Summary: Librarians Lisa Navidi and Patrick Fromm share their picks for the best books of 2018, along with a few titles from other years. After all, their book love can't be confined by something so pedestrian as time.

Recording Date: December 5, 2018

Guests:

Lisa Navidi, Adult Services Librarian at Davis Library

Patrick Fromm, Branch Manager of Rockville Memorial Library

Host: Lauren Martino

What Our Guest Is Reading:

Patrick Fromm: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi and Lake Success by Gary Shteyngart

Lisa Navidi: Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram and Washington Black by Esi Edugyan

Books and Authors Mentioned During this Episode:

Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal

Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Becoming by Michelle Obama

Britt Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman

Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey

Circe by Madeline Miller

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick

Dark Age by Pierce Brown

Dog Man series by Dav Pilkey

Dope Sick by Walter Dean Myers

Educated by Tara Westover

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Failure Is an Option by H. Jon Benjamin

Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas

Neil Gaiman

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

Heavy: an American Memoir by Kiese Laymon

Hey Kiddo by Jarnett Krosoczka

Holi Colors by Rina Singh

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen

I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara

Islandborn by Junot Diaz

It Ain't So Awful, Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas

Lunch Lady series by Jarnett Krosoczka

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy

Nutshell by Ian McEwan

The Power by Naomi Alderman

The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfield

Red Clocks by Leni Zumas

Ricky Ricotta series by Dav Pilkey

Small Country by Gaël Faye

Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney

Square by Mac Barnett

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood - Upcoming sequel to The Handmaid's Tale

Triangle by Mac Barnett

What Happened by Hillary Clinton

You're on an Airplane by Parker Posey

Other Items of Interest:

Books and Authors - An online tool for discovering what to read next. Includes dozens of literary award and best seller lists.

Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature The Center's Best Books of 2018

Memento (film)

NPR's Book Concierge

What Do I Check Out Next? - Use this form to tell MCPL staff what you like to read and we'll respond with a list of 3 to 5 books that our readers' advisory experts have chosen for you.

The Wonky Donkey viral video

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Summary: Musician and Twinbrook Branch Manager Eric Carzon talks with host David Payne about the Library of Things Music, the new instrument lending program at Twinbrook Library, as well as MCPL's many other music related resources and programs.

Recording Date: November 7, 2018

Guest: Eric Carzon, Branch Manager at Twinbrook Library

Host: David Payne

What Our Guest Is Reading:

The Daily Ukulele by Liz and Jim Beloff

Gather Together in My Name by Maya Angelou

March by John Lewis

MCPL Books and Other Resources Mentioned During this Episode:

101 Hit Songs, Alto Sax

Absolute Beginners, Guitar (DVD)

Anatomy of a Song by Marc Myers

ArtistWorks

Beatles, The White Album

Bessie (DVD)

Brave New Blues Guitar by Greg Koch

Disney Hits for Ukulele

Drum Circle: A Guide to World Percussion by Chalo Eduardo and Frank Kumor

Freegal: Download up to 5 MP3 songs for free each week.

Guitar Aerobics by Troy Nelson

Hamilton: An American Musical by Lin-Manuel M

How to Rap, the Art and Science of the Hip-Hop MC by Paul Edwards

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Jazz, Rock & Funk Guitar by Dan Brown

The Jazz Singer (DVD)

Jersey Boys (DVD)

Jimi Hendrix Live at Woodstock (DVD)

Learn to Play Keyboards by Emma Danes

Legends, Icons, & Rebels: Music that Changed the World by Robbie Robertson

Library of Things Music: A collection of musical instruments at Twinbrook Library that customers can check out.

Modern Times (DVD)

Music Factory (DVD): Music education videos for children.

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Pitch Perfect (DVD)

The Rap Year Book by Shea Serrano

Rent (DVD)

Singin' in the Rain (DVD)

Songwriters' Toolbox: A monthly workshop/song circle that meets monthly at Rockville Memorial Library.

Streaming Music from Alexander Street: Stream popular, classical, world, jazz, historical, and many other genres of music.

Twinbrook "Make More Music" Discussion Group

The Ukulele 3 Chord Songbook

You Can Play Electric Bass (DVD)

Other Items of Interest:

Hal Leonard: Music publisher

The Lion Sleeps Tonight / Mbube

Smile: Song based on an instrumental piece used in Charlie Chaplin's movie Modern Times. It is one of Eric Carzon's favorite songs.

Song Writer's Association of Washington

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Summary: MCPL Assistant Director Angelisa Hawes and Department of Environmental Protection Program Manager Larissa Johnson discuss local energy efficiency initiatives and resources available throughout Montgomery County.

