Check It Out

Join Kari, Laura, and Kristi as we discuss books about and by women in celebration of Women's History Month! Fiction and non-fiction titles are both discussed in this month's episode.

Join Kathleen, Laura, and Sheri as we celebrate National Poetry Month by discussing our favorite poets, poetry collections, and how to get started reading poetry if your'e unsure of where to start.

Join Laura, Kari, and Kevin as we discuss books about nature and the environment! We'll cover fiction and non-fiction in this episode, including books by Jesmyn Ward, Douglas Adams, John Krakauer, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, and more. For show notes, including an interview with an NPL staff member about her work on climate fiction, visit our website at www.normalpl.org!

Join us as we celebrate Black History Month by discussing some of our favorite works by Black contemporary authors. Any of the titles mentioned in this episode would be great choices for February's prompt for the Adult Year-Round Reading Challenge!

Join NPL staff Laura, Kari, and Kristi on our 75th episode of Check It Out as they discuss reading goals, how to develop a habit of reading, and how to challenge yourself in your reading life (and why that's important!). We'll also discuss the reading challenges and book clubs happening this year at NPL and how you can participate, as well as some exciting new reads for 2022!

It's our 74th episode and we can't believe it! Laura, Kristi, and Kari celebrate the year of reading by highlighting staff favorites from 2021. Some of our library staff have provided an eclectic list of books—and all are available for checkout or download from Normal Public Library.

Some of the items discussed in this podcast:

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey
The Silence of Bones by June Hur
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Meaning of Mariah Carey
The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue
The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston
True Grit by Charles Portis

Let us know what you think!Email us! at ask at normalpl dot org

In this episode of Check It Out, Laura discusses noir fiction and its varied dark corners with Megan, Kathleen, and Kari. Titles mentioned include:

Lindsey Davis' The Silver Pigs,historical series featuring Marcus Didius Falco, private informer The Darren Mathews, Texas Ranger, series by Attica Locke beginning with Bluebird Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden The Dublin Murder Squad series (begins with In the Woods), written by Tana French Twin Cities Noir , edited by Julie Schaper and Steven Horwitz

In this episode, Laura talks with Kristi and Kari about their favorite horror novels and detail the many different sub-genres of horror that are out there. Settle back and prepare to feel that chill to the bone.

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  Join Kari, Kristi, and Laura as they step out on a limb and discuss the great American adventure as discovered through the book. This month Check It Out is celebratingAmerican Adventures Month, which encourages doing something daring and adventurous,traveling to appreciate ourhuman bonds with nature, andpromoting a holistic lifestyle.

  • Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
  • August Snow novels by Stephen Mack Jones
  • New Yorkers: A City and Its People in Our Time by Craig Taylor
  • Epic Journeys: 245 Life-Changing Adventures by National Geographic
  • Epic Bike Ride’s of the America’s by Lonely Planet
  • Best Rail Trails Illinois by Ted Villaire
  • Running with Sherman by Christopher McDougall

Join us this month as Laura speaks with Kristi and Kari about where and how we find the books we like to read, the books you like to read, and everything in between. We'll discuss Novelist, Goodreads, Book Riot, Kirkus, Tik Tok, Nancy Pearl, and more. Don't forget to ask your librarian what they recommend, settle back, and check it out.