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The Books We Loved

Troy Public LIbrary

The Books We Loved is a podcast about revisiting old favorites with an open mind and a new perspective. Despite the title, we won’t be limiting ourselves to books-- movies, music, TV shows, and other aspects of pop culture will be up for discussion. Hosts and TPL Librarians, Manda and Olivia (alongside some special guests from the Troy community!), will be asking themselves: does this book hold up?

Tune in to revisit your old favorites while adding some new titles to your TBR list.

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  • 35 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 29 min
  • English
Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.
  • #149
    Wednesday · 11 min

    BOOKSHORTS: NOT your grandpa's westerns!

    Today the ladies dig into some "new westerns" -- books that infuse the old genre with new blood. Titles discussed: The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, Graham Jones Amity, Harris True Grit (movie) Lucky Red, Cravens The Country Under Heaven, Durbin The Bullet Swallower, Gonzalez Jones Now I Surrender, Enrigue

  • #148
    October 28 · 56 min

    90s horror nostalgia

    Today the ladies are joined by library director, Emily, for their 5th Halloween episode, where 90s horror (and more) is discussed! *This episode is recommended for an adult audience* Titles: Play Nice, Harrison Hidden Pictures, Rekulak Memorials: a novel, Chizmar Her Body and Other Parties, Machado Kelly Link books Per our convo about horror subgenres: Blumhouse horror subgenres

  • #147
    October 21 · 9 min

    BOOKSHORTS: giving CREEP vibes

    Since it's spooOOOooOoOOOky season, the girls chat about books that skeeved them out. Books discussed: Woman in the Window, Finn The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Gaiman Notes on a Scandal, Heller The 5th Wave, Yancey The Address Book, Calle I-5 Killer, Rule

  • #146
    October 14 · 6 min

    BOOKSHORTS: Cozy Fantasy

    In this super speedy episode, the ladies share the following titles: Legends & Lattes, Baldree The Spellshop, Durst Until the Clock Strikes Midnight, Dow A Letter to the Luminous Deep, Cathrall The Baby Dragon Bookshop, Qureshi The Phoenix Keeper, Maclean

  • #145
    October 9 · 48 min

    HOT READ: Hollywood, Ending by John Green

    Have you read John Green's latest novel, Hollywood, Ending? So have we, and we have thoughts. Keegan from Youth Services joins Manda & Olivia to dish about all things Hollywood, Ending. Happy reading!

  • #144
    October 7 · 40 min

    kindred spirit, Anne of Green Gables

    Today the ladies discuss the much loved children's classic, Anne of Green Gables and it's author, L.M. Montgomery. RESOURCES: April/May 2023 – Vanessa Braganza, Historian, Harvard University, “The Author of ‘Anne of Green Gables’ Lived a Far Less Charmed Life Than Her Beloved Heroine” M. Montgomery Institute at the University of Prince Edward Island website

  • #143
    September 30 · 16 min

    Book to Film Adaptations

    Today the ladies chat books turned into movies and streaming shows that have come out in the past year (or so). Titles discussed: Margo's Got Money Troubles, Rufi Thorpe The Love Hypothesis, Ali Hazelwood Little House on the Prairie, Laura Ingalls Wilder East of Eden, Steinbeck The Marlow Murder Club, Robert Thorogood The Dog Stars, Heller Every Summer After (show: Every Year After), Carley Fortune Vladimir, Julia May Jones Sense & Sensibility, (the Winslet/Thompson movie), Jane Austen Remain, Shyamalan and Sparks

  • #141
    September 23 · 47 min

    THROWBACK: Where the Wild Things Are, Ep. 1

    This week, as the gals recoup from summer, we'll go back to the beginning. Enjoy episode 1 (again), as the ladies discuss, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.

  • #140
    September 16 · 22 min

    Butt or Face?, Corfu, King Tut -- what we're reading!

    Today the ladies share their recent reads, which cover a broad (and bizarre?) expanse of topics. Books discussed: Dinner with King Tut: how rogue archaeologists are recreating the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of lost civilizations, Kean Into the Blue, Brodie Let’s Make Bread: a comic book cookbook, Becan & Forkish Lucy Knisley graphic novels Sunlight Finds You, Moriarty The Briar Club, Quinn Butt or Face? (series), Lavalle My Family and Other Animals, Durell Podcast mentioned: The Good Hang with Amy Poehler (with Anne Lamott)

  • #142
    September 11 · 38 min

    Dolly Parton -- what librarians really think

    It's pretty much what you'd expect! In this bonus episode, four TPL librarians review the life and legacy of the Queen of Country, our Lady of Literacy, the Chieftess of Charitable Giving, our beloved Dolly Parton.

