Episodes

  • Episode 25: Winter Reading and... Dogs?

    Episode 25: Winter Reading and... Dogs?
    Jan 14 2026
    Okemos Library Assistant Laura joins the group to talk Mysteries, winter reading, enthralling history and dogs. Cheryl’s Books: Square Haunting: Five Writers in London Between the Wars by Francesca WadeNever Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro Mentioned:Never Let Me Go movie The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (book)The Remains of the Day movieThe Secret History by Donna TarttJessica’s Books: All of Us Murderers by KJ CharlesWater Moon by Samantha Sotto YambaoQueer Enlightenments: A Hidden History of Lovers Lawbreakers, and Homemakers by Anthony DelaneyMentioned: Gentleman Jack by Anne Choma The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotto Yambao (Jan 20th release)Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro Mari’s Books: Whodonut? : A Holiday Mystery by Josh FunkAgatha Christie’s The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Marci Kay MonsonWhy Did the Chicken Cross the Road? A Hard-Boiled Mystery by Brianna Caplan SayresBeth Is Dead by Katie BernetMentioned:The Case of Old MacDonald and His Farm by Mark Teague (coming soon)Lauras’s Books: The Finders by Jeffrey B. BurtonAt First Light by Barbara NicklessNettle & Bone by T. KingfisherMentioned:The Dead Years by Jeffrey B. BurtonDark of Night by Barbara NicklessThe Twisted Ones by T. KingfisherA House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher
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    42 mins
  • Episode 24: Year End Wrap Up

    Episode 24: Year End Wrap Up
    Dec 8 2025
    Cheryl, Jessica, and Mari talk CADL Best Books of 2025 (our staff voted picks) and their last reads for 2025.

    Cheryl’s Books:
    Dead and Alive: Essays by Zadie Smith
    Bread of Angels: A Memoir by Patti Smith
    Whiskey Tender: A Memoir by Deborah Jackson Taffa

    Mentioned:
    White Teeth by Zadie Smith
    Just Kids by Patti Smith
    M. Train by Patti Smith

    Jessica’s Books:
    One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad
    Why I Love Horror: Essays on Horror Literature edited by Becky Siegal Spratford
    Cinder House by Freya Marske
    Christmas at the Women’s Hotel by Daniel M. Lavery

    Mentioned:
    Women's Hotel by Daniel M. Lavery
    Last Binding series by Freya Marske

    Mari’s Books:
    The Teacher of Nomad Land by Daniel Nayeri
    Hunger’s Bite by Taylor Robin
    How To Say Goodbye in Cuban by Daniel Miyares
    Wind Watchers by Micha Archer

    Mentioned:
    Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri
    Wonder Walkers by Micha Archer
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    38 mins
  • Episode 23: Indigenous Stories, Character Studies, and Unexplained Phenomena

    Episode 23: Indigenous Stories, Character Studies, and Unexplained Phenomena
    Nov 3 2025
    This month Cheryl, Mari and Jessica talk fiction and non-fiction picks touching on Native American Heritage, our relationships with food and the kitchen, writing featuring deep character studies, as well as a few unexplained mysteries.

    Cheryl’s Books:
    Girl Warrior: On Coming of Age by Joy Harjo
    The Heart-Shaped Tin: Love, Loss, and Kitchen Objects by Bee Wilson
    Hamnet: A Novel of the Plague by Maggie O’Farrell
    Love Forms: A Novel by Claire Adam

    Mentioned:
    Nomadland (film)
    Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood
    2025 Booker Prize Longlist

    Jessica’s Books:
    Good Soil: The Education of an Accidental Farmhand by Jeff Chu
    Ferryman and His Wife by Frode Grytten
    Wolf Bells by Leni Zumas
    Midnight Timetable: A Novel in Ghost Stories by Bora Chung

    Mentioned:
    Wholehearted Faith by Rachel Held Evans,
    Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
    Red Clocks by Leni Zumas
    Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung

    Mari’s Books:
    Why We Dance A Story Hope and Healing by Deidre Havrelock
    Dead Ends! Flukes, Flops & Failures That Sparked Medical Marvels by Lindsey Fitzharris
    Is it Real? The Loch Ness Monster by Candace Fleming
    Nessie by Ilse De Keyzer