Recording Date: November 7, 2018

Guests:

Angelisa Hawes, MCPL Assistant Director for Facilities and ADA

Larissa Johnson, Residential Energy Program Manager, Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection

Hosts: Julie Dina and David Payne

What Our Guests Are Reading:

Angelisa Hawes: Radical Candor: How to Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott

Larissa Johnson: The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu

MCPL Books and Other Resources Mentioned During this Episode:

Energy efficiency books at MCPL

Kill a Watt energy meter

Other Resources Mentioned During this Episode:

BeSMART Energy Efficiency Loan for Homeowners

EmPOWER Maryland

Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)

DEP Calendar of Events

Montgomery County Green Bank

My Green Montgomery

Quick Home Energy Check-up

Residential Property Tax Credit - Energy Conservation

Other Items of Interest:

Home Energy Rating System (HERS)

Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) in Montgomery County

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Summary: As part of our Literary Explorers series, kids ages 10-14 came to MCPL branches to record video book talks about books they've enjoyed. We've collected the audio from 10 of these recordings to share with our Library Matters listeners.

Book talks are brief summaries/reviews designed to convince others to read the book being described. You can see videos of these and other Literary Explorer book talks on our YouTube channel, mcplmd. The Literary Explorer program was made possible by a grant from the NBC Foundation and Washington's NBC 4.

Host: Julie Dina

Books Loved in this Episode: (In order of appearance)

Masterminds by Gordon Korman

The Truth About Stacey by Ann M. Martin

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova

Going Wild by Lisa McMann

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson

Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea

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Summary: Genealogy enthusiasts Adrienne Miles Holderbaum and Carol Reddan share their love of researching family history and talk about the resources available at MCPL and elsewhere to help you learn more about your own family's history.

Recording Date: October 10, 2018

Guests:

Adrienne Miles Holderbaum: Senior Librarian at Germantown Library and co-producer of Library Matters. Adrienne was a guest on the Library Matters' pregnancy episode, #30 - Baby on Board, Resources for New & Expectant Parents.

Carol Reddan: Library Associate at Olney Library. Carol was a guest on Library Matters' August 2018 true crime episode, #38 - Murderous Memories - True Crime Stories.

Hosts: Lauren Martino and David Payne

What Our Guests Are Reading:

Adrienne Miles Holderbaum: The Wife by Alafair Burke, The Modern Organic Home by Natalie Wise, Mad About the House: How to Decorate Your Home with Style by Kate Watson-Smyth, The Nordstrom Way by Robert Spector, and Under New Management: How Leading Organizations Are Upending Business as Usual by David Burkus.

Carol Reddan: Sybil Exposed by Debbie Nathan

MCPL Books and Other Resources Mentioned During this Episode:

AARP Genealogy Online by Matthew L Helm and April Leigh Helm

A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived by Adam Rutherford

Finding Your Roots by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Genealogy for Dummies by Matthew L. Helm and April Leigh Helm

Heritage Quest: This database includes US Census and military records, city directories, full-text family and local histories, Freedman's Bank records, and more.

How to Archive Family Keepsakes by Denis May Levenick

MCPL Genealogy Guide

Other Genealogy Resources Mentioned During This Episode:

23 and Me: Consumer genetic testing service for genealogy and health.

African Americans in the Federal Census, 1790-1930, Using Federal Census Records to Find Information on African American Ancestors

Ancestry.com: Popular genealogy database.

AncestryDNA: DNA tests for ethnicity and genealogy.

Family Tree DNA: DNA testing for ancestry and genealogy.

Finding Your Roots, PBS series

GEDmatch.com: DNA and genealogical analysis tools for amateur and professional researchers and genealogists.

GENi: A popular genealogy tools for sharing family histories.

Other Items of Interest:

6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon

Montgomery County Historical Society

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Summary: Dr. Gilberto Zelaya, Outreach Coordinator at the Montgomery County Board of Elections, joins us to discuss how elections are organized in Montgomery County and the Board's ongoing efforts to empower voters to participate in elections.

Guest: Dr. Gilberto Zelaya, AKA Dr. Z, the Outreach Coordinator at the Montgomery County Board of Elections.

Hosts: Julie Dina and David Payne

What Our Guest Is Reading: The Path to Power (The Years of Lyndon Johnson) by Robert A. Caro. The Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR).

Items of Interest Mentioned During this Episode:

Early Voting for the 2018 General Election: Thursday, October 25, 2018 through Thursday, November 1, 2018.

Election Day for the 2018 General Election: Tuesday, November 6, 2018. Find your polling place.

The Future Vote: An initiative to increase youth civic participation and promoting civic duty, community involvement, and recognition of the importance of preserving participatory democracy.

League of Women Voters, Montgomery County: A nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed civic engagement.

Maryland State Board of Elections

Montgomery County Board of Elections

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Summary: Freedom to read enthusiasts and MCPL librarians Alessandro Russo and Danielle Deaver talk about Banned Books Week (September 23-29, 2018), the annual awareness campaign that celebrates the freedom to read and warns of ongoing efforts to challenge and ban books.

Recording Date: September 12, 2018

Guests:

Danielle Deaver, Children's Librarian at Germantown Library.

Alessandro Russo, Senior Librarian at Olney Library.

Hosts: Julie Dina and David Payne

What Our Guests Are Reading:

Danielle Deaver: Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions by Mario Giordano

Alessandro Russo: Jim Henson: the Biography by Brian Jay Jones

Books and Authors Mentioned During this Episode:

Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

American Heritage Dictionary

The Bible

Judy Blume, an American author best known for her children's books, whose books have been frequently challenged or banned.

Bone series by Jeff Smith. The first book in the series is Out from Boneville.

Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Drama by Raina Telgemeier

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Fifty Shades triology by E. L. James. Includes Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, and Fifty Shades Freed.

Go the F**k to Sleep by Adam Mansbach

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. The first book in the series is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Other Items of Interest Mentioned During this Episode:

American Library Association Infographic of Recent Banned Book Statistics

"Banned Books Are Often Diverse Books. Check the Stats." by Emily Knox

Banned Books Week

Common Sense Media: Online guide to books, movies, and other media for parents. See also the site's "Why Your Kid Should Read Banned Books" article.

MCPL Collection Policy: The Montgomery County Public Libraries' Collections Policy presents the strategies to develop, expand, diversify, and build 21st century library collections to meet the library needs and expectations of the Montgomery County residents/communities.

Overdrive: An online collection of e-books, audiobooks, and e-magazine available for free to MCPL library card holders.

Special Family Storytime: Banned Books: A family storytime held on September 25, at Gaithersburg Library that featured children's books which have been banned or challenged.

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Summary: F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Festival organizers Dr. Jackson Bryer and Dr. Eleanor Heginbotham, as well as Twinbrook Library Manager Eric Carzon, talk about the upcoming festival, as well as the life, work, and Montgomery County connections of jazz-era author F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Recording Date: August 9, 2018

Guests:

Dr. Jackson Bryer, author of several books about F. Scott Fitzgerald and one of the founding organizers of the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Festival.

Eric Carzon: Branch Manager of Twinbrook Library and MCPL liaison to the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Festival.

Dr. Eleanor Heginbotham, Professor Emerita of Concordia University Saint Paul and one of the organizers of the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Festival.

Host: Lauren Martino

What Our Guests Are Reading:

Dr. Jackson Bryer: Benediction by Kent Haruf, Clock Dance by Anne Tyler

Eric Carzon: The Poet Slave of Cuba by Margarita Engle

Dr. Eleanor Heginbotham: The books of Richard Russo and Robert Olen Butler.

Books, Authors, and Other Media Mentioned During this Episode:

"Babylon Revisited" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

John Barth

Bernice Bobs Her Hair (film): Based on a short story of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Jennifer Boylan

Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo

Robert Olen Butler

Susan Coll

Malcolm Cowley

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (film): Based on a short story of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald

E.L. Doctorow

Empire Falls by Richard Russo

Everybody's Fool by Richard Russo

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Richard Ford

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This famous book has had numerous film adaptations.

Garrison Keillor

Norman Mailer

Alice McDermott

E. Ethelbert Miller

Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo

Maxwell Perkins

Annie Proulx

Richard Russo

Trajectory by Richard Russo

Straight Man by Richard Russo

James Salter

William Styron

Margaret Talbot

Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald

John Updike

The Vegetable, or From President to Postman (play) by F. Scott Fitzgerald

"Winter Dreams" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Other Items of Interest Mentioned During this Episode:

The Elevator Repair Service Theater Company: Performs original works with an ongoing ensemble.

F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Festival: This literary festival features writing workshops, panel discussions, the presentation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald Award to a prominent author (the 2018 recipient is Richard Russo), and much more. The festival honors the works of jazz-era author F. Scott Fitzgerald and as well as the work of current, prominent authors. The festival also supports and encourages aspiring writers and students interested in the literary arts. The festival takes place Saturday, October 20, 2018 at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, MD. There is an opening lecture by National Book Foundation Executive Director Lisa Lucas on Thursday, October 18, as well as a special event Friday evening, October 19,"Readings in Tribute to Richard Russo and Literature Without Borders." MCPL will host several Fitzgerald related programs before the festival begins.

