Beyond the Shelves: A Podcast from the Des Moines Public Library

Des Moines Public Library
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The official podcast of the Des Moines Public Library, featuring hosts Jes and Sarah!

  1. 3D AGO

    Beyond The Shelves - Libraries as Third Spaces

    This month on Beyond the Shelves, Sarah and Jes unpack the idea of "third spaces"  why we crave them, why they're disappearing, and how libraries have stepped in to fill the gap. Stick around for the Book Bulletin, where they unpack everything from LGBTQ+ publishing setbacks to Shakespearean fan fiction, Bridgerton‑era romance trends, and the wild saga of a possibly‑AI‑written novel. SHOW NOTES What We're Reading Back after this by Linda Holmes Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë To Be Read In the veins of the drowning by Kalie Cassidy Big in Sweden by Sally Franson Dominion by Addie E. Citchens The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore by Evan Friss  Books on Third Spaces The great good place by Ray Oldenburg Palaces of the People by Eric Klinenberg The Overlooked Americans by Elizabeth Currid-Halkett Meet me at the library by Shamichael Hallman Arbitrary Lines by Nolan M. Gray (zoning laws) The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein (redlining) Walkable City by Jeff Speck Why public space matters by Setha Low Finding your third space by Richard Kyte The death and life of the great American cities by Jane Jacobs Book Bulletin Publishers are stepping back from LGBTQ books amid bans Hamnet = Shakespeare fanfiction? Julia Quinn launching romance book subscription service

    54 min

  2. JAN 12

    Beyond The Shelves: 2026 Reading Challenge Recommendations

    In this episode of Beyond the Shelves, Sarah and Jes discuss the 2026 reading challenge, recomend books to complete your bingo board, and in the book bulletin, talk about the hit series Heated Rivalry on HBO.  Learn more about the reading challenge here Watch the video on Youtube SHOW NOTES What We're Reading The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow Discontent by Beatriz Serrano The Correspondent by Virginia Evans Game Changer by Rachel Reid The Rediscovery of America by Ned Blackhawk   Big Reads of 2026 American Fantasy by Emma Straub The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke Go Gentle by Maria Semple No Friend To This House by Natalie Haynes Reading Challenge Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz Exiles by Mason Coile The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton The Colony by Annika Norlin Always Never by Jordi Lafebre The Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason Exit West by Mohsin Hamid All Of Us Murderers by K.J. Charles

    41 min

  3. 12/15/2025

    Beyond The Shelves: Best Books of 2025

    In this episode, Sarah and Jes discuss the best books of the year, great books to give as gifts, the most checked out items at DMPL, and the librarians personal favorite books they read in 2025. Learn more below:   Show Notes What we are reading Jes: On the Calculation of Volume I by Solvej Balle Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke Sarah: Just Our Luck by Denise Williams, The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow Best Bets (good gifts) Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz, The Book of Alchemy by Suleika Jaouad, The JFK Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Kennedy―and Why it Failed by Brad Meltzer and Joel Mensch, How to Be a Saint: An Extremely Weird and Mildly Sacrilegious History of the Catholic Church's Biggest Names by Kate Sidley Best of the Year Lists Books 1. Heart the Lover by Lily King 2. Audition by Katie Kitamura 3. Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong 4. Katabasis by R.F Kuang 5. Mother Mary Comes to me by Arundhati Roy 6. The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones 7. A Flower Traveled in My Blood by Haley Cohen Gilliland 8. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid 9. Baldwin by Nicolas Boggs 10. Flesh by David Szalay Top Checked Out 1. The Wedding People by Alison Espach 2. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore 3. Strangers in Time by Baldacci by David Baldacci 4. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins 5. Great, Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry 6. James by Percival Everett 7. Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez 8. Dog Man: Big Jim Begins and Dog Man: The Scarlet Shredder by Dav Pilkey 9. My Friends by Fredrik Backman Top DVDs Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice Wicked Conclave  Jes' Top Ten 1. Woodworking by Emily St. James 2. Poet's Square by Courtney Gustafson 3. Heart the Lover by Lily King 4. Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy 5. Sky Daddy by Kate Folk 6. Audition by Katie Kitamura 7. The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden 8. Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan 9. Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang 10. Stag Dance by Torrey Peters Sarah's Top Ten 1. A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera 2. Who is Government edited by Michael Lewis and Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson 3. The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young 4. The Shots you Take by Rachel Reid 5. A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes 6. Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry 7. Muted by Miranda Mundt 8. The River has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar 9. Everyone Who is Gone is Here by Jonathan Blitzer 10. Heir by Sabaa Tahir Random Books Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid The Correspondent by Virginia Evans     Links No Lovers on These Covers https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/books/review/831-stories-romance.html?unlocked_article_code=1.1E8.jA9U.hHjLV3tspEo8&smid=url-share&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email  It's Time To Put The "Where Are All The Male Novelists?" Debate To Bed https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/vanishing-young-male-novelists-debate  The Guardian view on the Booker prize winner: putting masculinity back at the centre of literary fiction https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/14/the-guardian-view-on-the-booker-prize-winner-putting-masculinity-back-at-the-centre-of-literary-fiction

