Top Shelf Librarians

The curse of the ice machine continues as Heather pulls back the curtain on big Cherry™ and Brittany raves about Sam J. Miller again, despite not reading any Sam J. Miller this month. We also talk about Star Search and Ikea lightbulbs, booze, and some books. Book Mentions: Heather: Opinions: A Decade of Arguments, Criticism, and Minding Other People's Business by Roxane Gay The Woman in Me by Britney Spears Brittany: System Collapse (Murderbot Diaries #7) by Martha Wells In the Sanctuary of Outcasts by Neil White Wild Spaces by S.L. Coney My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine Riding the Nightmare by Lisa Tuttle A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe by Mark Dawidziak As ever, thanks to Shane Ivers of ⁠⁠silvermansound.com⁠⁠ for the use of "VHS Dreams" as our intro and outro music.

Buckle up, folks, because things only get worse from here...

*sings* Let's do the Time Warp again! Hop in your TARDIS and travel on back to October with us, as we talk all things booze, books, and MURDER.... ahem, sorry. Murderbot. Brittany outs herself as an avid Jason Mraz stan, Heather has some conspiracy theories about her local coffee shop, and we rant about the American Healthcare System. We also remind you that, while we are Library Pros™, we are not Podcast Pros, nor are we Law Librarians. We just like books, man. Book Mentions: Brittany: Refuse to be Done: How to Write and Rewrite a Novel in Three Drafts by Matt Bell Last to Leave the Room by Caitlin Starling Whalefall by Daniel Kraus Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas The Murderbot Diaries (#s 1-6) by Martha Wells Heather: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas The Adventure Zone, Volume 1: Here There Be Gerblins by the McElroys and Carey Pietsch Sunshine: A Graphic Novel by Jarrett J. Krosoczka As ever, thanks to Shane Ivers of ⁠silvermansound.com⁠ for the use of "VHS Dreams" as our intro and outro music.

The saga continues with Saga Volume 6! We really hope you're reading along with us, because things only get more weird from here...

This month's show is chaotic and tangential af. Buckle up for some pineapple fun facts with Heather, the world's most opinionated ice machine, and a list of Barnes & Noble pros and cons. Brittany plugs libro.fm, Heather does some book learnin', and we both tell the British Museum to get bent. But, goofs aside, we do get serious for a moment – but only a moment! Then it's right back to being Murder Mystery-Solving, Maple Syrup-Loving Professionals. All right? All right. Book Mentions: Brittany: Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley The Book of Gems by Fran Wilde Delicates by Brenna Thummler And What Can We Offer You Tonight by Premee Mohamed The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson Heather: Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley Loveless by Alice Oseman Feel the Bern: A Bernie Sanders Mystery by Andrew Shaffer As ever, thanks to Shane Ivers of silvermansound.com for the use of "VHS Dreams" as our intro and outro music.

This volume of Saga is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from disgusting, wholesome, and heartbreaking. Why would you ever settle for a graphic novel that couldn't deliver on all three?

Real talk, we recorded this weeks ago, and Brittany forgot to take show notes. But we're funny and opinionated as ever. And there's a lot of talk about Montucky Cold Snack, so like, sponsor us already, yeah? If you've made it this far, then you know what to expect by now. Book Mentions: Heather: Solitaire by Alice Oseman Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz Turtles All the Way Down by John Green Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall Husband Material by Alexis Hall I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston Brittany: The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder by David Grann The Dig by John Preston Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle As ever, thank you to Shane Ivers of Silvermansound.com for the use of VHS Dreams as our intro and outro music.

This volume was particularly jarring, mainly because both Heather and Brittany managed to Etch-a-Sketch it from their brains completely. Buckle up as we do our best Gandalf impressions, because we have no memory of this volume...

Gather round and lend us your ears! We're accessing our higher education and having a wild time in a new and improved space (aka Brittany's house). Heather admits she's a Berry Bitch™, Brittany can only describe Neil Gaiman as "fantastic", but we both agree: We miss you, Matt! Then Brittany threatens her friends with vegetables, Heather confesses she's pre-funked the podcast, and the entire show devolves into a Pride & Prejudice Podcast. We aren't even the least bit bothered by it, either. Book Mentions: Brittany: Comfort Me with Apples by Catherynne M. Valente The Wick by Julianna Baggott Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro from Blank Page to Book by Allison K. Williams Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark Foster by Claire Keegan In the House in the Dark of the Woods by Laird Hunt Be the Bus: the Lost & Profound Wisdom of the Pigeon by Mo Willems Music Cats Board Book by Mudpuppy and Angie Rozelaar The Guncle by Steven Rowley Lugosi: the Rise and Fall of Hollywood's Dracula by Koren Shadmi Heather: Educational Research Competencies for Analysis and Applications, 12th Ed. by Geoffrey E. Mills and L.R. Gay Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen As ever, thank you to Shane Ivers of Silvermansound.com for the use of VHS Dreams as our intro and outro music.

