Professional Book Nerds

Starting the new year off right with our MOST anticipated books of 2023! This list was so hard to narrow down and we're surely missing a lot of releases, but here are some of the titles we cannot wait to read this year. Emma, Joe, and Jill also chat about our undying love for Santino Fontana, the struggle in pronouncing character names from fantasy books aloud, a term we're coining "murder-coms," Joe's chat with Grady Hendrix, MLMs, gothic stories and manifesting the release of the next Crescent City book from Sarah J. Maas. Jill’s Picks  The Teachers by Alexandra Robbins  I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai  Reckoning by V (formally Eve Ensler)  Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma by Claire Dederer  How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix  The Golden Frog Games by Claribel A Ortega  She is a haunting by Trang Thanh Tran  The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor  VenCo by Cherie Dimaline  Kiss me in the Coral Lounge by Helen Ellis    Emma’s Picks  Happy Place by Emily Henry   A D

Join Joe for a conversation with Grady Hendrix! They talk about his new book, How to Sell a Haunted House, writing structure, Lemony Snicket, and just what it takes to empty out the clutter of a life gone by. 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. 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

On today's episode of the podcast, the Professional Book Nerds are here to share the prompts for 2023's reading challenge! We read some completed entries from last year's challenge, share the prompts for this year, and tell you what prompt we're most excited about. This episode marks an important milestone for Emma and Joe, too! :) This year's challenge includes: Greek myth retelling  A popular YA series  Book you ONLY picked for the cover  Book with a map  Audiobook narrated by the author  The highest or lowest rated book on your TBR  A book with a bilingual character  A cookbook & make a recipe  Read a poetry collection  Read a friend’s FAVORITE book  A book by an author with a pen name  A book about found family  Books mentioned in this episode: We are the Brennans by Tracey Lange The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway Uncanny Valley by Anna Wiener Cemetery Boys by Aidan Thomas Five Tuesdays in Winter by Lily King Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami The Moment of Lift by Mel

Today on the pod, Joe chats with Ana Reyes about her debut title (and Reese's Book Club January pick) The House in the Pines. They talk about writing twists, researching in your hometown, and why she thought TS Elliot was her mother's enemy! 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. 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

In today's episode, Jill is joined by Sydney and Jane to share juvenile and young adult titles that showcase body diversity. They share what (if any) representation they saw when they were kids, discuss of these types of books for young readers, and even offer some romance novels with fat bodies for those adults looking for something to read. Books mentioned in this episode: Bodies Are Cool by Tyler Feder  Starfish by Lisa Fipps  45 Lbs (More or Less) by Kelly Barson  Taking Up Space by Alysen Gerber  My Eyes Are Up Here by Laura Zimmerman  Beautifully Me by Nabela Noor  Smaller Sister by Maggie Edkins Willis  How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland  Dark and Starless Forest by Sarah Hollowell  Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado  The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood  A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone  The Brown Sisters books by Talia Hibbert  Any book by Olivia Dade  Brontorina by James Howe  Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle  Hilda M

Aubrey Gordon, co-host of Maintenance Phase, comes on the Professional Book Nerds to talk about her new book "You Just Need to Lose Weight!" and 19 other myths about fat people. She and Jill discuss some of the myths contained in her book, Taylor Swift's "Anti Hero" music video, and ways to break free from yet again setting a diet-related New Year resolution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2023 is almost here, and with it comes a new month of amazing books we can't wait to read! Emma’s Picks  Spare by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex   Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica   Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo   The Villa by Rachel Hawkins  Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey   Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn   Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert     Jill’s Picks  You Just Need to Lose Weight by Aubrey Gordon  Regrets Only by Kieran Scott  The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz  Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor  They’re Watching You by Chelsea Ichaso  Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni  River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer    Joe’s Picks  City of Nightmares by Rebecca Schaeffer  Love, Pamela by Pamela Anderson  What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall  One – Simple One-Pan Wonders by Jamie Oliver  The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff  The Survivalists by Kashana Cauley  Please Report Your Bug Here by Josh Riedel  Learn more about your ad choice

