Going to therapy is a sign of strength, not weakness. Our sponsor BetterHelp makes therapy simple, with 10% off your first month to help you get started: https://betterhelp.com/krisandmadsIn this episode, we’re reflecting on the reading goals we set for 2025, and looking to change some things up for 2026! Maddie is focusing on WISDOM in the new year, and Kristen is focusing on being TRUE. From book series to rating systems to new TBR wheels, we’re breaking down how we plan to approach our reading, reviewing, buying, and sharing next year. Timestamps00:00 Intro01:58 Did we read the book series we committed to in 2025?08:05 What genres did we read in 2025?11:31 What series/genres are we prioritizing in 2026?23:09 Did Maddie keep her promise to read less than 100 books in 2025?27:35 Thoughts on reading less audiobooks in 2025 and 202633:22 Thoughts on rating books — will it change in 2026?48:49 Kristen’s values for 202652:04 Looking back on rereads in 202553:30 How we’re using TBR wheels in 2026!01:03:43 Our intentions for 2026Series Maddie Committed to Read in 2025:Of Blood and Bone by John GwynneThe Age of Madness by Joe AbercrombieLicanius by James IslingtonThe Dandelion Dynasty by Ken LiuSeries Maddie Actually Read in 2025:The Wheel of Time by Robert JordanLicanius by James IslingtonThe Fitz and the Fool by Robin HobbLiveship Traders by Robin HobbThe Dandelion Dynasty by Ken LiuThe Neapolitan Quartet by The Empire Trilogy by Raymond E. Fesit and Janny WurtsThe Devoured Worlds by Megan E. O'KeefePines by Blake CrouchThe Lost Queen by Signe PikeLord of the Rings by J.R.R. TolkienThe Series Kristen Actually Read in 2025:Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. TolkienPines by Blake CrouchBridgerton by Julia QuinnAn Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa TahirRavenhood by Kate StewartInfernal Devices by Cassandra ClareGreen Bone Saga by Fonda LeeFarseer by Robin HobbLiveship Traders by Robin HobbWhat the River Knows by Isabel IbañezSix of Crows by Leigh BardugoRuthless Boys of the Zodiac by Caroline Peckham and Susanne ValentiSeries Kristen DNFd in 2025:The Red Queen by Victoria AveyardPriority Series on Kristen’s TBR for 2026:Tawny Man by Robin HobbThe Rain Wild Chronicles by Robin HobbThe Fitz and the Fool by Robin HobbSeries Maddie DNFd in 2025:The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark LawrenceThe Locked Tomb by Tamsyn Muir (??? TBD)Priority Series on Maddie’s TBR for 2026:A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. MartinThe Expanse by James S. A. CoreyMalazan (At Least Gardens of the Moon) by Steven EricksonFinish Sun Eater by Christopher RuocchioOf Blood and Bone by John GwynneThe Age of Madness By Joe AbercrombieClassics Mentioned:Sense and Sensibility by Jane AustenFrankenstein by Mary ShelleyEmma by Jane AustenLittle Women by Louisa May AlcottDune by Frank HerbertLord of the Rings by J.R.R. TolkienThe Outsiders by S. E. HintonRebecca by Daphne Du MaurierSherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan DoyleA Book That Could Become a Classic:Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne CollinsBooks Maddie Rated Low, But Still Found Valuable:A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. PeckOnyx Storm by Rebecca YarrosThe Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick RothfussBooks Kristen Read to Connect:Chestnut Springs by Elsie SilverThis Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El Mohtar and Max GladstoneBooks We Reread (that haven’t already been mentioned):Ender’s Game by Orsen Scott CardThe Will of the Many by James IslingtonBooks We’re Excited About:Anything by Stephen King!!!The Everlasting by Alex E. HarrowLet’s connect!Join our Patreon read-and-watch club:   / krisandmadssisterhood  Have a business inquiry? Email our manager: [email protected]:   / kris.and.mads  Instagram:   / krisandmads  All our other links are here: https://linktr.ee/kris.and.madsTo check out our brother C.Ray's music, which we use in all our episodes, you can find him here:   / @seerayhardly  

Going to therapy is a sign of strength, not weakness. Our sponsor BetterHelp makes therapy simple, with 10% off your first month to help you get started: https://betterhelp.com/krisandmads

In this video, we’re going through our entire 2025 reading year month by month, sharing our very favorite 5-star books and a few that totally missed the mark. Between the two of us, we read 200 books, and these are truly the best of the best that we couldn’t stop thinking about.

