Sarah and Jess highlight eight short books under 200 pages to power through the DMPL reading challenge bingo, promote the fall author series, discuss a new bookstore in town, and a new app to track your reading. 

Show Notes:

What They're Reading

• Kingdom of Claw by Demi Winters
• American Spirits by Anna Dorn
• It's Not the End of the World by Jonathan Parks-Ramage

2025 Reading Challenge: Short books to get BINGO

• The Thee of Us by Ore Agbaje-Williams
• The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed
• Tokyo Ueno Station by Yu Miri
• Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz
• All Systems Red by Martha Wells
• Shady Hollow by Juneau Black
• Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
• The Vegetarian by Kang Han
• To learn more about the reading challenge click here

Book Bulletin

• Shelf Love, a new romance bookstore opened in Des Moines
• Page Bound is a new book tracking app that combines goodreads and reddit

On the latest episode of Beyond the Shelves, Jes and Sarah are discussing what they liked and didn't like about The Phoenix Pencil Company, by Allison King.

(Please note - this episode was recorded in early July)

• The Listeners, by Maggie Stiefvater
• Fallen City, by Adrienne Young
• When the Tides Held the Moon, by Vanessa Vida Kelly
• The Cemetery of Untold Stories, by Julia Alvarez
• All’s Well, by Mona Awad

• The Duchess Deal, by Tessa Dare
• Where the Lost Wander, by Amy Harmon
• Little Devil in America, by Hanif Abdurraquib
• They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us, by Hanif Abdurraquib
• Betty, by Tiffany McDaniel

• • Ali Hazelwood deletes socials for being #TeamGale
  • Jimmy John's launches romance-themed "SMUT" menu in partnership with Walton Goggins
  • Alexis Bledel is narrating the 50th anniversary audiobook edition of Tuck Everlasting
  • NetGalley launches Booktrorvert.com
  • Meta wins AI copyright case

The latest episode of Beyond the Shelves is all about love! Jes and Sarah discuss the new queer romances they're most excited for this summer.

Show Notes

What They're Reading

• Heir, by Sabaa Tahir
• Great Big Beautiful Life, by Emily Henry
• The Duke Who Didn't, by Courtney Milan   
• Disappoint Me, by Nicola Dinan
• Dream On, Ramona Riley, by Ashley Herring Blake

To Be Read

• A Curse Carved in Bone, by Danielle L. Jensen
• Who is Government? by Michael Lewis
• Margo’s Got Money Troubles, by Rufi Thorpe
• Ready or Not, by Cara Bastone
• Promise Me Sunshine, by Cara Bastone
• Marsha: the Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson, by Tourmaline
• The Lilac People, by Milo Todd

Books About Love

• Kiss Me, Maybe, by Gabriella Gamez
• When the Tides Held the Moon, by Venessa Vida Kelly
• A Gentleman’s Gentleman, by T.J. Alexandar
• The Watermelon Woman (Kanopy)
• Broad City (3 seasons on DVD)
• An Island Princess Starts a Scandal, by Adriana Hererra
• Winging It With You, by Chip Pons
• Ordinary Love, by Marie Rutkoski
• The Birdcage (physical DVD)
• Schitt's Creek (all seasons on DVD)

On the newest episode of Beyond the Shelves, Jes and Sarah chat about this summer's biggest releases and the books they're most excited about. As you might have guessed, they are not necessarily the same thing! Plus, find out which host is a vampire girlie and which is a werewolf girlie.

What They're Reading

• Promise Me Sunshine, by Cara Bastone
• Deep Cuts, by Holly Brickly
• Audition, by Katie Kitamura
• Bunny, by Mona Awad
• The Shots You Take, by Rachel Reid
• Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here, by Jonathan Blitzer 

To Be Read

• Great Big Beautiful Life, by Emily Henry
• She’s a Lamb, by Meredith Hambrock
• Exit Zero, by Helene Marie Bertino
• Oathbound, by Tracy Deonn
• The River Has Roots, by Amal El-Mohtar
• When the Clock Broke, by John Ganz

