A Book for Everyone podcast: Recent Episodes
York County Public Library
Join York County Public Library staff members as they chat about reading and discuss the different ways that we find, select, and enjoy books. In Season One, we discuss the genres we love (or love to hate), why we read them, and our picks for books to add to your TBR pile.
Do you ever feel pressure to finish a specific book? Guilt that you have never read a popular book? Fear that somone will find out that you haven't read every book ever? We have, too! In this episode, Beth and Pearl explore this phenomenom and give you permission to DNF, or "Do Not Finish," a book.
Further Reading
Singh, S. (2022, June 14). Should you DNF a book? How to decide and next steps to take. Brewing Writer. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://brewingwriter.com/dnf-book/
What makes a book popular and why do we feel pressured to read popular books? Join Beth and Pearl as they discuss trending books and how to navigate the popular books shelves.
Books mentioned
- Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
- Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
- Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
- The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
- All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
- Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
- Outlawed by Anna North
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Celebrity Book Club Roundup
- The Fantastic Strangelings Book Club
- The Good Morning America Book Club
- Reese’s Book Club
In this episode, Beth and Pearl discuss Beth's favorite genre: Science Fiction. Explore the difference between hard and soft science fiction, the vast universe of sci-fi subgenres, and all of the wonderful suggestions we have for you to read next.
Book Suggestions
Classics
-The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
-Ten Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
-Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick
-Dune by Frank Herbert
-Kindred by Octavia Butler
-A Wrinkle in Time by Madelaine L'Engle
-The Giver quartet by Lois Lowry Contemporary
-The Carls duology by Hank Green (Book 1: An Absolutely Remarkable Thing)
-The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez
-The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker
-Here and Now and Then by Mike Cheng
-You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo
Series
-The Expanse series by James S.A. Corey (Book 1: Leviathan Wakes)
-The Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers (Book 1: A Long Way to A Small, Angry Planet)
-Red Rising saga by Pierce Brown (Book 1: Red Rising)
Graphic Novels
-Watchmen by Alan Moore and David Gibbons
-Battle Angel Alita by Yukito Kishiro
-Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
-Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang
-Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra
Happy May the Fourth! In this special bonus episode, Beth and Pearl talk about their love of Star Wars and the books and graphic novels you should read if you're a fan.
Books to Read
Legends (or books that don't match what happens to our main characters in the more recent movies)
- The Thrawn Trilogy (Book 1: Heir to the Empire) by Timothy Zahn
Young Adult
- Asohka by E.K. Johnston
- Queen's Shadow, Queen's Peril and Queen's Hope by E.K. Johnston
Adult (canon)
- Star Wars: From a Certain Point of Few short stories collections
- Phasma by Delilah Dawson
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens (novelization) by Alan Dean Foster
- Star Wars: Thrawn trilogy (Book 1: Thrawn) by Timothy Zahn
- Thrawn: Ascendancy trilogy (Book 1: Chaos Rising) by Timothy Zahn
Graphic Novels
- Star Wars: Poe Dameron Vol. 1: Black Squadron by Charles Soule
- Star Wars: Darth Vader Vol. 1: Vader by Kieron Gillen
- Star Wars: Darth Vader - Dark Lord of the Sith Vol. 1: Imperial Machine by Charles Soule
- Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Vol. 1: Aphra by Kieron Gillen
Join Beth and Pearl as they talk about the wide-ranging genre of fantasy. From epic fantasy to low fantasy, from paranormal to afrofantasy, there is something for everyone in this episode.
