Fans of Ali Hazelwood's normal STEM romances will knot expect what's coming in her newest release. (Misspelling intentional.) The Busy Girls are unsurprisingly divided on Hazelwood per usual, but they do all agree on one thing about "Bride."

Throne of Glass continues with "Empire of Storms." It's a long one and a lot happens, but readers are rewarded as various plots start to tie together for a greater purpose.

"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory" by Caitlin Doughty is not your average memoir. It mixes life, death, gallows humor and world history to turn the funeral industry upside down. It may be the most though provoking discussion the Busy Girls have ever had.

Trial to the death? Body jumping magic system? Setting as a character? Morally grey leads? "Immortal Longings" by Chloe Gong is something totally new and fresh on the fantasy scene, but not everyone is a fan. The Busy Girls discuss what was a success and what still needs clarification.

A memoir on a queer abusive relationship might not sound like a must read, but Carmen Maria Machado's "In the Dream House" takes a poetic approach to realizing she's being abused and overcoming her situation. The Busy Girls talk about this interesting take on a memoir and why it's a must read.

"The Jasad Heir" has a lot of classic fantasy tropes but takes place in a setting more akin to Egypt. It's a fresh setting and focused heavily on kingdom politics. Plus, it's a grumpy-grumpy main character mashup.

"Open Water" is a sort of lyrical narrative that talks about the Black experience. The poetry aspect can be a bit hard to get into, but the book is short. Does it make it worth the read?

Celebrity memoirs are a tough one to discuss. Should every celebrity have one? Should editors be kind because they're famous? Prince Harry's "Spare" gives the Busy Girls a lot to discuss.

The Busy Girls are joined by Lauren Puckett-Pope, staff culture writer at ELLE, to hear about how she chooses which books to cover for the magazine and her watchlist for 2024. 

Your resident SJM stans have a lot to process after the release of Crescent City 3: "House of Flame and Shadow." Do we still love her books? Yes. Was this her finest work? Listen and find out.