Professional Book Nerds

Newcomers to the podcast Christina and Andrea join Adam to discuss their favorite Young Adult books and series. They also discuss why they think YA is such a popular genre. Christina and Andrea share their favorite types of characters and subgenres to read about, whether or not Christina would survive the Hunger Games and the importance of cake in her world. About halfway through we go into the YA books that make us cry and try to figure out why these books are able to move our emotions the way they do. We also uncover some deep-seated struggles that Andrea and Christina have as friends in regard to whether it's appropriate to wait until a series is completed before you start reading it. Adam also unveils his love for all things Alice in Wonderland and we get sidetracked several times talking about baked goods. Recommendations: Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson They Call me Alexandra Gastone by T.A. Maclagan Splintered seri

Episode Overview: May 5th marks the start of OverDrive's AudioSYNC program so the OverDrive team is spending this episode talking about all things audiobooks! if you ever visit our Blue Sky Campus and walk around the office you'll see lots of staff members with headphones on -- there's always a good chance that they are listening to an audiobook. It's like being paid to read!  SYNC is a free summer audiobook program designed for teens 13 years of age and over. Each week between May 5th and August 17th, users will be able to download two audiobooks per week and, best part is, after the audiobooks have been downloaded, users get to keep them! Reading in the summer can be challenging with busy schedules and traveling plans, which can lead to a summer slump, but with audiobooks, listeners can maintain their reading habits in a different format. We also feature an interview with Michelle Cobb from AudioFile magazine, OverDrive's partner in the SYNC program. For more information, visit http://www.audiobooksync.c

Episode Overview: 400 years ago this month, William Shakespeare shuffled off this mortal coil but the show must go on, so OverDrive's Professional Book Nerds are discussing the man behind the myth in our latest episode. We also talk about whether or not it really matters if William Shakespeare actually wrote all of the plays attributed to him. After all, what's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Regardless of reading choices, remember -- when the question is asked To Read Or Not To Read, the answer should always be to read! Along with doing some Shakespeare fangirling, we cover all of the books we've recently read, some of the upcoming books we are (not so) patiently waiting for, and also offer tips on getting through book ennui.  If you have a favorite Shakespeare play and/or modern adaptation, please feel free to let us know at feedback@overdrive.com    Featured OverDrive Staff: Jill and Liz   Intro (0:00-1:56)   Recent Reads: (1:57-17:09) Take Me Home C

Episode Overview This week we are back with another author interview, this time with bestselling author Matthew Quick, the man behind the popular The Silver Linings Playbook which was also adapted into the Academy Award nominated film. In his conversation with Adam, Matthew shares how Silver Linings Playbook became both a book and a movie (and not necessarily in the order you might think!) and also talks about his writing process and how he transitioned into writing Young Adult novels. His newest book Every Exquisite Thing will be released in May.   Books Written By Matthew The Silver Linings Playbook (novel) Silver Linings Playbook (movie) Love May Fail Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock Every Exquisite Thing The Good Luck of Right Now Boy21 Sorta Like a Rock Star   Say Hello! Find OverDrive on Facebook at OverDriveforLibraries and Twitter at @OverDriveLibs. Email us directly at feedback@overdrive.com    Music "Buddy" provided royalty free from www.bensound.com   Podcast Overview We're not just

Episode Overview: April is National Poetry Month and some of the OverDrive staff is celebrating by having a themed episode where we share some of our favorite poems and poets and even read a couple of poems on air. The professional book nerds also share some non-poetry recent reads and forthcoming titles we are looking forward to reading. Feel free to let us know some of your favorite poems by emailing us at feedback@overdrive.com    Featured OverDrive Staff: Jill, Annie, Todd   Intro (0:00-3:01)   Recent Reads: (3:02-13:59) Gone with the Mind by Mark Leyner My Cousin, My Gastroenterologist by Mark Leyner Tooth Imprints on a Corn Dog by Mark Leyner The Sugar-Frosted Nutsack by Mark Leyner Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein Girl In a Band by Kim Gordon  Brave Enough by Cheryl Strayed The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture by Glen Weldon Ready Player One by Ernest Cline Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen by Alison Weir   Celebrating National Poetry Month: (1

