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The premier Sayville Library podcast! Join Sayville Library staff as we discuss books, movies, TV, games, pop culture and all things library-related!

 

Subscribe on your favorite podcast player (like Apple Podcasts or Spotify) or listen here using the player above each episode description.

 

"Between the Shelves" is recorded at the Sayville Studio in Sayville Library.

latest episodes

"What Are You Into?" with Kristina, Rachel & Tim

April 22, 2024


 

Board Game Day!

April 15, 2024

Kristina, Rachel, Tim and Alex celebrate National Board Game Day (April 11th) by discussing their lasting appeal, why they're a perfect fit for libraries and making some recommendations.

Mentioned in this episode:

Gamemaster (documentary)

It’s All a Game: The History of Board Games from Monopoly to Settlers of Catan by Tristan Donovan

Ruthless: Monopoly’s Secret History (documentary)

Life*

Monopoly*

UNO Flip*

Risk

Wingspan

Betrayal at House on the Hill

Candy Land

Zingo!

Trivial Pursuit*

Parcheesi*

Sorry!

Clue

Pandemic

Dicey Racers

Apples to Apples

Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition

Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza*

Slamwich

Rat-a-Tat-Cat

Sleeping Queens

Avalon*

Boop*

* not in collection


 

"What Are You Into?" with Tory, Kristina & Alex

April 8, 2024

Tory, Kristina and Alex chat about what they're into!

Mentioned in this episode:

Dark Souls: Remastered (PS4, Switch, Xbox One)

Dark Souls II: Scholars of the First Sin (PS3, PS4, X360, Xbox One)

Dark Souls III (PS4, Xbox One)

Elden Ring (PS4, PS5, Xbox)

The Psychology of Elden Ring by Anthony Bean

Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth (PS5)

Final Fantasy VII: Remake (PS4)

Mr. Sardonicus

13 Ghosts

The House on Haunted Hill

More films by William Castle

Mommy

Decoder Ring (podcast)

Love & Pies (iOS, Android)


 

It's National Humor Month!

April 1, 2024


 

Final Fantasy Retrospective

March 25, 2024

To coincide with the release of the hit new game Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, our resident Final Fantasy "amateur experts" explore the history of the iconic franchise and why it remains the king of RPGs 37 years later.

Games: 

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox)

Dissidia Final Fantasy NT (PS4)

Final Fantasy Explorers (3DS)

Final Fantasy Type-0 HD (PS4)

Final Fantasy VII: Remake (PS4)

Final Fantasy VII: Remake Intergrade (PS5)

Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth (PS5)

Final Fantasy X / X-2 Remaster (PS4, Switch, Xbox One)

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age (PS4, Switch, Xbox One)

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (PS3, X360)

Final Fantasy XIII (PS3, X360)

Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PS3, X360)

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (PS4)

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbirngers (PS4)

Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood (PS4)

Final Fantasy XV (PS4, Xbox One)

Final Fantasy XVI (PS5)

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin (PS4, PS5, Xbox)

The World of Final Fantasy (PS4, Switch, Xbox One)

 

Books:

Dawn: The Worlds of Final Fantasy by Yoshitaka Amano

FF DOT: The Pixel Art of Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy: Lost Stranger (manga series)

Final Fantasy: Ultimania Archive, Vol. 1 (I-VI)

Final Fantasy: Ultimania Archive, Vol. 2 (VII-IX)

Final Fantasy: Ultimania Archive, Vol. 3 (X-XIV)

The Legend of Final Fantasy X by Damien Mecheri

The Sky: The Art of Final Fantasy by Yoshitaka Amano

 

Movies/Shows:

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (DVD, Blu-Ray)

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within

Final Fantasy: Unlimited

Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV (DVD, Blu-Ray)

 

Soundtracks:

Distant Worlds I: Music from Final Fantasy

Distant Worlds III: Music from Final Fantasy

Lightning Returns: FFXIII Original Soundtrack

 

 


 

"What Are You Into?" with Kristina & Alex

March 18, 2024

Kristina and Alex chat about what they're currently into!