Timestamps 

00:00 Intro

01:43 December 2024

03:58 January 

09:09 February 

12:18 March

17:07 April 

22:15 May

27:18 June

32:16 July 

38:01 August 

43:44 September

47:25 October

51:03 November

Books Mentioned 

Zodiac Academy

Caroline Peckham and Suzanne Valenti 

Man’s Search for Meaning 

By Victor E. Frankl 

Wind and Truth 

By Brandon Sanderson 

The Fellowship of the Ring 

The Two Towers 

By J. R. R. Tolkien 

This is How you Loose the Time War 

by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

The Wheel of Time 

By Robert Jordan 

Dinner for Vampires 

By Bethany Joy Lenz 

What the River Knows

Where the Library Hides

by Isabel Ibañez

Six of Crows

Crooked Kingdom 

By Leigh Bardugo 

Pines

By Blake Crouch

The Shadow of What was Lost 

By James Islington 

Little Women

by Louisa May Alcott

First Time Caller

B.K. Borison 

Our Infinite Fates 

By Laura Steven 

The Wise Man’s Fear

by Patrick Rothfuss

Best Served Cold

by Joe Abercrombie

Intermezzo 

Sally Rooney 

Sunrise on the Reaping

By Suzanna Collins 

The Outsiders 

By S.E. Heaton 

Sense and Sensibility 

By Jane Austen 

Enders Game

By Orson Scott Card 

Fires of Vengeance 

Even Winter

Of Empire of Dust 

By Ryan Cahill 

Dungeon Crawler Carl

By Matt Dinniman

Morning Glory Milking Farm

by C.M. Nascosta

Onyx Storm

By Rebecca Yarros 

The Realm of the Elderlings

By Robin Hobb

Gifted and Talented

By Olivia Blake 

11/22/63 and Fairytale

Stephen King

Dune

Frank Herber 

The Knight and the Moth 

By Rachel Gillig 

Death of the Author 

by Nnedi Okorafor

Perks of Being a Wallflower

By Stephen Chbosky

The Gathering Storm

By Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

Emma 

By Jane Austen

An Ember in the Ashes

By Sabaa Tahir 

Murderbot 

By Martha Wells

Summer in the City 

By Alex Aster 

The Ravenhood Series

By Kate Stewart 

Prophet Song

By Paul Lynch 

Death of the Nile

By Agatha Christie 

Writers and Lovers

By Lilly King

Atmosphere 

By Taylor Jenkins Reid

Finding Grace

By Loretta Rothschild 

The dispossessed

by Ursula K. Le Guin

Pachinko 

By Min Jin Lee

From Blood and Ash

By by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Dead Romantics

By Ashley Poston 

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil

By V. E. Schwab 

Thursday Murder Club 

By Richard Osman

Silvercloak 

By L.K. Steven 

Wellness

By Nathan Hill 

The Hunting Party 

By Lucy Foley 

The Spellshop 

by Sarah Beth Durst

Chestnut Springs

Elsie Silver

Katabasis 

By R.F. Kuang

The Dutch House

By Ann Patchet 

The Blighted Stars

Megan E. O Keif 

Rebecca 

by Daphne du Maurier

My Brilliant Friend

by Elena Ferrante

Daughter of the Empire 

by Janny Wurts and Raymond E. Feist

Not in Love 

By Ali Hazelwood 

The Compound 

by Aisling Rawle

The Greenbone Saga

By Fonda Lee 

Stay True

By by Hua Hsu

The Dandelion Dynasty 

By Ken Liu 

The Will of the Many and The Strength of the Few 

By James Islington 

Frankenstein  

By Mary Shelley 

Great Big Beautiful Life

By Emily Henry 

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo 

By Taylor Jenkins Reid 

Station Eleven

by Emily St. John Mandel

Death at the Sign of the Rook

by Kate Atkinson

Nevernight

by Jay Kristoff

Hamnet 

By by Maggie O'Farrell

The Lost Queen

By Signe Pike

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion

By Beth Brower

Piranesi 

by Susanna Clarke

Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself

By Dr. Joe Dispenza 