In keeping with the Saga aesthetic, things are WILD this volume y'all. Our characters are scattered around the galaxy, but The Will and Prince Robot have each set their sights on Quietus. Will Alana and Marko get their family to safety in time? There's only one way to find out... Actually, you could, like, read the book. Or google it, maybe. But the BEST way to find out is by putting this episode directly in your earholes!

This month is a wild one, y'all. Brittany kicks us off with some very important news, while Heather has a confession to make: she ate Cop Sausage! Then Brittany starts a conspiracy theory, Heather recounts a horrific tale of the Donner Party and bologna, and then she reminds us that she is, in fact, not Laurel. We would like to take the time to remind you that this is a Pro-Orca Podcast, as well as a Judy Greer Appreciation Episode. Somewhere along the way we ruminate on the important things in life, like Moldy Lo Mein and what even are Millennials anyway? Book Mentions: Brittany: This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal EL-Mohtar and Max Gladstone Life in the Garden by Penelope Lively Lone Women by Victor LaValle The Hunger by Alma Katsu Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield Saga vol. 3 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples GrowVeg: The Beginner's Guide to Easy Vegetable Gardening by Benedict Vanheems Heather: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid As ever, thank you to Shane Ivers of Silvermansound.com for the use of VHS Dreams as our intro and outro music.

We're back with the next installment of the multi-award winning graphic novel series, Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples. If you thought Volume One was a trip, then buckle up, because things get... hairy.

Welcome to Two Queers, One Quilt Room – um, we mean, Top Shelf Librarians! We just happen to be in together in one room this month. Yes, a quilt room. We'll explain later. The gist of this show is, your educator friends are not all right, so buy them wine! Also, Brittany admits she is a Dragon Age Dummy, Heather's French is even worse than Brittany's German, and we hear the Sam J. Miller speech. Again. Then we share Force Awakens stories, fangirl about Fangirl, and Brittany confesses to a literary crime. So, you know, the usual show. Book Mentions: Brittany: Saga vol. 2 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples Dragon Age: The Missing #4 by George Mann et al., Steering the Craft: A 21st Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story by Ursula K. LeGuin Kid Wolf and Kraken Boy by Sam J. Miller When the Moon Turns to Blood: Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell, and a Story of Murder, Wild Faith, and End Times by Leah Sottile Heather: Saga vol. 2 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples Roll Call (Dungeon Club #1) by Molly Knox Ostertag and Xanthe Bouma Scattered Showers: Stories by Rainbow Rowell As ever, thank you to Shane Ivers of Silvermansound.com for the use of VHS Dreams as our intro and outro music.

Welcome to the very first episode of our new spin-off series, The Saga Saga! Brittany and Heather are re-reading their all-time favorite graphic novel series Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples, and lucky for you Dear Listeners they're doing a drunken deep dive on each volume. So buckle up, because Saga is strange enough when you're sober. If you haven't read Volume One yet, don't worry. You have a month to read Volumes One and Two before the next episode comes out. Trust us, you're going to want to read it after listening to this episode. It's that weird (affectionate). We'll be posting episodes of The Saga Saga between the regularly scheduled episodes of Top Shelf Librarians, so now you get to hear from us every two weeks! Enjoy...

It was the first warm week of spring, and the cider and tequila were FLOWING. Sure, we talk about books. But! We also rant about Portland and mental health and video games. We struggle through some truly wild technological difficulties, and Craig gets... creepy. Y'know. The usual. Book Mentions: Heather: How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing by KC Davis, LPC Love Poems for Anxious People by John Kenney A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver Brittany: Plutona by Jeff Lemire and Emi Lenox Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, Vol. 2 by Ben Gelinas et al. As ever, thank you to Shane Ivers of Silvermansound.com for the use of VHS Dreams as our intro and outro music.

When we say these are wild times to be a librarian, what we really mean is: These are Wild Times for These Librarians in Particular. And when things get out of control, Fandom Obsessions are always there for you. So follow along as Heather and Brittany talk all things Booze, Books, Dragon Age, V.E. Schwab, Buzzfeed Unsolved, Watcher Entertainment, Saga, Below Deck, and and and... Point is, there are a lot of rants in this episode, but also a fun little announcement! So buckle up, and have some fun! Book Mentions: Heather: Spare by Prince Harry City of Ghosts by V.E Schwab Tunnel of Bones by V.E. Schwab Bridge of Souls by V.E. Schwab Brittany: The Change by Kirsten Miller Garlic and the Witch by Bree Paulsen Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse The Eleventh Hour by Clint McElroy and Carey Pietsch The Fire Opal Mechanism by Fran Wilde Before and After the Book Deal: A Writer's Guide to Finishing, Publishing, Promoting, and Surviving Your First Book by Courtney Maum Dragon Age: The Missing (Issues 1-3) by George Mann et al., As ever, thank you to Shane Ivers of Silvermansound.com for the use of VHS Dreams as our intro and outro music.