Mentioned in this episode:

Monster

Dredge

Fargo: Season 5 (FX/Hulu)

Yakuza: Like a Dragon

 


 

Oscars
Wrap-Up

March 13, 2024

 

The Oscar Review Crew shares their post-Oscar thoughts and designs their perfect Academy Awards show.

96th Academy Awards Nominees and Winners List

All Oscar Winners Speeches

"I'm Just Ken" performed by Ryan Gosling, Mark Ronson, Slash & The Kens


 

Oscar Review Crew

March 6, 2024

 

Between the Shelves' Oscar Review Crew reunites to celebrate the 96th Academy Awards! Alex, Sean, Rachel and Maria discuss this year's biggest snubs and surprises and share their personal Best Picture nominees.

Oscar Picks Competition

Best Picture Nominees:

American Fiction

Anatomy of a Fall

Barbie

The Holdovers

Killers of the Flower Moon

Maestro (Netflix)

Oppenheimer

Past Lives

Poor Things

The Zone of Interest

Other Films Mentioned:

Asteroid City

Beau is Afraid

Creed III

Elemental

Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3

The Iron Claw

May December (Netflix)

Monster

Perfect Days

Rustin (Netflix)


 

Pokémon Day!

February 26, 2024

 

To celebrate International Pokémon Day, Alex and Kristina discuss how the niche Game Boy game grew into the world's biggest franchise and share their personal journey's to becoming Pokémon Masters.

Mentioned in this episode:

Pokémon books available in Suffolk County Libraries

Pokémon shows and movies available in Suffolk County Libraries

Pokémon video games available in Suffolk County Libraries

Libby (web / iOS / Android)

Hoopla (web / iOS / Android)

Pokémon Concierge (Netflix)


 

"What Are You Into?" with Tory, Kristina & Meg

February 19, 2024

Tory, Kristina and Meg chat about what they're into! Mentioned in this episode:

The Traitors (Peacock)

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

RuPaul’s Drag Race (MTV)

The Neverending Story (Babylon, NY)

Tiny Raccoon Books (Sayville, NY)


 


 

"What Are You Into?" with Tory & Derek

January 29, 2024

 

Tory and Derek ("A Bite Of" podcast) join Alex to talk about what they're into!

Mentioned in this episode:

Derek’s podcast: “A Bite Of”

Big Brother (CBS)

Past Lives 

One Piece (Netflix)

One Piece (graphic novel series)

Superfan (CBS)

“It Was Me” by Rosemary Joaquin

Qveen Herby

 


 

K-POPisode

January 22, 2024

 

Tory and Alex are joined by special guest Derek (“A Bite Of” podcast) on a deep dive of the music phenomena that is K-POP! Tory and Derek also share their top 5 K-Pop tracks, so don't miss!

Tracks played on this episode:

“Not Shy” by Itzy 

“Hero” by Monsta X

“BANG BANG BANG” by BIGBANG

“As If It’s Your Last” by BLACKPINK

“Hello B**ches” by CL

“Shine” by Pentagon

“Hot” by Seventeen

“Dumb Dumb” by Red Velvet

“Fancy” by Twice

“View” by SHINee

 

More K-Pop albums available at the library:

Itzy 

Monsta X 

BIGBANG 

BLACKPINK 

Seventeen 

Red Velvet

Twice 

SHINee 

All K-Pop albums (2011-2020)

All K-Pop albums (2021-present)


 

"What Are You Into?" with Melissa & Steph

January 15, 2024

 

Alex is joined by Melissa and Steph to talk about what they're into!

Mentioned in this episode:

The Makery

Class of '07 (Amazon Prime)

Good Trouble (Hulu)

Sure, I'll Join Your Cult by Maria Bamford

Ask Me About My New God - Maria Bamford

The Comedians of Comedy

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

The Man Called Otto

 


 

90s Hip-Hop

January 8, 2024

 

Between the Shelves celebrates 50 years of hip-hop with our tribute its best era, the '90s. Alex, Melissa and Steph play some of their favorite '90s hip-hop tracks and talk about what makes this decade rap's greatest.

