This week, we're chatting with Metro Detroit's own Josh Malerman, the NY Times Bestselling author of Bird Box, as he looks ahead to the forthcoming release of his latest work of suspenseful (and supernatural) horror, Incidents Around The House (out on June 25, via Del Rey). Malerman talks about his deep dive into the literary tradition of "haunted …

Looking for something to read this summer? We've got you covered! Not only can you get a list of great recommendations from our staff, but you can also mark your calendars for SATURDAY, JUNE 8, when we will host a Summer Reading Kickoff Party here at the library! Swing by to sign up for our fun reading challenge! www.fadl.org/kickoff The Summer Boo…

Tune in to the podcast this week to hear our chat with Sheela Lal, the host of Ferndale Radio 100.7 FM's South Asian Shuffle (streaming Wednesday nights)! We also chatted with Sheela about the Unerased Book Club, which she co-founded back in 2018. Oh, and we ALSO chat about our monthly Chess Club! https://www.unerasedbookclub.com/ https://ferndaler…

Sacha Lamb is a 2018 Lambda Literary Fellow in Young Adult fiction, and graduate in Library and Information Science and History from Simmons University. Their debut novel, When The Angels Left the Old Country, is a Sydney Taylor and Stonewall award winner, a Printz Honor book, and a National Jewish Book Award finalist, and received the Mythopoeic F…

Ruth Behar is a Cuban-American author and currently a Professor of Anthropology at the University of Michigan. Her work, spanning fiction, poetry, and memoir, includes Lucky Broken Girl, Letters From Cuba, and her latest, Across So Many Seas. As you'll hear on the podcast, Ruth has a lot of fans here at the Ferndale Library. About her latest book, …

This week, we're chatting with esteemed studio artist Boisali Biswas, who specializes in mixed-media fiber arts. Biswas recorded this podcast episode just before the closing of her exhibition, which was hosted here at the Ferndale Library throughout the late winter and featured some of her painted weavings and quilts. Biswas has an incredible story…

We went ahead and recorded an entire episode using the phrase "Third Space," which is used significantly less than the original phrase: "Third PLACE." But oh well. As library staff, we like the word "space" because it just seems to imply much more possibility! Anyway, whether you say "Third Place" or "Third Space," the idea is simple: it's not your…

Felicia B. George is a native Detroiter who loves Detroit history and culture. She earned her doctorate in anthropology from Wayne State University, where she is now an adjunct professor. Her new book, When Detroit Played The Numbers, tells the true story of how Detroit entrepreneurs created a thriving - if illegal - lottery system to support thems…

Roman Historian, author and podcaster, Emma Southon joined us on the podcast (all the way from Belfast) to discuss two of her recent books, A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome and A Rome of One's Own: The Forgotten Women of the Roman Empire. Emma Southon has a PhD in Ancient History from the University of Birmingh…

This week, we have a panel comprised of DOCTOR WHO fans who are not only ready to discuss their favorite "doctors," their favorite episodes, and their favorite companions, but they're also here to explain the long popular British science-fiction television series to the "uninitiated," and get them excited about diving in. In fact, curious new fans …

They're considered classic for a reason, right? This week, our film-loving staff are talking about movies that have stood the test of time, from 1934's The Thin Man, to 1979's Alien, to a pair of John Carpenter picks, including 1988's They Live. Find us on social media and tell us YOUR picks for "classic films that still hold up..." And remember, y…

We're talking about music books! Books about musicians and music history! In your local library, following the Dewey Decimal System, you'll likely find them between 780-782, as far as call numbers go. Titles discussed include: Meet Me In The Bathroom by Lizzy Goodman Life by Keith Richard Please Kill Me by Gillian McCain and Legs McNeil Season of t…

Our staff discuss some of the most historic and alarming "snubs" in the history of the Oscars (aka The Academy Awards), all of which are, of course, subjective. But we also remind you that your public library is already circulating nearly all of the films that have received nominations this year. Plus, there's still time for you to mark your calend…

Fresh off her appearance on The Today Show, having had her most recent book, The Waters, selected as their January 'Read with Jenna' Book Club pick..., the acclaimed Michigan-based author Bonnie Jo Campbell joins us on our podcast! A master of rural noir returns this winter with a fierce, mesmerizing novel about exceptional women and the soul of a …

Dan Cafferty is a multifaceted artist with several unique projects spanning the genres of rock, R&B, soul, and funk. He'll be leading an upcoming SONGWRITERS IN THE ROUND event, here at the Ferndale Library on Sunday, February 18, at 2pm, featuring Steve Taylor, Emily Rose, and Michelle Held. Find more information on Dan Cafferty here: https://www.…

Join us on February 8th for an Opening Reception to Mara Magyarosi-Laytner's exhibition and book launch: The Untended Garden. The Untended Garden is a visual reflection structured in three acts – the expectations of women as informed by society and culture, the transformation that women reach as they break through during their coming of age, and th…

The staff of the Ferndale Library can often be found...OUTSIDE OF THE LIBRARY. Learn about all of the valuable community partnerships we've forged over the years and listen to exclusive interviews with local organizations and businesses like Drifter Coffee, the Ferndale Project, Ferndale Public Schools, and Affirmations Community Center.…

This week, Jeff and Mary Grahame are looking back at their recent presentation at the Michigan Library Association's annual conference--a session on HOW we talk about Intellectual Freedoms with our library patrons. At that conference, our podcast hosts were greeted by Matthew Lawrence, who currently works at the Herrick District Library. Lawrence w…

Our staff provides reading recommendations from our non-fiction sections! We have three librarians on this panel discussion providing their favorites among the many recently added titles, covering the arts, the sciences, the histories, and everything in between! Unruly: The Ridiculous History of England's Kings and Queens by David Mitchell Alice Ne…

Join our staff on a (tabletop) adventure, doing a quick play-through of a Role-Playing Game that's available here in our library. We have quite a few options, actually, which we'll list off at the end of this episode. Listen to find out whether or not our three competing panelists can work together to forge intergalactic peace and solve a cosmic co…

Flashing back to our very first episode, ever! This podcast started four years ago (nearly to the day!) This weekend, we're listening back to our debut, when we sat down with local author Josh Malerman, discussing his 2019 novel, Malorie. For more information on Josh, visit his website. www.joshmalerman.com But, you can also find more information o…

A look back at some of the highlights from our conversations with bestselling authors, including Lucy Clarke, C.J. Box, Steven Rowley, Grady Hendrix, Riley Sager, and J. Ryan Stradal. You can dive back into our recent episodes to hear the full interviews with each of these authors.By Ferndale Area District Library

Looking for some year-end reading recommendations? Tune in for our latest episode where we hear from several members of our staff, providing a wide variety of selections from various genres. Titles & Staff include: Rodi - Every Rising Sun by Jamila Ahmed Kricket - Impossible People: A Completely Average Recovery Story by Julia Wertz Damon - Dear Mo…

Jacqueline Suskin is a Detroit-based author of eight books. Along with her writing and poetry, she is also an educator who has been teaching workshops, hosting retreats, and creating spontaneous poetry around the world since 2009. With her project Poem Store, she has composed over forty thousand improvisational poems for patrons who chose a topic i…

We're talking about our favorite things to bake (and, specifically, which recipes we enjoy during certain seasons of the year). We also talk a lot about our extensive cookbook collection! Snacking Cakes Snaking Bakes Snackable Bakes Still We Rise Home Cooking Taste of Home's Fall Baking Everyday Bread by America's Test Kitchen The Brownie Diaries S…

Abby and Daniel, the hosts of Save Me From My Shelf, joined us via Zoom (from England!) for another literary discussion of weirdo protagonists. This time, we've got a gothic round-up that includes John Thorpe (from Jane Austen's 'Northanger Abbey'), Count Dracula, Macbeth, and a special shoutout to Edgar Allen Poe! https://www.savemefrommyshelf.com…

Today, we're returning to a tried-and-true topic for us, Information Literacy! The American Library Association would describe Information Literacy as a set of abilities requiring individuals to “recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information... We first hosted a series of p…

This week on the podcast, we're sharing potentially unpopular opinions! We're talking about books that everyone else seemed to love, but that we....weren't very impressed with... 💔📚 Fair warning, we brought a "buzzer" to the table for anyone who wanted to dispute the titles that were being criticized. But, it should be noted that no matter what boo…

Get ready for Horror Movie Trivia at 215 West (October 9 at 7:00 pm): fadl.org/trivia. Also, tune in this week for our discussion covering our favorite horror films! What's YOUR favorite scary movie?By Ferndale Area District Library

We have another game-show styled episode where our librarians "guess the title of the book" based on designedly vague descriptions. Librarians, on a daily basis, perform this feat, where a patron might ONLY recall very scant details about a book, and 99.99% of the time, we always help them find what they're looking for! Find "A Little Too Quit" whe…

Donald Levin’s ‘Arsenal of Deceit’ is a compelling and thought-provoking exploration of the intricate web of deception that shapes the world of politics and racism. With meticulous research and a keen eye for local detail, Levin exposes the hidden agendas and manipulative tactics employed by governments and intelligence agencies. A seamless blend o…

Let's talk about LIBRARY CARDS: why they're amazing and why YOU should sign up for one asap! Hear directly from our circulation specialists as they tell you everything you need to know about applying for and using your library card! September is Library Card Sign-Up Month! www.fadl.org/library-cardsBy Ferndale Area District Library

Sunday Times bestseller Lucy Clarke is the author of eight destination thrillers. They include Waterstones Thriller of the Month, The Castaways, Richard and Judy Book Club pick, One of the Girls, and most recently, The Hike. Leaving behind their everyday lives, four friends hike out into the beautiful Norwegian wild – nothing between them and the m…

Listen to two millennials and one elder-zoomer share their love of the 1980 musical-comedy The Blues Brothers. It was almost 45-years ago, to the day, that John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd performed at the Universal Amphitheatre, in L.A., essentially kicking off the fervor of popularity for the dynamic duo. It's also, sadly, the 5 year anniversary of t…

Leah V is an international plus-size Hijabi model, award-winning author, inclusive content creator, body-positive activist, and digital brand strategist. Her content has garnered over four million views combined and her face plastered on billboards in Times Square. She’s been featured in hundreds of media outlets from The New York Times to Buzzfeed…

This week, we're chatting with Joshua James, musician/arranger/educator and leader of the Theatre Bizarre Orchestra. This is the "house band" for the world-famous Theatre Bizarre masquerade/Halloween bash that usually happens downtown at the Masonic Temple. This year, thanks to the Friends of the Ferndale Library, the Theatre Bizarre Orchestra will…

Our quarterly series on Intellectual Freedoms checks in on recent headlines concerning libraries but also looks ahead to Library Card Sign Up Mont (in September) and Banned Books Week (starting October 1st). In the second half of today's podcast, we discuss our "favorite banned books" of all time..., some classics, some contemporary!…

Today on the podcast, Erin and Julia (from our library's Teen IG account) join us for another fun podcast GAME SHOW. This time, Erin is taking inspiration from the $10,000 Pyramid Game, challenging Jeff and Julia to try to describe a variety of library terminology WITHOUT using the actual word. How many can YOU guess based on our clues??…

This week, we're chatting with musician/author Tony Muggs about his life's story! Muggs' Autobiograffitti is a self reflective, self deprecating and honest autobiography about the author, Tony Muggs life and passion for being a world class Detroit musician while also navigating being a stroke survivor! More info: https://www.tonymuggs.com/ The Mugg…

Today we're joined by a current member of the Ferndale Arts & Cultural Commission to talk about their plans for the summer, including the launch of the new Ferndale Collective, as well as their upcoming live music series and mural project! Working with area organizations empowering and supporting the arts within the community. Reactivated in 2014 a…

Singer/songwriter Chris Bathgate performs HERE at the Ferndale Library on July 18. https://www.fadl.org/scs-july After a five-year hiatus encompassing the birth of a son, a third coast to west coast and back to the third coast move, and an ongoing global pandemic - Chris Bathgate returns with 'The Significance of Peaches'. On this, his 6th full-len…

This week, we're talking to bestselling author Riley Sager about his new gothic chiller, The Only One Left, about a young caregiver assigned to work for a woman accused of a Lizzie Borden-like massacre decades earlier.By Ferndale Area District Library

This week, we're speaking with Steven Rowley, bestselling author of four novels including THE GUNCLE, finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor, & THE CELEBRANTS. The Celebrants is a moving tale about the false invincibility of youth, and all the beautiful ways in which friendship helps us celebrate our lives, even amid the deepest challeng…

This week, we were joined by Abby and Daniel, the hosts of Save Me From My Shelf, to talk about a sample gathering of literary weirdos, including titles like Hamlet, The Picture of Dorian Gray and Lolita. SMFMS is a literature podcast hosted by two friends and academics in Birmingham, England. Abby is a lecturer and Daniel is a postdoc. Find more i…

Today, we're talking about all the ART that you can discover in our library. The show is also being taken over, once again, by hosts (& youth librarians) Erin and Julia, for another episode of "A Little Too Loud."By Ferndale Area District Library

Ann Arbor-based singer/songwriter/guitarist Dani Darling joins us to talk about her creative process, her two most recent albums, and her myriad styles, from lo-fi to funk, psychedelic to disco, and beyond. Dani Darling plays the Ferndale Library's courtyard on June 13, kicking off our Summer Concert Series. fadl.org/scs-june…

Damon (Youth Services Librarian) and Everett (Head of Youth Services) are on the pod this week to talk about BOARD GAMES! Damon started a Board Game Club about a year ago for Middle School students, which meets monthly: fadl.org/msbg | And on today's episode, Damon provides insights into all the different types of board games you can play, many of …

We're getting ready for another round of movie trivia here in Ferndale! And this month's film is Camp! What is camp? Well, listen to us talk about it here on today's episode! Ferndale Library Movie Trivia Night: fadl.org/trivia Ferndale Library Film Club: fadl.org/film-clubBy Ferndale Area District Library

Today on the podcast, we're running through some of the most important (& some of our favorite) albums from our "formative years," nearly all of which are available here at the library on CD. Artists discussed include: George Michael The Indigo Girls The Avett Brothers Billy Joel Benee Erasure Alanis Morissette Smino The Clash Elvis Nirvana Set It …

We're checking in on some of the latest bits of news, particularly here in Michigan, concerning challenges to the collections of public libraries.By Ferndale Area District Library