  • #139
    September 9 · 33 min

    100yrs of Winnie-the-Pooh

    Today the gals celebrate 100 years of that silly, old bear, Winnie-the-Pooh! Learn about the real-life inspiration, a little about A.A. Milne, and hear some lovely quotes from this timeless classic! Materials @TPL: Finding Winnie: the true story of the world's most famous bear, Mattick, illus. by Blackall Somewhere, a Boy and a Bear, Brandreth Who Was A.A. Milne? Winnie-the-Pooh books/movies Articles/websites mentioned: "90 Weird and Wonderful Facts About Winnie-the-Pooh" (CBC article) "The True Story of the Real-Life Winnie-the-Pooh" (History.com article) Britannica's "Winnie-the-Pooh" "The Adventures of the REAL Winnie-the-Pooh" (NYPL website)

  • #136
    September 2 · 12 min

    Summer wrap-up reading

    On today's quick episode, the girls share what books they're reading as summer wraps up! Titles covered include: The Midnight Train, Haig The Charity Shop Detective Agency, Boland The Take, Yang Famesick: a memoir, Dunham Democracy Awakening: notes on the state of America, Cox Richardson American Rambler: walking the trail of Johnny Appleseed, Fitzgerald

  • #138
    August 26 · 26 min

    Summer Book Club -- Matilda by Roald Dahl

    Today the ladies discuss the wonderfully funny and cheeky children's classic, Matilda, by Roald Dahl. So, get your hair tonic, your hat, and your chocolate cake, and settle in for a silly conversation. Matilda at TPL: Book formats Blu-ray DVD

  • #135
    August 19 · 15 min

    Hidden gems -- books you've may have missed!

    Today the girls field a request from Eliza, focusing specifically on "hidden gems." Titles discussed in today's episode include: KIDS: Orris and Timble, DiCamillo The Questioneers series, Beaty: Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters Ada Twist and the Perilous Pants Iggy Peck and the Mysterious Mansion Sofia Valdez and the Vanishing Vote Ada Twist and the Disappearing Dogs Aaron Slater and the Sneaky Snake Lila Greer and the Shrieking Shadow Bunny & Clyde, McDonald The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class, various authors A Game of Noctis, Fagan How to Train Your Dad, Paulsen One Big Open Sky, Cline-Ransome Brown Girl Dreaming, Woodson ADULT: Wash Day Diaries, Rowser The Shame, Goodman Cape May, Cheek Sigh, Gone: a misfit's memoir of great books, punk rock, and the fight to fit in, Tran

  • #134
    August 5 · 38 min

    Summer reading horoscopes -- books for every Zodiac sign!

    Today the gals give recommendations for every reader, based on Zodiac signs! In the order discussed: AQUARIUS: Homebound, Elan Truly Devious, Johnson LEO: Half Drowned King, Hartsuyker Harriet Tubman: the road to freedom, Clinton PISCES: Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: a therapist, HER therapist, and our lives revealed, Gottlieb Evening, Minot VIRGO: The Maid, Prose The Gifts of Imperfection, Brown ARIES: Best Offer Wins, Kashino All the Other Mothers Hate Me, Harmon LIBRA: The Fortune Men, Mohammad March (Trilogy -- link is to book 1), Lewis TAURUS: The Marlow Murder Club, Thorogood Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping, Mandanna SCORPIO: My Sister the Serial Killer, Braithwaite Family of Spies: a World War II story of Nazi espionage, betrayal, and the secret history behind Pearl Harbor, Kuehn GEMINI: My Education, Choi The Book Club for Troublesome Women, Bostwick SAGITARIUS: Gilead, Robinson Travels with Charley, Steinbeck CANCER: Strangers, Burden Heart the Lover, King CAPRICORN: The Picture of Dorian Gray, Wilde Titan: the life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr., Chernow

  • #133
    July 29 · 42 min

    Summer Book Club: Emma by Jane Austen

    Today the girls are joined by repeat-guest, Angie, to discuss Jane Austen's classic, Emma. Books Angie recommended during the episode include: Book of Doors, Gareth Brown Wild Reverence: a novel, Rebecca Ross The Midnight Library, Matt Haig

  • #130
    July 22 · 48 min

    HOT READ: Ann Patchett's Whistler

    Today the gals chat about a podcast favorite, Ann Patchett, and her newest novel: Whistler. A couple readalikes Olivia shared: Little Fires Everywhere, Celeste Ng Anything by Liane Moriarty The Vanishing Half, Brit Bennett

  • #132
    July 15 · 19 min

    Reader requests x2

    Today the ladies make recommendations based on two patron requests. Titles discussed are below: Station Eleven, Emily St. John Mandel Klara and the Sun, Kazuo Ishiguro This Is How You Lose the Time War, Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin Circe, Madeline Miller Babel, R.F. Kuang Mistborn: The Final Empire, Brandon Sanderson A Rover’s Story, Jasmine Warga Anything by Gordon Korman The Second Life of Snap, Erin Entrada Kelly When You Reach Me, Rebecca Stead Pax, Sara Pennypacker Stranded, Probst Mob Squad, Dawson City of Ember series, DuPrau Hatchet, Paulsen The Last Kids on Earth series, Brallier Anything by Margaret Peterson Haddix

  • #131
    July 8 · 35 min

    Summer Book Club: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

    Today the ladies take on C.S. Lewis' beloved 1950 classic, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, as part of their Summer Book Club series. Shoot the girls a message if you'd like tailored book recommendations.

Showing 1–20 of 35 episodes