Artists played in this episode:

A Tribe Called Quest

Mary J Blige

Kris Kross

Big L

Ol' Dirty Bastard

Salt-N-Pepa

The Fugees

Wyclef Jean

Notorious B.I.G.

The Roots

Warren G

Gang Starr

 

Other mentions:

"It was all a dream: Hip-hop turns 50" by Sean Carter (Washington Post)

Hip-Hop Evolution (Netflix)


 

Best of 2023

(Part 3)

December 18, 2023

 


 

Best of 2023
(Part 2)

December 11, 2023


 


 

Ahsoka, Ghosts & Disney Deep-Dives

November 27, 2023


 

Life Day
Celebration

November 20, 2023

 

In honor of Life Day, the cherished Wookiee holiday, Kristina and Alex celebrate by thoroughly examining the galactic disaster that is the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special.

The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)

"The Troubled History of the Star Wars Holiday Special" (Yesterworld)

"The Epically Terrible Star Wars Holiday Special: An Oral History" (Lit Hub)

Wookiepedia: "Life Day"


 

Sayville Fan Fest

November 13, 2023

 

Alex goes out in the field to document our third annual Sayville Fan Fest!

Sayville Fan Fest


 

Disney 100th Anniversary
(Part 2)

November 6, 2023

 

Alex, Steph and Rachel continue their rating of every single hand-drawn Disney film! In part two, they cover:

The Great Mouse Detective (1986)

Oliver & Company (1988)

The Little Mermaid (1989)

The Rescuers Down Under (1990)

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Aladdin (1992)

The Lion King (1994)

Pocahontas (1995)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

Hercules (1997)

Mulan (1998)

Tarzan (1999)

The Emperor's New Groove (2000)

Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)

Lilo & Stitch (2002)

Treasure Planet (2002)

Brother Bear (2003)

Home on the Range (2004)

The Princess and the Frog (2009)


 

Disney 100th Anniversary
(Part 1)

October 30, 2023

On this very special two-part episode, Alex, Steph and Rachel celebrate 100 years of Disney by rating every single Disney hand-drawn film! In part one, they cover:

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Pinocchio (1940)

Fantasia (1940)

Dumbo (1941)

Bambi (1942)

Cinderella (1950)

Alice in Wonderland (1951)

Peter Pan (1953)

Lady and the Tramp (1955)

Sleeping Beauty (1959(

One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)

The Sword in the Stone (1963)

The Jungle Book (1967)

The Aristocats (1970)

Robin Hood (1973)

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)

The Rescuers (1977)

The Fox and the Hound (1981)

The Black Cauldron (1985)


 

Horror-ween
(Part 2)

October 23, 2023


 

Horror-ween
(Part 1)

October 16, 2023


 

"What Are You Into?" with Jenn & Marianne

October 9, 2023


 

Banned Books Week

October 2, 2023

On this special Banned Books Week episode, Alex is joined by Library Director Jenn and Head of Teen Services Marianne dive deep on book challenges and the challenges in curating a collection that reflects our diverse community.

Mentioned in this episode:

Sayville Library’s Materials Selection Policy

Library Bill of Rights (ALA)

Challenged Resources: An Interpretation of the ALA’s Bill of Rights

Top 13 Most Challenged Books

“Censorship by the Numbers” (ALA)

Sayville Fan Fest

 


 

Fav Indie Games & Sea of Stars Review

September 25, 2023

 

Kristina and Tim join Alex to discuss their favorite "indie" video games. Then, we give our review of the new hit indie roleplaying game Sea of Stars!

Mentioned in this episode:

Hades (Switch, PS4/5, Xbox)

Outer Wilds

Cave Story+ (Switch)

Braid

Chained Echoes

A Short Hike

Super Meat Boy (Switch)

Dear Esther

Oxenfree

Undertale (Switch, PS4/5)

Westerado: Double Barreled

Sea of Stars

"The Making of Sea of Stars" | Escapist Documentary


 

Hobbit Day

September 18, 2023


 

"What Are You Into?" with Tory

September 4, 2023


 

Pod-Ception!

