On the season finale of Match+Book, get cozyin a warm place while host Paul Kibala share some perfect winter reads.

Check out these titles with your EBPL or LMxAC library card by clicking here.

On this episode of Match+Book, host Paul Kibala recommends

Check out these titles with your EBPL or LMxAC library card

On this episode, editor Melissa Hozik goes through some our top moments episodes that we think you might have missed.

Music by SoundGalleryBy from Pixabay

On this episode of Match+Book, librarian Paul Kibala shares some of his favorite titles he read of 2023.

Check out these titles with your EBPL or LMxAC library card by clicking here.

Vocal Canvas: Epilogue

Welcome to Vocal Canvas, a compelling five-part podcast journey into the world of voice acting. This series, a collaborative venture between East Brunswick Public Library, NextGen Acting, and Playhouse 22, is a rich blend of education and creativity that illuminates the powerful intricacies of voice. From Volume to Pitch, Pace to Diction, and Resonance, each episode shines a spotlight on one essential aspect of voice, interspersed with performances and pieces penned by community members. Directed by seasoned actor and NextGen Acting founder, Dennis Connors, Vocal Canvas is more than just a podcast; it's a celebration of local talent and a bridge between community theatre and voice-over work. Tune in to this auditory adventure and appreciate the wonders of voice acting.

Enjoy this author panel from Local Author Day 2023!

Brooke Beyfuss

Website | Instagram | Facebook

Purchase After We Were Stolen or Before You Found Me

Brooke Beyfuss is a freelance writer from Woodbridge, New Jersey, and the author of two critically acclaimed novels. Her debut, After We Were Stolen, was featured in Bustle magazine, Booklist, the New York Journal of Books, Buzzfeed, and selected as a Fall ’22 Hoopla Book Club pick. Her second release, Before You Found Me, was featured in Booklist and chosen as Bookmarked for Book Club’s August ‘23 selection.

Aparna Parthasarathy

Purchase Tales of the Invisible

Aparna Parthasarathy is a high school senior passionate about remedying structural inequalities, closing educational gaps and representing Generation Z’s values to shape legislation with elected officials. Aparna is a literary advocate and author of Tales of the Invisible, a book that addresses the intersectionality of feminism and the importance of representation. She utilized her interest in reading and writing to increase awareness about the levels of oppression and inequality that occur around the globe. An author, her book titled "Tales of the Invisible" was published last Fall and rose to become a best seller in its category within a month of release. This book not only explores the hardships of women across the world but to celebrate their strength and to find the one thing that unites us all. Hope.

Shirley Russak Wachtel

Website | Facebook

Purchase A Castle in Brooklyn

Shirley Russak Wachtel is the daughter of Holocaust survivors and was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She holds a doctor of letters degree from Drew University and for the past thirty years has taught English literature at Middlesex College in Edison, New Jersey. The mother of three grown sons and grandmother to three precocious granddaughters, she currently resides in East Brunswick with her husband, Arthur.

About the Moderator: Theresa Agostinelli is the child of two librarians and holds degrees in Studio Art, English Writing Arts, and Library Science. She currently works as an academic librarian and ESL instructor. Theresa has planned and moderated numerous panel discussions and conferences at the state and local levels. Books from thrift shops, book stores, and libraries often find their way home with her. Theresa is happiest when she is sitting with a cup of tea surrounded by good reads.

Enjoy this panel from Local Author Day 2023!

Kayla Harris

Instagram

Purchase The Stars in My Chest

Kayla Harris, deeply rooted in her connection with nature since her upbringing on the Jersey Shore, later pursued her passion for English at the University of Delaware. She wears multiple hats as an artist, activist, and environmentalist, with a career at TerraCycle, a global innovator in sustainable solutions, and her own venture, The Imperfect Eco, dedicated to promoting accessible sustainable products. In her leisure, she enjoys writing poetry, beach outings, and actively contributing to social causes as the Secretary of the Bordentown Township Environmental Commission and the Poetry Editor for NJ Indy.

Shrenik & Daivik Patel

Purchase The Essential Guide to Understanding Sustainability

Shrenik & Daivik Patel are graduates of East Brunswick High School, where they co-authored, “ The Essential Guide to Understanding Sustainability” with environmental activist Kathryn Nguyen. It is a much-needed book that describes the issue of unsustainable practices and coins a vocabulary that can be used to begin essential discussions and reform.

About the Moderator: Theresa Agostinelli is the child of two librarians and holds degrees in Studio Art, English Writing Arts, and Library Science. She currently works as an academic librarian and ESL instructor. Theresa has planned and moderated numerous panel discussions and conferences at the state and local levels. Books from thrift shops, book stores, and libraries often find their way home with her. Theresa is happiest when she is sitting with a cup of tea surrounded by good reads.

On this episode of Match+Book, librarian Paul Kibala recommends books where authors are from or take place in New Jersey.

Check out these materials with your EBPL or LMxAC library card by clicking here: https://ilove.ebpl.org/adults/news/matchbook-s5-ep2-new-jersey-recommendations 

Enjoy this author panel from Local Author Day 2023!

Katie Germain

@honeybeeshive__ Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Website

Purchase The Honey Bees: Recharge Mommy Bee

Kelly Russell Jaques

Instagram | X

Purchase Havoc in the Hammock!

Kelly Russell Jaques was born and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts. She graduated from St. Michael's College in Vermont with a B.A. in English literature, and graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a M.A. in English literature with a concentration in creative writing. She lives in Metuchen, New Jersey, with her husband,Jim, and has three (mostly) grown children. She used to have a trampoline in my backyard, but now has a hammock, just waiting for a tired tortoise!

Amar

Purchase Books from the Oxie and Pixie series

Greetings, fellow seekers of stories! By day, Amar steers innovation as a dedicated product lead, and her true passion comes alive when she weaves tales that inspire and delight. As the creative force behind Oxie the Otter and Pixie the Pig, Amar bridges the gap between entertainment and education. With each turn of the page, her stories whisk young minds away on whimsical adventures. Through Oxie and Pixie's escapades, she nurtures curiosity, courage, and camaraderie. These stories are not just entertainment – they're life lessons wrapped in laughter and imagination.

About the Moderator: Theresa Agostinelli is the child of two librarians and holds degrees in Studio Art, English Writing Arts, and Library Science. She currently works as an academic librarian and ESL instructor. Theresa has planned and moderated numerous panel discussions and conferences at the state and local levels. Books from thrift shops, book stores, and libraries often find their way home with her. Theresa is happiest when she is sitting with a cup of tea surrounded by good reads.

On this episode of Match+Book, librarian Paul Kibala makes recommendations for horror films, literature, and TV series.

Check out these materials with your EBPL or LMxAC library card by clicking here: https://ilove.ebpl.org/adults-teens/news/matchbook-s5-ep1-horror-films-adaptations 

The Crucible -  Adaptations

The Haunting of Hill House - Adaptations

Train to Busan (2016)