Book Lounge by Libby

New month, new books, new reasons to let your TBR spiral completely out of control. 📚

Joe is joined by Bre for November 2026 Book Picks, our monthly look at the new book releases we're most excited about. From stories that caught our attention to books we're already counting down the days to read, we're sharing the upcoming releases we think deserve a spot on your radar.

Whether you're hunting for your next five-star read, filling your library holds list or just looking for a little inspiration for your November reading life, we've got recommendations for you. Consider this your friendly reminder that your TBR is a living document and there is always room for one more book.

Powered by libraries. Made for readers. Happy reading!

Looking for the video version of our show? Check out the Libby App YouTube channel!

Who’s in this episode:

Joe – Instagram

Bre’s live conversation with Eriq La Salle - link

Bre’s Blackoween announcement - link

Book recommendations:

Bre's picks:

Peregrine Hill – Nina de Gramont

The Last Prince of Florence – Zoe Sivak

The Monster Hunter’s Librarian – Lauren Connolly

Salt Water Blood – Manuia Henrich

Joe's picks:

Take My Word for It – LeVar Burton

Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It? – Judi Dench

Revenge Plot – Stephanie Wrobel

Luck of the Draw – Christine Suggs

Trove – Danie Stirling

There Used to be People Here – Kennedy Cole

Clear Water – Gabrielle Lucille Fuentes

Mr. Mendlebee’s Pandimensional Literary Repository (and Yarn) – Rebecca McKee

New Year’s Grieve – Elizabeth Foscue

Time stamps: 00:00:00 Title 00:00:19 Intro 00:00:57 Welcome to Bre! 00:09:27 Our November 2026 Book Picks 00:55:19 Thanks and outro

Enjoying the show? Follow Book Lounge by Libby, leave a rating or review, and watch every episode on the Libby App YouTube channel. Find us at https://www.instagram.com/bookloungepod/

Got a book recommendation, dream guest or just want to say hi? We'd love to hear from you at bookloungebylibby@overdrive.com.

Looking for Book Lounge merch? Visit Plot Threads.

Library friends: Add episodes of Book Lounge by Libby to your digital collection for free in OverDrive Marketplace and Kanopy. You can also purchase the titles featured in today's episode in OverDrive Marketplace.

Browse our cumulative reading list for the season: https://marketplace.overdrive.com/Marketplace/OneCopyOneUserAndMeteredAccess/SuggestedList/41378 Today's featured books: https://marketplace.overdrive.com/Marketplace/OneCopyOneUserAndMeteredAccess/SuggestedList/42201

Happy Reading!
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What happens when a book podcast host, a paranormal expert and a cameraman walk into one of America's most haunted destinations? Hopefully, they make it out.

For the first time in Book Lounge by Libby history, Joe Skelley is leaving the comforts of the lounge behind for an overnight ghost hunt at Franklin Castle, one of the most notoriously haunted places in the United States! Joined by Christine Schiefer, former co-host of And That's Why We Drink, and Joe's partner Matt behind the camera, this spooky sleepover involves a historic castle, paranormal investigations and the question nobody wants to ask in the middle of the night: WHAT WAS THAT?!

We're getting into the history, the hauntings and what it's actually like to spend the night investigating a place with a seriously creepy reputation. Will we encounter something supernatural? Will Joe ever recover emotionally? Will Matt capture anything terrifying on camera?

Grab your flashlight, check the locks and join us for an overnight ghost hunt that takes Book Lounge by Libby somewhere we've never gone before. It's a little paranormal investigation, a little haunted-house horror and a whole lot of spooky-season chaos.

Powered by libraries. Made for readers. Occasionally, apparently, made for ghost hunters, too.

Happy reading... and maybe leave a light on. 👻

Check out our video with Christine over on the ParaPods Network: https://www.youtube.com/@ATWWDPodcast

Looking for the video version of our show? Check out the Libby App YouTube channel!

Who’s in this episode:

Joe – Instagram

Christine Schiefer – Instagram

And That’s Why We Drink – Instagram

ParaPods Network – Instagram

Book recommendations:

The Haunting of Hill House – Shirley Jackson

We Have Always Lived in the Castle – Shirley Jackson

Hell House – Richard Matheson

The Shining – Stephen King

The Turn of the Screw – Henry James

Burnt Offerings – Robert Marasco

The House Next Door – Anne Rivers Siddons

A Haunting on the Hill – Elizabeth Hand

Play Nice – Rachel Harrison

Diavola – Jennifer Throne

The Handyman Method – Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan

Something in the Walls – Daisy Pearce

The September House – Carissa Orlando

A House With Good Bones – T. Kingfisher

We Used to Live Here – Marcus Kliewer

The Haunting of Ashburn House – Darcy Coates

Wylding Hall – Elizabeth Hand

Episode Thirteen – Craig DiLouie

The House in the Pines – Ana Reyes

Incidents Around the House – Josh Malerman

Mazywood – Tananarive Due

Newbourne Park – Jennifer Thorne

The House Built on Alligator Bones – Sophia Honeycutt

The House That Eats the Dead – Max Doty

The Cracks – TH Huddleston

Film recommendations:

