Okie Bookcast

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Welcome to Chapter 18 of the Okie Bookcast! Couple of quick reminders:
- Our first Bookcast Newsletter will drop June 1. If you haven't subscribed yet on the website, take a minute to sign up at okiebookcast.com. 
- I've had an incredible response to the Behind the Rain audio anthology and a fantastic lineup of poets and poems is coming your way on June 15. 

CONTENT NOTE: My guest, Dr. Karlos Hill, studies and writes about difficult topics related to racial violence so there are some terms and events referenced in our conversation that might be difficult for younger listeners to understand and might be triggering to other listeners. 

My guest is Dr. Karlos K. Hill. Karlos is Chair and Associate Professor of the Clara Luper Department of African and African-American Studies at the University of Oklahoma. He is an author and community-engaged scholar, who brings historical perspective to difficult racial events that impact the Black experience and our culture today. Karlos is the author of three books and is the founder of the Tulsa Race Massacre Oklahoma Teachers Summer Institute and serves on the Board of the Clara Luper Legacy Committee. He is a sought-after speaker and interview guest for outlets like CNN, USA Today, and Time Magazine and also a regular contributor to The Nation.  You can connect with Karlos and find his work at karloskhill.com.

Jamie Hale provides our review for this episode. Jamie is an Information Services librarian for with the Pioneer Library System where she's been involved in adult and teen programming for 14 years.  She enjoys jigsaw puzzles, trivia, musical theater, and anything Disney related. In addition to her work with Pioneer Libraries, Jamie spent three years involved with the Sequoyah Book Award on the High School Reading Team division and says she enjoys young adult literature as well as mystery and suspense novels. Jamie is reviewing The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams.

Mentioned on the Show:
The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre: A Photographic History - Dr. Karlos K. Hill
Tulsa Race Massacre Oklahoma Teachers Summer Institute
Greenwood Cultural Center
John Hope Franklin Center
Watchmen (television series)
The Nation
The Murder of Emmett Till: A Graphic History - Dr. Karlos K. Hill and Dave Dodson
Dave Dodson
Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe
Behold the Walls - Clara Luper

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Welcome to Chapter 17 of the Bookcast! Some quick reminders:

Submissions for the Behind the Rain audio poetry anthology are due May 15. Visit okiebookcast.com/behindtherain for more information and to submit your poetry. Volume 1 of the anthology will drop June 15. 

I’d love to have you on the Okie Bookcast mailing list! You’ll be the first to get my brand new newsletter when it launches in June and other updates about special Bookcast events. 

Finally, be sure to connect with me on social media - @okiebookcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. 

My guest for this episode is Shel Harrington. Shel is a humorist who writes for a (chronologically!) mature audience at FatBottomFiftiesGetFierce.com and has over 490,000  followers on her smile-inducing Fat-Bottom-Fifties Get Fierce  Facebook page. In her other life, Shel is a seasoned  Family Law attorney who writes and speaks about how to put her out of business by doing marriage better. Shel is the author of  Over 50, Defined –  Words  Just For Us That Aren’t in the Dictionary . . . Yet!  and her upcoming book, Over 50, Defined – More Quinbloits!  is due out later this year. You can also connect with Shel through Twitter.
In our conversation, Shel and I talk about her book and some sample quinbloits, how her faith influences both her approach to family law and her writing, and we even get into some marriage and parenting advice - it’s a full-service conversation. 

Amy Prokopis is our reviewer for this episode. Amy is an Oklahoma author writing for young adults. She graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in English and German and has since gone on to get her masters in School Counseling. Her latest book, "The Arena" is a science fiction book fit for lovers of "The Hunger Games" and bookworms who enjoyed the political thrill of "Dune." You can get updates about her writing from her Instagram (@amyprokopis) and read the first chapter of "The Arena" for free on her website - amyprokopis.com. You can also connect with Amy on TikTok and YouTube. 

Amy is reviewing Everyone in this Room Will Someday be Dead by Emily Austin

Mentioned on the show:

Remember - you can purchase the books mentioned on this or any episode through my partnership with bookshop.org. 10% of your purchase goes to support your preferred indie bookstore and another 10% goes to support literacy organizations in Oklahoma. 

