This week, we're talking to bestselling author Riley Sager about his new gothic chiller, The Only One Left, about a young caregiver assigned to work for a woman accused of a Lizzie Borden-like massacre decades earlier.

This week, we're speaking with Steven Rowley, bestselling author of four novels including THE GUNCLE, finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor, & THE CELEBRANTS.  The Celebrants is a moving tale about the false invincibility of youth, and all the beautiful ways in which friendship helps us celebrate our lives, even amid the deepest challenges of living. https://www.stevenrowley.com/the-celebrants 

This week, we were joined by Abby and Daniel, the hosts of Save Me From My Shelf, to talk about a sample gathering of literary weirdos, including titles like Hamlet, The Picture of Dorian Gray and Lolita.  SMFMS is a literature podcast hosted by two friends and academics in Birmingham, England. Abby is a lecturer and Daniel is a postdoc. Find more info about their podcast and where to find it here: https://www.savemefrommyshelf.com/ 

Today, we're talking about all the ART that you can discover in our library. The show is also being taken over, once again, by hosts (& youth librarians) Erin and Julia, for another episode of "A Little Too Loud." 

Ann Arbor-based singer/songwriter/guitarist Dani Darling joins us to talk about her creative process, her two most recent albums, and her myriad styles, from lo-fi to funk, psychedelic to disco, and beyond. Dani Darling plays the Ferndale Library's courtyard on June 13, kicking off our Summer Concert Series. fadl.org/scs-june 

Damon (Youth Services Librarian) and Everett (Head of Youth Services) are on the pod this week to talk about BOARD GAMES! Damon started a Board Game Club about a year ago for Middle School students, which meets monthly: fadl.org/msbg | And on today's episode, Damon provides insights into all the different types of board games you can play, many of which we circulate from this library! 

We're getting ready for another round of movie trivia here in Ferndale! And this month's film is Camp! What is camp? Well, listen to us talk about it here on today's episode!  Ferndale Library Movie Trivia Night: fadl.org/trivia Ferndale Library Film Club: fadl.org/film-club

Today on the podcast, we're running through some of the most important (& some of our favorite) albums from our "formative years," nearly all of which are available here at the library on CD.  Artists discussed include: George Michael The Indigo Girls The Avett Brothers Billy Joel Benee Erasure Alanis Morissette Smino The Clash Elvis Nirvana Set It Off Beastie Boys Boyz II Men Janet Jackson Beyonce

We're checking in on some of the latest bits of news, particularly here in Michigan, concerning challenges to the collections of public libraries. 

Today, our Youth Librarians take over the show, once again, turning it into "A Little Too Loud." This episode is all about RPG games, or tabletop role-playing games, to be specific. We already host an RPG group for middle school students, but over the summer, we'll be hosting a monthly game group for adult players! And today, you can join us as we play a very concise tabletop RPG, where our panelists will create and play as their own characters, like wizards, druids, and rogues! 

We spoke with NY Times Bestselling author J. Ryan Stradal (Kitchens of the Great Midwest) about his 3rd novel, Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club.  http://www.jryanstradal.com/

Your one-stop podcast for all-things-Shakespeare: marking the occasion of his death and birth? Enjoy this episode, in which "...two literature students stand on soap boxes and shake fists at cloud!"

Kricket and Sarah are back with plenty of amazing new reading recommendations, perfect for the Spring time! Picks include: Everybody Was So Young - Amanda Vaill In Memoriam - Alice Winn Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame The River - Peter Heller Wild - Cheryl Strayed The Art of Fielding - Chad Harbach All Creatures Great and Small - James Herriot Before We Were Innocent - Ella Berman This Bird Has Flown - Susanna Hoffs The Book of Flying - Keith Miller Did You Hear About Kitty Karr - Crystal Smith Paul Wild Rain - Beverly Jenkins  The Music Shop -   Rachel Joyce Romantic Comedy - Curtis Sittenfield Goodnight Irene -  Luis Alberto Urrea 

In sixteen essays, each named after a species of tree, Maureen Dunphy explores the nature of human-arboreal relationships, and how each of these trees has—literally—served as a friend, a confidante, or a place to rest. Find a link to Maureen's blog (discussed in this episode) on her website at: www.maureendunphy.com 

Two particularly creative Ferndale Librarians from the Youth Department are taking over the podcast this week, regaling their approach to programming and decorating! Yes, decorating! Visit the Kids Corner to discover their cardboard scenes from "Fern Forest."   