    Mentioned:
    Plague Busters! Medicine’s Battles with History’s Deadliest Diseases by Lindsey Fitzharris
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    51 mins
  • Episode 22: Resilience and Humor

    Episode 22: Resilience and Humor
    Oct 3 2025
    Gaming, memoirs, and weathering storms with special guest Christine Martin-Resoko from CADL Mason.
    Cheryl’s Books:
    Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy
    The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

    Mentioned:
    The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
    The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy
    The Perseverance by Raymond Antrobus
    Eva Luna by Isabel Allende
    Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco

    Jessica’s Books:
    Slayers of Old by Jim C. Hines
    The Quiet Ear: An Investigation of Missing Sound: A Memoir by Raymond Antrobus
    Ew, It’s Beautiful: A False Knees Comic Collection by Joshua Barkman

    Mentioned:
    The Peacekeeper by B. L. Blanchard
    Kitemaster by Jim C. Hines
    False Knees: An Illustrated Guide to Animal Behavior by Joshua Barkman
    Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson
    Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay

    Mari’s Books:
    The Interpreter by Olivia Abtahi
    Island Storm by Brian Floca
    Thunderland by Maggie Edkins Willis
    Another by Paul Tremblay

    Christine’s Books:
    Nations & Cannons: A Revolutionary Campaign Setting for 5e
    Coyote & Crow: Core Rule Book by Connor Alexander et al.
    House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
    Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune
    Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

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    51 mins
  • Episode 21: Force of Nature

    Episode 21: Force of Nature
    Sep 11 2025
    Blue Spaces, Green Spaces, and the State of Publishing with special guest Elisha Miranda from the Lansing Libraries. Cheryl’s Books:     A Marriage at Sea: A True Story of Love, Obsession, and Shipwreck by Sophie Elmhirst Toni at Random: The Iconic Writer’s Legendary Editorship by Dana A. Williams Mentioned: Barack Obama Releases Summer Reading List | Kirkus Reviews (link is in article) 2025 Summer Reads - LSJ | Capital Area District Libraries The Owl Diaries (series) by Rebecca Elliott Jessica’s Books:    Nature and the Mind: The Science of How Nature Improves Cognitive, Physical, and Social Well-Being by Marc G. Berman The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar Mentioned: One Grand Read Official Site Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World by Christian Cooper (Ep. 5 and Ep.20, Cheryl's take in RR Ep. 82) Wild Girls: How the Outdoors Shaped the Women Who Challenged a Nation by Tiya Miles (Ep. 3) Soil: The Story of a Black Mother's Garden by Camille T. Dungy (RR Ep. 74) Holes by Louis Sachar Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar Mari’s Books:    Tall Water by SJ Sindu Chapter Books: Willow’s Woods series by Suzanne Selfors Hut! Hut! Hike! by Andrew Maraniss Pet Sitter (Miles Lewis series) by Kelly Starling Lyons Arco’s Little House by Jess Fogel (Actually closer to a picture book) Shuri Takes Control (Marvel After-School Heroes) by Terrance Crawford Mentioned: Branches Chapter Books by Scholastic Inc. Check out our 100 Books Under 100ish Pages list for new, independent readers Elisha’s Books: Kaya of the Ocean by Gloria L. Huang Bhai for Now by Maleeha Siddiqui Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay (Mari’s take, Ep. 10)
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    54 mins
  • Episode 20: Some Grand Reads

    Episode 20: Some Grand Reads
    Aug 4 2025
    We talk One Grand Read, birding, murder mysteries, and stillness.

    Cheryl’s Books:
    The Yield by Tara June Winch
    The Place of Tides by James Rebanks
    Braided Heritage: Recipes and Stories on the Origin of American Cuisine by Jessica B. Harris

    Mentioned:
    Small Island by Andrea Levy
    Small Island film (available from MELCAT)
    The Shepherd’s Life: Modern Dispatches from an Ancient Landscape and Pastoral Song: A Farmer’s Journey by James Rebanks
    Tokyo Story film
    Books by Jessica. B. Harris (including High on the Hog)


    Jessica’s Books:
    A Murder for Miss Hortense by Mel Pennant
    Slow Birding: The Art and Science of Enjoying the Birds in Your Own Backyard by Joan E. Strassman
    Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz

    Mentioned:
    Birding to Change the World by Trish O’Kane


    Mari’s Books:
    Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson
    Safe Harbor by Padma Venkatraman
    Hiding in Plain Sight: Kate Warne and the Race to Save Abraham Lincoln by Beth Anderson


