Book Lounge by Libby

Book Lounge by Libby is your cozy reading corner of the internet. Hosted by Joe Skelley, each episode invites you into candid and thoughtful conversations about books, writing, publishing and the trends shaping what we read (plus reading recommendations you won't want to miss ). Brought to you by ⁠ Libby ⁠ , the library app. Find more at: https://pages.libbylife.com/BL-Links Book Lounge airs year-round, with two 10-week seasons each year, featuring publishing conversations on Mondays and paired book recommendations on Thursdays- plus monthly Book Release Radar episodes. We release 1–3 episodes per month between seasons. Reach out to us at bookloungebylibby@overdrive.com . Happy Reading!

Book Lounge by Libby is a arts podcast hosted by Libby, with 954 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Libby hosts Book Lounge by Libby, a arts show with 954 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Episode #4

  Book Club Certified: When Readers Make a Book Blow Up

  Oct 1, 20261h 1mS4

  What happens when readers get REALLY into a book? Sometimes… everyone starts reading it.  In this episode of Book Lounge by Libby, host Joe Skelley is joined by authors whose books found huge audiences through book clubs, BookTok, Bookstagram and online reading communities. We’re talking about the very real power of readers to turn a great book into a full-blown phenomenon and what it’s like for an author to watch that happen.  How does a book become the one everyone is recommending? Why do some stories take off in book clubs? And what makes readers want to pass a book along to everyone they know?  Plus, we’re getting into the joy, chaos and occasionally unhinged energy of being part of a reading community.  Whether you’re a lifelong book club member, a solo reader who lives in the group chat or someone who has ever said “I HAVE to make you read this,” this one is for you.  If you're part of a book club, tell us about it! How big is your group? How often do you meet? What's the best book you've ever read together? And, perhaps most importantly, what's the book that nearly started a civil war?  Listen or watch now, and join the conversation with Book Lounge by Libby.  Looking for the video version of our show? Check out the Libby App YouTube channel!  Who’s in this episode:   Joe – Instagram  Heather Morris – Website, Instagram  Morgan Elizabeth – Website, Instagram  Patti C. Henry – Website, Instagram  Guest Books:  Some of Heather Morris' books:  The Tattooist of Auschwitz  Cilka’s Journey  Three Sisters  Sisters Under the Rising Sun  The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse  Morgan Elizabeth's traditionally published book:  Meet Cute Magic  Some of Patti C. Henry's books:  Losing the Moon  The Story She Left Behind  The Secret Book of Flora Lea  Becoming Mrs. Lewis  Once Upon a Wardrobe  Time stamps: 00:00:00 Title 00:00:19 Welcome and Intro 00:01:24 When did you realize your book had become a book club hit?  00:11:56 Did a book club change the trajectory of your book? 00:26:35 What are some of the events that stick out to you? 00:36:18 What impact does reader response have on your writing? 00:46:00 The parasocial lines between author and reader 00:57:09 Thank you, comment question and outro  Enjoying the show? Follow Book Lounge by Libby, leave a rating or review, and watch every episode on the Libby App YouTube channel. Find us on Libbylife.com/booklounge  Got a book recommendation, dream guest or just want to say hi? We'd love to hear from you at bookloungebylibby@overdrive.com.  Looking for Book Lounge merch? Visit Plot Threads.   Library friends: Add episodes of Book Lounge by Libby to your digital collection for free in OverDrive Marketplace and Kanopy. You can also purchase the titles featured in today's episode in OverDrive Marketplace.  Browse our cumulative reading list for the season: https://marketplace.overdrive.com/Marketplace/OneCopyOneUserAndMeteredAccess/SuggestedList/41378  Today's featured books: https://marketplace.overdrive.com/Marketplace/OneCopyOneUserAndMeteredAccess/SuggestedList/41711   Happy Reading!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Book Lounge by Libby

