The Book Isn't Necessarily Better: A Library Podcast

Join Roxanne and Mikayla as they discuss Dune by Frank Herbert along with two very special guests....their husbands, Ryan and Nick! In this final episode of the podcast, listen as the librarians finally tackle the most requested episode, and how much of the movie Roxanne was able to sit through... Also, find out which unlikely publisher finally took a chance on Herbert's manuscript. The answer will surprise you!

Join Mikayla, Roxanne, and special guest host Avalon Robinson to discuss a children's book classic, How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell. Find out just how different the book is from the movie, and why Cressida Cowell is A-OK with that. In fact, she has even called the two properties "cousins!" In this episode, we discuss Avalon's children's book series she wrote about her character, Captain Acorn, and how the book publishing process works. 

Books By Cressida Cowell

Become a Member

InterLibrary Loan

Join Roxanne and Mikayla as they discuss Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Discover the theatre curse resulting from uttering the name of "The Scottish Play" off-stage that causes actors to do some very silly things to break the hex. Learn the story behind "Voodoo Macbeth," a smash hit production of Macbeth featuring an all-black cast and crew sponsored by the WPA during the Great Depression.

Find Macbeth at the Library

Become a Member

InterLibrary Loan

Join Roxanne and Mikayla as they discuss Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, aka Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. Listen as they discuss the origin story of Alice's adventures and the complicated legacy of Lewis himself. Find out which common words Carroll coined, and what exactly is, a Jabberwocky.

Find Alice in Wonderland Material

Become a Member

InterLibrary Loan

Join Roxanne and Mikayla as they discuss The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. Listen as the librarians discuss Wharton's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, and how she was the first woman to do so! Discover why Scorsese called his 1993 adaptation his "most violent movie," and learn some Gilded Age women's history along the way.

More By Edith Wharton

Become a Member

InterLibrary Loan

Join Roxanne and Mikayla as they discuss Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile. This popular mystery novel has entertained readers for over 80 years and it shows; for once, the librarians have very little to bicker about! In this episode, discover the origin story behind Hercule Poirot's famous moustache, and how the character of Lynette Doyle has changed throughout adaptations.

More By Agatha Christie

Become a Member

InterLibrary Loan

Join Mikayla and Roxanne as they discuss A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. The book was released first in Swedish then in English in 2013 and became a 2016 Swedish language movie ranked 91% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

More By Fredrik Backman

Become a Member

InterLibrary Loan

In this minisode: What should you read before it comes to the screen in 2022? What satisfying reads were released in 2021? And how can the library help you make 2022 your year?

2022 Page to Screen list

Digital Resources

Our Community History database

Join Roxanne and Mikayla as they discuss One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey. Enjoy a rare episode where the two librarians BOTH loved the book AND the movie! Discover who was originally supposed to play Nurse Ratched, and just what "influenced" Kesey as he wrote the first paragraph of the novel. Connect with us on Instagram at @thebookisntnecessarilybetter or write to us at [email protected].

More By & About Ken Kesey

Become a Member

InterLibrary Loan

Even podcasters need to take a break on the holidays, so please enjoy this short minisode wherein Mikayla answers Roxanne's most pressing questions that she can't be bothered to look up herself. Including: Just what is Voldemort's beef with Harry?! And why is he so grumpy in the first place? Find out the answers to these silly questions and more on our first minisode of Mikayla Explains It All.

The books!

The movies!

Everything else!