My favorite winter activity is cozying up with a good book. And when I *really* want to embrace the dark vibes of the season, I turn to a creepy, cold-weather thriller.

So in this episode, I'm recommending three snow-drenched thrillers that I recently enjoyed reading — all of which feature blizzards, bad relationships, and twists that I never saw coming. I hope you enjoy!
 
Books recommended in this episode:

⛪️ Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
✍️ The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz
❄️ Night Watching by Tracy Sierra

 
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My intention for 2025 is to read fewer books and to read better books. Basically, I *really* want more 5-star reads this year, and I think I have to change up my reading habits to make that happen!

So to kick off my year in reading, I've collected 25 books I already own that I think will be 5-star reads for me. I'm calling this MY FIVE-STAR TBR (yes, that's all-caps), and in this episode I'm introducing all 25 books to you and explaining why I think they might be 5-star reads!

Tune in to hear the list, or head straight to my bookshop to find them all at your convenience.

 
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Today I'm wrapping up our year in reading by sharing my four favorite books of 2024 and my four biggest flops — not the books I hated but the reading habits and routines that really did not work for me this year.

Tune in to hear why I loved the books I loved best and what went ... horribly wrong on my TBR over the past twelve months.
 
My Fave Reads of 2024:
🛣️ Instructions for Traveling West by Joy Sullivan
🍋 Body Work by Melissa Febos
🍷 The Pairing by Casey McQuiston
👹 Come Closer by Sarah Gran
 

 
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Somehow I managed to read 150 books this year (?!) and in honor of this wildly unrealistic accomplishment, I decided to record a mega-episode reviewing every single one of them!
 
Tune in to hear my 30-second recap + review of all these books, featuring lots of popular romance, thriller, horror and literary fiction.

📚 And click here for a list of every single book I mentioned in this episode!
 

 
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As an avid holiday romance reader, I've experienced the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the genre. 🙃 So in this episode, I'm curating the three books that I think actually live up to the Christmas romance hype!
 
Tune in to learn why these three are my faves and to hear about a few honorable mentions that I recommend for certain kinds of readers. And be sure to click the (affiliate) links to gift yourself or your fave friends a copy. 
 
Books recommended in this episode:

❄️ THE CLASSIC ROMANTIC ONE — One Day in December by Josie Silver

🎁 THE BRAND NEW ONE — Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake

🌶️ THE SEXY SERIES — A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone

🎄 HONORABLE MENTIONS — Set the Record Straight by Hannah Bonam-Young, Just Like Magic by Sarah Hogle, The Wedding Witch by Erin Sterling, Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot

 
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We’re heading back to school this week with five magical dark academia reads. ☠️

Each of these books features a clever cast of students facing out-of-this-world challenges — and the educational settings range from southern gothic mansions to murderous-monster-schools, including Yale University, a dragon-wielding war college and the mythical Library of Alexandria.

Tune in to hear about these eclectic, intellectual fantasies, and grab the (affiliate) links below to purchase your own copies!

 
🎓 Dark Academia Recs:

• An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson
• A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
• Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
• The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
• Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

 
📓 Also mentioned:

• The Secret History by Donna Tartt
• If We Were Villians by M.L. Rio

 
🎬 Youtube videos to watch:

• The Book Leo on Dark Academia
• This Story Ain’t Over on Race in Dark Academia

 
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Today we dive into other peoples’ lives with this list of seven memoirs and self-help books by people I adore!

Tune in to hear how these amazing folks and their books have changed my life for the better. Then find the (affiliate) links below to purchase. These all make great gifts!

 
🔑 Memoir

• Joy Enough by Sarah McColl
• Sitting Pretty by Rebekah Taussig
• How to Be Alone to Nicole Antoinette
• Rust Belt Femme by Raechel Ann Jolie

 
🔑 Self-Help

• You Belong by Sebene Selassie
• Feel Something, Make Something by Caitlin Metz
• Inner Workout by Taylor Elyse Morrison

 
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This week, I’m sharing my Top 8 nonfiction reads for foodies — which includes a wide range of nonfiction genres from memoirs to essay collections to cookbooks and more!

Tune in to hear about a few delicious reads, and find the (affiliate) links below to purchase. These all make great gifts!

🍴Top 8 Nonfiction Reads for Foodies

• An Everlasting Meal & An Everlasting Cookbook by Tamar Adler
• Burn the Place by Iliana Regan
• Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
• No Meat Required by Alicia Kennedy
• Eat & Flourish by Mary Beth Albright
• Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat
• What Goes with What by Julia Turshen
• Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara

 
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This week, I’m sharing 13 (!!) books featuring monstrous creatures of all kinds. And I'm calling it creature features *for the girlies* because these books are all authored by non-cis-white-male writers, and they feature a diverse cast of main characters human and not-so-human.

Tune in to hear about a few fantastical reads, and grab the (affiliate) links below to purchase!

💀 Spooky Recs

• The Return by Rachel Harrison
• Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield
• The Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni
• The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo
• Night’s Edge by Liz Kerin
• Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder

 
👻 Not Spooky Recs

• The Deep by Rivers Solomon with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson & Jonathan Snipes
• Bride by Ali Hazelwood
• So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison
• Hunt on Dark Waters by Katee Roberts

 
🖤 Next Up TBR

• Chlorine by Jade Song
• Bull Moon Rising by Ruby Dixon
• Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

 
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This week, I’m sharing five books on my Pink Horror TBR AKA five horror reads for the gworls that all have pink covers. 💄

I also tell you a bit about my new fave audiobook by nerdy romance queen Ali Hazelwood herself. 👾

Tune in to hear about a few fun reads and grab the (affiliate) links below to purchase!

 
🎀 My Pink Horror TBR:

• Pink Slime by Fernanda Trías [05:50]
• Guillotine by Delilah S. Dawson [07:55]
• The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir [09:55]
• youthjuice by e.k.sathue [12:50]
• The White Guy Dies First edited by Terry J. Benton-Walker [15:15]

 
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