The Book Drop

What historic figure deserves the musical treatment? In this episode of the New Title Drop, Angela, Melanie and Mark prepare for the holiday season by sharing what bookish things they’re thankful for. The conversation with our Collection Development librarians continues with a preview of books to expect on OPL’s shelves in November and December.

• Take My Word for It: A Memoir by Levar Burton
• Long Wave by Daisy Johnson
• The Telephone: A New History by James Gleick
• The Friday Bookshop by Sawako Natori
• Cha Chaan Teng: Comfort Food From Hong Kong's Iconic Diners by Lucas Sin
• Love, Witches, and Wahala by Christine Cowan
• Overserved: The Lucky Life of the Office Drunk by Kate Flannery
• The Blue Hours: My Summers and Winter in Antarctica by Stephanie Krzywonos
• William Howard Taft: A Great American Life by Walter Stahr
• Ravenous by Mark D. Freeman

Bonus mentions: 

• Akkadian Poetry: Before the Muses, An Anthology of Akkadian Literature 
• Jaws (the movie)
• Reading Rainbow  

Get the MyOPL app to place holds on any of these titles! 

Check in with us on the first Tuesday of every month to hear about books we think you should be excited about.

Have you drank enough water today? On the latest episode of the New Title Drop, Angela, Melanie and Mark reflect on how the transition to spooky season can change their fall soundtracks. Keep listening for a preview of new book releases for October 2026.

Check out this month's titles and place holds here or visit omahalibrary.org/podcasts.

• Americans Without Borders: The Radical Activists Who Fought for Us Ideals Abroad While Facing Political Persecution at Home by Julia Harte
• Bruja's Nest by Brenda Latorre
• Dive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong
• A Wall Is Also a Road by Annalee Newitz
• A Bad Deal in Mormon Land by T.I. M. Wirkus
• Every Story Is a Love Story by Imbolo Mbue
• Serling: A Journey Into the Twilight Zone With Tv's First Visionary by Alan Sepinwall
• Rebel Gardeners: Groundbreaking Mavericks and Unsung Pioneers of Gardening and Botany by Camilla Anderson
• Tyrant Lizard Queen: The Love, Life, and Terror of Earth's Greatest Carnivore by Riley Black

Bonus mentions

• Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You by Bonnie "Prince" Billy
• The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the Birth of Television by Koren Shadmi

Get the MyOPL app to place holds on any of these titles! 

Check in with us on the first Tuesday of every month to hear about books we think you should be excited about.

This week on The Book Drop, we explore the powerful themes of aging and loss, inspired by this year's Omaha Reads selection, Remarkably Bright Creatures. We sit down with a local death doula who is bringing Death Cafes to Omaha Public Library, creating open spaces to talk through end-of-life topics. While this conversation touches on sensitive subjects, it offers a thoughtful and uplifting look at how we process loss, along with a list of meaningful book recommendations to guide you through it.

All the books and resources we talk about in this episode can be found here or by visiting omahalibrary.org/podcast. 

Happening at the Library: 

• Omaha Reads: Death Cafe | Tuesday, Sept. 22, 1 to 3 p.m. at Saddlebrook Branch 
• Omaha Reads: iMovie Memories | Tuesday, Sept 29, 1 to 3 p.m. at Milton R. Abrahams Branch
• Omaha Reads: Lonely Folks | Sunday, Oct. 18, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at Downtown Branch 

Explore all upcoming events at omahalibrary.org/events.

On the latest episode of the new title drop, Angela, Melanie and Mark check in and discuss their reading goals so far this year. From finishing the stack on the bedside table to taking time to reflect on what you just completed, it is a relatable discussion for every book lover.

Check out this month's titles and place holds here or visit omahalibrary.org/podcast.

• The Memory Tree by Heather Davey
• Depression Cooking: Feeding Yourself When It All Feels Too Hard by Sonali Menezes
• Said the Dead by Doireann Ni Ghriofa
• Absent by Rex Ogle
• Stitched by Eli McCann
• You've Seen Me Before: Over 700 Roles and 70 Years in Hollywood (and Counting) by James Hong
• What the Ancestors Say: One Journalist's Intimate Investigation Into Indian Boarding Schools by Sierra Biidaaban Nadeau
• The Ballad of the Fugitive William Parker: A True Tale of Love, Murder, Treason, and Ordinary Folks Who Saved America by Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz

Bonus mentions

• Unknown by Riley Sager,
• Never Say Die: A Memoir by Ke Huy Quan

Get the MyOPL app to place holds on any of these titles!

Check in with us on the first Tuesday of every month to hear about books we think you should be excited about.

On the latest episode of the new title drop, Melanie and Mark reflect on back-to-school shopping through the years.

Check out this month's titles and place holds here or visit omahalibrary.org/podcast.

• Murder At The End Of The World by Akane Araki
• The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglass by Leslye Penelope
• The Divine Gardener's Handbook: Or What To Do If Your Girlfriend Accidentally Turns Off The Sun by Eli Snow
• Take What You Can by Naima Coster
• Totally Nachrageous: 70+ Next-Level Nacho Recipes For Parties, Game Days & Crowd-Pleasing Fun by Alex Taylor
• The Seekers of Deer Creek by Thao Thai
• Hocus Pocus by Brinda Charry

Get the MyOPL app to place holds on any of these titles! 

Check in with us on the first Tuesday of every month to hear about books we think you should be excited about.

On the latest episode of the New Title Drop, Angela, Melanie, and Mark swap stories about their favorite bodies of water before splashing into a fresh wave of upcoming book releases you won't want to miss.

Check out this month's titles and place holds here or visit omahalibrary.org/podcast.

• The Great Wherever by Shannon Sanders
• Fabulous Bodies Chuck Tingle
• Astronaut! Oana Aristide
• The Savage Landscape: How We Made the Wilderness by Cal Flyn
• Hidden Creatures: Luscious Leeches, Bashful Botflies, and the Wondrous, History-Shaping World of Parasites by Dino Martins
• They Stole a City: Wilmington's White Supremacist Coup and the Families Who Live With Its Legacy by Lauren Collins
• Fishbone Cinderella by Elizabeth Lim
• Some People by Parini Shroff
• Moss'd in Space by Rebecca Thorne
• Rabid: A Cultural History of the World's Most Diabolical Virus by Bill Wasik
• The Earth Moved: On the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms by Amy Stewart
• The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff

Check in with us on the first Tuesday of every month to hear about books we think you should be excited about.

This week on The Book Drop, we're talking all things baseball as Omaha hosts the 2026 Men's College World Series. The conversation features two guests, Amy Hornocker, the Executive Director of College World Series of Omaha, Inc. (CWS, Inc.), and Jess Vermuelen, Genealogy & Local History Librarian at Central Library.

All the books and resources we talk about in this episode can be found here or by visiting omahalibrary.org/podcast.

Happening at the Library:
String Sprouts Storytime | Friday, June 12, 10:30 a.m. at South Omaha Library

Stomp and Shake Storytime | Saturday, June 13, 10:30 a.m. at W. Clarke Swanson Branch

Puzzle Competition - All Ages | Sunday, June 14, 2 to 4 p.m. at Central Library

Explore all upcoming events at omahalibrary.org/events.

On the latest episode of the New Title Drop, Angela, Melanie, and Mark discuss books that they want to read but don’t exist yet, ranging from memoir to the very specific sport of ringette. Keep listening for a preview of exciting new releases happening in June!

Check out this month's titles and place holds here or visit omahalibrary.org/podcast.

• Hunger and Thirst by Claire Fuller
• The Heart of the Nhaga: Book One of the Bird That Drinks Tears by Lee Young-Do
• The Children by Melissa Albert
• A Resistance History of the United States by Tad Stoermer
• Transcendent: A Memoir by Laverne Cox
• Red Sheet by James Ellroy
• Cat Love by Tomas Q Morin
• The Summer of the Serpent by Cecilia Eudave
• Muneca by Cynthia Gomez
• The Jellyfish Problem by Tessa Yang
• The Bees Laline Paull
• Pony Confidential by Christina Lynch
• Open Throat by Henry Hoke
• Say Hello to My Little Friend by Jennine Capó Crucet

Check in with us on the first Tuesday of every month to hear about books we think you should be excited about.

This week on The Book Drop, we're joined by Brian O'Malley to dive into the 2026 James Beard Media Awards, discussing everything from this year's nominees, including Nebraska's own Ted Genoway, to the American Classic award for Johnny's Cafe.

All the books and resources we talk about in this episode can be found here or by visiting omahalibrary.org/podcast. 

Happening at the Library: 

• Neighborhood Walking Tour | Saturday, May 23, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Florence Branch
• Stories After Dark: Coming Out | Friday, May 29, 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Benson Branch
• Unearth a Story with Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium | Monday, June 1, 2 to 3 p.m. at Charles B. Washington Branch

Explore all upcoming events at omahalibrary.org/events.

This week on The Book Drop, Amy and Maggie are joined by Mick Mulhall of Mulhall’s Nursery and Garden Center to dig into the details of the native Nebraska landscaping in the Omaha Central Library’s City Garden.

All the books and resources we talk about in this episode can be found here or by visiting omahalibrary.org/podcast.

Happening at the Library:
A Brief History of the Scottish Rite Masons in Nebraska | Saturday, May 16, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Central Library

Out & About Storytime: Joslyn Castle & Gardens | Wednesday, May 20, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Joslyn Castle & Gardens

Writing Club | Thursday, May 21, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Benson Branch

Explore all upcoming events at omahalibrary.org/events.

Join the conversation for the next episode! What is your favorite dinosaur? Share your answers by email at [email protected] or DM on social media!