Russell Reads with the Rach(a)els

Cozy Up to a Good Mystery [Guest Star Lori Merricks]

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 08:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat with our guest Lori Merricks, Director of Marketing and Communications at Danville Regional Foundation. We discuss the simple pleasure of little golden books, the joys of a good cozy culinary mystery, and why sometimes you need a spreadsheet to keep up with all your reading.

Books/Authors we discuss include:

“Little House” series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
“Fudge” series by Judy Blume
“The Little Engine That Could” by Watty Piper
“Elephant and Piggie” series by Mo Willems
“Charlie & Lola” series by Lauren Child
“Curious George” series by H.A. Rey, Margaret Rey
“Secret, Book, & Scone Society” series by Ellery Adams
“Library Lover’s Mystery” series by Jenn McKinlay
“Bibliophile Mystery” series by Kate Carlisle
“Monster Hunter” series by Annelise Ryan
“‘Til Death” by Jason Anspach
“Father Brown” series by G.K. Chesterton
“Chief Inspector Armand Gamache” series by Louise Penny
“Flavia de Luce” series by Alan Bradley
“Golden Girls Cozy Mystery” series by Rachel Ekstrom Courage
“Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens
“Anne of Green Gables” by Lucy Maude Montgomery
“Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes” by Edith Hamilton
“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series by Rick Riordan
“Yesteryear” by Caro Claire Burke
“Bearskin” by James A. McLaughlin

Yes, It Counts! [June Challenge 2026]

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 08:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachael, and Rachel discuss the June Reading Challenge, “Yes, It Counts!” reading audiobooks. In celebration of Audiobook Appreciation Month, we discuss the many things there are to love about reading books on audio.

Books/Authors we discuss include:

“The Green Ember” by S.D. Smith, read by Joel Clarkson
“The Great Library” series by Rachel Caine, read by Julian Elfer
“Mr. Tucket” by Gary Paulsen, read by John Randolph Jones
“The Last Battle” by C.S. Lewis, read by Patrick Stewart
“The Shadow of the Gods” by John Gwynne, read by Colin Mace
“Cold Burn” by A.J. Landau, read by Gregory Abbey
“The First Law” series by Joe Abercrombie, read by Steven Pacey
“Listen for the Lie” by Amy Tintera, read by January LaVoy and Will Damron
“The Girl Who Drank the Moon” by Kelly Barnhill, read by Christina Moore
“The Astral Library” by Kate Quinn, read by Saskia Maarleveld
“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid, read by Julia Whelan, Alma Cuervo, and Robin Miles
“Chomp” by Carl Hiaasen, read by James Van Der Beek
“The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife” by Anna Johnston, read by Tim Carroll
“Charlotte’s Web” by E.B. White, read by the author
“Jane Austen’s Bookshelf” by Rebecca Romney, read by author
“One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This” by Omar El Akkad, read by the author
“The Cooper Kids Adventures” series by Frank Peretti, read by the author
“Rules” by Cynthia Lord, read by Jessica Almasy

Rachael’s Fun Fact:
*Deuteragonist refers to the second most important character in a narrative.

Reading With Our Eyes Shut [Guest Star Adrian Nester]

Mon, 18 May 2026 10:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat with our guest Adrian Nester, English Department chair at Tunstall Highschool, and self-admitted library girlie. We discuss cutting edge reading technology such as audiobooks on cassette and magazines on sticks, our newest idea for a party bus for reading(™), and the importance of formats like audiobooks and graphic novels to make reading accessible and enjoyable for all.

Books/Authors we discuss include:

“Nancy Drew Mystery Stories” series by Carolyn Keene (a pseudonym for various ghostwriters, notably Mildred Wirt)
“Sweet Valley Twins” series by Jamie Suzanne, created by Francine Pascal
“Horse” by Geraldine Brooks
“The Marriage Portrait” by Maggie O’Farrell
“The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck
“Their Eyes Are Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston
“Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë
“Tess of the D’Urbervilles” by Thomas Hardy
“Tuck Everlasting” by Natalie Babbitt
“Goosebumps” series by R.L. Stine
“The Buffalo Hunter Hunter” by Stephen Graham Jones
“Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders” by Vincent Bugliosi
“Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad
“They Called Us Enemy” by George Takei, illustrated by Harmony Becker
“Vanity Fair” by William Makepeace Thackeray
“Patron Saints of Nothing” by Randy Ribay
“Knuffle Bunny” by Mo Willems

I MAY Have Read This Book [May Challenge 2026]

Fri, 01 May 2026 08:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachael, and Rachel discuss the May Reading Challenge to read books that we MAY or MAY NOT have read in the past. This could include books you lied about for an assignment in school, books you’ve been too embarrassed to read, or books you just cannot remember if you have actually read. We chat about the delightful discoveries we made delving into books we may have missed in the past!

Books/Authors we discuss include:

“The Call of the Wild” by Jack London
“War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy
“This Is How You Lose the Time War” by Amal El-Mohtar, Max Gladstone
“Old Yeller” by Fred Gipson
“Where the Red Fern Grows” by Wilson Rawls
“Pippi Longstocking” by Astrid Lindgren
“Anne of Green Gables” by Lucy Maud Montgomery
“One Heart To Win” by Johanna Lindsey
“Charlotte’s Web” by E.B. White
“Cyrano de Bergerac” by Edmond Rostand
“The Courtship Plan” by Kathleen Fuller
“Walden or, Life in the Woods” by Henry David Thoreau
John Muir

Meatballs, Murder, and the Audiobook [Guest Star Bailey Cline]

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat with our guest Bailey Cline, Program Coordinator at Ballou Recreation Center and our certified number one fan. We discuss finding your way back to reading despite the responsibilities of adult life, the joy of audiobooks, and our strong opinions about movie adaptations.

Books/Authors we discuss include:

“The Rainbow Fish” by Marcus Pfister
“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” by Judi Barrett, illustrated by Ron Barrett
“How To Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay” by Jenny Lawson
“I Know What You Did Last Summer” by Lois Duncan
“His & Hers” by Alice Feeney
Freida McFadden
“The Menagerie” Series by Tui T. Sutherland, Kari H. Sutherland
“Your Baby’s First Word Will Be DADA” by Jimmy Fallon
“The Night Before Christmas” allegedly by Clement Clarke Moore
“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” by Dr. Seuss
Carl Hiaasen
“The Green Ember” series by S.D. Smith, illustrated by Zach Franzen
“Hamlet” by friend of the pod, William Shakespeare

I Love Big Brother [April Challenge 2026]

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachael, and Rachel discuss the April Reading Challenge to read a dystopian or alternate history novel. Oppressive governments, controlling factions, structured existence and more, we discuss the tropes and themes that define this often bleak, but always profound genre. **Correction: George Orwell died 6 months after the release of 1984, not before.

Books/Authors we discuss include:

“Zoo” by James Patterson, Michael Ledwidge
“1984: The Graphic Novel” by George Orwell, adapted/illustrated by Fido Nesti
“The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood
“Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley
“The Giver” by Lois Lowry
“Legend” by Marie Lu
“Divergent” by Veronica Roth
“The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins
“Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros
“Parable of the Sower” by Otavia E. Butler
“Red Rising” by Pierce Brown
“Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline
“The Last Christian” by David Gregory
“Automatic Noodle” by Annalee Newitz
“The Electric State” by Simon Stålenhag
“The Dream Hotel” by Laila Lalami
“Our Missing Hearts” by Celeste Ng
“The City of Ember” by Jeanne DuPrau
“The Long Walk” by Stephen King
“The Shadow Road” by K.D. and Kurt Kirchmeier

Panthers, Trees, and the City Manager [Guest Star Danville City Manager Ken Larking]

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 08:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat with our guest Ken Larking, Danville City Manager. In our first mini book club, we review “The Which Way Tree” by Elizabeth Crook and the deep themes it explores including love, kindness and absolution. We discuss the delight of quirky characters, the importance of finding the right book for you, and Russell’s quest for a fun book about owls.

Books/Authors we discuss include:

“The Which Way Tree” by Elizabeth Crook
Michael Crichton
Tom Clancy
“Jack Reacher” series by Lee Child
Dick Francis
“Our Country Friends” by Gary Shteyngart
“The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger
John Grisham
“Joe Pickett” series by C.J. Box
“Walt Longmire” series by Craig Johnson
“Crime and Punishment” by Fyodor Dostoevsky
“Tuck Everlasting” by Natalie Babbit
“Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver
“Razorblade Tears” by S.A. Cosby
“The Monster at the End of this Book (Starring Lovable, Furry Old Grover)” by Jon Stone

Found in Translation [March Challenge 2026]

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 08:00:00 -0500

Lost in Translation? We prefer Found in Translation! The reading challenge this month is to read a book that has been translated from another language. Russell, Rachael, and Rachel discuss some of their most recent reads and a few classics.

Books we discuss include:

“The Cat Who Saved Books” by Sōsuke Natsukawa, translated by Louise Heal Kawai
“Princess Jellyfish” manga series by Akiko Higashimura
“Spy x Family” manga series by Tatsuya Endo
“Cat + Gamer” manga series by Wataru Nadatani, translated by Zack Davisson
“Delicious in Dungeon” manga series by Ryoko Kui, translated by Taylor Engel
“The Count of Monte Cristo” by Alexandre Dumas
“The Door-to-Door Bookstore” by Carsten Henn, translated by Melody Shaw
“When the Cranes Fly South” by Lisa Ridzén, translated by Alice Menzies
“A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman, translated by Henning Koch
“My Friends” by Fredrik Backman, translated by Neil Smith
“I Who Have Never Known Men” by Jacqueline Harpman, translated by Ros Schwartz
“The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
“Beowulf” translated by Seamus Heaney
“No Friend But the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison” by Behrouz Boochani, translated by Alenka Ropret, Omid Tofighian
“The Pillow Book” by Sei Shonagon

The Best Guest This Side of the Mississippi [Starring Michelle Larking]

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 08:00:00 -0500

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat with our guest Michelle Larking, Secondary ELA teacher at Galileo Magnet High School and enthusiastic supporter of reading and literature. Michelle shares her recent reading journey in pursuit of meeting her Goodreads goal, Galileo’s new library at the John M. Langston campus, and whether humans will ever run out of new stories to tell. Russell certainly won’t and we don’t think authors will either.

Books we discuss include:

“My Friends” and others by Frederik Backman
“Monster in the Moonlight” by Annelise Ryan
“The Correspondent" by Virginia Evans
“Dear Mr. Henshaw” by Beverly Cleary
“You Know Me All” by Ring Lardner
“The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea” by Yukio Mishima, translated by John Nathan
“The Elephant Vanishes” by Haruki Murakami, translated by Jay Rubin, Alfred Birnbaum
“We All Want Impossible Things” and “Sandwich” by Catherine Newman
“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo”, “Evidence of the Affair” and others by Taylor Jenkins Reid
“Abscond” by Abraham Verghese
“Transcendent Gardening” by Ed Falco
“We Are All Guilty Here” by Karin Slaughter
“Blob” by Maggie Su
“Poor Deer” and “Choette” by Claire Oshetsky
“Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury
“Parable of the Sower” by Octavia E. Butler
“The Walking Dead” by Robert Kirkman, illustrated by Tony Moore
Poetry by Langston Hughes
“Kitchen” by Banana Yoshimoto
“Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah
“The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini
“A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon” by Kevin Fedarko
“A Walk in the Woods” by Bill Bryson
“The Fish” by Elizabeth Bishop

Cover Lovers [February Challenge 2026]

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 08:00:00 -0500

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat about our February reading challenge, books based solely on loving the cover. Listen in as we delve into our personal aesthetic, poorly describe colors, and make a lot of fish puns.

Books we discuss include:

“The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches” by Sangu Mandanna
“This Tender Land” by William Kent Krueger
“The Revenant” by Michael Punke
“Bog Queen” by Anna North
“My Vampires” series by Jenna Levine
“Lords of the Fly: Madness, Obsession, and the Hunt for the World Record Tarpon” by Monte Burke
“A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon” by Kevin Fedarko
“Book Nooks: Inspired Ideas for Cozy Reading Corners and Stylish Book Displays” by Vanessa Dina, Claire Gilhuly, photography by Antonis Achilleos
“Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin
“The Overstory” by Richard Powers
“Direct Descendant” by Tanya Huff
“The Eyes are the Best Part” by Monika Kim
“Ordinary Grace” by William Kent Krueger
“The Guide” by Peter Heller

Be Inspired in 2026 [January Week 5]

Sat, 31 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0500

In this final installment of a special 5-episode weekly series, Russell, Rachael, Rachel, and Jess M. share meaningful quotes from favorite authors. Take just a few moments out of your day to "Be Inspired in 2026!"

Quotes from:

"Little House on the Prairie" by Laura Ingalls Wilder
"Time Piece" by Andrea Gibson
"What You Are Looking for Is in the Library" by Michiko Aoyama, translated by Alison Watts
"Where Wolves Don't Die" by Anton Treuer
"A Light in the Attic" by Shel Silverstein
"The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss
"The House in the Cerulean Sea" by T.J. Klune
"The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry" by Gabrielle Zevin

Be Inspired in 2026 [January Week 4]

Sat, 24 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0500

In this fourth installment of a special 5-episode weekly series, Russell, Rachael, Rachel, and Chrislyn share meaningful quotes from favorite authors. Take just a few moments out of your day to "Be Inspired in 2026!"

Quotes from:

“A Wrinkle in Time” by Madeleine L'Engle
“Automatic noodle” by Annalee Newitz
“The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 8” by Beth Brower
“Tracker” by Gary Paulsen
“Oathbringer” by Brandon Sanderson
“One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish” by Dr. Seuss
“The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 1” by Beth Brower
“The Midnight Library” by Matt Haig

Be Inspired in 2026! [January Week 3]

Sat, 17 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0500

In this third installment of a special 5-episode weekly series, Russell, Rachael, Rachel, and Jess Austin share meaningful quotes from favorite authors. Take just a few moments out of your day to "Be Inspired in 2026!"

"The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho
"A New Year Prayer" by Silas House
"By Any Other Name" by Jodi Picoult
"Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand
"The Overstory" by Richard Powers
"The Summer Day" by Mary Oliver
"Horton Hears a Who" by Dr. Seuss
"The Princess Bride" by William Goldman

More Mall Memories with Mr. Rogers [Guest Tim Rogers]

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0500

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat with our guest Tim Rogers, branch manager for Mount Hermon Public Library and former manager of B. Dalton bookstore at Piedmont Mall in Danville. We take a leisurely stroll down memory lane, go behind the scenes into the workings of the bookstore world, and learn how you go from finding books boring to managing a library.

