Unreadable Podcast Transcript - April 2026

In this episode of Unreadable, Ross speaks with Programming Manager Sarah Brubaker about the Georgia Reads for America250 Challenge. This challenge, designed to celebrate Georgia's history, encourages you to read a book from a curated Georgia250 list and complete a few activities that explore our wonderful state, including its history, natural features, and culture.

Introduction

[bouncy piano and brass music]

Ross Gericke: Hello and welcome to Unreadable, the official Forsyth County Public Library Podcast for news, upcoming programs, and recommendations.

I’m your host, Ross Gericke, the branch manager at Hampton Park.

In this episode I speak with podcast regular Sarah Brubaker, Programming Manager at FCPL about The Georgia Reads for America250 Challenge.  This statewide reading challenge celebrates the founding of Georgia by offering a curated list of books and activities for readers in grades K-12 and for adults.  You can find more information by creating or by logging into your current Beanstack account, if you’ve already created one for one of our Summer or Winter reading challenges in the past.  

Now on to the show.

Interview

Ross Gericke: Hello, Sarah and welcome back to the podcast.

Sarah Brubaker: Thank you for having me.

Ross Gericke: So, it's not just America that's turning 250 years old this year. As one of the 13 original colonies, Georgia is also turning 250 years old. And we're gonna celebrate in the most library way possible with a reading challenge.

Sarah Brubaker: Absolutely. We are so excited to take part of the Georgia Reads for America 250 Reading Challenges that were put together by the Georgia Public Library Service. So, the whole state is getting together to celebrate with this reading challenge. We've got challenges for elementary, middle school, high school, and adults. So, all ages are able to participate.

Ross Gericke: So, how do you take part in this challenge?

Sarah Brubaker: So, for our patrons who are familiar with our reading challenges, you're going to be using Beanstack. It is an awesome reading tracker app that you can just put right on your phone or access through the internet, and it is going to guide you through the challenge. 

This one is a little bit different from the ones that we do for summer and winter. It's not just reading anything that counts. There is actually a specific curated reading list. So, librarians across the state of Georgia, including our own Molly Moore, were on a committee that chose titles that represent Georgian and American history for all ages. So, each of those age groups is going to have their own reading list. And to complete the challenge, you'll need to read one of the titles from that reading list. So, Beanstack will have all of those books listed out, and you can just select the one that you want to read. 

Each of the challenges has eight activities that you need to complete to finish that challenge. These activities are based on different aspects of American history and political science. So we've got categories like artifacts, culture, history, people, places. Eight different categories, and each of those activities has five different options for you to choose from. Those activities give you a chance to dive a little deeper into Georgian and American history. Some of those activities are things like taking a virtual tour or checking out an experience pass. So you'll be able to see the full list of activity options in Beanstack and choose one from each category. You'll complete all eight activity badges in order to finish the challenge. So this will just give you a chance to dig a little deeper into our history and have a little fun while you're at it.

Ross Gericke: Well, I've got the list of books pulled up right next to me and there's some great ones on here and there's a wide variety of things, too. I see March, the graphic novel by and about John Lewis, which I really enjoyed that one a lot. Um, so I think there's some really cool stuff here that people can read.

Sarah Brubaker: Absolutely.

Ross Gericke: Well, reading is great and everything, Sarah, but I know that some of our patrons are going to want to know, is there a prize at the end of this challenge?

Sarah Brubaker: And our patrons will be delighted to learn that the prize is a button. So for all of our patrons who love love love their buttons, we have a special America 250 button that has a special dinosaur guest on it. So, it's a very cute dinosaur button with a little top hat celebrating America 250. So, that'll be a fun addition to the collection of any of our patrons who are participating in the Summer Reading challenge so they can add it to their beautiful lanyard.

Ross Gericke: I love it, Sarah. Who doesn't love a good dinosaur? Thank you for coming on the podcast. 

Sarah Brubaker: You're so welcome, Ross.

Closing

[bouncy piano and brass music]

Ross Gericke: Thank you for listening to the April 2026 episode of Unreadable.

