With the summer arriving, libraries start to turn their attention to summer reading challenges. This year, it’s not just all about the children though. Some of our library members may remember in the not too distant past we ran an adult summer reading challenge called Great Bookish Menu.

We are excited to be bringing the Great Bookish Menu back for 2024.

Listen in as our E-Services Librarian, Chris Wilson, gives you a run-through about what the challenge is and gives you some suggestions for titles to help you complete the challenge.

Want to get in early and sign up for the challenge? Sign up here: https://bit.ly/3KwxTFu

Keep us up to date on your challenge progress too using #GreatBookishMenu.

Don't forget you can leave us some feedback on our podcast using #FLBpodcast or by emailing librarypodcast@northlan.gov.uk. On podcast platforms that allow ratings, we'd always appreciate a rating too.

After a technical hitch with their last recording, Jennie and Pari are back with a new episode of Bea's Books. This episode, Bea's theme and challenge was 'Oooooh Sparkly'. Who doesn't love sparkles? But how will Jennie and Pari match that up to the books they've been reading?

If you've been listening to Bea's Books episodes in the past, you'll know they'll manage to figure a, sometimes imaginative, way to get the books they've read to complete the challenge.

Listen in to see what books they suggest and see if any of them might make it on your to-read list.

Don't forget you can leave us some feedback using #FLBpodcast or #BeasBooks or by emailing librarypodcast@northlan.gov.uk. On podcast platforms that allow ratings, we'd always appreciate a rating too.

At North Lanarkshire Libraries, we love a local novel. That's exactly what Real Gone Kid by Kate Fridriks is. Set around the Ravenscraig area in the 1980's, it's a novel that a lot of our members will find instantly recognisable in scene, tone, themes and lifestyle.

Our E-Services Librarian, Chris Wilson, caught up with the author Kate Fridriks to find out about the inspiration behind the book and to discover a little a bit more about Kate herself as well as her lead character Aileen.

Real Gone Kid is available for loan or reserve with our libraries so if this podcast inspires you to want to pick it up, just ask on your next visit to your local library.

Don't forget you can leave us some feedback on our podcast using #FLBpodcast or by emailing librarypodcast@northlan.gov.uk. On podcast platforms that allow ratings, we'd always appreciate a rating too.

Our main podcast episodes and Bea's Books edition have switched places for one week following a technical glitch, but Bea's Books will be back next week.