What We're Excited For

• The Listeners, by Maggie Stiefvater (June 3)
• Endling, by Maria Reva (June 3)
• Ride With Me, by Simone Soltani (May 20)
• The Library at Hellebore, by Cassandra Khaw (July 22)
• A Curse Carved in Bone, by Danielle L. Jensen (May 13)
• Bury Your Bones in the Midnight Soil, by V.E. Schwab (June 10)
• The View From Lake Como, by Adriana Trigiani  (July 8)
• I Want to Burn This Place Down: Essays, by Maris Kreizman (July 1)

Big Releases

• Atmosphere, by Taylor Jenkins Reid (June 3)
• The Bewitching, by Siliva Moreno Garcia (July 15)
• My Friends, by Fredrick Backman (May 6)
• Katabasis, by R.F. Kuang (August 26)
• These Summer Storms, by Sarah MacClean (July 8)
• The Emperor of Gladness, by Ocean Vuong (May 13)

On this month's podcast, Jes and Sarah talk about the history of Chick Lit - how it started (Bridget Jones's Diary), how the genre was covered in the press, and what new types of books have spawned from it today.

What They're Reading

• Everything Is Tuberculosis, by John Green
• Cleat Cute, by Meryl Wilsner
• While the Duke Was Sleeping, by Samara Parish
• Harriet Tubman Live in Concert, by Bob the Drag Queen
• Woodworking, by Emily St. James
• Stag Dance, by Torrey Peters
• The Deep Dark, by Molly Knox Ostertag

To Be Read

• Oathbound, by Tracy Deonn
• First Time Caller, by B.K. Borison
• The Road of Bones, by Demi Winters
• Blood over Bright Haven, by M.L. Wang
• Stop Me if You've Heard This One, by Kristen Arenett
• Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison

Reading Material

• "What is Chick Lit? A Brief History from the Inside," by Lucida Rosenfeld
• "The Power of Chick Lit," by Jane Carrell and Meghan Hall
• "The Great Escape: Modern Women and the Chick Lit Genre," by Maureen Lynch Cooke

The Beyond the Shelves first ever Book Club episode is live! This month, Jes and Sarah both read Harlem Rhapsody, by Victoria Christopher Murray. They discuss the historical fiction novel about Jessie Redman Fauset, a real life figure dubbed "midwife of the Harlem Renaissance," and her relationship with W.E.B. Du Bois. This podcast does contain spoilers - but you don't have to have read the book to listen and learn more about the Harlem Renaissance era!

Harlem Rhapsody, by Victoria Christopher Murray

• "A History of The Crisis" (NAACP website)
• The Warmth of Other Suns, by Isabel Wilkerson
• I Too Sing America: the Harlem Renaissance, at 100 by Wil Haygood
• Smoketown, by Mark Whitaker
• Joy Goddess: A’lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance, by A’lelia Bundles 

• Blues in Stereo, by Langston Hughes
• Cane, by Jean Toomer
• Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick: Stories From the Harlem Renaissance, by Zora Neale Hurston
• My Soul's High Song, by Countee Cullen
• Passing and Quicksand, by Nella Larsen
• The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, by James Weldon Johnson
• The Souls of Black Folk, by W.E.B. Du Bois
• Home to Harlem, by Claude McKay
• Amiable with Big Teeth, by Claude McKay

• 0:00 - AViD Lineup/What We're Reading
• 11:20 - Book Club Discussion
• 46:32 - Book Bulletin

• A Thousand Ships, by Natalie Haynes
• A Hard Day for a Hangover, by Darynda Jones
• Haunted Ever After, by Jen DeLuca
• Crossings, by Ben Goldfarb
• The Shots You Take, by Rachel Reid
• Blood Over Bright Haven, by M.L. Wang
• Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, by Grady Hendrix
• Sula, by Toni Morrison
• The Knockout Queen, by Rufi Thorpe
• Idle Grounds, by Krystelle Bamford
• The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, by James McBride

• "A Court of Thorns and Roses TV Series Dead at Hulu" (Variety)
• "Meet-cute at Mansfield Park: can modern covers turn young readers on to Jane Austen?" (The Guardian)
• "Readerlink Will Stop Distributing Mass Market Paperbacks at the End of 2025" (Publishers Weekly)
• Women's Prize for Fiction longlist

Jes and Sarah are talking about loving your library during this month's episode of Beyond the Shelves! After talking about unique library services and the best ways you can support your library, they talk about some of their favorite books that feature libraries. Then they dig into a busy Book Bulletin segment (starts at 42:51), full of interesting news.