Mike Ward: Psychosongs | Performing here at the library on April 7 AND releasing a new album, Love Never Rests.  Ward is performing here as part of our ongoing local music showcase series: First Stop Friday. More info: fadl.org/fsf  https://psychosongs.bandcamp.com/ 

At the end of Women's History Month, we're here not only to celebrate Women's Rights but Women's WRONGS....or the perceived "wrongs" of classic literary characters!  Titles discussed include:  Macbeth Canterbury Tales  Jane Eyre  The Queen's Theif Series  Tale of Two Cities Little Thieves  The Crucible The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe Les Liasons Dangereuses

It's our 200th episode! Which...., we don't mention that during the actual episode because we only realized it after we'd finished recording. But please enjoy this literary discussion of effective allegories, particularly on our screens, be it movies or tv shows. 

This week, we're chatting with author Alma Katsu about Red London, the second installment in her new spy/thriller series following protagonist Lindsey Duncan. Katsu has firsthand experience working in the intelligence industry, so we talk about her transition from atmospheric horror novels like The Hunger, into the suspenseful terrain of John Le Carre. For more info on Red London and its predecessor, Red Widow, click here: https://almakatsubooks.com/books/ 

Above all else, we're here to encourage anyone and everyone who have NOT (ever) read either of the three titles discussed today (Romeo & Juliet, Odyssey, Moby Dick), to consider checking them out from the library post haste! Today, we litigate classic lit! Enjoy :) 3:10 Proper Introductions 3:30 Romeo & Juliet 20:10 Odyssey 40:30 Moby Dick 56:00 Pride & Prejudice

We chatted with author/poet Linda Nemec Foster about her new collection of prose poetry, Bone Country.  All of the pieces are inspired by other parts of the world—Istanbul, Rome, Krakow, Prague, Vienna, Seville—not the familiar landscape of the United States. But, the narrator is definitely not a native of these countries; they are “the other,” “the foreigner,” the American with a distinct Midwest sensibility who is trying to make sense of a world on the brink of an unforeseen catastrophe. The world as we used to know it. Find information about Linda's book launch event on March 29 at Literati in Ann Arbor: https://www.lindanemecfoster.com/events/  And, as referenced in the episode, you can listen back to previous episodes featuring Linda Nemec Foster and Diane DeCillis.

Metro Detroit-based brother-duo Pancho Villa's Skull performs at the Ferndale Library on Friday, March 10 at 7:30 pm - Pancho Villa’s Skull was started by Tino Ybarra in 2011. While growing up in Pontiac, Michigan, Tino developed a love from Mariachi music through his grandfather on his mother's side who played trumpet in mariachi bands. He also, spent time in south Texas with his paternal grandfather who took him across the border to Mexico from time to time so, he could know where he came from. As, he got older he started playing in punk and ska bands around Detroit yet, he wanted to feel more connected to his roots. He decided to create what he calls Mariachi punk and blended the acoustic instrumentation and other elements of the mariachi sound with the energy and political commentary of the classic punk music. Named after Mexican Revolutionary general Pancho Villa, whose skull was stolen from his grave in 1926, Pancho Villa’s Skull was originally a solo act featuring Ybarra on vocals and acoustic guitar. At the beginning of 2016 his brother Rolando Ybarra joined the band to play percussion and added to the sound heavily. Making the sound bigger but, maintaining a stripped down feel.

We look back at 20 years' worth of Best Picture winners and nominees with film enthusiast/lecturer Greg Black. Greg will be HERE on March 7 for his annual Oscars Preview, looking at all of this year's Best Picture nominees.  https://www.fadl.org/oscars 

C.J. Box is an award-winning N.Y. Times Bestselling author, famous for his long-running Joe Pickett series about a Wyoming Game Warden. His latest is 'Storm Watch,' (out on 2/28) 

Today on the podcast, Rodi, Mary Grahame, Simon and Kricket discuss their favorite musicals, as well as some of their least favorites... This is all an early prelude to our eventual MUSICALS TRIVIA NIGHT, happening on April 10!  Titles discussed include: Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 Phantom of the Opera Les Miserables Phantom of the Paradise Pippen Hadestown Lion King Hamilton Spongebob Squarepants  A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Cats Chicago   Fiddler on the Roof Jesus Christ Superstar  

Ahead of our upcoming Rom-Com Movie Trivia Night, here in Ferndale, we're having a panel discussion all about our favorite Rom-Coms! (www.fadl.org/triva) 

Our annual BAKE SALE is coming up on February 13! If you live in Ferndale and you want to sign up to bake, click here: www.fadl.org/bakesale | Today on the podcast, we have some baking enthusiasts from our staff discussing their approach toward & philosophy on BAKING, as well as their personal baking success stories (and baking fails!)   