    One Grand Read Official Site

    Our Lists on the CADL catalog homepage

    Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World by Christian Cooper
    Urban Owls: How Flaco and Friends Made the City Their Home by Christian Cooper
    Library of Things Bird Watching Kit
    Birds Raising Readers Backpack
    Birding for Babies (series) by Chloe Goodhart
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    46 mins
  • Episode 19: Summer Reading Journeys

    Episode 19: Summer Reading Journeys
    Jul 9 2025
    A wide range of titles with special guest and CADL staff member, Mark Neese. Cheryl’s Books: The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife by Nancy Lawson (ebook)A Northern Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants and Pollinators: Creating Habitat in the Northeast, Great Lakes, and Upper Midwest by Lorraine Johnson and Sheila CollaFor a Girl Becoming by Joy HarjoMentioned:Landscaping with Native Plants of Michigan by Lynn M. SteinerNative Plant Gardening for Birds, Bees & Butterflies - Lower Midwest by Jaret C. DanielsThe Scorpio Races by Maggie StiefvaterGirl Warrior by Joy Harjo (October 2025 release – not in system for holds yet)Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare’s Greatest Rival by Stephen GreenblattOn Being with Krista Tippet podcast interview with Mary Oliver: “I Got Saved by the Beauty of The World” https://onbeing.org/programs/mary-oliver-i-got-saved-by-the-beauty-of-the-world/ Jessica’s Books: The Listeners by Maggie StiefvaterDeath at the White Hart by Chris ChibnallChange the Recipe: Because You Can't Build a Better World Without Breaking Some Eggs by José Andrés Mentioned:Soil: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden by Camille DungeyShiver by Maggie StiefvaterBroadchurch (created by Chris Chibnall)True Gretch: What I've Learned About Life, Leadership, and Everything in Between by Gretchan Whitmer Mari’s Books: The Burning Season by Caroline Starr RoseTyger by S. F. SaidThe Crow Trilogy: The Outlaw by Nancy Vo, The Ranger by Nancy Vo, The Runaway by Nancy VoMentioned: Headstrong Hellie: The Story of Hallie Morse Daggett the First Female “Fire Guard” by Aimée BissonetteMark N.’s Books: Terror in the City of Champions: Murder, Baseball, and the Secret Society that Shocked Depression-era Detroit by Tom Stanton On the Hippie Trail: Istanbul to Kathmandu and the Making of a Travel Writer by Rick StevesThe Name of This Band is REM: A Biography by Peter Ames Carlin The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen GreenblattMentioned: Books by Tom StantonBooks by Peter Ames CarlinOn the Nature of Things by Lucretius (ebook)
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Episode 18: Pride and Listening

    Episode 18: Pride and Listening
    Jun 9 2025
    Book Bound Episode 18: Pride, audiobooks, and representation matters (read both ways). Cheryl’s Books: On Muscle: The Stuff That Moves Us and Why It Matters by Bonnnie Tsui My Autobiography of Carson McCullers by Jenn Shapland It Began with a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way by Kyo Maclear Mentioned: Why We Swim by Bonnie Tsui The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers Books by or including information about Gyo Fujikawa Books written and illustrated by Julie Morstad Unearthing: A Story of Tangled Love and Family Secrets by Kyo Maclear Jessica’s Books: The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Process For an Inspired Life by Suleika Jaouad The Café with No Name by Robert Seethaler The Lilac People by Milo Todd Mentioned: Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad Women’s Hotel by Daniel M. Lavery The Einstein of Sex: Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld, Visionary of Weimar Berlin by Daniel Brook Mari’s Books: At Last She Stood How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, and Fought for Freedom by Erin Entrada Kelly Are You a Friend of Dorothy? The True Story of an Imaginary Woman and the Real People She Helped by Kyle Lukoff You and me, Anemone : a story about friendship and personal space by Rachel Vail Oasis by Guojing Mentioned: I’m Sorry You Got Mad by Kyle Lukoff The House That Floated by Guojing (September 2025 Release) Our Producer, Rissa’s Books: Mentioned: The Queens of Animation: The Untold Story of the Women Who Transformed the World of Disney and Made Cinematic History by Nathalia Holt
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    41 mins