High Fantasy
- Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
- The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
- Mists of Avalon Marion Zimmer Bradley
- The Song of the Lioness quartet by Tamora Pierce
- Sabriel by Garth Nix
- A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
Low Fantasy
- The House on the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
- The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
Paranormal or Urban
- Hollows series by Kim Harrison
- Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher
Humorous
- Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
- Discworld series by Terry Pratchett
- Tales of Pell series by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne
- The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure, The "Good Parts" Version by William Goldman
Afrofantasy: Highlights and celebrates African worldviews and mythologies
- Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
- The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
- Black Leopard, Red Wolf by James Marlon
Middle Eastern-influenced fantasy
- The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
- The Bird King by G. Willow Wilson
Asian-influenced fantasy
- The Poppy Wars by R.F. Kuang
- Iron Widow (Young Adult) by Xiran Jay Zhao
Indigenous Peoples-inspired fantasy
- Trail of Lightning and Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
Duology
- Strange the Dreamer duology by Laini Taylor (young adult)
- We Hunt the Flame duology (young adult) by Hafsah Faizal
- Seraphina duology (young adult) by Rachel Hartman
Trilogy
- The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
- Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor (young adult)
- Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
- The City of Brass by S. A Chakraborty
Series (more than 3 books)
- Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan
- The Wicked Years series by Gregory Maguire
Standalones
- Circe by Madeline Miller
- The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
Sources
VanderMeer, J. (2020, July 16). How Fantasy Literature Helped Create the 21st Century. Electric Lit. https://electricliterature.com/jeff-ann-vandermeer-modern-fantasy/
Science Fiction vs. Fantasy: How Are Science Fiction and Fantasy Distinct? (2021, September 1). MasterClass. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-are-science-fiction-and-fantasy-distinct#what-are-the-elements-of-the-fantasy-genre
Radcliffe. D. (2020, June 8). Daniel Radcliffe Responds to J.K. Rowling's Tweens on Gender Identity. The Trevor Project. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/blog/daniel-radcliffe-responds-to-j-k-rowlings-tweets-on-gender-identity/
Gardner, A. (2022, January 3). A Complete Breakdown of the J.K. Rowling Transgender-Comments Controversy. Glamour. Retrieved April 7, 2022. https://www.glamour.com/story/a-complete-breakdown-of-the-jk-rowling-transgender-comments-controversy
Fandom Forward. (n.d.). Meet Fandom Forward. https://fandomforward.org/
It's National Library Week! Learn how to Connect with Your Library during the week of April 3-9, 2022, and all year long. Join Beth and Pearl as they discuss library-centered fiction and get suggestions from a variety of genres to add to your TBR.
Beth & Pearl's Suggestions
Cozy Mystery (oh so many)
-Cat in the Stacks Mystery series by Miranda James (Book 1: Murder Past Due)
-Blue Ridge Library Mystery series by Victoria Gilbert (Book 1: A Murder for the Books)
-Library Lover’s Mysteries by Jenn McKinlay (Book 1: Books Can Be Deceiving)
-Lighthouse Library Mystery series by Eva Gates (Book 1: By Book or by Crook)
-Haunted Library Mystery series by Allison Brook (Book 1: Death Overdue)
-A Bookmobile Cat Mystery series by Laurie Cass (Book 1: Lending a Paw)
Fantasy
-The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
-The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler
-Hell’s Library series by A.J. Hackwith (Book 1: The Library of the Unwritten)
-The Great Library series by Rachel Caine (Book 1: Ink and Bone)
-All Souls Series by Deborah Harkness (Book 1: A Discovery of Witches)
Romance
-The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson
-What You Wish For by Katherine Center
-No Offense by Meg Cabot
-The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman
-The Month of Borrowed Dreams by Felicity Hayes-McCoy
Historical Fiction
-The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles
-Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
-The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
Contemporary Fiction
-The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
-Summer Hours at the Robbers Library by Sue Halpern
-The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai
Bonus Nonfiction Suggestions
-The Library Book by Susan Orlean
-The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu: And their race to save the world's most precious manuscripts by Joshua Hammer
-Dewey: The small-town library cat who touched the world by Vicki Myron
-I Work at a Public Library: A collection of crazy stories from the stacks by Gina Sheridan
Sources
American Library Association. (n.d.). National Library Week. https://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/natlibraryweek
Nield, D. (2016, August 11). People Who Read Books Live Almost 2 Years Longer, Study Finds. https://www.sciencealert.com/spending-more-time-reading-could-help-you-live-longer-suggests-a-new-study
Obaro, T. (2019, October 7). "Me Before You" Author Jojo Moyes Has Been Accused Of Publishing A Novel With "Alarming Similarities" To Another Author's Book. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tomiobaro/jojo-moyes-the-giver-of-stars-kim-richardson-bookwoman-of
Join Beth and Pearl as they talk about why they still love young adult fiction as adults and why you should, too. Explore a variety of topics and genres written for teens that will also appeal to adults. And, as always, there are plenty of suggestions for books to add to your TBR.
