KPL Podcast
Each week, the Kirkwood Public Library Podcast features in-depth conversations with bestselling authors, along with book and film recommendations from the library staff. It's a weekly show that helps listeners discover great reads and movies.
Episodes
KPL Podcast October 2026 Week 2 with Special Guest E. Madison Shimoda
This week on the KPL Podcast, we are doing something a little different. We spoke with E. Madison Shimoda who translated Welcome to Kokoro Cat Clinic by Syou Ishida. In this episode we learn more about literary translation from Japanese to English. Author ReadsMurder at the Grand Alpine Hotel by Lucy Foley
KPL Podcast October 2026 Week 1 with Special Guest Sharon Cameron
This week on the podcast we have bestselling author, Sharon Cameron. She was here to talk about her latest novel, Up From the Ashes. This historical fiction is about two people finding each other and falling in love in the most horrific conditions in a Nazi death camp during WW2. Author ReadsThe Other Bennet Sister by Janice HadlowBuilding 903 by Lois Lowry
KPL Podcast September 2026 Week 4 with Special Guest Ally Zetterberg
This week on the KPL podcast we have author Ally Zetterberg. Her new novel is a unique blend of comedy mixed with a thriller. Her new novel, The Dating Game is a fun and unexpected blend of comedy and thriller, with plenty of humor, suspense, and surprises. Author ReadsI Think We Should Kill Other People by LM ChiltonMrs. Dickens by Emily Howes
KPL Podcast September 2026 Week 3 with Special Guest Anne Shaw Heinrich
This week on the KPL Podcast we are back with Anne Shaw Heinrich and her latest book, The House of Teeth. This is book three the series, The Women of Paradise County. The book is also a finalist for the American Fiction Award.Previous EpisodesGod Bless the Child by Anne Shaw Heinrich Episode 255Violet is Blue by Anne Shaw Heinrich Episode 290Author ReadsWolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
KPL Podcast September 2026 Week 2 with Special Guest Emily Galvin Almanza
This week on the KPL Podcast, we have middle-grade author, Emily Galvin Almanza. Andromeda Diaz and the Reasonable Doubt is about the daughter of public defenders as she locates why a classmate was suspended from school.Author ReadsThe Mismeasurement of America: How Outdated Government Statistics Mask The Economic Struggle Of Everyday Americans by Gene LudwigEverything is Tuberculois: The History
KPL Podcast September 2026 Week 1 with Special Guest Sarah Lotz
This week on the KPL Podcast we have author Sarah Lotz and we are discussing, How to Kill a Crime Writer. A young woman solves her mother's murder while working with a fictional detective from her mother's books.Author readsHagitude by Sharon BlackieCursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite
KPL Podcast August 2026 Week 4 with Special Guest Natalie Moss
This Week on the KPL Podcast, take yourself to the South African bush. Natalie Moss' debut novel is set in the South African bush. Two sisters and friends journey through the bush on foot as they navigate the wildlife and stay ahead of the killers.Author ReadsHomebound by Portia ElanTomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
KPL Podcast August 2026 Week 3 with Special Guest Jane Pek
This week on the KPL Podcast we have author Jane Pek. Her latest novel The Rivals explores the world of AI in a fun, interesting way. This is a mystery novel set in a dating agency. Claudia Lin works for an agency that explores the truth about online dating profiles. She uncovers an AI conspiracy and cover-up by corporate matchmakers. Author ReadsIn the Wood by Tana FrenchGolden Hill by Franci
KPL Podcast August 2026 Week 2 with Special Guest Nicole Carr
This week on the KPL Podcast we have author/journalist Nicole Carr. We had a great conversation about her new book, The Price of Exclusion, The Pursuit of Healthcare in a Segregated Nation. The book explores the systemic racism, exclusionary and historical policies that dismantled Black medical institutions and shaped modern healthcare disparities. Author ReadsBefore I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan
KPL Podcast August 2026 Week 1 with Special Guest Meg Shaffer
This week on the KPL podcast we have author Meg Shaffer. Her latest novel, The Book Witch, is a delightful cozy fantasy about a woman whose magical job is to preserve books and protect the stories within them. Armed with the ability to step inside the pages of a book, she must fix problems before they alter the story readers know and love. It's a charming, imaginative, and wonderfully lighth
KPL Podcast July 2026 Week 5 with Special Guest David Levithan and Gabriel Duckels
This week on the KPL podcast we spoke with authors David Levithan and Gabriel Duckels about their new book, The Fight of Our Lives: Aids in America. A moving book that chronicles the Aids crisis of the 80's and 90's. A portrait of a group of people that fought to be heard even when countless doors were shut for them.
KPL Podcast July 2026 Week 4 with Special Guest Cynthia Sweeney
The week on the KPL Podcast we spoke with Cynthia Sweeney about her latest novel, Lake Effect. The parents of two neighboring families have an affair and breakup the families. The novel explores long-term effects of divorce on family and how it alters relationships.Author ReadsIn the days of my youth I was told what it means to be a man by Tom JunodWhistler by Ann PatchettThe end of my life is k
KPL Podcast July 2026 Week 3 with Special Guest Hallie Cantor
This week on the KPL Podcast, we have author Hallie Cantor. We discussed her latest novel Like This But Funnier. A debut novel about a TV writer who is having difficulty getting any project into development. She accidentally finds her therapist husband's notes about a patient and decides to pitch a TV show based on this patient's personal life. Hollywood loves it but the patient know
KPL Podcast July 2026 Week 2 with Special Guest Nancy Foley
This week on the KPL Podcast, we spoke with Nancy Foley. She is the author of I Am Agatha, a novel about a woman navigating life after her partner develops dementia. The novel explores themes of family, grief, memory, art, and family secrets.True Grit by Charles PortisOrange is Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Wilson Lives of the Saints by Nancy Lemann and Geoff DyerThey by Helle Helle
KPL Podcast July 2026 Week 1 with Special Guest Liza Tully
This week on the KPL podcast we welcome back author, Liza Tully. The Forty-Year Grudge is the second book in the Merritt & Blunt series. The two women are back to solve a murder at a reunion for Aubrey Merritt's sorority. Great pacing and well-plotted, the book will keep you guessing until the end. The Job: True Tales from the life of a New York City Cop by Steve Osborne
KPL Podcast June 2026 with Special Guest Edward Schmit
This week on the KPL Podcast, we spoke with Edward Schmit about his debut novel, The Open Era. The story is about two pro tennis players who begin a romance during the US Open. One is openly gay and the other is not. The two must navigate their feelings while still playing a match against each other. The book also delves into mental health and the toll it can take on a person. Author ReadsDearl
KPL Podcast June 2026 Week 3 With Special Guest Wade Rouse
The KPL Podcast is back with another great episode. This week we spoke with Wade Rouse about his first novel under his own name. He also writes under the pen name Viola Shipman. That's What Friends Are For pays homage to the Golden Girls but also takes on heavy topics, such as aging, homosexuality, the importance of the gay community, and grief with wit and humor. Author ReadsThe Lost Book
KPL Podcast June 2026 Week 2 with Special Guest Ruta Sepetys
This week on the KPL podcast we spoke with bestselling author Ruta Sepetys about her latest novel, A Fortune of Sand. Set in 1920s Detroit, about Marjorie Lennox, the youngest daughter of a wealthy automotive family, who joins a mysterious arts program and uncovers dark secrets about her family and the program itself, inspired by real events.Author ReadsWhistler by Ann PatchettScar Island by Dan G
KPL Podcast June 2026 Week 1 with Special Guest Laura Kamoie
This week on the KPL Podcast, we spoke with Laura Kamoie, the coauthor of A Founding Mother: A Novel of Abigail Adams. This historical fiction takes leads you through Abigail Adam's life as is goes from wife to mother, to first lade, and then founding mother. This book is an eye opening study of the women of the American Revolution. Author ReadsFortune Tellers of Rue Daru by Olesya Salnikov
KPL Podcast May 2026 Week 5 with Special Guest Donna Jones Alward
The KPL Podcast is back with another great episode with historical fiction writer Donna Jones Alward. Her latest novel, Ship of Dreams, is set aboard the Titanic and follows two passengers as they navigate complicated relationships and dream of brighter futures. But when the Titanic strikes disaster, their lives and their plans are forever changed. Author Reads and other books When the World F
KPL Podcast May 2026 Week 4 with Special Guest Rachel Moore
