Brynn is a high school student who recently received an internship at a true-crime TV show after pitching that they cover the murder of her middle school teacher, Mr. Larkin. This means that she’ll be going back to that private school, with all the same classmates, to do a little spying (though she doesn’t like to call it that), with the goal of solving it. When the murder occurred, there were three students who discovered the body, Tripp, Charlotte, and Shane, who seem to have corroborated on a story so that the police would decide that a “drifter” committed the crime. There are lots of twists and turns, but we’ll get into that a bit more when we get into the discussion questions.

Are there any lingering questions that we’re still thinking about? What were some of our theories about the murder throughout the story? Would we read any other books by Karen M. McManus? Join us as we discuss these questions and more in episode 6 of our spoiler-filled podcast.

Questions: The questions discussed in this episode come from Oprah Daily. → https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/a31047508/book-club-questions/

Great music huh?! The music for the intro and outro are segments from a song titled "Busy City" by TrackTribe, which was accessed through the YouTube audio library.

Coming up next: Lore by Alexandra Braken

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Leigh is a lawyer who work on cases for women who have been sexually harassed, typically by ex-boyfriends, and it seems like a lot of her cases involve revenge porn. Brandon is a detective who recently picked up a missing persons case, where said missing person is one of Leigh’s clients. Like most main characters in a book like this, the lawyer gets a bit TOO involved in trying to solve the case, so much so that she’s eventually in danger because the bad people are coming after. And also like main characters in a book like this, the lawyer and the detective have a bit of romantic involvement towards the end there.

How does our opinion of the victim (Vanessa) evolve through the story? In what ways does Leigh show empathy for her clients? Do we think that Brandon was wrong to involve Leigh in the investigation? Join us as we discuss these questions and more in episode five of our spoiler-filled podcast.

Questions: The questions discussed in this episode come from Laura Griffin’s website. → https://lauragriffin.com/extras/book-club-kit-last-seen-alone/

Great music huh?! The music for the intro and outro are segments from a song titled "Busy City" by TrackTribe, which was accessed through the YouTube audio library.

Coming up next: Nothing More To Tell by Karen M. McManus

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Shadow and Bone is about a girl named Alina Starkov, who always thought she was less than ordinary. As a mapmaker in the Second Army, she is one of many that are chosen to cross through the Fold, a barrier between East and West Ravka that is dark and filled with creepy flying monsters. During the crossing, they’re attacked by the Volcra. She is so desperate to save her best friend, Mal, that she unleashes something she didn’t know she had in her. It’s described as the light of the sun and the Volcra can’t withstand it. Though she was tested for magical powers as a child, they didn’t manifest until now. With the power of sun summoning, she’s suddenly thrust into the life of a Grisha, which is the fancy word for people with magic powers. The Darkling, who’s basically the king of the Grisha, is preparing Alina to “dissolve” the Fold, but his motivations aren’t what they seem, and Alina finds that she’s a pawn in his larger plan to take over the government.

Why does this book resonate with adult readers, despite being marketed toward adults? Do with see Alina with the Darkling or with Mal? What Grisha power would we want? Join us as we discuss these questions and more in season two episode four of our spoiler-filled podcast.

Questions: The questions discussed in this episode come from Just Leafing and Lit Lovers. → https://justleafing.com/shadow-and-bone-book-club-questions/ and https://www.litlovers.com/reading-guides/fiction/9856-shadow-bone-bardugo?start=3

Great music huh?! The music for the intro and outro are segments from a song titled "Busy City" by TrackTribe, which was accessed through the YouTube audio library.

Coming up next: Last Seen Alone by Laura Griffen

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The Viscount Who Loved Me is the second book in the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn. Another Regency era romance, this one follows the oldest Bridgerton brother, Anthony, who has declared that he will be getting married this season. He is initially interested in Edwina Sheffield because she meets all of the criteria on his checklist for a wife that he would be comfortable procreating with, but wouldn’t fall in love with. Edwina has made it know that she won’t marry anyone without the approval of her sister, Kate, so Anthony and Kate spend a lot of time together. They have that weird way of flirting where they constantly insult one another? But Kate fits in with the Bridgerton family perfectly and they are drawn to one another. When they’re found in a compromising position by the Ton’s biggest gossip, they must marry. It all works out in the end, though. They love each other.

