On this week's episode, we have a panel discussion focusing on BAKING SEASON! Staff are talking about their favorite (and sometimes least favorite) things to bake, as well as playing a fun True-False-structured quiz to dispel myths and spread knowledge! We ALSO have some fun recommendations of books to check out from the library! 

This week, we're interviewing Rae Stoloff, the community engagement librarian at the Madison Heights Public Library. We're also joined by a special guest cohost, Becca Russell (former guest, as well), from the Royal Oak Public Library! We're talking about makerspaces, third places, libraries of things, and so much more! https://www.madison-heights.org/library  https://ropl.org/1532/Library 

Every once in a while, our staff will pick up a book that has a bit of a strange premise, something that might be a little difficult to describe... Today, we're providing a roundup of odd books that we loved, weird books that we'd still recommend, eccentric reads that we found appealing!   

Part of our ongoing series of chats with "cool library people," we're interviewing Sean Peacock from the Center Line Public Library! Sean is a library clerk at Center Line Library and has generated some amazing content for social media, but he's also an illustrator and comic artist! Find "A Little Too Quiet" wherever you get your podcasts! https://www.centerline.gov/202/Library    https://www.allsorrows.com/about 

Our staff provide you with a round-up of scary book recommendations! 

This week, Jeff and Mary Grahame are chatting with Katie Rothley from the Northville District Library. Katie is the Marketing & Public Relations Librarian at Northville! She has a lot of energy and ideas and plenty of interesting things to share about her library and the resources it offers to the community of Northville! https://northvillelibrary.org/ 

  What's a book you Did Not Finish? This week, our staff confess to some of their unfinished reads that still haunt them to this day! Sometimes it's just because we couldn't stand the book, but often it "just wasn't the right time..."     

This week, we're starting a new series where we invite librarians and staff from other libraries to chat with us about a number of different library-adjacent topics, particularly giving our guests a chance to talk about the specific libraries where they work. This week, Becca Russell, Youth/Teen Librarian at ROPL, joined us to talk about her passion for connecting with teen patrons and developing diverse collections, among many other things. And, yes, we briefly talk about bugs, so be warned...  https://www.ropl.org/  

We're back, after a brief hiatus, here on the last day of 2024's Banned Books Week. Hosts Jeff & Mary Grahame talk about the importance of observing Banned Books Week and why they prefer a bit of a cuter phrase for it, such as "Freedom to Read 'Em."  This ongoing podcast is hosted and produced from inside the Ferndale Area District Library, just one mile north of Detroit, Michigan. Coming up in this season, we'll continue to bring you unique portraits of life inside of a library while demystifying misconceptions around the mission of libraries and the work of library staff--we'll also have fun literary-themed panel discussions and interviews with other librarians from around the state! 

This week, we're chatting with Metro Detroit's own Josh Malerman, the NY Times Bestselling author of Bird Box, as he looks ahead to the forthcoming release of his latest work of suspenseful (and supernatural) horror, Incidents Around The House (out on June 25, via Del Rey). Malerman talks about his deep dive into the literary tradition of "haunted house" tales with this new story about Bela, an 8-year-old narrator who discovers a malevolent entity inside of her house that she refers to as "Other Mommy," a strange and possibly ghostly imaginary-frienemy who starts to creepily ask Bela a strange question: “Can I go inside your heart?”  More info at: https://joshmalerman.com/ And follow Josh on Instagram for details about his upcoming book-launch at Ant Hall in Hamtramck! https://www.instagram.com/joshmalerman/ 

Looking for something to read this summer? We've got you covered! Not only can you get a list of great recommendations from our staff, but you can also mark your calendars for SATURDAY, JUNE 8, when we will host a Summer Reading Kickoff Party here at the library! Swing by to sign up for our fun reading challenge! www.fadl.org/kickoff   The Summer Book by Tove Jansson The Guest by Emma Cline Margo's Got Money Troubles - Rufi Thorpe The Guest List - Lucy Foley New Animal - Ella Baxter Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree The Animators - Kayla Rae Whitaker Incidents Around The House - Josh Malerman Dracula - Bram Stoker You Should Be So Lucky - Cat Sebastian Lies and Weddings - Kevin Kwan This Was Our Pact - Ryan Andrews Rebel Girl - Kathleen Hanna