Fat Bottom 50’s Get Fierce Website
Fat Bottom 50’s Get Fierce Facebook Page
Shel Harrington Relationship Advocate Facebook Page
Oh For the Love of God Facebook Page
Sniglets - Rich Hall
Erma Bombeck
Dolly Parton
WriterCon
Write Well, Sell Well
Red Sneaker Writers
A Time to Kill - John Grisham
The Firm - John Grisham
Think Again - Adam Grant
The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton
The Velvet Room - Zilpha Neatly Snyder

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Welcome to Chapter 16 of the Okie Bookcast! We're celebrating National School Libraries Month by talking with a couple of amazing Oklahoma librarians! This is Part 2 of our conversation, so I strongly encourage you to check out Part 1 (in Chapter 15) and then come back and enjoy the rest.

My guests are Jill Slay, librarian at Putnam City West High School in Oklahoma City, and Eric Dabney, librarian at Orvis Risner Elementary in Edmond. You can connect with Jill on Twitter (@msjillslay11) and Instagram (@jillslay11) and also check out her library on Twitter (@PCWlibrary) or Instagram (@pcwestlibrary). You can check out one of the videos Eric made reading to his students here.

In this part of our conversation, we talk about their approaches to curating their collections, hear their responses to the 3 Questions, and find out how they are celebrating National Library Month with their students (spoiler alert: pickle ball).

Hailey Carrell provides our review for this chapter. Hailey  has worked in libraries for 12 years and recently started a blog to share their love of books. You can check out Hailey's reviews at https://haileyannereads.weebly.com/.  When not reading, Hailey says they enjoy hanging out with their dog or listening to kpop.
Hailey reviews Home Before Dark by Riley Sager.

Mentioned on the Show:
I Am Enough - Grace Byars
Bad Guys series - Aaron Blabey
The Mystery of Mrs. Christie - Marie Benedict
Agatha Christie
Unhoneymooners - Christina Lauren
The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family - Ron Howard and Clint Howard
The Lincoln Highway - Amor Towles
Herve Tullet - Press Here and I Have an Idea
Laura Vaccaro Seegar - Bully, Blue, Green, and Red
Where the Red Fern Grows - Wilson Rawls
Summer of the Monkeys - Wilson Rawls
Go Set a Watchman - Harper Lee
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Where the Wild Things Are - Maurice Sendak

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Welcome to Chapter 15 of the Okie Bookcast! We're celebrating National School Libraries Month by talking with a couple of amazing Oklahoma librarians!
Jill Slay is the librarian at Putnam City West High School in Oklahoma City. Jill has  been an educator for 23-ish years and was a high school English teacher before moving into the Library about 10 years ago. She is currently working on her doctorate in Education in Curriculum Studies and Supervision. You can connect with Jill on Twitter (@msjillslay11) and Instagram (@jillslay11) and also check out her library on Twitter (@PCWlibrary) or Instagram (@pcwestlibrary).
Eric Dabney is the librarian at Orvis Risner Elementary in Edmond, OK.  As a longtime researcher and editor for prolific author Bob Burke, Eric spent more than two decades rediscovering his home state over kitchen-table interviews and the family photo albums of many of its favorite sons and daughters including Gary England, Abe Lemons, Jane Jayroe, and George Nigh.  He is the co-author of several books and taught in the education department at UCO for more than a decade.  Eric began his career in public school education as a first-grade teacher at Orvis Risner Elementary in Edmond in 2014 and later moved down the street to Central Middle School, where he taught 7th-grade English and Literacy. He returned to Orvis Risner as the school's librarian in 2019.  Married to Shelley for 30 years, the couple lives on a farm northeast of Edmond, where they raised three daughters and are now very happy grandparents.
You can check out one of the videos Eric made reading to his students here. 

We had so much to talk about in this conversation that I've split it into two episodes. In this part one,  we talk about their libraries, the role of librarians in the greater school community, and helping kids fall in love with reading. Part Two of our conversation is also available in Chapter 16. 
 
Our review for this chapter is from Shereen Rasor - Shereen has been a teacher in Mustang Public Schools for 28 years and a school librarian for 10 years. She is married to her high-school sweetheart and is the mother of two sons, both in the military, and the grandmother of the two cutest kids ever! Her favorite past times are reading, horseback riding, and motorcycle riding… especially if she gets to do these things on the beach.

Shereen reviews The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth.