On this week's episode of the KPL Podcast we have Rachel Moore. Her latest novel Safari Murder Party is fun, fast paced ride through both the corporate world and the natural world. A billionaire media mogul dies and his will states that his company and wealth will go to the last survivor of the corporate retreat group.Author ReadsHalf City by Kate Golden
KPL Podcast May 2026 Week 3 with Special Guest Lori Gold
This week on the KPL Podcast, we have author Lori Gold. Her new book, Kiss Marry Kill, takes a new spin on the conversation game. Three women play the game and end up in a slightly altered reality but are given the chance to make necessary changes to their lives. Listen to learn more. Author ReadsTake Me With You by Steven RowleyThe Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett
KPL Podcast May 2026 Week 2 with Special Guest Sara Levine
This week on the KPL podcast we spoke with author Sara Levine about her fun and zany book, The Hitch. Imagine babysitting your nephew while his parents are away for week. You setup a room for him, plan meals and activities and are excited to get to spend time with him. One day you and the nephew take the dog for a walk. The dog kills a corgi and the spirit of the corgi possesses your nephew. Cha
KPL Podcast May 2026 With Special Guest Nina McConigley
This week on the KPL Podcast we have Nina McConigley, telling us about her novel, How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder. This a story, about sisters who decide to murder their abusive uncle. Set in the mid 80's the novel explores themes, of sisterhood, abuse, and growing up in Wyoming as a biracial person. Listen to learn more. To win a copy of The Survivalist, write to me at podcast@kplmo.or
KPL Podcast April 2026 Week 4 with Special Guest Moorea Corrigan
This week on the KPL Podcast we have author Moorea Corrigan to discuss her cozy historical fantasy, Thistlemarsh. Think Downton Abbey with Faeries. The book is set post WW1 in England. A young women inherits a manor house with certain conditions. She must renovate the house in one month or lose it. The renovations aren't simple and cannot be done in the short timeframe. So she makes a barg
KPL Podcast April 2026 Week 3 with Special Guest Joan F. Smith
This week on the KPL podcast we have author Joan F. Smith and we discuss, Your Soulmail is Attached. A speculative fiction novel about how the world would change after every adult is told the name of their soulmate. Marriages break apart in some cases and in other situations relationships are stronger. Dating, social media, and even religion are changed. Listen to learn more.Author readsThis Stor
KPL Podcast April 2026 Week 2 with Special Guest JD Brinkworth
This week on the KPL podcast we have author duo Jo Dinkin and Catherine Brinkworth. Their first novel together is The Pie and Mash Detective Agency. The book is about two newbie private detectives assigned to solve the recurring disappearance of a woman named Nellie Thorn. A wonderful addition to the cozy genre.Author ReadsA Murder in Eight Cocktails by Kelly MullenThe Silent Patient by Alex Mi
KPL Podcast April 2026 Week1 with Special Guest Shelley Noble
This week on the KPL Podcast we have bestselling author Shelley Noble telling us about The Sisters of Book Row. A historical fiction novel that explores Anthony Comstock and his ruthless campaign against Manhattan’s “Book Row.” Three sisters band together to challenge censorship and fight to preserve the heart of the city’s literary world. Author ReadsFahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury1984 by George
KPL Podcast March 2026 Week 4 with Special Guest Marie Benedict
Bestselling author Marie Benedict is back with another wonderful historical fiction, titled Daughter of Egypt. We are introduced to two remarkable women whom history nearly erased. One is Evelyn Herbert, who was present at the archaeological discovery of Tutankhamun’s burial site, and the other is Hatshepsut, a powerful woman who ruled as Pharaoh during the 18th dynastyAuthor ReadsWhat We Can Kno
KPL Podcast March 2026 Week 3 with Special Guest Sean Rost
This week on the KPL Podcast we have local Missouri author and historian Sean Rost. We discuss his new book, Catching Hell from All Quarters: Anti-Klan Activists in Interwar Missouri. He's taken a deep dive into rebirth of the Ku Klux Klan during interwar Missouri. Rost will focus on several notable figures who comprised an interracial, interdenominational, and bipartisan anti-Klan coaliti
KPL Podcast March 2026 Week 2 with Special Guest Elizabeth Arnott
This week on the KPL Podcast, we spoke with bestselling author Elizabeth Arnott Her latest novel, The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives tells the story from the perspective of 3 women after their husbands are arrest for murder. When women begin dying in similar circumstances, they band together to catch the killer.Author ReadsWild Dark Shore by McConaghy
KPL Podcast March 2026 week 1 Special Guest Izzy Broom
This week on the KPL Podcast we spoke with Izzy Broom about The House of Hidden Letters. A dual timeline story set on a small Greek Island. A woman wins a contest to purchase a home on Folegandros for 1 Euro. As she begins renovations she finds letters belonging to the previous owner from 1940s during the German and Italian occupation. Author readsThe One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh
KPL Podcast February 2026 Week 4 with Special Guest Michelle Maryk
This week on the KPL podcast we are speaking with author Michelle Maryk about her debut novel, The Found Object Society. Imagine a secret society that holds thousands of objects from all over the world and from different time periods. Each object can take you on a voyage to relive the last moments of the person who died holding it. Listen to learn more.Author ReadsPinky Swear by Danielle GirardT
KPL Podcast February 2026 Week 3 with Special Guest Janie Chang
This week on the KPL podcast we spoke with author Janie Chang about her latest novel, The Fourth Princess. This is a gothic mystery set in Shanghai China during the early 1900's about two woman, Lisan comes to work for Caroline. Slowly, things begin to unravel as both women learn about the people in their lives. Author ReadsIthica by Claire NorthHouse of Odysseus by Claire NorthThe Last Son
KPL Podcast February 2026 Week 2 with Special Guest Yosha Gunasekera
Another exciting week on the KPL Podcast. This week we spoke with author/attorney Yosha Gunasekera about her debut whodunit, The Midnight Taxi. The story is about a female Sri Lankan-American taxi driver in NYC. She picks up a fare late night and he is murdered in the backseat while she is driving the taxi. Automatically, she becomes the prime suspect and has to solve the murder herself. Autho
KPL Podcast February 2026 Week 1 with Special Guest Kashana Cauley
This week on the KPL Podcast we have author Kashana Cauley telling us about her latest novel The Payback. This story is an funny, satirical look at the student system in our country. Three women are stuck with massive student loan debt that is difficult to pay on their low income retail jobs. They are stalked by debt police and see no hope at ever repaying their student loans. They hatch out a
KPL Podcast January 2026 Week 5 with Special Guest LS Stratton
This week on KPL Podcast we have author LS Stratton with her first YA novel Sundown Girls. The story focuses on a teenage girl named Naomi who was kidnapped as a toddler. She is now back with her family and the woman who raised is in jail for kidnapping. Her family goes on a weekend getaway in a former sundown town. Mysterious things begin to happen. Daughter of the Merciful Deep by Leslye Pene
KPL Podcast January 2026 Week 4 with Special Guest Lynn Cullen
This week on the KPL Podcast we spoke with Lynn Cullen about her latest historical fiction, When We Were Brilliant. The book explores the friendship between Marilyn Monroe and Eve Arnold, the only woman to photograph Marilyn. Written from Eve’s perspective as if she were writing directly to Marilyn, the novel reveals intimate and lesser-known moments from both women’s lives, offering a fresh and
KPL Podcast January 2026 Week 3 with Special Guest Karen Winn
This week we spoke with Karen Winn about her latest novel The Society. This story revolves around a secret society known as The Knox. Two women's lives intertwine as they get involved with the Knox. Vivian is searching for answers to her heritage and disappears as she digs deeper in her family's involvement with the Knox. Another woman, Taylor, is pulled into the Knox's orbit wh
KPL Podcast January 2026 Week 2 with Special Guests Pamela Samuels Young and Dwayne Alexander Smith
On this week’s episode of the KPL Podcast, we spoke with authors Pamela Samuels Young and Dwayne Alexander Smith about their latest novel, Sounds Like Trouble. We had a great time talking about their collaborative writing process and how they first began working together.Sounds Like Trouble reunites readers with Mackenzie and Jackson, who have just opened a PI agency and are still figuring out the
KPL Podcast January 2026 week 1 with Special Guest Tamara Berry
This week on the KPL Podcast, we’re joined by Tamara Berry to talk about her latest novel, Murder Runs in the Family. When a granddaughter comes to stay with her grandmother in a retirement community, she quickly finds herself helping Grandma dodge a very real murder charge. Packed with laugh-out-loud moments, quirky residents, and an unforgettable pet turtle, this cozy mystery is as charming as i
KPL Podcast December 2025 with Special Guest Eva Jurczyk
This week on the KPL Podcast, we welcome back returning author Eva Jurczyk to talk about her latest novel, 6:40 to Montreal. A clever homage to Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, the book is a tightly crafted locked-room mystery set aboard a train traveling from Toronto to Montreal. Packed with intrigue and classic whodunit twists, it’s a page-turner that will keep readers guessing u
KPL Podcast December 2025 Week 3 with Special Guest Jinwoo Park
This week on the KPL Podcast, we talk with Jinwoo Park about his latest novel, The Oxford Soju Club. Part spy novel and part exploration of identity, the immigrant experience, and the parent–child relationship, the book is richly layered and deeply engaging, with plenty to keep readers hooked.Red Sword by Bora ChungA Thousand Blues by Cheon Seon-Ran
KPL Podcast December 2025 Week 2 with Special Guest Annalee Newitz
This week on the KPL Podcast, we spoke with author Annalee Newitz about Automatic Noodle, their inventive new novel. Set in a future California where robots have won their freedom, the story follows a group of food-service bots in a deserted ghost kitchen who seize control of their old delivery app account. Rebranding themselves as a neighborhood lunch spot, they whip up some of the best hand-pul
KPL Podcast December 2025 with Special Guest Kristi Demeester
This week on the KPL Podcast, we speak with bestselling author Kristi DeMeester about her new novel Dark Sisters. In this fierce and haunting Southern Gothic, DeMeester unravels an intergenerational curse that binds — and torments — the women of Hawthorne Springs, an affluent town ruled by a powerful church known as The Path. Spanning centuries, the story follows three unforgettable protagonists:
KPL Podcast November 2025 Week 4 with Special Guest Laura Griffin
This week on the KPL Podcast, we speak with bestselling author Laura Griffin about her latest novel, Innocence Road. Set in the small town of Marfa, Texas, this suspenseful murder mystery opens with Deputy Leanne being called to a fresh crime scene at the edge of the desert, where a nameless woman has been found with no clues to her identity. As Leanne investigates, she must also confront the rel
KPL Podcast November 2025 Week 3 with Special Guest Peggy Townsend
This week on the KPL Podcast, we’re joined by author Peggy Townsend to discuss The Botanist’s Assistant. If you’re looking for a cozy mystery with a STEM twist, this one’s for you. The story follows a research scientist whose life is upended when her boss is murdered—and no one seems interested in finding out why. Filled with quirky characters and light-hearted intrigue, this fun mystery will kee
KPL Podcast November 2025 Week 2 with Special Guest Lucas Schaefer
Lucas Schaefer recently won the prestigious Kirkus Prize for Fiction for The Slip, his debut novel centered on the lives orbiting an Austin, Texas boxing gym and the disappearance of a 16-year-old boy. We talk with Lucas about what it was like to receive such an acclaimed honor, the story behind the book, and parenthood.