Friends of the Library, Montgomery County: A nonprofit organization that supports MCPL by providing supplemental funding, programs, materials, and equipment.

Kanopy: MCPL's free, online movie streaming service. Includes film festival favorites, award-winning documentaries, indie films and world cinema.

The Writer's Center: A literary organization in Montgomery County, MD hosting writing workshops and literary events to promote the craft of writing for people of all backgrounds.

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Summary: True crime enthusiast Carol Reddan shares her love of true crime books and recounts some of the better known national and local true crime stories.

Recording Date: August 9, 2018

Guest: Carol Reddan, Library Associate at Olney Library.

Host: Lauren Martino

What Our Guest is Reading: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidyng Up by Marie Kondo. There's a graphic novel based on this book called The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up: A Magical Story.

Books and Other Media Mentioned During this Episode:

The Anatomy of Motive by John E. Douglas

The Big Short by Michael Lewis

The Borden Murders: Lizze Borden and the Trial of the Century by Sarah Miller

Fatal Vision by Joe McGinniss

Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara

The Keepers: Who Killed Sister Cathy? (film)

The Legend of Lizzie Borden (film)

Lizzie Borden Took an Ax (film)

Making a Murderer (documentary)

The Mystery of the Moss Covered Mansion by Carolyn Keene

Serial (podcast)

Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood by William J. Mann

A Very Private Woman: The Life and Unsolved Murder of Presidential Mistress Mary Meyer by Nina Burleigh

Other Items of Interested Mentioned During this Episode:

MCPL's Privacy Policy

Reader's Cafe, a Virtual Place for Books and Readers

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Summary: MCPL's English Conversations Clubs offer those wishing to practice speaking English a friendly, welcoming environment in which to do so. In this episode, Quince Orchard Librarian Nancy Chiu-Sillcox and Quince Orchard English Conversation Club volunteer coordinator Annie Etches describe the program and share stories from MCPL's English Conversation Club at Quince Orchard Library.

Recording Date: July 25, 2018

Guests: Nancy Chiu-Sillcox is the Head of Adult Services at Quince Orchard Library. Annie Etches is a volunteer at Quince Orchard Library who coordinates the English Conversation Club meetings at the branch.

Host: Julie Dina

What Our Guests Are Reading:

Nancy Chiu-Sillcox: Vertigo 42 by Martha Grimes

Annie Etches: The flash fiction short story "Unforgettable" by David Wiseman, who recently won the Themed Flash Competition.

Other Items of Interest Mentioned During the Episode:

Charles W. Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center: The Gilchrist Center offers a variety of programs, including English classes, citizenship preparation, free legal clinics, technological literacy classes, and more.

Easy Does It! American Idioms: An advanced level drop-in English language class focused on American idioms. Offered at Gaithersburg Library.

English Conversation Clubs: Regularly scheduled volunteer-led gatherings at MCPL branches throughout the county that offer people the opportunity to practice speaking and listening to English in an informal, friendly, and welcoming environment.

English for Arabic (Chinese, Farsi, etc.) Speakers: A series of English language learning resources designed for beginners with instructions in the beginner's first language.

English Language Learners Guide: Links to and descriptions of local resources for English language learners.

Friends of the Library, Montgomery County: A nonprofit that supports MCPL through supplemental funding, programs, and materials.

French Conversation Clubs: Those wishing to practice speaking and listening to French can do so at the French Conversations Clubs at Germantown and Long Branch libraries.

Literacy Council of Montgomery County: A local nonprofit dedicated to strengthening the English language proficiency and literacy skills of adults in our community. The Literacy Council offers a variety of English language and literacy tutoring services and classes.

Montgomery College English as a Second Language (ESL): Montgomery College offers ESL classes for beginners and advanced English language learners. Some classes are offered for college credit, others are non-credit courses.

Montgomery County Coalition for Adult English Literacy (MCAEL): A comprehensive listing of free and fee-based English language and literacy classes provided by a variety of organizations in Montgomery County.

Montgomery County Library Board: The Library Board makes recommendations to the County Executive on matters affecting the public library system, such as the location of new facilities, the adequacy of book collections, services to outlying districts, and the personnel needs of MCPL.

Spanish Conversation Clubs: Numerous MCPL branches offer opportunities to practice speaking and listening to Spanish.

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