Mentioned on the Show:

Orca Soundings Collection
Jason Reynolds
Judy Blume
Avi
Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson
Wonder - R. J. Palacio
Tony Hawk
Wizard of Oz - L. Frank Baum
The Good Sister - Sally Hepworth

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Welcome to Chapter 14 of the Okie Bookcast!
April Read Oklahoma Challenge category - Read a Sequoyah Award winner from any year

My guest is Onikah Asamoa-Ceasar, book lover and founder of Fulton Street Books and Coffee in Tulsa, OK. Fulton Street is a bookshop on a mission to increase intergenerational literacy and build better community by focusing on conversations and keeping people at the center of everything they do. The store carries a wide selection of fiction and nonfiction and  they also offer a drink menu that has something for everyone. Fulton Street is a passion project for Onikah who describes herself  as “Mom to Hadassah, enneagram 8, lover of history, daughter of the middle passage”. In our conversation we talk about the store and books, but we also talk about literacy, community, representation, book deserts, and all of the many ways Fulton Street is living out its mission in Tulsa.
You can connect with Fulton Street at their website - fultonstreet918.com or on social media @fultonstreet918.

Our review is by Tulsa emerging author Jace Hyman. Jace says She knows far too many things about video games, movies, and anime and wants desperately to tell stories like the ones that inspire her. Her favorite genres are sci-fi, cyberpunk, and horror, with an emphasis on stories that include trans representation. In fact those are the types of characters she wants to bring to the fore with her own writing. When not writing, she can be found over-analyzing her favorite (or least favorite) stories and petting her cat Eliza. Jace is reviewing Skullduggery Pleasant by Derek Landry.

Mentioned on the show:
Americanah - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
1921 Commemorative Box
Black Wall Street Times
Alex Tamahn
Little and Lit subscription boxes
Black History Collection - Tyler Lockett
Syllabus Book Club
The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story - Nikole Hannah-Jones
How the Word Is Passed - Clint Smith
Octavia Butler
Audre Lorde
Cooking with Chef Tiff - Tiffany Tisdale-Braxton
The Victory of Greenwood - Carlos Moreno
A Kids Book about the Tulsa Race Massacre - Carlos Moreno
Little Man - Brian A. Smallwood
Diamonds from the Tisdale - Steph Simon
Pedagogy of the Oppressed - Paulo Freire
The Warmth of Other Suns - Isabel Wilkerson
Skullduggery Pleasant - Derek Landy

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In this chapter of the Okie Bookcast, our focus is on the Sequoyah Book Awards and the Donna Norvell Award. The Sequoyah Awards are sponsored by the Oklahoma Library Association and are one of the oldest child-selected book awards in the country. The awards are presented at the end of March every year, so this is the perfect time to learn more about them and I've got the perfect guests to shed some light.
Kirsten Walker is the Chair for the Sequoyah Administration Team for 2021-2022. She is a librarian at the Southwest Oklahoma City Library which is part of the Pioneer Library System. Kirsten has previously served on the Intermediate Sequoyah Reading Team and  was chair of the Children and Teen Services Roundtable.
Molly Dettmann has served on the Intermediate and High School Sequoyah Reading Committees and served as the 2020-2021 Sequoyah Administration Committee Chair. She works as a school librarian at Norman North High School and was named her school's 2021-2022 Teacher of the Year.
In our conversation we talk about the history of the Sequoyah Awards, the selection process for masterlists and winners, and get a peek behind the scenes.

In keeping with the Sequoyah Awards theme, our review is from Mandi MacDonald, who is the librarian and AP English teacher at North Rock Creek High School in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Mandi is also the current chair for the Intermediate Sequoyah masterlist.
She reviews the 2023 Sequoyah Intermediate Masterlist book Alone by Megan E. Freeman.

Mentioned on the show:
The Night Ride - J. Anderson Coats
Love In English - Maria E. Andreu
Legendborn - Tracy Deonn 
The Inheritance Games - Jennifer Barnes
The Charm Offensive - Alice Cochrun
Dark Rise - C.S. Pacat
All Systems Red - Martha Wells
Hola Papi: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons - John Paul Brammer
Crying in H Mart: A Memoir - Michelle Zauner
Goosebumps Series - R.L. Stine
Fear Street - R. L. Stine
Lady Sherlock Series - Sherry Thomas
The Color Purple - Alice Walker
Full Circle Books 

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Welcome to Chapter 12 and happy sixth month anniversary to the Bookcast!