  October 2026 Book Picks: Reads to Haunt Your TBR

  Sep 30, 202652 minS4

  October is here, and our TBR is looking positively haunted. Joe is joined by his coworker Nahomy to talk about the new books coming out in October 2026, from creepy haunted houses and witchy fantasy to vampires, horror graphic novels, dark mysteries and stories that will have you sleeping with the lights on.  Whether you're looking for your next spooky horror read, a magical fantasy adventure or a creepy thriller to curl up with this fall, we've got your October new book radar covered. Plus, we're sharing a few honorable mentions and unexpected picks to round out your reading list.  Find your next favorite read with Book Lounge by Libby, powered by libraries and made for readers.  Looking for the video version of our show? Check out the Libby App YouTube channel!  Book recommendations:  Nahomy’s Picks:   The House Built on Alligator Bones – Sophia Huneycutt   Legends & Lattes: The Graphic Novel – Travis Baldree, adapted – Samuel Sattin, Illustrated – Shanti Rittgers and Sarah Webb  Peck & Peck – Bonnie Garmus  Until the Last Light Goes Out – Courtney Gould  A Court of Splintered Harmony – Sarah J. Maas  Look What the Cat Dragged In – Jason Rekulak  When the World Was Happy – Benjamin Alire Sáenz  Joe’s Picks:  Honorable mentions:  Stagtown vol. 1 – Punko   The Sea Witch Prophecy – Claribel A. Ortega   The Tarot Trials – Katee Robert   The Memory of Borrowed Books – Meg Anderson   Episode picks:   Solace House – Will Maclean  Carrying – Samantha Josephs  Bruja’s Nest – Brenda LaTorre  When the Night Comes Knocking – Katherine Daniel  The Chain House – JH Markert  Dive Bar at the End of the Road – Kelley Armstrong  Please Enjoy Your Stay – Tara Goedjen  Night of the Mallrats – Nicolina Torres  Fangs and All – Tas Mukanik  Who’s in this episode:   Joe – Instagram  Nahomy - Instagram  Time stamps: 00:00:00 Title 00:00:20 Intro & Welcome 00:02:53 Joe’s Honorable Mentions list 00:05:41 Our October 2026 Book Picks 00:48:19 We want to hear from you! Comment Question 00:48:43 Thanks and outro  Enjoying the show? Follow Book Lounge by Libby, leave a rating or review, and watch every episode on the Libby App YouTube channel. Find us on Libbylife.com/booklounge  Got a book recommendation, dream guest or just want to say hi? We'd love to hear from you at bookloungebylibby@overdrive.com.  Looking for Book Lounge merch? Visit Plot Threads.   Library friends: Add episodes of Book Lounge by Libby to your digital collection for free in OverDrive Marketplace and Kanopy. You can also purchase the titles featured in today's episode in OverDrive Marketplace.  Browse our cumulative reading list for the season: https://marketplace.overdrive.com/Marketplace/OneCopyOneUserAndMeteredAccess/SuggestedList/41378  Today's featured books: https://marketplace.overdrive.com/Marketplace/OneCopyOneUserAndMeteredAccess/SuggestedList/41715   Happy Reading! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #3

  The Secrets to a Great Book Club (According to People Who Run Them)

  Sep 28, 20261h 10mS4

  What actually makes a book club GOOD? And how do you get people to come back month after month without turning it into homework?  This week on Book Lounge by Libby, we're going behind the scenes of the book club. Joe is joined by Amy Allen Clark of Book Gang Podcast and book club, Dave McNally, Adult Services Supervisor at Cuyahoga County Public Library, and Meara of (@mearaisreading) to talk about what makes a great book club, how groups choose what to read, the biggest barriers that keep people from joining and what happens when a book club meeting goes completely off the rails.  We're talking book club tips, discussion drama, choosing books, reading outside your comfort zone, building community and, naturally, some very important book club gossip.  Whether you're already a devoted book club person, thinking about joining one or wondering if you should finally start your own, this conversation has something for you.  And yes, we get into the books that brought people together, the ones that divided them and the stories that have become legendary around the book club table.  If you're watching or listening on Spotify, comment and let us know: If you're part of a book club, tell us about it! How big is your group? How often do you meet? What's the best book you've ever read together? And, perhaps most importantly, what's the book that nearly started a civil war?  OR come comment on today's post over on Instagram at @bookloungepod.  Looking for the video version of our show? Check out the Libby App YouTube channel!  Book recommendations:  Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte   Slaughterhouse-Five – Kurt Vonnegut   Heart the Lover – Lily King   Daughters of Shandong – Eve J. Chung   Woodworking – Emily St. James   The Rachel Incident – Caroline O’Donoghue   Sula – Toni Morrison   The Bluest Eye – Toni Morrison  I See You’ve Called in Dead – John Kenney   Into Thin Air – Jon Krakauer  Into the Wild – Jon Krakauer  The Art Thief – Michael Finkel  The Final Revival of Opal & Nev – Dawnie Walton  Big Swiss – Jen Beagin  Death in Her Hands – Ottessa Moshfegh  The End of Men – Christina Sweeney-Baird  Tuesdays With Morrie – Mitch Albom  Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky  The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins  Chain-Gang All-Stars – Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah  Guillotine – Delilah S. Dawson  Who’s in this episode:   Amy Allen Clark - Links  Meara - Links  Time stamps: 00:00:00 Title 00:00:19 Welcome and intro 00:12:10 Different styles and sizes of Book Clubs 00:21:48 Preparing for Discussion 00:47:24 Do you always finish the book?  01:01:57 What should you know before you walk into book club the first time?  01:05:52 Comment Question and Outro  Enjoying the show? Follow Book Lounge by Libby, leave a rating or review, and watch every episode on the Libby App YouTube channel. Find us on Libbylife.com/booklounge  Got a book recommendation, dream guest or just want to say hi? We'd love to hear from you at bookloungebylibby@overdrive.com.  Looking for Book Lounge merch? Visit Plot Threads.   Library friends: Add episodes of Book Lounge by Libby to your digital collection for free in OverDrive Marketplace and Kanopy. You can also purchase the titles featured in today's episode in OverDrive Marketplace.  Browse our cumulative reading list for the season: https://marketplace.overdrive.com/Marketplace/OneCopyOneUserAndMeteredAccess/SuggestedList/41378    Happy Reading!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #2