Emma chats with Scarlett St. Clair about her new book, Queen of Myth and Monsters! They discuss where the action picks up with Adrian and Isolde after King of Battle and Blood, morally grey characters, what growth we might see for these characters in this world in future books, Grimm retellings, how librarians helped Scarlett enjoy reading romance, and more. Note: We had some audio difficulties with this episode. We don't think it impacts the conversation, but we apologize that it isn't the best. Book's mentioned in this episode: Hades x Persephone series Anastasia by Sophie Lark Grimm retellings (The Rose Elf) 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

Emma, Joe, and Jill discuss the best books they read this year! Join for a lively conversation about the books the nerds loved the most. We loved these books so much that Joe refers to "before" and "after" this book, Jill loves a title so much she'd marry it if she could, and Emma owns five print copies (soon to be seven) of one of these titles. Let us know what books YOU loved this much by sending us an email or a comment on social media.  Emma’s Picks  A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson  Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison  The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith   Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid   Book Lovers by Emily Henry   House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J Maas  The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager   Happy Place by Emily Henry     Joe’s Picks  Jackal by Erin E. Adams  The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers by Adam Sass  Lock Every Door by Riley Sager  Witchlings by Claribel A. Ortega (Book 2 May 2023!!)  Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer  I Woke Up Dead at the Ma

Today's guest is Evette Dion, author of the new book Weightless. Jill and Evette discuss navigating the world in a fat body, medical fatphobia, reality TV, and Evette recommends some books about body positivity and fat liberation. Books mentioned in this episode: Landwhale by Jes Baker Hunger by Roxane Gay Bad Fat Black Girl by Sesali Bowen anything by Marianne Kirby Belly of the Beast by Da'Shaun Harrison Fearing the Black Body by Sabrina Strings Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robin from AudioFile is back again to share some of the best audiobooks of the year! Visit AudioFile's website for the full list of best audiobooks of 2022. Books mentioned in this episode The Angel of Rome by Jess Walter The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell Life Between the Tides by Adam Nicolson Inside Voice by Lake Bell Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake Eyes that Speak to the Stars by Joanna Ho How Do You Live? by Genzaburo Yoshino Finding Me by Viola Davis I Was Better Last Night by Harvey Fierstein The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman Birds of Prey, ed. by Harlan Coben The Match by Harlan Coben The Maid by Nita Prose His Name is George Floyd by Robert Samuels and Tolouse Olorunnipa The Revolutionary by Stacy Schiff You Don't Know Us Negroes by Zora Neale Hurston Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake Ain't Burned That Bright by Jason Reynolds The Honeys by Ryan La Sala We hope you enjoy this episode of the Profess

Today on the podcast, Joe talks with Amy Clark from MomAdvice.com. Amy shares about her career as a blogger, her book club, and her brand-new podcast- Book Gang. Then, Amy and Joe recommend some wintry titles to curl up with as the season gets a bit more biting. Books Mentioned in This Episode: Amy’s Titles:   The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven by Nathaniel Ian Miller  A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella  These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant  Fingersmith by Sarah Waters  Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan    Joe’s Titles:  One by One by Ruth Ware  Sofi and the Bone Song by Adrienne Tooley  Cold by Mariko Tamaki  Breathless by Amy McCulloch  Midwinter Murder by Agatha Christie  Here's more about Amy! Amy Allen Clark has been the driving force behind the MomAdvice.com community since 2004. Her website has helped thousands of families learn to live a good life on a small budget. She leads the MomAdvice Book Club and a brand-new podcast, Book Gang, that caters to the literary tastemak

December is upon us, and with that are many amazing releases (most on the same day)! Join Emma, Jill and Joe as they share their December books to watch out for. Books Mentioned in This Episode: Emma’s Picks:   Queen of Myth and Monsters by Scarlet St. Clair   Screaming on the Inside: the Unsustainability of American Motherhood by Jessica Grose  The Poison Season by Mara Rutherford   Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca   You Had Your Chance, Lee Burrows by Piper Rayne     Jill’s Picks:   Witcha Gonna Do by Avery flynn  The Opportunist by Elyse Friedman  The White House Plumbers by Egil “Bud” Krogh  Your Table is Ready by Michael Cecchi-Azzolina  Weightless by Evette Dionne    Joe’s Picks:   A Dash of Salt and Pepper – Kosoko Jackson   A Million to One – Adiba Jaigirdar  Elizabeth Taylor - Kate Andersen Brower   The Ingenue – Rachel Kapelke-Dale  The Last Invitation – Darby Kane  We hope you enjoy this episode of the Professional Book Nerds podcast. Be sure to rate, review and subscr

