The Nurturing Librarian

Book banning reached record levels this past year, with nearly 12,000 titles across 114 school districts. Over 7,300 unique titles were affected, including more than 4,500 titles added to the index for the first time. This episode is a passionate defense of reading as self-care, civic right, and empathy-building practice. Using stories from library boards and high school libraries, Nicole contrasts thoughtful, community-based decisions about challenged books with the current trend of small pressure groups and even government officials unilaterally removing titles without reading them. She lists frequently banned books and explains why those stories—about identity, abuse, illness, and desire—are often targeted, and argues that removing these titles robs young readers of crucial mirrors and gateways into reading. The host issues a call to action: check out, buy, and preserve banned books to protect freedom to read.

Nicole breaks down four must‑attend live book events for lovers of reading: bookstore crawls, book release parties, book festivals, and author signings. Drawing on a recent tri‑state bookstore crawl with friends, she describes the passport system, the community energy, surprising neighborhood discoveries, and the unique vibes of independent shops—from romance boutiques to gothic, Harry Potter‑esque stores. She also shares a cozy fall book haul collected during the crawl and explains how these events support local booksellers, libraries, indie authors, and the broader book ecosystem while doubling as memorable mini‑adventures and ways to meet fellow readers. Oh, and if you've been wanting to dip your toes into the world of e-readers or are ready to buy your next one, the new and improved Kobo Plus Library is your sign to get one asap.

Never listened to audiobooks? Or need new recs? Nicole has been listening for 20 years and walks you through her top ten picks with quick emotional takes—why Tom Lake felt intimate with Meryl Streep’s voice, why Tress of the Emerald Sea is an accessible, warm fantasy, and why James and Sunrise on the Reaping are tough but rewarding listens. She describes Heartwood’s multi-narrator structure, the guilty-pleasure fun of Abby Jimenez’s duet POV romance, and the enduring joy (and complexity) of Jim Dale’s Harry Potter performances. The episode closes with an invitation: try audiobooks as self-care and a way to push your reading boundaries.

Three Weeks with My Brother

Tom Lake

Tress of the Emerald Sea

James

Just for the Summer

Sunrise on the Reaping

Harry Potter-The Jim Dale Narrations

Heartwood

You Deserve to Know

Untamed

This episode explores nostalgia as a form of self-care during unsettled times. Nicole traces 90s revival signs—from fashion and commercials to HGTV remakes—and explains why reaching back to comforting eras matters across generations. She shares personal fall plans: rereading or revisiting beloved fandoms like Twilight (now experiencing Edward’s point of view in Midnight Sun), considering reimagined classics, and other analog hobbies to remind us what we did before doomscrolling. The core idea: familiar stories reduce anxiety, let you savor details, and provide an accessible, soothing escape during a season of change.

Welcome in or welcome back to Season 3 of the show! Let's catch up on how your summer went, how your fall reading TBR is shaping up and Nicole will update us on her manuscript and book recs for mood reading in September and beyond.

It's time to reflect on how your reading has gone in 2026 so far. Nicole reports on what and how she has been reading with some insights that are surprising and help her build what she wants the rest of the reading year to look like. Nicole also mentions Book Festivals that are often a fun bookish event without an entrance fee and her reconsideration of what may actually be the book of the summer.

This is a choose-your-own-adventure summer, and Nicole is here to tell you how to get the most out of it. The bad news is there is no big blockbuster we are all reading this summer, but the good news is that you can read whatever you want and maybe even get those non-reading friends to join you. Go check out a bookstore that does paint-by-numbers or book wreath crafting, go on a blind date with a book, do a little free library tour, buy an ebook you get to keep from Kobo, and switch between e-reader, audio, and physical book reading. The choice is yours.

Are you craving adventure? Want to escape the realities of adulting for a while? In this episode, Nicole recommends middle-grade adventure stories to get you back in touch with that inner child of yours that still believes in the possibility of magic, that has resilience in the face of trauma, and yearns to go on a good old-fashioned quest again.

On this episode, Nicole updates us on her writing journey and gives recs for Midsummer that include Summerween, Midsommar vibes, and Juneteenth. And in theme for this summer, more ideas on how to read on the cheap, including swapping books with neighbors and friends, and checking out library book sales and local yard and garage sales.

Continuing the theme of reading on a dime this summer, Nicole pitches a resource where you can get your hands on real, physical copies of books for free-the Little Free Library. These amazing structures not only offer free books (take one, leave one, or not) but also provide a wonderful way to tour your local town or city and connect with the reading community around you. Can you take on the challenge of locating a handful of Little Free Libraries near you and visiting them in a couple hours? You may just find a book that's been waiting for you all along.