Tune in to the podcast this week to hear our chat with Sheela Lal, the host of Ferndale Radio 100.7 FM's South Asian Shuffle (streaming Wednesday nights)! We also chatted with Sheela about the Unerased Book Club, which she co-founded back in 2018. Oh, and we ALSO chat about our monthly Chess Club!  https://www.unerasedbookclub.com/  https://ferndaleradio.com/  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCRdejUlw4Tmdo7g0nLFcZ_h_bDV-W43p 

Sacha Lamb is a 2018 Lambda Literary Fellow in Young Adult fiction, and graduate in Library and Information Science and History from Simmons University. Their debut novel, When The Angels Left the Old Country, is a Sydney Taylor and Stonewall award winner, a Printz Honor book, and a National Jewish Book Award finalist, and received the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award. Sacha lives in New England with a miniature dachshund mix named Anzu Bean. When The Angels Left The Old Country was a shared-FAVORITE Book of 2023, selected by two of our Youth Librarians, and your hosts for this week's episode.    For more information, visit: https://sachalamb.wordpress.com 

Ruth Behar is a Cuban-American author and currently a Professor of Anthropology at the University of Michigan. Her work, spanning fiction, poetry, and memoir, includes Lucky Broken Girl, Letters From Cuba, and her latest, Across So Many Seas. As you'll hear on the podcast, Ruth has a lot of fans here at the Ferndale Library.  About her latest book, Across So Many Seas: Spanning over 500 years, Pura Belpré Award winner Ruth Behar’s epic novel tells the stories of four girls from different generations of a Jewish family, many of them forced to leave their country and start a new life. Behard was born in Havana, Cuba, grew up in New York, and has also lived in Spain and Mexico. In addition to writing for young people, her work includes poetry, memoir, and the acclaimed travel books.  https://www.ruthbehar.com/bio/ 

This week, we're chatting with esteemed studio artist Boisali Biswas, who specializes in mixed-media fiber arts. Biswas recorded this podcast episode just before the closing of her exhibition, which was hosted here at the Ferndale Library throughout the late winter and featured some of her painted weavings and quilts. Biswas has an incredible story—she grew up and studied art in India before moving to Michigan—and she shares it here on our podcast, so tune in!  You can find more information here: http://www.boisalibiswas.com/  Also, we discuss Biswas' upcoming show at the Buckham Gallery in Flint, titled Bonded Thru Threaded Memories. You can find more information about that exhibition, and the opening reception (April 12) at the Buckham Gallery's website here: https://www.exploreflintandgenesee.org/event/bonded-thru-threaded-memories-and-founders-feature/3741/   

We went ahead and recorded an entire episode using the phrase "Third Space," which is used significantly less than the original phrase: "Third PLACE." But oh well. As library staff, we like the word "space" because it just seems to imply much more possibility! Anyway, whether you say "Third Place" or "Third Space," the idea is simple: it's not your  workspace, it's not your home space, it's your THIRD SPACE..., a communal space where you can exist, relax, be creative, and ideally not be expected or required to pay any admission or purchase something in order to be there.  Your library is here for you. Comfy furniture, free wi-fi, and a relatively quiet--though not TOO quiet--atmosphere. It has always been, and remains, an ideal third "place"! TODAY: We have guests from the Ferndale Library, the Royal Oak Public Library, and the Fowlerville District Library, sharing their thoughts and perspectives on this subject, as well as talking about some of their own favorite "spaces" in their libraries.   

Felicia B. George is a native Detroiter who loves Detroit history and culture. She earned her doctorate in anthropology from Wayne State University, where she is now an adjunct professor. Her new book, When Detroit Played The Numbers, tells the true story of how Detroit entrepreneurs created a thriving - if illegal - lottery system to support themselves and uplift their communities. On Friday, March 29, Source Booksellers hosts a night of storytelling and history, delve into the world of Detroit's underground number games, with George's official book launch. Click here for more info.   

Roman Historian, author and podcaster, Emma Southon joined us on the podcast (all the way from Belfast) to discuss two of her recent books, A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome and A Rome of One's Own: The Forgotten Women of the Roman Empire.  Emma Southon has a PhD in Ancient History from the University of Birmingham and researches subjects of sex, the family, gender, and religion. She holds a long running obsession with the bad guys of the Roman empire, and tweets at @emmasouthon |    https://www.emmasouthon.com/  https://www.emmasouthon.com/podcast https://www.emmasouthon.com/roman-women   

This week, we have a panel comprised of DOCTOR WHO fans who are not only ready to discuss their favorite "doctors," their favorite episodes, and their favorite companions, but they're also here to explain the long popular British science-fiction television series to the "uninitiated," and get them excited about diving in. In fact, curious new fans will receive recommendations of "where to start" and even hear about some of the titles that are available here at the Ferndale Library, as well as Doctor Who-related titles that are available digitally as ebooks, audiobooks, and beyond! 