Episode Overview In our latest author interview, OverDrive's Adam talks to New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jackson. She shares insights into her writing process, including what it's like working with her sister, fellow author Nancy Bush, and the challenges that come with writing about some really evil characters. Lisa also gives a list of some of her favorite books and recent reads.   Popular Lisa Jackson books:  Afraid to Die Tell Me You Don't Want to Know Running Scared Without Mercy Malice Shiver Deep Freeze   Lisa Jackson's Recent Reads and Favorites: Missing You by Harlan Coben Shock Wave by John Sandford The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn Midwives by Chris Bohjalian Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand Marley and Me by John Grogan The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick 11/22/63 by Stephen King   Say Hello! Find OverDrive on Facebook at OverDriveforLibraries and Twitter at @OverDriveLibs. Email us directly at

Episode Overview In today's episode we are talking about two of our favorite non-fiction categories: feminist/women's studies titles and true crime! We also talk about all of the recent non-fiction books of all genres that we've read and the forthcoming books that have us super excited. In our intro, Adam shares some celebrity memoirs that he has recently read and enjoyed. Share your own favorite women's studies and true crime titles by finding OverDrive on Facebook at facebook.com/OverDriveforLibraries and Twitter @OverDriveLibs or you can email the podcast directly at feedback@overdrive.com    Featured OverDrive Staff Jill, Cindy, and Rachel K.   Intro (0:00-2:44) You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day 700 Sundays by Billy Crystal Born Standing Up by Steve Martin    Big Library Read (2:45-5:49) American Sniper by Chris Kyle The Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell American Wife by Taya Kyle   Recent Reads (5:50-18:59) Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter by Kate Clifford L

Episode Overview Book adaptations on the big and small screen are all the rage and several upcoming films have the OverDrive staff super excited. In this week's episode, Adam and Jill discuss their favorite page to screen titles, share favorites from some OverDrive users, and also talk about the upcoming adaptations they are most anxious to see. Share your own favorite Page to Screen titles by finding OverDrive on Facebook at facebook.com/OverDriveforLibraries and Twitter @OverDriveLibs or you can email the podcast directly at feedback@overdrive.com    Featured OverDrive Staff Jill and Adam   Titles Discussed in this episode  Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin The BFG by Roald Dahl James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl Matilda by Roald Dahl Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption from Different Seaso

Say Hello! Find OverDrive on Facebook at OverDriveforLibraries and Twitter at @OverDriveLibs. Email us directly at feedback@overdrive.com    Episode Overview   Recently, local Cleveland author Dr. Lisa Damour stopped by the OverDrive offices to chat with Adam about her latest book Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood. She and Adam discuss the difficulties of raising young girls in the social media age and offers advice to parents concerned about their own daughters. But even if you aren't a parent of a teenage girl, we've all been teenagers and the book's subject matter is relevant for readers of all ages.  Lisa's own personal book recommendation is My Early Life by Winston Churchill.   Music "Buddy" provided royalty free from www.bensound.com   Podcast Overview We're not just book nerds: we're professional book nerds and the staff librarians who work at OverDrive, the leading app for eBooks and audiobooks available through public libraries and schools. Hea

Say Hello! Find OverDrive on Facebook at facebook.com/OverDriveforLibraries and Twitter @OverDriveLibs and email the podcast directly at feedback@overdrive.com    Episode Overview In today's episode we are talking all things Mystery! From cozy mysteries to suspense thrillers to everything in between, the Mystery genre features a multitude of sub-genres and the OverDrive staff librarians all have their favorite titles. Like our Romance episode, we also discuss clever punny titles that come out of this genre. Our intro includes some emails in response to our recent Science Fiction and Fantasy episode with additional recommendations for our listeners. Email us at feedback@overdrive.com with your own comments and recommendations.    Featured OverDrive Staff Jill, Emma, Meghan, and Kristin    Intro (0:00-6:14) Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke Red Mars, Blue Mars, and Green Mars  by Kim Stanley Robinson The Warlord of the Air by Michael

