Join Sara, Kate and special guest Maggie for a discussion about nonfiction books!

What we're currently reading: Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid; Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff; The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang 

Intro Music composed by Dana K.! 

Listen as we chat about some of our favorite books we've read so far in 2021!

Our Top Books so far:

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, Seeds Planted in Concrete by Bianca Sparacino, The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, Anxious People by Frederik Backman, Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield, and Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach.

Our Honorable Mentions:

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell, Space Boy by Stephen McCranie, Ariadne by Jennifer Saint, How to Order the Universe by Maria Jose Ferrada, The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang, Bits & Pieces by Dawn Hosmer, The Maidens by Alex Michaelides, and Deadly Education by Naomi Novik.

Books we've both read:

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune, The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, and Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield.

Our Biggest Disappointments:

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge, and The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern.

What we're currently reading:

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley and The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Listen to us quiz each other about our favorite books!

One-Star Review Game inspired by Merphy Napier (YouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7FW6FYqPLeQIXMSulBfOLw)

SPOILERS FOR THE GAMES BELOW:

Titles Mentioned:  

- Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

- The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

- Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson

- Lord of the Rings Trilogy by JRR Tolkien

- Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

- The Temeraire Series by Naomi Novik

- The Girl in Red by Christina Henry

- Mr. Penumbra's 24-hr. Bookstore by Robin Sloan

- The Three Dark Crowns Series by Kendare Blake

- The Robert Langdon Series by Dan Brown

- Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

- Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield

- The Giver by Lois Lowry

- The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

- The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

- Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

- Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

- A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

- Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

- Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

- Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

- Blood, Water, Paint by Joy McCullough

- Redwall by Brain Jaques

- And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

- Circe by Madeline Miller

- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

- The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis

- Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

This episode we have a very special guest: our former boss and current Library Director, Crystal! Join us for a chat about how we got our start in the library field, what it takes to become a librarian, debunking stereotypes, and all of the amazing ways libraries help their communities. 

Join us for a discussion of The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune!

Disclaimer, June 3, 2021: It has come to our attention that TJ Klune recently revealed his inspiration for this title to be that of residential schools for indigenous children in Canada. We're sensitive to the gravity of this issue and how harmful it is to indigenous peoples, particular in light of the recent discovery of 215 children's remains at the Kamloops Indian Residential School. 

Our views, as presented in this episode, were recorded prior to our knowledge of these details. We'd like our listeners to know that we do not condone the appropriation of cultures that have suffered generations of abuse, and we hope you'll listen to this episode from the perspective of two readers who thoroughly enjoyed a well-written story. 

If you would like to learn more about the history of government-sanctioned residential schools for indigenous children, and what is being done to bring awareness to the ongoing struggle for survivors, visit https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/the_residential_school_system/. 

In the first episode of Beyond Books, Sara and Kate discuss their reading habits, their favorite books, and some of the blessing and burdens of being readers.  

Titles mentioned in this episode:

"The Priory of the Orange Tree" by Samantha Shannon, "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury, "Dreamland" by Sarah Dessen, "The Giver" by Lois Lowry, "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien, "Good Omens" by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, "Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hr. Bookstore" by Robin Sloan, "Piranesi" by Susanna Clarke, The Redwall Series by Brian Jacques, The "Midnight Library" by Matt Haig, "Daisy Jones and the Six" by Taylor Jenkins Reid, "A Deadly Education" by Naomi Novik, "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo, "Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold" by Stephen Fry 

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