It's time for another jam-packed Book Talk episode! 

We catch up on our recent reads, from Abigail's recent Emily Henry reread journey to five-star favorites and recent DNFs, plus discuss the controversial marketing of fanfiction in traditional publishing.

Abigail's complete (revised) Emily Henry reread rankings: 

1. Funny Story
2. Happy Place 
3. Beach Read
4. People We Meet on Vacation 
5. Book Lovers 
6. Great Big Beautiful Life 

Plus, we're covering: 

• Recent DNFs including First Time Caller by BK Morrison and Silver Elite (please bully me, Emily, if you think I should give these a second chance)
• Five-star reads worth your time: East of Eden by John Steinbeck and Memorial by Bryan Washington 
• Abigail's recents: A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams and How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang
• Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood review & lengthy discussion
• Discussion of the ethics of marketing fanfiction-inspired books using original IP (we're PASSIONATE) 
• Upcoming anticipated releases 

Plus, share our podcast on your Instagram story or tag us on Bluesky for a chance to win a $50 Thriftbooks gift card! Be sure to follow and tag us @readirectpodcast for a chance to win!