I Blame My Shelf

Spring has sprung - and so have rivalries, revolutions, and long-forgotten stories! Julie and Karen return with another Find Your Next Read episode, rounding up the buzziest spring releases and taking a closer look at historical fiction, a genre packed with intrigue, resilience, and echoes of the world we live in today. Check out this list of books talked about in the episode: https://tinyurl.com/26yr8yff

Emma Pattee is a climate journalist and fiction writer whose work has appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and more. Her debut novel, Tilt, is the 2026 selection for the Hillsboro Reads program and is a national bestseller, a New York Times Editor's Choice, and was named a best book of the year by NPR, Time, Vogue, and Bustle. Set in Portland, Oregon, Pattee's powerful debut novel tells a gripping story of survival, resilience, and human connection after a massive 9.0 earthquake strikes the Pacific Northwest—an especially resonant story for our community. Find Tilt and the books Emma recommends in the catalog here: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1297716497/2976820967 Hillsboro Reads 2026 runs through the month of March. Learn more about the Hillsboro Reads selection and events here:  https://www.hillsboro-oregon.gov/our-city/departments/library/events-and-programs/hillsboro-reads 

You don't want to wait for your life to be over, you want to know right now, is Dawson's Creek worth watching? There is never enough time in the day to watch all those television shows that people are always talking about, or to catch up on the ones you missed. On today's podcast episode, we experiment with a new way to alleviate TV FOMO by only watching the first and last episode of a series. Does it do the trick? Can you go to parties and pretend you've seen the whole show? Find out as Jen, Brendan, and Rob give it a try with Dawson's Creek! Check out the whole show from the library here: https://tinyurl.com/53mx82hm

Find Your Next hosts Julie and Karen are back to share some upcoming winter book releases they are excited about, and to share their favorite audiobook narrators. Check out the list of books recommended in this episode: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1297716497/2915817487

For this year's Halloween episode, Jen, Rob, and Brendan watch the 2023 film Late Night with the Devil on Kanopy, the library's streaming video service. Tune in to listen to their review, and find out if it's really a good idea to commune with devil on live television!

Jenny, Rob, and Brendan are back on the pod to explore more of Kanopy, the steaming video service you have access to with your WCCLS library card. This time around, they pick out some horror movie selections, discuss which ones they think would work well for a group watch, and land on a flick you'll (hopefully) love. So go on over to Kanopy, spend a credit to watchLate Night with the Devil and tune in to our next episode to hear our reviews! Click here to see a list of all the Kanopy films talked about in this episode.

Jen and Elizabeth from Hillsboro Public Library's SciFi Fantasy Collective return to the pod to celebrate the sixth anniversary of the show! They join Brendan to preview this year's Rose City Comic Con coming to the Oregon Convention Center Sept. 05-07. They talk about what they've been reading lately, which authors and comics creators will be at the con, how excited they are about the Goonies and Battlestar Galactica reunions, and what they think will be this year's most popular cosplay! Check out this list of books and graphic novels talked about on the show Here is a list of all the manga deluxe and perfect editions in HPL's collection

Find Your Next hosts Julie and Karen are here to help you get ready for summer with some of the hottest upcoming releases! Check out the list of books recommended in this episode: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1297716497/2793482017

On this month's episode of the podcast, library staff members Kate & Jen face off in the library's Thunderdome of Riddles to see who will prevail in this devastatingly difficult gauntlet of trivia, riddles, song lyrics, and lateral-thinking problems. Two will enter, only one will leave!

March Madness is back! This month, Jen and Brendan tackle a bracket of literary villains to determine who is the most conniving, most ruthless, and most cold-blooded of them all. Click here to see the list of books mentioned in the episode. Find the incomplete bracket here, and the completed bracket here.

Ah, love is in air... and it's hurtling across the sky on the back of an enormous fire-breathing dragon! Julie and Karen are back with another Find Your Next Read episode. This time around, they're talking about what upcoming February titles they are looking forward to and try their best to define Romantasy, the hottest book genre out there right now. Check out this list of books talked about in the episode: https://tinyurl.com/3v2dryuw

Get your sleigh bells and airhorns ready, its time for the holiday movie showdown! In this episode repost, Jen and Brendan browse the holiday collection at the library and put together a 32-movie bracket, March Madness-style. Only one movie can take it all, but which will it be? Tune in to find out! Check out our holiday movie collection here: https://tinyurl.com/2wyarzmr

On this week's episode, Jen, Rob, and Brendan watch the 1987 film Evil Dead 2 on Kanopy, the library's streaming video service. Tune in to listen to their review, and find out if Evil Dead 2 really is the best horror-comedy of all time!

Jenny and Brendan return to the pod to explore more of Kanopy, the steaming video service you have access to with your WCCLS library card. This time around, they pick out some horror movie selections, discuss which ones they think would work well for a group watch, and land on a flick you'll (hopefully) love. So go on over to Kanopy, spend a credit to watch Evil Dead 2, and tune in to next week's episode to hear our reviews! Click here to see a list of all the Kanopy films talked about in this episode.

Get ready for low stakes and tea puns! Find Your Next hosts Julie and Karen are back to share the October and November releases they're most excited about, and to give you a run down some of the best cozy fantasy titles to curl up on the couch with. Here's a list of the books mentioned in this month's episode:  https://tinyurl.com/nhf733b8

Find Your Next host Julie is back, bringing in librarians Chris and Rob to recommed some of the summer's hottest new releases and trends for both kids and adults! Enjoy! Here's a list of the books mentioned in this episode: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/list/share/1297716497_hillsboro_recommends/2560868829

Katherine and Jay, also known as the BiblioBirders, join the podcast to talk about all the birds you can find on the trails and in the ponds behind the Hillsboro Brookwood Library this spring. Here are the birds identified in this episode: Canada goose Cackling goose Wood duck Bufflehead American wigeon Mallard Hooded merganser Common merganser Northern shoveler Ring-necked duck Green-winged teal Eurasian wigeon Belted kingfisher Brewer's blackbird Cedar waxwing Tree swallow Acorn woodpecker Red-winged blackbird Cooper's hawk Osprey Bald eagle Great horned owl Brown-headed cowbird Dark-eyed junco BiblioBirders previously released several videos on the Hillsboro Public Library's YouTube channel: Walk with a Librarian - BiblioBirders Edition! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PkObTxaxnQ  Identify a Downy Woodpecker with BiblioBirders - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSMUI5XwN4w  BiblioBirders talk about "getting on a bird" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfTPWrv-UFc  Katherine also wrote an article about inclusive birding through the library, which you can find here: http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2022/05/inclusive-birding-through-the-library/ 

There will never be enough time in the day to watch all those television shows that people are always talking about, or to catch up on the ones you may have missed. But on today's podcast episode we experiment with a new way to alleviate TV FOMO, by only watching the first and last episode of a show. Does it do the trick? Can you go to parties and pretend you've seen the whole show? Find out as Jen, Brendan, and special guest Rob give it a try with Supernatural! Check out the whole show from the library here: https://tinyurl.com/53mx82hm

Thien Pham is a graphic novelist, comic artist, and educator based in Oakland, CA. He is the author and illustrator of the graphic novels Family Style and Sumo and did the art for the middle-grade graphic novel Level Up, written by Gene Luen Yang, and is an ongoing comic contributor to Eater SF. Currently Pham is working on his next graphic novel, teaching, and eating. A lot. His graphic memoir Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam is the Hillsboro Reads 2024 selection for young adults. Find Family Style in the catalog here: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S143C4254315 Hillsboro Reads 2024 runs from March 10th-14th. Learn more about Hillsboro Reads selections and events here: https://www.hillsboro-oregon.gov/our-city/departments/library/events-and-programs/hillsboro-reads

Cindy Baldwin is the author of the critically acclaimed novels Where the Watermelons Grow, Beginners Welcome, The Stars of Whistling Ridge, and No Matter the Distance (a Junior Library Guild selection). Her book Where the Watermelons Grow is the Hillsboro Reads 2024 selection for young readers. Find Where the Watermelons Grow in the catalog here: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S143C3312070 Hillsboro Reads 2024 runs from March 10th-14th. Learn more about Hillsboro Reads selections and events here: https://www.hillsboro-oregon.gov/our-city/departments/library/events-and-programs/hillsboro-reads

