Reading Challenge Book Suggestions

Beyond the Shelves - All About Book Chat

On the latest episode of Beyond the Shelves, Jes and Sarah discuss Book Chat, a reader's advisory service at the Des Moines Public Library. They talk about how to use it, why it's helpful, how they assign Book Chat requests, and more. Plus, an extra long Book Bulletin where we run through some of the controversies and news in the literary world.

Watch the podcast on YouTube >>>

What Jes and Sarah are Reading

• The Poppy War, by R.F. Kuang
• Funny Story, by Emily Henry
• Yours Truly, by Abby Jimenez
• Yellowface, by R.F. Kuang
• If You'll Have Me, by Eunnie
• The True Love Experiment, by Christian Lauren
• Winter's Orbit, by Everina Maxwell

Book Bulletin

• Nora Roberts takes on some of her readers in a blog post
• Readers Take Denver was a disaster
  • Note: In the time since this was recorded, they have canceled the 2025 Readers Take Denver event)
• PEN American cancels 2024 Award Ceremony
• The Freydís Moon author scandal
• 5 major book publishers suing state of Iowa over book banning

DMPL Podcast: Gregg Hurwitz

AViD author Gregg Hurwitz joins the DMPL Podcast today! The bestselling author of the Orphan X series chats with host Aaron Gernes about the thriller writer community, his friendship with fellow AViD author Nick Petrie, and some of the elements behind the Orphan X series.

Hurwitz and Petrie will be at the Central Library on Thursday, May 2, at 7 PM for AViD! Doors open at 6 PM. More information can be found at dmpl.org/avid.

You can also watch this episode of the DMPL Podcast on YouTube! Check out it out at this link.

Beyond the Shelves: Reading Through the Decades

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, byTananarive 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

Beyond the Shelves: Stats, Numbers, and Tech with DMPL Systems Administrator Katie

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

DMPL Podcast: Megan Bannister, Author of 'Secret Iowa'

Secret Iowaauthor 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 Iowaat the library
  
• Iowa Supper Clubs, by Megan Bannister
  
• Megan Bannister's website