Books with Magic

Books & Bites Podcast, Ep. 84

JCPL librarians bring you book recommendations and discuss the bites and beverages to pair with them.

This month, we discuss books with magic, our final prompt from the 2023 Books and Bites Bingo Reading Challenge. Our picks include an anthology of witchy tales; a novel about the magic of sourdough starter, robot arms, and the human who works with both; and a YA fairytale set in contemporary times.

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Books by Indigenous Authors

Books & Bites Podcast, Ep. 83

JCPL librarians bring you book recommendations and discuss the bites and beverages to pair with them.

In honor of National Native American Heritage Month, we discuss books by Indigenous authors, one of the prompts on the Books and Bites Bingo Reading Challenge. Our picks are as varied as ever, with a ghost story set in a bookstore, a teen mystery, and, of course, horror! We also share some of our favorite cookbooks for the "read a cookbook prompt."

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Gothic Fiction

Books & Bites Podcast, Ep. 82

JCPL librarians bring you book recommendations and discuss the bites and beverages to pair with them.

For October, we discuss Gothic fiction, one of the prompts on the Books and Bites Bingo Reading Challenge. Our picks have all the creepy mansions, women in the attic, and brooding characters you could possibly want. Not to mention fungi!

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Adventure Awaits

Books & Bites Podcast, Ep. 80

JCPL librarians bring you book recommendations and discuss the bites and beverages to pair with them.

This month, we discuss adventure stories, one of the prompts on the Books and Bites Bingo Reading Challenge. Choose your own adventure, whether it's with a group of teens on a road trip, on top of Mount Everest, or on a pirate ship!

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Dig Into a Great Book

Books & Bites Podcast, Ep. 79

JCPL librarians bring you book recommendations and discuss the bites and beverages to pair with them.

In honor of this year's summer learning theme, Dig In, we're digging into some authors we already know with the Books and Bites Bingo prompt, read another book by an author you love.

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LGBTQIA+ Authors

Books & Bites Podcast, Ep. 78

JCPL librarians bring you book recommendations and discuss the bites and beverages to pair with them.

On this episode, we discuss books by LGBTQIA+ authors, one of the prompts for Books & Bites Bingo. We've got a diverse group of characters and settings for you, including a Splatterpunk novel set in 1990s New Orleans, a Booker Prize-winning novel set in the United Kingdom, and a YA novel set in 1987 El Paso, Texas.

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Find a Book You Love (for Books & Bites Bingo) with NoveList Plus

One of the prompts in the Books & Bites Bingo reading challenge is to read a book you found on NoveList.

NoveList Plus helps readers of all ages find books that match their reading levels and interests. Get book recommendations from the experts–librarians!

With NoveList Plus, you can:

  • Find books in a series
  • Browse by mood
  • Look up authors or books you've enjoyed to find other books you may like
  • Find award-winning books
  • Browse Recommended Reads Lists
  • Read reviews
  • And more!

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Travel the World Through Books

Books & Bites Podcast, Ep. 77

JCPL librarians bring you book recommendations and discuss the bites and beverages to pair with them.

On this episode, we discuss books set in or about a place you want to visit, one of the prompts for Books & Bites Bingo. Join us as we travel to Mexico City, Paris, and the English countryside--all with the help of some good books!

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Appalachian Reads

Books & Bites Podcast, Ep. 76

JCPL librarians bring you book recommendations and discuss the bites and beverages to pair with them.

On this episode, we discuss books set in or about Appalachia, one of the prompts for Books & Bites Bingo. Collection Access Associate John David Hurley, who is from Mount Vernon, Kentucky, joins Michael, Carrie, and Jacqueline to share some favorite books about Appalachia.

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