Plans Are Booked

Our annual tradition is back! Ahead of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, we're sharing our favorite books to gift. This year, we're strongly encouraging you to prioritize banned books to ensure some of the most important and powerful stories get into the hands of new readers. We have recommendations across literary fiction, memoir, romance, YA, graphic novels, children's books, cookbooks, and more. In our catch up, Kaitlin shares about a bread pudding that altered her brain chemistry, Steph and Molly recap their weekend in Wilmington, Vermont, and Molly admits to falling down a One Tree Hill rabbit hole after reading Bethany Joy Lenz's memoir. In what we're reading this week, Steph devours The Housemaid, Kaitlin debates whether she can finish Holly, and Molly picks up another food-centric love story. To follow along with all of our reads, including this year's holiday gift lists, join us on Instagram @plansarebooked. You can also reach out to us at [email protected].

Welcome to a tale of two covers. Two key holes, two maids, two murder mysteries. This week we're talking about The Maid by Nita Prose (and The Housemaid by Freida McFadden). We just finished Prose's story about a maid named Molly who works at a luxury hotel. We talk about narrators who are on the spectrum and how challenging it is to read about people being taken advantage of. In our catch up, Kaitlin updates us on her move prep, Molly shares about a delicious meal at a new restaurant, and Steph confesses that she's watching Maxton Hall... again. We have a lively discussion about all of the shows we've streamed lately and close by sharing what we're reading this week. Current book choices include a memoir about surviving a cult, an eccentric family drama, and an essay collection that almost landed on the DNF pile. To follow along with all of our recommendations, join us on Instagram @plansarebooked. You can also write to us at [email protected]. 

This is a very special week. We're celebrating 50 episodes - one year of Plans are Booked! We kick off by sharing all the details of our four days in the Big Apple, including crushing on Kit Connor in Romeo + Juliet on Broadway, channeling The Bear at Michelin star restaurant Eleven Madison Park, enjoying the finer things in Soho, falling in love with The Strand Bookstore, catching up with besties, and having an iconic celebrity sighting. Next, we reflect on our first year of podcasting together, covering our favorite reads, author interactions that delighted us, book events we adored, and things we've learned about the recording process. We close by sharing a very exciting giveaway. To enter, be sure to follow @plansarebooked on Instagram. To share feedback, ideas for upcoming episodes, or to order a Plans are Booked candle, you can write to us at [email protected]. 

This week we're talking about a second chance love story that surprised us. Rainbow Rowell has written two honest and vulnerable leads, Shiloh and Cary, who move through friendship, distance, and romance over two decades. We talk about the resonance of flawed characters, the levity delivered via a spunky little kid, and make comparisons to movies with similar vibes. In our catch up, Steph recaps her five days of dog sitting and gives us an update on house flipping. Kaitlin details her evening with author Jason Reynolds at the Brookline Booksmith and shares her excitement after making a visit to her new house. Molly tells the girls about her trip to Miami and the surprising things that came back in her suitcase. This episode we also share our listener picks for favorite books of 2024. If you'd like to see that list, give us a follow on Instagram, @plansarebooked. You can always write to us at [email protected].

This week we shine a light on an author we all adore, Casey McQuiston (they / them). Steph shares how she was first introduced to Casey's writing and how quickly all of us became super fans. Kaitlin and Molly recap seeing Casey in person with the Brookline Booksmith and how that deepened our fandom. We cover Casey's gift for writing banter-fueled love stories, vivid descriptions of food and travel, and LGBTQIA+ representation. We talk about our favorite moments from Red, White & Royal Blue, I Kissed Shara Wheeler and The Pairing, including reading passages that moved us and a great idea Kaitlin hatched for a YA prequel to Casey's latest story. In our catch up this week, Molly makes an instant BFF at the hair salon, Kaitlin celebrates a best friend's 40th, and Steph tells us about a new book she's working on. We close by reading a fun listener email and asking for your personal book recommendations. Please share your favorite reads of 2024 with us at [email protected] or DM us on Instagram, @plansarebooked. 