In today's episode of the Professional Book Nerds podcast, Joe talks with Chuck Wendig about his new book Wayward (book two in the world of Wanderers). Chuck shares what it was like to write about a pandemic pre-pandemic, tackling his first major bout of writer's block, and what it's like introducing his child to Stranger Things. 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 welcomes back some familiar voices to PBN! Maria, Kristin, Holly, and Jane discuss their favorite books that they read in 2022. They also discuss books that make you laugh while crying, the "one bed" romance trope, Goodreads Choice Awards, character-driven plots, using the chili pepper spice rating scale, and their undying devotion to Emily Henry's Book Lovers. Maria’s Picks:   Ocean’s Echo by Everina Maxwell  Book Lovers by Emily Henry  The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian    Kristin’s Picks:   Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan  A Night in Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny  Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson    Jane’s Picks:   We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman  Now is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson  Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley    Holly’s Picks:   There Is No Good Card for This: What To Say and Do When Life Is Scary, Awful, and Unfair to People You Love by Kelsey Crowe and Emily McDowell  Crying in the Bath

Emma, Joe, and Jill are joined by Anji and Colleen from GraphicAudio to discuss their incredible, dramatized productions available from GraphicAudio. Anji is the VP and General Manager at GraphicAudio and Colleen is a Director/Script Adaptor for many productions, but particularly notable, are the adaptations she's done for A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. We ask them what the production process is like, what's coming soon from GraphicAudio, and so much more! Books mentioned in this episode: Deathlands   Rogue Angel Brandon Sanderson K.F. Breene Demon Days, Vampire Nights World series The Night Huntress by Jeaniene Frost The Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews Ordinary Magic series by Devon Monk  Shannon Mayer’s series Coming soon: Harbinger Trilogy by Jennifer L Armentrout Pierce Brown Red Rising series 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

Today, Joe interviews Justin Arnold about his new book Wicked Little Things (out November 15 from Tiny Ghost Press) . They talk about writing magical mean girls, what it's like to be the GBF, and some of their favorite urban legends. 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

Today, Emma and Joe are talking about crime reads. Whether you're looking for a fiction title inspired by a case or full of those true crime themes, or you're looking for some non-fiction accounts, this episode has the recommendations for you. Books Mentioned: Joe’s Titles:  Devil House by John Darnielle  Mr. Peanut by Adam Ross  We Keep the Dead Close by Becky Cooper  Last Call by Elon Green  People Who Eat Darkness by Richard Lloyd Parry OR Without Mercy by Gary Provost    Emma’s Titles:  Hell’s Half Acre by Susan Jonusas  Catch the Sparrow by Rachel Rear   Tell Me Everything by Erika Krouse   Who Killed Jane Stanford? By Richard White  When a Killer Calls by John E. Douglas    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@

Emma, Joe, and Jill are joined by the one and only Rainbow Rowell in today's incredibly special episode. We chat about her new short story collection, Scattered Showers, writing across genres and formats, She-Hulk, fanfiction, historical figures in love, hair dye disasters, and more. Books mentioned in this episode: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell Attachments by Rainbow Rowell Carry On by Rainbow Rowell Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks Solomon's Crown by Natasha Siegel TV Shows mentioned: Los Espookys Reservation Dogs 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

On today's episode of the podcast, boy howdy, we truly dove deep into the discussion of celebrity memoirs. From the books that started us in the genre to the ones that broke our hearts, made us think, and brought us joy, this episode has it all. Join Joe, Emma, and Marissa as they walk you through their picks. Books Mentioned in this Episode: Joe’s Picks:  I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy  I’ve Got This Round by Mamrie Hart (Shout out to You Deserve a Drink)   STORI Telling by Tori Spelling & Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler   Me & Patsy Kickin’ Up Dust by Loretta Lynn  Marissa's Picks:   Girl Walks into a Bar by Rachel Dratch  We Were Dreamers by Simu Liu  They Called Us Enemy by George Takei  Over the Top by Jonathan Van Ness  Yearbook by Seth Rogen  Emma’s Titles:  Open Book by Jessica Simpson   Have I Told You This Already? By Lauren Graham   Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci  We hope you enjoy this episode of the Professional Book