These Books Made Me Prince George's County Memorial Library System

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Ever felt overshadowed by a sibling or struggled to find your own identity? Katherine Paterson's "Jacob Have I Loved" brings these raw emotions to the surface, and we're peeling back the layers. Join us as we navigate Sarah Louise's turbulent journey, from her envy-ridden youth on the Chesapeake Bay to her quest for self-recognition as a nurse midwife (or alternatively, her journey from maybe a 5 in Maryland to a 10 in a small Appalachian Mountains town). 

Our conversation takes some unexpected turns as we tackle themes like teenage crushes, emotional abuse, and the generational dynamics that steer Sarah Louise's path. We get hung up on the romantic relationships in this book and Hannah reveals she has a very forgiving nature. In this exploration of "Jacob Have I Loved," we promise a journey through the complex waters of sibling rivalry, with a touch of humor and a crab-related quiz to boot (because Chesapeake Bay, duh!).

These Books Made Me is a podcast about the literary heroines who shaped us and is a product of the Prince George's County Memorial Library System podcast network. Stay in touch with us via Instagram @thesebooksmademe or on Twitter @PGCMLS,  with #TheseBooksMadeMe or by email at TheseBooksMadeMe@pgcmls.info. For recommended readalikes and deep dives into topics related to each episode, visit our blog at https://pgcmls.medium.com/.

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Forever was a real headscratcher for us. We *think* Judy Blume was trying to disseminate information about teen sexual health in an easily digestible way but we wanted to check in with an expert. In this frank conversation, we untangle the complex dynamics of the book's central relationship and contrast the sexual health services of the past with the ways teen access health services today.  Our expert thinks this book may be a miss for the teens of today but sees a role for podcasts (!) in sexual health education in 2024. Join us for a deep dive into consent, STI prevention, healthy relationships, and responsible authorship. 

These Books Made Me is a podcast about the literary heroines who shaped us and is a product of the Prince George's County Memorial Library System podcast network. Stay in touch with us via Instagram @thesebooksmademe or on Twitter @PGCMLS,  with #TheseBooksMadeMe or by email at TheseBooksMadeMe@pgcmls.info. For recommended readalikes and deep dives into topics related to each episode, visit our blog at https://pgcmls.medium.com/.

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Oh Judy Blume, you are officially our most frequently covered author on TBMM and oh my, have you ever given us some wild rides. We weren't sure what to expect when we revisited Forever, one of the most frequently challenged books of all time, but it wasn't Ralph. The first rule of the Judy Blume fan club is you do NOT talk about Ralph. Unfortunately for us, we kind of had to talk about Ralph since the whole book is about him, which might be  problematic from a feminist perspective. We struggle to reconcile this book with the rest of Judy Blume's oeuvre, struggle to understand why anyone would possibly like Michael, struggle to get through a paragraph without laughing... struggle with the overuse of ellipses in the book... we just generally struggle. We discuss whether the book could have just been an educational pamphlet, dissect Michael and Kath's deeply weird relationship, and try to determine what the take home was supposed to be about Sybil. Hawa makes a shocking disclosure and Hannah is slinging zingers.  It's an IUD ad, it's a teen soap opera, it'll ruin the name Ralph for you. It's Forever by Judy Blume.

These Books Made Me is a podcast about the literary heroines who shaped us and is a product of the Prince George's County Memorial Library System podcast network. Stay in touch with us via Instagram @thesebooksmademe or on Twitter @PGCMLS,  with #TheseBooksMadeMe or by email at TheseBooksMadeMe@pgcmls.info. For recommended readalikes and deep dives into topics related to each episode, visit our blog at https://pgcmls.medium.com/.

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How many times have you read The Bluest Eye by the legendary Toni Morrison, and why is it never enough times? In this episode, we all revisit this literary classic and realize there are several interpretations and layers we missed in previous readings. Like, did you ever consider that Pecola is Jesus and the prostitutes (*ahem* China, Poland and Miss Marie) are the 3 archangels? Neither did we until Heather talked through her religious interpretation. Whether you agree or not, one thing is undeniable, Morrison was an expert writer, deftly weaving in her narrative topics such as community, beauty standards, sexuality, trauma and prejudice in her perfectly lyrical tone. Her works beg to be sat with, processed and dissected. And sometimes it's dissected in all the wrong ways, as it's one of the most commonly banned books. But no worries, we'll always have silent rebels like our guest, Tiana Davis, who read it for the first time in 9th grade despite her school's efforts to ban it. 

These Books Made Me is a podcast about the literary heroines who shaped us and is a product of the Prince George's County Memorial Library System podcast network. Stay in touch with us via Twitter @PGCMLS with #TheseBooksMadeMe or by email at TheseBooksMadeMe@pgcmls.info. For recommended readalikes and deep dives into topics related to each episode, visit our blog at https://pgcmls.medium.com/.

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With a May 8th birthday, Katniss Everdeen is a Taurus not a Sagittarius (Latin for 'archer') but we challenge you to name a more iconic wielder of bow and arrows in pop culture. It seemed therefore essential that we seek out an expert to talk to us about the venerable art of archery. We connected with Hannah, an analyst who works for the federal government and enjoys both archery and young adult books in her spare time. Not only did we learn about different types of archery, bows, and the difficulty of making arrows but the logistics of pulling from a quiver and just moving with the presence of a long curved 'stick' over your shoulder . You'll never think about running with a bow the same way again. Come for the ranged weapon discussion, stay for the thoughtful discussion of young adult literature and Katniss as character.

These Books Made Me is a podcast about the literary heroines who shaped us and is a product of the Prince George's County Memorial Library System podcast network. Stay in touch with us via Twitter @PGCMLS with #TheseBooksMadeMe or by email at TheseBooksMadeMe@pgcmls.info. For recommended readalikes and deep dives into topics related to each episode, visit our blog at https://pgcmls.medium.com/.

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Much like Katniss Everdeen, in this episode we are faced with some very tough choices. Four librarians enter the podcasting studio, only one will leave! Actually no librarian podcasters had to fight to the death during the making of this episode, though we did learn that Darlene would simply opt out of the Hunger Games, so I think we can safely assume she's not library Mockingjay. That's right, we're taking a trip down horrible child fatality memory lane this episode with Suzanne Collins's YA blockbuster, The Hunger Games. We learned a lot about weapons, wound care, and wingmen ('sup, Thresh) as we returned to Panem. We dissect the ambiguous morality of the citizens of the Capitol, rue the author's real struggle with names, and briefly debate Team Peeta vs. Team Gale (or in possibly Heather's worst hot take ever, Team Haymitch).

These Books Made Me is a podcast about the literary heroines who shaped us and is a product of the Prince George's County Memorial Library System podcast network. Stay in touch with us via Twitter @PGCMLS with #TheseBooksMadeMe or by email at TheseBooksMadeMe@pgcmls.info. For recommended readalikes and deep dives into topics related to each episode, visit our blog at https://pgcmls.medium.com/.

We cover a lot of ground in this episode and used some books and articles as jumping off points. Here’s a brief list of some of them if you want to do your own further research:

Suzanne Collins revisits the Games: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/18/books/suzanne-collins-talks-about-the-hunger-games-the-books-and-the-movies.html

Feminism and The Hunger Games (note, this is a thesis and long but intriguing!): https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1126&context=etds