Episodes
The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman with Laura McAsh
Set in a world where every person’s soul exists outside their body in the form of an animal companion called a dæmon, The Golden Compass follows a brave young girl named Lyra Belacqua as she uncovers a sinister plot involving kidnapped children. Lyra journeys from the halls of Jordan College to the frozen Arctic in search of answers to her questions about power, knowledge, and free will.
The Seven Daughters of Dupree by Nikesha Elise Williams with Rhonda McKnight
In Nikesha Elise Williams’ The Seven Daughters of Dupree, it's 1995, and fourteen-year-old Tati is determined to uncover the identity of her father. But her mother, Nadia, keeps her secrets close, while her grandmother Gladys remains silent about the family's past, including why she left Land's End, Alabama, in 1953. As Tati’s search deepens, she uncovers a legacy of family secrets, where every generation of Dupree women has posed more questions than answers.
How to Save Your Own Life by Erica Jong with Selene Castrovilla
In How to Save Your Own Life, Erica Jong follows novelist Isadora Wing as she grapples with fame, aging, marriage, and the search for personal freedom after the success of her earlier books. Blending sharp humor with emotional honesty, the novel explores identity, desire, and self-reinvention in the face of midlife uncertainty. It also it a thinly-veiled autobiography of Jong’s own experiences.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah with Kara Infante
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah follows two sisters in Nazi-occupied France as they navigate love, loss, resistance, and survival during World War II. Through their very different paths, the novel explores the courage of ordinary women and the sacrifices made in the face of war.
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens with Francine Prose
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens follows Pip, an orphan who rises from humble beginnings after receiving a mysterious fortune, believing it will transform him into a gentleman worthy of love. As he navigates London society, Pip becomes entangled with the eccentric Miss Havisham and her cold ward Estella, while slowly uncovering the true source of his wealth.
Sole Survivor by Derek Hansen with Heather Morris
In Sole Survivor by Derek Hansen, Rosie Trethewey leaves her unhappy city life after inheriting a remote shack on New Zealand’s Great Barrier Island, hoping for a fresh start. There, she meets two isolated and troubled neighbors, Red O’Hara, a traumatized former prisoner of war, and Angus McLeod, a bitter retired policeman, whose lives she gradually changes. As outside forces threaten their island home, the three form an unlikely bond and learn to heal from the pain of their pasts.
Shark Heart by Emily Habeck with Ashley Hall
Shark Heart by Emily Habeck is a surreal love story about newlyweds Wren and Lewis, whose marriage is upended when Lewis is diagnosed with a rare condition that will slowly transform him into a great white shark. As they confront grief, change, and the limits of love, the novel uses magical realism to explore what it means to stay connected when life becomes unrecognizable.
Culpability by Bruce Holsinger with Barbara Ferrara
Culpability by Bruce Holsinger is a techno-thriller and family drama about the moral fallout of a fatal crash involving an autonomous minivan. The novel follows the Cassidy-Shaw family as they confront guilt, secrets, and the ethical questions surrounding AI after their teenage son, Charlie, is involved in the accident while the car is in self-driving mode. It explores themes of technology's impact on human relationships, corporate greed, and the complex dynamics between parents and teenagers.
We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman with Lindsey Goldstein
We All Want Impossible Things is a tender, darkly funny novel about friendship, grief, and letting go. It follows Ash as she supports her best friend Edi through the final stages of illness, capturing the small, intimate moments that define a lifelong bond. The story balances humor and heartbreak while exploring love, loss, and what it means to say goodbye.
Nature’s Best Hope by Douglas W. Tallamy with Leslie Eva Tayloe
Nature's Best Hope by Douglas W. Tallamy argues that everyday homeowners can play a critical role in reversing biodiversity loss by transforming their yards into thriving ecosystems. Tallamy explains how replacing traditional lawns with native plants supports insects, birds, and other wildlife that depend on them for survival. The book offers a hopeful, practical roadmap for collective environmental impact through small, local actions.
In the Time of The Butterflies by Julia Alvarez with Fran Dorsey
In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez tells the story of sisters Patria, Minerva, María Teresa, and Dedé Mirabal as they resist Trujillo’s regime—a powerful novel of courage and sisterhood. Featuring Fran Dorsey, a digital content manager and writer sharing books, memes, and more via @FranDorsey and her Substack, Frannie Pack.
Gone by Michael Grant with Fiona Fenn
Gone by Michael Grant is a gripping dystopian novel in which everyone over the age of fifteen suddenly disappears from a small California town, leaving the kids to survive on their own inside a mysterious barrier. As food runs out and strange powers begin to emerge, the remaining children must confront fear, chaos, and the struggle for control in a world with no adults.
On Beauty by Zadie Smith with Virginia Pye
On Beauty by Zadie Smith follows two feuding families—the liberal Belseys and the conservative Kipps—whose lives collide in a New England university town, exploring themes of race, family, politics, and love through sharp satire and witty dialogue.
Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica with Ashley Peters
Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica is a dystopian horror novel where a virus makes all animal meat poisonous, leading to the legalization and industrialization of human cannibalism! Yes, it’s quite a story by Argentine author Bazterrica, but it also does what great horror does so well, that it makes you think about parallels in our real world, and led to an amazing conversation between myself and author Ashley Peters!
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen with Alexandra Potter
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is a sharp, witty exploration of love, class, and social expectation in Regency-era England, centered on the spirited Elizabeth Bennet and the enigmatic Mr. Darcy. As misunderstandings and first impressions give way to self-awareness, the novel reveals how pride and prejudice can obscure, and ultimately illuminate, the path to happiness.
Wuthering Heights Film by Emerald Fennell with Carrie Pruett
2 Years of Drinks in the Library gets a special episode!
Carrie Pruett, who did the DITL Wuthering Heights Book episode with me, and I discussed the Wuthering Heights Film by director Emerald Fennell, and it was so much fun! There are spoilers so please pause if you are waiting to see it (although the book came out in 1847 so you how mad can you be at spoilers?)
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow with Angie Hilliker Ph.D.
This week’s book is The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow, the story of three sisters in 1893: Juiper, Agnes and Beatrice who are hunted by forces who will not suffer a witch to vote, they must use their magic, their wits and alliances to find a way to survive. This led to such an interesting conversation about feminism, sisterhood, science, and lots of magic with this week’s guest: Angie Hilliker!
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer with Burn Before Reading Podcast
Hi Librarian Nation! This week we are discussing Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, the now-ubiquitous tale of Bella Swan and the vampire who just can’t quit her, Edward Cullen. This story has, of course, been widely read and adapted into famous films, and I was so happy to discuss it with this week’s guests, Christina and Lelia from fellow Richmond book podcast Burn Before Reading!
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl with Matthew Stern
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl is a whimsical children’s novel about Charlie Bucket, a kind, poor boy who wins a once-in-a-lifetime tour of the mysterious Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. Since so many know this story, Matthew and I were able to have a conversation about the book’s history and Dahl’s legacy, and about how art and our views of it change over time.
Libby Lost and Found by Stephanie Booth with Kendall Concini-Moore
This week’s book is Libby Lost & Found, by Stephanie Booth, about Libby Weeks, the reclusive author of the hit fantasy series “The Falling Children”, who faces a crisis when she is diagnosed with early-onset dementia and struggles to complete her overdue manuscript. In desperation, she enlists the help of eleven-year-old superfan Peanut Bixton, who knows the series inside and out but has her own hidden troubles. As Libby grapples with her diagnosis, Peanut and her family work to protect and help her save herself and the series.