Sinister

House on Haunted Hill

Good Boy

The Messengers

The Inkeepers

1408

Time stamps: 00:00:00 Title 00:00:27 Introduction 00:02:29 The History of Franklin Castle 00:07:08 The Ghosts of Franklin Castle 00:09:28 Tour of Franklin Castle 00:11:08 Haunted House Reading & Film Recs 00:14:15 Welcome to Christine Schiefer 00:16:37 Setting up our equipment & starting the hunt! 01:11:33 Static footage and EVP review 01:32:32 Outro

Enjoying the show? Follow Book Lounge by Libby, leave a rating or review, and watch every episode on the Libby App YouTube channel. Find us at https://www.instagram.com/bookloungepod/

Got a book recommendation, dream guest or just want to say hi? We'd love to hear from you at bookloungebylibby@overdrive.com.

Looking for Book Lounge merch? Visit Plot Threads.

Library friends: Add episodes of Book Lounge by Libby to your digital collection for free in OverDrive Marketplace and Kanopy. You can also purchase the titles featured in today's episode in OverDrive Marketplace.

Browse our cumulative reading list for the season: https://marketplace.overdrive.com/Marketplace/OneCopyOneUserAndMeteredAccess/SuggestedList/41378

Happy Reading!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Monsters! Ghosts! Trad wives! Oh my! 🎃👻

It's time to get a little monstrous in the Book Lounge. Joe is joined by Meara and Kenzie Deerin for a Halloween-ready conversation packed with monster horror books, creepy folklore, unsettling creatures and dark reads that crawl under your skin. From terrifying transformations to the things lurking in the shadows, we're serving up horror book recommendations for every kind of reader who likes their stories a little strange.

Whether you're a lifelong horror reader or looking for your next spooky-season obsession, we've got recommendations to add to your TBR. So, grab your favorite blanket, keep an eye on the shadows and join us for a delightfully creepy trip through the reading world.

Powered by libraries. Made for readers. Happy reading! 🖤

Looking for the video version of our show? Check out the Libby App YouTube channel!

Who’s in this episode:

Joe – Instagram

Kenzie Deerin – Instagram

Meara – Links

Book Recommendations:

Kenzie’s Picks:

Ring Shout - P.Djèlí Clark

My Darling Dreadful Thing - Johanna van Veen

The Possession of Alba Dìaz - Isabel cãnas

On Sundays She Picked Flowers – Yah Yah Scholfield

Meara's Picks:

Girl Dinner & Masters of Death – Olivie Blake

Before the Devil Knows You're Here - Autumn Krause

Bad Cree - Jessica Johns

The Changing Man – Tomi Oyemakinde

Lute – Jennifer Thorne

The Gathering Dark: An Anthology of Folk Horror – Tori Bovalino

Woman, Eating - Claire Kohda

Bad Girls Don’t Die - Katie Alender

Joe's Picks:

Mongrels – Stephen Graham Jones

Man Made Monsters – Andrea L. Rogers, Illus. Jeff Edwards

Coffin Moon – Keith Rosson

From Below – Darcy Coates

Never Whistle at Night & Never Whistle at Night II: Back for Blood – ed. Shane Hawk, Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.

Time stamps: 00:00:00 Title 00:00:20 Welcome and Introductions 00:02:55 Some monster horror questions 00:17:07 Book recommendations 01:02:43 Comment question 01:03:00 Thank you and outro

Enjoying the show? Follow Book Lounge by Libby, leave a rating or review, and watch every episode on the Libby App YouTube channel. Find us at https://www.instagram.com/bookloungepod/

Got a book recommendation, dream guest or just want to say hi? We'd love to hear from you at bookloungebylibby@overdrive.com.

Looking for Book Lounge merch? Visit Plot Threads.

Library friends: Add episodes of Book Lounge by Libby to your digital collection for free in OverDrive Marketplace and Kanopy. You can also purchase the titles featured in today's episode in OverDrive Marketplace.

Browse our cumulative reading list for the season: https://marketplace.overdrive.com/Marketplace/OneCopyOneUserAndMeteredAccess/SuggestedList/41378 Today's featured books: https://marketplace.overdrive.com/Marketplace/OneCopyOneUserAndMeteredAccess/SuggestedList/41971

Happy Reading!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Want to read horror but have absolutely no idea where to start? Welcome to your first step into the spooky side of the reading world! 🎃

Joe Skelley is joined by Amy Allen Clark and Kenzie Deerin to build the ultimate horror triptych: a grouping of recommendations designed to help you find your way into horror, whether you're a curious beginner, a certified scaredy-cat or a reader who just hasn't found the right nightmare yet.

From creepy and atmospheric to genuinely terrifying, we're talking about how to find horror books that match your comfort level, discover what scares you (in the best way) and figure out where to go next. Because horror isn't one-size-fits-all, and you absolutely do not have to start with the book that will keep you awake until 3 a.m.

Ready to dip your toes into the dark? Pull up a chair, grab your coziest blanket and let's find your next spooky read.

Book Lounge by Libby is powered by libraries and made for readers. Find your next favorite horror book with your library card and the Libby app.