  Librarians Spill the Tea: Wild Patron Stories, Book Hot Takes & Library Secrets

  Sep 24, 20261h 3mS4

  What REALLY happens behind the reference desk? On this episode of Book Lounge by Libby, host Joe Skelley is joined by Becky Cameron and Kate Merlene from Cuyahoga County Public Library and Morgan Schultz from Lutheran West School for a very candid, very fun conversation about life as a librarian.   We're spilling the librarian tea on wild patron questions, unexpected library requests, book recommendations, overhyped authors, underrated reads and the services your library offers that you might not even know about.   Plus, we're getting into librarian superpowers, memorable library moments, favorite programs and the realities of working with readers of all ages.   Whether you're a lifelong library lover, a curious reader or someone who has ever wondered what librarians REALLY think, this is your invitation behind the scenes.   Get ready for library secrets, bookish hot takes, hilarious stories and plenty of reasons to visit your local library. Grab your library card and join the conversation!  Looking for the video version of our show? Check out the Libby App YouTube channel!  Time stamps: 00:00:00 Title 00:00:20 Intro 00:01:03 Getting to know our guests 00:05:12 Assumptions about librarians 00:15:55 The most checked-out authors 00:25:07 Let’s get shady 00:32:40 Strangest patron questions 00:55:06 What’s a favorite program or service? 00:59:27 Outro  Enjoying the show? Follow Book Lounge by Libby, leave a rating or review, and watch every episode on the Libby App YouTube channel. Find us on Libbylife.com/booklounge  Got a book recommendation, dream guest or just want to say hi? We'd love to hear from you at bookloungebylibby@overdrive.com.  Looking for Book Lounge merch? Visit Plot Threads.   Library friends: Add episodes of Book Lounge by Libby to your digital collection for free in OverDrive Marketplace and Kanopy. You can also purchase the titles featured in today's episode in OverDrive Marketplace.  Browse our cumulative reading list for the season: https://marketplace.overdrive.com/Marketplace/OneCopyOneUserAndMeteredAccess/SuggestedList/41378    Happy Reading! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #1

  Blind Date with a (Library) Book

  Sep 21, 20261h 8mS4

  What happens when you let your local library surprise you? For the Season 4 premiere of Book Lounge by Libby, we're celebrating Library Card Sign-Up Month with a little literary mystery, a few unexpected projects and a whole lot of library love.  Joe is joined by Meara (@mearaisreading) for a Blind Date with a (Library) Book! We each head to our local libraries with three missions: get a book recommendation from a librarian, choose a book from a library display and discover a third surprise in the form of a unique activity, craft or project.  Then we come back together to reveal our picks, share what we got up to and compare notes on our library adventures. Expect book recommendations, library discoveries, creative chaos and a lil vlog moment because apparently talking about books wasn't enough.  Whether you're a lifelong library lover or haven't stepped into your local branch in a while, this episode is your invitation to explore, get curious and let your library surprise you.  Grab your library card and come hang out in the Book Lounge!  Looking for the video version of our show? Check out the Libby App YouTube channel!  Book recommendations:  We – Yevgeny Zamyatin  West with Giraffes – Lynda Rutledge  The Unfortunates – JK Chukwu  Checked Out – Katie Fricas  Who’s in this episode:   Meara - Links  Time stamps: 00:00:00 Title 00:00:20 Intro 00:02:06 Vlogging to the Library 00:04:40 Diving into our library prompts and experience 01:04:41 What’s next and outro   Enjoying the show? Follow Book Lounge by Libby, leave a rating or review, and watch every episode on the Libby App YouTube channel. Find us on Libbylife.com/booklounge  Got a book recommendation, dream guest or just want to say hi? We'd love to hear from you at bookloungebylibby@overdrive.com.  Looking for Book Lounge merch? Visit Plot Threads.   Library friends: Add episodes of Book Lounge by Libby to your digital collection for free in OverDrive Marketplace and Kanopy. You can also purchase the titles featured in today's episode in OverDrive Marketplace.  Browse our cumulative reading list for the season: https://marketplace.overdrive.com/Marketplace/OneCopyOneUserAndMeteredAccess/SuggestedList/41378    Happy Reading!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on Book Lounge by Libby. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.