Radio Book Club – August 3, 2026

August 24, 2026 | By Jenna Whetzel

Hosts Jessie of Grand County Public Library and Olivia from Back of Beyond Books are joined by special guest Meg, an avid reader of memoirs. Join us for a discussion spanning publishing news, recent reads, the pros and cons of pedantic children’s literature and favorite childhood books.

Beyond the Glittering World: An Anthology of Indigenous Feminisms and Futurisms ed. Stacie Shannon Denetsosie et al. Never Whistle at Night: Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology ed. Shane Hawk et al.

The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins

Whidbey by T. Kira Madden

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Whistler by Ann Patchett

Smashed: The Story of a Drunken Girlhood by Koren Zailckas

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Ambition Monster: A Memoir by Jennifer Romolini

Make Believe: on Telling Stories to Children by Mac Barnett

Olivia by Ian Falconer

Goosebumps series by R. L. Stine

Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz

The Guardians of Ga’hoole series by Kathryn Lasky

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis

KZMU Public Affairs · Radio Book Club August 3, 2026

Radio Book Club July 6, 2026

July 9, 2026 | By Jenna Whetzel

On this episode, Jessie from Grand County Public Library, and Nat and David from Back of Beyond Books are joined by special guest Amelia to discuss this summer’s blockbuster novel and share thoughts on other various books we’ve been reading.

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

Fierce Country by Heather Hansman (publication date 7/14/2026)

The Python’s Kiss: Stories by Louise Erdrich

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Typing Lady and Other Fictions by Ruth Ozeki

Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell

Wakara’s America by Max Perry Mueller

Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins

Whidbey by T. Kira Madden

Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel (publication date 9/15/2026)

KZMU Public Affairs · Radio Book Club July 6, 2026

Radio Book Club – June 2026

June 2, 2026 | By Jenna Whetzel

In this episode, your hosts Jessie of Grand County Public Library and David and Julia from Back of Beyond Books chat about what they’ve been reading and what’s been flying off the library and bookstore shelves.

· Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

· Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

· Daughters of the Sun and Moon by Lisa See

· The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

· Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe

· All Fours by Miranda July

· Eager: The Surprising, Secret Lives of Beavers and Why They Matter by Ben Goldfarb

· The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Vol 6 by Beth Brower

· Wolvers by Taylor Brown

· Go Gentle by Maria Semple

· Whistler by Ann Patchett

· Land by Maggie O’Farrell

· The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden

KZMU Public Affairs · Radio Book Club 6.1.26

Radio Book Club – April 2026

June 2, 2026 | By Jenna Whetzel

In this episode, your hosts Jessie of Grand County Public Library and Olivia and Julia from Back of Beyond Books find themselves discussing books on nomads, ramblers, climbers and dreamers. Plus, some exciting, not-yet-published titles to look forward to.

Fever Dream by Samantha Schweblin

Homesick Nomad: Settling into an Untethered Life by Brianna Madia

American Rambler: Walking the Trail of Johnny Appleseed by Isaac Fitzgerald

Crux by Gabriel Tallent

My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent

Eventually a Sequoia: Stories of Art, Adventure and the Wisdom of Giants by Jeremy Collins

Walking to Listen: 4,000 Miles Across America, One Story at a Time by Andrew Forsthoefel

The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science by Dava Sobel

KZMU Public Affairs · Radio Book Club April 2026

Radio Book Club – From Sci-Fi to Hi-Fi

March 9, 2026 | By Crystal Blanks

On this installment of Radio Book Club, hosts Jessie Magleby from Grand County Public Library and Nat Smith from Back of Beyond Books discuss what they’ve been reading, including an epic space opera (sci-fi), self-published historical fiction that’s actually good (there’s your hi-fi) and some choice texts on Mayan and Mesopotamian history. Plus, the latest from Castle Valley author Terry Tempest Williams, and more.

Titles we discussed:

The Glorians by Terry Tempest Williams

The Maya by Michael D. Coe

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Vol. 1 by Beth Brower

The Four Heavens: A New History of the Ancient Maya by David Stuart

Slow Gods by Claire North

Between Two Rivers: Ancient Mesopotamia and the Birth of History by Moudhy Al-Rashid

Link to list of books discussed in library catalog

KZMU Public Affairs · Radio Book Club From Sci-Fi to Hi-Fi

Radio Book Club 2.2.26

February 10, 2026 | By Crystal Blanks

Summary – In this all Back of Beyond Books edition of Radio Book Club, hosts David Everitt, Olivia Stacey, and Nat Smith perused the latest best-sellers and dug into the books they’ve been enjoying recently. Coming-of-age novels took center stage, with a variety of books that capture the multifaceted experience of adolescence, be it disgusting and horrifying or magical and epic. A couple of highly recommended short story collections and a peek into possible dystopian futures rounded out the discussion.

Books we reviewed –

Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy

Chlorine by Jade Song

Tom’s Crossing by Mark Danielewski

The Future of Truth by Werner Herzog

Brawler by Lauren Groff

American War by Omar El Akkad

Jesus’ Son by Denis Johnson

KZMU Public Affairs · Radio Book Club 2-2-26

Radio Book Club

January 16, 2026 | By Crystal Blanks

Jessie from Grand County Public Library is joined by Nat and Olivia from Back of Beyond Books to share the best of what they’ve been reading, and discuss Moab’s hottest titles in 2025.

Books we reviewed:

The Orchard by Peter Heller

The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman

Train Dreams by Denis Johnson

The Bread of Angels by Patti Smith

Winter Stories by Ingvild H. Rishoi

The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson

Between Two Rivers: Ancient Mesopotamia and the Birth of History by Moudhi Al-Rashid

KZMU Public Affairs · Radio Book Club

Radio Book Club: December

December 18, 2025 | By Crystal Blanks

Your hosts Nat Smith from Back of Beyond Books and Jessie Magleby from Grand County Public Library discuss what they’ve been reading, and a few of the books that made the biggest impressions this year.

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
Is a River Alive? By Robert McFarlane
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower Vol. 1 – 8,
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrick Backman
Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton
1177 B.C. by Eric Cline
After 1177 B.C.by Eric Cline
Sparrow by James Hynes.
Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
SPQR Mary Beard
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
The Good Liar by Denise Mina
Heart the Lover Lily King (also Euphoria)
The American Revolution by Ken Burns

Link to books in library catalog

KZMU Public Affairs · Radio Book Club 12.1.25

Radio Book Club: The Good, the Great and the Ghastly

October 10, 2025 | By Crystal Blanks

Your hosts Jessie Magleby from Grand County Public Library, Nat Smith and David Everett from Back of Beyond Books take you on a whirlwind tour of what they’ve been reading: the good, the great and the ghastly. Plus, a chat with special guest author Michael Engelhard.

The Good and the Great:

Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides

Into the Hush: Poems by Arthur Sze

Vera, or Faith by Gary Shteyngart

Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe

The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt by Toby Wilkenson

The Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman

A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold

A Solitude of Wolverines by Alice Henderson

No Place Like Nome by Michael Engelhard

Didn’t Love:

Katabasis by R.F. Kuang