Reading Through Life

Show notes:

Guess who’s back? Back again? RTL’s back, tell a friend. Sarah and Mia are here to welcome you into the new year. But before we can fully celebrate 2022, let’s take one final look back at 2021 and talk about what we read in December. In true RTL fashion, we’ve got books for everyone in this episode. You know how we roll. So buckle up and get your TBRs ready. AGAIN.  

Click here to join us on Patreon to get extra bookish goodies like bonus episodes, end of year rating guides, book club, and more!

Related Links:

• Books mentioned*:
• • 72 Hours by William Casey Moreton
  • The Grace Year by Kim Liggett
  • The Mistletoe Promise by Richard Paul Evans
  • Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley C. Ford
  • The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber
  • The Christmas Candle by Max Lucado
  • The Best Worst Christmas by Kate Forster
  • The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin
  • Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson [available February 1st, 2022]
  • The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale
  • It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
  • The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

* The books noted above contain affiliate links. This means that we may get a small kickback if you purchase through our links, at no additional cost to you.

Show notes:

The Idea of You is one of Sarah’s all-time favorite books (and Mia loves it, too!) so it was an absolute delight for us to interview the author, Robinne Lee. We actually interviewed her for our writing community, Illuminate, but we knew that you bookworms would enjoy this discussion as well! In this episode, we asked her about writer’s block, creating characters in her stories, women and aging, the writing and publishing process of her book, and so much more. Robinne was so gracious and lovely to talk to, and she even shared a juicy tidbit about how her husband reacted to her steamy novel. Don’t miss it!

Click here to join us on Patreon to get extra bookish goodies like bonus episodes, end of year rating guides, book club, and more!

Related Links:

• Books mentioned*:
• • The Idea of You by Robinne Lee
• Also mentioned:
• • Follow along with Robinne online: 
  • • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • The Idea of You Facebook group
  • Illuminate, our writing membership + community for women

* The books noted above contain affiliate links. This means that we may get a small kickback if you purchase through our links, at no additional cost to you.

Show notes:

We could’ve just vomited a list of our best books for you, but to be honest, neither of us wanted to record a 2 hour long episode. You’re welcome. Instead, we decided to do a superlative style recap for you. Join the fun as we talk about books that made us cry, that surprised us, that kept us up at night, and so much more. 

Click here to join us on Patreon to get extra bookish goodies like bonus episodes, end of year rating guides, book club, and more!

Related Links:

• Books mentioned*:
• • The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
  • The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
  • I Would Leave Me If I Could by Halsey
  • Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
  • My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
  • The Push by Ashley Audrain
  • A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight
  • The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab
  • Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
  • The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin
  • Shadow and Bone Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo
  • People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
  • The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi
  • We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza
  • A Promised Land by Barack Obama
  • Storyteller by Dave Grohl
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
  • The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee
  • Razorblade Tears by S.A. Crosby
  • Mothertrucker by Amy Butcher
  • Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy
  • Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi
  • How to Stop Time by Matt Haig
  • Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell
  • When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O’Neal
  • The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi 
  • Regretting You by Colleen Hoover
  • All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle

* The books noted above contain affiliate links. This means that we may get a small kickback if you purchase through our links, at no additional cost to you.

Show notes:

You already know that we’re a couple of nerds who love to organize our lives and schedules. So it should come as no surprise that we love organizing our books and reading lists as well. Well, maybe Sarah loves it a little more than Mia, but we digress. In this episode, we’re talking all things book organization - digital books, physical books, books we’ve finished and ones we haven’t even read yet - and so much more. Come be nerds with us. 

Related Links:

• Books mentioned*:
• • Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
  • One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London
• Also mentioned:
• • Goodreads
  • StoryGraph
  • Trello
  • Book Riot book journal

* The books noted above contain affiliate links. This means that we may get a small kickback if you purchase through our links, at no additional cost to you.

Click here to join us on Patreon to get extra bookish goodies like bonus episodes, end of year rating guides, book club, and more!

Show notes:

November is such a great month to do some reading. (Do we say this every month? Probably!) In this episode, we share and review 10 books that we read in November. BUT we actually read more than 10 books this month - Sarah and Mia actually read 11 books each. Twinsies! In order to hear about the rest of the books we read, make sure to become a patron and check out that Overflow Books bonus episode. Happy listening and happy reading!

Related Links:

• Books mentioned*:
• • The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
  • Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
  • Mothertrucker by Amy Butcher
  • Razorblade Tears by SA Crosby
  • Rafael by Laurell K. Hamilton
  • The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
  • Olfaction by Kristin Rouse
  • A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
  • Ghosts by Dolly Alderton
  • 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard
  • Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
  • The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka (releases January 25, 2022)

* The books noted above contain affiliate links. This means that we may get a small kickback if you purchase through our links, at no additional cost to you.

Click here to join us on Patreon to get extra bookish goodies like bonus episodes, end of year rating guides, book club, and more!

Show notes:

There are some great books out there, obviously, but in this episode we want to talk about the books that you can’t put down and have to finish immediately. Join our reading frenzy as we share the genres that reliably keep us reading and also a list of books you’re going to want to read ASAP. We’re #sorrynotsorry for adding more books to your TBR. 

Related Links:

• Books mentioned*:
• • The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman
  • The Thousandth Floor series by Katharine McGee
  • The Idea of You by Robinne Lee
  • 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard
  • Falling by TJ Newman
  • Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips
  • The Royals Next Door by Karina Halle
  • The Push by Ashley Audrain
  • They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
  • Love in the City Series by Jen Morris
  • Every Last Secret by A.R. Torre
  • The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
  • Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
  • In Five Years by Rebecca Serle

* The books noted above contain affiliate links. This means that we may get a small kickback if you purchase through our links, at no additional cost to you.

