In this special birthday episode, Brandi looks back on the past year, of course talks about the books that made the biggest impact on her, and spends a very healthy amount of time talking about Bravo. Then things take a turn when Kendra and Kayla get the chance to Bookishly roast Brandi on her birthday. Consider this her annual performance review, but with significantly more bullying.

In this episode:
7:23–16:33 - Brandi’s year in review
16:33–18:54 - The books that impacted her most
18:54–38:40 - Bravo, obviously
38:40–1:03:16 - The Bookish Brandi roast

Come celebrate Brandi’s birthday with us, and maybe learn a little more about what’s made her year (and what makes her roastable).

Join the BYO book club ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Our August 2026 pick is Lost and Found by Tarah DeWitt!

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We asked you for your hottest bookish takes, and now we’re reacting to them completely blind. No context, no preparation, just our immediate thoughts on your most controversial opinions.

We’re bringing our own takes to the table too, and what started as a bunch of hot takes ended up sparking some surprisingly deep conversations about books, reading, and why we love the stories we do.

Watch the episode and let us know which take you’re defending with your whole chest. Drop your hot take in the comments.

Join the BYO book club ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Our August 2026 pick is Lost and Found by Tarah DeWitt!

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We sat down with Joss Richard to talk about her sophomore novel, Let’s Kiss and Tell and ended up talking about SO much more.

From the book itself to romance, writing, relationships, and all the things we inevitably spiral into when we’re having a really good conversation, Joss was an absolute dream guest. She was funny, thoughtful, honest, and just generally incredible to chat with.

If you’ve read Let’s Kiss and Tell, are excited to read it, or just love getting a peek behind the scenes with your favorite romance authors, this episode is for you!

Come hang out with us and Joss Richard for a conversation that started with a book and went basically everywhere.

Follow Joss on Instagram: @Joss.Richard

Join the BYO book club ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Our August 2026 pick is Lost and Found by Tarah DeWitt!

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The 7 Deadly Sins... but make it BOOKISH.

We're taking one of our favorite YouTube trends and assigning books, authors, tropes, characters, and all kinds of bookish chaos to each of the seven deadly sins. Which book is the embodiment of Pride? What character screams Lust? Which author deserves the Greed title? We're making some controversial picks, defending our choices, and giggling at each other’s picks along the way.

Agree with our choices? Think we completely missed the mark? Let us know your picks for each deadly sin in the comments! We want to hear the hottest takes.

Join the BYO book club ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Our August 2026 pick is Lost and Found by Tarah DeWitt!

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Kendra is here with her solo episode, and she's pairing every song from You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love by Olivia Rodrigo with the perfect book recommendations.

From messy relationships and aching longing to healing, hope, and happily-ever-afters, each track gets a book (or two!) that captures it's vibe. Whether you've had the album on repeat or you're just looking for your next five-star read, this episode has plenty of recommendations to add to your TBR.

Let us know in the comments: Which song-book pairing was your favorite? Are there any books you think fit the album perfectly?

Join the BYO book club ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Our July 2026 pick is Tropesick by Lauren Okie!

Follow us on Tiktok @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BringYourOwnPod_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Midyear check-in time!

We're officially halfway through 2026, so we're looking back at the books that completely blew us away... and the ones we wish we could unread. From new favorites to biggest disappointments, we're sharing our best and worst reads of the year (so far), plus all the other media we've been obsessed with lately, from TV and movies to documentaries and more.

Come see if your favorites made the list, add a few more titles to your TBR, and let us know in the comments: What's been your best (and worst) book of 2026 so far?

Join the BYO book club ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Our July 2026 pick is Tropesick by Lauren Okie!

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Baby, don't you know that you're my golden hour? 🦋

This week, Kayla is hosting a solo episode where she pairs every track from Golden Hour to a book that captures the same feeling, the same emotional beat, the same message. From the quiet dignity of letting someone go, to the giddy disorientation of falling in love, to the radical act of finally letting yourself be okay. There's a book for every moment on this record.

Whether you're a longtime Kacey Musgraves devotee or just discovering it for the first time, this episode is for anyone who has ever finished a song or a book and thought: that's exactly it. That's exactly how it feels.

If you'd like to avoid spoilers for a particular book recommendation or skip to a specific song, use the timestamps below:

Slow Burn: 5:34

Lonely Weekend: 9:50

Butterflies: 13:33

Oh, What a World: 17:35

Mother: 21:46

Love Is a Wild Thing: 23:59

Space Cowboy: 28:40

Happy & Sad: 35:50

Velvet Elvis: 39:42

Wonder Woman: 43:28

High Horse: 47:07

Golden Hour: 50:37

Rainbow: 53:40

Join the BYO book club ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Our July 2026 pick is Tropesick by Lauren Okie!

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🚨 Welcome to the Bookish Khia Asylum 🚨

We're following the iconic "7 Levels of…" trend, but make it bookish.

From Level 1 to Level 5 in our case, we're deciding which authors, bookish things, concepts, opinions, ANYTHING- deserve each floor. Who's getting early release, and who's never seeing daylight again? Expect hot takes, and some ten-toes-down defending.

Check yourself in and tell us: who are you sentencing to the Khia Asylum?

Join the BYO book club ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Our July 2026 pick is Tropesick by Lauren Okie!

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What if every song on Taylor Swift's folklore had the perfect book to match?

This week, Brandi is hosting a solo episode where she pairs every track from folklore with a book recommendation that captures the song's atmosphere, themes, and emotional depth. From heartbreaking love stories to nostalgic coming-of-age tales, each recommendation is inspired by the world Taylor created on this iconic album.

Whether you're a longtime Swiftie, a passionate reader, or just searching for your next great read, this episode has something for you.

If you'd like to avoid spoilers for a particular book recommendation, use the timestamps below to skip ahead:

2:59 – the 1
6:11 – cardigan
13:12 – the last great american dynasty
16:41 – exile
17:36 – my tears ricochet
24:50 – mirrorball
28:13 – seven
32:17 – august
35:55 – this is me trying
40:01 – illicit affairs
41:35 – invisible string
45:00 – mad woman
48:12 – epiphany
51:20 – betty
53:41 – peace
56:15 – hoax

Which folklore song would you pair with a book? Share your picks in the comments!

Join the BYO book club ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Our July 2026 pick is Tropesick by Lauren Okie!

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Former Bachelorette and bestselling author Hannah Brown joins BYO to discuss her new book, Reasons to Be Loved By You. In this candid conversation, Hannah opens up about the inspiration behind the book, the personal experiences that shaped her writing, and the lessons she's learned about resilience, growth, and finding her own voice.

We talk about the journey from reality TV to authorhood, what readers can expect from her latest work, and the message she hopes they'll take away. Whether you've followed Hannah's story for years or are discovering her for the first time, this episode offers an honest and insightful look at what has brought Hannah to the romance writing community, and how everything up to now has played a role.

Tune in for a thoughtful conversation about storytelling, self-discovery, and the power of embracing life's unexpected chapters.

Check out Reasons to Be Loved by You here! Follow Hannah here!

Join the BYO book club ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Our June 2026 pick is Score by Kennedy Ryan!

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