Anthony seems to believe that marriage is transactional. How does this compare to ideas of marriage today? What is it that finally turned Anthony’s mind around to loving Kate? Did we like this book more or less than The Duke and I? Join us as we discuss these questions and more in season two episode three of our spoiler-filled podcast.

Questions: The questions discussed in this episode come from a blog titled “Brewing Writer.” → https://brewingwriter.com/the-viscount-who-loved-me-book-club-questions/

Great music huh?! The music for the intro and outro are segments from a song titled "Busy City" by TrackTribe, which was accessed through the YouTube audio library.

Coming up next: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Interested in starting your own podcast? Sign up with Buzzsprout using our referral code and we'll both get a $20 amazon gift card! https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1894341

This memoir represents Tom Felton's reflection on his own life growing up in the film industry, including the iconic role of Draco Malfoy that he is probably most known for, though he’s been in other films and in television. He focuses a lot of the memoir on his time filming the Harry Potter movies, which isn’t surprising because those films took up a significant portion of his adolescence. He tells the readers about many of the actors that had significant influence on him, including Alan Rickman, who played Severus Snape, Richard Harris and Michael Gambon, who both played Dumbledore, and a few actors got more minor mentions in the memoir: Matthew Lewis who played Neville, Jamie Waylett and Josh Herdman who played Crabbe and Goyle, and of course Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe, and Emma Watson who played Ron, Harry, and Hermione. For the rest of the memoir, we get a glimpse of the projects before Harry Potter, the projects after, and some of his personal life, struggles with mental health, and friendships that meant a lot to him.

What motivated Tom to share his story? How did his memoir compare to others we’ve read? Join us as we discuss these questions and more in episode two of season two of our spoiler-filled podcast.

Questions: The questions discussed in this episode come from Oprah Daily → https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/a31047508/book-club-questions/

Great music huh?! The music for the intro and outro are segments from a song titled "Busy City" by TrackTribe, which was accessed through the YouTube audio library.

Coming up next: The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn

Interested in starting your own podcast? Sign up with Buzzsprout using our referral code and we'll both get a $20 amazon gift card! https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1894341

Minnie was born on January 1, minutes after Quinn, who was declared the first baby born in London that year and won a bunch of money for it. Minnie’s mother says she was jinxed from the start because Quinn stole her name and now, every New Year, lots of slightly unfortunate things happen to Minnie. She loses her coat, or she gets evicted from her apartment, or she gets locked in a bathroom all night. That last one, getting locked in a bathroom all night, is was led her to finally meeting Quinn, though their paths had almost crossed on past New Years. Their friendship grows and she comes to learn that Quinn really isn’t the no-good name stealer her mom made him out to be.

What implications does New Years have for the two main characters? What role do Minnie’s and Quinn’s parents play in the past and present of the story? What can Minnie and Quinn’s story tell us about fate and destiny when it comes to love? Join us as we discuss these questions and more in the first episode of season two of our spoiler-filled podcast.

Questions: The questions discussed in this episode come from the Reader’s Guide in the back of the book.

Great music huh?! The music for the intro and outro are segments from a song titled "Busy City" by TrackTribe, which was accessed through the YouTube audio library.

Coming up next: Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton

Interested in starting your own podcast? Sign up with Buzzsprout using our referral code and we'll both get a $20 amazon gift card! https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1894341

For our last episode of 2022 we wanted to recap everything we’ve read so far this year, both for our podcast buddy-reads and as individuals who don’t always read everything together. We are excited to return refreshed and ready to read some new books in 2023. Check out our Instagram and/or Facebook page to participate in the reading challenge we’ve designed for 2023. We’d love to see and hear about the books you read to fulfill the prompts.

What’s the best book we read in 2022? Who was the most memorable character of 2022? Are there any books that we DNF’d (did not finish)? Join us as we discuss these questions and more in episode 25 of our spoiler-filled podcast.