I got to take the show on the road to Tulsa to talk with Victoria Moore, owner and curator of Whitty Books - a bookshop she opened in 2018 in the Kendall Whittier district in Tulsa. Since they opened, Whitty Books has been a community hub for book clubs, live music, black-out poetry, and other events. As curator, Victoria has a particular interest in small press titles and weird fiction, and is always looking for the next great horror novel. You can connect with Whitty Books on social media @shopwhittybooks on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

In our conversation, we talk about the origins of the store, the role of bookshops in the community, and how they embrace their identity as Tulsa’s “weird” bookstore. 

Our review for this episode comes from Jude Bayton. Jude is originally  from Kingston-Upon-Thames, near London in the UK and has also lived in Scotland, Wales, Africa, Yemen and Germany – but now makes her home in Oklahoma. Jude is the author of three  Historical Mysteries set in Victorian England: The Secret of Mowbray Manor, The Secret of Hollyfield House, and The Secret of Pendragon Island.  You can connect with Jude at Judebayton.com  and @judebayton on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram. 

 Jude reviews The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz. 

Mentioned on the show:

Mary Make N Do 
Arsenal Pulp Press 
Unnamed Press 
Rivers Solomon 
Queen of Teeth - Haley Piper
Stephen Graham Jones 
Literati Press Comics and Novels 
Coach House Books 
Silver in the Wood - Emily Tesh
Drowned Country - Emily Tesh
Dr. Edith Vane and the Hares of Crawley Hall - Suzette Mayr
Fever Dream - Samanta Schweblin
The Cipher - Kathe Koja
Meerkat Press 
The Tommyknockers - Stephen King
Every Heart a Doorway - Seanan McGuire

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Welcome to Chapter Eleven of the Okie Bookcast!

My guest is Heather Zeoli from Metropolitan Library System in Oklahoma County. Heather is the director of development and volunteer services for Metro Libraries. She has worked in fundraising for 20 years and has been with the library system for the past 6.
In our conversation, we talk about the history and scope of the Metro System and a number of programs designed to engage and develop different groups of readers. Heather also previews the Friends of the Library Book Sale, coming up February 26 and 27 at the OKC Fairgrounds. She provides some tips for enjoying the Sale and some insider information for those who are planning to attend this year.

Oklahoma author James D. Jackson is our reviewer for this episode. James is reviewing The One by John Marrs.
James is an Oklahoma native and University of Central Oklahoma alum who has worked as a sports journalist for The Oklahoman newspaper for the last 2 years. James has released two books in his Adam Avraham series. The Curse of Simon Jones, his debut sports mystery, which blends the exciting world of journalism with the thrilling twists and turns of a classic murder mystery, and it’s sequel, Internal Clocks, a chilling science fiction mystery that will leave readers on the edge of their seats. In his free time, James enjoys reading, exercise and traveling. You can connect with James on Twitter and Instagram  @jamesdjackson15, and on Facebook @JamesDJackson.

Remember - you can purchase all of the books mentioned on the Bookcast through our partnership with Bookshop.org. 10% of your purchase goes to support independent bookstores and we are pledging an additional 10% to support literacy initiatives in Oklahoma.

Mentioned on the episode:
Oklahoma Archive Special Collection
1000 Books by Kindergarten
Metro Library Winter Reading Challenge
Nancy Drew
Save Me From Myself - Brian "Head"' Welch
Over the Top - Jonathan Van Ness
Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
The Carrie Diaries - Candace Bushnell
Bridget Jones' Diary - Helen Fielding

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Welcome to Chapter 10(!) of the Okie Bookcast! I'm excited that we've made it to this milestone and thankful for all of you who have joined the ride.
Quick reminder - the category for the Read Oklahoma Challenge this month is "A Book Set in Oklahoma". You can find a list of suggested titles on the web site - okiebookcast.com/readoklahoma - don't forget you can also sign up to let me know you're joining me in the Challenge.