Say Hello! Find OverDrive on Facebook at OverDriveforLibraries and Twitter at @OverDriveLibs. Email us directly at feedback@overdrive.com    Episode Overview Today's podcast is a special episode related to the first Big Library Read pick of 2016. A couple of times a year, OverDrive offers users an opportunity to take part in a global book club through their library and this time the book choice is American Sniper by Chris Kyle, the man regarded as the most lethal sniper in United States Military History. Big Library Read officially kicks off March 17th and in anticipation of the event, Adam sat down with Chris Kyle's widow Taya Kyle, who has written her own memoir, American Wife. Taya shares stories about her experiences as a military wife and what prompted Chris to write his book. She also discusses the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation, which assists service members, first responders, and their families. For more information about Big Library Read visit www.BigLibraryRead.com  For more information about Chr

Say Hello! Find OverDrive on Facebook at OverDriveforLibraries and Twitter at @OverDriveLibs. Email us directly at feedback@overdrive.com    Episode Overview In this week's episode, Adam talks with Marie Bostwick, author of the popular Cobbled Quilt and Too Much, Texas series. Her new book, From Here to Home, comes out at the end of March and along with discussing that novel's unique protagonist Mary Dell Templeton, Marie also shares how she became the writer she is today, which happened almost accidentally. She also offers some really fantastic tips to all the writer's out there on how to achieve their own writing goals. Her love of reading and libraries started at an early age and she tells Adam about how she became the youngest card carrying member of her local library as a child.    Growing up, some of Marie's favorite books included: Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss Little House on the Prairie series My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank The Endless Ste

Say Hello! Find OverDrive on Facebook at facebook.com/OverDriveforLibraries and Twitter @OverDriveLibs and email the podcast directly at feedback@overdrive.com    Episode Overview In our ninth episode we are talking all things science fiction and fantasy! If you're not familiar with either genre that's okay because some of the recent reads that Jill, Quinton, and Rachel K. mention include some non-genre picks as well before discussing the differences between science fiction and fantasy. From there, they offer their best picks for those new to either genre and the differences between hard and soft science fiction. Quinton offers some readalikes for those who enjoyed The Martian and the trio share their favorite fantasy novels before discussing the forthcoming titles they are most excited to read.    Featured OverDrive Staff Jill, Rachel K., and Quinton   Intro (0:00-4:09)   Recent Reads (4:10-10:09) A Mother's Reckoning by Sue Klebold American Housewife by Helen Ellis Station Eleven by Emily St.

Say Hello! Find OverDrive on Facebook at OverDriveforLibraries and Twitter at @OverDriveLibs. Email us directly at feedback@overdrive.com    Episode Overview In our second author interview, Adam interviews Sunil Yapa, author of Your Heart Is a Muscle the Size of a Fist, which takes place over one day during the 1999 World Trade Organization protests in Seattle. Sunil shares why he chose that moment in history as the setting for his novel and gives some background and history of the protests. He also gives Adam and listeners a glimpse into his writing process and how some of his own life experiences were woven into the fictional characters he has created. Adam also asks him about what can only be described as a writer's worst nightmare: losing a manuscript, which happened to Sunil with the original 600 page draft of the book. But rewriting the novel offered Sunil the opportunity to reexamine his characters and focus on the ones that he was truly invested in. Along with talking about her own book, Sunil sh

Say Hello! Find OverDrive on Facebook and Twitter and email the podcast directly at feedback@overdrive.com    Episode Overview Valentine's Day is just around the corner so the staff librarians here at OverDrive decided to dedicate an episode to the Romance genre. But because we are all such well-rounded readers, we cover more than just your typical "bodice rippers," discussing some young adult titles and Amish romances, but also titles perfect for Galentine's Day and those single on this particular holiday. Of course, we can't discuss the Romance genre without mentioning some of our favorite punny titles as well.    Featured OverDrive Staff Jill, Rachel W., Liz    Intro (0:00-3:19)   Recent Reads (3:20-10:54) Boy In the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds This Raging Light by Estelle Laure The Painter's Daughter by Julie Klassen The Rogue Not Taken by Sarah MacLean   Favorite Punny Titles (10:55-13:00) A Rogue By Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean One Good Earl Deserves A Lover by Sarah MacLean A Sc