KPL Podcast November 2025 Week 1 with Special Guest Chris Sweeney
This week we speak with journalist Chris Sweeney about his debut book, The Feather Detective Mystery, Mayhem, and the Magnificent Life of Roxie Laybourne. The fascinating and remarkable true story of the world’s first forensic ornithologist, Roxie Laybourne. She broke down barriers for women, solved murders, and investigated deadly airplane crashes with nothing more than a microscope and a few f
KPL Podcast October 2025 Week 5 with Special Guest Vanessa Lillie
This week on the KPL Podcast, we welcome back author Vanessa Lillie to discuss her latest novel, The Bone Thief. This gripping mystery blends history, fiction, and cultural reckoning. In the pre-dawn hours at a local summer camp, Bureau of Indian Affairs archaeologist Syd Walker receives a disturbing call: newly discovered skeletal remains have been stolen. A Native teen girl vanished near the sa
KPL Podcast October 2025 Week 4 with Special Guest Zoe Rankin
This week on the KPL Podcast, we’re joined by debut author Zoe Rankin to discuss her gripping novel The Vanishing Place. Set in the rugged New Zealand bush, this nature-infused thriller begins when an eight-year-old girl emerges from the wilderness—alone, injured, and starving. But there’s something even more unsettling: she’s the exact likeness of a child who vanished without a trace twenty years
KPL Podcast October 2025 Week 3 with Special Guest Julie Leong
This week on the KPL Podcast, we welcome back author Julie Leong to discuss her enchanting new novel, The Keeper of Magical Things. Set in the same whimsical world as her debut, The Teller of Small Fortunes, this story follows a novice mage with limited powers who’s been given a deceptively simple assignment—transport and catalog magical artifacts alongside a brilliant (and unfairly attractive) s
KPL Podcast October 2025 Week 2 with Special Guest Kristen Loesch
This week on the KPL Podcast, we welcome author Kristen Loesch to discuss her latest novel, The Hong Kong Widow. Set in 1950s Hong Kong, the story follows Mei, a young refugee fleeing the shadows of her past in Shanghai. When Mei is invited to compete in a chilling contest among six spirit mediums inside one of the city’s most haunted houses, she must confront both restless ghosts and her own buri
KPL Podcast October 2025 Week 1 with Special Guest Auyon and Jyoti Mukharji
In this episode, we dive into Heartland Masala, a vibrant new cookbook that pairs 99 recipes from Indian cooking instructor Jyoti Mukharji with cultural and historical essays by her son, Auyon Mukharji. This joyful collaboration celebrates Indian cuisine, family traditions, and the immigrant experience in the American Midwest. Packed with dazzling recipes, rich storytelling, and stunning visuals,
KPL Podcast September 2025 Week 4 with Special Guest Amanda Chapman
This week on the KPL Podcast, we welcome author Amanda Chapman to discuss her new novel, Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library. In this spirited mystery, book conservator Tory Van Dyne teams up with a woman claiming to be Agatha Christie—on holiday from the Great Beyond—to catch a killer. The Grand Tour by Agatha ChristieCome, Tell Me How You Live by Agatha ChristieThe Thursday Murder Club b
KPL Podcast September 2025 Week 3 with Special Guest Nick Medina
If you love horror, The Whistler is a chilling read that lingers long after the last page. Drawing on the Native superstition that warns against whistling at night for fear of summoning spirits, the novel builds its terror from cultural lore and personal tragedy. Henry Hotard, once a rising star in the world of ghost-hunting videos, sees his future collapse after an accident leaves him a quadriple
KPL Podcast September 2025 Week 2 with Special Guest Ken Miller
This week on the KPL Podcast, we sat down with debut author Ken Miller to discuss his novel High Finance. Miller delivers an eye-opening look at the financial world in the years leading up to the 2008 market crash. The story follows Jed Czincosca, a high-powered dealmaker who rises to the top of Wall Street by orchestrating multibillion-dollar transactions, indulging in drugs and alcohol, and tra
KPL Podcast September 2025 Week 1 with Special Guest Daphne Fama
This week on the KPL Podcast, we welcome author Daphne Fama to discuss her spellbinding debut novel, The House of Monstrous Women. Set in the Philippines in 1986, this gothic horror tale follows a young woman who becomes entangled in a perilous game after accepting an invitation to the labyrinthine home of her childhood friend—rumored to be a witch. Fama’s lush prose and chilling imagination weave
KPL Podcast August 2025 Week 5 with Special Guest Anne Shaw Heinrich
