

Book Lounge by Libby
Book Lounge by Libby
The Professional Book Nerds podcast is now, Book Lounge by LibbyBook Lounge by Libby is the podcast where authors, book lovers, and industry insiders come together to talk about the stories we love and the impact they have. Hosted by Joe Skelley, each episode invites you into a cozy, candid conversation about books, writing, publishing, and the trends shaping the literary world.PLUS, every episode features book recommendations from some of your favorite online content creators.Book Lounge airs two seasons per year, along with special monthly episodes. Whether you're into sweeping romances, chilling thrillers, epic fantasies, or powerful memoirs, there's something in the Lounge for every reader. So, grab your favorite drink, get cozy, and meet us in the Book Lounge.Find more at: https://pages.libbylife.com/BL-Links Brought to you by Libby, the library app.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 25, 2023 • 1h 8min
Welcome to my White Trash Life with TJ Klune and Daniel Henning
Today Joe is freaking out because he gets to talk to TJ Klune and Daniel Henning. TJ wrote one of Joe's all-time favorite books, The House in the Cerulean Sea, and his newest book, In the Lives of Puppets, released in April 2023. Daniel has been the voice for both of these audiobooks and over 200 others (The House in the Cerulean Sea (audio), In the Lives of Puppets(audio)).They talk about writing, narrating audiobooks, what advice they'd give to their younger selves, post-apocalyptic queer puppets, and gas station beef jerky.Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today’s episode on OverDrive.com or in Libby. Library friends can shop these titles in OverDrive Marketplace.Looking for more bookish content? Check out the Libby Life Blog!We hope you enjoy this episode of the Professional Book Nerds podcast. Be sure to rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! You can follow the Professional Book Nerds on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @ProBookNerds. Want to reach out? Send an email to professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com. We’ve got merch! Check out our two shirts in The OverDrive Shop (all profits are donated to the ALA Literacy Clearinghouse). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 21, 2023 • 51min
Book Hype
Emma is joined by her friendly OverDrive librarians to chat about all things book hype. They explore questions like " Is it worth the hype?" and "Do you pay attention to hype?" and how it impacts personal reading tastes or not! They also have a respectful conversation about books that did not quite live up to their expectations and then share some books they're REALLY looking forward to for the fall.Books mentioned in this episode:
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldry (Bookshops & Bonedust coming soon)
Emily Henry
A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Death Valley by Melissa Broder
Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison
System Collapse by Martha Wells
Unreliable Narrator by Aparna Nancherla
What About Men? By Caitlin Moran
Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare
Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco
The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today's episode on OverDrive.com or in Libby. Library friends can shop these titles in OverDrive Marketplace.We hope you enjoy this episode of the Professional Book Nerds podcast. Be sure to rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! You can follow the Professional Book Nerds on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @ProBookNerds. Want to reach out? Send an email to professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 18, 2023 • 44min
Talking True Crime and Bright Young Women with Jessica Knoll
Today Joe chats with Jessica Knoll about her new book, Bright Young Women. They talk about her work dissecting and researching the crimes of Ted Bundy as she crafted her novel from the perspective of two victims. Jessica also shares about her organization and process, where she finds inspiration while writing, and just how spicy she likes her Pad See Ew.Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today’s episode on OverDrive.com or in Libby. Library friends can shop these titles in OverDrive Marketplace.Looking for more bookish content? Check out the Libby Life Blog!We hope you enjoy this episode of the Professional Book Nerds podcast. Be sure to rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! You can follow the Professional Book Nerds on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @ProBookNerds. Want to reach out? Send an email to professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com. We’ve got merch! Check out our two shirts in The OverDrive Shop (all profits are donated to the ALA Literacy Clearinghouse). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 14, 2023 • 55min
Celebrate Read an Ebook Day 2023 with Team OverDrive!
Read an Ebook Day is September 18th! Team OverDrive is particularly fond of this holiday that celebrates digital reading love and wanted to share what they plan to read. Let us know what you add to your TBR and how you plan to celebrate Read an Ebook Day with #ebookLove. You can also visit https://readanebookday.com/ to learn more!Books mentioned in this episode:
The Only One Left by Riley Sager
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson
The Eighth Life by Nino Haratischvili
After That Night by Karin Slaughter
101 Horror Books to Read Before You're Murdered by Sadie Hartmann
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
An Immense World by Ed Yong
Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Bring Me Your Midnight by Rachel Griffin
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
Holly by Stephen King
The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner
None of This is True by Lisa Jewell
The Pallbearer's Club by Paul Tremblay
Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today's episode on OverDrive.com or in Libby. Library friends can shop these titles in OverDrive Marketplace.We hope you enjoy this episode of the Professional Book Nerds podcast. Be sure to rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! You can follow the Professional Book Nerds on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @ProBookNerds. Want to reach out? Send an email to professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 11, 2023 • 1h 5min
Redefining Horror with Clay McLeod Chapman & Rachel Harrison
Emma and Joe are thrilled to chat with incredible horror authors, Clay McLeod Chapman and Rachel Harrison, for a special conversation about their new books, What Kind of Mother (out September 12th), and Black Sheep (out September 19th). Listen in to hear about finding inspiration in the strangest of places (Nicholas Sparks and insurance commercials), nature vs. nurture, not turning into our parents, struggling with parenthood, being fans of each others' work, the horror author community, and their friendship! We also get a tiny glimpse into what they're working on next.Books mentioned in this episode:
Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman
Whisper Down the Lane by Clay McLeod Chapman
The Remaking by Clay McLeod Chapman
Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison (Listen to our chat with Rachel about Such Sharp Teeth here!)
Cackle by Rachel Harrison
The Return by Rachel Harrison
Nestlings by Nat Cassidy
Edenville by Sam Rebelein
The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
Find Clay at his book tour events this fall and find Rachel at her book tour events here! Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today's episode on OverDrive.com or in Libby. Library friends can shop these titles in OverDrive Marketplace.We hope you enjoy this episode of the Professional Book Nerds podcast. Be sure to rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! You can follow the Professional Book Nerds on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @ProBookNerds. Want to reach out? Send an email to professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 31, 2023 • 34min
September Book Picks
Join Emma and Joe as they share the September 2023 book releases they're eagerly awaiting.Upcoming author interviews (with September book releases):
What Kind of Mother by Clay McLeod Chapman (out 9/12)
Black Sheep by Rachel harrison (out 9/19)
Your Lonely Nights Are Over by Adam Sass (out 9/12)
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll (out 9/28)
Emma’s Titles:
Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L Armentrout
The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab
The Wake-Up Call by Beth O’Leary
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
The September House by Carissa Orlando
The Scarlet Veil by Shelby Mahurin
Joe’s Titles:
Mall Goth by Kate Leth
The Hexologists by Josiah Bancroft
Playing the Witch Card by KJ Dell’Antonia
The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin
Evil Eye by Etaf Rum
There’s No Way I’d Die First by Lisa Springer
The Borrow a Boyfriend Club by Page Powars
Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today’s episode on OverDrive.com or in Libby. Library friends can shop these titles in OverDrive Marketplace.Looking for more bookish content? Check out the Libby Life Blog!We hope you enjoy this episode of the Professional Book Nerds podcast. Be sure to rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! You can follow the Professional Book Nerds on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @ProBookNerds. Want to reach out? Send an email to professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com. We’ve got merch! Check out our two shirts in The OverDrive Shop (all profits are donated to the ALA Literacy Clearinghouse). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 24, 2023 • 53min
Joe Reads a Big Romance
Join Joe and Emma as they discuss Joe reading a popular romance novel, 'Meet Me at the Lake', and share their thoughts on the book's immersive setting, then and now structure, and tropes such as second chance romance. They also express their interest in exploring different genres and invite romance recommendations from listeners.