We think we can all agree that February is just a weird month, right? Right. So it only stands to reason that this episode of Top Shelf Librarians is a little extra weird, right? Good, we're glad you agree! This month Brittany gets cringier than usual, Heather admits heartburn will be a factor, and we absolutely slay this episode. We explore reading related injuries, the natural lesbian habitat, and Heather teaches Brittany that doodlebugs are, in fact, real and gay af. Prepare yourself for the return of Brené Brown and Jeff Bezos, and of course, our Beautiful Bear Bast*rd, Craig. Told you things were gonna get weird... Book Mentions: Brittany: Garlic and the Vampire by Bree Paulsen Welcome to the Writer's Life: How to Design Your Writing Craft, Writing Business, Writing Practice, and Reading Practice by Paulette Perhach Frontier Grit: The Unlikely True Stories of Daring Pioneer Women by Marianne Monson Wild Words: Rituals, Routines, and Rhythms for Braving the Writer's Path by Nicole Gulotta Your First 1000 Copies: A Step-by-Step Guide to Marketing Your Book by Tom Grahl The Salem Clique: Oregon's Founding Brothers by Barbara S. Mahoney Astoria: John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson's Lost Pacific Empire: A Story of Wealth, Ambition, and Survival by Peter Stark Heather: Ain't Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds, Illustrated by Jason Griffith Queer Ducks (and Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality by Eliot Schrefer The Honeys by Ryan La Sala As ever, thank you to Shane Ivers of Silvermansound.com for the use of VHS Dreams as our intro and outro music.

Welcome to Season 3, Dear Listener, where things are as unhinged and unplanned as ever! Heather has her bi-monthly existential crisis, this time over some required reading. Brittany acknowledges that she has a superpower, Heather struggles with the British accent, we give thanks to Scientists. We explore the Four Corners of Fiction, Heather takes medical advice from TikTok, and Brittany desperately wants to be BFFs with Erin Morgenstern. Just a typical evening with the Library Pros™. Book Mentions: Heather: I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love by Jonathan Van Ness Brittany: American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land by Monica Hesse Saga, vol. 10 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples Tombstone: The Earp Brothers, Doc Holliday, and the Vendetta Ride from Hell by Tom Clavin The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern As ever, thank you to Shane Ivers of Silvermansound.com for the use of VHS Dreams as our intro and outro music.

Things are getting wild in the Top Shelf Librarians recording studio, gang. Heather's got 99 problems, and Bluetooth's one. Brittany's chock-a-block full of advice, from recommended social media (hint: it's tumblr) to the best foods to eat when you know you're just gonna barf it back up in fifteen minutes. We say goodbye to the Goodreads Challenge, discuss our 2022 faves, and Heather vows to Betty Crocker This Shit in the Cooking Corner Formerly Known as Matt's. By now you know that things usually get weird on the show, but in 2023, we're choosing violence. Buckle up. Book Mentions: Brittany: Ten Steps to Nanette: A Memoir Situation by Hannah Gadsby Vincent & Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers by Deborah Heiligman The Prometheite by Ari S. Mulch Heather: Bad Vibes Only (and Other Things I Bring to the Table) by Nora McInerny Squire by Sara Alfageeh and Nadia Shammas As ever, thank you to Shane Ivers of Silvermansound.com for the use of VHS Dreams as our intro and outro music.

Half of us are under the weather, but we're all here! This month we introduce a new member of the team, Craig the Producer! Heather invites you to drink doctored up Apple Piss™ this holiday season, Matt and Brittany get in a fight, and Laurel keeps things wholesome with a book about... arsonists? We beg Alice Oseman to be our friend, solve the Jack Hanna(h) Mystery you didn't know existed, and teach Matt how to use a microphone after two years of podcasting. We swear this is a podcast about books... Book Mentions: Heather: Heartstopper by Alice Oseman Brittany: The Witch's Hand (The Montague Twins, vol.1) by Nathan Page and Drew Shannon The Devil's Music (The Montague Twins, vol.2) by Nathan Page and Drew Shannon The Deer Kings by Wendy N. Wagner The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian The Lost Metal (Wayne & Wax #4) by Brandon Sanderson Laurel: The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham-Jones American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land by Monica Hesse Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin Matt: Garth Marenghi's TerrorTome: Dreamweaver, Doomsage, Sunday Times Bestseller by Garth Marenghi As ever, thank you to Shane Ivers of Silvermansound.com for the use of VHS Dreams as our intro and outro music.