Happy reading... and maybe leave a light on. 👻

Looking for the video version of our show? Check out the Libby App YouTube channel!

Who’s in this episode:

Joe – Instagram

Amy Allen Clark – links

30 Modern Gothic Novels: https://momadvice.com/post/modern-gothic-novels

12 Classic Gothic Novels: https://momadvice.com/post/classic-gothic-novels

Kenzie Deerin – Instagram

Blackoween – Instagram

Book Recommendations:

Amy's Picks:

The Whitechapel Full Moon Society –Elizabeth DeLozier

Marion – Leah Rowan

On Sundays She Picked Flowers – Yah Yah Scholfield

The Sleeping Sisters – Jennifer Gibbon

Kenzie's Picks:

Hazelthorn – CG Drews

The Spirit Bares its Teeth – Andrew Joseph White

Play Nice – Rachel Harrison

The Winter Folk – Jen Julien

Joe's Picks:

Something in the Walls – Daisy Pearce

The Haunting of Hill House, We Have Always Lived in the Castle – Shirley Jackson

Episode Thirteen – Craig DiLouie

13 Months Haunted – Jimmy Juliano

Mexican Gothic – Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Just Like Home – Sarah Gailey

The September House – Carissa Orlando

Victorian Psycho – Virginia Feito

Diavola – Jennifer Thorne

Cackle – Rachel Harrison

So Thirsty, Such Sharp Teeth, Black Sheep

The Bewitching – Silvia Moreno-Garcia

VenCo – Cherie Dimaline

Jackal – Erin E. Adams

The Broken Girls, The Book of Cold Cases, Ghost 19, The Sun Down Motel - Simone St. James

Time stamps: 00:00:00 Title 00:00:20 Welcome and introductions 00:01:10 What drew you to horror? 00:09:42 Getting started with horror recommendations 01:01:17 Horror isn’t exactly what you think 01:01:55 Comment question 01:02:28 Thank you and outro

Enjoying the show? Follow Book Lounge by Libby, leave a rating or review, and watch every episode on the Libby App YouTube channel. Find us at https://www.instagram.com/bookloungepod/

Got a book recommendation, dream guest or just want to say hi? We'd love to hear from you at bookloungebylibby@overdrive.com.

Looking for Book Lounge merch? Visit Plot Threads.

Library friends: Add episodes of Book Lounge by Libby to your digital collection for free in OverDrive Marketplace and Kanopy. You can also purchase the titles featured in today's episode in OverDrive Marketplace.

Browse our cumulative reading list for the season: https://marketplace.overdrive.com/Marketplace/OneCopyOneUserAndMeteredAccess/SuggestedList/41378 Today's featured books: https://marketplace.overdrive.com/Marketplace/OneCopyOneUserAndMeteredAccess/SuggestedList/41970

Happy Reading!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What makes us want to be scared? Why do we keep coming back for more? And how do you get started with horror if you're not sure where to begin?

This Halloween season, we're opening the door to the wonderfully weird world of horror with authors Tiffany D. Jackson, Jonny Sims and Jonathan Edward Durham! We're talking about what first drew them to horror, what excites them about the genre today and what's next for horror readers. From the stories that get under our skin to the possibilities that keep horror fresh, this is a thoughtful, lively conversation about why we love to be scared.

Whether you're a seasoned horror reader or just testing the waters before spooky season gets into full swing, pull up a chair. Your next favorite kind of scary might be waiting.

Book Lounge by Libby is powered by libraries and made for readers. Find your next read for FREE with your library card and the Libby app.

Happy haunting, horror fans!

Looking for the video version of our show? Check out the Libby App YouTube channel!

Who’s in this episode:

Joe – Instagram

Tiffany D. Jackson – Website, Instagram

Jonny Sims – Website, Instagram

Jonathan Durham – Website, Instagram

Some books by our guests:

The Weight of Blood – Tiffany D. Jackson

Ghost in the Night – Tiffany D. Jackson

Winterset Hollow – Jonathan Edward Durham

The Burn Line – Jonathan Sims

Time stamps: 00:00:00 Title 00:00:20 Intro and Welcome 00:03:01 What was your earliest introduction to horror? 00:18:41 Reading horror vs watching horror 00:27:21 What does horror give us? 00:40:50 Horror recognized in publishing 00:58:00 How future generations will continue horror 01:00:07 Lightning Round 01:04:45 Comment Question 01:05:10 Thank you and outro

Enjoying the show? Follow Book Lounge by Libby, leave a rating or review, and watch every episode on the Libby App YouTube channel. Find us at https://www.instagram.com/bookloungepod/

Got a book recommendation, dream guest or just want to say hi? We'd love to hear from you at bookloungebylibby@overdrive.com.

Looking for Book Lounge merch? Visit Plot Threads.

Library friends: Add episodes of Book Lounge by Libby to your digital collection for free in OverDrive Marketplace and Kanopy. You can also purchase the titles featured in today's episode in OverDrive Marketplace.

Browse our cumulative reading list for the season: https://marketplace.overdrive.com/Marketplace/OneCopyOneUserAndMeteredAccess/SuggestedList/41378

Happy Reading!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices