Stacks and Stories

Join Charlie and Tracy as they discuss the ins and outs of special collections and just what makes them so special. Listen as they talk about the various collections and kits that can be borrowed by patrons and libraries, including board games, costumes, hand puppets, story walks, and more! For more information regarding our special collections and kits, you can contact Charlie Simpkins at (601) 432-4498

Join Zach as he looks back at some of our recent MLC Moments which focus on our collection of WPA files.

Join Tracy and Shellie on this episode of Shelf Absorbed as they discuss what they've been reading and watching lately.   Books mentioned: The Impossible Life of Greta Wells by Andrew Sean Greer Less by Andrew Sean Greer Foe by Iain Reed I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reed Stoner by John Williams Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera How Strange a Season by Megan Mayhew Bergman Almost Famous Women by Megan Mayhew Bergman The Boys of My Youth by Jo Ann Beard Domestic Work by Natasha Tretheway The Teacher by Freida McFadden

Join Katie, Charlie, and Tracy as they discuss the ins and outs of podcast development. Listen as they talk about what you need to make a podcast, how to get started, and all the other behind the scenes magic.  

Join Alex, Elisabeth, and Charlie as they discuss Novels in Verse. Listen in while they talk about novels in verse as well as their favorite poems and verse novels!   Books and Poems mentioned: The Crossover – Kwame Alexander Milk and Honey – Rupi Kaur The Night Library of Sternendach – Jessica Levai Dreaming of You – Melissa Lozada-Oliva Bull – David Elliot We Are All So Good at Smiling – Amber McBride Ain’t Burned All the Bright – Jason Reynolds Chlorine Sky – Mahogany Browne Sharp Teeth – Toby Barlow

Join Tracy and Shellie as they talk about their favorite short stories! What makes a good short story? What makes them memorable? Learn all that and more on this episode!   Stories mentioned include: "Dear Sister" by Deesha Philyaw "The Field of Blue Children" by Tennessee Williams "The Man Who Loved Flowers" by Stephen King "Parker's Back" by Flannery O'Connor "Portrait of a Girl in Glass" by Tennessee Williams "Up in Michigan" by Ernest Hemingway Victory Over Japan by Ellen Gilchrist

Join Katie, Shellie, and Tracy as they discuss bookish podcast other than your favorite, Stacks and Stories. Listen as they talk about what makes a good podcast, how the length of a podcast episode affects the best time to listen, and more, so stay tuned. Podcasts Mentioned Celebrity Memoir Book Club If Books Could Kill Maintenance Phase Overdue Read with Jenna Reading Through Life Shonen Flop What Should I Read Next

This episode is all about Pride and Prejudice and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Join Tracy and Russell as they dive into regency romance and comedy horror, examining their own prides and prejudices along the way.   Books discussed: Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Seth Grahame-Smith

Join Charlie and Elisabeth as they talk about their favorites in this year's crop of Magnolia Book Award nominations! Books discussed in this episode include: Alone written by Megan E. Freeman Four for the Road written by K.J. Reilly Fox and Chick: Up and Down and Other Stories written and illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier I Must Betray You written by Ruta Sepetys Listen to the Language of the Trees written by Tera Kelley, illustrated by Marie Hermansson The Lucky Ones written by Linda Williams Jackson The Most Magnificent Idea written and illustrated by Ashley Spires Stella Keeps the Sun Up written by Clothilde Ewing, illustrated by Lynn Gaines

Join Tracy and Shellie on this newest episode of Shelf Absorbed as they talk about their favorite books of 2023 and the books they're looking forward to in 2024!   Books mentioned in the episode: The Anthropocene Review by John Green I Must Be Dreaming by Roz Chast Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling Shine On, Bright and Dangerous Object by Laurie Colwin My Murder by Kate Williams Chenneville by Paulette Jiles

Join Katie and Russell as they talk about long books, long book series, and everything big and chonky! Books mentioned in this episode: The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke The Stand by Stephen King The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel

Join Katie and Riley as they discuss memoirs and why they like them. Listen in as they talk about death, eels, families, ships, and more, so stay tuned. Books Mentioned The Book of Eels: Our Enduring Fascination with the Most Mysterious Creature in the Natural World by Patrik Svensson Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah I'm A Terminal Cancer Patient, But I'm Fine by Hilnama I Want to Die, but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Sehee Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty

Join Charlie and Elisabeth as they talk their favorite picture books: past classics, current faves, and new books they're looking forward to!   Titles discussed in this episode include: Beatrice Likes the Dark by April Genevieve Tucholke, illustrated by Khoa Le Doña Flor by Pat Mora, illustrated by Raul Colón ¡Fiesta! A Festival of Colors by Duncan Tonatiuh Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich by Adam Rex Hot Dog by Doug Salati Noodle Conquers Comfy Mountain by Jonathan Graziano; illustrated by Dan Tavis Simone by Viet Thanh Nguyen, illustrated by Minnie Phan The video of April Genevieve Tucholke reading Beatrice Likes the Dark can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIHB-LO2Wbg

Join Tracy and Zach as they discuss what kooky structures and narrations mean to them, why they like them, and some of their favorite examples, so stay tuned. Books Mentioned The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe The Fifth Head of Cerberus by Gene Wolfe John Henry Days by Colson Whitehead Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone Wellness by Nathan Hill

Amanda's a fan of YA and hasn't read much horror. Riley's a fan of horror and hasn't read much YA. Join us at Amanda & Riley each read a recommended book from the other's favorite genre and discuss their forays into the wider world of reading!

Join Alex and Amanda as they talk all things book covers! From books that are better than their cover, covers that are better than their books, cover reprints that are just kind of bad, cover trends, and cover marketing, they cover (get it?) almost everything in the wide world of book design!   As a note, Alex mentions a book with an orange cover set on Jupiter that she can't remember the title of. This book is The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older.   Books mentioned in this episode If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy Happy Place by Emily Henry Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume The Ramona Quimby series by Beverly Cleary American Gods by Neil Gaiman Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston Anna & the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins Old Enough by Haley Jacobson My Last Innocent Year by Daisy Alpert Florin The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson The Wayfairer series by Becky Chambers The Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer The Stolen Heir by Holly Black Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt The Tia Rosie's Kitchen Mysteries series by Mia P. Manansala. The Donut Legion by Joe R. Lansdale.

Join Riley, Shellie, and Tracy as they discuss dark academia, why they enjoy it, and if not, what they do enjoy that’s adjacent. Books Mentioned Blue Angel by Francine Prose Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas The Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman The Maidens by Alex Michaelides Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth Possession by A.S. Byatt The Secret History by Donna Tartt A Separate Peace by John Knowles Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessel Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon

Join Alex and Tracy as they discuss the influential children’s book writer Beverly Cleary. Listen as they talk about their favorite books by her, toothpaste, wigs, and bad accents.

Join Katie and Natalie as they discuss why they prefer nonfiction to fiction, what their favorite nonfiction reads are, and more. Books Mentioned 1776 by David McCullough A Concise History of U.S. Foreign Policy by Joyce Kaufman Educated by Tara Westover The Encyclopedia of the Cat edited by Bruce Fogle The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party by Daniel James Brown Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica’s Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night by Julian Sancton Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World’s Greatest Nuclear Disaster by Adam Higginbotham The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values by Sam Harris Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi A Promise Land by Barack Obama Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

Join Shellie and Tracy as they talk about authors and panels they're looking forward to at this year's Mississippi Book Festival!