August 28, 2023


 

"So You Want to Be a Librarian?" (Part 2) with Erin & Gianna

August 14, 2023

   
   


Erin and Gianna share their perspectives on library school, academic libraries, archives, collection development, book challenges and ... UFOs!

Mentioned in this episode:

Under the Eye of Power by Colin Dickey

X-Files

UFOs: Investigating the Unknown

Libby (iOS / Android / Web)

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig

Novelist


 

"So You Want to Be a Librarian?" with Angela & Jillian

August 7, 2023

 

Alex speaks with librarians-to-be, Angela and Jillian, about why they decided to become librarians, their library school experiences, and the ever-changing nature of library work.

Mentioned in this episode:

Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma by Claire Dederer


 

"What Are You Into?" with Mary & Rachel

July 31, 2023


 

What's Your Sign?

July 24, 2023

 

Mary and Rachel, our resident astrologists, explain the fundamentals of astrology and read Alex's birth chart!

Mentioned in this episode:

Astro-Charts.com

MinnowPond (Youtube Channel)

The Only Astrology Book You'll Ever Need by Joanna Martine Woolfolk

Sanctuary app (iOS/Android)


 

"What Are You Into?" with Kristina, Morgan & Tim

July 17, 2023


 

It's Video Game Week!

July 10, 2023


 

"What Are You Into?" with Marianne, Meg, Stephanie & Alex

July 3, 2023

 

Marianne, Meg, Stephanie and Alex talk about what they're into! Plus, some 5th graders from Cherry Ave, Lincoln Ave and Sunrise Drive Elementary Schools talk about their summer plans!

You Can’t Take It With You

Rebecca

Hestia Strikes a Match by Christine Grillo

Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane

American Airpower Museum

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

 


 

Summer Reading Starts Now!

June 26, 2023

Alex, Marianne, Meaghan, and Stephanie celebrate the launch of Sayville Library's Summer Reading Club by discussing what makes a perfect summer read. Plus, some 5th graders from Cherry Ave, Lincoln Ave, and Sunrise Drive Elementary Schools share their own favorite summer reads!

Mentioned in this episode:

I Have No Secrets by Penny Joelson

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

Swamplandia! by Karen Russell

The Lake Wobegon Virus by Garrison Keillor

The Summer of Broken Rules by K.L. Walther

Novels of Katherine Center

Stories and Essays of David Sedaris


 

Pride Month: Music, Film & TV Recs!

June 19, 2023

 

Peter, Marianne, Kristina and Alex talk about some of their favorite LGBTQ+ bands, TV shows and films, including:

The Matrix

Los Espookys

Actually - Pet Shop Boys

Heartstoppers (TV series)

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Dropout.tv

The Magnetic Fields

Schitt's Creek

Tokyo Story

What We Do In The Shadows

Somebody Somewhere

The Conners

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans

Steven Universe

Paris is Burning

Ted Lasso

 


 


 

"What Are You Into?" with Peter & Alex

June 5, 2023


 

Spinning Vinyl in the Studio

May 29,2023


 

"What Are You Into?" with Kristina, Tory & Alex

May 22, 2023


 

It's AniMay!

May 15, 2023


 

More Star Wars!

May 8, 2023

 

Alex, Chuck, Kristina and Tim return to talk more Star Wars! We cover our personal histories with the franchise, our favorite Star Wars books and video games, and play a new game: "Know Your Podracer!"

Mentioned in this episode:

Bloodline by Claudia Gray

Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn

Kenobi by John Jackson Miller

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

Leia: Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray

Master and Apprentice by Claudia Gray

Rogue Squadron by Michael Stackpole

Star Wars: Brotherhood by Mike Chen

Star Wars Racer

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Queen's Shadow by E.K. Johnston

 


 

Star Wars: The Definitive Ranking

May 1, 2023

 

Episode XIV: THE RANKING OF STAR WARS

Four brave podcasters boldly attempt to rank every film and show in the galaxy's most beloved franchise.

 

Star Wars Tiers

 

"What Are You Into?" with Marianne, Peter & Alex

April 24, 2023


 

Yellowjackets, Ted Lasso & other TV Favs!

April 17, 2023

 

Marianne and Peter go on a deep-dive of their favorite Spring TV shows (Yellowjackets and Ted Lasso) … and Alex is there too! 
 

Mentioned in this episode:

Avenue 5

Barry

Fargo

Lost

Peacemaker

Schitt’s Creek

Seinfeld

Sex and the City

Six Feet Under

Sopranos

Veep

What We Do In The Shadows

Yellowjackets

 


 

"What Are You Into?" with Jenn, Jonathan & Morgan

April 10, 2023


 

What Do Librarians Even Do?

April 3, 2023

Library Director Jenn and Department Heads Jonathan and Morgan help kick off National Library Month with a heartfelt, enlightening discussion on how public libraries remain as relevant today as ever.

Mentioned in this episode:

TED Talk: Reimagining the Public Library

Library of Things

Digital Library: Streaming Apps

Digital Library: Online Learning

Community Outreach

Museum Passes

 


 

Between the Shelves: The Musical!

March 20, 2023

 

Broadway aficionadas, Stephanie and Tory, join Alex to celebrate World Theater Day!

Mentioned in this episode:

Cats

Encanto

Fiddler on the Roof

Hamilton

Jesus Christ Superstar

Rent

"Which Jellicle Cat Are You?"


 

Oscar Review Crew Oscar Review

March 15, 2023

The Oscar Review Crew returns for a very special bonus episode! In it, we discuss our favorite moments from the 95th Academy Awards and movies we're looking forward to seeing in next year's Oscars.

Mentioned in this episode:

Everything Everywhere All At Once

The Fabelmans

Turning Red

"Top Fun: Oscars vs. Blockbusters"


 

Oscar Review Crew

March 7, 2023


 

The Red Rot Gang

February 27, 2023

Jonathan and Erin join Alex to discuss their varied and interesting past jobs and what led them to becoming a librarian, all the while taking some nice detours on cooking, finding time to read, indie role playing games, and motorcycle gangs!

Mentioned in this episode:

"Dead Eyes" Podcast

Free League Publishing

Good Owners, Great Dogs by Brian Kilcommons

Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell

Where I Can't Follow by Ashley Blooms


 

A "Between the Shelves" Mystery!

February 13, 2023


 

Audiobooks, Modern Romance & "Would You Rather?"

January 30, 2023


 

Recommendation Fails, Elden Ring & "Two Truths and a Lie"

January 17, 2023

Alex and Morgan are joined by Assistant Director Tim! In this episode, we talk more best books of 2022, recommendations that just didn’t land for us, all things Elden Ring, and we play a fun round of “Two Truths and a Lie!”

Mentioned in this episode:

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman

Elden Ring

The Fabelmans

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

How to Raise an Antiracist by Ibram X Kendi

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Minecraft Dungeons

Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

Nintendo Switch Sports

Pokemon Legends: Arceus

Tár

You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey by Amber Ruffin


 

More Fav Books of 2022

January 9, 2023

Librarians Marianne and Melissa join Alex to discuss their favorite books of 2022! We also talk book adaptations, Andor, video games, Lord of the Rings, Nope, and recap the year with some 2022 pop culture trivia!

Mentioned in this episode:

Demon Copperhead - Barbara Kingsolver

The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World by Jonathan Freedland

The Host by Stephanie Meyer

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Liane Moriarty's novels

Nope

Scrubs

The Silmarillion - J.R.R. Tolkien

You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey by Amber Ruffin


 

Fav Books of 2022, Kingdom Hearts & Trivia!

December 30, 2022