CJPL's Beyond the Bookshelf

Take a trip around the world with Erin and Mandy today! Reading Colors Your World is the summer reading theme for Iowa libraries, and we're issuing a special challenge! Read one book from each continent (except Antarctica) by the end of summer reading (July 31) and get entered into a special drawing for a private pool party! These books can also be used in your regular passport for prize entries as well!

So since we issued that challenge, we figured we should highlight some books around the world! The books we talk about could be set on those continents, be about those continents, or have authors from those continents - anything goes if you can connect it to the location! We highlight 24 books - 4 for each continent - for you to consider as part of your summer reading!!!

Alternate title for this episode is "the one where Erin calls out the publishing industry." Really, that's all we could come up with. There was a chunk that got edited out about serial killers. Maybe someday we'll release it, but for now, please just think of us as your sweet neighborhood library and not the creepy ladies who like murderous books and podcasts.

Check out our library website for a Wakelet board of all the books we talk about in this episode: https://www.columbusjct.lib.ia.us/programs/beyond-bookshelf-podcast

Alternative Titles

"rated R for romance"

"The one where Mandy outs her Mom"

"The one where we say spicy a lot"

"The one with a Sue recommendation" 

The episode you all have been waiting for...Love Books!

Pandemics? Concern over books transmitting diseases? Quarantine? Sanitizing processes? If this all sounds familiar, you're right - we ARE indeed talking about the great book scare of 1880-1920!! Alternate titles to this episode include "I said what I said," "Please don't lick things," and "Andrew Carnegie, the patron saint of libraries." Join us for a wild ride about books and pestilence! As always, check out our website for everything we chatted about during this episode: https://www.columbusjct.lib.ia.us/programs/beyond-bookshelf-podcast

This episode, Erin and Mandy share their favorite read alouds for all ages! Some nonfiction, picture books, and juvenile fiction can be found in here! Check out our website for the complete list of all the books discussed in this episode: https://www.columbusjct.lib.ia.us/programs/beyond-bookshelf-podcast

Alternate titles for this episode include "The One Where King Louis Throws Hands," "The One Where Erin Achieves All of Her Daily Happy Dances," and "The One Where Everything Comes Back to Spooky Season."

We're trying something a little different this time and bringing our love of true crime to you, but with a library connection. The story of the Transy book heist - it's a doozy of movie references, hilarity, and theft. At this point, we couldn't even come up with alternative titles to this one because we're still laughing about how much college guys dig "Reservoir Dogs." Check out our website for more info on what happened afterward to our cast of characters!

Our opinions about graphic novels (READ THEM) and some recommendations of graphic novels we love for specific reasons, what we've been reading in graphic format, and what we're looking forward to checking out soon! 

Alternate titles to this one are "Where Mandy Dogs Dickens 2.0" or "Is Hugh Jackman Our Australian Listener?"

Check out our podcast website and all books discussed in this episode here: https://www.columbusjct.lib.ia.us/programs/beyond-bookshelf-podcast

In honor of National Library Week, we give you a blooper reel and an "inside" listen to recording with us. Spoiler: it's a mess...oh look, a squirrel! Play along with us as we quiz each other on our classics reading - have you read more classics than your local librarian? Honestly, probs. Also, alternative titles to this episode is "The One Where Mandy Dogs on Dickens" or "The One that Proves This is Why We Edit."

Enjoy a joyous peak into the back room where the magic happens!

Also, please send us your list of "classic" reads for our next rapid fire insider look!

Our interview with MHS teacher librarian and CJ resident Jen Keltner! We talk books we love, what we're reading, being a school librarian, and more!

Erin compares people to steaks, and we talk books we're super glad we finished, including some that are outside of our usual box. Be prepared to be surprised, and maybe a few laughs along the way!

Beginning of the year reading challenges can always be hard! Which one do you pick? How long do you give a book before you move on? Do audio books or graphic novels "count" as reading on your challenge? We'll give you our opinion on all those questions and more!