Beyond the Desk

West Allis Public Library
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A West Allis Public Library podcast about books, resources, lifelong learning and what makes this Milwaukee area community great. Join WAPL librarians as they chat with fellow staffers, authors, neighbors and each other about true stories and fiction that moved them—and that they hope will inspire you.

  1. 2D AGO

    Romantasy

    Sarah and Kaitlyn discuss what romantasy is as well as popular titles in the genre—including A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) and Fourth Wing. Books mentioned: A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Wings and Ruin, A Court of Frost and Starlight, and A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas, and Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros. Also mentioned: A Game of Thrones and Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin; the TV series Bridgerton, based on the books by Julia Quinn; the Crowns of Nyaxia series by Carissa Broadbent; and From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Check out books, TV shows and movies at countycat.mcfls.org, wplc.overdrive.com, hoopladigital.com and kanopy.com/en/westallis. For more about WAPL, visit westallislibrary.org. Music: Tim Moor via Pixabay

    30 min

  2. JAN 30

    Freida McFadden

    Staffers Desirae and Karen talk about the author Freida McFadden and two of her twistiest books. Books mentioned: The Housemaid, The Boyfriend, and The Tenant. Check out books, TV shows and movies at countycat.mcfls.org, wplc.overdrive.com,hoopladigital.com and kanopy.com/en/westallis. For more about WAPL, visitwestallislibrary.org. Music: Tim Moor via Pixabay

    39 min

  3. 12/26/2025

    Favorite Reads 2025

    Staffers Sarah, Desirae and Brynne talk about the best books they read the past year.  Books mentioned: A Walk in the Park by Kevin Fedarko; The Möbius Book by Catherine Lacey; The Wrong Daughter, One Small Mistake, The Perfect Match and The Wedding Vow by Dandy Smith; All Fours by Miranda July; The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo; and Love, Mom by Iliana Xander. Also mentioned: A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson; Wild by Cheryl Strayed; The Grand Canyon: Between River and Rim by Pete McBride; the documentary Into the Canyon; Biography of X by Catherine Lacey; The Last Word by Taylor Adams; author Freida McFadden; Ninth House, Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo; Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke; and The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Check out books, TV shows and movies at countycat.mcfls.org, wplc.overdrive.com, hoopladigital.com and kanopy.com/en/westallis. For more about WAPL, visit westallislibrary.org. Music: Tim Moor via Pixabay

    26 min

  4. 11/30/2025

    Mona Awad's Bunny Books

    Co-hosts Brynne and Desirae discuss Mona Awad's novels Bunny (2019) and We Love You, Bunny (2025) following the latter's release. The novels follow five women in a fictional MFA writing program at a presitgious university and delves into their unique, unsettling, and magical creative processes. Check out books, TV shows and movies at countycat.mcfls.org, wplc.overdrive.com, hoopladigital.com and kanopy.com/en/westallis. For more about WAPL, visit westallislibrary.org. Music: Tim Moor via Pixabay

    59 min

  5. 10/24/2025

    The Frozen River

    Staffers Sarah, Karen and Emily talk about The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. Inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, the historical novel follows the 18th-century midwife as she delivers babies, prepares to testify in court, and deals with a patriarchal culture in her small community in Maine. Also mentioned: A Midwife’s Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich and the documentary A Midwife’s Tale. Check out books, TV shows and movies at countycat.mcfls.org, wplc.overdrive.com, hoopladigital.com and kanopy.com/en/westallis. For more about WAPL, visit westallislibrary.org. Music: Tim Moor via Pixabay

    29 min

  6. 09/26/2025

    Secrets of the Nile

    Librarians Sarah and Brynne discuss the Secrets of the Nile duology featuring What the River Knows and Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibañez. The historical fantasy novels follow Inez from Argentina to Egypt, where she seeks answers about her parents’ deaths. Along the way she discovers magical objects, adventure and romance. Also mentioned: Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie and the movie adaptation from 2022, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff, Dinner with King Tut by Sam Kean, An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir, Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor, and The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Check out books, TV shows and movies at countycat.mcfls.org, wplc.overdrive.com, hoopladigital.com and kanopy.com/en/westallis. For more about WAPL, visit westallislibrary.org. Music: Tim Moor via Pixabay

    32 min

  7. 08/27/2025

    Beautiful Ugly

    Librarians Desirae and Sarah talk about the atmospheric thriller Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney. When a writer’s wife goes missing, his career stalls. Then his agent gives him an opportunity to start fresh on a remote island off the coast of Scotland. But it’s filled with secrets and mysteries, and he begins to see his wife everywhere. Also mentioned: Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney, the movie The Wicker Man, The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz, Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, The Guest List by Lucy Foley, and His & Hers and Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney. Check out books, TV shows and movies at countycat.mcfls.org, wplc.overdrive.com, hoopladigital.com and kanopy.com/en/westallis. For more about WAPL, visit westallislibrary.org. Music: Tim Moor via Pixabay

    34 min

  8. 07/28/2025

    Saltwater by Katy Hays

    Librarians Desirae and Sarah talk about this suspenseful novel that follows a woman trying to uncover the truth of her mother’s death 30 years prior on the Italian island of Capri. On an annual family visit there, one of their party goes missing, and the decades-old case gets reopened. Also mentioned: The Cloisters by Katy Hays, The White Lotus TV series, Revenge TV series, The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins, Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (see episode 47), Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter. Check out books, TV shows and movies at countycat.mcfls.org, wplc.overdrive.com, hoopladigital.com and kanopy.com/en/westallis. For more about WAPL, visit westallislibrary.org. Music: Tim Moor via Pixabay

    32 min
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About

A West Allis Public Library podcast about books, resources, lifelong learning and what makes this Milwaukee area community great. Join WAPL librarians as they chat with fellow staffers, authors, neighbors and each other about true stories and fiction that moved them—and that they hope will inspire you.

Information

  • Creator
    West Allis Public Library
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    61
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © West Allis Public Library
  • Show Website
    Beyond the Desk