Next month, Jes and Sarah are hosting their first ever Beyond the Shelves Book Club episode! They're reading Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray. That episode is scheduled to be up on Tuesday, March 11. We encourage you to read the book so you can follow along with their discussion next month!

• Show Up for Your Library - ALA Advocacy
• One of the best ways to support the library is using your library!  
• What We're Reading
  • The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, by Becky Chambers
  • Y2K: How the 2000s Became Everything, by Colette Shade
  • House of Earth and Blood, by Sarah J. Maas
  • Onyx Storm, by Rebecca Yarros
  • A Bad Day for Sunshine, by Darynda Jones
  • The Age of Magical Overthinking, by Amanda Montell
  • Keep Me, by Sara Cate
• To Be Read
  • Sula, by Toni Morrison
  • Voice Like a Hyacinth, by Mallory Pearson
  • Water Moon, by Samantha Sotto Yambao
  • Ana Maria and the Fox, by Liana De la Rosa
  • Deep End, by Ali Hazelwood
• Books About Libraries
  • The Library at Mount Char, by Scott Hawkins
  • The Book that Wouldn’t Burn, by Mark Lawrence
  • The Parliament, by Aimee Pokwatka
  • The Starless Sea, by Erin Morgenstern
  • The Cartographers, by Peng Shepherd
  • Upright Women Wanted, by Sarah Gailey
• Library Services
  • Book Club Sets
  • TONS of eMagazines on Libby
  • Comics Plus
  • Community Fridges
• Book Bulletin
  • Children of Blood and Bone Cast Reveal
  • Bookshop.org now sells eBooks
  • Department of Education is ending book ban investigations
  • Simon & Schuster is no longer requiring book blurbs
  • Philadelphia Eagles player AJ Brown helps a book become a bestseller after being spotted reading it on the sidelines during a playoff game
  • Onyx Storm reaction (the headlines - they're bad and misunderstand the book!)
  • Lady Whistlethreads book drama newsletter

We're in the dead of winter - the perfect time get cozied up in an armchair and read a fun book. This month, Jes and Sarah are talking about books (and TV shows) that bring them during these cold, dark days. The hosts conveniently have grouped their selections into different tropes and categories to help you peruse!

• Sign up for the 2025 Reading Challenge: Book Bingo
• What They're Reading
  • The Empire of Gold, by S.A. Chakroborty
  • House of Sky and Breath, by Sarah J. Maas
  • The Story of a Lost Child, by Elena Ferrante
  • City of Night Birds, by Juhea Kim
  • Private Rites, by Julia Armfield
• Books That Bring Us Joy
  • Books Jes is re-reading
    • The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller
    • Toni Morrison's catalog
    • Fight Night, by Miriam Toews
    • Tiny Beautiful Things, by Cheryl Strayed
  • Found Family/Chosen Family/Ragtag Group books
    • Check Please, by Ngozi Ukazu
    • The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, by Sangu Mandanna
    • Under the Whispering Door, by T.J. Klune
    • The Expanse series, by James S.A. Corey
    • Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel
  • Kid/Teen Graphic Novels
    • Garlic and the Vampire, by Bree Paulson
    • Nimona, by Noelle Stevenson
    • Squad, by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
    • Pain Jane and the Mermaid, by Vera Brosgol
    • Heartstopper, by Alice Oseman
  • Lyrical Escapism
    • This Is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar
    • The Starless Sea, by Erin Morgenstern
    • The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller
    • An Ember in the Ashes, by Sabaa Tahir
    • Starling House, by Alix E. Harrow
  • Hobby-ing Makes Everything Better
    • Sew It Yourself, by Daisy Braid
    • Cross Stitch with Cattitude, by Emma Congdon
    • Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook, by Sohla El-Waylly
    • Community Group: Fiber Friends
  • Community and Action
    • Go to Sleep, I Miss You, by Lucy Knisley
    • How to Keep House While Drowning, by KC Davis
    • The Color of Law, by Richard Rothstein
    • On Tyranny, by Timothy Snyder
    • The Geography of Bliss, by Eric Weiner
  • Books that Remind You Humans are Innately Good
    • Beautyland, by Helene Marie-Helene Bertino
    • The Wedding People, by Alison Espach
    • Fresh Water for Flowers, by Valeri Perrin
    • Light From Uncommon Stars, by Rya Aoki
    • A Psalm for the Wild-Built, by Becky Chambers
    • TV Shows by Michael Schur, Bill Lawrence, Elizabeth Merriweather, Quinta Brunson, or Daniel Levy
  • Popular Self-Help Books
    • The Anxious Generation, by Jonathan Haidt
    • Atomic Habits, by James Clear
    • Brené Brown books
    • Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, by Lori Gottlieb
    • Rest is Resistance, by Tricia Hersey

