The Book Isn't Necessarily Better: A Library Podcast

The librarians revisit a childhood favorite, Louis Sachar's Holes. In this episode: Have you forgotten how sophisticated Kissin' Kate Barlow's backstory is? (We did!) How would you describe Holes: as a YA or a juvenile novel, a modern fairy tale, a mystery, or a quest? And will the librarians ever remember what digging machines are called?!

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Calling all gunters! The librarians and special guest Nathan explore Ernest Cline's scifi smash hit Ready Player One. In this episode: Should Wil Wheaton's contract stipulate that he narrate all scifi and fantasy audiobooks for always and eternity? How much 80s nostalgia is too much 80s nostalgia? And is RPO, for all its intense virtual worldbuilding, out of step with gamer culture? Special Youth Correspondent Kyla has the answer!

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Mikayla and Roxanne (but mostly Mikayla) nerd out over amateur detective extraordinaire Nancy Drew, penned by the pseudonymous Carolyn Keene. In this episode: learn how brilliant entrepreneur Edward Stratemeyer created a book packaging empire and enduring characters he never lived to see flourish; discover the ghost writers, lawsuits, and influences behind one of the most influential role models of the 20th century; and examine Nancy's impressive résumé and changing character across the decades throughout numerous book series, movies and TV shows, and games.

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Join Roxanne and Mikayla as they discuss the 1958 book and 1961 movie adaptation of Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote. In this episode, your podcast hosts will discuss the wit and famous barbs of Mr. Capote, one of the most famous authors of the 20th century. Discover how his tumultuous childhood (where he became best friends with Harper Lee!) shaped his legendary personality and how he would burn bridges with almost everyone in his life in the pursuit of a good story. Also, which actress did Capote actually want as his Holly Golightly? And just how different is the book versus the movie? Answer: very.

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Join Roxanne, Mikayla, and special guest Amanda Brown as they discuss S.E. Hinton's book The Outsiders and the movie adaptation(s) of it. In this episode, find out how a librarian inspired Francis Ford Coppola to direct the film, whether or not Matt Dillon is actually a good actor, and if YA Fiction is a genre or a category. Stay Gold, Listeners.

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Join Roxanne and Mikayla as they go down the Tudor rabbit hole to discuss the book and movie adaptations of The Other Boleyn Girl. Listen as the gals also do a deep dive into the live and times of Henry VIII and his six wives, including the infamous Anne Boleyn. In this episode, discover how Anne's legacy has evolved over the past 500 years depending on the views of the contemporary culture's historians.

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The librarians chat with "astro-not" Sophie Milam about her experience living on sMars (simulated Mars) and interviewing Andy Weir, author of The Martian. In this episode, we talk about how computer programmer Weir self-published a scientifically sound novel about the MacGyver of space that rocketed to box office success. PLUS Sophie answers all our interplanetary questions: What is regolith? How many science degrees does one need to become an astronaut? What's the difference between implosion and explosion, and could it happen to us? And does NASA send branded tumblers into space?

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The librarians pay homage to the paragon of Canadian novelists, Margaret Atwood, and her classic novel The Handmaid's Tale. In this episode: the real-world people and events that inspired the dystopian tale, a darkly beautiful Emmy Award-winning show with a star-studded cast and questionable dramatic timing, a discussion of whether The Handmaid's Tale is a work of speculative fiction or sci-fi (though not of the squids-talking-in-space variety), and a warning for lazy readers (hint: the "afterword" is actually part of the book!).

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Join the "Clever Girls" and their special guest John Fischer as they discuss the book Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton and its 1993 movie adaptation. In this episode, discover how the sweet yet misguided John Hammond of the movie has a MUCH darker side in the book. We've spared no expense to bring you a discussion about just who's to blame for the dinos getting out of their cages, what character Steven Spielberg relates to the most, and why in the world would they choose to create velociraptors??!

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Join your practically perfect in every way podcast hosts Roxanne and Mikayla as they compare the literary Mary Poppins with her Disney counterparts. *Spoiler Alert* They are VERY different. In this episode, discover how Mary Poppins creator P.L. Travers's childhood deeply influenced her work and learn more about this fascinating author. Also, debate on Dick Van Dyke's performance as Bert and his questionable Cockney accent.

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Mary Poppins books

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