Going to therapy is a sign of strength, not weakness. Our sponsor BetterHelp makes therapy simple, with 10% off your first month to help you get started: https://betterhelp.com/krisandmadsWelcome back, friends! 📚🤍Today we’re breaking down all 20 books we read in November — yes, TWENTY! We covered a huge mix of genres this month: fantasy, romance, self-help, contemporary fiction, and more. There was one book that seriously disappointed us (hello, 1-star 👎), but also multiple new favorites that earned glowing 5-stars… which we saved for the end because they deserve the spotlight. ✨With the year almost over, we’re in full “finish every series we’ve started” mode so we can hit our 2025 reading goals. We’re excited, motivated, and ready to enter December with the best reading energy possible!Timestamps00:00 Intro 04:03 Fallen Stars by Imani Erriu06:39 Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson11:48 Today’s sponsor Better Help 13:57 Holly by Adalyn Grace 17:26 Nevernight by Jay Kristoff23:25 To Sir Phillip, With Love by Julia Quinn 29:12 Fallen City Adriene Young34:45 Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel42:30 The Unselected Journals of Emma M Lion by Beth Brower47:03 Gideon The Ninth by Tamsyn Muir53:33 This is How you Loose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone49:43 The Lost Queen by Signe Pike01:04:30 The Wall of Storms by Kin Liu01:11:33 Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy01:14:49 Breaking the Habit of being Yourself by Dr. Joe Dispenza 01:18:20 Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell01:29:54 Piranesi by Susanna Clarke 01:33:32 The Strength of the Few by James Islington Let’s connect!Join our Patreon read-and-watch club: patreon.com/KrisandMadsSisterhoodHave a business inquiry? Email our manager: [email protected]:   / kris.and.mads  Instagram:   / krisandmads  All our other links are here: https://linktr.ee/kris.and.madsTo check out our brother C.Ray's music which we use in all our episodes, you can find him here:   / @seerayhardly  #BookTube #FantasyBooks #BookClub #Reading #Books

Finding Grace is one of our favorite stand-alone novels of the year, as well as one of our favorite love stories we've read in such a long time! We HAD to interview the debut author, Loretta Rothschild, all about it. Plus, after a little social media lurking, we became obsessed with Loretta's style, personality, and original approach to marketing the novel! If we could describe her in a word, it would be ICONIC. So, we couldn't wait to learn all about her hyperfixations, obsessions, her writing process, the adventure of getting published and picked up by her dream agent, and her spoiler-free insights on writing the book itself.Loretta is such a kindred spirit. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did, and that you pick up Finding Grace! https://amzlink.to/az0Eo1yLDw4zaGo in blind, read the first chapter, and then message us with your reaction. This is definitely a book to put on your TBR.If you'd like to watch the video Loretta mentions in the conversation about the house tour that inspired her setting, you can watch it here:    • In Residence: Rose Uniacke - inside the in...  If you'd like the check out the red socks, you can find them here:https://freightstore.co.uk/products/r...If you'd like to learn more about the John Truby writing method, check out his book here:https://amzlink.to/az045Y0Aly8tu

The pots (ceramics) Loretta likes are here: https://jwanderson.com/en-us/collections/wedgwood-x-jw-anderson

The books Loretta recommends are:

The Picture of Dorian Gray https://amzlink.to/az0xwl2INBEM9

Rebecca https://amzlink.to/az0KlGXaEZjsL

Reunion https://amzlink.to/az0bPzQxxe2b0Connect with Loretta by following her on socials, or check out her website!https://www.lorettarothschild.com/  

Instagram: / lorettarothschild    

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lorettarothschildTo check out a favorite part of the episode, jump to any chapter from the timestamps below!TIMESTAMPS00:00 Intro02:15 Loretta Rothschild tells us two truths and a lie07:47 How Loretta came up with the idea for Finding Grace11:20 Connecting with the perfect agent and publisher 18:05 There aren’t any comps for Finding Grace21:03 The themes of Finding Grace26:40 Loretta Rothschild’s writing process 35:27 Loretta’s background and becoming a writer41:30 How Loretta utilizes social media as an author44:09 The iconic red socks, and other niche hyper fixations54:30 What makes the perfect book for Loretta 59:11 Loretta’s top three book recommendationsLet’s connect!Join our Patreon read-and-watch club:   / krisandmadssisterhood  Have a business inquiry? Email our manager: [email protected]TikTok:   / kris.and.mads  Instagram:   / krisandmads  All our other links are here: https://linktr.ee/kris.and.madsTo check out our brother C.Ray's music, which we use in all our episodes, you can find him here:   / @seerayhardly  #BookTube #FantasyBooks #BookClub #Reading #Books #lovestory #romancenovel #findinggrace #lorettarothschild #debutauthor #bookrecommendations #authorinterview

Going to therapy is a sign of strength, not weakness. Our sponsor BetterHelp makes therapy simple, with 10% off your first month to help you get started: https://betterhelp.com/krisandmadsFor the past 6 months we’ve been doing something wild: committing to read every single book on our physical TBRs using our TBR Wheel. Today we’re breaking down the entire experience — the highs, the lows, the surprises, and whether we’d ever do this again. 👀📚Grab a drink, settle in, and let’s talk about the chaotic journey of sticking to a wheel that does not care about our moods.Shout out to @dylanjosephwrites for inspiring this journey! Timestamps 00:00 intro 01:28 Where did the Wheel come from03:34 The rules 05:05 Biggest disappointments 15:07 What we learned 20:41 tbr wheel disrupters 26:01 biggest challenges 29:49 Wins40:16 books that were the biggest surprises 01:01:15 Would we do a wheel againBooks mentioned Onyx StormRebecca Yarros Prophet Songby Paul LynchHer Majesties Royal Coven by Juno DawsonThe Bombshell By Darrow Far A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor TowlesKatabasis By R. F. Kuag A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. PeckThe Library at Mount Char  by Scott HawkinsThe Book that Wouldn’t Burn by Mark LawrenceOf Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. ArmentroutThe Spellshop by Sarah Beth DurstNot in Love By Ali HazelwoodAtmosphere By Taylor Jenkins Reid Finding GraceBy Loretta Rothschild Wild Dark Shoreby Charlotte McConaghySIlvercloak By L. K. StevenBurry our Bones in the Midnight SoilV. E. Schwab Fallen City By Adrien Young The Strength of the FewBy James Islington Gifted and Talented By Olivia Blake This is How You Loose the Tme Warby Amal El-Mohtar and Max GladstoneUnreasonable hHospitality by Will GuidaraThe Knight and the Moth Rachel GilligBreaking the Habit of Being Yourself By Joe Dispenza WellnessBy Nathan Hill Fairytale By Stephen KingPachinkoby Min Jin LeeAn Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa TahirDeath of the Author Nnedi OkoraforThe Unselected Journals of Emma M LionBy Beth BrowerGideon the Ninthby Tamsyn MuirThe Lost QueenBy Signe PikeThe Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le GuinThe Dead Romantics By Ashley Poston Let’s connect!Join our Patreon read-and-watch club: patreon.com/KrisandMadsSisterhoodHave a business inquiry? Email our manager: [email protected]: https://www.tiktok.com/@kris.and.madsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/krisandmadsAll our other links are here: https://linktr.ee/kris.and.madsTo check out our brother C.Ray's music which we use in all our episodes, you can find him here:https://www.youtube.com/@SeeRayHardly#BookTube #FantasyBooks #BookClub #Reading #Books