We’re excited to welcome back author Anne Shaw Heinrich to the KPL Podcast! This week, we’ll be diving into her newest release, Violet is Blue, the second book in her Women of Paradise County series. Listeners will get a chance to meet fresh faces in Paradise County while also catching up with some familiar characters from her debut novel, God Bless the Child. If you love heartfelt stories about
KPL Podcast August 2024 Week 4 with Special Guest KT Hoffman
This week we’re joined by KT Hoffman to talk about his highly anticipated debut romcom, The Prospects. Recently named one of the Best Romance Books of 2024, this sweet and heartfelt queer love story follows two minor league baseball players as they discover that the biggest wins can happen off the field. Hoffman shares how his own love of baseball shaped the story and what it means to write joyfu
KPL Podcast August 2025 Week 3 With Special Guest Elyse Graham
This week on the podcast, we speak with Elyse Graham about her fascinating new book, Book and Dagger. Did you know that modern spycraft was shaped by librarians and professors? Graham uncovers the surprising story of how the OSS—later known as the CIA—took root when the United States entered World War II, blending scholarship with espionage in ways you’ve never imagined.Author reads1. The Art Spy:
KPL Podcast August 2025 Week 1 with Special Guest Edna Bonhomme
This week on the KPL Podcast, we explore A History of the World in Six Plagues with historian Edna Bonhomme. Through riveting storytelling and rigorous research, Bonhomme traces the devastating impact of pandemics across centuries and continents—from Port-au-Prince to plantation-era America—revealing how disease and systemic inequality have long gone hand in hand. Don’t miss this powerful look at
KPL Podcast July 2025 Week 4 with Special Guest, Executive Producer of Austen's Pride, Andrew Kuhlman
This week on the KPL Podcast, we’re joined by special guest Andrew Kuhlman to talk about Austen’s Pride—the dazzling new musical now playing at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center. In this imaginative reworking of Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen herself takes center stage, embarking on a journey of self-discovery. As the iconic romance between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy unfolds in a fresh lig
KPL Podcast July 2025 Week 3 with Special Guest Jessica Berger Gross
This week on the KPL Podcast: When the Blum family trades Brooklyn for a quiet Maine college town, they expect a fresh start—until a shocking event on Hazel’s first day of senior year shakes everything. Hazel Says No is a warm, witty debut about family, identity, and the ripple effects of change. A small-town story with big heart and unforgettable characters.Author ReadsConsider Yourself Kissed by
KPL Podcast July 2025 Week 2 with Special Guest Liza Tully
In this week's KPL Podcast episode we dive into The World’s Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant by Liza Tully. A sharp-tongued Boomer sleuth teams up with her eager Gen Z assistant to solve a suspicious death at a wealthy family's estate on Lake Champlain. What looks like suicide might be murder—and the deeper they dig, the messier it gets. Full of wit, twists, and intergener
KPL Podcast July 2025 Week 1 with Special Guest Maxie Dara
This week on the KPL Podcast, we spoke with Maxie Dara about A Grim Reaper's Guide to Catching a Killer. The story is a cozy mystery with a paranormal twist, following grim reaper Kathy Valence as she investigates a murder within her department. The story blends humor, heart, and a unique premise to explore themes of family, love, and personal growth. Dead and Breakfast by Kate KingsburyA Ri
KPL Podcast June 2025 Week 4 with Special Guest Aaron John Curtis
This week on the podcast we have Aaron John Curtis here to tell us about his debut novel. In Old School Indian, a sharp and tender novel, Abe Jacobs—facing a terminal diagnosis—returns to the Rez after decades away. As he reckons with his crumbling marriage, a skeptical healing ceremony, and his own past, Abe embarks on a moving journey of self-discovery, family, and cultural reconnection. Sour
KPL Podcast June 2025 Week 3 with Special Guest Alicia Thompson
In this week's KPL Podcast episode, Alicia Thompson brings us a swoony second-chance romance set on a cruise with a reunited band, Never Been Shipped.Micah is determined not to repeat past mistakes—no drama, no falling in love. But when her former bandmate (and best friend) John steps back into her life, the sparks are impossible to ignore. Listen to learn more.Author ReadsAll's Fair in
KPL Podcast June 2025 Week 2 with Special Guest Nghi Vo
In this episode, we dive into Don’t Sleep with the Dead by Nghi Vo—a haunting, magical companion to The Chosen and the Beautiful. Set in the late 1930s, Nick Carraway is still pretending—about his past, his identity, and his humanity—until a familiar figure from 1922 returns. Dead or not, Gatsby isn’t finished with him. A reimagining of The Great Gatsby like you’ve never heard before.Author ReadsL