My guest today is Kim Ventrella. Kim is the award-winning author of four middle grade novels, including HELLO, FUTURE ME and THE SECRET LIFE OF SAM (HarperCollins), a 2021 Oklahoma Book Award winner and one of Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2020. Her novel BONE HOLLOW (Scholastic) was chosen as a 2019 Best Book for Kids by the New York Public Library, and SKELETON TREE was nominated for the 2019 Carnegie Medal in the UK. In addition to these novels, her short fiction has appeared in the anthology DON'T TURN OUT THE LIGHTS.
Beyond her own writing, Kim is dedicated to helping other authors - particularly young authors - improve their work. She has a couple of YouTube channels with content for emerging authors, does school visits, and teaches writing to kids through the Outschool platform. Kim is also one of the organizers of Spooky Middle Grade - a collection of authors who write spooky middle grade fiction - and offers editing services for writers needing a bit of assistance.
In our conversation, we talk about Kim's work,  her process, her work with writers of all ages, and how a 5th-grade yearbook signing helped launch her career. You can connect with Kim and her work at kimventrella.com or on social media @kimventrella.

Our reviewer is Casie Bazay. Casie is a former middle school teacher who now works as a freelance writer, editor, and author. Her debut YA novel, Not Our Summer, released from Running Press Kids/Hachette in May of 2021. In her spare time, Casie enjoys exploring the great outdoors, spending time at the barn with her horses and goats, reading, and watching movies. She lives on a hay farm in Oklahoma with her husband and two children but loves traveling to new and exciting destinations whenever she can.
You can connect with Casie and her work at casiebazay.com or on social media @casiebazay on Twitter or @casiebazayyaauthor on Facebook.
Casie reviews Bad Witch Burning by Jessica Lewis.

Mentioned on the Show:
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark - Alvin Schwartz
Goosebumps - R.L. Stine
Spooky Middle Grade
Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
Out to Get You - Josh Allen
Only if You Dare - Josh Allen
A Touch of Ruckus - Ash Van Otterloo
Josephine Against the Sea - Shakirah Bourne
Arc of a Scythe series - Neal Shusterman
Bad Witch Burning - Jessica Lewis

Remember, you can purchase all of the books discussed on the podcast through our partnership with Bookshop.org.

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Thanks for checking out Chapter Nine of the Okie Bookcast!

My guest is Jeremie Kubicek, founder of GiANT Worldwide, serial entrepreneur, and author. Jeremie is a powerful communicator and content builder whose work is used by some of the largest companies and organizations around the globe. He is the author of multiple books, including: 100X Leader, 5 Gears, 5 Voices, and the National Bestseller - Making Your Leadership Come Alive. In addition to his content creation, Jeremie is the Executive Chairman of GiANT, a company that licenses coaches and consultants that serve companies and their employees. Jeremie has started over 20 companies while living in Oklahoma City, Moscow, Atlanta and London. You can connect with Jeremie at jeremiekubicek.com or giant.tv/jk or on social media at @jeremiekubicek. 

In our conversation we talk about Jeremie's passion for helping others "level up", his writing process, talking to statues, and his vision for the future of content creation. I'm confident you're going to leave this conversation energized and encouraged. 

Our review for this episode is by Dr. Jesus Sampedro. Jesus trains people around the world on the integration of leadership, management, and spirituality-related topics.   He has also taught leadership and business at Regent University (USA), IESA Business School, UC (Venezuela), and is currently Program Director for the Master of Arts in Leadership & Assistant Professor at Mid America Christian University (Oklahoma).  He has authored and co-authored various books, including:  On becoming a leader (2021) and A Leadership Framework for Transformation (2008). Jesus is the founder of Global Leadership Consulting, a leadership training, coaching, and consulting firm and is a Certified and Licensed Leadership Coach-Trainer at Lifeforming Leadership Coaching (USA) for Latin America.  He is currently the Latin American Regional Director for Generosity Path. Jesus holds a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership (DSL) and an MBA from Regent University (Virginia, USA). Jesus is originally from Venezuela, is married to Gaby, a worship leader and award-winning Christian singer. They have two girls and live in Edmond, OK.  You can connect with Jesus on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Jesus reviews Coaching for Performance: GROWing Human Potential and Purpose by John Whitmore.

Mentioned on the Show:
John Maxwell
Henry Cloud
Ragamuffin Gospel - Brennan Manning
Andrew Murray
David McCullough
Will Rogers
GiANT Worldwide
The Supreme Commander - Stephen Ambrose
The Age of Eisenhower - William I. Hitchcock
Unusual Tale of Mary and Joseph's Baby
Andrew Robinson and the Old Souls
Wisdom Hunter - Randall Arthur
Coaching for Performance: GROWing Human Potential and Purpose - John Whitmore

Remember, you can purchase all of the books discussed on the podcast through our partnership with Bookshop.org.

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