Welcome back to our Fine Podcast Establishment™! It's another doozy of an episode, in which Laurel get carried away, Heather gets very Rita Hayworth, Brittany's a book Smaug, and Matt's looking grizzled. This month Shrek and Cider Sluts Unite, there's a fun (lesbian) twist, and we beg Guillermo DelToro to remake Brigadoon. This note could go on forever, so maybe just listen and laugh and act like we wrote it all down? kthxbye. Book Mentions: Heather: I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid Laurel: Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh The Hotel: a Series of Ghost Stories with a Feminist Twist by Daisy Johnson Elsewhere: a Novel by Alexis Schaitkin The Family Fang: a Novel by Kevin Wilson Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey Little Eve by Catriona Ward Matt: Hip Hop Family Tree Book 3: 1983-1984 by Ed Piskor Mi Cocina: Recipes and Rapture from My Kitchen in Mexico by Rick Martinez Brittany: The Story of the Hundred Promises by Neil Cochrane Women of the Frontier: 16 Tales of Trailblazing Homesteaders, Entrepreneurs, and Rabble-Rousers by Brandon Marie Miller Where the Deer and the Antelope Play: The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Loves to Walk Outside by Nick Offerman As ever, thank you to Shane Ivers of Silvermansound.com for the use of VHS Dreams as our intro and outro music.

Hit it! Top Shelf's back with all four hosts, so things are even weirder that usual. This month we wrap up our Trevor Project Back-to-School Reading Challenge, Matt has an imaginary feud with Jeff Vandermeer (sorry, Jeff), and Laurel drinks so. much. gin. Then Heather admits she's had some Snoop in her, we get invited to Matt's Children's Corner (yikes!), and we ask the hard questions. Like, what does Zuck have that we don't? There could have been another solid two paragraphs of shows notes, because this one is not only a doozy, but also... a banger. Buckle up, because we're welcoming you back to our Fine Podcast Establishment™. We sincerely hope you enjoy your stay. Book Mentions: Matt: Sweet Child O'Mine by Guns 'N' Roses Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky Heather: Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel Laurel: The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield Brittany: The Crossroads at Midnight by Abby Howard Gallant by V.E. Schwab As ever, thank you to Shane Ivers of Silvermansound.com for the use of VHS Dreams as our intro and outro music.

Welcome to our Fine Podcast Establishment™, where Brittany has a meltdown over Ralph Fiennes, Heather takes her role as MattFact Steward very seriously, and we swoon over our (make-believe) sponsors. We agree that Tessa Thompson could get it and that Taika Waititi is a saint (don't disappoint us, Takika!), but we hate to break it to you: there's no dongs in Disney films. So, you know, the usual. You can donate to The Trevor Project via our Facebook Fundraiser Page! Book Mentions: Heather: David Sedaris Diaries: A Visual Compendium by David Sedaris and Jeffrey Jenkins Brittany: Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse As ever, thank you to Shane Ivers of Silvermansound.com for the use of VHS Dreams as our intro and outro music.

We have a surprise for you this month, Dear Listeners: a guest host! while Matt and Laurel travel to undisclosed locations, our dear friend Morgan joins the show. She shares with us her marketing tips, her love of petty joy, her Best Friend Promise™. Heather tells us about the Mystery Man in her Imagination and the Romantic Long Con while bringing some serious Matt Energy to the table. Brittany's on the hunt for Intellectual Booty while she raves about Sam J. Miller (again), and we all agree that Anthony Bridgerton has an Olfactory Kink. And you know that whoever smelt it dealt. Sorry Al Gore, them's the rules. Book Mentions: Morgan: The Verifiers by Jane Pak Persuasion by Jane Austen Heather: Wild Embers: Poems of Rebellion, Fire and Beauty by Nikita Gill Brittany: Boys, Beasts & Men by Sam J. Miller Xenocultivars: Stories of Queer Growth edited by Isabel Oliveira and Jed Sabin The Hourglass Throne by K.D. Edwards A Poetry Handbook: A Prose Guide to Understanding and Writing Poetry by Mary Oliver As ever, thank you to Shane Ivers of Silvermansound.com for the use of VHS Dreams as our intro and outro music.

Buckle up because we are getting back in that time machine to talk about June! Matt and Laurel are still doing their best Carmen San Diego impressions, so Brittany and Heather go on a Banned and Challenged books rant (again), Dr. Swami and Bone Daddy make an appearance (again), and we ask Roxane Gay to be our friend (again). We learn that Brittany is a whale nerd and she talks a lot about pirates (again). Heather regretfully informs Jane Austen that she is Queen of the Straights. R.I.P. Book Mentions: Brittany: Light the Dark: Writers on Creativity, Inspiration, and the Artistic Process edited by Joe Fassler Breath of a Whale: the Science and Spirit of Pacific Ocean Giants by Leigh Calvez Shades of Magic vol. 1: The Steel Prince by V.E. Schwab Born to be Hanged: The Epic Story of the Gentlemen Pirates Who Raided the South Seas, Saved a Princess, and Stole a Fortune by Keith Thomson Heather: The Five Wounds by Kirstin Valdez Quade Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe As ever, thank you to Shane Ivers of Silvermansound.com for the use of VHS Dreams as our intro and outro music.