Books we discuss include:

“The Sinking of the Bismarck” by William L. Shirer
“Dracula” by Bram Stoker
“Sherlock Holmes” series by Arthur Conan Doyle
“The Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien
“Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis
“What Color Is Your Parachute” by Richard Nelson Bolles
“FoxTrot” series by Bill Amend
“The Far Side Gallery” series by Gary Larson
“Charlie Brown” series by Charles M. Schulz
“A Bad Case of Stripes” by David Shannon
“Strong Ground: The Lessons of Daring Leadership, the Tenacity of Paradox, and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit” by Brené Brown
“The Women” by Kristin Hannah
“Why Does Everybody Hate Me” by Karen Dockrey
“How To Speak Southern” by Steve Mitchell
“The Angel Doll” by Jerry Bledsoe
“Have a Nice Day!: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks” by Mick Foley
“Rockin' the Rockpile: The Buffalo Bills of the American Football League” by Jeffrey J. Miller

Be Inspired in 2026! [January Week 2]

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0500

In the second episode of this special 5-episode series, Russell, Rachael, Rachel, and Brianna share inspiring quotes from favorite authors.

“The Midnight Library” by Matt Haig
“No Particular Night or Morning” by Ray Bradbury
“Sunrise on the Reaping” by Suzanne Collins
“Spirit of Steamboat” by Craig Johnson
“Winnie-the-Pooh” by A.A. Milne
“The Lorax” by Dr. Suess
“The Legend of Bagger Vance” by Steven Pressfield

Be Inspired in 2026! [January Week 1]

Sat, 03 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0500

In the first episode of this special 5-episode series, Russell, Rachael, Rachel, and Riley share inspiring quotes from favorite authors.

Brené Brown, “Atlas of the Heart”
C.S. Lewis, “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”
Rita Mae Brown, “Rubyfruit Jungle”
Lauren Wolk, “Echo Mountain”
Dr. Seuss, “The Lorax”
Jack London, “The Call of the Wild”

Saddle Up and Read [January Challenge 2026]

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 10:00:00 -0500

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat about our January reading challenge, books featuring a horse. They discuss the Chinese Zodiac which inspired the challenge, share a glimpse behind the scenes into the creative process and bond over the nostalgia of childhood trauma.
If you have a favorite literary horse we somehow missed, let us know on social media!

Books we discuss include:

“The Neverending Story” by Michael Ende
“Animal Farm” by George Orwell
“My Friend Flicka” by Mary O’Hara
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving
“The Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien
“The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck” by Don Rosa
“Casper and Nightmare” comics
Barney Google Snuffy Smith
“The Princess Bride” by William Goldman
“The Horse and His Boy” by C.S. Lewis
“Horse” by Geraldine Brooks
“The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse” by Charlie Mackesy
“Seabiscuit: An American Legend” by Laura Hillenbrand
“The Ride of Her Life: The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse, and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America” by Elizabeth Letts
“Misty of Chincoteague” by Marguerite Henry
“The Perfect Horse: the Daring U.S. Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped by the Nazis” by Elizabeth Letts
“Ghost Riders: When US and German Soldiers Fought Together to Save the World's Most Beautiful Horses in the Last Days of World War II” by Mark Felton
“The Unmothers” by Leslie J. Anderson
“Wild Horse Country: The History, Myth, and Future of the Mustang” by David Philipps
“Black Beauty” by Anna Sewell
“National Velvet” by Enid Bagnold
“The Black Stallion” series by Walter Farley
“Joe Pickett” series by C.J. Box

Find out more about Booked Monthly on our website.

Mall kids and the seven swans [Guest Katelyn Murray]

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 10:00:00 -0500

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat with our guest Katelyn Murray, one of the new owners of The Dog-eared Page bookshop on Main Street. We discuss finding that one perfect book for you, receiving letters of praise from your favorite author, and unexpectedly learning how showers work!

Books/Authors we discuss include:

“Daughter of the Forest” by Juliet Marillier
“Redwall” series by Brian Jacques
“Kaleidoscope” and everything by Ray Bradbury
“The September House” by Carissa Orlando
Author Ali Hazelwood
Author Abby Jimenez
“Lonesome Dove” by Larry McMurtry
“The Wondrous Life and Loves of Nella Carter” by Brionni Nwosu
“Vampires of Shanghai” by Katherine Mercer (releases January 2, 2026)

For more Ray Bradbury, join us at Unrequired Reading Classics Book Club to discuss “Fahrenheit 451” on Monday, January 26 at 5:30PM. Call 434.799.5195 or visit readdanvilleva.org to register.

Turkey Calls and Santa Jaws [December Challenge 2025]

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 10:00:00 -0500

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat about our December reading challenge, books with a holiday theme, which it turns out cover a wide range of topics and genres. We discuss the magic of Santa, turkeys, and the 80s.

Books we discuss include:

“Turkey Claus” by Wendy Silvano, illustrated by Lee Harper
“Santa Jaws” by Bridget Heos, illustrated by Galia Bernstein
“The Christmas Guest” by Peter Swanson
“Secret Santa” by Andrew Shaffer
“Silent Night: Fear Street Super Chillers” by R.L. Stine
“Spirit of Steamboat” by Craig Johnson
“Christmas in Absaroka County” by Craig Johnson
“Hiddensee: A Tale of the Once and Future Nutcracker” by Gregory Maguire
“The Christmas Appeal” by Janice Hallett
“American Christmas Stories” edited by Connie Willis, featuring stories by Mark Twain, John Updike, Langston Hughes, Ray Bradbury and more
“Claus: Legend of the Fat Man” by Tony Bertauski
“The Immortal Nicholas” by Glenn Beck
“A Boy Called Christmas” by Matt Haig
“Nicholas - The Legend Begins” by Joe Dodridge
“Consumer Rites: The Buying and Selling of American Holidays” by Leigh Eric Schmidt
“A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens
“Make My Wish Come True” by Rachael Lippincott
“Small Things Like These” by Claire Keegan

Shared stories from the country [Guest Bill Guerrant]

Sat, 15 Nov 2025 10:00:00 -0500

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat with our guest Bill Guerrant, local goatherd, Vice President of Pittsylvania Historical Society, and author of four books including “Jim Wrenn” and “Let a Pillar Arise”. We discuss reading in all its many varieties, including newspapers and the dictionary and the importance of keeping historical research alive.

Books we discuss include:

“A Primer for Star Gazers” by Henry M. Neely
The Dictionary
“Nine Who Survived Hiroshima and Nagasaki” by Robert Trumbull
“Baudolino” by Umberto Eco, translated by William Weaver
“Looking for Class” by Bruce Feiler
“Days of Defiance: Sumter, Secession, and the Coming of the Civil War” by Maury Klein

View Bill Guerrant's works:

Look for the Helpers [November Challenge 2025]

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 10:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat about our November reading challenge, books about a historic event. We discuss the wide range of topics, genres and time periods this challenge encompasses and what history can teach us about the time we are living in now.

Books we discuss include:

“War Games” by Alan Gratz
“Grenade” by Alan Gratz
**Fact check: The character in this book lives on the island of Okinawa.
“By Any Other Name” by Jodi Picoult
“The House Is on Fire” by Rachel Beanland
“Yonder” by Ali Standish
“The Dictionary of Lost Words” by Pip Williams
“The Demon of Unrest” by Erik Larson
“Future Boy” by Michael J. Fox
“The Hacienda” by Isabel Cañas
“Stalking Jack the Ripper” by Kerri Maniscalco
“Woods Runner” by Gary Paulsen
“They Called Us Enemy” by George Takei
“Wicked Danville” by Frankie Y. Bailey and Alice Green

The BRO SHOW [Guests Charles Perkins, Scott Longerbeam]

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 10:00:00 -0400

Get hype! It’s the BRO SHOW! (air horn sounds)
Russell, and also the Rach(a)els, chat with returning guests Scott Longerbeam and Charles Perkins about life, the universe, and every reading rabbit we could possibly chase.