Jes and Sarah are discussing the best of 2024 in the last Beyond the Shelves episode of the year! They go through some of books mentioned on several best of lists, and then give their own top 3 books of the year.

Watch on YouTube

• What they're reading
  • The Vegetarian, by Han Kang
  • Make the Season Bright, by Ashley Herring Blake
  • Clean, by Alia Trabucco Zerán
  • A Fire Endless, by Rebecca Ross
  • The Love of My Afterlife, by Kristy Greenwood
• On the Best Of Lists and other mentioned books
  • James, by Percival Everett
  • All Fours, by Miranda July
  • Martyr!, By Kaveh Akbar
  • Creation Lake, by Rachel Kushner
  • Intermezzo, by Sally Rooney
  • Colored Television, by Danzy Senna
  • Shred Sisters, by Betsy Lerner 
  • The Husbands, by Holly Gramazio
  • The God of the Woods, by Liz Moore
  • Margo’s Got Money Troubles, by Rupi Kaur 
  • The Ministry of Time, by Kaline Bradley 
  • The Familiar, by Leigh Bardugo
  • Cue the Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV, by Emily Nussbaum
  • Grief is for People, by Sloane Crosley
  • Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling, by Jason De León
  • There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension, by Hanif Abdurraqib
  • The Women, by Kristin Hannah
  • Funny Story, by Emily Henry 
• Jes' Top 10
  • Beautyland, by Helene Marie Bertino
  • The God of the Woods, by Liz Moore
  • Headshot, by Rita Bullwinkl
  • Bury Your Gays, by Chuck Tingle
  • Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk, by Kathleen Hanna
  • Rainbow Black, by Maggie Thrash
  • In Universes, by Emet North
  • The Bog Wife, by Kay Chronister
  • There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension, by Hanif Abdurraqib
  • Perfume and Pain, by Anna Dorn
• Sarah's Top 10
  • Pandora's Jar, by Natalie Haynes
  • The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, by Sangu Mandanna
  • You Should Be So Lucky, by Cat Sebastian
  • Where the Lost Wander, by Amy Harmon
  • A River Enchanted, by Rebecca Ross
  • The City of Brass, by S.A. Chakraborty
  • Barons, by Austin Frerick
  • This is How You Lose the Time War, by Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar
  • Check and Mate, by Ali Hazelwood
  • The Book That Wouldn't Burn, by Mark Lawrence

On the newest episode of the DMPL Podcast, children's author and illustrator and Des Moines native Don Tate joins host Aaron Gernes on the show. Don Tate will be at the Forest Avenue Library on Thursday, December 12, at 6:30 PM for a fun talk meant for the whole family. He'll discuss his journey into illustrating and writing, demonstrate some drawing techniques, and invite kids up to help him in learning more about the process. This will be a fun, family friendly event!

• Don Tate at the Forest Avenue Library
• Don Tate Books