Blogs & Podcasts

Find early literacy tips and children's books on the Children's Blog. Discover your next great read on the Books Movies Music Blog. Dig into Nashville history with the Community History Blog. Listen to stories, history, and culture on NPL Podcasts. Please see this Note for Readers.

Father and son lay on a furry white blanket and read a book.
Dear Parent, Yes, you there. Reading this blog post on the library’s website. You are your child’s best teacher, and you’re doing a great job! Go ahead; give yourself a pat on the back or a self-five.
Vintage book cover for "The Night Land" by William Hope Hodgson, featuring surreal, colorful creatures in a dark landscape.
A planet covered in darkness and filled with monsters can be a serious impediment to true love.
A woman in a pink dress speaks into a microphone at an event, with blurred guests sitting at tables in the background. The text "You're the singing star" is at the top of the image.
One of our most-utilized resources here in Special Collections is the Nashville Banner clippings: articles about every aspect of Nashville life from the 1950s through the 1990s. In this post, I use Banner clippings to tell you the story of two popular types of night spot entertainment: mechanical bull riding and karaoke!
Book cover for the illustrated book I Am Human.
By
2018 was definitely a wonderful year for picture books! Some books were thoughtful, while others were hilarious. Altogether, they made for a good year.
Podcast
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Family Folktales: Soria Moria Castle

A young man goes adventuring, and saves three princesses. When he forgets their careful advice, how will he win their favor back?

Overhead shot of an avocado, a salmon filet, and spoons filled with nuts and seeds.
The new year is finally here, along with the pressure to make huge resolutions that most likely won’t last. If you are choosing to focus on your health this year, check out some of these simple dietary changes that can have a lasting impact.
Colorful gemstones.
All three of these books were very well-reviewed, but sadly are not racking up the holds queues that they deserve! Please consider helping to remedy that situation.
Podcast
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"A Jury of Her Peers"

"Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" is a short story by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne about a doctor who claims to have been sent water from the Fountain of Youth.