Welcome back, book lovers! Today’s episode is the MOTHER of all TBR lists — our most over-ambitious, chaotic, and exciting reading plans of the entire year. Most people do a “10 Before the End” reading challenge… but we blew right past ten and kept going. These are all the books we’re trying to finish in the next 6 weeks before we hit 2026, and honestly? Our best book of the year might be hiding somewhere in these stacks. From fantasy epics to romance series to backlist bucket-list reads, we’re covering everything we're desperate to read before the new year.We also share what’s coming up on the podcast before year’s end, now is the perfect time to subscribe so you never miss an episode. You can join our Patreon read-and-watch club:   / krisandmadssisterhood  Have a business inquiry? Email our manager: [email protected]:   / kris.and.mads  Instagram:   / krisandmads  All our other links are here: https://linktr.ee/kris.and.madsTo check out our brother C.Ray's music, which we use in all our episodes, you can find him here:   / @seerayhardly  TIMESTAMPS00:00 Intro02:27 Bridgerton Series — Julia Quinn05:03 The Dandelion Dynasty — Ken Liu07:49 The Empire Trilogy — Raymond E. Feist & Janny Wurts09:41 The Lost Queen Series — Signe Pike10:33 The Neapolitan Quartet — Elena Ferrante12:43 Chestnut Springs Series — Elsie Silver16:26 The Devoured Worlds Trilogy — Megan E. O’Keefe17:33 The Tawny Man Trilogy — Robin Hobb18:56 Holly — Adalyn Grace20:05 Daughter of the Otherworld — Shauna Lawless21:12 The Strength of the Few — James Islington21:34 Mara, Daughter of the Nile — Eloise Jarvis McGraw22:17 Wild Dark Shore — Charlotte McConaghy22:26 Poems & Prayers — Matthew McConaughey23:22 Maddie’s TBR Wheel26:36 Kristen’s TBR Wheel29:16 What we’re reading with our book club in Nov/Dec#BookTube #FantasyBooks #BookClub #Reading #Books #TBR #EndOfYearTBR #10BeforeTheEnd #BookTubePodcast #BookTokPodcast #ReadingChallenge2025 #FantasyBooks #RomanceBooks #BestBooksOfTheYear #BookRecommendations #ReadersOfYouTube #BookClubReads #MustReadBooks #EpicFantasy #CozyReading #PatreonBookClub #SisterhoodBookClub #BookishPodcast #BookContentCreators #NewYearReadingChallenge

This episode is SPOILER-FREE!!! Connect with Fonda Lee: https://www.fondalee.com/Enjoy this highly anticipated conversation with Fonda Lee, author of the Green Bone Saga — one of the most iconic modern fantasy trilogies of our time (Jade City, Jade War, Jade Legacy). In this episode, we dive deep into her storytelling process, worldbuilding, and the powerful themes behind her unforgettable characters and cinematic action scenes.Fonda also shares how she was approached for an incredible collaboration with Shannon Lee, the daughter of Bruce Lee, to co-create a YA duology called Breathmarked — with book two set to release in 2026. And for fans of sci-fi and cyberpunk, we get a sneak peek at her upcoming adult standalone novel, The Last Contract of Isako — a futuristic samurai story releasing in 2026 that promises to blend everything we love about her sharp, sparse, and emotionally charged storytelling.This was a dream interview for us as long-time fans of the Green Bone Saga. If you love fantasy, sci-fi, epic worldbuilding, and powerful character-driven stories, you don’t want to miss this one.Timestamps00:00 Intro00:59 Two Truths and a Lie with Fonda Lee04:52 How far did the Green Bone Saga get as a screen adaptation?05:58 How did the Green Bone Saga come to be?12:27 Was it always going to be a trilogy?14:00 Heroism and moral ambiguity in the Green Bone Saga22:04 Family obligation and identity in the Green Bone Saga26:20 Tradition vs. progress in the Green Bone Saga31:03 How the new covers reflect the vibe and cinematic tone of the trilogy34:54 Sex and romance in the Green Bone Saga39:34 The difference between Fonda Lee’s YA and Adult books41:46 Co-writing Breath of the Dragon with Shannon Lee44:51 The themes of the Breathmarked Duology49:52 Breath of the Dragon works for adult and young adult readers51:33 The collaboration process with Shannon Lee56:05 NEXT BOOK! A cyberpunk samurai standalone: The Last Contract of Isako 📚 Books Mentioned:Jade City, Jade War, Jade Legacy — The Green Bone SagaBreathmarked (YA duology with Shannon Lee)The Last Contract of Isako (coming 2026)Let’s connect!Join our Patreon read-and-watch club: patreon.com/KrisandMadsSisterhoodHave a business inquiry? Email our manager: [email protected]:   / kris.and.mads  Instagram:   / krisandmads  All our other links are here: https://linktr.ee/kris.and.madsTo check out our brother C.Ray's music which we use in all our episodes, you can find him here:   / @seerayhardly  #BookTube #FantasyBooks #BookClub #Reading #Books #FondaLee #GreenBoneSaga #FantasyBooks #AuthorInterview #BookPodcast #Breathmarked #TheLastContractofIsako #FantasyReaders #BookTube #SciFiFantasy