Looking for some great reads from 2023? Hillsboro Public Library staff share some of their favorites of the last year.  Here's the list of titles from the podcast episode: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/list/share/1297716497/2450904359

Get your sleigh bells and airhorns ready, its time for the 2023 holiday movie showdown! Jen and Brendan browse the holiday collection at the library and put together a 32-movie bracket, March Madness-style. Only one movie can take it all, but which will it be? Tune in to find out! Check out our holiday movie collection here: https://tinyurl.com/2wyarzmr

Faeries and djinn, cooking and family secrets, romance and murder are all on the menu this Winter. Hosts Julie and Karen share some upcoming releases they're excited about, and guest Phil joins them to talk about LitRPGs and why they're so hot right now. Here are some lists the books mentioned in this month's episode:  https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/list/share/1297716497/2424628159 https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/list/share/1250159517/2386357460 Music clip played is from the audiobook "The Eye of the Bedlam Bride" by Matt Dinniman, narrrated by Jeff Hays.  

Witches, ghosts, and curses, oh my! Find Your Next is back from hiatus with new hosts Julie and Karen to share some October and November new releases they're excited about, and to take you on a tour of some spooky reads in a special segment on haunted houses. Here's a list of the books mentioned in this month's episode: https://tinyurl.com/findyournexthauntedhouse

There will never be enough time in the day to watch all those television shows that people are always talking about, or to catch up on the ones you may have missed. But on today's podcast episode we experiment with a new way to alleviate TV FOMO, by only watching the first and last episode of a show. Does it do the trick? Can you go to parties and pretend you've seen the whole show? Find out as Jen and Brendan give it a try with The Sopranos! Check out the whole show from the library here: https://tinyurl.com/4j99a8u8

For this month's episode, we have library programming and outreach coordinators Rocío and Stacy on the podcast to talk about what is going on at the Hillsboro Public Library this summer. They discuss how to participate in our summer reading program and highlight some of the programs and events we have going on, both inside and outside our library branches. HPL's Summer Reading Program Hillsboro Public Library Summer Calendar Library on the Loose website  

Wallace the Book Bug, the new WCCLS library mascot, stopped by the studio to give a rare interview, ruminating about his summers spent at the skate park, sharing his favorite new book trends, and giving an update on his SoundCloud. Check out a list of Wallace's favorite cat manga here.

The Hillsboro Public Library is so fortunate to have Renée Watson deliver the keynote address for the 2023 Hillsboro Reads Local Authors Celebration. Renée Watson is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, educator, and community activist. Her books have sold over one million copies. Her young adult novel, Piecing Me Together (Bloomsbury, 2017) received a Coretta Scott King Award and Newbery Honor. Her children's picture books and novels for teens have received several awards and international recognition. She has given readings and lectures at many renown places including the United Nations, the Library of Congress, and the U.S. Embassy in Japan and New Zealand. Her poetry and fiction centers around the experiences of Black girls and women, and explores themes of home, identity, and the intersections of race, class, and gender. This event is brought to you as part of Hillsboro Reads, our annual event alternating between local author celebrations and community-wide reading programs. The purpose of the Hillsboro Reads Local Authors Celebration is to engage the Hillsboro community in celebrating local creativity by introducing well-known and up-and-coming authors and creators to the community through discussion, story times, and workshops. We owe special thanks to the Friends of the Hillsboro Public Library and to the Library Foundation for making this and all of Hillsboro Reads possible.

There will never be enough time in the day to watch all those television shows that people are always talking about, or to catch up on the ones you may have missed. But on today's podcast episode we experiment with a new way to alleviate TV FOMO, by only watching the first and last episode of a show. Does it do the trick? Can you go to parties and pretend you've seen the whole show? Find out as Jen and Brendan give it a try with Buffy the Vampire Slayer! Check out the whole show from the library here: https://bit.ly/3U37EsV

Hosts Julie, Christie, and Karen are back with all the hottest reads coming out this summer! Inspired by this year's summer reading theme - Beyond the Beaten Path - they have middle grade, teen, and adult book suggestions that work for all your summer activities, from lounging on the beach or playing at the park to camping out or taking a family road trip. Enjoy! Here's a list of the books mentioned in this month's episode: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/list/share/1297716497/2117289759

Find Your Next hosts Christie and Julie are back to share some May new releases that have been getting some good buzz, and bring in Jen to share some of her favorite graphic novels. Here's a list of the books mentioned in this month's episode: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/list/share/1297716497/2095447739

It's National Poetry Month! In this episode of Find Your Next, hosts Christie and Julie discuss April new releases, and bring in Mary to share some of her favorite poets and collections. Here's a list of the books mentioned in this month's episode: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/list/share/1297716497_hillsboro_recommends/2073423149 Here are Mary's poetry recommendations for adults: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/list/share/1282387487_hillsboro_maryd/2073456369 And for kids: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/list/share/1282387487_hillsboro_maryd/2073461369  

Find Your Next hosts Christie and Julie are back in action to share some March releases, and bring in Elizabeth for a special segment on audio drama podcasts. Here's a list of the books mentioned in this month's episode: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/list/share/1297716497/2061383899 Here are the podcasts and book tie-ins Elizabeth discusses: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/list/share/1312276837/2061404149   

Find Your Next hosts Christie and Julie are back to share some February releases that are sure to get your heart pounding, and bring in Elizabeth for a special segment on Paranormal Romance. Here's a list of the books mentioned in this month's episode: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/list/share/1297716497/2045880289

When things go disastrously wrong with a batch of cupcakes, it's up to science sleuths Mary and Rob to solve the problem with a little help from the Library of Things. Check out this list of Things mentioned in this episode: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/list/share/1312276837_hillsboro_scififantasycollective/2037210759 Music in part by Kevin Lax (https://www.kevinlax.com/)

A new year is upon us and hosts Christie and Julie return to the pod to talk about upcoming January releases, and Chris stops by to share some favorite non-fiction reads. Here's a list of all the books mentioned in this episode: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/list/share/1297716497_hillsboro_recommends/2024601009

In this episode, Hillsboro Public Library staff share their favorite reads published in 2021. As any book nerd knows, it's sometimes impossible to choose just one favorite, so we allowed everyone to pick up to two books. Click here to see a list of all books recommended this episode.

November is here and hosts Elena and Christie return to the pod to talk upcoming releases, and Jennifer stops by to discuss her favorite cozy reads and share some tips on how best to create a cozy atmosphere for reading. So pull up an armchair by the fireplace, wrap yourself in a snuggly blanket, and tune in for some great reading suggestions! Elena and Christie's list of November releases: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/list/share/1297716497/1995379609 Jennifer's list of cozy reads: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/list/share/1289980057/1998263139

HPL otaku Alanna, Molly, and Mary return to talk more manga and anime, taking a look back at this record-breaking year in manga sales and discussing their all-time favorite series, genres, and adaptations. Here is a catalog list of all the anime and manga referenced in this episode: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/list/share/1945788509/1995322189

Hosts Elena and Christie are back to talk about upcoming October releases, and bring in Karen to share some of her favorite titles from the witch fiction genre. So listen in and find your next read - we promise you'll be spellbound! Elena and Christie's list of October releases to get excited about: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/list/share/1297716497/1980752479  Karen's list Witchy Reads: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/list/share/1288223147/1982373979 

Library staff Elena and Christie discuss September releases to get excited about, and Julie shares some creepy books set on academic campuses for all your back to school needs. Get ready to grow your "to be read" list! Elena and Christie's list of September releases: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/list/share/1297716497/1965174139 Julie's list of Twisted Academia reads: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/list/share/1322234217/1965283219

Find out what the Hillsboro Public Library has planned for this summer, including our Summer Reading Program and Library on the Loose visits. We also take a look at upcoming books for adults and children that we are looking forward to, and grill the HPL Trivia Team with library-related trivia questions! Jump to these times for specific segments: 01:16 - Kids and Teen summer reading programs 10:45 - Adult summer reading program and book recommendations 26:19 - Book recommendations for kids and teens 40:34 - Where to find the library outside of our buildings this summer 46:38 - Trivia with the trivia team

Our latest podcast episode is a deep dive into comics and graphic novels in libraries, to help kick-off our new teen graphic novel book club starting in June! Librarians from around Oregon came together virtually in 2020 to discuss graphic novels, comics, and manga - what we like, what gets checked out, and what we are looking forward to most. Hopefully you find a few new titles to try out!

In November 2019, staff from the Hillsboro Public Library sat down to play the roleplaying game My Little Pony: Tails of Equestria. This is a great introductory roleplaying game for young ones and adults alike, and we wanted to show off how it works. The library has all the gamebooks you and your family needs to have your own adventure in Equestria, which you can find here: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/list/share/1250159517_hillsboro_brendanl/1366997817 Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/GZozt7Y2lVU Thanks so much to our players: Bo as Gollygosh, Ayrn as Light Bright, Mary as Dream Whisper, Mila as Honey Bell, and Rob as the Game Master! Music in part by Eric Matyas (www.soundimage.org): "Underwater World", "Lost Meadows", "Icicles", "Secret Journey", "RPG Theme", Additional music used under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No-Derivatives license: "Country Village" by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com/), "Elven Glade" by JKRoots (https://www.deviantart.com/jkroots/), "Forest: Day" by Eva Kedves (https://www.deviantart.com/evakedves/), "Cave of Time" by KoAltaiTeMaunga (https://www.deviantart.com/koaltaitemaunga/), My Little Pony: Tails of Equestria Storytelling Game is published by River Horse Games. My Little Pony® is a registered trademark of Hasbro, Inc.

On January 23, 2020, the Hillsboro Public Library hosted A Book That Changed My Life, an event that saw our community gather together to listen to and share stories about the books that have had a major impact on our lives. Special guest speakers include: Hillsboro City Manager Robby Hammond, Hillsboro School District Board Member Erika Lopez, the Madina Family, Hillsboro Library Board Member Rommel Rodriquez, and local author Erika Probst.

Back in January 2020, graphic novelist Paul Tobin came to the Hillsboro Public Library for a Tea with the Author event. While visiting, he agreed to sit down for a few minutes to talk about his work, his creative process, and why Portland is such a great place to create comics. Paul is the author of many great graphic novels, including Bandette, Plants vs. Zombies, Colder, and I am the Cat.

Welcome back to our Socially Distant Kanopy Watch Party! Jenny, Elizabeth, and Brendan do a deep dive on the 1985 film Explorers, taking you to the far distant reaches of space to see whether this movie holds up with the other kid adventure films of the 80's, or crumbles under the weight of its foam latex alien costumes.

Jenny and Brendan return to the pod to explore Kanopy, the steaming video service you have access to with your WCCLS library card. They each pick out a few movie selections, discuss which ones they think would work well for a group watch, and land on a flick you'll (hopefully) love. So go on over to Kanopy, spend a credit to watch Explorers, and tune in to next week's episode to hear our reviews! Check out this list of all the Kanopy movies discussed in the episode.

Join Laura from Cedar Mill Library, Brendan from Hillsboro Public Library, and PJ from Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS) as they talk about why board games are such a great fit for public libraries, and discuss how our county library system got started circulating board games and ended up with almost 2,000 games and over 100,000 check outs to date! As a bonus, discover some of our favorite games to bring to the table! Laura: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/user_profile/1310913377 PJ: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/user_profile/1233218797 Brendan: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/user_profile/1310913377

Hillsboro Public Library's SciFi Fantasy Collective returns with a fantastic episode exploring what the Collective currently have on their nightstands, what they are looking forward to reading next, and mention some of their favorite scifi hidden gems. Check out the SciFi Fantasy Collective's lists here: https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/lists/show/1312276837