Summer is here and it has thrown the Library Pros™ for quite the loop. 50% of your hosts succumbed to the plague, so we can definitely Vouchie for the Fauci Ouchie. Brittany goes on another Author Rant, Heather talks about disappointing Gay Grannies, and we almost forget about Joy. Travel back in time with us, and see what we read in May! Book Mentions: Heather: Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram Darius the Great Deserves Better by Adib Khorram Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram Brittany: The Low, Low Woods by Carmen Maria Machado and DaNi Fangs by Sarah Anderson Love the House You're In: 40 Ways to Improve Your Home and Change Your Life by Page Rien As ever, thank you to Shane Ivers of Silvermansound.com for the use of VHS Dreams as our intro and outro music.

The Library Pros™ are back, babeyyy! In this month's episode we meet The Cheddar Goblin, Laurel asks, "What Happened to Neil Young?", Matt's aliases get downright unwieldy, and we get thoroughly distracted before we even finish the Booze Roll Call. Heather suggests we get "Daddy Musk Enough," Martha Stewart has the smoothest Tomatoes, and Brittany is basically herding cats. We get another good ol' education rant, we see the triumphant return of Matt's Cooking Corner, and we all agree that Nick Offerman would fight a bear for Heather. Book Mentions: Heather: Untamed by Glennon Doyle Where the Deer and the Antelope Play: the Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant Man Who Loves to Walk Outside by Nick Offerman Laurel: Such a Pretty Smile by Kristi DeMeester The Trespass Collection by Various Authors, presented by Amazon Original Stories Matt: Shaq's Family Style: Championship Recipes for Feeding Family and Friends (a Cookbook) by Shaquille O'Neal Brittany: Noor by Nnedi Okorafor Culturize: Every Student. Every Day. Whatever it Takes. by Jimmy Casas I Would Leave Me if I Could: a Collection of Poetry by Halsey All the Horses of Iceland by Sarah Tolmie As ever, thank you to Shane Ivers of Silvermansound.com for the use of VHS Dreams as our intro and outro music.

We can't speak for you, but we can confidently say that March was a weird weird month for the Library Pros™. This month Brittany admits she's micro-dosing meth (Legally!), Matt's side gig is dubious at best, and Reganland Returns. Laurel and Heather get a little too excited about cults, Matt "pauses the stream" to take a leak, and we all agree, we will NOT slander Jimmy Carter on this podcast. Book Mentions: Matt: *crickets* Brittany: Anoka: a Collection of Indigenous Fiction by Shane Hawk, "Soilborne" and "Wounded" The New Voices of Fantasy, edited by Peter S. Beagle and Jacob Weisman, "Left the Century to Sit Unmoved" by Sarah Pinsker and "Wing" by Amal El-Mohtar Laurel: The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward Heather: The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple by Jeff Guinn Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell As ever, thank you to Shane Ivers of Silvermansound.com for the use of VHS Dreams as our intro and outro music.

Another doozy of an episode this month. You can thank Laurel and her plethora of oddly upbeat books. Matt's DJ names take on a life of their own, we debate the merits of a 1-5 Star rating system, and we all agree George Saunders definitely isn't a prick. Brittany goes full Standerson over a graphic novel, we get Mattsplained™ Pokémon, and Heather pulls a Matt. But, the real journey was the friends we made along the way, or something. Book Mentions: Heather: Fuzz by Mary Roach The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green Matt: Penny: a Graphic Memoir by Karl Stevens Sapiens: a Graphic History, volume 2: the Pillars of Civilization by Yuval Noah Harari The Handbook to Lazy Parenting by Guy Delisle Laurel: Fox 8 by George Saunders In. by Will McPhair Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel The Return by Rachel Harrison Brittany: The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik The Secret Skin by Wendy N. Wagner Dark One by Brandon Sanderson and Jackson Lanzing Noor by Nnedi Okorafor As ever, thank you to Shane Ivers of Silvermansound.com for the use of VHS Dreams as our intro and outro music.