This week we marvel at author Chris Whitaker's talent and share our thoughts on the story of Patch and Saint. We chat about the importance of well rounded side characters, our love for short chapters with poignant closing sentences, parallels to Forrest Gump, and the text Kaitlin found so powerful she's considering for her next tattoo. We also continue our fascination with how books are chosen for celebrity book clubs, noting Whitaker's shoutout to Jenna Bush Hager in the acknowledgements. In our catch up this week, Kaitlin gives an awesome update on her home buying journey, Steph shares about a recent equine therapy client, and Molly details every delicious thing she ate during her girls trip to Vermont. We also dish on the new seasons of Love is Blind and Heartstopper on Netflix, including a spirited debate about whether reality or scripted TV reigns supreme. To follow along with everything we're reading, join us on Instagram, @plansarebooked. You can also write to us at [email protected]. 

This week we have something extra special for you. We're debuting a line of Plans are Booked romance trope candles! We light a candle each time we record and we want to share that ritual with you. We can't wait for you to smell them, enjoy them in your home, or gift them to your reader bestie. In our catch up this week, Kaitlin recaps a wonderful wedding she went to in Connecticut, Molly details two delicious restaurant meals, and Steph shares an honest update about the querying process and how she's feeling about pursuing this book. We also rave about the new Netflix show Nobody Wants This, starring Adam Brody and Kristen Bell. Then we discuss Liz Moore's newest book. We talk about the juggle of a moving timeline and multiple character perspectives. We admit that we're always reeled in by the haves and have nots. We confess our favorite character, how we felt about the ending, and what we think could make a successful screen adaptation. In what we're reading this week, Kaitlin has both a fiction and non-fiction pick, Steph tries her first Emily Henry book, and Molly returns to Lynn Painter land. To follow along with all of our recs, join us on Instagram, @plansarebooked. You can also write to us or place an order for a candle at [email protected]. 

It's Molly's birthday week and the Libra season energy is in full effect. We kick off with Molly sharing two book-themed gifts she's unwrapped, including one that Steph and Molly's mom conspired together to procure and secretly have delivered. Steph catches us up on the very special pup she took care of over the weekend. We close out the catch up by sharing two brand new TV shows we're loving. Next, we discuss Margo's Got Money Troubles, a book so unique and specific we had a tough time comparing it to other reads. We fell down the OnlyFans rabbit hole (not something we ever thought we'd do) and discussed how there were so many moments where the story felt like a memoir instead of a work of fiction. We also share our giddiness around it being greenlit for an 8-episode screen adaptation. In what we're reading this week, Molly admits she may have unlocked a new spice level with her latest romance pick. To follow along with all of our book recs, join us on Instagram, @plansarebooked. You can also write to us at [email protected]. 

This week we mentally transport ourselves to northern California to join Lana, Beth and Jack, the three generations of women who star in Mother-Daughter Murder Night. This debut novel from former NASA engineer Nina Simon features unlikely detectives, hilarious family dynamics, and a picturesque setting that some people will do anything to protect. We talk about the Emily and Lorelai Gilmore-like relationship between Lana and Beth, and who we'd love to see cast in a screen adaptation of this story. This is a Reese's Book Club pick and we begin to fantasize about a TV series that would show the behind-the-scenes process of being chosen for Reese, Oprah or Jenna's book clubs. In our catch up this week, Kaitlin heads to the movie theater, Steph regales us with a nightmare flying experience, and Molly admits she's been binging an insane amount of television. We close by sharing what we're currently reading, which includes books from Chris Whitaker, Casey McQuiston, and Holly Jackson. Join us on Instagram, @plansarebooked, to follow along with all our picks and send us your thoughts on this week's episode to [email protected]. 

This week we're embracing the transition to fall and donning our favorite sweatshirt + shorts combos (shout out to the OG, Princess Diana). Kaitlin shares her excitement for the return of football and the joy she's feeling from all the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce sightings. She also fills us in on the wedding she went to on the South Shore and an epic meal she had at Bianca in Newton. Steph reminisces about a blissful Labor Day weekend at the beach with Nemo and Scout, updates us on her query process for her latest book, and details a delectable breakfast at Verveine Cafe in Cambridge including the mother of all cinnamon buns. Molly unleashes the Libra energy, sharing how amped she is for birthday month. We close out our catch up by confessing our current TBR tallies, then we deep dive on Holly Gramazio's debut novel, The Husbands. We chat about her career as a video game designer, what we loved about the magical premise, and Kaitlin makes a superb suggestion about how the story should be told next. To follow along with all of our hot takes and book recs, join us on Instagram @plansarebooked. You can also write to us at [email protected].