Click here to join us on Patreon to get extra bookish goodies like bonus episodes, end of year rating guides, book club, and more!

Show notes:

We went from two strangers who met on the internet to best friends and business partners. You can’t argue that we get along and understand each other really well. But what makes us tick? Who are we, really? Well, you’re in luck with today’s episode. We’re giving you the inside scoop on our personalities - everything from the Enneagram to astrological signs to Myers Briggs personality types and more.  

Related Links:

• Books mentioned*:
• • The Summer Guest by Justin Cronin
  • In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
• Also mentioned:
• • Myers Briggs Type Indicator
  • Enneagram
  • High 5 strengths test
  • Birth order theory
  • Astrological signs
  • “Personality” song by Lloyd Price 

* The books noted above contain affiliate links. This means that we may get a small kickback if you purchase through our links, at no additional cost to you.

Click here to join our brand new Patreon to get extra bookish goodies like bonus episodes, end of year rating guides, book club, and more!

Show notes:

It’s probably no surprise that two book nerds who have a book club and a book podcast love buying books, right? Although, we might be in slight denial about how many books we actually purchase in a month. Spoiler: it’s a LOT. But that’s OK. We’re not addicted, we can quit anytime!

Related Links:

• Books mentioned*:
• • The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley
  • The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré
  • The Gifts of Imperfection, Daring Greatly, Rising Strong by Brené Brown
  • A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
  • Bed Stuy: A Love Story by Jerry McGill
  • 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard
  • Alice Hoffman the Collected Novels - two collections, 4 books each
  • Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney
  • The People We Keep by Allison Larkin
  • We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza
  • The Storyteller by Dave Grohl
  • A Little Hope by Ethan Joella
  • The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman
  • Magic Lessons, The Rules of Magic, Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
  • Ghosts by Dolly Alderton
  • I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness by Claire Vaye Watkins
  • Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman
  • Traction by Gino Wickman
  • Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier
  • Wild Like the Foxes by Anauta
  • The New Big Book of U.S. Presidents 2020 Edition: Fascinating Facts About Each and Every President by Running Press
  • Take What You Can Carry by Gian Sardar
  • From Freezer to Cooker: Delicious Whole-Foods Meals for the Slow Cooker, Pressure Cooker, and Instant Pot by Polly Conner and Rachel Tiemeyer
  • Teaching from Rest by Sarah Mackenzie
  • Billy Summers by Stephen King
  • Every Last Secret by A. R. Torre
  • Mother Trucker by Amy Butcher
  • From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon

* The books noted above contain affiliate links. This means that we may get a small kickback if you purchase through our links, at no additional cost to you.

Click here to join our brand new Patreon to get extra bookish goodies like bonus episodes, end of year rating guides, book club, and more!

Show notes:

We don’t talk about nonfiction books quite as much on this show, but today’s episode will remedy that. We’ve got memoir, travel, true crime, self-help, and more on the agenda for today. There’s just something fascinating about reading real life stories and being a fly on the wall for celebrity gossip and big world events. Maybe we’re just nosy? 

Related Links:

• Books mentioned*:
• • Add to your bookshelf immediately:
  • • Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
    • When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O’Neal
  • Memoir recommendations:
  • • A Promised Land by Barack Obama
    • Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics by Dolly Parton
    • wow, no thank you by Samantha Irby
    • Know My Name by Chanel Miller
    • Becoming by Michelle Obama
    • Educated by Tara Westover (this is the article Mia mentioned)
    • Open Book by Jessica Simpson
    • Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
  • Adventure/Travel recommendations:
  • • A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
    • Lost on Planet China by J. Maarten Troost
    • Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
    • Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach
    • Wild by Cheryl Strayed
  • True crime recommendation:
  • • I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
  • Self-help recommendations:
  • • Try Softer by Aundi Kolber
    • The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
    • Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist
  • Miscellaneous Nonfiction recommendations:
  • • Suffering is Never for Nothing by Elisabeth Elliott
    • Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman
  • Nonfiction TBR:
  • • This Will Only Hurt a Little by Busy Phillips 
    • The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown

* The books noted above contain affiliate links. This means that we may get a small kickback if you purchase through our links, at no additional cost to you.

Click here to join our brand new Patreon to get extra bookish goodies like bonus episodes, end of year rating guides, book club, and more!

Show notes:

Doesn’t October seem like the perfect month to do some reading? I mean, every month is good for reading, but you get it. Cozy, crisp weather. Early dusk. It’s like… the setting of every good horror movie! But I digress. Here are 10 books we read and loved (mostly) in October. 

We actually read MORE than 10, so if you’re interested in hearing about the other books, you should join our Patreon for that and other bookish goodies. Oh, did I let the cat out of the bag? SURPRISE. We have a Patreon account now!

Related Links:

• Books mentioned*:
• • A Spell of Rowans by Byrd Nash
  • The Lighthouse by Christopher Parker
  • Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
  • Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
  • Memory Road Trip by Krista Marson
  • We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride, Jo Piazza
  • The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
  • Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman
  • Love in the City by Jen Morris
  • The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

* The books noted above contain affiliate links. This means that we may get a small kickback if you purchase through our links, at no additional cost to you.

Click here to join our brand new Patreon to get extra bookish goodies like bonus episodes, end of year rating guides, book club, and more!