Questions: The questions discussed in this episode are partly pulled from the Annual End of Year Survey from Perpetual Page Turner. → https://eternitybooksreview.wordpress.com/2020/01/07/end-of-year-book-surveyreading-wrap-up-2019-edition/

Great music huh?! The music for the intro and outro are segments from a song titled "Busy City" by TrackTribe, which was accessed through the YouTube audio library.

Coming up next: This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens

Interested in starting your own podcast? Sign up with Buzzsprout using our referral code and we'll both get a $20 amazon gift card! https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1894341

A Touch of Darkness is a retelling of the Greek story of Hades, the God of the Dead, and Persephone, the Goddess of Spring. Persephone had been hidden from the world by her mother, Demeter, but eventually convinced her to let her live a more mortal life in New Athens, where she’s attending college. Her best friend Lexa convinces her to go to a local club, Nevernight, to celebrate getting an internship at New Athens News. Nevernight is a luxury night club owned by Hades, who uses the club to make bargains with mortals who willingly enter into these games. Persephone plays a few rounds of poker with Hades (but she doesn’t know it’s him until the game is over) and loses, so she must fulfill a bargain with him or spend eternity in the Underworld. She has six months to create life in the Underworld. In the process, they come to understand one another and fall in love. But not without some obstacles to their love…namely Demeter, Aphrodite, and Hades’ personal assistant, Minthe.

Were we familiar with the characters of Persephone and Hades and their stories before reading this? What popular romance tropes did we recognize in the story? How did this novel overthrow the misogynistic and patriarchal undertones of Greek mythology? Join us as we discuss these questions and more in episode 24 of our spoiler-filled podcast.

Questions: The questions discussed in this episode were pulled from previous romance episodes we’ve done and from our discussion on Circe.

Great music huh?! The music for the intro and outro are segments from a song titled "Busy City" by TrackTribe, which was accessed through the YouTube audio library.

Coming up next: Our 2022 Reading Wrap-Up

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I'm Glad My Mom Died seems to be a collection of memories that Jennette McCurdy has surrounding her mother. This book spans from a time before her mother got her into acting as a child to one year after her mother's death from cancer, and touches on topics like emotional and physical abuse, disordered eating, hoarding, and alcohol abuse. It's pretty heavy stuff.

Did we find Jennette’s story compelling? How did her story make us reflect on our own lives? Join us as we discuss these questions and more in episode 23 of our spoiler-filled podcast.

Questions: The questions discussed in this episode come from Oprah Daily. → https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/a31047508/book-club-questions/

Great music huh?! The music for the intro and outro are segments from a song titled "Busy City" by TrackTribe, which was accessed through the YouTube audio library.

Coming up next: A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair

Interested in starting your own podcast? Sign up with Buzzsprout using our referral code and we'll both get a $20 amazon gift card! https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1894341

Five Total Strangers begins with a blizzard that causes all the Christmas Eve flights to be canceled. Because our main character, Mira, is so desperate to get home to be with her mom on Christmas, she accepts a ride from a stranger, Harper, who sat next to her on her previous flight. Harper decided she would rent a car instead of trying to work with customer service on booking another flight. Relatable. Harper invites three other complete strangers to take the ride with them, so there are now five of them: Mira, Harper, Josh, Kayla, and Brecken. As the drive proceeds, their belongings start to go missing and Mira realizes that everyone is hiding something. For Mira to make it home alive, she needs to discover their secrets.

What does the extreme weather add to the narrative? How did each character’s personality lend itself to suspicion? How did the letters interspersed through the book create tension? Join us as we discuss these questions and more in episode 22 of our spoiler-filled podcast.

Questions: The questions discussed in this episode come from a book club run by the Sarasota County Library in Florida. → https://scgovlibrary.librarymarket.com/sites/default/files/Axis 360 Virtual Book Clubs/FiveTotalStrangers-RGG.pdf

Our spooky season music is from a song titled “Horror Background Music” by Lesfm from Pixabay.

Coming up next: I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

Interested in starting your own podcast? Sign up with Buzzsprout using our referral code and we'll both get a $20 amazon gift card! https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1894341