    1h 17m

  4. 11/10/2025

    6 Nature Books That Will Change How You See the World

    Join us for our first video episode as we explore books celebrating nature and the environment! From Mary Oliver's contemplative essays to fungi's hidden intelligence, we discuss how the natural world intersects with our lives. Plus: library neighborhoods explained, garlic-scented books (!), and Reading Rainbow's triumphant return with a new host. Nature & Environment Theme Books Upstream by Mary Oliver The Light Eaters by Zoë Schlinger Fuzz by Mary Roach Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake Leave Only Footprints by Connor Knighton Something in the Woods Loves You by Jared K. Anderson Currently Reading Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle Bog Queen by Anna North Flip by Ngozi Ukazu Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid Heart the Lover by Lily King On Their TBR Crafting for Sinners by Jenny Keefer Minor Black Figures by Brandon Taylor All of Us Murderers by K.J. Charles Little Woodchucks by Nick Offerman Soul Searching by Lila Sage

    54 min

  5. 10/14/2025

    Beyond the Shelves: Horror For Scaredy Cats

    Sarah and Jes discuss books that will put you in the mood for spooky season but aren't that scary.   Show Notes: What They're Reading Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross Swift and Saddled by Layla Sage Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum  Best Bets: other highly recommended books Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy Moon Called by Patricia Briggs and Fiona Staples My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante Saga by Brian K. Vaughan Books to get you into spooky season: Revelator by Daryl Gregory White Smoke by Tiffany Jackson The Reformatory by Tananarive Due Frankenstein by  Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang Sisters of the Lost Nation by Nick Medina Hungerstone by Kat Dunn The September House by Carissa Orlando Book Bulletin A new update to the Libby hold system Jes and Sarah talk about the battle between AI creation and published children's books The last of the Fall Author Series

    50 min

  6. 09/09/2025

    Beyond the Shelves: Pocket-Sized Powerhouses

    Sarah and Jess highlight eight short books under 200 pages to power through the DMPL reading challenge bingo, promote the fall author series, discuss a new bookstore in town, and a new app to track your reading.    Show Notes: What They're Reading Kingdom of Claw by Demi Winters American Spirits by Anna Dorn It's Not the End of the World by Jonathan Parks-Ramage 2025 Reading Challenge: Short books to get BINGO The Thee of Us by Ore Agbaje-Williams The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed Tokyo Ueno Station by Yu Miri Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz All Systems Red by Martha Wells Shady Hollow by Juneau Black Binti by Nnedi Okorafor The Vegetarian by Kang Han To learn more about the reading challenge click here Book Bulletin Shelf Love, a new romance bookstore opened in Des Moines Page Bound is a new book tracking app that combines goodreads and reddit

    45 min

  7. 08/11/2025

    Beyond the Shelves: Book Club - 'The Phoenix Pencil Company'

    On the latest episode of Beyond the Shelves, Jes and Sarah are discussing what they liked and didn't like about The Phoenix Pencil Company, by Allison King. (Please note - this episode was recorded in early July) What They're Reading The Listeners, by Maggie Stiefvater Fallen City, by Adrienne Young When the Tides Held the Moon, by Vanessa Vida Kelly The Cemetery of Untold Stories, by Julia Alvarez All's Well, by Mona Awad Best Bets (Recommended backlist books): The Duchess Deal, by Tessa Dare Where the Lost Wander, by Amy Harmon Little Devil in America, by Hanif Abdurraquib They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us, by Hanif Abdurraquib Betty, by Tiffany McDaniel Book Bulletin Ali Hazelwood deletes socials for being #TeamGale Jimmy John's launches romance-themed "SMUT" menu in partnership with Walton Goggins Alexis Bledel is narrating the 50th anniversary audiobook edition of Tuck Everlasting NetGalley launches Booktrorvert.com Meta wins AI copyright case

    1 hr

  8. 06/12/2025

    Beyond the Shelves: Summer Lovin'

    The latest episode of Beyond the Shelves is all about love! Jes and Sarah discuss the new queer romances they're most excited for this summer. Show Notes What They're Reading Heir, by Sabaa Tahir Great Big Beautiful Life, by Emily Henry The Duke Who Didn't, by Courtney Milan    Disappoint Me, by Nicola Dinan Dream On, Ramona Riley, by Ashley Herring Blake To Be Read A Curse Carved in Bone, by Danielle L. Jensen Who is Government? by Michael Lewis Margo's Got Money Troubles, by Rufi Thorpe Ready or Not, by Cara Bastone Promise Me Sunshine, by Cara Bastone Marsha: the Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson, by Tourmaline The Lilac People, by Milo Todd Books About Love Kiss Me, Maybe, by Gabriella Gamez When the Tides Held the Moon, by Venessa Vida Kelly A Gentleman's Gentleman, by T.J. Alexandar The Watermelon Woman (Kanopy) Broad City (3 seasons on DVD) An Island Princess Starts a Scandal, by Adriana Hererra Winging It With You, by Chip Pons Ordinary Love, by Marie Rutkoski The Birdcage (physical DVD) Schitt's Creek (all seasons on DVD)

    49 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
12 Ratings

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The official podcast of the Des Moines Public Library, featuring hosts Jes and Sarah!

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