Professional Book Nerds

Joe and Emma share suggested books to complete your PBN 2023 reading challenge! They also discuss how they rate books (mostly based on vibes and mood) and how they can't resist an eye-catching book cover. Books mentioned in this episode: Book with a map The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros   Book with a bilingual character/Popular YA series   One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus   One of Us is Next by Karen M. McManus  One of Us is Back by Karen M. McManus     Friend’s favorite book   A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan   Me Before You by Jojo Moyes  When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill    Book you only picked for the cover  Lady MacBethad by Isabelle Schuler  Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman  Other books: The Candy House by Jennifer Egan 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 here. Looking for more bookish content? Check out the Libby Life Blog! We hope you enjoy

Emma welcomes debut author, Julie Soto, to the podcast to discuss her novel, Forget Me Not. They also discuss the importance of hometowns, redefining failure, the grumpy sunshine trope, Julie's transition from writing fanfiction to novels, Sacramento, and so much 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 a huge list of books they're most excited for in July 2023. Today's picks fit the peak summer reading vibes, so grab a snack and a cold drink and buckle in for this ep! Titles mentioned in this episode: Joe’s Picks:   Everyone Here Is Lying by Shari Lapena A Song of Salvation by Alechia Dow Overemotional by David Fenne (UK Only)  Thicker Than Water by Megan Collins One of Us is Back by Karen M. McManus Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia Infested by Angel Luis Colon Frontera by Julio Anta & Jacoby Salcedo A Guide to the Dark by Meriam Metoui There’s a Beach in My Bedroom by Kevin and Danielle Jonas, Illustrated by Courtney Dawson Emma’s Picks:   Hello Stranger by Katherine Center Prom Mom by Laura Lippman Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing The St. Ambrose School for Girls by Jessica Ward A Game of Gods by Scarlett St. Clair  The Duchess Effect by Tracey Livesay  Forget Me

Today we're returning to everyone's favorite game: GUESS THAT CLASSIC: Beach Read Edition! After writing plot summaries of classic novels as gossip, we wanted to try a new approach. This time, we rewrote classic descriptions as buzzy Beach Read descriptions and quizzed each other! Guess along with Joe and Emma, and get ready for your next, great beach read. (To avoid spoilers, titles for the game are not included) 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

PBN favorite, Riley Sager, returns to the podcast to discuss his new book, The Only One Left. Emma and Riley also discuss Duran Duran, "twist overkill," why he set the book in the 1980s, his intense writing schedule, the writer's strike in Hollywood, and some BREAKING NEWS for the next book that's still being written. 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

Joe, Emma, and Jill chat all things Mockingjay in the conclusion to the Hunger Games retrospective series. They share their feelings on the final installment, whether they're happy with the ending, the characters they loved and lost, and some bonus hot takes on The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes! 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

Emma welcomes back author, Claire Legrand, to chat about A Crown of Ivy and Glass, writing unlikeable characters, the ballet inspiration behind the story, believing in your creative process, Crimson Peak era Tom Hiddleston, writing romance scenes, and so much more! Books mentioned in this episode: A Crown of Ivy and Glass audiobook Circe by Madeline Miller Piranesi by Susanna Clarke The Secret History by Donna Tartt Kristin Cashore 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

Grab your water bottles and sunscreen- today, Joe and Holly are sharing some recommended reads for Pride month

Today's guest is a DREAM come true! It's audiobook narrator, actor, performer, and all around talent, Santino Fontana. Emma and Joe have a lively chat about For You and Only You (and the rest of the You series), killing superstitions, trenta coffee orders, keeping it different, Cleveland love, and more! Audiobooks mentioned in this episode: You by Caroline Kepnes For You and Only You by Caroline Kepnes The Institute by Stephen King Election by Tom Perrotta Wheelmen by Reed Albergotti and Vanessa O'Connell Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher Rebecca Traister For a complete list of titles that Santino has narrated available on OverDrive.com, click here. 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

Emma and Joe share a big list of books they're most excited about for June. They also chat about vacation, book mail, the cultural impact of "Juno," fake dating, barn moms, and what types of books they like to read the most during the summer season. Emma’s Picks:    The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand   Unfortunately, Yours by Tessa Bailey   Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood   The Whispers by Ashley Audrain   My Murder by Katie Williams   Girls and Their Horses by Eliza Jane Brazier   Everything’s Fine by Cecillia Rabess   You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron   Sing Me to Sleep by Gabi Burton   She Started It by Sian Gilbert     Joe’s Picks:   Pageboy by Elliot Page   The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende    The Grimoire of Grave Fates by Hanna Alkaf   Where Echoes Die by Courtney Gould   The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar   Have You Seen Her by Catherine McKenzie   100 Places to See After You Die by Ken Jennings   Saint Juniper’s Folly