Ethos is a Detroit-area indie-rock band led by singer/songwriter Christian Burke; they'll be performing HERE at the Ferndale Library on Friday, February 10, part of our First Stop Friday (local music showcase), with free/all-ages concerts brought to you by the Friends of the Ferndale Library. Ethos blend pop, shoegaze, and post-punk; they have a new album coming out in the fall titled There Must Be More Than This.  https://ethos3.bandcamp.com/releases 

This week on the podcast, we're talking to one of the most unique and imaginative authors on the contemporary horror scene: Grady Hendrix. The bestselling author of Horrorstor, The Final Girl Support Group and The Southern Book Club's Guide to Vampire Slaying is back with his latest, How to Sell a Haunted House. We talk about bringing some fun and emotional substance back to the horror genre while still making space for utterly creepy things like reanimated taxidermied squirrels and demonic puppets! 

We're here today, once again, to talk about attempts to ban books from libraries. We'll look back at last year, especially some of the instances that made headlines, but we'll also talk about the rights that library patrons have when it comes to intellectual freedoms and privacy. We are also fairly caffeinated on this episode, and we certainly did our best to keep things a bit light. For more information, though, on MLA's task force for intellectual freedoms, visit MI Right to Read. https://www.mirighttoread.com/ 

We always hear how "the book was better..." But sometimes the film or tv adaptation is actually QUITE GOOD. And perhaps even sometimes the adaptation is BETTER!?  Titles discussed include: Lock & Key (series)  Dune (films) The works of Elmore Leonard Practical Magic (film) Crazy Rich Asians (film)  Anihilation (film) Jurassic Park (film) A Series of Unfortunate Events (series) Atonement (film) Persepolis (animated film)

Detroit-based painter/artist/musician Mike Ross currently has new/recent works up on display inside the Ferndale Library. Ten years ago, to the day, January 12, 2013, Mike's first-ever solo show was also hosted here in the library, and it was on that occasion that Mike initiated an interesting experiment. He passed out 60 small shreds of canvas, the cut-up remains of a recently-finished painting that had not been revealed or displayed to anyone/anywhere, and he instructed everyone who attained a piece of canvas to "come back to the library in 10 years to assemble the painting." Well, we talk about that, and we talk about a LOT of other artful topics, as well.  To see more of Mike's work, click here: www.mrossart.com 

It's our last recap/rerun episode of the year, looking back to conversations we had with Lisa Scottoline (author of 'What Happened About The Bennetts') and Jonathan Evison (author of 'Small World').  We'll be back in the New Year with a new season of conversations and interviews! 

This week, we're listening back to two of our favorite interviews from 2022: Brit Bennett (The Vanishing Half) and Mohsin Hamid (The Last White Man).  Stay tuned for more author interview in 2023, including chats with Grady Hendrix, C.J. Box and J. Ryan Stradal! 

Today on the podcast, our librarians are back for MORE seasonally-inspired reading recommendations! Winter is coming!  Titles discussed include: Bodies in Winter by Robert Knightly Burial Rites by Hannah Kent Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer Moominland Midwinter by Tove Jansson The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh City of Thieves by David Benioff Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory The Innocents by Michael Crummey

This week, we're playing a game, and YOU can play along! Often, our librarians have to help someone find a book but are only provided scant or scattered details. ("I can't remember the title, but the cover was blue!") Our librarians will be given a few random descriptions, and we'll see if they can guess the book title & author!  

This week, we're talking with author Laura E. Weymouth about her new YA novel, A Consuming Fire. https://lauraeweymouth.com/  Laura Weymouth is a Canadian living in America, and the sixth consecutive generation of her family to immigrate from one country to another. Born and raised in the Niagara region of Ontario, she now lives at the edge of the woods in western New York, along with her husband, two wild-hearted daughters, and an ever-expanding menagerie of animal friends. More about her latest, A Consuming Fire:  Uprooted meets The Grace Year in this dark young adult fantasy of love and vengeance following a girl who vows to kill a god after her sister is unjustly slain by his hand. Weatherell girls aren’t supposed to die. Once every eighteen years, the isolated forest village of Weatherell is asked to send one girl to the god of the mountain to give a sacrifice before returning home. Twins Anya and Ilva Astraea are raised with this destiny in mind, and when their time comes, spirited Ilva volunteers to go. Her devoted sister Anya is left at home to pray for Ilva’s safe return. But Anya’s prayers are denied. With her sister dead, Anya volunteers to make a journey of her own to visit the god of the mountain. But unlike her sister, sacrifice is the furthest thing from Anya’s mind. Anya has no intention of giving anything more to the god, or of letting any other girl do so ever again. Anya Astraea has not set out to placate a god. She’s set out to kill one.

This week on the podcast, we're looking back on some of our "favorite" albums that we selected to be featured on our library's website! Visit our Readers Corner to find all of staff's favorite albums, books, and movies: https://www.fadl.org/staffpickbooks    Full music list: https://www.fadl.org/mustlistens    Listen to a Spotify playlist of our panel's picks, here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5AS8SEFG8xOSBQym3Hz2ix?si=aa28a140abe84121 

Mary Grahame & Rodi are back on the pod and they have LISTS.  Titles Discussed Include:  House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson Dracula by Bram Stoker Fake it til you Bake it by Jamie Wesley That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf by Kimberly Lemming League of Gentlewomen Witches by Indie Holton The Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum by Dr. Emma Southon Fight Like Hell by Kim Kelly Vagina Obscura by Rachel E. Gross  A Man and His Cat by Umi Sakurai Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna Act Your Age Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen by Isaac Bloom A Consuming Fire by Laura E. Weymouth Terry Pratchett's Going Postal I Blame My Shelf Podcast

This week, we're talking about our favorite Manga series. Manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan--and over the years, public libraries (like Ferndale) have started to circulate quite a wide variety of titles, many of which can be found in the "graphic novel" section. In this episode, we discuss some of the best new series, including some iconic/classics:  A Man and His Cat Attack on Titan Hellsing Kingdom Hearts Dramacon Skip Beat Cyborg 009 Devilman Gangsta  

Today we're talking to author Ophelia Crane about her latest work of fantasy/horror, 'I Hope Your Abuser Dies.' Crane has written a handful of novels with a clear intention to both fascinate and to shock! In 'I Hope Your Abuser Dies,' she's exploring the myth of Medusa with a very modern twist. More info: https://opheliacrane.com  

An entire podcast dedicated to horror films. Jeff and Simon unpack the progression of horror films from the 1920s through the 2020s, singing the praises of their personal favorites all along the way.

We circulate nearly every popular film that Keanu Reeves has ever made... And, now that we have at least ONE tie-in to a library resource there, we're just going to go ahead and have an entire episode about Keanu Reeves, the Internet's Boyfriend: a fan's analysis of the various "eras" of his career...  

Iconic? Well, we'll see... Jeff is performing lines from films, books (and..., inevitably, films adapted from books!) We have a panel of three contestants who will do their best to guess the source material of each quote. (Can you guess them all??) 

Today on the podcast, we're talking about movies! Specifically our DVDs and Blu-Rays, and the upcoming Movie Trivia Night we're hosting. But beyond that, we're just geeking out about the cinematic arts, from horror movies to rom-coms to soundtracks. Tune in, it's a wild ride. Movie Trivia Night: www.fadl.org/trivia Film Club: www.fadl.org/film-club  Also discussed in this episode is the utterly terrifying music video for Genesis' "Land of Confusion."

Completing a trilogy of episodes on the romance genre, we have an interview with award-winning Michigan-based romance author BEVERLY JENKINS. https://beverlyjenkins.net/   Since the publication of Night Song in 1994, she has been leading the charge for multicultural romance, and has been a constant darling of reviewers, fans, and her peers alike, garnering accolades for her work from the likes of The Wall Street Journal, People Magazine, and NPR.

Ensconce yourself in a really cozy nook and read these books! Kricket, Jeff and Sarah are sharing reading recommendations for the Fall!  The Secret History by Donna Tartt The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart We Have Alwyas Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson Almost anything by Ray Bradbury, ever (but also: From The Dust Returned)  Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell  Scarenthood by Nick Roche Sweetland by Michael Crummey The Ex Hex by  Erin Sterling When The Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain  We Ride Upon Sticks by Quon Barry  Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher Sandman by Neil Gaiman The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia Face of an Angel by Denise Chavez The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruis-Zafon Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell by Susanna Clarke Matrix by Lauren Groff 

This week, ahead of Banned Books Week, we're talking about the new grassroots coalition, MI Right To Read, organized by the Michigan Library Association to oppose any attempts to ban books from Michigan libraries based on content subjectively deemed inappropriate. You can find more information online at: https://www.mirighttoread.com/take-action