Books we discuss include:

“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams
“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll
“American Rapture” by C.J. Leede
“The Priory of the Orange Tree” by Samantha Shannon
“Death Without Company” by Craig Johnson
“The Witcher” series by Andrzej Sapkowski
“The Book Eaters” by Sunyi Dean
“The Passage” by Justin Cronin
“The Hot Zone” by Richard Preston
“Jim Wrenn” by William Guerrant
“The Call of the Wild” by Jack London

Folklore, Fairytales, and Cryptids... Oh my! [October Challenge 2025]

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 10:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat about our October reading challenge, Folklore, Fairytales, and Cryptids! We discuss the wide range of cultures and genres this topic overlaps. Russell gets very excited about every cryptid from Bigfoot to Nessie, the chupacabra to the hodag. The gang's all here!

Books we discuss include:

“The Island of Forgotten Gods” by Victor Pineiro
“Dear Mothman” by Robin Gow
“Gilded” and “The Lunar Chronicles” series by Marissa Meyer
“Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre” by Max Brooks
“Monster” by Frank E.Peretti
“Rougarou Magic” by Rachel M. Marsh
“Empire of Wild” by Cherie Dimaline
“Windigo Island” by William Kent Krueger
“Cryptids, Creatures & Critters: A Manual of Monsters and Mythos” by Rachel Quinney
“The Menagerie” series by Tui T. Sutherland, Kari H. Sutherland
“Greenteeth” by Molly O’Neill
“Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery” by Brom
“Monster Hunter” series by Annelise Ryan
“Impossible Creatures” series by Katherine Rundell
“Four Treasures of the Sky” by Jenny Tinghui Zhang
“Carmilla: The First Vampire” series by Amy Chu, Illustrated by Soo Lee
“Big Pumpkin” by Erica Silverman

Putting pants on a chicken [Special Guest Angela Longerbeam]

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 10:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat with our guest Angela Longerbeam, Assistant Branch Manager at the Mount Hermon Branch Library in Pittsylvania County. We discuss cozy fall reading, experiencing other perspectives through novels in verse, and exploring our murder book era. Listen until the end for the library crime of the century!

Books we discuss include:

“Bread and Jam for Frances” by Russell Hoban, illustrated by Lillian Hoban
“Shady Hollow” series by Juneau Black
“Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees” by Patrick Horvath
“The Spellshop” series by Sarah Beth Durst
“The Examiner”, “The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels” and everything by Janice Hallett
“You Know Me Al” by Ring Lardner
“Under the Dome” by Stephen King
“Witchcraft for Wayward Girls” by Grady Hendrix
“The Only Purple House in Town” by Ann Aguirre
“Before the Ever After” by Jacqueline Woodson
“Good Different” by Meg Eden Kuyatt
“The Crossover” by Kwame Alexander
“Long Way Down” by Jason Reynolds
“Apple Crush” by Lucy Knisley
“Atmosphere” by Taylor Jenkins Reid
“The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway
“Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad
“Cujo” by Stephen King

Cats, Murder, and Cardigans [September Challenge 2025]

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 10:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat about our September reading challenge, books set in a library! We discuss the wonders libraries can bring into your life and Russell’s library fever dreams.

Books we discuss include:

“The Great Library” series by Rachel Caine
“The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry” by Gabrielle Zevin
“The Secret, Book & Scone Society” by Ellery Adams
“The Haunted Library Mysteries” series by Allison Brook
“The Library at the Edge of the World” by Felicity Hayes-McCoy
“The Library at Mount Char” by Scott Hawkins
“The Woman in the Library” by Sulari Gentill
“The Invisible Library” by Genevieve Cogman
“The Midnight Library” by Matt Haig
“The Library of Ever” by Zeno Alexander
“The Legend of the Last Library” by Frank L. Cole
“Mr. Limoncello’s Library” series by Chris Grabenstein
“The Library” by Sarah Stewart, illustrated by David Small
“A Library” by Nikki Giovanni
“How Can I Help You” by Laura Sims
“The Library Book” by Susan Orlean

We are trending! [Special Guest @JazzysReadingCorner]

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 10:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat with special guest and local bookfluencer Jasmine Sutton of @JazzysReadingCorner on Tiktok and Instagram. We discuss the wonders of the online reading community, #Booktok drama, and Russell admits to more crimes!

Books we discuss include:

“The BFG” by Roald Dahl
“Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley
“The Hobbit, or There and Back Again” by J.R.R. Tolkien
“The Call of the Wild” by Jack London
“One Day” by David Nicholls
“1984” by George Orwell
“The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
“Beartown” by Fredrik Backman
“From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home” by Tembi Locke

True Crime; It's What Brings us Together Today [August Challenge 2025]

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 10:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat about our August reading challenge, True Crime novels. We discuss ethical aspects of consuming true crime, what fascinates people about crime, and the wide variety of stories in this genre.

Books we discuss include:

“Trail of the Lost: The Relentless Search to Bring Home the Missing Hikers of the Pacific Crest Trail” by Andrea Lankford
“Bandit Heaven: The Hole-in-the-Wall Gangs and the Final Chapter of the Wild West” by Tom Clavin
“Famous Sheriffs and Western Outlaws: Incredible True Stories of Wild West Showdowns and Frontier Justice” by William MacLeod Raine
“The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century” by Kirk Wallace Johnson
“Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks” by Patrick Radden Keefe
“Confident Women: Swindlers, Grifters, and Shapeshifters of the Feminine Persuasion” by Tori Telfer
“The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper” by Hallie Rubenhold
“The Last Duel: A True Story of Crime, Scandal, and Trial by Combat in Medieval France” by Eric Jager
“Crimes of the Centuries: The Cases That Changed Us” by Amber Hunt
“Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder” by Rachel McCarthy James
“The Falcon Thief: A True Tale of Adventure, Treachery, and the Hunt for the Perfect Bird” by Joshua Hammer
“American Cult” edited by Robyn Chapman
“Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI” by David Grann
“A Devil Went Down to Georgia: Race, Power, Privilege, and the Murder of Lita McClinton” by Deb Miller Landau

The Voice of Danville [Guest Josh Lineberry]

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 10:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat with our guest Josh Lineberry, on-air personality for WBTM/WAKG, dubbed by Russell “The Voice of Danville”. We discuss the power of telling your own story, the wonders of audiobooks, and how to foster a love of reading in the next generation.

Books we discuss include:

“The Indian in the Cupboard” series by Lynne Reid Banks
“Encyclopedia Brown” series by Donald J. Sobol
“My Next Breath” by Jeremy Renner
“Tooth and Claw” by Craig Johnson
“Dungeon Crawler Carl” series by Matt Dinniman
“Under the Dome” by Stephen King
“Jericho Quinn” series by Marc Cameron
“Ready Player One” series by Ernest Cline
“Goosebumps” series by R.L. Stine
“Ranger’s Apprentice” series by John Flanagan
“Dogman” series by Dav Pilkey
“Room on the Broom” by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler

Turkeys, Tadpoles, Tolkien, and Worlds Beyond [July Challenge 2025]

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 10:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat about our July reading challenge, a book that takes place in another world. We discuss how we define ‘another world’, our love of all things cozy, and Russell’s many animal adventures.

Books we discuss include:

“The Lord of the Rings” series by J.R.R. Tolkien
“The Spider Chronicles” series by Tony DiTerlizzi
“Lightraider Academy” series by James R. Hannibal
“A Wizard of Earthsea” by Ursula K. Le Guin
“The Mistborn Saga” series by Brandon Sanderson
“The Wheel of Time” series by Robert Jordan
“Tress of the Emerald Sea” by Brandon Sanderson
“The Wingfeather Saga” series by Andrew Peterson
“The Spellshop” by Sarah Beth Durst
“The Tea Dragon Society” by Kay O’Neill
“The Well” by Jake Wyatt
“The Infinity Particle” by Wendy Xu
“Wilderlore” series by Amanda Foody
“Januaries: Stories of Love, Magic, & Betrayal” by Olivie Blake

Summer Reading Special Edition

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 10:00:00 -0400

Danville Public Library's Youth Services Department, Chrislyn Gardner and Jess McAllister, join Russell to talk all things children's programming, summer reading, and library memories.