Holy smokes, it's a whole new year! The show is officially a year old, and we're celebrating the start of season two(!) with a monstrous episode full of hijinks! This month the Library Pros™ learn what boofing is *spoiler alert: Matt's wrong*, we see the return of Peach Powered Thighs, we all agree that Joe Rogan has a very punchable voice, and that we still hate Ronald Regan. Heather introduces us to Diamond Dick (we promise, it isn't what you think), Matt's book might change the world, and Brittany teaches us about the Kombucha Lady. And somewhere between Matt's Ivermectin Advice and Laurel's uncharacteristically "cute" read, Brittany and Heather get on their School Library Soapbox. P.S. Hey, Nicholas Sparks? Joey Batey did it better! DISCLAIMER: This episode is a doozy, and it's manly because Heather and Brittany spend a solid 20 minutes discussing a Tennessee school board's recent banning of the graphic novel Maus by Art Spiegelman. This is an unusually political and heavy episode of Top Shelf Librarians, and though we know that isn't necessarily what you listen to our show for, we thought it was important to keep it in the episode. We live in times where a book about the Holocaust has been banned. Freedom to Read is critical to a successful democracy. We didn't want to add to the censorship by editing ourselves on this subject. We believe it is vital to talk about, and we hope you agree. Book Mentions: Matt: Sapiens: a Graphic History: The Birth of Humanknd by Yuval Noah Harari Laurel: Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún by Nagabe No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood Brittany: Pity the Reader: On Writing with Style by Kurt Vonnegut and Susanne McConnell Things in Jars by Jess Kidd Nothing but Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire Heather: Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley The Burning: Black Wall Street and the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 by Tim Madigan (adapted for Young Readers by Hilary Beard) As ever, thank you to Shane Ivers of Silvermansound.com for the use of VHS Dreams as our intro and outro music.

It's the holiday season and the Library Pros™ are feeling festive af. There's a Gay Boy Christmas Extravaganza, Brittany shares her Eggnog Trauma, we vow to keep St. Paddy's Day local, and Matt gives the worst book review ever. We take a look back at 2021 in all its trash-fire glory, we introduce a new segment, and Brittany admits what we all already know: she's a Draco Malfoy stan. Heather brags about "motherfucking Momofuku" and that she's feeling 2022, and we make a Podcast Pandemic Pact. Goodbye, 2021. We won't miss you. Book Mentions: Heather: Cheese Sex Death: a Bible for the Cheese Obsessed by Erika Kubick Laurel: Lemon by Kwon Yeo-sun This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno Brittany: Major Detours: a Choices Novel by Zachary Sergi The Neil Gaiman at the End of the Universe by Arvind Ethan David Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova Carry On by Rainbow Rowell Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell Never Say You Can't Survive: How to Get Through Hard Times by Making Up Stories by Charlie Jane Anders Matt: Prince Valiant vol. 15 by Hal Foster Durarara! vol. 2 by Ryohgo Narita As ever, thank you to Shane Ivers at Silvermansound.com for the use of "VHS Dreams" for our intro and outro music. Contact us at topshelflibrarians@gmail.com, or follow us on twitter @Liboozians.

Not even a Snowpocalypse could keep the Library Pros™ from bringing you another wild ride of an episode. This month we ask the important questions, like "Is Laurel's Rum Racist?" and "Who Hurt You, Alice Hoffman?". Brittany fangirls over Caitlin Starling, Laurel judges a book by its cover, we meet Ghost Daddy and other Matt aliases, and Heather teaches us the Three Cs: Candles, Cats, and Crows! Some jag-off makes a great pizza and we won't deny we love Ewan McGregor. I mean, who doesn't? Book Mentions: Matt: Foodheim: a Culinary Adventure by Eric Wareheim Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro Brittany: Dragon Age: Dark Fortress by Christina Weir and Nunzio DeFilippis The Gospel of Loki by Joanne Harris Craft in the Real World: Rethinking Fiction Writing and Workshopping by Matthew Salesses The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet Laurel: Revelator: a Novel by Daryl Gregory The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides Heather: Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman As ever, thank you to Shane Ivers at Silvermansound.com for the use of "VHS Dreams" for our intro and outro music. Contact us at topshelflibrarians@gmail.com, or follow us on twitter @Liboozians.

The Library Pros™ are doing the Time Warp (again!), this time all the way back to October! It's a wild ride of a month in which Laurel and Brittany have a little too much fun with Harry Potter names, we test a new segment known as Missed Opportunities: Barking Dawn Edition, some books just don't have enough pectin, and Modern Teens meet Millennial Nostalgia. Brittany gets defensive about Grunge music, Heather invents a new social media platform, we meet Anthony Porkchop in Matt's Cooking Corner, and we had to see a guy about a werewolf. All in a (spooky) month's work. Book Mentions: Laurel: The Testament of Mary by Colm Tóibín The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang Sisters by Daisy Johnson Heather: Sadie by Courtney Summers Twilight by Stephenie Meyers The Project by Courtney Summers Matt: Antoni: Let's Do Dinner by Antoni Porowski and Mandy Fox Brittany: Dracula by Bram Stoker Mary Shelley's Monster: the Story of Frankenstein by Mark Tropp The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix As ever, thank you to Shane Ivers at Silvermansound.com for the use of "VHS Dreams" for our intro and outro music. Contact us at topshelflibrarians@gmail.com, or follow us on twitter @Liboozians.