Say Hello! Find OverDrive on Facebook and Twitter and email the podcast directly at feedback@overdrive.com    Episode Overview Thursday, February 4th marks the second annual Harry Potter Book Night and the OverDrive staff is celebrating! We are a company full of Harry Potter fans and in today's episode, two Ravenclaws, a Gryffindor, and a Slytherin share how they first got into J.K. Rowling's series, remember standing in line at midnight book releases, and, of course, discuss the movies versus the books. You'll also get to hear which books are our favorites and why. With ALA's annual conference in Orlando this summer, there is also talk about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park at Universal Studios Florida.    Featured OverDrive Staff Jill, Rachel K., Emma, and Adam   Music "Buddy" provided royalty free from www.bensound.com    Podcast Overview We're not just book nerds: we're professional book nerds and the staff librarians who work at OverDrive, the leading app for eBooks and audiobo

Episode Overview In our fifth episode, host Jill is joined by Adam and Sheila as they discuss some of the top award winners to come out of 2016 ALA Midwinter conference as well as some of the titles they've recently finished reading. Our reader recommendations are pulled from some of our Twitter followers and we also spend time remembering the late great David Bowie and Alan Rickman.  Be sure to follow OverDrive on Facebook and Twitter and maybe you'll get a personalized recommendation on the podcast, too!   Featured OverDrive Staff Jill, Sheila, and Adam   Intro (0:00-2:38)   ALA Award Winners (2:39-6:11) Last Stop on Market Street by Matt De La Pena, Illustrated by Christian Robinson The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley Wonders of the Invisible World by Christopher Barzak   Recent Reads (6:12-15:39) Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld A Wild Swan and Other Tales by Michael Cunningham The Gap of Time by Jeannette Winterson William Shakespeare Star Wars by Ian Doescher Evicted by

Episode Overview Today's episode features OverDrive's own social media guru Adam as he interviews Marieke Nijkamp, Dutch author of the brand new YA novel This Is Where It Ends which focuses on the terrifying 54 minutes of a school shooting as seen through the eyes of four different perspectives. Marieke discusses her writing and research process as well as the incident that proved to be the catalyst for her debut novel. A strong advocate of #WeNeedDiverseBooks, Marieke shares her own personal perspective of why diversity in literature, and especially YA literature, is so very important.  Along with talking about her own book, Marieke offers her own book recommendations for our podcast listeners. Some of her recent reads and favorite books are as follows: The Letter for the King by Tonke Dragt Last Leaves Falling by Sarah Benwell Just Visiting by Dahlia Adler The forthcoming book she's most looking forward to reading is:  The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig   Episode was recorded in Boston at 20

We're not just book nerds: we're professional book nerds and the staff librarians who work at OverDrive, the leading app for eBooks and audiobooks available through public libraries and schools. Hear about the best books we've read, get personalized recommendations, and learn about the hottest books coming out that we can't wait to dive into. For more great reads, find OverDrive on Facebook and Twitter.  Featured Librarians Jill, Todd, and Sheila   Intro (0:00-1:55)   Recent Reads (1:56-16:33) The Nest by Kenneth Oppel Lafayette in the Somewhat United States by Sarah Vowell The Dorito Effect by Mark Schatzker Most Dangerous by Steve Sheinkin The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory   Readers Advisory Recommendations (16:34-24:40)  Books to celebrate Appreciate a Dragon Day A Dragon's Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans by Laurence Yep and Joanne Ryder Eragon by Christopher Paolini The Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke Audiobook road trip r

We're not just book nerds: we're professional book nerds and the staff librarians who work at OverDrive, the leading app for eBooks and audiobooks available through public libraries and schools. Hear about the best books we've read, get personalized recommendations, and learn about the hottest books coming out that we can't wait to dive into.  Featured Librarians  Jill, Liz, and Kristin   Intro (0:00-1:50)   Recent Reads (1:50-14:00) Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Fortunately the Milk by Neil Gaimen Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell   Readers Advisory Recommendations (14:00-26:30) Holiday gift for a single father who isn't a big reader, but enjoys Star Wars and superheroes. Velvet Blackwidow Hawkeye Saga, volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan Darth Vader and Son and Vader's Little Princess by Jeffrey Brown All My Friends are Dead by Jory John and Avery Monsen First grader who is a strong reader but still wants some pictures