Please subscribe to our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Contact the podcast directly with any comments by email at Unreadable@ForsythPL.org

Keep up with all the excitement happening each month on our interactive calendar available on our website, www.ForsythPL.org. You can also stay connected with the library through Facebook and Instagram @FoCo Library.

Our theme music is “Open Those Bright Eyes” composed by Kevin MacLeod. This and other compositions by Kevin MacLeod are available at Incompetech.com.

I’m Ross Gericke, and this podcast has been Unreadable.

Adult Fiction Staff Pick: I Will Kill Your Imaginary Friend for $200 by Robert Brockway

I try not to judge a book by its cover, but Robert Brockway’s horror-comedy I Will Kill Your Imaginary Friend for $200 caught my attention for, I think, obvious reasons. This book did not disappoint either—its concept is as original as its title.

Perfect for: Readers searching for an unsettling, dark humor (and yet, somehow still heartfelt) novel.

When forty-something Maksim “Ivan” Ivanov is not delivering food to make ends meet, he is instead acting as a contract killer for the imaginary friends of adults who struggled to let them go as children. The money is better but the stakes are higher, so Ivan sets a couple of rules for himself. First, he will not take on dangerous assignments. A talking ostrich is one thing, but a giant, angry bear is out of the question. Second, he will not kill a child’s imaginary friend. After all, children need their imaginary friends, like Ivan once did. Yet, after Ivan meets eight-year-old Kay Washington, whose imaginary friend proves to be dangerous to both others and herself, he accepts that, sometimes, rules are made to be broken.

Readers, tread carefully. The friends in this story may be imaginary, but the subject material is very real. Though humorous, this horror-comedy is not a cozy read and deals with a variety of heavy topics, such as isolation, loneliness, and self-harm. Brockway broaches these difficult matters in conscientious ways, but if these subjects are upsetting, then it might be best to set this one aside.

If you enjoyed: My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite or You’d Look Better as a Ghost by Joanna Wallace.

I Will Kill Your Imaginary Friend for $200 is available at the library in regular print.

Brianna

Information Specialist

Sharon Forks Library

An Afternoon of Jazz with Dwan Bosman Sunday, April 19 at Sharon Forks Library

An Afternoon of Jazz with Dwan Bosman (opens in a new window)

Sharon Forks Library presents an Afternoon of Jazz with Dwan Bosman on Sunday, April 19, 2:00–3:00 p.m. Mr. Bosman will perform the music of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Charlie Parker that jazz lovers of all ages can appreciate. 

There is never an end. There are always new sounds to imagine; new feelings to get at.

John Coltrane   

These illustrated biographies from our juvenile collection highlight the stories and artists behind some of the iconic jazz artists that inspired Dwan Bosman's own musical journey. 

Spirit Seeker: John Coltrane’s Musical Journey by Gary Golio; Illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez (opens in a new window)

Vibrant acrylic paintings and mixed media illustrations reveal saxophonist John Coltrane’s musical and spiritual journeys. This biography describes Coltrane’s musical calling, and the thrill of playing alongside his heroes like Dizzy Gillespie, John Hodges, and Miles Davis. The book also describes Coltrane’s spiritual journey, revealing how his battles with addiction led to him losing his job playing with the Miles Davis Band, and how that setback changed his life. Coltrane returned to his family roots and spent time in meditation. After overcoming his addiction, he was able to perform even better than before, revolutionizing jazz, recording his own record, leading his own group and becoming a jazz legend of his own.  

Birth of the Cool: How Jazz Great Miles Davis Found His Sound by Kathleen Cornell Berman; Illustrated by Keith Henry Brown (opens in a new window)

Birth of the Cool describes Miles Davis' musical journey from listening to the music of Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington on the radio, receiving a trumpet for his thirteenth birthday, feeling overlooked in the high school band, and discovering bebop. Miles Davis' lucky break came when he was asked to fill in for an absent musician and got the opportunity to perform with Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Bird Parker. But Miles Davis had his own ideas about music and became a master at improvising short, soulful solos. Miles Davis even developed his own style of music,—cool jazz and variations like modal jazz, hard bop, and fusion all inspired by the sounds of his youth. 

Alicia Cavitt

Information Specialist

Sharon Forks Library

Event Image Credit: Forsyth County Public Library