KPL Podcast June 2025 Week 1 with Special Guest Lucas Schaefer
This week on the KPL Podcast we have debut author Lucas Schaefer to tell us about his novel, The Slip. This is an American novel about a missing teenage boy, cases of fluid and mistaken identity, and the transformative power of boxing. This novel was named a Most Anticipated Book of 2025 by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and NPR. Listen to learn more. Author Reads:White Teeth by Zadie
KPL Podcast May 2025 Week 5 with Special Guest Jessie Rosen
Welcome back to the KPL Podcast. This week we spoke with Jessie Rosen about her new novel, All The Signs. If you are into astrology than you'll enjoy this fun, light hearted novel about a doctor who's life is turned upside down with she learns she's out of alignment with her star chart. Listen to learn more. Author readsHot Air by Marcy DermanskyIt's a Love Story by Annabel M
KPL Podcast May 2025 Week 4 with Special Guest Tom Lamont
This week on the KPL Podcast, we spoke with author Tom Lamont about his novel Going Home. This is a sweet, heartwarming story three men not suited to be fathers but step up to take charge of a toddler after an unexpected loss. Both parenting and friendship are examined in a whole new light. Listen to learn more. Author ReadsHome by Marilynne RobinsonHuman Voices by Penelope FitzgeraldHidden Ame
KPL Podcast May 2025 Week 3 with Special Guest Annie Mare
Welcome back to the KPL Podcast. This week we spoke with Annie Mare about her latest novel Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon. Two women meet when one accidentally texts the wrong number. They begin to chat back and forth and try to meet up in person but learn they are separated by five months. One of them is in May and other in October for the same year. Listen to learn more.Author rea
KPL Podcast May 2025 Week 2 with Special Guest Jack Lohmann
Let's get sciency on the KPL Podcast. This week we spoke with author Jack Lohmann about his book White Light: The Elemental Role of Phosphorus in Our Cells, in Our Food, and In Our World. This book takes us into the world of phosphorus mining, the environmental and socio economic impact, and food production.Author ReadsCloud Atlas by David MitchellAnimal's People by Indira SinhaPilgrim
KPL Podcast May 2025 week 1 with Special Guest Amelia Ireland
We have a wonderful, delightful discussion about The Seven O' Clock Club with Amelia Ireland. Four strangers come together for grief counseling and get far more than they expected. Author ReadsButter: A Novel about Food and Murder by Asako YuzukiTomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
KPL Podcast April 2025 week 4 with Special Guest Julie Iromuanya
This week on KPL Podcast we have Julie Iromuanya and we discussed her new novel A Season of Light. This is a story about a tightly bound Nigerian family living in Florida and the wounds that get passed down from generation to generation after they survived the Nigerian Civil War. Author ReadsThe Vulnerables by Sigrid NunezThe Tradition by Jericho Brown
KPL Podcast April 2025 Week 3 with Special Guest Molly Harper
Welcome back to the KPL Podcast. This week we have bestselling author Molly Harper on the show to discuss, A Proposal to Die For. Her first foray into whodunit mysteries. If you're looking for a fun, escapist read then this book is for you.Author readsThe Mysterious Case of Dr. Cream by Dean JobbDeath of a Unicorn by Peter Dickinson
KPL Podcast April 2025 with Special Guest Warona Jay
This week on the KPL Podcast check out The Grand Scheme of Things by Warona Jay. A fascinating book that examines implicit bias in the theater industry. A black playwright has difficulty getting her play accepted until she has her white male friend submit under his name. The play is accepted and wins awards. Listen to learn more.Author ReadsAmerican Psycho by Bret Easton EllisSuch a Fun Age by
KPL Podcast April 2025 Week 1 with Special Guest Myah Ariel
This week we are back with a fake relationship romance between a singer and a baseball player. The book is No Ordinary Love by Myah Ariel. The story is wonderful with great characters from the hero/heroine to the secondary characters. Listen to learn more.You Got A Place Here Too, An Anthology of Black Love Stories by Ebony LaDelleRose in Chains by Julie SotoCan't Get Enough by Kennedy Rya
KPL Podcast March 2025 Week 4 with Special Guest Orlando Murrin
KPL podcast is back with another fun episode. This week we spoke with Orlando Murrin about his culinary mystery, Knife Skills for Beginners. If you love food and mysteries then this book is for you. There's even recipes in the book. Also check out Orlando's amazing website