On the spot [Guest Freja Bridgen]

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 10:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat with our guest Freja Bridgen, library circulation specialist, about public speaking anxiety, mean college professors, and finding the right books for you.

Books we discuss include:

“Hidden Figures” by Margot Lee Shetterly
“The Tenant of Wildfell Hall” by Anne Brontë
“Throne of Glass” by Sarah J. Maas
“The Book of Doors” by Gareth Brown
“Pachinko” by Min Jin Lee

Sharks, Birds, and Little Women [June Challenge 2025]

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 10:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat about our June reading challenge, books with movie adaptations. We discuss the power of nostalgia, the many valid ways art can be interpreted, and why Tippi Hedren keeps falling down.

Books we discuss include:

“The NeverEnding Story” by Michael Ende
“Mary Poppins” by P.L. Travers
“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll
“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Matilda” by Roald Dahl
“Memento Mori” by Johnathan Nolan
“The Birds” by Daphne du Maurier
“Story of You” by Ted Chiang
“Jaws” by Peter Benchley
“Here” by Richard McGuire
“Big Fish” by Daniel Wallace
“The Last of the Mohicans” by James Fenimore Cooper
“Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption” by Stephen King
“Thrawn” by Timothy Zahn
“Fight Club” by Chuck Palahniuk
“Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott
“Nothing Lasts Forever” by Roderick Thorp

The library chooses you [Guest Grace Mamon]

Thu, 15 May 2025 10:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat with our guest Grace Mamon, Danville reporter for Cardinal News. We discuss the joys of reading children’s literature, how reading enhances your writing, and Grace surprises us with an interview question of her own.

Books we discuss include:

“Gregor the Overlander” by Suzanne Collins
“Harry Potter” series by Joanne Rowling
“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” Series by Rick Riordan
“Anne of Green Gables” series by Lucy Maud Montgomery
“A Series of Unfortunate Events” by Lemony Snicket
“The Women” by Kristin Hannah
“Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë
“The Tenant of Wildfell Hall” by Anne Brontë
“Beowulf” by Unknown
“Chain of Gold” by Cassandra Clare

To keep a short story long [May Challenge 2025]

Thu, 01 May 2025 10:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat about our May reading challenge, Short Story Collections. We discuss life, the universe, and of course baseball. Let us know how many letters a woodchuck could write if a woodchuck could write letters.

Books we discuss include:

“Haunted Maine” by Charles Stanfield
“Something Rich and Strange” by Ron Rash (“Three AM and the Stars Were Out”)
“The Illustrated Man” by Ray Bradbury (“The Veldt”)
“The Amazing Mr. Morality” by Jacob M. Appel (“Burrowing in Exile”)
“One More Thing” by B.J. Novak (“The Rematch”)
“Classic American Short Stories” by Various (“The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” by Mark Twain)
“The Purple Swamp Hen and Other Stories” by Penelope Lively
“Life Ceremony” by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori (“The Hatchling”)
“Uncommon Type” by Tom Hanks
“Normal Rules Don’t Apply” by Kate Atkinson (“The Void”)
“When a Stranger Comes To Town” Anthology by Mystery Writers of America (“A Six Letter Word for Neighbor” by Lisa Unger)
“Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks” by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Alexander Nabaum
“The Brooklyn Nine” by Alan Gratz

A Conversation With Bestselling Author Alencia Johnson

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 12:00:00 -0400

On this special edition of Russell Reads with the Rach(a)els, Russell and Rachel get the opportunity to sit down with National Bestselling Author Alencia Johnson to discuss "Flip the Tables; The Everyday Disruptor's Guide to Finding Courage and Making Change," now available for purchase or at your Danville Public Library.

For more information, visit www.alenciajohnson.com.

Click the link to view the library's copy of Flip the Tables

Beware the wheelers [Guest Susanne Bell]

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 10:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat with our guest Susanne Bell, Senior Program Officer at Danville Regional Foundation, about setting realistic reading goals, recommending the right book, and a horrifying movie adaptation of one of our favorite childhood classics.
Susanne created a wonderful reference for the books she shared with us.

Childhood reads:

“Make Way for Ducklings” by author and illustrator Robert McCloskey
“Three Little Kittens” by Eliza Lee Cabot Follen
“Anne of Green Gables” or anything by Lucy Maud Montgomery
“Ozma of Oz” by L. Frank Baum

Novels:

“Excellent Women” by Barbara Pym
“A Spool of Blue Thread” by Anne Tyler
“When Breath Becomes Air” by Paul Kalanithi
“Should We Stay or Should We Go” by Lionel Shriver

Short Story Collections:

“Light Action in the Caribbean” by Barry Lopez (especially “Construction of the Rachel”)
“The Thing Around Your Neck” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
“Fidelity” by Wendell Berry (especially “Pray Without Ceasing”)

Other titles we discuss:

“The Buffalo Hunter Hunter” by Stephen Graham Jones
"Commonwealth” by Anne Tyler
“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce
“The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven” by Sherman Alexie

Readers are rebels and rats wear coats [April Challenge 2025]

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 10:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael discuss our April challenge, childhood favorites, with one of our favorite childhood experts here in the library, Jess McAllister. We discuss how children's literature shaped us, opened our worlds, and continues to delight us to this day!

Books we discuss include:

“The Borrowers” by Mary Norton
“The BFG” by Roald Dahl
“Dear Mr. Henshaw” and “Strider” by Beverly Cleary
“Freckle Juice” by Judy Blume
“The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise” by Dan Gemeinhart
“The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton
“Amos Fortune: Free Man” by Elizabeth Yates
“The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett
“Grandpa’s Mountain” by Carolyn Reeder
Wayside School” series by Louis Sachar
“My Teacher Is an Alien” by Bruce Coville
“Dog Man” series by Dav Pilkey
“My Weird School” series by Dan Gutman
“Frog and Toad Are Doing Their Best” by Jennie Egerdie
“The World of Beatrix Potter” series by Beatrix Potter
“The Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame
“Artemis Fowl” by Eoin Colfer
Everything by Alan Gratz
“The Complete Brambly Hedge” by Jill Barklem
“The Mysterious Benedict Society” by Trenton Lee Stuart

Go to the library...or marry a librarian [Guest Scott Longerbeam]

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 10:00:00 -0400

Russell and solo Rachel chat with our guest, Scott Longerbeam, city GIS coordinator, about almost every Stephen King book, filming locations, and the love of a good librarian.

Books we discuss include:

“Foucault's Pendulum” by Umberto Eco
“Pet Sematary” by Stephen King
“Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros
“The Demon of Unrest” by Erik Larson
“The Pillars of the Earth” by Ken Follett
“The Empusium” by Olga Tokarczuk, translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones
“The Bear and the Nightingale” by Katherine Arden
“A Libertarian Walks into a Bear” by Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling
“Extinction” by Douglas Preston
“Pirate Latitudes” by Michael Crichton
“The Indian Lake Trilogy” by Stephen Graham Jones
“Cycle of the Werewolf” by Stephen King
“Faithful: Two Diehard Boston Red Sox Fans Chronicle the Historic 2004 Season” by Stewart O’Nan and Stephen King
“Horns” by Joe Hill
“Locke & Key” by Joe Hill, illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez
“Full Throttle” short stories by Joe Hill, including “By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain”
“Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” by Alvin Schwartz, illustrated by Stephen Gammell
“Scary Stories for Young Foxes” by Christian McKay Heidicker, illustrated by Junyi Wu
“Wolfsong” by T.J. Klune
“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Doulgas Adams

Wayward children, weaponized rattlesnakes, and cowboys kissing [March Challenge 2025]

Sat, 01 Mar 2025 10:00:00 -0500

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael discuss our March challenge, first book in a series, with surprise guest Colton. Consequently there are a lot of dad jokes in this one. Listener beware.

