Professional Book Nerds Evergreen Podcasts

Join us as we dive into the captivating world of cults! We're recommending both fiction and nonfiction titles that explore that mysterious and chilling allure... From gripping thrillers to eye-opening accounts, we've got recommendations that will keep you on the edge of your seat. We'll wax poetic on cult dynamics and discuss the enduring fascination with these enigmatic communities.

Titles mentioned in this episode:
Jill’s Titles:  


The Road to Jonestown by Jeff Guinn 


The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead 


The Sullivanians by Alexander Stille 


The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi 

Joe’s Titles: 


Member of the Family by Dianne Lake 


Those Who Prey by Jennifer Moffett 


The Project by Courtney Summers 


Sex Cult Nun by Faith Jones 

Emma’s Titles:  


The Girls by Emma Cline  


Say You’re Sorry by Karen Rose 


The Lightness by Emily Temple 


Heartbreaker by Claudia Dey  

Meredith’s Titles:  


Scarred: The True Story of How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult That Bound My Life by Sarah Edmondson 


Fierce Little Thing by Miranda Beverly-Whittmore  


A Billion Years by Mike Rinder  


Don’t Call It a Cult by Sarah Berman 


Cults & Exteme Belief - A&E (Kanopy)  


Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today’s episode in Libby. Library friends can shop these titles in OverDrive Marketplace.
Looking for more bookish content? Check out the Libby Life Blog!
We hope you enjoy this episode of the Professional Book Nerds podcast. Be sure to rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! You can follow the Professional Book Nerds on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @ProBookNerds. Want to reach out? Send an email to professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com. We’ve got merch! Check out our two shirts in The OverDrive Shop (all profits are donated to the ALA Literacy Clearinghouse).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emma and Joe welcome back Claire and Kristin to chat about modern gothic reads. They discuss the characteristics they enjoy in a modern gothic and share a wide variety of books to get your creepy, vibey, gothic fix!
Emma’s Picks:  


The Clinic by Cate Quinn 


A Place for Vanishing by Ann Fraistat 


The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins  


One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig (Sheperd King series)  


Claire’s Picks:  


Diavola by Jennifer Thorne 


The Haunting of Velkwood by Gwendolyn Kiste 


A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock 


Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk 


Kristin’s Picks:  


Bluebeard’s Castle by Anna Biller 


The Black Tree Atop the Hill by Karla Yvette 


House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson 


When the Reckoning Comes by LaTanya McQueen 


Joe’s Picks:  


Vampires of el Norte by Isabel Canas 


House of Cotton by Monica Brashears 


Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas 


House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland 


Check out our Botanical Books episode from 2023 here. Other books mentioned in this episode included The Hacienda by Isabel Canas, The Only One Left by Riley Sager, and Home Before Dark by Riley Sager.
Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today's episode on OverDrive.com or in Libby. Library friends can shop these titles in OverDrive Marketplace.
We hope you enjoy this episode of the Professional Book Nerds podcast. Be sure to rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! You can follow the Professional Book Nerds on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @ProBookNerds. Want to reach out? Send an email to professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com. 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The mean girl gets murdered in this one (not a spoiler)! Dive into the mind of Cindy RX He as she delves deep into her debut title, Perfect Little Monsters. Find out why it's hard to trick thriller readers with your twists, what makes the queen bee so compelling, and where Cindy's inspiration came from for this story.
Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today’s episode in Libby. Library friends can shop these titles in OverDrive Marketplace.
Looking for more bookish content? Check out the Libby Life Blog!
We hope you enjoy this episode of the Professional Book Nerds podcast. Be sure to rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! You can follow the Professional Book Nerds on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @ProBookNerds. Want to reach out? Send an email to professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com. We’ve got merch! Check out our two shirts in The OverDrive Shop (all profits are donated to the ALA Literacy Clearinghouse).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Joe and Emma on this episode of the Professional Book Nerds podcast as they dive deep into the ever-evolving landscape of the literary canon. They shine a spotlight on contemporary books that challenge traditional notions of what it means to be considered "canonical" and explore the complexities of defining literary greatness.
Emma and Joe offer up some modern works and their potential to reshape our understanding of literature and join a new canon. From diverse voices to innovative storytelling techniques, they celebrate the richness and diversity of contemporary literature that deserves a place in the canon.
Titles mentioned in this episode:
Emma’s Titles: 


Atonement by Ian McEwan 


The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins  


The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon 


A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan 


The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas  


Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn  


Joe’s Titles:  


The Brief Wondrous life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz 


Fun Home by Alison Bechdel 


The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead 


Life of Pi by Yann Martel  


Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward 


A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara 


Past episodes mentioned in this episode:

The Hunger Games Retrospective

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Ep. #135 - Colson Whitehead, 2017 Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Underground Railroad


Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today’s episode in Libby. Library friends can shop these titles in OverDrive Marketplace.
Looking for more bookish content? Check out the Libby Life Blog!
We hope you enjoy this episode of the Professional Book Nerds podcast. Be sure to rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! You can follow the Professional Book Nerds on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @ProBookNerds. Want to reach out? Send an email to professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com. We’ve got merch! Check out our two shirts in The OverDrive Shop (all profits are donated to the ALA Literacy Clearinghouse).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emma is thrilled to welcome Carley Fortune to talk about her new book, This Summer Will Be Different. In this fun chat, you'll also hear about Carley's life-changing writing advice from Taylor Jenkins Reid, writing about different kinds of family dynamics and dreamy male leads, Anne of Green Gables, long-distance best friends, the power of libraries, and how romance books can and do save and change lives.
Books mentioned in this episode:


This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune


Every Summer After by Carley Fortune


Meet Me At the Lake by Carley Fortune


Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today's episode on OverDrive.com or in Libby. Library friends can shop these titles in OverDrive Marketplace.
Looking for more bookish content? Check out the Libby Life Blog!
We hope you enjoy this episode of the Professional Book Nerds podcast. Be sure to rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! You can follow the Professional Book Nerds on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @ProBookNerds. Want to reach out? Send an email to professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com. We’ve got merch! Check out our two shirts in The OverDrive Shop (all profits are donated to the ALA Literacy Clearinghouse).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emma is joined by Sydney and Jane to discuss 1990s nostalgia, essential books of the 90s, and share a list of fresh books set in their favorite decade! This episode is packed full of book recommendations and waxing poetic about malls, layered tank tops, time travel, and revisiting our favorite decade from a 2024 perspective.
Emma’s Picks:  


Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid  


This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub  


The Mall by Megan McCafferty  


Jane’s Picks:  


How to Build a Girl - Caitlin Moran 


Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison 


Attachments by Rainbow Rowell 


I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai 


Sydney’s Picks:  


The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides 


Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott 


The Crow Road by Iain Banks 


If you want to listen to our conversation with Rainbow Rowell, you can listen here. If you want to listen to the conversation with Emma Straub, that's here. If you're a librarian and you're looking to shop more 90s reads in OverDrive Marketplace, check out As If: Modern Books Featuring 80s and 90s Nostalgia, Books of the 90s, and Smells Like Teen Spirit.
Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today's episode on OverDrive.com or in Libby. Library friends can shop these titles in OverDrive Marketplace.
Looking for more bookish content? Check out the Libby Life Blog!
We hope you enjoy this episode of the Professional Book Nerds podcast. Be sure to rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! You can follow the Professional Book Nerds on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @ProBookNerds. Want to reach out? Send an email to professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com. We’ve got merch! Check out our two shirts in The OverDrive Shop (all profits are donated to the ALA Literacy Clearinghouse).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices