In this episode of Book Talks Podcast, we're sharing everything we read in May and what we're hoping to read in June!

We discuss our thoughts on Shield of Sparrows, Golden Son, The Shippers, and the surprise books that completely took over Kayla's reading month. Kayla dives into her newfound obsession with Maggie Gates, why Our Perfect Storm might be her favorite book of the year, and why she's ready to reread some all-time favorite romances. Meanwhile, Marisa shares her honest thoughts on The Nightingale, discusses a disappointing thriller read, and talks about balancing a never-ending TBR.

We also chat about:
✨ The pregnancy trope debate
✨ Why some authors become auto-buy authors
✨ June reading goals and anticipated releases
✨ Off Campus and Elle Kennedy obsession
✨ Morning Star predictions and Red Rising theories
✨ Summer reading plans and Kindle Unlimited recommendations

Books Mentioned:

• Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry
• The Shippers by E.J. Schultz
• Golden Son by Pierce Brown
• Dust Storm by Maggie Gates
• Fire Line by Maggie Gates
• Poker Face by Maggie Gates
• Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune
• Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
• Cold World by Alicia Thompson
• On Wings of Blood by Briar Boleyn
• Bonds That Burn by Briar Boleyn
• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
• It's Not Her by Mary Kubica
• The Deal by Elle Kennedy
• Morning Star by Pierce Brown
• Blue Jeans Summer by Maggie Gates
• First and Forever by Eve Dangerfield
• Fever Dream by Elsie Silver

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In today's BookTalks Podcast episode, we're reviewing Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry and discussing whether this new fantasy romance has what it takes to become the next massive fantasy series.

From the worldbuilding and characters to the romance, plot twists, and overall reading experience, we're breaking down everything we loved, what surprised us, and whether we think Shield of Sparrows deserves all the attention it's been getting.

Could this be the next fantasy obsession for readers who loved Fourth Wing, romantasy, and epic fantasy adventures? Join us as we share our full thoughts and recommendations.

Have you read Shield of Sparrows? Let us know your rating in the comments!

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#ShieldOfSparrows #DevneyPerry #FantasyBooks #BookReview #Romantasy

This week on Book Talks Podcast, we’re discussing The Shippers by Katherine Center — one of the biggest romance releases of 2026!

We dive into JoJo and Cooper’s friends-to-lovers story, the cruise ship setting, hilarious rom-com moments, emotional depth (or lack of it), and whether this book lived up to our expectations as longtime Katherine Center readers.

We also rank our favorite Katherine Center books, compare The Shippers to other recent romance releases, and talk about why this story feels perfect for a summer beach read or movie adaptation.

If you love romance books, BookTok favorites, spoiler-filled book discussions, and honest reading conversations, this episode is for you.

Books mentioned:
📖 The Shippers
📖 The Rom-Commers
📖 The Love Haters
📖 How to Walk Away
📖 The Night We Met
📖 Our Perfect Storm
📖 Shield of Sparrows

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Today I’m reviewing Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine, one of the newest romance books getting attention on BookTok.

In this spoiler-free review, I’m talking about:

• the romance tropes
• character chemistry
• writing style
• pacing
• what worked for me
• what didn’t
• and whether this BookTok recommendation is actually worth the hype.

If you love contemporary romance, tension, banter, and trope-heavy romances, this might be your next read.

Let me know in the comments:

• Did you love Any Trope But You?
• What BookTok romance should I review next?

#BookTube #RomanceBooks #BookTok #AnyTropeButYou #BookTropes

Golden Son by Pierce Brown (Red Rising #2) absolutely DESTROYED us. In this episode of BookTalks Podcast, we’re diving into our full spoiler-filled debrief of the second book in the Red Rising saga — and honestly… how are we supposed to recover after THAT ending?!

We talk about:

Why Golden Son was even better than Red Rising

Kayla’s hatred for Cassius

Why the Ares reveal didn’t fully land for us

Darrow + Mustang supremacy

The insane betrayals, politics, and nonstop twists

The cliffhanger ending that gave us major Red Wedding energy

If you love fantasy books, sci-fi, BookTube discussions, or chaotic emotional reading experiences, this episode is for you.

SPOILERS for Golden Son by Pierce Brown throughout the episode

Subscribe for more fantasy book discussions, reading vlogs, BookTube chaos, and podcast episodes!

#GoldenSon #RedRising #PierceBrown #BookTube #FantasyBooks #SciFiBooks #BookPodcast #ReadingVlog #FantasySeries #MustangAndDarrow #CassiusAuBellona #BookTok #FantasyReaders #GoldenSonReaction #RedRisingSeries

In this episode, we’re sharing our April reading wrap-up and everything on our May TBR!

We discuss all the books we read this month, including How to Kill a Guy in 10 Dates, Unsteady, Unloved, Unbound, The Art of Catching Feels, Never Been Shipped, Promise Me Sunshine, Golden Son, In Every Possible Way, The Night We Met, Project Hail Mary, and Love Letter to a Serial Killer.

From five-star favorites to books that completely missed the mark, this month had a little bit of everything—including a controversial one-star read from an entire book club. We also dive into trends in romance and thriller genres, audiobook vs physical reading, and our ever-growing TBR lists.

If you love honest book reviews, reading wrap-ups, and discussions on romance, fantasy, and thrillers, this episode is for you.

Make sure to follow along for more episodes!

In this episode of Book Talks Podcast, we’re discussing our April Book of the Month: The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez.

This romance completely took over our lives—and we’re breaking down everything from the emotional love triangle to the character dynamics, messy relationships, and whether this story actually works.

We dive into:

• The Mike vs. Chris debate
• Whether the relationship crosses into emotional cheating
• Why this book is so addictive
• Our favorite (and least favorite) moments
• How it compares to other Abby Jimenez books

⚠️ Full spoilers included

We also announce our next Book of the Month—so be sure to join our Fable book club and read along with us!

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Welcome back to Booktalks Podcast! In this episode, we’re sharing our full honest recap of BookCon 2026 — from buying tickets and planning the weekend to attending both Saturday and Sunday of the event.

There’s been a LOT of conversation surrounding BookCon this year, and we wanted to give our balanced, real experience after seeing it all firsthand. We break down the highs, the lows, the organization, the crowds, the panels, and the biggest moments that had the book community talking.

We also discuss the controversy surrounding author placement, including our thoughts on major authors being placed in basement areas rather than the main stage, and whether BookCon delivered the experience readers were hoping for.

If you’ve been wondering:

Was BookCon 2026 worth attending?

What was the actual experience like?

Was the drama online accurate?

Would we go back?

…this episode covers everything.

Whether you attended BookCon, skipped it, or are planning future book conventions, we hope this honest recap helps you decide what these events are really like behind the scenes.

Did you attend BookCon 2026? Let us know your experience in the comments.

Chapters

00:00 BookCon 2026 Overview and Ticketing Challenges

02:55 Expectations vs. Reality: The BookCon Experience

05:31 Reservation System and Communication Issues

08:26 Day One Highlights: Panels and Author Interactions

11:25 Crowd Management and Vendor Experiences

14:08 Food Options and Attendee Needs

17:28 Reflections and Suggestions for Improvement

26:43 The Overwhelming Experience at BookCon

35:02 The Need for Diversity in Panels

47:01 Reflections on BookCon's Structure and Future

50:34 Concluding Thoughts and Suggestions for Improvement

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#BookCon #BookCon2026 #BookTube #BookPodcast #ReadingVlog #BookCommunity #BookishPodcast #BookConvention #BookEvent #BooksBooksBooks

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir completely blew us away. In this episode of Booktalks Podcast, we dive into our full spoiler review, why we LOVED this sci-fi masterpiece, and how it somehow still has 1 star reviews?!

We talk all things Rocky (our favorite character), the emotional moments we didn’t expect, and our personal reading experiences with this unforgettable story.

If you’re a fan of Project Hail Mary, The Martian, or character-driven sci-fi, this episode is for you!

Let us know in the comments:
Did you love Project Hail Mary as much as we did? And WHAT are those 1-star reviews about?!

Booktalks Podcast Book Club - join us on Fable!
We read a new book every month, so join us and read along! Currently we're reading The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez.

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
02:15 Initial thoughts
08:40 Rocky appreciation segment
18:20 Breaking down 1-star reviews
30:10 Final ratings & wrap-up

#ProjectHailMary #AndyWeir #BookPodcast #BookTube #SciFiBooks #RockyDeservesBetter

In this episode of Book Talks Podcast, we’re diving into our March Reading Wrap Up—where we somehow read 18 books between us.

We’re breaking down our favorite reads, biggest disappointments, and the books we can’t stop thinking about. From thrillers to romance (and a few chaotic reads in between), this month had everything.

We also talk about reading habits, book-to-screen adaptations, and how we’re planning our April TBR.

If you love honest book reviews and unfiltered reader opinions, this episode is for you.