Books we discuss include:

“The Dark Is Rising” series by Susan Cooper
“Dragon Masters” series by Tracey West
“Goosebumps” graphic novel series by R.L. Stine
“Ghost on Haunted Street” by Colton Carter
“Done and Dusted” by Lyla Sage
“The Mysterious Benedict Society” by Trenton Lee Stewart
“Leave No Trace” by A.J. Landau
“Joe Pickett” series by C.J. Box
“Finlay Donovan Is Killing It” by Elle Cosimano
“Impossible Creatures” by Katherine Rundell
“Mummies in the Morning” by Mary Pope Osborne
“The Emerald Atlas” by John Stephens
“Wildwood” by Colin Meloy
“Every Heart a Doorway” by Seanan McGuire
“Middle Earth” series by J.R.R. Tolkien
“Spy School” series by Stuart Gibbs
“The Cricket in Times Square” by George Selden
“The Mouse and the Motorcycle” by Beverly Cleary
“Redwall” by Brian Jacques
“The Green Ember” by S.D. Smith
“The Great Library” series by Rachel Caine
“A Death in Door County” by Annelise Ryan

Hemingway, Kendrick Lamar, and Dr. Williams [Guest Corey Williams]

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 10:00:00 -0500

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat with our guest, Honorable Doctor Corey Williams about his long title, and many other titles that shaped his love for reading.

Books we discuss include:

“The Word Bird” by Nicola Davies, Abbie Cameron (illustrator)
“Darius the Great Is Not Okay” by Adib Khorram
“Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway
“Moby-Dick or, The Whale” by Herman Melville
“Don Quixote” by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
“The Trumpet of the Swan” by E.B. White
“Watership Down” by Richard Adams
“Bridge to Terabithia” by Katherine Paterson
“The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
“The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck
“Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck
“Congo” by Michael Crichton
“Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” by Gregory Maguire
“The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum
“The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids” series by Debbie Dadey
“The Boxcar Children” series by Gertrude Chandler Warner
“The Great Library” series by Rachel Caine
“Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky
“It’s Kind of a Funny Story” by Ned Vizzini

Found family, insta-love, and Bigfoot [February Challenge 2025]

Sat, 01 Feb 2025 10:00:00 -0500

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael discuss our next challenge, love stories and go on an important tangent about 90's teen movies.

Books we discuss include:

“The Princess Bride” by William Goldman
“Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
“The House in the Cerulean Sea” by TJ Klune
“The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife” by Anna Johnston
“The Weight of the Stars” by K. Ancrum
“A Novel Love Story” by Ashley Poston
“The List” by Robert Whitlow
“The Girl Behind the Red Rope” Ted Dekker, Rachelle Dekker
“Voyage of the Damned” by Frances White
“All Stories Are Love Stories” by Elizabeth Percer
“Book of Days” by James L. Rubart
“Monster” by Frank Peretti
“The One” by John Marrs

Books Bring People Together...Even Libraries and Bookstores [Guest Catherine Carter]

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 08:00:00 -0500

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat with our guest Catherine Carter, owner of The Dog-Eared Page bookstore and teahouse. We discuss the deep and abiding friendship between libraries and bookstores, books about rabbits, and so much more.

Books we discuss include:

“House of Leaves” by Mark Z. Danielewski
“Manacled” by SenLinYu
“Fifty Shades of Grey” by E.L. James
“After” by Anna Todd
“Quicksilver” by Callie Hart
“Harry Potter” series by J.K. Rowling
“Dragon Rider” and “Inkheart” by Cornelia Funke
“The Silence of the Lambs” by Thomas Harris
“The Lord of the Rings” series by J.R.R. Tolkien
“Jaws” by Peter Benchley
“The Empyrean” series by Rebecca Yarros
“Watership Down” by Richard Adams
“Christopher Bunny” by Jane Werner Watson, Richard Scarry
“Bunnicula” by Deborah Howe
“The Velveteen Rabbit” by Margery Williams Bianco
“The World of Beatrix Potter” series by Beatrix Potter
"Bunny Trouble" by Hans Wilhelm
“The Sea of Trolls” by Nancy Farmer
“Hello Beautiful” by Ann Napolitano
“Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe” by Heather Webber
“Book Lovers” by Emily Henry
“A Court of Thorns and Roses” and others by Sarah J. Maas

Everyone has a story [January Challenge 2025]

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 10:00:00 -0500

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael discuss our January challenge, Memoirs and Autobiographies, and new Rachael lore just dropped.

Books we discuss include:

“Gone to the Woods: Surviving a Lost Childhood” by Gary Paulsen
“Sonny Boy” by Al Pacino
“Greenlights” by Matthew McConaughey
“Pageboy” by Elliot Page
“Officer Clemmons” by Dr. Francois S. Clemmons
“Sociopath” by Patric Gagne
“Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood” by Trevor Noah
“Educated” by Tara Westover
“Just as I Am” by Cicely Tyson
“The Twenty-Ninth Day: Surviving a Grizzly Attack in the Canadian Tundra” by Alex Messenger
“Memorial Drive: A Daughter’s Memoir” by Natasha Trethewey
“The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap: A Memoir of Friendship, Community, and the Uncommon Pleasure of a Good Book” by Wendy Welch

Scary ghost stories and tales of our glories [Guest Chrislyn Gardner]

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 14:00:00 -0500

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat with our first two-time guest, Chrislyn Gardner, about our favorite winter holiday reads past and present.

Books we discuss include:

“A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” by Robert L. May
“The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition” by Carol Aebersold and Chanda Bell
“The Christmas Tree That Grew” by Phyllis Krasilovsky, Kathy Wilburn
“The Biggest, Most Beautiful Christmas Tree” by Amye Rosenberg
“Turkey Claus” by Wendi Silvano
“Night Tree” by Eve Bunting
“Letters from Father Christmas” by J.R.R. Tolkien, Baillie Tolkien
“Snowmen at Night” by Caralyn Buehner
“The Christmas Day Kitten” by James Herriot
“The Christmas Pig” by J.K. Rowling
“Bulldozer’s Christmas Dig” by Candace Fleming
“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” by Barbara Robinson
“Home Alone: the Classic Illustrated Storybook” by Jason Rekulak
“A Die Hard Christmas: The Illustrated Holiday Classic” by Doogie Horner
“The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry
“Cathedral Mouse” by Kay Chorao
Bonus Song: “Wilbur the Christmas Mouse” by Ralph Emery

The Human Spirit Makes a Good Read [December Challenge 2024]

Sun, 01 Dec 2024 10:00:00 -0500

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael discuss our December challenge, award winning books, and learn a lot about the fortitude of the human spirit.

Books we discuss include:

“James” by Percival Everett (National Book Award for Fiction 2024)
“Notes on an Execution” by Danya Kukafka (Edgar Award for Best Novel 2023)
“Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption” by Laura Hillenbrand (Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Biography 2010)
“Seabiscuit: An American Legend” by Laura Hillenbrand (William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2021)
“North Woods” by Daniel Mason (The Rachel Timm Pulitzer Prize Award 2024)
“Night Watch” by Jayne Anne Phillips (Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 2024)
“Yonder” by Ali Standish (Kirkus Best Book of the Year 2023)
“Orbital” by Samantha Harvey (The Booker Prize 2024)
“Forrest Gump” by Winston Groom (New York Times Top Best Seller 1994)
“Gump and Co.” by Winston Groom (The Rachael Miller Award for Best Book No One Has Heard Of)

Murder, Mayhem and Jerry Beardman [Guest Charles Perkins]

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 10:00:00 -0500

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat with Charles Perkins, known to us as “Jerry Beardman”. Listen to find out why.

