Read. Return. Repeat.

Sara and Daniel interview author Talia Lakshmi Kolluri to talk about her debut short story collection What We Fed to the Manticore. Talia shares what inspired her to write stories from various animal perspectives, geeks out about research (especially animal research!) and the fascinating world of animal friendships – both with humans and other species - as we focus on ReadICT category 9, a book featuring an animal sidekick. Episode Transcript and Show Notes: http://wichitalibrary.org/BooksMore/Podcast/Pages/rrr_s4e7.aspx New to #ReadICT? Join the challenge! For more information visit wichitalibrary.org/readict.

Sara and Daniel interview author Alex White, who is a science fiction and horror writer, best-known for the Salvager series and their tie-in novels for the Aliens and Star Trek franchises. In this episode that explores ReadICT Category 6, a book set in space, Alex talks about their newest novel, August Kitko and the Mechas from Space, why writing speculative fiction can be cathartic, and why sci-fi is so much more than "big robots punch each other." Episode Transcript and Show Notes: http://wichitalibrary.org/BooksMore/Podcast/Pages/rrr_s4e6.aspx New to #ReadICT? Join the challenge! For more information visit wichitalibrary.org/readict.

Sara and Daniel interview author N.K. Jemisin, a celebrated sci-fi and fantasy author who won the Hugo Award for her novel The Fifth Season. Tying in with ReadICT Category 1: A Book with a Map, this episode focuses on Jemisin’s Great Cities duology, The City We Became and The World We Make, a series that explores neighborhood stereotypes, gentrification and all the people that make a place unique, but with monsters! Episode Transcript and Show Notes: http://wichitalibrary.org/BooksMore/Podcast/Pages/rrr_s4e5.aspx New to #ReadICT? Join the challenge! For more information visit wichitalibrary.org/readict.

Sara and Daniel interview author Kiersten White, author of the 2023 novel Mister Magic. As they explore ReadICT Category 3: A book about something lost or found, Kiersten shares her thoughts on what she calls "toxic nostalgia," problematic Punky Brewster episodes and how sometimes when you escape a cultish upbringing, you have to go write a horror novel about it. Episode Transcript and Show Notes: http://wichitalibrary.org/BooksMore/Podcast/Pages/rrr_s4e4.aspx New to #ReadICT? Join the challenge! For more information visit wichitalibrary.org/readict.

Sara and Daniel interview Tommy Orange, author of There There and Wandering Stars to talk about urban native representation, why it’s important to read books by and about people different from you and how much they love the Reservation Dogs soundtrack as they dig into ReadICT Category 12: A book by an indigenous author. Episode Transcript and Show Notes: http://wichitalibrary.org/BooksMore/Podcast/Pages/rrr_s4e3.aspx New to #ReadICT? Join the challenge! For more information visit wichitalibrary.org/readict.

Sara and Daniel discuss ReadICT Category 5: A book by or about someone who is neurodivergent. Joining the discussion are Ian and Jenny, members of the Read Return Repeat production team who normally work behind the camera. In this informal chat, they talk about how they define neurodivergence, common myths about people with conditions like ADHD, Dyslexia and Autism, and why accurate representation in media of people living with these conditions can help everyone embrace being different. Also, there may or may not be Dune spoilers. Episode Transcript and Show Notes: http://wichitalibrary.org/BooksMore/Podcast/Pages/rrr_s4e2.aspx New to #ReadICT? Join the challenge! For more information visit wichitalibrary.org/readict.

Sara and Daniel interview writer Ross Gay to talk about his essay collection, Inciting Joy, which was released in 2022. In this conversation, which explores ReadICT Category 4: A Collection, Ross talks about the meaning of incitement, the interconnectedness of everything and why inefficiency can be a great act of self-care. Episode Transcript and Show Notes: http://wichitalibrary.org/BooksMore/Podcast/Pages/rrr_s4e1.aspx New to #ReadICT? Join the challenge! For more information visit wichitalibrary.org/readict.

Sara and Daniel are joined by Suzanne Perez and Beth Golay of the Books and Whatnot podcast to talk about the new #ReadICT 2024 challenge categories. In this special kickoff episode which was recorded in front of a live audience at the Advanced Learning Library in Wichita, KS on January 4th, 2024, Sara, Daniel, Suzanne, and Beth talk about what their (reading) plans are this year for each category as well as some titles they would recommend to others participating in the challenge. Episode Transcript and Show Notes: http://wichitalibrary.org/BooksMore/Podcast/Pages/rrr_s4e0.aspx New to #ReadICT? Join the challenge! For more information visit wichitalibrary.org/readict.