Join our Patreon read-and-watch club here: patreon.com/KrisandMadsSisterhoodWelcome to Season 2 of The Kris and Mads Podcast! We’re kicking things off with a massive October reading wrap-up — 16 books across fantasy, sci-fi, romance, horror, and literary fiction. Every review in this episode is completely spoiler-free, so you can listen without fear that we'll wreck the book for ya.Between us, we read everything from classics like Frankenstein by Mary Shelley to award winners like Stay True by Hua Hsu — and yes, one book was so good we had to reread it. Whether you’re hunting for your next five-star read, looking to discover hidden gems, or just love hearing passionate book talk, this episode is for you.In this episode:• Honest, spoiler-free reviews of 16 books we read in October• Genre-spanning recommendations for every kind of reader• The reread that lived up to the hype• Cozy fall reading vibes and lots of laughterTell us in the comments what you read in October and which of these books you’ve either already picked up or are adding to your TBR!Timestamps:00:00 Intro01:57 Frankenstein by Mary Shelley09:56 The Compound by Aisling Rawle13:48 Dissolution by Nicholas Binge20:02 The Fractured Dark by Megan E. O’Keefe22:54 The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare26:29 The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence30:04 A Short Stay in Hell by Steven Peck34:22 Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara36:41 Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild45:42 The Will of the Many by James Islington50:13 Madhouse Promenade by ‪@lynmoore_‬ 54:30 Upgrade by Blake Crouch59:56 Stay True by Hua Hsu01:04:09 Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry01:08:35 The Grace of Kings by Ken LiuSubscribe to The Kris and Mads Podcast for weekly book discussions, author interviews, and spoiler-free reviews every Tuesday!Let’s connect!Join our Patreon read-and-watch club: patreon.com/KrisandMadsSisterhoodHave a business inquiry? Email our manager: [email protected]:   / kris.and.mads  Instagram:   / krisandmads  All our other links are here: https://linktr.ee/kris.and.madsTo check out our brother C.Ray's music, which we use in all our episodes, you can find him here:   / @seerayhardly  #BookTube #FantasyBooks #BookClub #Reading #Books #BookPodcast #ReadingWrapUp #BookRecommendations #OctoberBooks #BookTube #PodcastForReaders #SpoilerFreeReviews #FantasyBooks #SciFiBooks #RomanceBooks #BookTok #BookishPodcast #BestBooks2025 #TBRList #BookReviewPodcast #TheKrisAndMadsPodcast #WhatToReadNext #FallReading #BookLovers #BookCommunity