Books we discuss include:

“The Ministry of Time” by Kaliane Bradley
“The Time Machine” by H.G. Wells
“Where The Sidewalk Ends” by Shel Silverstein
“The Hardy Boys” series by Franklin W. Dixon
“Encyclopedia Brown” series by Donald J. Sobol
“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen
“Where Wolves Don’t Die” by Anton Treuer
“The Call of the Wild” by Jack London
“Hatchet” by Gary Paulsen
“Holes” by Louis Sachar
“Shutter” by Ramona Emerson
“‘Til Death” by Jason Anspach
“The Empyrean” series by Rebecca Yarros
“Red Rising Saga” series by Pierce Brown
“The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife” by Anna Johnston
“Arlo Finch” series by John August
“The Book of Doors” by Gareth Brown
“The Only One Left”, “Home Before Dark”, “The House Across the Lake” by Riley Sager
“The Ruinous Love Trilogy” series by Brynne Weaver
“Twelve Angry Men” by Reginald Rose
“A Christmas Story” by Philip Grecian, a play based on the 1983 motion picture
“Claus: Legend of the Fat Man” by Tony Bertauski (Russell is once again asking you to please read this book.)

Books and Beans meets the second Saturday of each month, 9 AM at Links Coffee House Cafe.
Books and Brews meets the 3rd Wednesday in November and December (usually the last Wednesday of the month), 5:30 PM at Ballad Brewing.
Let’s Make a Scene - Reader’s Theatre Series meets Monday, December 9 from 5 PM to 7 PM to read “A Christmas Story” by Philip Grecian.

An Absolutely True Episode of this Podcast [November Challenge 2024]

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 10:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael discuss our November challenge, books written by an Indigenous author.

Books we discuss include:

“The Sentence” by Louise Erdrich
“Where Wolves Don’t Die” by Anton Treuer
“The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie
“The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fightfight in Heaven” by Sherman Alexie
“Heart berries : a memoir” by Terese Marie Mailhot
“Crazy brave : a memoir” by Joy Harjo
“Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band” by Christian Staebler, Sonia Paoloni, Thibault Balahy (Illustrator)
“The Firekeeper’s Daughter” by Angeline Boulley
“Black Sun” by Rebecca Roanhorse
“The Only Good Indians” by Stephen Graham Jones

Not Everyone Likes "Call of the Wild" [Guest Colleen Barnes]

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 10:00:00 -0400

Colleen Barnes, DPS coordinator for ELA and Media Specialists, joins Russell and the Rach(a)els to discuss her favorite books, DPS reading challenges, and the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

Books we discuss include:

Books of Essays, especially:
- “The Best of Me” by David Sedaris
- “Wow, No Thank You” by Samantha Irby
- “Here For It: Or, How To Save Your Soul in America” by Eric Thomas
“The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie
“Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions” by Daniel Wallace
“The Iowa Baseball Confederacy” by W.P. Kinsella
“Love in the Time of Cholera” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
“Colton Gentry’s Third Act” by Jeff Zentner
“Monster Hunter Mystery” series by Annelise Ryan
ANYTHING by Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume
“Bud, Not Buddy” by Christopher Paul Curtis
“Call of the Wild” by Jack London
“Small Spaces” by Katherine Arden

Spooknatural Books are Magical [October Challenge 2024]

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 10:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael discuss our October challenge, books with a supernatural (or spooky) element.

Books we discuss include:

“My Darling Dreadful Thing” by Johanna van Veen
“‘Til Death” by Jason Anspach
“Parade: A Collection of Delightfully Odd Stories” by V.R. Christensen
“Mile 81” in “The Bazaar of Bad Dreams” by Stephen King
“Flight or Fright: 17 Turbulent Tales” edited by Stephen King and Bev Vincent
“Rougarou Magic” by Rachel M. Marsh
“The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society” by C.M. Waggoner
“Through the Woods” by Emily Carroll
“Coraline” by Neil Gaiman
“The Ocean at the End of the Lane” by Neil Gaiman
“The Haunted Mask: A Goosebumps Graphic Novel” by R.L. Stine, illustrated by Maddi Gonzalez
“Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark” by Alvin Schwartz, illustrated by Stephen Gammell
“Under the Dome” by Stephen King

Library Crimes and Other Rabbit Holes [Guest Amanda Paez]

Sun, 15 Sep 2024 10:00:00 -0400

Amanda Paez, assistant to the city manager, and wearer of many hats, talks about her library crimes.

*CORRECTION: A note from Rachael -
Our Classics book club meets on Monday, September 30 at 5:30 PM to discuss “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie. Call 434-799-5195 to register! We hope you join us.

Books we discuss include:
“I Want a Pet - A School Zone Start To Read Book”
“And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie*
“Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone” by Benjamin Stevenson
“Throne of Glass” series by Sarah J. Maas
“Monster Hunter Mystery” series by Annelise Ryan
“The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien
“Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” by Ian Fleming
“IT” by Stephen King
“Where the Red Fern Grows” by Wilson Rawls
“Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens
“Pippi Longstocking” by Astrid Lindgren
“Jaws” by Peter Benchley
“Jurassic Park” by Michael Crichton
“The Neverending Story” by Michael Ende
“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll
“Winnie-the-Pooh” series by A.A. Milne

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with a Few Great Reads [September Challenge 2024]

Sun, 01 Sep 2024 10:00:00 -0400

Russell and the Rach(a)els explore works by authors with Hispanic heritages.

Book we discuss include:

“The Bullet Swallower” by Elizabeth Gonzalez James
“Family Lore” by Elizabeth Acevedo
“Fruit of the Drunken Tree” by Ingrid Rojas Contreras
“My Favorite Thing Is Monsters” by Emil Ferris
“River Woman, River Demon” by Jennifer Givhan
“Mexican Gothic” and “The Daughter of Doctor Moreau” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
“Just for the Summer” by Abby Jimenez
“Solito” by Javier Zamora
“Hippie” and “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho

Staring at People While they Read is OK [Guest Michelle Larking]

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 10:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael welcome our first guest from beyond the library walls, Michelle Larking, IB Literature teacher at Galileo Magnet High School. We discuss how to foster a love of reading through education and whether Russell should have been in the Zebra reading group.

Books we discuss include:

“Babar” series by Jean de Brunhoff
“Frog and Toad” series by Arnold Lobel
“The Boxcar Children” series by Gertrude Chandler Warner
“A Patchwork Planet”, “Digging to America” and others by Anne Tyler
“Under the Bayou Moon” by Valerie Fraser Luesse
“The Sound of Waves” by Yukio Mishima
“Convenience Store Woman” by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori
“The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green
“Kitchen” by Banana Yoshimoto, translated by Megan Backus
“Little Bee” by Chris Cleave
“The Poet X” by Elizabeth Acevedo
“Crank” by Ellen Hopkins
“Agnes Grey” by Ann Bronte
“Lord of the Flies” by William Golding
“Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte
“Tuck Everlasting” by Natalie Babbitt
“Bridge to Terabithia” by Katherine Paterson
“The Witches” by Roald Dahl
“Sounder” by William H. Armstrong
“Educated” by Tara Westover
“Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah
“Devotions” by Mary Oliver
“Christy” by Catherine Marshall

Seagulls, Shipwrecks, and Shanties [August Challenge 2024]

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 10:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael discuss our August challenge, books set by the beach or sea, and regrettably did not prepare any sea shanties.

