“Not to go full Shrek, but let’s go full Shrek.”

Am I weird? A real live middle grade author, The Lion King, Hugh Dancy, and yet more Shrek references! Christy returns! Cheyenne lies to children! We’re joined by acclaimed author of Pumpkin Spice Secrets, Hillary Homzie! All that and more in this episode of Pine Reads Pod Reviews!

“It sounds nice already.”

How soon can we get the sequel to this book? Animal kindness, a very old turtle, a robot mom, and her goose son! Lee gets emotional for once! Cheyenne loves bears! We learn a lot about animals! All that and more in this episode of Pine Reads Pod Reviews!

“I don’t think there are robots in Disney…Wait…WALL-E!”

Can robots have haunted pasts? Disney princesses, Madagascar (2005), shipwrecks, and robots on a deserted island! Lee admits he read Percy Jackson out of order! Cheyenne is hoping for some Iron Giant throwbacks! Christy…isn’t here? All that and more in this episode of Pine Reads Pod Reviews!

“I love Hando. He’s my new boyfriend.”

How much to adults matter in a middle grade novel? Space Jam, good dogs, disability rep, and life at twenty-two! Christy gets J. K. Rowlinged! Cheyenne breaks the rules to finish a book! We desire more godly basketball! All that and more in this episode of Pine Reads Pod Reviews!

"Presumably he gets out of the volcano."

How many times can we possibly screw up this recording? Typographical othering, Grey's Anatomy, three-legged dogs, and intersectional representation! Christy spills some literal tea! Cheyenne continues her cultural identity crisis! We have some technical difficulties! All that and more in this episode of Pine Reads Pod Reviews!

"This series does not pull punches."

Our predictions were right, but at what cost? Impromptu cesarean sections, Audubon Society nature guides, troubled mother-daughter relationships, and interpersonal sniffing! Christy doesn't trust men who smell too nice! Alex calls his cohost emo! We're sorely disappointed by the lack of impaling! All that and more in this episode of Pine Reads Pod Reviews!

"I would argue that a villain doesn't have to be likeable to be complicated."

Does Christy's copy of this book contain a printing error or some kind of dire portents? Bickering cohosts, phylogenetic trees, emo super powers, and magical lessons in consent! Alex claims fish are a social construct! Christy can't stop being smug for one second! We're filled with great fear and trepidation! All that and more in this episode of Pine Reads Pod Reviews!

“She saved the goldfish, man! How can you not love her?”

Are there other forces in the Universe than teenagers wanting to bone?

Winnie the Pooh, space mobsters, bad dads, and plot twists. Christy can’t get the female main character’s name right! Lee reads the whole book in a day! We’re joined briefly by a non-canonical podcast host! All that and more in this episode of Pine Reads Pod Reviews!

“Were the stakes not high enough already?”

What ever happened to Clippy? What accent do people have in space? Giant alien parasites, space cows, and a sweet-talking Russian boy. Christy doesn’t want to give the killer AI legs! Lee’s rooting for Ezra! We contemplate the possibility of punching a hole in Time-Space! All that and more in this episode of Pine Reads Pod Reviews!

"I have a soft spot for killer AI's."

WE'RE BACK! AND BETTER (we hope) THAN EVER!

Are emotions stronger than nukes? West World, space zombies, and jump scares! Christy gets an error message every time she has a feeling! Lee is scared of clowns! We go down another Avatar: The Last Airbender rabbit hole! All that and more in this episode of Pine Reads Pod Reviews