They're considered classic for a reason, right? This week, our film-loving staff are talking about movies that have stood the test of time, from 1934's The Thin Man, to 1979's Alien, to a pair of John Carpenter picks, including 1988's They Live. Find us on social media and tell us YOUR picks for "classic films that still hold up..." And remember, you can find ALL of our picks HERE at the Ferndale Library. 

We're talking about music books! Books about musicians and music history! In your local library, following the Dewey Decimal System, you'll likely find them between 780-782, as far as call numbers go.  Titles discussed include: Meet Me In The Bathroom by Lizzy Goodman Life by Keith Richard Please Kill Me by Gillian McCain and Legs McNeil Season of the Witch by Peter Bebergal Trouble Boys by Bob Mehr Mo Meta Blues by Queslove Out of the Vinyl Deeps by Ellen Willis

Our staff discuss some of the most historic and alarming "snubs" in the history of the Oscars (aka The Academy Awards), all of which are, of course, subjective. But we also remind you that your public library is already circulating nearly all of the films that have received nominations this year. Plus, there's still time for you to mark your calendars for Wednesday, February 28th, when we'll host an evening program all about this year's Best Picture Nominees! More info at: www.fadl.org/oscars 

Fresh off her appearance on The Today Show, having had her most recent book, The Waters, selected as their January 'Read with Jenna' Book Club pick..., the acclaimed Michigan-based author Bonnie Jo Campbell joins us on our podcast! A master of rural noir returns this winter with a fierce, mesmerizing novel about exceptional women and the soul of a small town--tune in to hear our conversation!   https://www.bonniejocampbell.net/  https://www.bonniejocampbell.net/blog-podcast  https://www.today.com/video/bonnie-jo-campbell-answers-read-with-jenna-book-club-questions-202932805803 

Dan Cafferty is a multifaceted artist with several unique projects spanning the genres of rock, R&B, soul, and funk. He'll be leading an upcoming SONGWRITERS IN THE ROUND event, here at the Ferndale Library on Sunday, February 18, at 2pm, featuring Steve Taylor, Emily Rose, and Michelle Held.  Find more information on Dan Cafferty here: https://www.reverbnation.com/dancafferty  And sample some music by Dan, here: https://www.reverbnation.com/dancafferty/videos 

Join us on February 8th for an Opening Reception to Mara Magyarosi-Laytner's exhibition and book launch: The Untended Garden.  The Untended Garden is a visual reflection structured in three acts – the expectations of women as informed by society and culture, the transformation that women reach as they break through during their coming of age, and the resolution of self that comes from the acceptance of flaws and the reality of aging. By combining still life and self-portrait photographs with experimental photographic alcohol transfer methods, this project explores multiple facets of the cyclical nature of life in a garden as a metaphor to reflect on the experience of women.   https://www.maramagyarosilaytner.com/book 

The staff of the Ferndale Library can often be found...OUTSIDE OF THE LIBRARY. Learn about all of the valuable community partnerships we've forged over the years and listen to exclusive interviews with local organizations and businesses like Drifter Coffee, the Ferndale Project, Ferndale Public Schools, and Affirmations Community Center.   

This week, Jeff and Mary Grahame are looking back at their recent presentation at the Michigan Library Association's annual conference--a session on HOW we talk about Intellectual Freedoms with our library patrons. At that conference, our podcast hosts were greeted by Matthew Lawrence, who currently works at the Herrick District Library. Lawrence was the interim director of the Patmos Library in 2022, right in the thick of that library, weathering a flurry of book challenges that eventually resulted in the library being defunded. (Its millage was recently renewed in November of 2023). Suffice to say, we had a lot to talk about! 

