PODCAST · arts
The Desk Set
by King County Library System
A bookish podcast for reading broadly. Librarians interview authors, share reading suggestions and explore literary topics through lively conversations. Each episode is based on reading challenge categories, which encourage listeners to expand their reading horizons. You can find show notes, including a list of books discussed in each episode and transcripts at kcls.org/deskset.
Episodes
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The Best Books of 2021
Librarians talk about staff picks for the best books of 2021. We also chat about books we're looking forward to reading in 2022 and the value of reading broadly.
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Epistolary Time Travel
Hear interviews with authors Amal El-Mohtar, Max Gladstone, and E.J. Koh. El-Mohtar and Gladston chat about their spy novella, This Is How You Lose the Time War. Koh discusses her memoir, The Magical Language of Others. Each author talks about how letter writing can act as a form of time travel.…
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Race, Place, and Coming of Age
Hear interviews with authors Monica West and Brittany Ackerman. West talks about Revival Season, a story about a Black evangelical family and a crisis of faith. Ackerman chats about The Brittanys, a novel about teen friends growing up in Florida. We also discuss our picks for books set where we...
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Feed Drop: Mateo Askaripour
Hear Mateo Askaripour, author of Black Buck, in conversation with Marcus Harrison Green of the South Seattle Emerald moderates.
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The Future, Real and Imagined
Explore the future through the lens of science and fiction. We chat with scientist Kelly Weinersmith about the nonfiction book Soonish. Then, we talk to Sarah Pinsker, author of the science fiction novel, We Are Satellites.
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Feed Drop: Syed Masood
Syed Masood, author of The Bad Muslim Discount, in conversation with Shahina Piyarali. This feed drop is an audio recording of a live webcast event.
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Wild Characters and Re-Reading
Hear interviews with authors: Emily St. John Mandel (The Glass Hotel, Station Eleven) and Kira Jane Buxton (Hollow Kingdom) We chat about revisiting Station Eleven during the pandemic and writing nonhuman characters. Librarians Emily and Britta also have a conversation about rereading old favorites.
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Fake It Til You Make It
Authors Rachel Lynn Solomon and Gabrielle Korn join us as guests to chat about their new books. Rachel talks about her adult debut The Ex Talk, a romantic comedy set at a Seattle public radio station. In the book, Shay and Dominic fake a past relationship as a pretense for the podcast they host...
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Reading and Reflecting in 2021
We interview Jenny Odell, the author of How To Do Nothing and chat about reading in 2021. We talk about new books we're excited to read and discuss our personal reading goals. We also reveal this year's library reading challenge categories. Then, Jenny Odell shares how persuasive design keeps our...
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The Best Books of 2020
Librarians share the best books of the year. In this episode, we're joined by KCLS staff members Vicki Huggins and Rachel Adams. We also chat about how reading was different in 2020, whether or not we met our reading goals, and more.
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Long-distance Book Club
We talk with Sarah Gailey, author of Upright Women Wanted. Then, Emily chats with two friends about Tana French's new novel.
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Feed Drop: Cristina Henríquez
Cristina Henríquez, author of The Book of Unknown Americans, joins us for a conversation about immigrant experiences, writing a novel with multiple voices to avoid the "single story," research for writing historical fiction, and the National Book Awards judging process.
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Feed drop: Nancy Pearl
In this bonus listen, we're sharing a recording of a live event. Emily talked to super librarian Nancy Pearl about her new book, The Writer's Library, what she learned talking to writers about their reading lives, her pandemic reads, and more.
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Feed Drop: Terese Marie Mailhot in conversation with Sara Ortiz
In this bonus listen, we're sharing a recording of a live event. Enjoy a conversation between Terese Marie Mailhot, author of Heart Berries, and writer and educator Sara Ortiz.
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The Great Outdoors
We're talking about books about nature and books about journeys. We chat with Nancy Blakey, author of By the Shore, about the benefits of spending time in nature and some of her favorite Pacific Northwest outdoor experiences. Then, we hear from cartoonist, Seattle Public Library employee, and...
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Feed Drop: Pramila Jayapal in conversation with Nick Licata
In this bonus listen, we're sharing a recording of a live event. Enjoy a conversation about political engagement with U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal, author of Use the Power You Have. Jayapal was joined in conversation by former Seattle City Councilmember and author of the book Becoming a...
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Feed Drop: Molly Wizenberg and Katrina Carrasco In Conversation
In this bonus listen, we're sharing a recording of a live event. Seattle writer Molly Wizenberg joined us for a discussion of her new memoir, The Fixed Stars. Katrina Carrasco, author of The Best Bad Things, moderated the conversation. They discussed queer identity, favorite LGBTQ+ writers, and...
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Staff Picks: We Love Inclusive Romance
On this episode of the Desk Set, we're talking about diverse and inclusive romance. If you're working on this year's 10 to Try reading challenge, all the books we mention count as books recommended by KCLS Staff. Adult Services librarian Jennifer Fairchild joins us to talk to bestselling author…
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Juneteenth
This special episode of The Desk Set is a feed drop recording of a live webcast we shared in celebration of Juneteenth. Author Ijeoma Oluo (So You Want to Talk About Race) spoke with her brother Ahamefule Oluo, a multi-instrumentalist, composer, writer, and stand-up comedian. They discussed Black...
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2020 Reading Goals
In this mini-episode, we're talking about reading in the new year! We share our personal reading goals, discuss this year's 10 to Try challenge, and talk about 2020 titles we're looking forward to reading. We also announce that the podcast is going on a hiatus - we'll be back with new episodes…
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Best Books of 2019
Librarians share their picks for the best books of 2019. Hear KCLS staff talk about the titles they loved the most, including adult fiction and nonfiction, teen reads, and children's books.
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The Challenge of Poetry
Three authors share their perspective on the rise of Instagram poetry, the challenge of finding poetry you love, and the unique power of the medium. First we talk with Joy McCullough, author of Blood Water Paint, a historical novel in verse for teens. Next we chat with Washington State Book Award...
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Immigrant stories
We interview author Angie Kim about her novel Miracle Creek, a mystery and legal thriller that's centered on a family of Korean immigrants and a single mother accused of murder. Then we chat with Jo Anderson Cavinta, KCLS's diversity services coordinator, about the programs and services that KCLS...
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'90s Kid Reads
Take a nostalgic look back at some of the most popular children's book series published in the '80s and '90s. First, we interview Gabrielle Moss, author of Paperback Crush. Then we talk with Destinee Sutton, a children's librarian at KCLS. We chat about school book fairs, free pizza, and the…
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Books about history
We talk to Amy Stewart about her historical mysteries, starting with Girl Waits With Gun, inspired by the real-life Kopp sisters, as well as Stewart's nonfiction on plants, bugs, and more. Then, Pulitzer Prize winner Jennifer Egan discusses her historical thriller Manhattan Beach, her research...
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Queer Voices in Literature
Seattle writer Katrina Carrasco talks to us about her book The Best Bad Things, a historical crime novel set in Port Townsend's seedy underbelly. Then, we chat with artist and author Keezy Young about Taproot, her cute and creepy graphic novel. Finally, we're joined by two KCLS staff members to...
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Sex, Sobriety, Shame: Books About Difficult Topics
Journalist Bonnie J. Rough, author of Beyond Birds & Bees, talks about the difference between the American and Dutch approaches to sexuality and parenting. Then, Kristi Coulter talks about her essay collection, Nothing Good Can Come From This, which tackles alcoholism and sobriety. Finally…
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Read a book about family
Journalist Angela Garbes joins us to discuss her book Like A Mother: A Feminist Journey Through The Science And Culture Of Pregnancy. Then we chat with Laurie Frankel, author of This Is How It Always Is, Like Frankel, the mother in her novel is the supportive parent of a transgender child.…
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True Crime Books
Journalist Ken Armstrong, the author of A False Report, joins us to talk about his work investigating the rape of a young woman in Lynnwood who recanted her original report, even though it later turned out to be true. Then, Britta interviews Alex Marzano-Lesnevich, author of The Fact of A Body....
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New Year New Books
Read more in 2019 with tips from librarians, get a sneak peek at the most anticipated books that will be released in the new year, discover books to help you meet your new year resolutions and hear our announcement of new reading challenge categories to inspire you to read more broadly.
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Best Books of 2018
The best books of the year have been chosen by KCLS Librarians. We share some favorites from the lists, talk about themes and trends, recommend our picks for gifting, and more! Read more on our website featuring KCLS's Best Books of 2018.
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Books Foodies Will Devour
Cookbooks, food writing, and the art and science of taste. We chat with author and chef Becky Selengut (How to Taste) about the art and science of taste. Then, we explore the relationship between pie and whiskey with authors, bakers, and cocktail makers Sam Ligon and Kate Lebo (Pie & Whiskey)....
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Young Adult Friction
Marissa Meyer, banned books, and very graphic novels. We chat with young adult author Marissa Meyer about her new series, Renegades, the power of fairytale retellings, and which Sailor Scout she wants to be. Then, we talk about banned books, including the most banned books of 2017, and why comic...
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Harry Potter and the Books in Translation
Learn how Harry Potter gets translated for global audiences and hear interviews with Kristin Hannah and Megan McDowell. We chat with Kristin Hannah, New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Great Alone. We also talk to Megan McDowell, who was recently nominated for a Man…
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Is the book always better than the movie?
Jordan Peele brings Lovecraft Country to the screen, we chat about the best and worst book adaptations plus interviews with Matt Ruff and Kim Fu. Author Matt Ruff joins us to talk about his book Lovecraft Country. Inspired by mid-century African-American travel guides and classic sci-fi and…
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Lived Experiences
#MeToo, memoirs and interviews with authors Rebecca Roanhorse and Litsa Dremousis. We chat with Hugo-Award winning author Rebecca Roanhorse about her Navajo-inspired urban fantasy Trail of Lightning and her award-winning short story, "Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience™". We also sit…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
A bookish podcast for reading broadly. Librarians interview authors, share reading suggestions and explore literary topics through lively conversations. Each episode is based on reading challenge categories, which encourage listeners to expand their reading horizons. You can find show notes, including a list of books discussed in each episode and transcripts at kcls.org/deskset.
HOSTED BY
King County Library System
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Desk Set have?
The Desk Set currently has 36 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Desk Set about?
A bookish podcast for reading broadly. Librarians interview authors, share reading suggestions and explore literary topics through lively conversations. Each episode is based on reading challenge categories, which encourage listeners to expand their reading horizons. You can find show notes,...
How often does The Desk Set release new episodes?
The Desk Set has 36 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Desk Set?
You can listen to The Desk Set on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Desk Set?
The Desk Set is created and hosted by King County Library System.
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