WELCOME TO BYO UNIVERSITY. CLASS IS OFFICIALLY IN SESSION.

Forget everything you thought you knew about school because at BYO University, the only thing on the syllabus is our book recs. In this episode, we’re handing out our very own book recommendations based on different school subjects. If you’re majoring in English, minoring in Biology, barely passing Math, or somehow enrolled in a class you absolutely did not sign up for, we have a book for you.

From history to science, art to math, we’re building the ultimate bookish class schedule and assigning the perfect reads to every subject. Consider this your back-to-school reading list, BYO edition.

So grab your backpack, find a seat, and get ready to take notes because class is in session at BYO University!

Join the BYO book club on Patreon! Our September 2026 pick is Married With Benefits by Ellie Palmer

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This week we're joined by the author of one of our favorite books of the year, Into the Blue, by the one and only Emma Brodie! We talk all things art, acting, fandom, and the kind of love story that feels almost impossible to explain.

Emma takes us behind the scenes of AJ and Noah’s years-spanning relationship, including the cosmic connection between them, the role of improv and trust in their romance, and how she kept the tension alive through years of separation. We also dig into AJ’s fandom obsession, the book’s Reylo and Wuthering Heights influences, and the surprising origins of Noah, who actually survived from one of Emma’s abandoned novels.

We have a small spoiler section starting at 55:37. Feel free to skip that section if you have not yet read Into the Blue, which you absolutely MUST!

Join the BYO book club ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Our September 2026 pick is Married with Benefits by Ellie Palmer!

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The best fall 2026 book releases are almost here, and we’re breaking down all the most anticipated new books coming out this fall! From romance and fantasy to books we’ve been waiting YEARS to read, we’re sharing our complete fall book release radar and the upcoming releases currently at the top of our TBRs.

In this episode, we discuss The Knave and the Moon by Rachel Gillig, Free Falling by Lyla Sage, Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson, The Last King of Faerie by Cassandra Clare, Grim Tidings by B.K. Borison, Empire by Sabaa Tahir, and SO many more of the most anticipated Fall 2026 book releases.

If you’re looking for your next fall read, wondering which new romance books and new fantasy books are coming out this season, or just need an excuse to add even more books to your TBR, consider this your ultimate guide to the fall 2026 books we can’t wait to read.

What are your most anticipated books coming out this fall? Let us know in the comments!

Join the BYO book club ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Our September 2026 pick is Married with Benefits by Ellie Palmer!

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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!

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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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