Our staff provides reading recommendations from our non-fiction sections! We have three librarians on this panel discussion providing their favorites among the many recently added titles, covering the arts, the sciences, the histories, and everything in between!    Unruly: The Ridiculous History of England's Kings and Queens by David Mitchell Alice Neal: People Come First - MetPublications The Sea-Ringed World: Sacred Stories of the Americas by Maria Garcia Esperon You Are History: From the Alarm Clock to the Toilet, the Amazing History of the Things You Use Every Day by Greg Jenner The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought this Through? by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith On Photographing Peoples and Communities by Dawoud Bey A First Guide to Cats / Dogs by Dr. John Bradshaw How Music Works by David Byrne Detroit in 50 Maps by Alex B. Hill Renegades: San Francisco in the 1990s by Chloe Sherman  A Rome of One's Own by Emma Southon

Join our staff on a (tabletop) adventure, doing a quick play-through of a Role-Playing Game that's available here in our library. We have quite a few options, actually, which we'll list off at the end of this episode. Listen to find out whether or not our three competing panelists can work together to forge intergalactic peace and solve a cosmic coffee embargo, when they play "Fate!" 

Flashing back to our very first episode, ever! This podcast started four years ago (nearly to the day!) This weekend, we're listening back to our debut, when we sat down with local author Josh Malerman, discussing his 2019 novel, Malorie. For more information on Josh, visit his website.  www.joshmalerman.com  But, you can also find more information on the Friends of the Ferndale Library, the volunteer organization that made this podcast a reality, here: www.ferndalefriends.org   

A look back at some of the highlights from our conversations with bestselling authors, including Lucy Clarke, C.J. Box, Steven Rowley, Grady Hendrix, Riley Sager, and J. Ryan Stradal. You can dive back into our recent episodes to hear the full interviews with each of these authors. 

Looking for some year-end reading recommendations? Tune in for our latest episode where we hear from several members of our staff, providing a wide variety of selections from various genres.    Titles & Staff include:  Rodi - Every Rising Sun by Jamila Ahmed Kricket - Impossible People: A Completely Average Recovery Story by Julia Wertz Damon - Dear Mothman by Robin Gow Mary Grahame - When The Angels Left the Old Country by  Sacha  Lamb Julia - Chlorine by Jade Song Erin -  Witch King by Martha Wells  Jeff - Everyone in this Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin Pietro - The Candy House by Jennifer Egan Drew - Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver Sam - Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norell by Susanna Clarke 

Jacqueline Suskin is a Detroit-based author of eight books. Along with her writing and poetry, she is also an educator who has been teaching workshops, hosting retreats, and creating spontaneous poetry around the world since 2009. With her project Poem Store, she has composed over forty thousand improvisational poems for patrons who chose a topic in exchange for a unique verse. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, T Magazine, Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic, and various other publications. Her new book, A Year In Practice, is out on December 5, 2024: A Seasonal Guide of holistic practices that offer clarity, activate hope, honor nature, and inspire the creative seeker all year long. https://www.jacquelinesuskin.com/a-year-in-practice  She'll be at Book Suey in Hamtramck on December 7: https://www.booksuey.com/events/jacqueline-suskin-a-year-in-practice 

We're talking about our favorite things to bake (and, specifically, which recipes we enjoy during certain seasons of the year). We also talk a lot about our extensive cookbook collection!   Snacking Cakes Snaking Bakes  Snackable Bakes Still We Rise  Home Cooking Taste of Home's Fall Baking Everyday Bread by America's Test Kitchen The Brownie Diaries Sister Pie

Abby and Daniel, the hosts of Save Me From My Shelf, joined us via Zoom (from England!) for another literary discussion of weirdo protagonists. This time, we've got a gothic round-up that includes John Thorpe (from Jane Austen's 'Northanger Abbey'), Count Dracula, Macbeth, and a special shoutout to Edgar Allen Poe!   https://www.savemefrommyshelf.com/ 

Today, we're returning to a tried-and-true topic for us, Information Literacy! The American Library Association would describe Information Literacy as a set of abilities requiring individuals to “recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information... We first hosted a series of panel discussions on this topic back in 2018, then revisited it in 2020. Now, with A.I. on the rise.... (remember deep fakes?) we're revisiting it as part of our ongoing series on just what it is we do all day...  https://literacy.ala.org/information-literacy/  https://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework 

This week on the podcast, we're sharing potentially unpopular opinions! We're talking about books that everyone else seemed to love, but that we....weren't very impressed with... 💔📚 Fair warning, we brought a "buzzer" to the table for anyone who wanted to dispute the titles that were being criticized. But, it should be noted that no matter what books you love or what books you're interested in reading, your local librarian will always be more than happy to find them, 100% free of any judgment. 

Get ready for Horror Movie Trivia at 215 West (October 9 at 7:00 pm): fadl.org/trivia. Also, tune in this week for our discussion covering our favorite horror films! What's YOUR favorite scary movie? 

