It’s here! Book Lounge by Libby—your new favorite book podcast

After 10 years and more than 800 episodes of the Professional Book Nerds (PBN) podcast, we decided it was time to shake things up with a new look, name, and flow of the show!

If you’re new to Book Lounge by Libby, let me introduce you to your new favorite book lovers’ podcast where authors, book experts, and industry insiders come together to talk about the stories they love and the impact they have. And if you’re a longtime listener, you’ll be happy to hear all the book talk you love and remember—plus more!

Meet the Host

I’m Joe, the host and producer, and I’m so excited to bring the podcast into a new era. I was one of the hosts of PBN, and I’m so grateful for all the love for the show over the years!

If you’re new to me and my reading tastes, I love magical realism, horror, queer reads, graphic novels, celebrity memoirs, and the wide expanse of YA fiction.

Inside the Lounge — Episode Themes & Guests

So what does a seasonal episode of Book Lounge look like? Each episode is themed and split into two parts:

Part 1: Authors, narrators, and publishers dive into a weekly topic

Here’s a sneak peek at this season’s lineup:

✨ Talk romantasy with Jennifer L. Armentrout, Katee Robert, and Olivia Rose Darling

✨ Hear from Indigenous authors Angeline Boulley and Carole Lindstrom on the importance of Native storytelling

✨ Discuss book bans and the state of reading online with Amanda Jones, Kalynn Bayron, Pat Scales, and Skip Dye

✨ Learn how to make summer reading more exciting for the whole family

✨ Find out what beach read authors really think about the genre

✨ Get colorful with graphic novel authors

✨ Uncover the breadth of Latin American literature

... and so much more!

Part 2: Book recommendations

Guest hosts share their top picks! These influencers from across the online book space share their favorite reads for the week’s theme.

Meet the guest hosts:

Episode Schedule

The show runs weekly episodes during a season, and when we’re off-season, you can still expect 1-3 episodes per month where I talk about upcoming releases, deep dive into a book series, post bonus interviews, and more.

You can find the show on all podcast platforms as well as the Libby App YouTube channel.

Bonus Content – Only on Libby Life

Get ready for exclusive extras for select episodes that you can only find on Libby Life!

Go inside the minds of your favorite authors with questions like: What books make Juno Dawson and Susie Dumond feel seen and celebrated during Pride? How do Jamie Sumner and Kelsey Impicciche work life lessons into their writing?

These are just a few of the meaningful moments you’ll hear this season, plus there are plenty more surprises to come.

Episode Guide

You can start listening right now! Check out our recently released episodes:

🎧 Behind the Mic: Narrators, Authors, and Producers on the Magic of Audiobooks | Episode 1

🏳️‍🌈 Pride in Publishing: How Queer Stories Shape Readers | Episode 2

👀 Who’s Behind Your Next Favorite Read? Meet Our Guest Hosts! | Episode 3

☀️ Summer Reading Magic: Authors on Writing for Young Readers | Episode 4

This is our first season with the new format, and we’re learning as we go. Just like a season of television, Season 1 of the podcast is fully recorded. I’m already gathering feedback and planning tweaks for Season 2. Speaking of feedback...

Got ideas?

If you have any suggestions for future episodes or format adjustments, I’d love to hear from you. You can email bookloungebylibby@overdrive.com with your thoughts!

I hope you’ll give the show a try—it's been an absolute treat to create. Whether you pause and come back to us or listen straight through, I know you’ll have an amazing time.

Thank you so much for joining me, and happy reading!