Unreadable Podcast Transcript - Summer 2026

In this episode, Ross speaks with Sarah Brubaker, Programming Manager at FCPL, about this year's Summer Reading Challenge: Unearth a Story. The Summer Reading Challenge will run from May 22 to August 5 and will feature a variety of awesome programs and grand prizes. Make sure to check out all the activities going on across the branches on our website or in the printed Summer 2026 Magazine available at all branches.

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.

Unreadable Podcast Transcript - March 2026

This year's Forsyth Reads Together selection is The God of the Woods by Liz Moore. In this episode, Liz Moore joined Ross to talk about the genesis of the book, how her camp experience as a child informed some of the scenes and settings, and what it's like to showrun a tv show. 

Liz Moore will visit the Forsyth Conference Center on March 10 at 7:00 p.m. to discuss The God of the Woods. Please see our website for more information on how to attend. 

Introduction:

♪ bouncy piano and brass music ♪

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 Liz Moore, author of this year’s Forsyth Reads Together selection, God of the Woods.  Liz shares some interesting details about the creation of her novel along with a little information about the upcoming Netflix series. Liz will be visiting Forsyth County in person on Tuesday, March 10th from 7:00–9:00 p.m. at the Forsyth Conference Center, so make sure to visit our website to sign up for a reservation.  Now on with the show.

Interview:

Ross Gericke: Hello, Liz, and welcome to the podcast.

Liz Moore: Thank you so much for having me. Happy to be here.

Unreadable Podcast Transcript - December 2025

In this episode, Ross speaks with Programming Manager Sarah Brubaker about the upcoming our Winter Reading program. Listen for more information on this year’s theme (HINT: Get ready to press the A button!), incremental prizes, and grand prizes. 

Winter Reading runs from December 19, 2025 to January 19, 2026. To learn more about signing up for the challenge, please visit our website.

Unreadable Podcast Transcript - October 2025

In this episode, local author Dr. Ashley Baker speaks with Ross about her new book The Ashes of Us, which is a novel that navigates themes of trauma, paternal love, and the devastating price of retribution. Dr. Baker talks about her inspiration for the book and how she's utilized her experiences and knowledge to write a book that is ultimately a tribute to her own father, who was a forensic pathologist. 

Dr. Baker is a clinical psychologist (PsyD), who practices and lives in Forsyth County, and is author of two psychological suspense novels, including The Furious Others. 

Dr. Baker will be at the Sharon Forks Library on October 22, 2025 at 7:00PM for a reading and author talk for The Ashes of Us.

Unreadable: Podcast Transcript - September 2025

In this episode, Ross talks with William Kent Krueger about his Cork O'Connor series, including a sneak peak of the next book in the series, God's Country. Krueger discusses his use of a small town setting, spirituality, and a dynamic protagonist to keep his long-running series compelling to readers.

Krueger will be visiting the Sharon Forks Library on October 9 and October 10. Please check our Events Calendar for registration details.

Unreadable: Podcast Transcript - May 2025

Summer Reading is just around the corner, and in this episode of Unreadable, Ross is joined by Sarah Brubaker, Programming Manager at FCPL, to discuss how to make the most of this year's Summer Reading Fun! Sarah shares how to get started using Beanstack, as well as some tips and tricks for logging your and your family's reading.

Curious about our incremental and grand prizes, or want to know who is performing at our Summer Reading Kickoff Events? Sarah provides a sneak peak of what you can expect this year. Hint: It's going to be awesome! 

Summer Reading Fun starts May 22 and ends August 4, 2025. You can learn more about registering with Beanstack, prizes, and upcoming events on our website. 

Unreadable: Podcast Transcript - February 2025

In this episode of Unreadable, Ross speaks with Shelby Van Pelt about her novel Remarkably Bright Creatures, this year's Forsyth Reads Together selection. Van Pelt’s debut novel, published in 2022, remains a New York Times bestseller and features the unique perspective of Marcellus the octopus as a narrator. Van Pelt spoke with Ross about how she developed her characters, some based on true life and others based on people (and marine life) watching at the Georgia Aquarium, and she shared her excitement about the upcoming film adaptation.

An Evening with Shelby Van Pelt is Mar 11, 2025 at the Forsyth Conference Center. The event is ticketed and currently full; however, there are a plethora of events related to the book taking place at all the Forsyth County Public Library branches. You can find out more in our event calendar. 

Unreadable: Podcast Transcript - September 2024

Smokey Bear turns 80 this year, and to celebrate you can participate in the Smokey Bear Reading Challenge. What's that? In this episode of Unreadable, Ross speaks with Sarah Brubaker, Programming Manager at FCPL, about the challenge, including how to sign up and how to earn prizes. 

This episode also includes listener submitted reviews! 

Unreadable: Podcast Transcript - May 2024

Are you ready for an adventure? In our May episode of Unreadable, Kim Ottesen, Programming Manager at FCPL, previews our 2024 Summer Reading program, including prizes and performers. We've made some exciting changes this year based on your feedback, so listen to get the inside scoop on what you can expect this summer. Hint: It's going to be an ADVENTURE!

Unreadable: Podcast Transcript - April 2024

In our April episode of Unreadable, Ross speaks with Benjamin Herold about his book Disillusioned: Five Families and the Unraveling of America's Suburbs, which follows five families in different areas of the United States, including Gwinnett County, and examines their experiences living in suburbia and their experiences with suburban school systems. 

Benjamin Herold is a education journalist, who has reported for Education Week, PBS NewsHour, NPR, the Hechinger Report, Huffington Post, and the Public School Notebook. He has a master's degree in urban education from Temple University in Philadelphia, where he lives with his family.

Join us for an author talk with Benjamin Herold at the Sharon Forks Library on Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 11:00 AM.

Unreadable: Podcast Transcript - March 2024

In this month's episode, Ross speaks with author Lisa Wingate about her novel Before We Were Yours, our 2024 Forsyth Reads Together selection. Before We Were Yours is a generational story that recounts the devastating history and consequences of the Tennessee Children's Home Society. Ross speaks with Lisa about her interest in the topic, some of the choices she made for the novel, and her upcoming novel Shelterwood.

Lisa Wingate will be speaking at the Forsyth Conference Center on March 26, 2024 at 7:00 PM. Please visit our events page to join the waitlist.

Unreadable: Podcast Transcript - February 2024

In this month's episode, we revisit an old favorite, The Science of Love. This episode was originally published in 2019 and remains one of our favorite episodes. 

Did you know that prairie voles are monogamous? In this episode, Ross interviews Dr. Larry J. Young of Emory University about what studying prairie vole relationships can teach us about human relationships.

Unreadable: Podcast Transcript - January 2024

Want to learn more about upcoming programming at your local library? Check out this month's episode of the Unreadable podcast. This month, Ross talks with Sarah Brubaker, Information Services Supervisor at the Cumming Library, about Pastime Pursuits, our upcoming programming series for adults. Pastime Pursuits will introduce patrons to new (and old) hobbies to explore in the new year.

Introduction

Ross Gericke: Hello and welcome to Unreadable, the official Forsyth County Public Library podcast for library news, upcoming programs, and recommendations. I’m your host Ross Gericke, Branch Manager at Hampton Park.

In this episode I talk with Sarah Brubaker, Information Services Supervisor at the Cumming Branch, about our Pastime Pursuits series of programs for adults happening at all of our branches throughout January.  Make sure to check out our program calendar at www.forsythpl.org for all of the details.

Now on with the show.