The Promise, by Damon Galgut, was named the winner of the 2021 Booker Prize in London this afternoon. His novel follows the life of three South African siblings reunited over the course of three decades by four different funerals, all while the turmoil of their nation reflects on their own lives. ...
Read MoreKathy Leonard sits at her desk facing a wall lined with new books staff is prepping to put out on Des Moines Public Library shelves. New books waiting to be read, loved, and enjoyed sit on carts in the aisle near her cubicle. Leonard is one of two librarians who buy all the books, movies, music, ...
Read MoreTed Lasso is a bumbling, endearing American college football coach hired to come to the U.K. to manage a struggling London football team (soccer). For many people, this show has been a bright spot of positivity during uncertain times. The season may be over for now, but our Book Chat team put tog...
Read MoreOn today's DMPL Podcast, host Aaron Gernes chats with Janeé, from the Book Chat team, about some of her favorite horror books in the past year. Janeé is DMPL's horror aficionado, so you can be sure that her picks are some of the best around! Apple Podcasts/iTunes | Google Play ...
Read MoreThe National Book Award has release the finalists for their annual awards. Each year, the National Book Foundation receives hundreds of nominations, narrowing down the list to ten, and then five, in several different categories. To be eligible, a book must have been published between December 1 of l...
Read MoreOctober is Dyslexia Awareness Month. Heidi Kroner is the founder of Decoding Dyslexia Iowa as well as Aspire Academy, a group that raises dyslexia awareness, empowers families to support their children, and influence policymakers and educators on best practices to identify, remediate, and support Io...
Read MoreSteph from the Book Chat team joins us today on the DMPL Podcast to talk about books for Latinx Heritage Month! She has a book picked out for adults, young adults, and children and discusses what she loves about each. Be sure to check out the bookmarks in the Show Notes for more Latinx Heritage Mont...
Read MoreLiane Moriarty's bestselling book Nine Perfect Strangers just wrapped up the eight episode miniseries adaptation on Hulu. In the story, nine strangers are invited to spend ten days at a health resort run by an enigmatic and mysterious founder, Masha. They all quickly realize that Tranquillum is not ...
Read MoreThe Booker Prize has announced six books that have made their 2021 shortlist. Four writers are finalists for the first time, including Patricia Lockwood making her debut with a debut novel, while Richard Powers and Damon Galgut return as finalists for their respective novels. The Booker Pri...
Read MoreOn the latest episode of the DMPL Podcast, Aaron Gernes chats with local author Anthony Paustian about his book, A Quarter Million Steps, and Bookpress Publishing, a local publisher where Paustian works as a writing coach. A Quarter Million Steps is an award-winning leadership book th...
Read MoreSusana Clarke has won the 2021 Women's Prize for fiction for her novel Piranesi! The fantasy novel is just her second book, published sixteen years after her acclaimed debut Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. The Women's Prize for Fiction began in 1992, in the aftermath of a 1991 Booke...
Read MoreAs the weather begins to cool this fall, the inclination to curl up with a book increase. Thankfully, there are tons of great new books this fall to spend all day reading. We’ve highlighted a few below – be sure to get your holds in for these! Don't forget to check out our Popular Page to see what e...
Read MoreBook Chat librarians Rebecca and Maddie join the DMPL Podcast to discuss Book Chat's newest service, Book a Book Chat Librarian. This service gives you the opportunity to have a librarian visit and chat with your book club, classroom, business, or other organization to discuss books and get reading ...
Read MoreNetflix recently re-released all five of the Twilight movies on their streaming platform. Some of our Book Chat librarians have been binge-watching, and they put together a stellar list of similar books that will transport you to places where vampires are real and creatures go bump in the night. ...
Read MoreNo matter your age, you can go back to schools this fall by reading these "Dark Academia" books. These books take place in schools and explore philosophy and existentialism - think the secret societies that exist in every school holding classes in a gothic building. Murder mysteries, magic, the para...
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