Sara and Daniel interview prolific sci-fi author John Scalzi for #ReadICT category 12: A book by an author visiting Wichita. They talk about John's most recent novel Starter Villain, hyper-intelligent cats and what it’s like receiving celebrity fan mail. Episode Transcript and Show Notes: http://wichitalibrary.org/BooksMore/Podcast/Pages/rrr_s3e10.aspx New to #ReadICT? Join the challenge! For more information visit wichitalibrary.org/readict.

Sara and Daniel talk with author Natalie Zina Walschots, author of Hench, where they take a closer look at ReadICT Category 5, a book told from the villain's point-of-view. In this episode they examine the lives of the hired help of supervillains, why nobody thinks about the real-world cost of superheroes destroying everyone's favorite coffee shop, and why even henches deserve universal health care. Episode Transcript and Show Notes: http://wichitalibrary.org/BooksMore/Podcast/Pages/rrr_s3e9.aspx New to #ReadICT? Join the challenge! For more information visit wichitalibrary.org/readict.

Sara and Daniel interview local historian Seth Bate, author of Winfield's Walnut Valley Festival, as they delve into ReadICT category 6: a book about time and talk about the timelessness of music, building community through a shared passion, and why more people should play musical saws. Episode Transcript and Show Notes: http://wichitalibrary.org/BooksMore/Podcast/Pages/rrr_s3e8.aspx New to #ReadICT? Join the challenge! For more information visit wichitalibrary.org/readict.

Sara and Daniel interview author Travis Baldree, author of Legends and Lattes, the bestselling cozy fantasy novel about an orc who trades in her weapons to open a coffee shop in a quiet village. In this episode – which focuses on ReadICT category 3, a book about friendship – Travis shares his thoughts on how our friendships are a form of self-reflection, why found families are important, and what exactly a hobgoblin is. Episode Transcript and Show Notes: http://wichitalibrary.org/BooksMore/Podcast/Pages/rrr_s3e7.aspx New to #ReadICT? Join the challenge! For more information visit wichitalibrary.org/readict.

Sara and Daniel interview author David Heska Wanbli Weiden to discuss his novel Winter Counts, a gritty crime novel taking place on the Lakota Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. This episode explores ReadICT category 10, a book set in the Great Plains, and how place can be inextricably linked to one’s identity, especially for Native Americans. Episode Transcript and Show Notes: http://wichitalibrary.org/BooksMore/Podcast/Pages/rrr_s3e6.aspx New to #ReadICT? Join the challenge! For more information visit wichitalibrary.org/readict.

In this episode, co-hosts Sara Dixon and Daniel Pewewardy celebrate Pride Month by doing a deep dive into category 8: a book featuring a LGBTQIA+ protagonist. Joining them on the podcast is author Nghi Vo, who has authored multiple books featuring queer characters. She discusses her most recent novel, Siren Queen, which tells the story of a Chinese American actress in an alternate Hollywood during its Golden Age, featuring monsters both real and imagined. In this novel, she explores themes of mythology, power dynamics, colorism in Hollywood and the importance of support networks in marginalized communities, and how this impacts us today just as much as it did during the time period in which the novel was set. Episode Transcript and Show Notes: http://wichitalibrary.org/BooksMore/Podcast/Pages/rrr_s3e5.aspx New to #ReadICT? Join the challenge! For more information visit wichitalibrary.org/readict.

In this episode, co-hosts Sara Dixon and Daniel Pewewardy get a little "culty" to explore category 11: a book about a secret or closed society! Joining them on the podcast is editor, publisher and cartoonist Robyn Chapman, who edited the graphic novel collection American Cult: A Graphic History of Religious Cults in America from the Colonial Era to Today, which comprises a collection of stories about various cults in American history, some that are older than the founding of this country! They talk about why cults fascinate us, the link between true crime and cult stories and where we draw the line between belief and brainwashing. Episode Transcript and Show Notes: http://wichitalibrary.org/BooksMore/Podcast/Pages/rrr_s3e4.aspx New to #ReadICT? Join the challenge! For more information visit wichitalibrary.org/readict.