Aug 21, 2023 • 57min
Hope and Healing with Kennedy Ryan
Author Kennedy Ryan discusses her books, research process, and centering women in her writing. They also touch on topics such as motherhood, romance, and the journey of a book from draft to adaptation. The podcast includes ads for KiwiCo and Rosetta Stone and highlights upcoming book releases and events.

Aug 17, 2023 • 1h 20min
Highest and Lowest Rated Titles on our TBR
In this episode, the hosts of a book nerd podcast share their highest and lowest rated titles on their TBR lists. They discuss different ways to track and organize their TBR lists, their approach to rating books, and the presence of graphic novel series 'The Boys' on their lists. They also talk about the intriguing books 'Legendborn' and 'Before We Disappear', as well as low-rated titles and the challenges faced by authors during the pandemic.

Aug 10, 2023 • 47min
The One Where We Talk About Final Girls
Joe and Emma chat about the "final girl" trope and share some general book recommendations that everyone should read if they're looking for a good "final girl" pick. They share their personal picks that touch on that trope. This episode is filled with book recommendations galore, but they also chat about Tuesday the 17th, Psych, the Y2K panic, Blockbuster, Stephen Graham Jones and his chat with Jill, and so much more.Books mentioned in this episode: General recs: Final Girls by Riley Sager You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix Emma’s Picks:
Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes
The Night Shift by Alex Finlay
My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones
In the Woods by Tana French **
Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin
Joe’s Picks:
Boys Weekend by Mattie Lubchansky
Survive the Night by Riley Sager
A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
The Counselors by Jessica Goodman
The Last Girls Standing by Jennifer Dugan
Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins
Novel Suspects article mentioned. Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today's episode on OverDrive.com or in Libby. Library friends can shop these titles in OverDrive Marketplace here.We hope you enjoy this episode of the Professional Book Nerds podcast. Be sure to rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! You can follow the Professional Book Nerds on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @ProBookNerds. Want to reach out? Send an email to professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


