Well-read

We love reading books but we also love getting books off our shelves, so that means we love our annual Reading From Our TBRs episode!     Books and other media mentioned in this episode: Ann’s picks: Take It Back by Kia Abdullah – Kia Abdullah books Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett – Audie Awards – Neil Gaiman books – Terry Pratchett books – Good Omens (TV) – The House of the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune Old Lovegood Girls by Gail Godwin – From the Front Porch (podcast) – Ann Patchett books Halle’s picks: The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff – My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite The Truth and Other Hidden Things by Lea Geller – Lori Gelman books – Class Mom by Lori Gelman Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson – Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas – Booklist – Life After Life by Kate Atkinson What We’re Reading This Week: Ann: Here In Avalon by Tara Isabella Burton – Tara Isabella Burton books Halle: When We Were Bright and Beautiful by Jillian Medoff – Yellowface by R.F. Kuang W

We’re back with our superlatives episode – one of our favorites of the year!   Books and other media mentioned in this episode: Halle’s Instagram Women’s Prize for Fiction Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry From the Front Porch (podcast) Book of the Month Club Most Timely Ann: Spare by Prince Harry Halle: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros Most Disappointing Ann: The Cloisters by Katy Hays and Under Lock & Skeleton Key by Gigi Pandian Halle: Happiness Falls by Angie Kim and Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld – Miracle Creek by Angie Kim – Saturday Night Live (TV) Favorite Reread Ann: Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo Halle: Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid and The Guncle by Steven Rowley – Daisy Jones & the Six (TV) Biggest Surprise Ann: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree and Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See Halle: The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen – The Undermining of Twyla and Frank by Megan Bannen Le

This week, we’re talking about book trends! Whether you’re deep in romantasy or cozy everything, we’re covering some of the biggest trends in publishing right now.   Books and other media mentioned in this episode: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros The Maid by Nita Prose Anne McCaffrey books Game of Thrones (TV) A Song of Fire and Ice series by George R.R. Martin The Inheritance Cycle series by Christopher Paolini Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R Tolkein Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai Debbie Macomber books Sweet Magnolias (TV) Virgin River (TV) The Sweet Magnolias series by Sherryl Woods Virgin River series by Robin Carr A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice

It’s time to revisit books about books! We discuss some recent and evergreen favorites. Books and other media mentioned in this episode: The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams Yellowface by R.F. Kuang Ann’s picks: The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths – Harbinder Kaur series by Elly Griffiths The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows – The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (film) The Last Word by Taylor Adams Halle’s picks: The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer – Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl – The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn – Booklist (magazine) – One Summer in Savannah by Terah Shelton Harris – The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer The Dictionary of Lost World by Pip Williams – The Bookbinder by Pip Williams What We’re Reading This Week: Ann: Lone Women by Victor LaValle – Midsommar (film) – The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle Halle

September puts us in the mood for back-to-school books, but why not add a mysterious twist? We’re talking dark academia titles this week!   Books and other media mentioned in this episode: The Secret History by Donna Tartt (buy from Bookshop) Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (buy from Bookshop) The Likeness by Tana French (buy from Bookshop) The Magicians by Lev Grossman (buy from Bookshop) Dead Poets Society (film) Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling Joanna Gaines Ann’s picks: The World Cannot Give by Tara Isabella Burton (buy from Bookshop) Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson (buy from Bookshop) – Truly Devious series by Maureen Johnson Babel by R.F. Kuang (buy from Bookshop) – The Secret History by Donna Tartt (buy from Bookshop) – Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (buy from Bookshop) – Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (buy from Bookshop) Halle’s picks: The Cartographers by Peng Shephard (buy from Bookshop) Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian (buy from Bookshop) – Dexter series by Jeff Lind

It’s that time again…the books we’re looking forward to the most publishing September through February! Books and other media mentioned in this episode: Ann’s picks: Reykjavík by Ragnar Jónasson and Katrín Jakobsdottír (releases September 5) (buy from Bookshop) – Arnaldur Indriðason books – Parnassus Books – Ann Patchett books – Independent People by Halldór Laxness (buy from Bookshop) Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison (releases September 19) (buy from Bookshop) – Cackle by Rachel Harrison (buy from Bookshop) – The Return by Rachel Harrison (buy from Bookshop) Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America by Michael Harriot (releases September 19) (buy from Bookshop) – The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones (buy from Bookshop) Last to Leave the Room by Caitlin Starling (releases October 10) (buy from Bookshop) – The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling (buy from Bookshop) Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree (releases November 7) (buy from Bookshop) – Legends & Lattes

You know the feeling…you finish a book you adored and instantly wish you could read it again for the first time. These are the books we wish we could experience again, and boy was it hard to pare them down!   Books and other media mentioned in this episode: The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (buy from Bookshop) Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (buy from Bookshop) Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason (buy from Bookshop) In the Woods by Tana French (buy from Bookshop) Tom Lake by Ann Patchett (buy from Bookshop) Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling Ann’s picks: The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton (buy from Bookshop) – Homecoming by Kate Morton (buy from Bookshop) Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley (buy from Bookshop) – The Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature – Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley (buy from Bookshop) –YALLfest Passing by Nella Larsen (buy from Bookshop) Halle’s picks: A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry (buy from Bookshop) – Op

Halle thought it wasn’t possible to love a Taylor Swift-themed episode any more, until her sister Heather joined in as a special guest! (Ann was there too, as a casual fan.) Listen in for book pairings for some of our favorite T.Swift songs, along with general Swifty gushing and the books we’re reading this week. Books and other media mentioned in this episode: Taylor Jenkins Reid books Red (Taylor Swift album) Fearless (Taylor Swift album) 1989 (Taylor Swift album) “Blank Space” Reputation (Taylor Swift album) “…Ready For It?” “The Man” Ann’s picks: An American Marriage by Tayari Jones (buy from Bookshop) and “exile (feat. Bon Iver)” – Justin Vernon/Bon Iver – “Death By a Thousand Cuts” Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano (buy from Bookshop) and “Bejeweled” – Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich Halle’s picks: The Idea of You by Robinne Lee (buy from Bookshop) and “Enchanted” and “Dress” Someday Maybe by Onyi Nwabineli (buy from Bookshop) and “Bigger Than the Whole Sky” – Midnights (Taylor Sw

It’s back…..our occasional episode where we pick books for each other from our massive “to be read” shelves! Listen to what we liked – and what we didn’t! – and find out what we’re reading this week. Books and other media mentioned in this episode: Ann’s picks: The Maid by Nita Prose (buy from Bookshop) – Good Morning America Book Club – The Maid (film) – Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman (buy from Bookshop) – Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (buy from Bookshop) – Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (buy from Bookshop) – Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (buy from Bookshop) – Goodreads Choice Awards – Book of the Month Club – The Verifiers by Jane Pek (buy from Bookshop) The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden (buy from Bookshop) – The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid (buy from Bookshop) Halle’s picks: The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen (buy from Bookshop) – You’ve Got Mail (film) The Last Chanc