Likely Stories - The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu

When I read the dedication page of The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu: "For anyone who has ever worked in a school", I knew this was going to be a book that resonated with me. It's got heart, humor, inside information, and is like a friend putting a comforting hand on your shoulder for anyone in education.

Our story starts early in the school year at Baldwin High School when a beloved older substitute/former teacher dies on the couch of the teacher's lounge. His death is treated as sad but not macabre, and it affects everyone on campus differently. However, the real drama starts when his ashes are spread on campus, which incurs the ire of the PTA. As the administration navigates this and other hot-button issues throughout the year, we learn about the many people who work at Baldwin High and keep it running behind the scenes.

There's the principal who used to front a punk rock band and has an itch to rebel again. The nighttime cleaning woman who was close friends with the deceased sub and mourns the loss of her one friend. The school nurse who has quite a history of her own and doesn't mind pushing the boundaries. Two teachers who share kisses in a book room during a lockdown drill and struggle to keep their burgeoning relationship private. An English teacher who is embroiled in controversy when he thinks he's forwarding a fiery email about a parent to a colleague but accidentally sends it to that parent instead.

These stories and more make it a year full of light-hearted drama, where the focus is on the adults and their hilarious and relatable issues.

So many times I found myself laughing or nodding my head in solidarity with the events of this story. If it hadn't happened to me, I know someone it has happened to. These vignette-type stories reveal an interconnected faculty who interact in both zany and believable ways and endear you to their losses and their success. If you are a teacher, read The Faculty Lounge. If you've ever wondered what goes on behind the closed doors in a school, read The Faculty Lounge. Then go out and buy your kids’ teachers a gift card.

RECENT EPISODES OF LIKELY STORIES

Likely Stories - A Case of Mice and Murder by Sally Smith

Welcome to this week’s installment of Likely Stories on KWBU. My name is Gia Chevis, and I confess that I watch what is probably an unhealthy number of cozy murder mystery shows, mainly British and British-adjacent. I am absolutely the target audience for A Case of Mice and Murder, the first novel in Sally Smith’s newish detective series.

Likely Stories - Thirst by Mary Oliver

In Thirst, Mary Oliver invites us into a quiet conversation between sorrow and faith, where nature and grace meet in every line.

Likely Stories - Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

A teen pilot, a hacker ex, a murderous mega-corp, and an AI that’s lost its moral compass. Illuminae is a fast-paced sci-fi thriller told through transcripts, files, and messages you won’t want to stop reading.

Likely Stories - Recommendations from Reviews in 2025

With the momentum of the holiday season starting to pick up, this week's Likely Stories is dedicated to an always dependable gift option. Whether it's for loved ones, or as a treat for yourself, today we're picking out a few titles our eclectic team of reviewers highlighted in 2025. A collection of page turners that would make for great additions to any bookshelf.

Likely Stories - Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

When I chose a book to review for Likely Stories, I think back to those that have stuck with me, books that I've recommended to people over and over again. Today I want to tell you about one of my favorite books. My name is Heather White. I teach art history at Baylor and today I’m reviewing the historical crime novel Fingersmith, by Sarah Waters, written in 2002.

Likely Stories - The Treasure Hunters Club by Tom Ryan

Welcome back to Likely Stories. I’m Paige Connell, and I teach English at Midway High School. Billed as “Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone” meets “The Goonies”, I can confirm that this fun, winding story of buried treasure and buried secrets gives off strong vibes of that great book and the classic movie.

Likely Stories - Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Hello, I am Rebecca Flavin, Director of Engaged Learning Curriculum and Senior Lecturer in Political Science at Baylor University. One of the best books I have read so far this year is Shelby Van Pelt’s, “Remarkably Bright Creatures.”

Likely Stories - Mr. Texas by Lawrence Wright

“Mr. Texas,” by Pulitzer Prize winner Lawrence Wright, is a novel about the making of a Texas state legislator.

Likely Stories - The Unworthy by Augustina Bazterrica

Welcome to this weeks edition of Likely Stories, my name is Malcolm Foster, operations assistant at KWBU. The book I want to discuss today is a brutal, yet occasionally beautiful example of how some things, for better and worse, even in the most drastic of scenarios, never change.

Likely Stories - Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

Hi. Welcome back to Likely Stories. I'm Paige Connell and I teach English at Midway High School. The late 1960s must have been quite a time to be alive. I missed it by just a decade or so. Groovy tunes, free love, mod fashion, patriarchal oppression. Wait, that last one doesn't sound so fun, but it is a topic that the author delves into in the social commentary masquerading as a story about unwed pregnant teenagers in Central Florida.