Welcome to our Season 1 finale of The Kris and Mads Podcast!We’re wrapping up an unforgettable first season with a full breakdown of our year — think of it as our Spotify Wrapped, but for the podcast. 💫In this episode, we’re celebrating everything that’s made this season so special:• 14 incredible authors we had the honor to interview• 18 fellow creators we’ve collaborated with• Our most popular episodes and behind-the-scenes highlights• The books and screen adaptations we’ve read and watched together in our Patreon book club (aka our virtual family!)• Our biggest lessons, milestones, and growth moments as co-hosts• And, of course, our hopes and vision for Season 2 — which is already shaping up to be even more magical!This episode is our love letter to everyone who’s listened, shared, and joined the conversation. Thank you for helping us make this dream show come to life. Whether you’ve been here since episode one or just discovered us this season, we can’t wait to bring you along for what’s next.Listen now wherever you get your podcasts — and join our Patreon to be part of the book club and behind-the-scenes fun!patreon.com/KrisandMadsSisterhoodOur Most Popular Episode:    • Books We BOTH Rated 5 Stars 📚 Our Top Book...  Our Interviews With Authors:    • Pierce Brown Interview - So Do We End The ...  Our Most Popular Collaboration:    • 18 Must-Read Books! | Our Top Books from 2...  Our Friends' Channels:‪@lynmoore_‬ ‪@thebrothersgwynne‬ ‪@bronteysbooks‬ ‪@KistReadsBooks‬ ‪@Smitty1423‬ ‪@2ToRamble‬ ‪@geenahreads‬ ‪@zoranne_‬ ‪@WhatShesReadingPod‬ Let’s connect!Join our Patreon read-and-watch club: patreon.com/KrisandMadsSisterhoodHave a business inquiry? Email our manager: [email protected]:   / kris.and.mads  Instagram:   / krisandmads  All our other links are here: https://linktr.ee/kris.and.madsTo check out our brother C.Ray's music which we use in all our episodes, you can find him here:   / @seerayhardly  #BookTube #FantasyBooks #BookClub #Reading #Books #KrisAndMadsPodcast #PodcastWrapped #PodcastFinale #Season1Recap #BookPodcast #AuthorInterviews #FantasyBooks #SciFiBooks #BookClubCommunity #PatreonBookClub #PodcastHighlights #PodcastCommunity #BookTokPodcast #BookTubePodcast #Season2ComingSoon #PodcastGrowth #ReadingCommunity #BookishPodcast #WomenInPodcasting #BookLoversUnite

THIS INTERVIEW IS SPOILER FREE!!!! Not to be dramatic, but we did start this podcast one year ago, in order to interview Pierce Brown on it someday. That day is today! The Red Rising special editions have been released, and to celebrate we had Pierce on the show to share his lore—everything from skinny jeans trauma to Freddy the snapping turtle—and talk to us about the deeper themes and inspiration in the Red Rising Saga. We almost peed our pants laughing, and also learned crazy amounts about classical philosophy and history. Pierce may be one of the most engaging and entertaining conversationalists alive. For an episode one year in the making, he did not disappoint! Hope you guys love it as much as we do!You can read The Book of Lorn and check out merch on https://shit-escalates.com/ Follow Pierce on TikTok:   / piercebrownofficial  Follow Pierce on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/piercebrown...Timestamps:00:00 Intro01:08 Pierce Brown Tells Us Two Truths and a Lie08:43 Pierce Brown's Lore24:57 What is Red Rising?29:52 The Classic Influences on Red Rising (for dummies)36:16 What Is Meritocracy in Red Rising? 45:24 Is Peace Even Possible in Red Rising? 58:37 How Pierce Brown On Leadership 01:07:11 What’s Next for Pierce Brown and Red Rising?Let’s connect!Join our Patreon read-and-watch club: patreon.com/KrisandMadsSisterhoodHave a business inquiry? Email our manager: [email protected]:   / kris.and.mads  Instagram:   / krisandmads  All our other links are here: https://linktr.ee/kris.and.madsTo check out our brother C.Ray's music which we use in all our episodes, you can find him here:   / @seerayhardly  #BookTube #FantasyBooks #BookClub #Reading #Books