We have another game-show styled episode where our librarians "guess the title of the book" based on designedly vague descriptions. Librarians, on a daily basis, perform this feat, where a patron might ONLY recall very scant details about a book, and 99.99% of the time, we always help them find what they're looking for! Find "A Little Too Quit" wherever you get your podcasts. https://alittletooquiet.podbean.com

Donald Levin’s ‘Arsenal of Deceit’ is a compelling and thought-provoking exploration of the intricate web of deception that shapes the world of politics and racism.  With meticulous research and a keen eye for local detail, Levin exposes the hidden agendas and manipulative tactics employed by governments and intelligence agencies. A seamless blend of history, geopolitics, and espionage, the book unveils a complex landscape of covert operations and disinformation campaigns, offering readers a captivating journey into the realm of global intrigue. ‘Arsenal of Deceit’ is an eye-opening look at 1940s Detroit and a timely work that challenges our perceptions of power, trust and relationships. A great companion volume to Levin’s 1930s noir Detroit exposè, Savage City. https://www.thebookbeat.com/bookshop/catalog/arsenal-of-deceit/  http://www.donaldlevin.com/the-arsenal-of-deceit.html   

Let's talk about LIBRARY CARDS: why they're amazing and why YOU should sign up for one asap! Hear directly from our circulation specialists as they tell you everything you need to know about applying for and using your library card!  September is Library Card Sign-Up Month! www.fadl.org/library-cards 

Sunday Times bestseller Lucy Clarke is the author of eight destination thrillers. They include Waterstones Thriller of the Month, The Castaways, Richard and Judy Book Club pick, One of the Girls, and most recently, The Hike.  Leaving behind their everyday lives, four friends hike out into the beautiful Norwegian wild – nothing between them and the mountain peak but forest, sea and sharp blue sky. But there’s a darker side to the wilderness.... https://lucy-clarke.com/books 

Listen to two millennials and one elder-zoomer share their love of the 1980 musical-comedy The Blues Brothers. It was almost 45-years ago, to the day, that John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd performed at the Universal Amphitheatre, in L.A., essentially kicking off the fervor of popularity for the dynamic duo. It's also, sadly, the 5 year anniversary of the passing of the great Aretha Franklin, who famously appeared in this John Landis film. We share our analysis through a 2023 lens and celebrate its strong themes of loyalty, friendship, and the power of music. We encourage YOU to seek out a circulating copy of the film, on either DVD or BluRay, from your local library. 

Leah V is an international plus-size Hijabi model, award-winning author, inclusive content creator, body-positive activist, and digital brand strategist. Her content has garnered over four million views combined and her face plastered on billboards in Times Square. She’s been featured in hundreds of media outlets from The New York Times to Buzzfeed. Unashamed: A searingly honest memoir of one young woman’s journey toward self-acceptance as she comes to see her body as a symbol of rebellion and hope and chooses to live her life unapologetically. You can find more info on Leah's books here: http://www.leahvernon.com/unashamedleahvernonbook 

This week, we're chatting with Joshua James, musician/arranger/educator and leader of the Theatre Bizarre Orchestra. This is the "house band" for the world-famous Theatre Bizarre masquerade/Halloween bash that usually happens downtown at the Masonic Temple. This year, thanks to the Friends of the Ferndale Library, the Theatre Bizarre Orchestra will bring their zesty variety of jazz to the library's Summer Concert Series on August 22 at 6:30 pm. This is a free, all-ages show, hosted in the library's program room--don't miss it! 

Our quarterly series on Intellectual Freedoms checks in on recent headlines concerning libraries but also looks ahead to Library Card Sign Up Mont (in September) and Banned Books Week (starting October 1st). In the second half of today's podcast, we discuss our "favorite banned books" of all time..., some classics, some contemporary!   

Today on the podcast, Erin and Julia (from our library's Teen IG account) join us for another fun podcast GAME SHOW. This time, Erin is taking inspiration from the $10,000 Pyramid Game, challenging Jeff and Julia to try to describe a variety of library terminology WITHOUT using the actual word. How many can YOU guess based on our clues?? 

This week, we're chatting with musician/author Tony Muggs about his life's story! Muggs' Autobiograffitti is a self reflective, self deprecating and honest autobiography about the author, Tony Muggs life and passion for being a world class Detroit musician while also navigating being a stroke survivor!  More info: https://www.tonymuggs.com/  The Muggs: https://themuggs.bandcamp.com/  Dude: https://dudedetroit.bandcamp.com/album/autobiograffitti