Alix is back with Marissa to discuss all the books that influenced them. From changing what type of main characters they looked for to reminding them of the value of a fast and fun read, Marissa and guest, Alix, are diving into a wonderful world of books that left their mark. The two readers end this episode by pulling next week's out of the jar. Expect us to discuss: Twilight by Stephanie Meyer The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas A Court of Thorns and Roses by S...
Aug 24, 2023•59 min•Ep. 48
Marissa is joined by a different reader this week, Alix Calfa. Together, Alix and Marissa discuss their biggest and greatest literary brags. From accounting the many books they've read over the years to the amazing feat of being able to read in a car, the two readers use this rare opportunity to brag it up. Expect us to discuss: Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen Emma by Jane Austen Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen Persuasion by Jane Austen Mansfield Park by Jane Austen Multiple Works by...
Aug 10, 2023•56 min•Ep. 47
Trends are often surprising. In this episode, our two readers discuss all the surprise trends they've seen recently – and some they wish would come back around. From the surge of love for historical romance novels to the desire to find a few more steampunk novels on the shelf, we're here to discuss it all. Expect us to start with a recap of Marissa's past two weeks of reading, which might take a while. And then, the two readers dive right in, finishing off with some news, an announcement of a gu...
Jul 27, 2023•59 min•Ep. 46
Sometimes, a happily ever after just isn't possible. This week, Megan and Marissa discuss their fave books that end in sadness and tragedy. From Romeo & Juliet to No One Is Talking About This, get ready to hear about the saddest stories that we loved reading. Please be warned that this episode does contain spoilers. As always, we start with a discussion on our most recent reads and we end with our upcoming reads and the drawing of our next topic. Expect us to discuss: The Stormlight Archive ...
Jul 13, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 45
Young adult characters are some of the most memorable characters in literature. Whether inspired by real-life events or for the purpose of flying around mythical lands, YA characters can obtain their popularity for many reasons. In this episode, Marissa and Megan discuss which popular YA characters are their favourites and why. We also discuss our most recent reads, the end of Marissa's reading slump, upcoming reads, and our next topic. Expect us to discuss: Soul Feud by Juniper Jackson ACOTAR b...
Jun 29, 2023•54 min•Ep. 44
The book might be better, but sometimes the movie just hits the spot. In this episode, Megan and Marissa discuss the books they'd love to see come to life on the screen. From favourites they want to see come alive to stories that had potential but didn't marvel, we dive into these books and what makes them perfect for the big screen. We also discuss our most recent reads, the end of Marissa's reading slump, upcoming reads, and our next topic. Expect us to discuss: The Shining by Stephen King Jan...
Jun 01, 2023•57 min•Ep. 43
Are you a book hoarder or a careful collector? In this episode, Marissa and Megan discuss how they decide which books get to grace their shelves and which ones get donated or sent away. From beautiful copies to nostalgic editions and everything in between, these two readers are discussing the biggest question for book lovers: how do you decide which ones to let go of? We also discuss our most recent reads, Marissa's reading slump, upcoming reads, and our next topic. Expect us to discuss: Ruth Wa...
May 18, 2023•58 min•Ep. 42
When it comes to plots, we all have tropes we love. From enemies becoming friends to found family and more, Megan and Marissa discuss the plot tropes they can't get enough of. Both readers dive into the specifics of the tropes that they love – and expect us to gush about our absolute favourite examples as well! Expect us to discuss: Some Kind of Animal by Maria Romansco-Moore The Princess Bride by William Goldman I'm Afraid of Men by Vivek Shraya The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes by Suzanne C...
May 04, 2023•59 min•Ep. 41
It's like 20 questions, but all about books! Megan and Marissa ask each other book-related questions that they've always wanted to ask each other. From debating who would win a crossover Hunger Games between Sabriel and Katniss to discovering the best and worst book recommendations we've given each other, this episode is all about answering the easy, the fun, and the hard questions we have for each other. Expect us to discuss: Sabriel by Garth Nix Allegiant by Veronica Roth Red Queen & War S...
Apr 20, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 40
This one is dedicated to all the books that were almost a favourite – if it weren't for that one thing. In this episode, our beloved readers, Megan and Marissa, reveal the changes they'd make to a few novels to improve the story for them. Removing tropes, changing character arcs, and removing a character's death: we're bringing it all up this week. Expect us to discuss: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes Twilight by Stephanie Meyer The Ballad of Songbirds and Snak...
Apr 07, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 39
Megan and Marissa are answering questions about themselves this week. From discussing their non-book-related interests and hobbies to recalling how they started reading and met, the two readers are deep diving to help you get to know them better. Expect us to discuss: The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green The Ones We're Meant to Find by Joan He Sabriel by Garth Nix Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë Emma by Jane Austen And More Have a question you want us to discuss? Send us an email or message our...
Mar 23, 2023•58 min•Ep. 38
This one's for those readers still reading at 2 am, even though they have to work the next day. In this episode, Megan and Marissa are recounting the books that they burned through quickly – for both good and bad reasons. We start by discussing our most recent reads and then move into the topic, discussing what kind of books we read quickly and why. Lastly, we discuss our upcoming and current reads and draw our next topic from our book jar! Expect us to discuss: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by H...
Mar 09, 2023•50 min•Ep. 37
A good ending is important. A bad ending can ruin the book. In this episode, Megan and Marissa discuss the worst endings to books they've read. From leaving a sour taste in our mouths to completely destroying a beloved series, the worst endings come in all shapes and sizes. We start this episode by talking over our most recent reads, which leads us straight into this week's topic: The worst book endings we've ever read. Marissa and Megan discuss the "one year later" epilogue and how it's ruined ...
Feb 23, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 36
It's easy to find hate about the YA genre. From protesting that these books aren't valuable to keeping adults from reading YA, it seems there are so many reasons people hate on YA. But is the hate deserved? We think not. Megan and Marissa discuss all the most popular reasons cited for people to hate YA – and we argue about which points are valid (lack of diversity, etc.) and which ones are not (lack of literary value, for one). We begin as always by talking about our most recent reads and, of co...
Feb 09, 2023•59 min•Ep. 35
Is the book better? Or the movie? How about both? In this week's episode of the Book Jar Podcast, Marissa and Megan compare notes on their favourite book-to-movie/tv-series adaptations. From Jane Austen's plethora of movies to nostalgic numbers like Holes by Louis Sachar, we're talking about all the movies and tv shows we've adored, even though they started on the page. As always, we start our podcast by discussing our most recent reads and finish up by looking towards the books that are moving ...
Jan 26, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 34
Everyone loves a reading goal. Marissa and Megan are back to discuss their reading goals for 2023 – plus a review of how 2022 has been for us! We start by discussing 2022 and how our reading looked throughout the year. Then, we make new reading goals for the upcoming year. We end it off by discussing upcoming reads and drawing our next topic for our book jar. Like our podcast? Leave us a review so more people can find us! Want to be in a community full of readers? Join our Discord server to disc...
Jan 12, 2023•57 min•Ep. 33
Marissa and Megan discuss some overhyped books in this week's episode of the Book Jar Podcast. From some self-help books that didn't help to TikTok recommendations that didn't stick, we're talking about it all. Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar. Like our podcast? Leave us a review so more people can find us! Want to be in a community full of readers? Join our Discord server to discuss books and join our book club (if you wan...
Dec 15, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 32
Dedication pages are fun – and sometimes they're just a bit sweet, sad, or beautiful. We're resisting favourite dedication pages we've discovered through our reading history. The two readers also discuss their most recent reads, upcoming reads, their book club, and other bookish things! Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar. Like our podcast? Leave us a review so more people can find us! Want to be in a community full of readers...
Nov 19, 2022•54 min•Ep. 31
There's nothing like the first time. Megan and Marissa discuss which books they wish they could read again for the first time. Marissa takes into consideration her all-time faves, while Meg wonders what it might be like if she read books she doesn't think she would like the second time around. The two readers also discuss their most recent reads, upcoming reads, their book club, and other bookish things! Expect them to discuss: Harry Potter Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë The Ones We're Meant to F...
Nov 03, 2022•59 min•Ep. 30
**Spoiler Warnings for Harry Potter, Twilight, Sailor Moon, A Series of Unfortunate Events, A Court of Thorns & Roses & Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde** Fan theories make reading communities better! So, in this episode, we're diving into our personal faves. From Draco Malfoy being a werewolf to Reneesme being a villain, we're breaking down some theories you may or may not have heard of. Make sure to join us on social media to tell us your fave fan theory! We also discuss our most recent reads...
Oct 20, 2022•52 min•Ep. 29
**Content Warning: Mentions of death, dying, and sex.** We are talking about books that have great hooks. From renowned classics to our fave modern books (and audiobooks), some books get you right from the start. Marissa and Megan read a few of their faves. Expect us to discuss: The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket Emma by Jane Austen Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones Panic by Lauren Oliver The Book Thief by Markus Zusak & Many...
Oct 06, 2022•51 min•Ep. 28
Extra, extra, we've got book news! From new releases to new announcements, Megan and Marissa bring you some of the top headlines for October and a recap of September 2022. Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar. Like our podcast? Consider leaving us a review so more people can find us!
Oct 02, 2022•50 min•Ep. 27
**Spoilers for The Walking Dead.** **Content Warning: We do talk about sex and mention some violent content from The Walking Dead graphic novels.** What do Bryan Lee O'Malley, Rachel Smythe, Shaun Tan, and Lights have in common? They're all comics whose graphic novels we loved reading. In this episode, we're talking about graphic novels, comics, and manga. And we're starting with Archie. We also discuss our most recent reads and draw our topic for next week. Want your question featured on our po...
Sep 22, 2022•59 min•Ep. 26
We're getting emotional this week. Join us on a deep dive into the books that made us feel the most: anger, sadness, hope, and disgust. We also discuss our most recent reads and draw our topic for next week. From there, we discuss our upcoming reads and announce our next podcast topic. Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar. Like our podcast? Leave us a review so more people can find us!
Sep 08, 2022•59 min•Ep. 25
Some characters you dream of meeting. Others, you would run from. In this episode, we discuss our personal favourite characters who we'd rather not meet in real life – for a variety of reasons. From there, we discuss our upcoming reads and announce our next podcast topic. Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar. Like our podcast? Leave us a review so more people can find us!
Aug 25, 2022•58 min•Ep. 24
Content Warning: We discuss a book that contains mentions of sexual assault, harassment, and rape. If this content is not for you, please stop listening when we talk about our upcoming reads at the end of the podcast. We're here to have a little bit of fun this week! Courtesy of one of our listeners, Alix, we're describing great books (both to us personally and to the global audience) in a single sentence. Some descriptions are obvious. Others require a bit more thought. See if you can keep up w...
Aug 11, 2022•55 min•Ep. 23
Extra, extra, we've got book news! From new releases to new announcements, Megan and Marissa bring you some of the top headlines for August 2022. Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar. Like our podcast? Consider leaving us a review so more people can find us!
Aug 02, 2022•27 min•Ep. 22
What do John Green, Jane Austen, and a few others have in common? Well, when we picked up their books, we weren't always in love. As usual, Megan and Marissa start off by discussing their most recent reads: Megan discusses a finished book of hers, Yume by Sifton Tracey Anipare, and Marissa (for the first time ever since starting this podcast) has no new books to report. From there, we dive into the topic of the week: What book did you hate at first, but end up loving? Marissa discusses Villette ...
Jul 28, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 21
Let's get to our deep dive book recommendations! Megan and Marissa start off by discussing their most recent reads: Marissa lists her four reads and Megan talks about the book she's currently working on finishing. From there, we dive into topic of the week: What book do you love that isn't mainstream, but you wish it was? Marissa starts off by discussing We All Love the Beautiful Girls by Joanne Proulx, a novel based in suburban Quebec that narrates the unfolding of a family after two tragedies....
Jul 07, 2022•46 min•Ep. 20
Extra, extra, we've got book news! From new releases to new announcements, Megan and Marissa bring you some of the top headlines for July 2022. Want your question featured on our podcast? DM us your question on Insta and we'll add it to the book jar. Like our podcast? Consider leaving us a review so more people can find us!
Jul 05, 2022•30 min•Ep. 19