This month the Library Pros™ get drink, drank, drunk. This episode is full of hijinks, shenanigans, tomfoolery, and, of course, books! In which Heather has some Fun with Urban Dictionary, we take a visit to Matt's Cooking Corner, and Lola Makes Her Debut. Matt manages to spoil a 175 year old book, we have Round Two of the Poirot Fight, and Brittany somehow spoils a Science Fiction retelling of a book she's never read. To top it all off, we dunk on Sarah Palin and Crack the Cornell Code. All in a Month's Work for the Top Shelf Librarians! Book Mentions: Matt: The Grownup by Gillian Flynn The Unexpected Guest by Agatha Christie Burma Superstar: Addictive Recipes from the Crossroads of Southeast Asia by Desmond Tan and Kate Leahy Heather: Broken (in the Best Possible Way) by Jenny Lawson Laurel: My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker In the Quick by Kate Hope Day Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips Brittany: The Rose That Grew From Concrete by Tupac Shakur The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones Mary's Monster: Love, Madness, and How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein by Lita Judge Ghosted in L.A. vol. 3 by Sina Grace and Siobhan Keenan As ever, thank you to Shane Ivers at Silvermansound.com for the use of "VHS Dreams" for our intro and outro music. Contact us at topshelflibrarians@gmail.com, or follow us on twitter @Liboozians.

It's been a hot minute but the Library Pros™ are back in action! Travel back in time with us, all the way to August! We talk about The Baconssaince and Matt's Golden Age, we have a very serious Kantaro Convo, we reminisce about Hot Sauce Homework, and Brittany REALLY loves ramen. Oh, yeah! And we talk about books. And booze. Book Mentions: Matt: Asian-American: Proudly Inauthentic Recipes from the Philippines to the Bronx by Dale Talde Brittany: The Hanged Man by K.D. Edwards The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab The Kick-Ass Writer: 1001 Ways to Write Great Fiction, Get Published, and Earn Your Audience by Chuck Wendig Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse Heather: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab Laurel: Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough You by Caroline Kepnes As ever, thank you to Shane Ivers at Silvermansound.com for the use of "VHS Dreams" for our intro and outro music. Contact us at topshelflibrarians@gmail.com, or follow us on twitter @Liboozians.

The Library Pros are reunited, drunk and in-person! Get ready for a buckwild episode in which Brittany and Matt make a bet, we doubt Heather's definition of "cautious", Laurel recounts several occasions in which she almost died, and Brittany recommends you stop listening to our podcast. Twice. We discuss several riveting topics, such as The 5 People You F*ck in Heaven, The Jeff Bezos Network, The Half-Price Books Scam, and we suggest you spend a little money on Amazon. But don't worry , it's not like Dildo Rocket Ship Money. Also, there's no peen in this one. You're welcome. Book Mentions: Laurel: I am, I am, I am: Seventeen Brushes with Death: the Breathtaking Number One Seller by Maggie O'Farrell Matt: Oaxaca: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico by Bricia Lopez and Javier Cabral Heather: Graceful Burdens by Roxane Gay Brittany: A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells The Adventure Zone: Crystal Kingdom by Clint McElroy, Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy, Travis McElroy, and Carey Pietsch Thank you to Shane Ivers at Silvermansound.com for the use of "VHS Dreams" for our intro and outro music. Contact us at topshelflibrarians@gmail.com, or follow us on twitter @Liboozians.

In which Matt is always wrong, Laurel teaches us about water births at Reggae on the River, Brittany talks about some (not-so) chaste monster action, and Heather relives her convenience store days ("like Clerks, but more methy"). We make fun of Tucker Carlson and Ben Shapiro while Heather shares her Queer Book Round-Up for Pride Month! It might be almost a month late, but this episode is peak Library Pros™. Book Mentions: Matt: Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Comic by Joel Hodgson Laurel: Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murada Earthlings by Sayaka Murada Gory Details: Adventures from the Dark Side of Science by Erika Engelhaupt Brittany: For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyer Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones Heather:  Pumpkin' by Julie Murphy You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson The Project by Courtney Summers Thank you to Shane Ivers at Silvermansound.com for the use of "VHS Dreams" for our intro and outro music. Contact us at topshelflibrarians@gmail.com, or follow us on twitter @Liboozians.

This month the Gang stumbles into a multitude of copyright infringements. On the way Matt Daddy meets Dad Matty, we buckle up for Brittany's Brené Brown rant, Heather mires herself in Pandemic Porn, and Laurel manages to dig herself into an even BLEAKER novel than ever before! Things get a little too Musk-y en route to Mars and we all gush about Eurovision. Be warned, there's more than the usual amount of singing this month. Book Mentions: Matt: Homestyle Cookery by Matty Matheson Reincarnation Stories by Kim Deitch Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age by Annalee Newitz Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell Brittany: Laguardia by Nnedi Okorafor The Deep & Dark Blue by Niki Smith Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by Brené Brown Heather: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel Laurel: Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh Thank you to Shane Ivers at Silvermansound.com for the use of "VHS Dreams" for our intro and outro music. Contact us at topshelflibrarians@gmail.com, or follow us on twitter @Liboozians.

This month the Library Pros are feeling that Pandemic Fatigue, y'all. Matt hops aboard the 90s nostalgia train, Heather has some Strong Lesbiatronic Energy, Laurel laments her musty read, and Brittany gets Distracted™. There's weird shit with plants, conspiracy theories abound, and the Gang Blasphemes Ursula K. LeGuin. Enjoy. Book Mentions: Matt: Vegetable Kingdom: the abundant World of Vegan Cooking by Bryant Terry The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers Heather: Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera Flamer by Mike Curato The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Laurel: Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link Get in Trouble by Kelly Link Brittany: Bridge of Souls by Victoria Schwab Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire A Grown-Up Guide to Dinosaurs by Ben Garrod Caffiene: How Caffiene Created the Modern World by Michael Pollan Yellow Jessamine by Caitlin Starling Thank you to Shane Ivers at Silvermansound.com for the use of "VHS Dreams" for our intro and outro music. Contact us at topshelflibrarians@gmail.com, or follow us on twitter @Liboozians.

This month on Top Shelf Librarians Laurel gets relaxed and murderous, Brittany cultivates Jesus, Matt rails against the term "Kafka-esque", and Heather summons some really bad Ben Shapiro imitations. Which begs the question, is there such a thing as a good Ben Shapiro imitation? The gang gets weird with marinara and debate the legitimacy of kale salads. So, y'know, the usual. Book Mentions: Laurel: Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson Brittany: The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee Permission to Feel by Marc Brackett Cultivating Genius by Gholdy Muhammad The Dutch House by Ann Patchett Matt: Men without Women by Haruki Murakami Heather: Notes from an Apocalypse by Mark O'Connell Thank you to Shane Ivers at Silvermansound.com for the use of "VHS Dreams" for our intro and outro music. Contact us at topshelflibrarians@gmail.com, or follow us on twitter @Liboozians.

This month the Library Pros unravel the mysteries of Blockchain, Bitcoin, and Babies. Then we get lost in Obama's Political Sauce, Brittany admits she's a Horror wimp, and (spoiler alert) Laurel talks about some more bleak shit. Book Mentions: Matt: Mind Body Baby: Chakras by Imprint Books Blockchain for Babies by Chris Ferrie and Marco Tomamichel Paying the Land by Joe Sacco Double Awesome Chinese Food by Andrew, Irene, and Margaret Lee Brittany: The Blade Between by Sam J. Miller The Haunted by Danielle Vega The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee Heather: A Promised Land by Barack Obama You Never Forget Your First by Alexis Coe How Long 'til Black Future Month by N.K. Jemisin Laurel: The Dark Dark: Stories by Samantha Hunt Through the Woods by Emily Carroll When I Arrived at the Castle by Emily Carroll Thank you to Shane Ivers at Silvermansound.com for the use of "VHS Dreams" for our intro and outro music. Contact us at topshelflibrarians@gmail.com, or follow us on twitter @Liboozians.

Meet the Library Pros and join us for the first Booze Roll Call! Then we talk Your Problematic Faves: Romance Edition, The Gang Gets Political (Reaganites be Warned), and Matt waxes poetic about Ethereal Hummus. Book Mentions: Heather: The Duke and I by Julia Quinn J.R. Ward books in general A Promised Land by Barack Obama Daring to Lead by Brene Brown Matt: Prince Valiant by Hal Foster Reaganland by Rick Perlstein (NOT Ron Perlman) Flavor by Yotam Ottolenghi Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi Israeli Soul by Michael Solomonov A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine Laurel: George Bush, Dark Prince of Love: a Presidential Romance by Lydia Millet Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders Brittany: Monster, She Wrote: the Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction by Lisa Kroger and Melanie R. Anderson Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir The Changeling by Victor LaValle Witchmark by C.L. Polk Everybody Has a Podcast (Except You): a How-To Guide from the First Family of Podcasting by Justin, Travis, and Griffin McElroy The Blade Between by Sam J. Miller Thank you to Shane Ivers at silvermansound.com for the use of “VHS Dreams” for our intro and outro music. Contact us at topshelflibrarians@gmail.com, or follow us on twitter @Liboozians.