothers tv show, and which characters still speak to Penny the loudest, even after their books are "done." Books mentioned in this episode: Truth or Beard Prom King (coming soon) Drama King Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend Marriage and Murder Beard Science Beard in Hiding Totally Folked Folk Around and Find Out Marriage of Inconvenience All Folked Up (coming July 2024) Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today's episode on OverDrive.com or in Libby. Library friends can shop these titles in OverDrive Marketplace. We hope you enjoy this episode of the Professional Book Nerds podcast. Be sure to rate, review

Emma and Joe's favorite episode of the month is here with a roundup of November book releases! Grab a warm beverage and your TBR list! Author Interviews this month:  Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros  The Future by Naomi Alderman  Emma’s Picks  Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood   Betting on You by Lynn Painter   Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan   Powerless by Lauren Roberts   Good Girls Don’t Die by Christina Henry   Enchanted Hill by Emily Bain Murphy   Endgame by Omid Scobie   Welcome to the O.C. by Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, Alan Sepinwall   Wish of the Wicked by Danielle Paige     Joe’s Picks  The Fiction Writer by Jillian Cantor  The Core of an Onion by Mark Kurlansky  Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree  The Manor House by Gilly Macmillan  Only She Came Back by Margot Harrison  No One Left But You by Tash McAdam  Wren Martin Ruins it All by Amanda DeWitt  Gorgeous Gruesome Faces by Linda Cheng  Dolls of Our Lives by Mary Mahoney (audio only currently)  Data Baby by S

Halloween is fast-approaching, so what better way to get into the spirit

Emma is joined by Sydney and Tiffany to talk about what makes an author an "always buy." They also discuss the different ways they interact with an author or their titles, including placing holds at the library, using Libby tags, reading in print versus digital versus audiobook, personal connections to books, and go on a slight tangent to recommend some horror reads. It's a grab bag book-ish chat with a very long list of recommended authors and titles! Books mentioned: The Korean Vegan Cookbook  by Joanne Lee Molinaro Joshua Weissman   Molly Wizenberg Happy Place by Emily Henry  Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison   The Return by Rachel Harrison   Yellowface by RF Kuang  Babel by RF Kuang  The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir  Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Laura Vanderkam Jenny Odell Cackle by Rachel Harrison 11/22/6

Emma unbelievably chats with Cassandra Clare about her stunning new adult fantasy book, Sword Catcher. Emma and Cassandra also discuss nobles behaving badly, the surprising inspiration behind this story and the characters, romance, found family, and what we can expect next in Castellane. Listen to the end to hear the title of Book 2 in this series and Cassandra's preferred method of organizing her book collection at home. Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today's episode on OverDrive.com or in Libby. Library friends can shop these titles in OverDrive Marketplace. We hope you enjoy this episode of the Professional Book Nerds podcast. Be sure to rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! You can follow the Professional Book Nerds on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @ProBookNerds. Want to reach out? Send an email to professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Joe Read a Big Romance, everyone wanted Emma to do the same - so today, Emma Reads a Horror! Emma read Jackal by Erin E. Adams - one of Joe's favorite reads of 2022. The Nerds get into a spoilery discussion of the book, talking about folklore, horror, and dive in deep in the book's topics. Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today’s episode on OverDrive.com or in Libby. Library friends can shop these titles in OverDrive Marketplace. Looking for more bookish content? Check out the Libby Life Blog! We hope you enjoy this episode of the Professional Book Nerds podcast. Be sure to rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! You can follow the Professional Book Nerds on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @ProBookNerds. Want to reach out? Send an email to professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com. We’ve got merch! Check out our two shirts in The OverDrive Shop (all profits are donated to the ALA Literacy Clearinghouse). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho

On this episode, Joe is joined by return guest Adam Sass to talk about his new book, Your Lonely Nights are Over. They talk about building and investing in a community, dual POV writing, beautiful, dreamy pondering, and Adam answers the question - what's your favorite scary movie? Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today’s episode on OverDrive.com or in Libby. Library friends can shop these titles in OverDrive Marketplace. Looking for more bookish content? Check out the Libby Life Blog! We hope you enjoy this episode of the Professional Book Nerds podcast. Be sure to rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! You can follow the Professional Book Nerds on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @ProBookNerds. Want to reach out? Send an email to professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com. We’ve got merch! Check out our two shirts in The OverDrive Shop (all profits are donated to the ALA Literacy Clearinghouse). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe and Emma share what books released in October 2023 that they're MOST excited for. Get your TBRs ready! Emma’s Picks:   Lucky Me by Rich Paul   The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young  Wildfire by Hannah Grace  A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber  A Holly Jolly Ever After by Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone (Snow Place Like LA) Midnight is the Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead   The Sun Sets in Singapore by Kehinde Fadipe   Making It So by Patrick Stewart     Joe’s Picks: The Forest Demands Its Due by Kosoko Jackson  Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward  Brooms by Jasmine Walls  The List by Yomi Adegoke  The Woman in Me by Britney Spears  Family Meal by Bryan Washington  Mary and the Birth of Frankestein by Anne Eekhout  The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub  Author interviews upcoming: Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare   Your Lonely Nights are Over by Adam Sass Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today's episode on OverDr

Today Joe is freaking out because he gets to talk to TJ Klune and Daniel Henning. TJ wrote one of Joe's all-time favorite books, The House in the Cerulean Sea, and his newest book, In the Lives of Puppets, released in April 2023. Daniel has been the voice for both of these audiobooks and over 200 others (The House in the Cerulean Sea (audio), In the Lives of Puppets(audio)). They talk about writing, narrating audiobooks, what advice they'd give to their younger selves, post-apocalyptic queer puppets, and gas station beef jerky. Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today’s episode on OverDrive.com or in Libby. Library friends can shop these titles in OverDrive Marketplace. Looking for more bookish content? Check out the Libby Life Blog! We hope you enjoy this episode of the Professional Book Nerds podcast. Be sure to rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! You can follow the Professional Book Nerds on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @ProBookNerds. Want to

Emma is joined by her friendly OverDrive librarians to chat about all things book hype. They explore questions like " Is it worth the hype?" and "Do you pay attention to hype?" and how it impacts personal reading tastes or not! They also have a respectful conversation about books that did not quite live up to their expectations and then share some books they're REALLY looking forward to for the fall. Books mentioned in this episode:   The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune  Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle  Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldry (Bookshops & Bonedust coming soon)   Emily Henry  A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson   The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han  Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston  Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon  Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens  Death Valley by Melissa Broder  Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison  System Collapse by Martha Wells  Unreliable Narrator by Aparna Nancherla  What About Men? By Caitlin Moran  Sword Catcher by Cassandra Cl

Today Joe chats with Jessica Knoll about her new book, Bright Young Women. They talk about her work dissecting and researching the crimes of Ted Bundy as she crafted her novel from the perspective of two victims. Jessica also shares about her organization and process, where she finds inspiration while writing, and just how spicy she likes her Pad See Ew. Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today’s episode on OverDrive.com or in Libby. Library friends can shop these titles in OverDrive Marketplace. Looking for more bookish content? Check out the Libby Life Blog! We hope you enjoy this episode of the Professional Book Nerds podcast. Be sure to rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! You can follow the Professional Book Nerds on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @ProBookNerds. Want to reach out? Send an email to professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com. We’ve got merch! Check out our two shirts in The OverDrive Shop (all profits are donated to the ALA Literacy Cle