Books we discuss include:

“A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks” by David Gibbins
“The Whydah: A Pirate Ship Feared, Wrecked, and Found” by Martin W. Sandler
“Pirate Latitudes” by Michael Crichton
“The Wreck of the Medusa” by Jonathan Miles
“The Outlaw Ocean: Journeys Across the Last Untamed Frontier” by Ian Urbina
“Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter” by Lizzie Pook
“The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway
“The Pearl” by John Steinbeck
“Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson
“Peter & the Starcatchers” by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
“Unbroken: An Olympian's Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive” by Laura Hillenbrand
“James and the Giant Peach” by Roald Dahl
“Earthsea Cycle” series by Ursula K. Le Guin
“The Sea Wolf” by Jack London
“And the Ocean Was Our Sky” by Patrick Ness
“Life of Pi” by Yann Martel
“Whalefall” by Daniel Kraus
“Goosebumps: Deep Trouble” by R.L Stine
“Fins: A Shark Incorporated Novel” by Randy Wayne White
“Refugee” by Alan Gratz
“The Little Mermaid” by Hans Christian Andersen
Russell’s Sidetrack - “Woods Runner” by Gary Paulsen

If you would like to suggest a cozy mystery set on a cruise ship or share any other comments, follow us on Facebook @RubyArchieLibrary.

Ludicrous Speed and Origin Stories [Guest Jess McAllister]

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael welcome guest Jess McAllister, Youth Library Services Specialist, to talk about every book ever written and how to read at light speed.

Books we discuss include:

“Tracker” by Gary Paulsen
“Amelia Bedelia” by Peggy Parish
“Frog and Toad” series by Arnold Lobel
“Howl’s Moving Castle” by Diana Wynne Jones
“The House in the Cerulean Sea” by T.J. Klune
“Legends & Lattes” by Travis Baldree
“The Great Library” series by Rachel Caine
“Daisy Jones & the Six” by Taylor Jenkins Reid
“Small Spaces” by Katherine Arden
“Arlo Finch” series by John August
“Amari and the Night Brothers” by B.B. Alston
“Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow” by Jessica Townsend
“Jurassic Park” and others by Michael Crichton
“Wolfsong” by T.J. Klune

Reading Around the World and our First "Reading Rainbow" Reference [July Challenge 2024]

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachel and Rachael discuss our July challenge, books set in another country, and a few extras just for good measure.

Books we discussed include:

“The Women” by Kristin Hannah
“Sooley” by John Grisham
“Convenience Store Woman” by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori
“Lady Tan’s Circle of Women” by Lisa See
“Run Me to Earth” by Paul Yoon
“City of Thieves” by David Benioff
“A Man Called Ove” by Frederik Backman
“What the River Knows” by Isabel Ibañez
“Birnam Wood” by Eleanor Catton
“Pirate Latitudes” by Michael Crichton
“The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” by William Kamkwamba
“A Libertarian Walks Into a Bear” by Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling

Jess Recommends Everything [Guest Jess Austin]

Sat, 15 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael welcome guest Jess Austin, Technical Services Librarian, to talk about 'book joy'.

Books we discussed include:

“Holy City” by Henry Wise
“Razorblade Tears” by S. A. Cosby
“The Which Way Tree” by Elizabeth Crook
“If the Creek Don’t Rise” by Leah Weiss
“The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek” by Kim Michele Richardson
“Broiler” by Eli Cranor (coming July 2, 2024)
“Don Quixote” by Miguel de Cervantes

P.S. - “Claus: Legend of the Fat Man” by Tony Bertauski - Russell would love if you try it out.

Muppets, Chasing Rabbits, and Other Adventures [June Challenge 2024]

Sat, 01 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0400

Russell and the Rach(a)els discuss the June reading challenge and what it means to go on an adventure.

Books we discussed include:

“The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien
“The Chronicles of Narnia” series by C.S. Lewis
“Northwind” by Gary Paulsen
“This Tender Land” by William Kent Krueger
“The Call of the Wild” by Jack London
“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” by Lewis Carrol
“Anne of Green Gables” by Lucy Maud Montgomery
“James” by Percival Everett
“Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson
“The Madstone” by Elizabeth Crook
“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams
“The Vaster Wilds” by Lauren Groff
“Dungeon Academy: No Humans Allowed!” by Madeleine Roux

French Accents are for Children Only [Guest Chrislyn Gardner]

Wed, 15 May 2024 10:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael welcome guest Chrislyn Gardner, Youth Services Librarian, to discuss Summer Reading, literary favorites, and childhood memories.

Books we discussed include:

“The Rose Code” by Kate Quinn
“A Chair for My Mother” by Vera B. Williams
“The Vingananee and the Tree Toad: A Liberian Tale” Retold by Verna Aardema
“The Monster at the End of this Book (Starring Lovable, Furry Old Grover)” by Jon Stone
“Each Peach Pear Plum” by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
“The Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat!” by Stan and Jan Berenstain
“I Am a Bunny” by Ole Risom and Richard Scarry
“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” by Judi Barrett
“Sealed with a Kiss” by Beth Ferry
“Leonardo, the Terrible Monster” by Mo Willems
“Big Pumpkin” by Erica Silverman

Graphic Novels are Books Too! [May Challenge 2024]

Wed, 01 May 2024 10:00:00 -0400

The reading challenge continues into May with graphic novels. A lot of titles get discussed on the show.
The many, many books we discussed include:

“Strange Fruit: Uncelebrated Narratives from Black History” by Joel Christian Gill
“Stamped From the Beginning: A Graphic History of Racist Ideas in America” by Joel Christian, adapted from the novel by Ibram X. Kendi
“March” by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin
“MacBeth” by Gareth Hinds - a graphic novel adaptation of the play by William Shakespeare
“Birds of Prey: Terrifying Talons, Science Comic Series” by Joe Flood
“Ironheart: Meant to Fly” by Eve L. Ewing
“Silk: the Life and Times of Cindy Moon” by Robbie Thompson
“Captain America: The Ghost Army” by Alan Gratz
“Redwall: the graphic novel” by Brian Jacques
“The Invasion: The Animorphs Graphic Novel, Book One” by Katherine Applegate
“The Witches: the graphic novel” by Penelope Bagieu, adapted from the novel by Roald Dahl
“Animal Farm: the graphic novel” by Odyr, adapted from the novel by George Orwell
“Kindred: the graphic novel” by Octavia Butler
“This One Summer” by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki
“Roaming” by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki
“Pumpkinheads” by Rainbow Rowell
“Heartstopper” by Alice Oseman
“Skyward” by Joe Henderson
“Wings of Fire: the graphic novel, Book One: The Dragonet Prophecy” by Tui Sutherland, adapted by Barry Beutsch
“Rise of the Dungeon Master: Gary Gygax and the Creation of D&D” by David Kushner
“Living with Mochi” by Gemma Gene
“Meal” by Blue Delliquanti, Soleil Ho

Riley is a Reader Whose Name Starts with R [Guest Riley Ryan]

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael welcome Riley, the first guest star, to the show to discuss some of her favorite books and tell a few fun stories.

Books we discussed include:

April is Poetry...and Pirates? [April Challenge 2024]

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0400

Rachael, Rachel, and Russell explore the world of poetry. The Rach(a)els share very moving poems while Russell opts for pirates.

Books we discussed include:

The Reading Challenge, Women's History, and a Panther [March Challenge 2024]

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 14:00:00 -0400

Rachel, Rachael, and Russell discuss the library reading challenge and reading literature written by female authors.

Books discussed in this episode include:

Episode One - A New Show Arises

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 14:00:00 -0400

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael introduce the new podcast and point out that listening to audio books is still reading.

Book we discussed include: