The Books We Loved

Today the gals and Keegan (from Youth Services), will tell you how ardently they admire and love Jane Austen's classic, Pride and Prejudice! Happy (belated) 250th, Jane! 

Today Olivia and Manda chat with local author, Tina Battle, about her newest children's book, Adventures in Troy with Betty and Buddy Beaver. The book celebrates all things Troy, following protagonists Betty & Buddy as they waddle their way to many local attractions, including the LIBRARY!
Copies are available for purchase locally at 86 Plastic or on Amazon. For signed copies of the book, email Tina at: tinambattle@gmail.com 

Olivia and Manda are joined by Community Engagement's, Hannah and Kit, today for a discussion of Maggie O'Farrell's 2020 novel (now a major motion picture), Hamnet. Buckle up, buttercups, because you're in for a chat featuring the plague, Willy Shakes, and more!

Today the gals share their thoughts on the new film adaptation of Emily Bronte's, Wuthering Heights, as well as dig into some of their literary dislikes. It's the confessional episode, and they hope they don't yuck anybody's yum. 

Join the gals today as they do an author spotlight on kids author and illustrator, Grace Lin. Books mentioned in the show today include:
Story Telling Math series including, The Last Marshmallow (board books)
The Ugly Vegetables (picture book)
Dim Sum for Everyone! (picture book)
A Big Mooncake for Little Star (*Manda misspoke and said "little sister"; picture book)
Once Upon a Book (picture book)
Ling & Ting (early reader series)
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (book 1 of series; tween/middle grade)
Chinese Menu: the history, myths, and legends behind your favorite foods (nonfiction)

Today the gal pals share their recent and current reads (and a couple of streaming shows). Below are all titles discussed:
Books discussed:
The God of the Woods, Moore
Bog Queen, North (Manda mentioned, The Windeby Puzzle, Lowry, as a kids readalike to this title)
Four Eyes (sequel is, Pizza Face), Ogle
The Secret Astronomers, Walker
We Fell Apart (We Were Liars series, #3), e. lockhart
Fly On the Wall, e. lockhart (title from Olivia’s story about her Teen Librarian days)
The People We Hate at the Wedding, Ginder
Replaceable You: adventures in human anatomy, Roach
Dolores Claiborne, Stephen King
TV shows discussed:
Arrested Development
Pluribus

Today the ladies discussed readalikes for the show (and book!) everyone is talking about: Heated Rivalry.
Titles discussed include:
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
Red White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston
If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales & Cale Dietrich
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Prospects of KT Hoffman
The Long Run by James Acker
Check, Please!: Book 1, Hockey (and it’s sequel, Check Please: Book 2, Sticks and Scones), Ngozi Ukazu 
Like Real People Do: a novel, E.L. Massey
Him (book 1), Us (book 2), Epic (book 2.5), Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy 
All's Fair in Love and Field Hockey, Kit Rosewater
Rookie Move (Brooklyn Bruisers #1), Sarina Bowen

Due to the recent success of the film, K-Pop Demon Hunters, the gals thought it was high time to offer our listeners some K-Pop inspired reading recs! Buckle up, buttercups, and be prepared to impress your friends (and, dare we say, kids) with this K-Pop inspired reading list! 
Titles discussed today:
K-pop Confidential, Stephan Lee
I’ll Be the One, Lyla Lee
XOXO, Axie Oh 
Somewhere Only We Know, Mauren Goo
I'll love you forever: notes from a K-pop fan, Giaae Kwon
Skylar and the K-Pop Principal, Luan Goldie 
Make a Move, Sunny Park!, Jessica Kim
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (trilogy), Grace Lin
Meesh the Bad Demon, Michelle Lam
When You Trap a Tiger, Tae Keller
BTS: K-pop's biggest headliners, Leslie Holleran

The girls round out the year by sharing their personal favorite reads of 2025. See below for the booklist. 
Olivia's recs:
Atmosphere, Taylor Jenkins Reid
Heart the Lover, Lily King 
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, Kiran Desai
All the Way to the River, Elizabeth Gilbert
This American Woman, Zarna Garg
Death of the Author, Nnedi Okorafor 
Back After This, Linda Holmes
Swept Away, Beth O’Leary
Manda's recs:
No More Chairs, Gill
Everyday Bean (Tiny Bean's Big Adventures, Book #1), Graegin
Frank’s Red Hat, Avery
Max in the Land of Spies (book 1); Max in the Land of Lies (book 2), Gidwitz
We Were Liars (book 1), Family of Liars (book 2), We Fell Apart (book 3), E. Lockhart
The Only One Left, Sager
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: one woman’s obsessive search for the Golden State Killer, McNamara
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (book 1), The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, the Horse, and the Storm (book 2), Charlie Mackesy

Today Olivia and Manda reflect on the cinematic gifts left to the world by the genius, Rob Reiner. Along with each movie mentioned, the girls offer book recs for your reading delight (list below). Happy Holidays! 
When Harry Met Sally:
Heartburn, Nora Ephron
The People We Meet on Vacation, Henry (really any Emily Henry book)
Normal People, Rooney
Rachel Incident, O’Donoghue
Eleanor and Park, Rowell
One Day, Nicholls
 
Misery
Dolores Claiborne, Stephen King
Dream Girl, Laura Lippman
Notes on a Scandal, Heller
Tender, McKeon
 
Stand By Me
Something Wicked This Way Comes, Bradbury
The Night Circus, Morgenstern
The Outsiders, Hinton
Okay For Now, Gary D. Schmidt
Pop AND Schooled (both were mentioned, but really any Gordon Korman book)
 
This is Spinal Tap
A Fine Line Between Stupid and Clever: The Story of Spinal Tap
Spinal Tap 2: the end continues (movie rec)
AC/DC: Maximum Rock & Roll: The Ultimate Story of the World’s Greatest Rock-and-Roll Band, Engelheart
I am Ozzy, Osbourne
Hammer of the Gods: The Led Zeppelin Saga, Davis
The Life of Brian (movie rec)
Monty Python bios/memoirs:
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: A Sortabiography, Eric Idle
So, anyway…, John Cleese
The Pythons Autobiography, The Pythons
French Exit, deWitt
The Princess Bride
Tress of the Emerald Seas, Sanderson
Kill the Farm Boy, Dawson
As you wish: inconceivable tales from the making of the Princess Bride, Elwes
Magicians, Grossman