We did it, readers! 100 episodes, two seasons, and a third yet to come. Join us on Monday, January 13th for our first book of 2025, Carissa Broadbent's "The Songbird & The Heart of Stone." https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209740448-the-songbird-the-heart-of-stone The NAH Awards Best Heroine: Kestrel from "The Winner's Curse" by Marie Rutkoski https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16069030-the-winner-s-curse?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=vRfLlprRat&rank=1 Best Hero: Lowe fro...
Dec 30, 2024•26 min•Season 2Ep. 100
Welcome to Jordan's corruption: i.e. Katie has hyped up fanfiction so much that Jordan has come and joined the dark side - and started with reading the ENTIRETY of PacificRimbaud's catalog. For your four course meal, Jordan recommends starting with the funny and sweet, Love and Other Historical Accidents (covered in full length pod episodes too!), then a quick and smutty palate cleanser, The Secretary . Next the heavy and deeply romantic, Remember One Thing , and end on the silly (and very, very...
Dec 25, 2024•12 min
"There you are sweetheart." Come on readers, Christian Bale as the voice of our beloved rakish wizard Howl? This movie is up there with Pride and Prejudice in the comfort film rotation, but this week, we're reading, listening, and watching this story. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6294.Howl_s_Moving_Castle
Dec 23, 2024•31 min•Season 2Ep. 99
Oh no... Katie has fallen down the hockey smut romance rabbit hole... and is surprisingly having a decent time. The verdict: The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy was fun the way reality TV is. But worth mentioning, maybe only consume this story as an audiobook for your own sanity. The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy This being Katie's first foray into the sports romance genre, her only other suggestion is the movie, Legally Blonde (lol)....
Dec 18, 2024•10 min
"There you are sweetheart." Come on readers, Christian Bale as the voice of our beloved rakish wizard Howl? This movie is up there with Pride and Prejudice in the comfort film rotation, but this week, we're reading, listening, and watching this story. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6294.Howl_s_Moving_Castle
Dec 16, 2024•45 min•Season 2Ep. 98
We step into an alternate universe this week as Jordan recommends a surprisingly deep and touching monster romance featuring a lich, a word we both mispronounce for the entire first half of the episode (what's new?). Trigger warning, however, for eating disorders and body dismorphia! Goodreads: Wed to the Lich by Layla Fae
Dec 11, 2024•12 min
Proof that all books are not published equally, this week we're finishing a Dramione fanfic that is perhaps the best story we've read all year. The romantic tension, the beautiful quirky writing, the Austen-esque plot is all free to download at Archive of Our Own. https://archiveofourown.org/works/21496525?view_full_work=true For those of you with a Kindle, you can download a PDF copy of this work and send it to your Amazon account. Just search for "send to Kindle."
Dec 09, 2024•26 min•Season 2Ep. 97
It's fanfiction central over here on the pod and Katie's pick this week is a big ol' masterpiece - Measure of a Man by Inadaze22. Generational trauma, terrorism, and dementia give this story depth and a slowburn romance to end all slowburn romances keeps you entranced the entire time. Honestly, just start it now, you won't regret it. Measure of a Man by Inadaze22 (Audiobook format) Measure of a Man - SEP Fanfic Readings To send works from Archive of Our Own (AO3) to your kindle: Open the fanfict...
Dec 04, 2024•10 min
Proof that all books are not published equally, this week we're reading a Dramione fanfic that is perhaps the best story we've read all year. The romantic tension, the beautiful quirky writing, the Austen-esque plot is all free to download at Archive of Our Own. https://archiveofourown.org/works/21496525?view_full_work=true For those of you with a Kindle, you can download a PDF copy of this work and send it to your Amazon account. Just search for "send to Kindle."
Dec 02, 2024•43 min•Season 2Ep. 96
Jordan's pick this week is a lil sneak peak at what's to come next season! We'll be covering The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden in season 3 of the pod - so start reading now! The Trilogy includes The Bear and the Nightinggale, The Girl in the Tower, and The Winter of the Witch. Goodreads: The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden If you're looking for something similar try: The Shadow and Bone Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo Anything by Juliet Marillier...
Nov 27, 2024•6 min
Proof that all books are not published equally, this week we're reading a Dramione fanfic that is perhaps the best story we've read all year. The romantic tension, the beautiful quirky writing, the Austen-esque plot is all free to download at Archive of Our Own. https://archiveofourown.org/works/21496525?view_full_work=true For those of you with a Kindle, you can download a PDF copy of this work and send it to your Amazon account. Just search for "send to Kindle."
Nov 25, 2024•41 min•Season 2Ep. 95
Katie DNF's another booktok book, Phantasma by Kalie Smith, even with giving it the good ol' college try at 21%. The main heroine was rude for no reason (strike 1), the romantic tension was nonexistent (strike 2), and it was just sorta... boring (strike 3). https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/204593914-phantasma If you're looking for something better, try: The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60714999-the-serpent-and-the-wings-of-night?ref=n...
Nov 20, 2024•8 min
This is not an episode for a fourth wing fangirl, but it is our last one for this book, so thank you to all the readers who stuck with us through this yucky dragon journey. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61431922-fourth-wing
Nov 18, 2024•21 min•Season 2Ep. 94
Jordan's got TWO picks this week, one for you and one for the younger readers in your life. The first is a fairytale retelling YA pick, Enchanted by Alethea Kontis. The second, a firmly adult, hefty, more fantasy than romance deep cut: The Assassins of Tamurin by S.D. Tower (which is only available in print - gasp!) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12180248-enchanted https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43684.The_Assassins_of_Tamurin
Nov 13, 2024•13 min
As you will soon discover, we had some mishaps during the recording of part 3. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61431922-fourth-wing
Nov 11, 2024•39 min•Season 2Ep. 93
Katie does love a found family, and especially so in this week's pick Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard. She does warn though - this is pretty heavy in the fantasy genre with only hints at a few brewing romances on the horizon. But if you're looking for a more gender equitable high fantasy pick instead of the male lead-heavy usuals like Tolkien or Martin, this is for you! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54513688-realm-breaker If you're looking for something similar, try Lord of the Rings by ...
Nov 07, 2024•10 min
For you all dear readers it's a new week, for us, it's one long rant session about dragons who really should have better things to do. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61431922-fourth-wing
Nov 04, 2024•30 min•Season 2Ep. 92
Jordan's pick this week is getting steampunky with a master/assistant romance and a secret society of - you guessed it - super hot, immortal men. Sign me UP. (And hey, it's Kindle Unlimited and Jordan has read it like 8 times - what's not to love?) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18515966-prince-of-hearts Looking for similar vibes? The Parasol Protectorate Series by Gail Carriger https://www.goodreads.com/series/46888-parasol-protectorate Anything by Olivia Atwater https://www.goodreads.com/...
Oct 30, 2024•11 min
It's been a long time in the making but we finally finished it. Fourth Wing is here for better or worse, readers. If you loved this one, you might be better off just skipping the next few episodes. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61431922-fourth-wing
Oct 28, 2024•35 min•Season 2Ep. 91
Jordan accuses someone of murder and Katie apparently loves golden retriever characters - and neither point is related to Katie's (thoroughly enjoyed!) pick this week, Legendborn by Tracy Deonn. A YA paranormal fantasy for younger girls who maybe think they're a little older than they actually are. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50892338-legendborn If you're looking for something with similar vibes (that Katie also very much enjoyed!): Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (a previous pick of the we...
Oct 23, 2024•11 min
Who needs spice when you can have a sash scene. Hari recruits a militia, takes down an entire demon army, and somehow, no one dies: not the cat, the horse, or Mathin. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/407813.The_Blue_Sword
Oct 21, 2024•32 min•Season 2Ep. 90
In this week’s pick, something tragic almost happened - Jordan was on the verge of DNFing our newest fav book, Reign & Ruin by J. D. Evans. If you’re like Jordan (and Katie when she tried too!) and find yourself struggling, keep at it for the first 50 or so pages, and then the magic happens. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50607309-reign-ruin If you’re looking for something similar (or are still being convinced to read it), take a look at: The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski https://www...
Oct 16, 2024•12 min
This week, Hari goes to boot camp with her pet leopard and battles a mysterious stranger. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/407813.The_Blue_Sword
Oct 14, 2024•25 min•Season 2Ep. 89
Katie gives likely the most lukewarm review of a book ever for An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson - "it was a book." In today's world of fast fashion publishing though, that's actually decent praise. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30969741-an-enchantment-of-ravens If you're looking for something similar (and maybe better): Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60717747-half-a-soul A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft https://www.goodreads.com/book/sho...
Oct 09, 2024•11 min
Kidnap me, hill king! This week we kick off The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley, a fixture in the fantasy romance genre , and perhaps some of the first-ever fan-fiction. Apparently, McKinley rage wrote this in response to an early 20th century novel called The Sheikh. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/407813.The_Blue_Sword https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-sheik-edith-maude-hull/1127775915
Oct 07, 2024•27 min•Season 2Ep. 88
Readers, we're having a bit of crisis of self. What are we reading these days? How do we define it and what is actually a good book?
Sep 30, 2024•34 min•Season 2Ep. 87
Jordan gets back to her roots this week with a fun, quirky, and not too serious regency romance - What I Did for a Duke by Julie Anne Long. While we're still not clear on what was done to get the duke, it's likely something naughty (especially since this is an open door romance!) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8430098-what-i-did-for-a-duke If you're looking for something similar, try anything by Julia Quinn, Lisa Kleypas or Sherry Thomas.
Sep 25, 2024•11 min
Beware readers, this episode is way past R rated, but Deli Dan carried us through. Join us next week when we go back to some serious fantasy with Robin McKinley's "The Blue Sword." https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199928276-the-love-of-my-afterlife
Sep 23, 2024•22 min•Season 2Ep. 86
An easy, breezy Kindle Unlimited book is Katie’s pick this week - The Heir and the Spare by Kate Stradling. As Katie explains, “it’s a book,” so don’t get too excited (though to be fair, it was finished and had a surprisingly interesting twist at the end!) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57022919-the-heir-and-the-spare If you're looking for something with similar vibes: Thorn by Intisar Khanani https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51265989-thorn Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore https://www.goodr...
Sep 18, 2024•12 min
The drinks are kicking in for part 2 - much needed for the scene we endure with Delphie's overexposure in athletic wear. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199928276-the-love-of-my-afterlife
Sep 16, 2024•28 min•Season 2Ep. 85