Young Adult Fiction Recommendations
Novels in Verse
- Solo by Kwame Alexander
- The Poet X or Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
- Me (Moth) by Amber McBride
Difficult Topics
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
- Turtles All The Way Down or The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
- The Astonishing Color of After by Emily XR Pan
Mental Health
- Lakelore by Anna-Marie McLemore
- Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
- Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert
Disability and Neurodiverse Representation
- A List of Cages by Robin Roe (ADHA, Dyslexia)
- Finding Balance by Kati Gardner (Amputation, Cancer)
- Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork (Autism)
- Not if I See You First by Eric Lindstrom (Visually Impaired)
- You're Welcome, Universe by Whitney Gardner (Hearing Impaired)
LGBTQ+
- Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar
- Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
- If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo
- Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
- In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens
- Obie is Man Enough by Schuyler Bailar
Gaming/Gamers
- Slay by Brittany Morris
- Don't Read the Comments by Eric Smith
- Warcross by Marie Lu
Historical Fiction
- The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee
- The Lovely War by Julie Berry
- Enchantee by Gita Trelease
Fantasy
- The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
- Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
- Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
- An Ember in the Ashes quartet by Sabaa Tahir
- Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
- Shadow and Bone trilogy and Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo
- Crescent City series by Sarah J. Maas
- The Immortals quartet and Song of the Lioness quartet by Tamora Pierce
Contemporary Romance
- Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
- To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
- Verona Comics by Jennifer Dugan
Sources Cited
Milliot, J. (2021, July 9) Print Books Soar in Year's First Half. Publishers Weekly. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/86863-print-book-sales-soar-in-year-s-first-half.html
Hargreaves, A. (2020 June 25). Why Young Adult Books Still Appeal To Me an Adult. Book Riot. https://bookriot.com/young-adult-books-still-appeal-to-me-as-an-adult/
We Need Diverse Books - https://diversebooks.org/
Join Beth and Pearl as they share their love of graphic novels. This underappreciated art form truly has something for everyone: From classic superhero stories to diverse perspectives on a range of genres, inspiring memoirs and so much more! Learn about the world of graphic novels and comic books, why we love them and some great choices to add to your TBR pile.
Picks for First-Time Graphic Novel Readers
1. Look for continuations/adaptations of your favorite film/television shows:
-Star Wars by various authors and artists
-The Walking Dead written by Robert Kirkman and illustrated by Tony Moore
-Firefly by various authors and artists
-Avatar: The Last Airbender by various authors and artists
-
Explore a genre you like:
-If you like superheroes, try All-Star Superman written by Grant Morrison
-If you like mysteries, try My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris
-If you like Contemporary Romance, try Bingo Love by Tee Franklin
-If you like Contemporary Fantasy, try Fables by Bill Willingham
-If you like Horror, try Wytches by Scott Snyder -
Pick up an Award Winner:
- Maus by Art Spiegelman (1992 Pulitzer Prize & 1991 National Book Critics Circle Award)
- Can’t We Talk about Something More Pleasant by Roz Chast (2014 National Book Award Finalist; Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award)
Beth's Top Two Picks
-Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters and Brooke Allen
-Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Pearl's Top Two Picks
-The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
-The Wicked + The Divine by Kieron Gillen & Clayton Cowles, illustrated by Jamie McKelvie, colored by Matt Wilson
Further reading and sources cited
McCloud, S. (1993). Understanding Comics: The invisible art. Harper Collins Publishers.