Grab the popcorn and join Joe and Rachel as Christian from Kanopy returns to share more films to add to your watch list! Come for the films, stay for the book recs in this double-trouble for your TBR episode of Professional Book Nerds! Titles mentioned in this episode: The Phantom of the Opera (1925) The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux The Phantom of the Opera (2004) Ruinsong by Julia Ember Soaked in Bleach (2015) Come At You Are by Michael Azerrad Serving the Servant by Danny Goldberg Father Brown (Series 1) The Innocence of Father Brown by GK Chesterton Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy Trainspotting (1996) Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh Dead Men's Trousers by Irvine Welsh Ophelia (2018) Ophelia by Lisa Klein Hamlet by William Shakespeare The Weight of an Infinite Sky by Carrie La Seur Catch-22 (1970) Catch-22 by Joseph Heller In the Heat of the Night (1967) In the Heat of the Night by John Ball The Great Gatsby (1974) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott

Today, Joe chats with Ore Agbaje-Williams about her debut title, The Three of Us (out May 16). Ore shares about her work as an editor and her creative process. Ore and Joe talk about writing what you think will sell versus what you enjoy, NaNoWriMo, and of course Twilight. 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 here. 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, Joe, and Maria chat about Romantic Fantasy aka "Romantasy," Queen Sarah J. Maas, reading things when they're trendy or not, and share a bunch of recommendations. Book's Mentioned: Emma’s Picks:   From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout  A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas  Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross    Maria’s Picks:   Throne of Glass series by SJM  The Bright and Breaking Sea and A Swift and Savage Tide by Chloe Neill  The Foxglove King by Hannah Witten  A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland  A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske    Joe’s Picks:   The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley  Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell  Song of Scarabs and Fallen Stars by Lindsey Sparks  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 Ap

Today on the pod, Joe is joined by Chloe Spencer, author of Monstersona. They talk about writing road trip stories, unpacking grief, parental backstories, and Supernatural. Books mentioned in this episode: Against the Stars by Christopher Hartland Out of Character by Jenna Miller 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/adc

Today Joe is joined by author Grace M. Cho to chat about her book Tastes Like War, which is our latest Big Library Read (BLR) pick. From May 3-17, the ebook and audiobook of Tastes Like War will be available to readers all over the world without waitlists or holds. In Tastes Like War, Grace shares stories of her and her mother's lives, the impact of food, small town life, war, and mental illness. 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 here. 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

Emma and Joe chat with podcast regular guest, Kristin, about their most anticipated releases for May 2023! They also discuss Little Mermaid retellings, their book buzzwords that signal immediate interest in a title, Jessica Fletcher, mall kid nostalgia, urban legends, the Winchester brothers, and more. Books mentioned in this episode: Emma’s picks:   The Chateau by Jaclyn Goldis   Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune   Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? by Crystal Smith Paul   The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren  The Guest by Emma Cline  A Shadow Crown by Melissa Blair  A Taste of London by John Donohue     Joe’s picks:   Witch King by Martha Wells  Four Found Dead by Natalie D. Richards  Titanium Noir by Nick Harkaway  The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer  I Like Me Better by Robby Webber  We Don’t Swim Here by Vincent Tirado  The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence  Kristin’s picks:   The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw  Surprisingly Sarah by Terr

Emma is delighted to welcome back Emily Henry and Julia Whelan to the podcast today to discuss their involvement with Happy Place, out on April 25th! They have lively conversation about the book, their favorite romance tropes, conquering every industry, their happy places, and more. Books mentioned in today's episode: Beach Read by Emily Henry (audiobook here) People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (audiobook here) Book Lovers by Emily Henry (audiobook here) My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan (audiobook here) Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan (audiobook here) Happy Place by Emily Henry (audiobook) 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 here. 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 

In today's episode, Jill returns for the second part in our Hunger Games retrospective. This time, the trio discusses Catching Fire. From fake weddings to very real relationships, new alliances, and more, it's no wonder Catching Fire is PBN's favorite book in the series. 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

Emma and Joe chat with Caroline Kepnes about FOR YOU AND ONLY YOU. They also chat about Joe Goldberg's character growth, how dreamy Santino Fontana's narration is, what Caroline's go-to coffee order is at Dunkin' and Starbucks, and so much more. Books mentioned in this episode: You by Caroline Kepnes Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes You Love Me by Caroline Kepnes For You and Only You by Caroline Kepnes Providence by Caroline Kepnes What Kind of Mother by Clay McCleod Chapman 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. Visi

Today on the pod, Emma and Joe are joined by Marissa to talk about one of Joe and Marissa's favorite genres - magical realism. They chat about the history of the genre, what they love most about it, and the CW hit, Jane the Virgin. Books mentioned in this episode: Vapor by Amanda Filipacchi The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger Marissa’s Titles:   Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore  The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina by Zoraida Cordova  Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani  Notes From My Captivity by Kathy Parks    Emma’s Titles:  The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab   The Charmed Wife by Olga Grushin  Awayland by Ramona Ausubel  Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young     Joe’s Titles:  The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender  When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo  The Night Shift by Natalka Burian  The Change by Kirsten Miller  Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today's episode on OverDrive.com or in Libby. Library friends ca