Milliot, J. (2021, July 9). Print Books Soar in Year's First Half. Publishers Weekly. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/86863-print-book-sales-soar-in-year-s-first-half.html
O'Keefe, M. (2019, July 25). Making Comics: How writers can foster stronger and healthier relationships with artists. The Beat. https://www.comicsbeat.com/making-comics-writing-for-your-artist/
Roseen, J. (2019, July 26). Comic Books vs. Graphic Novels: What's the Difference? Mental Floss. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/588430/comic-books-vs-graphic-novels-what-is-difference
It's no mystery that Beth and Pearl love mysteries! Join them as they discuss what exactly makes a book a mystery, how to choose a mystery to read, and why cozy mysteries are such a great subgenre. Don't miss our picks for mysteries to add to your TBR stack.
What to Try if You are New to Mysteries
- Classics: Agatha Christie, Wilkie Collins, & Arthur Conan Doyle
- If you like action and don't mind violence: James Patterson, C.J. Box and Craig Johnson
- If you like a dark tone, flawed characters, and gritty realism: Tana French, Louise Penny, and Jane Harper
- If you like an emphasis on character and a strong sense of place: Alexander McCall Smith, Jenn McKinlay and Paige Shelton
- If you like themed series: Cleo Coyle (coffee), Kate Carlisle (book binding), Ellie Alexander (brewing), Miranda James (librarians and cats), and Vivien Chen (noodle shop)
Shake Up Your Mystery Reading with Genre Mashups
- Simon R. Green's Ishmael Jones series (paranormal science fiction mysteries)
- Six Wakes by Muir Lafferty (locked room mystery in space)
- Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series (historical mystery)
Other Books Discussed
- Victoria Thompson's Gaslight Mysteries
- Rhys Bowen's Royal Spyness and WW Collection series
- Martin Walker's Bruno, Chief of Police series
- Leslie Meier's Lucy Stone Mystery series
Sources Cited
Kehlet, E. (2016. March 16) Will PRH be cancelling your favorite cozy mystery series? The Book's the Thing. https://booksthething.com/2016/03/16/will-prh-be-cancelling-your-favorite-cozy-mystery-series/
Vatsak, R. (2020. January 15) In Defense of Cozy Mysteries. Kirkus Reviews. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-features/articles/defense-cozy-mysteries/
In the first episode of A Book for Everyone, we talk about a controversial genre: Romance! Join longtime romance reader Pearl and recent convert Beth as they explore what the genre encompasses, why so many people read romance, and our romance recommendations for both dabblers and fans.
Romanace Author Suggestions:
- Own Voices—Beverly Jenkins, Alyssa Cole, Casey McQuiston, Farrah Rochon, Jasmine Guillory
- Historical—Cat Sebastian, Julia Quinn, Evie Dunmore
- Clean—Nicholas Sparks, Debbie Macomber
- If You Like Beverly Lewis, you might also enjoy—Amy Clipston or Beth Wiseman
- Contemporary—Sally Thorne, Meg Cabot, Sophie Kinsella, Nora Roberts, Christina Lauren, Olivia Dade, Alexis Hall, Lyssa Kay Adams, Rachel Lynn Solomon
Some of Pearl's Favorites:
- Sonali Dev — The Rajes series & Bollywood series
- Emily Henry — Beach Read
- Helen Hoang— The Kiss Quotient & The Heart Principle
- Rosie Danan — The Roommate
- Alexis Daria — You Had Me at Hola & A Lot Like Adios
- Talia Hibbert — The Brown Sisters series, especially Act Your Age, Eve Brown
- Uzma Jalaluddin — Hana Khan Carries On
- Casey McQuiston — Red, White and Royal Blue
Some of Beth’s Favorites:
- Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal
- The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
- The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
- The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser
Sources cited
Hoffert, B. (2021. February 4) Circ Disrupted | 2021 Materials Survey. Library Journal. https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/Circ-Disrupted-2021-Materials-Survey
Join York County Public Library staff members as they chat about reading and discuss the different ways that we find, select, and enjoy books. In Season One, we discuss the genres we love (or love to hate), why we read them, and our picks for books to add to your TBR pile.